First off let me thank all of you who sent in your stories! It was REALLY hard making up my little mind (wink) but I know the couple I have picked is the right choice! We spoke for HOURS last night on the phone and I am just thrilled with my choice. I wish I could do 100 of these because you all have such fabulous stories but alas I just cannot. But thank you all so VERY much! I am thinking this will be a yearly thing anyway…I just can’t help myself. LOL! A HUGE thank you to all the vendors who have jumped on board too. We now have ME and Luker, Marty Stanovich as our DJ …who is the BOMB! That totally awesome cake Diva Betty Weber…I think I am as excited about that one right? LOL. Mike Wood Productions for the video….he’s AWESOME….and we have TWO people who have asked about providing hair and makeup. I think I will let the bride decide on that one, but we have The AWESOME Style girls and my friend Kara James. More details to come soon but again THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone who turned in their stories and THANK YOU A MILLION, BILLION times over for those that donated your services to this so deserving couple, I really had no idea when I posted this I would get all these wonderful people wanting to help. I should have known though, Pensacola is the BEST place to live with the most thoughtful caring people! Did I say thank you yet? (wink) And now we have the wonderful Danielle of Lucky girl events who has just jumped on board too. This is just going to be amazing! And NOW…the amazing Brenda Carraway of the Bridal Loft is now in…can yall believe this? WOW! This is just amazing~! She is going to take great care of Cheryl our beautiful bride!
Ok, I am waiting on pictures of my amazing couple together but for now I snagged a picture off of my grooms facebook. What did we ever do without facebook? (wink)
And now their story…
A story of a local hero and a local girl. Dustin served in the army for ten years. His last deployment little did he know would end his career. While serving in Iraq for almost a year. On December 23 2003 he received multiple gunshot wounds. The injuries being so severe he only had a five percent chance of survival. Dustin died a couple of times the longest for over sixty minutes. The only way for him to live was to take both of his legs. When he arrived to the states, he was recovering in a Army hospital in Washington D.C. he was determined to move forward. He was up and walking and proving that no one was going to keep him down. He only rehabbed for several months. Since his injuries he has done more than most can imagine. Being devoted to showing other veterans that just cause your injured doesn’t mean you’re done. So he has gone around the world doing marathons, speaking engagements, and teaching kids disabled sports. He has turned his loss in to desire for others. From skydiving, teaching basketball, and snow skiing, and tennis, rock climbing, and even going to the Para Olympic trials in several events. Being a dad raising four kids and them seeing that he was just as able to do things as any able person was. After his divorce from when he first returned home with his injuries he didn’t ever think he would love another woman. He was certain he was kept here on earth to show others dealing with injuries or disabilities how life can be better, In the eyes of a higher power must of known that he needed someone to share his life with. So once again Dustin’s heart took him to where he needed to be. His heart took him to Cheryl. He had a slight heartache one evening after kids’ baseball game. And drove himself to the hospital, but wouldn’t stay the night because kids had games the next morning. So he had to do a test out patient and go in the following week. So he came in and had a stress test done. The test seemed like it might have been difficult on him, he heard a voice from above a calming soothing voice, trying to make him more comfortable. It happened to be Cheryl’s voice trying to offer him candy or anything to help him relax. After the test was done Dustin was on his way out he decided to join Cheryl while she took a break. They had a conversation talking about the little things in life. A friend of hers dropped by and brought her something back for lunch. And she had asked if he had ever had pizza from this particular pizza place. He said he hadn’t but would love to possibly try it one day. Dustin had asked if we could talk again someday. That after noon Dustin had tried to send Cheryl a message but he didn’t realize that her phone had broken that day. Cheryl tried everything to get that message she was for certain that it was from Dustin, but after trying everything to get the message it wasn’t retrievable. Dustin just thinking that it wasn’t meant to talk to her again. But something felt different to him, like there was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time. So he decided to take a chance again, but this time calling her. They talked for hours and would have great conversations. And eventually go out on a date. Dustin knew what he had felt different about now. But was scared of what would come about. Even though Cheryl and Dustin would spend wonderful times together it wasn’t easy for Cheryl she had to be strong and understanding about his feeling she didn’t know why it was so difficult to get in his heart, but little did she know she was already there. Dustin asked Cheryl to go out of town one weekend and she was worried about it and Cheryl had her daughter that weekend. Dustin said “well your daughter can come also she is a part of you and if I wanted to be with you I would have to want to be with her also”. As they shared wonderful times together bringing her daughter and his kids together seemed like one big happy family. Dustin took time from traveling to make things work out he knew he wanted to be with Cheryl. That was the new direction given to him. So he took some time from traveling and only doing local functions. He started to feel that empty feeling filled what he was missing was someone to share his accomplishments with. Dustin found out not to long ago that while he wasn’t just physically injured in Iraq and the personal injuries he suffered upon return home. He was recently diagnosed with having a brain injury from the bullets that had hit his helmet. So doctors and Cheryl and he decided it was time to get back out there. To help others again so he has begun doing marathons again helping newly disabled Iraq and Afghanistan veterans deal with injuries. The Freedom Team was glad to have there leader, there mentor, there inspiration back. So in December 2009 he started doing marathons again doing the one in West Palm Beach helping the soldiers and others. After that Christmas time was here and Cheryl and Dustin had been together for a couple of years. Little did Cheryl know that Dustin had taken an engagement ring to Palm Beach. He had planned to ask her when he crossed the finish line, but it didn’t happen. On Christmas day Cheryl had a package that was eight feet high and two feet wide. After all presents where opened she still had this box when she opened the box out came balloons to the top of the ceilings some of the balloons had a letter on them. She was trying to see what it might had spelled or said. After someone had said out a few letters and everyone trying to make it out, she came over to Dustin while he was in his wheelchair and “asked does that say what I think it says”, he replied “what does it say” Cheryl said with tears in her eyes “will you marry me?” Dustin said yes. And then He asked her if she would marry him. That’s where life has led them to now. And it all began with Dustin’s heart, and Cheryl’s caring and loving heart.
Uhhhh, no David that will not fit you. (wink)
