Anniversary trip

Hubs and I were able to get away to celebrate our anniversary and end of busy season. It has been almost two years since we have gone away together without our kids. It was much MUCH needed! 

Hubs actually started not feeling good a couple of days before we left and ended up with a a bad headcold. He could not breath at all. I am pretty sure we made about five trips to the store to find something to make him more comfortable and to be able to sleep. I felt so bad for him. Also the weather was hit and miss. We took some naps, we went out to eat, we went and watched Captain America at the movies, we finally were able to get down to the beach when it wasn't high tide and pouring down rain. It was very relaxing and wonderful to just spend time with Hubs without being distracted with life. 

The day we were to head home Hubs had a telemeeting he had to call in on. I thought he looked so handsome sitting there working. As soon as his meeting was over we headed to the Temple. 

It felt amazing to be in the Temple with my Hubs. It had been way too long. While inside I just had the most overwhelming feeling that I truly am a daughter of God. It was a great reminder. 

I am so grateful to my parents who watched our kids while we were gone. 

12

I am so late on posting anything about this, but that is life. 

This last Sunday was our twelve year anniversary. TWELVE!!

Unfortunately I was really sick the whole night before and all day on our anniversary. 

Nothing says love like taking care of your sick wife.

It was a miserable night and day!!

But I am so grateful for this man, and grateful for every up and down we have experienced the last twelve years. I love that I have forever with him!

He got me some beautiful earrings (you can kind of see them in the picture) and the day after our anniversary was the last day of tax season so we went to his firms end of season banquet (picture is of us heading out the door for it). I usually dread being at it but love the night out with my hubs and to not have to cook dinner. 

My parents had our kids, so the next day we headed up to Portland to attend the Temple. It had been way too long, like eight months. It was so wonderful to be in the Temple again and with Hubs. Afterwards we went out to eat and then headed to my parents house to pick up our kids. 

Maybe one day we will be able to celebrate our anniversary with a fun, fancy trip. But for now, it was just perfect (except for the being sick part).

Fifty

This last Saturday was my parents 50th wedding anniversary.

Fifty years gave them six children and twenty-one grandchildren.

(this year will bring the count up to twenty-three and hopefully twenty-four).

Thank you Mom and Dad for letting us catch you making out in the kitchen, for holding hands, for always kissing after the prayer is said and for making sure we knew that you always loved each other. 

I am eternally grateful for their example of love for each other and a long lasting marriage. 

Happy fifty beautiful years of marriage!

a decade...with eternity left!

To think we have been married for ten years is crazy. On one hand it is really hard to believe, because I don't feel that old and in hind-sight it seemed to go by fast. On the other hand it is easy to believe when I think about all that we have been through in ten years.

We have had the lowest of lows and the highest of highs (several of each of those) and every thing in between!

Hubs and I chose to be married in the Temple where we could be sealed to each other forever, not just until "death do us part".

Over these ten years we have had many huge events happen in our lives that have reaffirmed how important it is to us to live worthily so that we can keep those blessings that come from the covenants we made with each other and our Heavenly Father ten years ago.

We want our family to be FOREVER!

We want to see our sister B and our nephew N.

We want the beautiful children that we are and will be blessed with to be with us in the eternities!

I want this man I fell in love with and married ten years ago to be by my side forever.

I want NOTHING LESS!

Hubs,

Thank you...

for always loving me,

for being beyond patient with me,

for being my rock in our darkest days,

for holding me until I fall asleep,

for telling me you love me,

for kissing me after we pray,

for kissing me every morning when you get out of bed,

for kissing me every time you leave and come home,

for helping me when I need you,

for our 1.2.3.I.love.you signal,

for loving me no matter what I look like,

for listening to my rambling thoughts,

for holding my hand,

for being worthy to hold the priesthood,

for having a Temple recommend,

for coming home every night to us,

for being the man I want by my side forever,

and for being everything I need you to be!

I LOVE YOU Hubs!

  

away...

 ...he is all mine!

Hubs and I went on a little get away to the coast/lake, to celebrate our anniversary and the end of busy season. We stayed at the family lake house that is near the coast, the weather was beautiful. We left Mac with my parents, left him for the first time. We had a great time, and Mac was very well taken care of.

