And now he's 31

And this is officially the year that I stopped trying to make a cake

and settled for the cupcake variety.  It was better for everybody this way.

I love you to the moon and back, Jeremy!!

8 YEARS!

 I love us!

We had a lovely evening.  We went out to eat at a fancy restaurant while our friends watched Gwen for us.  The food and the company was on point.  Then we came home and ate our Ben and Jerry's.  Perfect night! I love you sweetheart!!

Front Page News

This handsome dentist was featured on the front page of the local newspaper today:

He donated his time and talents, along with the other dentists he works for (our good friends the Carmacks), to give free dental care to the veterans in the area.  It was quite the party complete with free burgers and hotdogs from the grill and live music - even on a rainy day.  You can read the whole article here.  

You are a ROCKSTAR Jeremy!

The Big 30

For Jeremy's big 30th birthday we decided to head to Boston for the weekend.

It was a quick trip, Friday to Saturday, and we managed to squeeze in some fun things.  We had take out in our hotel room Friday night as we watched basketball which was so relaxing.  Saturday morning we went to the Boston Temple, which is always a refreshing, centering experience.  Then we painted pottery with my buddies, Erika and Cassandra.  After the painting party, we headed to the mall to get him some snazzy new kicks and then we made our way home.  I made a beautiful funfetti cake for him Sunday night that he said he loved even though it looked like a 5 year old frosted it.

Jeremy is a my favorite.  I am so happy to be married to such a great man.  

There are so many great years ahead!

29

Happy Birthday sweet boy!

Here are 29 reasons I think you are the best:

You help me make fun dance videos. You are smart. You work hard. You are up for most of the adventures I cook up.  You do the laundry.  You help keep our apartment clean.  You teach me how to do left-handed layups.  You buy me flowers every once in a while.  You encourage me to make my dreams come true.  You are so handsome. You are hilarious in the most surprising ways.  You drive on long car rides so I can sleep.  You wink at me.  You let me collect lots of hobbies. You take Sunday afternoon naps while you watch Disney movies. You don't mind when I make my birthday a big deal. You have a pure heart.  You are close to God.  You want to be a dad (and I know you will be the cutest dad ever).  You fit right into my little family.  You let me do therapy on you... sometimes.  You help me practice forging your signature.  You believe in me.  You tell me I'm beautiful all of the time.  You think I'm smart.  You are kind to everyone.  You are a great teacher.  You listen.  You are patient.

See you really are the best! Now, let's go to that Celtics vs Jazz game to celebrate.

6 years

of marital bliss with the handsome and hilarious Jeremy.  He's my forever favorite!

 What a party that day was?!!

This week,

I'm grateful for...

- Jesus Christ! He is the gift.  He is the Savior of the world.  Because of Him, I can be forgiven.  Because of Him, I can change for the better.  Because of Him, I can heal from my struggles.  He is the Son of God.  He is the source of true happiness and everlasting peace.  He is always there for me, waiting for me to turn to Him.  He is comfort, He is Love, He is Christmas!

- Cameras! They make it possible to capture the fun moments and awesome adventures we have in life, and also record those crazy dance videos.  I cherish the pictures I have.  They help me remember specific wonderful moments.  Cameras can capture intense emotions, details of relationships, and incredible landscapes.  Cameras are totally awesome!

- Jeremy! It makes it a little easier to leave my family knowing that I get to be with him all of the time.  He is just the greatest.  I am one lucky girl to have my best friend by my side.  He believes in me and encourages me to chase my dreams.  He is incredibly patient, kind, and so so funny.  I just love him. 

Merry Christmas!!

and then a train appeared

last night a little after 9:30 jeremy decided we should put the train up.  we have had the train for a while now and we haven't done much with it. i had dreams of putting it around the tree this year for a festive punch and jeremy jumped on board real quick.  his dad loves trains - he built a whole village in his basement. it's amazing. like father, like son.

it is the perfect addition to our tiny tree.  maybe next year we will get a real one (fingers crossed).  regardless, this train will be coming out every year!

Let's give thanks, Week 1

I just love this beautiful month dedicated to giving thanks.  I don't want to let this season escape me without taking advantage of the focus it gives us.  I am going to post 3 things I am grateful for every week... because posting everyday is exhausting.  Here we go!

#1
I am grateful for Jeremy.  He is a caring soul.  He is smart, determined, and oh so good looking.  I am grateful that he loves me.  I am grateful that he forgives me.  I am grateful that he listens to me.  I am grateful that he does the laundry.  I am grateful that he let's me be me.  I am grateful to have such a stellar person by my side.  I am grateful that he's my best friend. 

#2
I am grateful for my family.  They are hilarious, adventurous, and fiercely loyal.  I am grateful that we love being together.  I am grateful that I feel their love and support consistently even though we live so far away.  I am grateful for their righteous examples.  I am grateful for their encouragement.  I am grateful that they believe in me.  I am grateful for our awesome adventures.

