The Beginning of Us – Kara’s Story {Innocent Charms Chats}

This week’s Beginning of Us comes from of the nicest people I have met through blogging. Kara at Innocent Charms Chats is a complete gem! She has three beautiful kids and shares so many lovely things they have done, outfits they have worn and updates of them. Her blog is lovely to read and is a great insight into her family’s life together.

Here’s Kara…

I can not believe it is nearly 14 years since Ashley and I started dating, it has gone so quickly. Back in 2002 I was working for a company where we hired in about 10 agency staff each day, some would be regular others not so much. Ashley was one of them, because they started at 5am I would never see them in the morning and if I am honest most of them were not the sort of people I would talk to so when they came in to the office in the evenings I would sign their time sheets without a second glance.

Ashley on the other hand took a long glance and liked what he saw, for weeks he would listen to my voice on the lorry phone as I spoke to the driver (who he worked along side), he joked to the driver how nice he thought I was, so one day whilst no one was watching he took my phone number and saved it.

That night I received a joke text from him, I ignored them at first but he was persistant, I told him I was living with someone and was not that sort of girl, so we agreed to be friends. We chatted for weeks, he told me of his life and I confided in him of the awful relationship I was in, my fear, he would make me feel so happy.

After I left my previous partner thanks to Ashley’s support and friendship I decided I wanted to meet him in person (by this point I still had no idea what he looked like). When we met I did not feel any attraction at all, in fact he was not my type, so I said I am happy to be friends but no more. But within 1 hour of leaving him I realised I had already fallen in love with him.

One month later I moved into his Mums house, within 3 months we rented somewhere. Then in Cuba less than 6 months after we met he went down on one knee and proposed, I said yes as I honestly knew that I would never spend my life with anyone else.

In 2004, after being engaged for 2 years we got married at Lympne Castle and even though many begged us not to we knew we would work. In 2008 after 2 years of trying we were told we would not be able to have a child naturally, we headed off to America for a holiday and on the way back decided we would start trying IVF. Later than month as we went to start the process, me being very poorly it was confirmed there was no need as we were 10 weeks pregnant with Grayson.

I took a further 10 tests that night before I believed them and Ashley walked round in a total daze. When Grayson turned 4 months old we were given the news he had brain damaged and life would not be as planned, we were told the odds of us surviving our relationship through the next few years would be unlikely as it would be so tough. But all it did was unite us more, we became a perfect little family with a slightly different everyday.

Then in 2010 we decided to try for another child, knowing our high risks and in May 2011 we brought Addison into our family. Ashley held her so tight, checking out his perfect daughter and I knew that this was the best decision we had made. Unfortunately I lost my way and suffered with dreadful PND, Ashley being my constant rock gave up work in a heartbeat and become the one to care for us all. I returned to work knowing our children were in the best hands they could ask for.

After loosing our little squidge in 2012, we went on to complete our family in 2013 with Deacon, then last year as we had promised each other we renewed our vows on our 10^th anniversary in November, with our babies by our side.

I am so thankful Ashley stole my number that day, I am not sure where our lives would be now if not, but I know even though they are bloody tough that we are in the places we are supposed to be, by each others side.

Thanks Kara for sharing your story. I love how you met and I’m glad that it all worked out. You have both been through so much in the last 11 years – who knows what the next years hold?!