On February 10, 2013, my future boyfriend asked me if I would be his girlfriend. I said yes, not knowing what on earth I was getting myself into. Fast forward three years and I'm still adjusting to Devon's charm, temperament, and family. Don't get me wrong, change is good. I love spending time with him and his family but we differ a lot.
About six months into our relationship, Devon asked me to come haying with his family. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with haying, don't feel bad; I'd never heard of it either. Basically, if you have a field where you grow hay, you have to pick it and roll it into bales.) I'm from a small town too, and while both my parents were raised on small family farms, I was not. Sufficed to say that I was one of the weaker ladies, trying to throw bales to the top of the trailer. This was one of the first times I'd ever met most of Devon's family and it was kind of embarrassing. I can easily say that I didn't quite fit in.
I'm not sure who's foot that is in the bottom left corner, but let me tell you, at this point I was wishing I was sitting too.
The big holidays rolled by and we hadn't been dating long enough to join each other's families on Thanksgiving. My family joined my grandparents in their winter home in Florida for Christmas and New Years. Eventually, Valentine's Day was in sight, and with that came our anniversary. I don't remember much of that day, but I know we had fun. In all honesty, we probably watched a movie at my house, which pretty much sums up our relationship.
Three and a half years later, we still face some minor missteps. With the missteps, we grow, though. Devon's nephew, Aiden, was diagnosed with cancer in November and the whole town of East Brookfield rallied around him. Throughout the whole process, Devon's family and friends (and pretty much the whole town of East Brookfield) have been by this little boy's side. Enter Aiden's Army on Facebook and you'll find a whole page dedicated to his fight. It's beautiful and it's overwhelming but it's life.
So why is the whole town behind Aiden's Army? Besides the fact that Aiden's father is in the Army Reserves, he is also Lieutenant on East Brookfield Fire Department (EBFD), along with his childhood best friends Andy and Josh McCrillis, who happen to be Devon's uncle and father. Additionally, Devon's mother's brother is an EMT for EBFD and his grandfather on his father's side is also a member of EBFD. While I love every member of EBFD as if they are my own family, it is incredibly stressful feeling like I need to impress an entire town.
One of the kindest women I have met is Devon's past babysitter. Lisa runs a daycare out of her home, which is also a family farm. It's because of Lisa that I'm going to school to become a teacher and an article about Devon's family wouldn't be complete without a nod to my second mom.
Throughout it all, there is no one I would rather spend my life with than Devon. I have grown to love Devon's Nana and Grampy and have learned that his Grandma and Grandpa are acquaintances with my own grandparents. When I need a good gossip session, I know exactly who I can talk to and when I want a good laugh, I know I can run up the stairs of Devon's home, find his younger sister and reminisce about high school.
I'd like to personally thank everyone I've met through Devon, but, as I've previously explained, there are far too many to possibly name in one article. Just know that you've all changed me for life, and I hope you're proud of the woman I've become because of you.