#3
I am grateful for my body.  It is strong, reliable, and resilient. I am grateful that it can move to the beat and listen to the birds.  I am grateful that my body allows me to give hugs, see sunsets, and smell cookies (GF of course).  I am grateful that my body can take me to the top of mountains.  I am grateful for the beautiful instrument that my body is and all that it allows me to do and experience. 

What are you grateful for this week?

i remember weird dates...

7 years since my last first kiss!

laugh it off

one morning back in 2004 right after we moved to las vegas, sam dropped a gallon of milk as he was getting it out of the fridge.  it somehow exploded on impact and the whole gallon of milk was suddenly slipping over the kitchen floor. 

i will never forget my mom's reaction.  she laughed.  and laughed.  she helped sam clean it up, pulled a fresh gallon from the fridge, and our morning continued on. it is something i have been trying to learn to do ever since. 

last night jeremy was kicking a ball across the apartment (a normal occurrence around here) as we chatted about this and that.  one shot soared over the kitchen counter right between an abandoned glass and the soap dispenser.  we couldn't believe how close it was.

his next shot hit the glass square on.  we both watched as it got mowed off the counter and shattered against the floor.  we looked at each other and i just laughed.  and laughed.  jeremy's commentary, "well that just happened."

i think i am finally becoming more like her. 

for posterity, no. 2

ready for round two of the recorded interviews?  we went outside for this round and i am not sure we will do that again... lots of extra noise and interruptions.  it's hard to hear in some parts, sorry! also next time, i promise to use manual focus so it stays consistent throughout the video.  stick with me guys, i'm learning.

enjoy!



topics covered in this video:
favorite lunch, three words to describe yourself, what would you do if i dyed my streak purple, what would you do if you had an afternoon to yourself, what's the wildest thing you have ever done (this one got missed on the camera, his answer: hot air-ballooning.  he was only scared once and overall he loved it.), what's one thing you did in school this week, tell us about the first time you kissed me, what advice would you give yourself as a newlywed, how was it growing up with a twin, what household chore do you hate the most, and how old are you at heart?

what did i learn today?  jeremy gives way shorter answers than i do and sprinklers cannot be trusted.

on my counter

jeremy gave me these beauties (along with coral ballet flats and milk duds) for mother's day.  he's a rockstar at giving gifts.

flowers in a mason jar are just about my favorite thing.

i used to scoff at flowers.  they just die, get me ice cream instead i would say.  (well, the flowers sometimes last longer than the ice cream.)  they certainly die, but that is not a valid reason not to enjoy them while they live.  that's like saying you don't want to go on vacation because you know it will have to end.  i am a person that struggles more with endings, rather than beginnings, but we can dive into that another time.

 back to the flowers...

they bring beauty to any room and help me appreciate the wonder of nature.  the colors, the shapes, the freshness.  they inspire me to be more creative, more mindful, more present.  they bring life.  i want work on having fresh flowers in my house on a regular basis. beauty is a good thing to be surrounded by.  luckily, we have trader joe's just up the street.  it's our favorite spot for flowers.

Birthday Boy!

Happy Birthday to this handsome boy!

28 looks so good on you! Seriously... I lucked out.

Here are 28 reasons why I think you are the absolute best: 

You have a kind soul. You are hilarious. You go out of your way to help other people. You stick to your values. You listen. You are caring.  You do the laundry. You play basketball like a pro. You are modest in your accomplishments. You support and encourage me. You are an awesome brother to my brothers. You have a strong testimony of God. You pay the bills. You prefer just hanging out with me. You work hard. You serve with your whole heart. You remind me to laugh. You love babies. You are easy going. You are just so handsome. You are smart. You love ice cream as much as I do. You support my scooter fund. You are always smiling. You take care of things. You are honest. You are loving. And you are MINE, forever!

 Hope your day ROCKS, sweetheart!

V8

we started a competition with my family for the new year.  one of the things we earn points for is eating a fruit and vegetable every day.

jeremy wanted to get some V8 so he could easily get his veggie in (i went the route of spinach smoothies and lots of green beans).  i told him it was gross - i haven't tried it, but veggie juice... it just has to be gross.  jeremy insisted that it wouldn't be that bad and if it was, he would choke it down.  i didn't believe him and we bought it anyway.

the next day, he went for it. there was gagging, coughing, and "that's terrible!" from the kitchen as he tried to get a whole glass down.  he had to chase it with milk.  lots of milk.

he has been slowly chugging away at our hefty 46 oz jug of V8 (go big or go home!).  he says it is getting a little easier - he has a gulping technique to minimize the contact between the juice and his taste buds.  i have been pretty impressed.  i couldn't do that.

(i had to have some one night to earn my point and it was awful stuff, like tears coming out of my eyes awful.  not doing that again.)

giving thanks #3

i'm thankful for jeremy.