We poked around downtown Florence. We went to our favorite beach, Sunset Bay. We looked at tide pools. We went to a beautiful garden near by. We ate at the Mill Casino. We watched movies. We went to a Historical Museum for the Coos Bay area. We went on a walk. We ate chips and salsa. We took naps and slept in. And called to check on Mac at least 5 times a day, it was only to help keep my sanity.

It was delightful and relaxing!

EIGHT years...

This picture looks like it was taken 50 years ago, but really it was just eight.

(sorry for the bad picture, it is a picture of a picture and the only one I could find.)

Ode to Eight Years...

two people, one wedding.

5 years of school: one bachelors in finance and one masters in accounting.

lived in 4 cities and two states: 6 moves, 3 apartments, 3 duplexes, zero houses.

12 different jobs between the two of us: Hubs-8, Me-4

6 Wards, 1 Branch

14 months living away from our family and friends.

4 cars, still have two.

lost two family members very tragically.

7 months of foster-respite care to a sweet, beautiful ,little girl.

6.66 years childless, with millions of tears.

8 months of fertility treatments: one surgery, 2 failed IUIs, thousands of dollars spent.

3 months of paperwork for Adoption: 5 months to be "chosen", 5 months of waiting.

one amazing selfless women, one beautiful miracle baby boy, OUR SON.

16 months of parenthood: one sweet baby that is now one sweet toddler.

millions of tears, smiles, laughs, hugs, kisses and blessings.

one very amazing husband!

...and ETERNITY to go!

...the rest of the story!

If you need to refresh your memory, check out the first half of the story!

The next day was General Conference and Hubs had planned on going to the priesthood session at the Institute building and I would meet him there afterwards and pick him up to go to a movie. I think we checked out the movies and there wasn't anything good so we went and rented one and went back to my house and watch it. When it was over we left to take him back to his car at the Institute parking lot. When we got there, there was a truck blocking the entrance. So he wasn't going to be able to leave. So we headed up to Hendrick's Park and thought we would take a little night stroll through the park. When we were walking on the trail I ended up stopping and decided that I would kiss him. And I did successfully! So on our way back to the car Hubs decided to ask me if that meant anything. I was like "are you kidding me, I'm not a player!" And I told him that I really liked him and that is why I kissed him. We then drove back to get his car.

We then continued to spend every moment we could with each other. And a few weeks into dating he started talking about marriage, which totally freaked me out! And I told him that I was not ready yet. And then he so politely didn't bring it up again. A few weeks after that I then decided that I really did want to marry him. So we unofficially were engaged. Hubs then called my parents the next day to see if he could come over and talk to them about "something". And my parents were so excited. After my dad gave him the usual threats he told Hubs he could marry me.

So a few weeks went by and one night I woke up in the middle of the night and was totally FREAKED OUT by getting married, and I didn't sleep the rest of the night. I got up and went to work totally miserable. When I was at work I got a totally random phone call from a guy friend who lived out of state that I had not talked to in a few months. I told him that I was getting married and he totally went off on me, and kept on asking me if I really loved this guy. And that whole phone call did not help out the feeling I was already having. Hubs then called me as usual and he could tell I was being really weird on the phone and kept asking me what was wrong. He asked if he could come over that night so we could talk about what was bothering me. And I agreed. At lunch time I went to my parents house to talk to my mom and I remember sitting on the floor in her kitchen bawling. I told her about everything and she told me that I needed to talk to Hubs about it. That night Hubs came over and we sat on my bed with me bawling and him staying really calm trying to figure out what was wrong. We talked for a really long time and by the end of the night I was more in love with Hubs then ever before!

A few months later I picked out an engagement ring and Hubs went the next day and bought it. When it came in Hubs came over to my parents house and sat on the couch next to me and started rambling off all this stuff. I ended up thinking that he was breaking up with me and was in tears. He then got on one knee and re-asked me to marry him. A few months later we were married and sealed in the Portland Oregon Temple.

And now here we are almost seven years later...we have been through so much together, good and bad. And I love this man more than anything, there is no one on earth that I would rather be with. I am a lucky women!!

