Juggling life of a college student, the minor league baseball system, and planning for a wedding in January is far from the average lifestyle of a couple just entering their twenties! Many days are challenging and just plain hard! As Tucker and I move into this new chapter of life, we have been able remain confident in this crazy lifestyle. I'm so excited to share it with you!
For starters, I think it is important to first catch you up to speed! Tucker and I met in high school and it didn't take long for me to fall for the sweet, super cute, star of the baseball team. We dated for two years and wrapped up our time in high school with the professional baseball draft, where Tucker was drafted in the 2nd round to the Milwaukee Brewers organization. This would take him to spring training in Arizona only a week after our graduation, while I was headed to Greenville, SC to continue my education on a volleyball scholarship.
Our relationship evolved from high school hallways and movie dates to FaceTime calls, airplanes, and short visits in brand new cities. Needless to say it wasn't easy (and still isn't easy!). The most important part of this transition was deciding that we wanted it to work. After that, we were able to accept the challenges as they came, and believe me- they came!
Here we are a little over two years later, and we will be married in less than 7 months! Choosing to get married wasn't a difficult choice. As christians, we have greatly relied on our faith to get us to this point, and we felt God calling us to use our relationship as a witness for him. Marriage in our modern society has become a stage of life, only to be completed after experiencing many partners, finishing school, and establishing yourself financially. It is has become defined by "feelings" of love and as a result, over half of the marriages that occur in our country result in divorce. Marriage, the way God intended it to be, is love as an act not a feeling and is a perfect example of God's love for His church.
Taking the step of getting married at the age of 20 has given Tucker and I a perfect platform to share our faith and publicly demonstrate God's love in our interactions with one another. In no way do we claim to have it all figured out, but we are continuing to grow and learn everyday. How cool is it that I get to build a life with a HUSBAND, instead of figuring it out alone, and then trying to merge two very independent lives?!
Being engaged while living 12 hours away from one another is far from the blissful scene created in movies, but I think that is what makes it so great! Being engaged so young allows for so much fun as well. I know that dealing with this transition has been much easier as I have been able to connect with other baseball wives and girlfriends that can understand what I am going through. As I begin this blog I hope to offer the same support to other girls transitioning into the baseball life style.
I was lucky enough to spend this past month in Wisconsin watching Tucker play, it has been such an awesome experience! It is so cool to chase a dream together with your best friend. Stay tuned for my transition back to school and wedding planning as I return home on Saturday!
Thanks so much for reading!
XOXO, Ashton
