Three Years Later

We have been married for three years today!  So I thought I'd recap our first three years of marriage.

The beginning:  I was still so excited that you were actually home from your mission!  It took me quite a while to get over that.  It was fun living in my childhood bedroom for a month until our apartment was ready.  Interesting...but fun.  Super tiny/squishy...but oh so fun!

Our first apartment:  One word: Ghetto.  But atleast you weren't to blame for that one, it was ALL ME!  Yet, I was still so happy to be making a home with you.

Rough patch: Commuting to Ogden for school with 18 credits and having to keep up your grades so you could keep your scholarship plus working full time in Pleasant Grove...well, it was impossible.  You tried your hardest, and no one can blame you for not being able to keep the job.  So you quit, which meant we had to give up our apartment and move in with your family.  I know it was a huge stab to your pride, but I'm glad you could be honest with me.  It was our first huge down in our marriage, but somehow we made it through without fighting even once!  Go us!  It made me love you even more somehow and I was so grateful I had a job so I could help support us.   

Living with your family:  fun at times, stressful at times.  Fun getting to see your family a lot more, stressful having to share a bathroom with Oma and Trevor.  Fun painting the orange room to a mellow color so we could chill and not go crazy in there, stressful walking into the house at night knowing that Miko would probably attack me.  Fun learning more about your family members since I spent a lot of time with them, stressful having ten people living in the house at one point.  Fun getting to play with our nephews all the time while they were living there too, stressful trying to be quiet so we didn't wake them.  Fun staying in our childhood ward, stressful staying in our childhood ward.  Fun because I wasn't ever bored because there was always someone else home I could hangout with if I wanted to, stressful trying to do my share of the housework but not stepping on anyone elses toes.  Fun when we moved downstairs to our own "apartment", stressful with all the noise from upstairs.  Fun learning we were pregnant with our first baby, stressful knowing we would be having our first baby living there.

Having our first baby: Oh my goodness, how amazing that experience was.  Thanks for putting up with my crazy hormones.  I had a lot of ups and downs, well...mostly downs and you stood beside me the entire time!  I loved watching you with her.  You truly were/are the best daddy one kid could ever hope for.  The bond between the two of you is incredible.  I know it's because you were there for her in the beginning when I couldn't be and for that I am so grateful!

Learning we were expecting another bundle of joy:  Pure craziness.  I had been trying to talk you into it for months, and one day you just said "ok, let's do it".  So we did (wink, wink).  One day I just knew I was pregnant.  Unfortunately the test was negative, but I was convinced I was.  So I tested again that Sunday and sure enough, positive!  It was right before church and you were getting Mara dressed, I casually walked in and let you know.  It was fun having a secret between the two of us all during church.  I couldn't stop smiling and neither could you.  

Having another baby:  I couldn't believe there was anyway to love you more, but I was wrong.  Giving birth to another child brought me even closer to you.  It has made me love you and Mara more.  This precious little boy brought such a spirit to our home and for now has made our family feel complete. 

School and Work:  I can't lie, it's hard somedays.  Having you work 40 hours a week as a correctional officer at the State Prison and going to UVU full time feels like I sometimes never get to see you.  Somedays I get so stressed out taking care of two kids by (what feels like at the time) myself.  But somehow you manage to find time to play with the kids, help out around the house, and make me feel special and loved.  You are superman!  I know it's even more stressful for you, so I want to let you know how thankful I am!  I know that you're only gone so much so that you can provide for us.  I know that in your perfect world you'd choose to spend every moment at home with us.  I know that you work so hard because you love us.  So thankyou.  Here's to the next ____ years.  We can do it!

Meeting you and marrying you is honestly the best thing that has happened to me.  I know you put up with a lot of ups and downs with my emotions and I am so grateful for that.  You are my bestfriend.  I am so lucky to be married to my bestfriend!  I am so glad we became such amazing friends even before we started dating.  Thankyou for being that shy guy who was "in love" with me since third grade, but couldn't find the courage to do anything about it until right before our Senior year started.  Thank you for serving a mission, it has made you an incredible man.  Thank you for taking me to the temple, it has made me a better person.  Thank you for blessing me with two beautiful children.  Thank you for working as hard as you do at work, at school, and at our marriage. 

I say this all the time, but I am truly the luckiest girl in the world!