HOW WE MET...

It was seven years ago last week (Sept. 25th)...

I was sitting at work on a Monday and all of a sudden I had this very weird and very random feeling (or thought). I felt like I was going to meet the man I was going to marry that very night at FHE for my singles ward. It was so strange and totally ridiculous and I wasn't even sure why I had this feeling. Marriage was the farthest thing from my mind, especially since I just had sent off my second missionary the month before this.

So when I got home from work I tried to pick out the perfect outfit and do my hair and makeup perfectly and then headed over to the institute building for FHE. I walked in and saw some friends and started to hang out with them, keeping my eye on every guy that walked into the building, wondering if he was the "one". I ended up hanging out with my friend Clay outside on the steps when all of a sudden Clay got excited to see someone walking up the steps. I turned and saw Hubs and I instantly knew that HE WAS THE ONE! He was so cute of course!

Clay and him started talking and I found out through the two talking that Hubs had just gotten off his mission a few days before. We all went inside to play games and Hubs and I never really talked the rest of the night but were hanging out with the same people, because some how we knew all the same people but did not ever know each other.

Before the night was over I knew I needed to formally introduce myself to him. When it came to guys that I liked or thought were cute I was always very shy. But I managed to put that all aside an walked up to him sitting by himself in a chair and introduced my self to him. I asked him a few questions I am sure then it was over after maybe two minutes.

I left definitely with this guy on my mind. When I got home I told my roommate about him and how cute he was and the little bit that I knew about him. I didn't stop thinking about him all week. So then on Friday of the same week there was a dance at the institute building for the singles ward and I was so hoping that he would be there. And sure enough he eventually showed up. But he sat on the couch in the lobby talking to a friend who had also just returned from his mission. As I was walking by another friend of his said that I needed to go and get one of those guys to dance so that they wouldnt just be sitting on the couch all night. So I walked over and started to talk to them paying most of my attention to Hubs of course. During our conversation, which lasted longer this time, he had to ask me twice what my name was again. But I thought that I had actually caught his interest a little more this time, although I wasn't able to get him to dance.

The following week for FHE we ended up hanging out together with our friend Clay. And then the three of us just ended up hanging out most of the week together. The next week there was going to be a barn dance out of town, and Hubs, Clay and I decided that we would ride together. Then Clay decided that he wanted to go to Utah for some reason. So Hubs tried calling me to see if I still wanted to go with him, but I was gone until midnight celebrating another friends birthday. When I got home that night I was excited to see that he had called, but I didn't call him back because it was way too late. Hubs said that he waited up until really late for my call and was really disappointed when I didn't call him back. But the second I got home from work the next day I called him. We decided that we would still go together as long as he drove.

So he came to my house and we hopped in my car and drove the half hour to the barn dance. All I could remember was that I loved being with him. When we got to the dance I took him to meet my parents who were there because they were serving in the singles ward. Hubs and I ended up dancing every single dance together, and he would hold my hand when we weren't dancing, and oh boy was my heart fluttering. So I was all excited to go home to get a good night kiss. So when it came time for the kiss all I ended up getting was a hug. I was so disappointed. When I walked into my apartment my roommate wanted the scoop and I told her all about it, including my disappointment.

To be continued...

SIX YEARS!!!

Well, Hubs and I have just had our 6th wedding anniversary this last weekend. I can hardly believe how fast it has flown by for the both of us (well most of the time it did!). Through the last six years we have had a ton of fun, laughs, tears and heartache. We both have accomplished alot, Hubs-educationally & personally, and I-personally. And we are excited for what still lays ahead for us, and scared. But through everything we know we have each other and that is the best part. We are especially grateful that we get to spend time and all eternity together!!!

Here are a few pictures to commemorate our last six years.

Right after we got engaged. (Nov. 2000)

Boy do we look young.

One of our engagement pictures, taken at the Oregon coast while it was snowing. (Jan. 2001)

Our first anniversary spent at the family lake house. (April 2002)

Corvallis 2002

Beach 2003

Beach 2004

Hubs's graduation at OSU. (June 2004)

Pumpkin patch (Oct. 2005)

Beach (Aug 2005)

Christmas 2006