(and our sunday afternoon cuddle sessions.)

he is the sweetest boy in the world and such a good person through and through. he's my absolute favorite and he's mine forever.  we are a dynamite team. i am so lucky.

today marks...

six years of kissing this sweet boy!

we had our first kiss six years ago after an ice cream date.  of course we celebrated with ice cream sundaes tonight on the way home.  who knew that kiss would be my last first kiss?! i'm so glad it was and that i get to kiss jeremy anytime i want.  he's my favorite! 

what a day!

what a fun day, really!

i put in a call to quaker,
 because a whole box of instant maple and brown sugar oatmeal was not so maple and brown sugary.  so after suffering through quite a bit of the box i decided to do something about it.  i called the number on the box for "comments and questions" (or complaints and concerns in reality) and told the sweet lady on the phone of my tragic breakfast saga.  she apologized for my ruined breakfasts, took the box information and my information, and promised coupons for a replacement and other quaker treats would be on their way.  what wonderful customer service?  she was quite helpful and the whole experience makes me want to eat more quaker stuff.

i made a visit to our beautiful library.

 it's a gorgeous building, complete with fireplaces!

i love reading!  especially FREEEE books.  my goal is to read one book a week.  i have this whole routine going right now that i just love.  it was slow going at first because this particular library is pretty small and they rarely have the books i want to read.  but my friend Janet, the dear librarian, orders the books from different libraries in the area and then just gives me a call when they arrive.  so now i go every other week to: take back the two books i read, pick up the two books that i put on hold last time, and to put two more books on hold for next time.  it's a great system! and Janet is just the nicest.

i also booked a HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE!

in new hamsphire!

remember when i wishlist wednesday-ed it years ago??  well, i figured now was a good time to make my dreams come true.  you know... why not?  so i gathered my graduation monies and booked a sunrise hot air balloon ride in august complete with a picnic afterwards.  it's going to be AMAZING!  charles is our pilot and he is sure friendly.  i told him jeremy is afraid of heights and he assured me that some people get in the basket kicking and screaming and by the end they want to go again.  he also told me all about how being afraid of heights is different then being afraid of falling and that jeremy was probably afraid of falling. he went on about how when you are attached to something on the ground the fear of falling is more real than when you are not (so in an airplane, hot air balloon, etc) so it shouldn't be a big deal.  i'm not really sure i understood, but he assured me jeremy would be fine and offered to talk to him to answer any questions.  charles has been flying balloons for 20 years and totally knows his stuff and i REALLY want to go!  so i asked jeremy if he could handle it and after some unfair pressure from me, he said to just go ahead and book it.  he loves me.  in the mean time we will be working on exposure therapy, so we can get him ready for this wonderful adventure.  i am so jazzed about it.

i also completed a french braid for the first time.

can you believe my luck?!  it must be a fluke.

especially since i consider myself hair impaired.

i have understood the concept of french braiding, but i have never been able to do it, especially on myself.  i don't know what came over me when i was getting ready for work, but i thought i would attempt a french braid.  to my surprise i was able to get through the whole thing without fuddling it up.  i was so excited that i took this picture at work and sent it to my mom with , "Look mom!  I did that!"  after i sent the message, i felt a little like i was 5 years old.  you know... just showing my mom the cool tricks i can do.

he's still not a dad

and we still celebrate father's day!

jeremy usually thinks it's a dumb idea, until he opens his presents.

he scored jack reacher, phil jackson's new book, tennis balls,
and some of his favorite treats.

we started the morning with jeremy's favorite breakfast: cinnamon rolls. and after a relaxing day, we ended the night with some angel food cake topped with our farm fresh strawberries and fancy cool whip.  i love that combo, especially in the summer time!

 well sweetie, you will be the best dad someday!  

until then we will continue to celebrate your future fatherhood.

80 hours

i am now 80 hours into my job...

and i LOVE it.

i can't believe i get paid to do what i do.  it's fantastic!  i look forward to going to work everyday.  i feel like i am just going to hangout with some friends while we take care of people that need us by doing therapy.  it's great.  want to know a big bonus of my job?  i work in the afternoons! i work from 12-8 monday through thursday and 8-4 on fridays.  so i get to sleep-in almost every day (i only wake up to an alarm ONE day a week!!).  it's fun!  jeremy on the other hand doesn't love that i am dead asleep when he leaves for school.  in the mornings he usually nudges me awake, we say a prayer together - kind of... he says it while i lie there ever so reverently, then he kisses me, and i mumble "have a good day. i love you," as he walks out of the door.  my schedule is also forcing us to think about dinners in advance so i can pack a somewhat coherent dinner for work (since i eat with my patients and i am supposed to model normalized eating - balanced meals & proper portioning).  we have been cooking big meals on sundays and utilizing the lovely crockpot on mondays.  it works well because we have TONS of left-overs to last the week.  and we love left-overs!  it has been an adjustment, but after two weeks, i am really loving this schedule and everything about my sweet job!  i am so blessed.