Five Years!

Two Saturday’s ago Spencer and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. 5 years! And still lovin’ it!

I have been meaning to post about our anniversary since the day before we celebrated it but haven’t got my thoughts together to do it yet. Not that I didn’t have anything to say (because ya’ll know that I can post a small book about something really important like people watching or cleaning my house) but because I had SO much to say about my wonderful husband that I didn’t know where to start!

I just have to say that I have the most amazing husband in the world. I love him so much and even after five years of marriage he still makes my heart jump and I get giddy when I see him!

Back when Spencer and I were just dating and Spencer would mention the idea of marriage I would want to run and hide. Not because I didn’t love Spencer or know that he was the one for me, but because I was scared to death of the commitment of marriage. After two years of dating (don’t ask me why Spence hung around so long) I felt that I knew Spencer well enough to make the marriage commitment.

As well as you think you know someone, there are still so many unknowns until you live with them day to day. From small things, like how they are always singing or humming no matter what they are doing, to big things like what kind of parent will they be or how will they handle hard times.

I can say in all honesty that as I knelt across the alter from Spencer five years ago, I knew I loved him and I knew he was the man that God had for me, he was without question “the one”. But did I realize that someday I would watch him turn white when we found out we’d had a miscarriage or that he’d be my strength in the day to day challenges that I would face? Did I realize the extent of his integrity and character? Did I know that he would still make me laugh until I can’t breathe and that I’d still be glad to see him walk through the door? Did I know that he would be the best daddy a little girl could ask for?

I didn’t know any of that to the extent that I know it now. I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me with a wonderful husband. Of all the things that are good in my life, he is the best. And he makes me want to be better.

To five great years and many more to come. Happy Anniversary Spencer. I love you!

All In A Good Day's Work

My sister-in-law, Sarah, needed to make a trip to Ikea to purchase a desk for her little girl’s upcoming birthday. She invited me to tag along, and after a good long two seconds of thinking about it I agreed.

Then, my sister offered to watch Brynlee for the day. And again, after a deep two second internal debate (just so I wouldn’t seem too pushy) I decided to take her up on the offer.

Sarah and I dropped her three kids off at her mother-in-laws then made our way to “The Land of Sweet Swedish Home Décor Goodness” in a quiet mini-van filled with nothing but adult conversation. We rode the entire way from Odgen to Draper, Ut with nobody asking for their 12th pack of fruit snack or crying because the sun was in their eyes.

And yes, our kids are darling. We love our kids. But a break? A break is good. Even the Lord rested on the Sabbath.

Sarah and I had a great time visiting, laughing and shopping.

See these three shopping carts….that is ALL our stuff.
Of course, there was way more that we both wanted to buy, but we value our marriages and didn’t really want to look for a new place to live. However, we both gave into a few “wants” because marriage is about compromise.

Plus, Spencer is a powerlifter. Powerlifting is expensive. Do you know how much Protein costs? And, I don’t really understand how anyone could EVER need six different shirts for benching and six different suits for squatting. But then again, he doesn’t understand why I need multiple pairs of shoes in the same color. So I guess it all evens out.

After my shopping get-a-way I found my way back to my sister, Jessica’s, house. Brynlee had a great time playing with Maddie and Livvie for the day and Jessica and Kate had spoiled them rotten with swimming, popcorn and a movie, a trip to McDonalds and homemade cookies.
The next morning we took the kids to one of the coolest parks I have ever seen. I think Walt Disney himself would have at least given it 4 stars. The girls had a blast and didn’t even seem to notice that it was about 135 degrees outside.
Look at Livvie (on the right) in the second picture. Good thing she has a good grip on that swing!

Summer Sun, Clumsy Lovers, and People Watching

Oh, how I love summer! I love the sun, the BBQ’s, snow cones, the outdoor live bands and kicking back on patio furniture. But I especially love being able to “people watch” behind my sunglasses. A talent (and I do believe it is a talent) that I inherited from my dad. How else do you think my poor dad endured the numerous shopping trips, dance recitals and other fun adventures that come with raising five girls? Although I am an amateur in comparison to my dad, I do love me some people watching.

Just to give you a glimpse into my passion let me tell you that when Spence and I were dating we NEVER missed our towns Mall Parking Lot Carnival. You might think that we cleared our schedule to pay $28.00 for the three rides that were set up on the burning hot pavement of the mall parking lot. But you are wrong. The real reason that we went was to eat Carmel Apples while watching the weirdo’s that would come out of the woodwork to attend such an event. I don’t ever want to hear that Spence and I don’t know how to have fun, cause that would be wrong. EXTREMELY WRONG!

Last Thursday Spence, Brynlee and I watched the Clumsy Lover concert at the quad on campus. It was a fun night filled with sun, music, family time and some good ole’ people watching. We really did enjoy ourselves. Brynlee even got Spence out dancing with her and the hippies. Good times….good times!
 That’s it for now; I have got to get tickets for the Monster Trucks pre-ordered. Nothing like watching skinny drunk mullet men wearing wife beatters scream sexual innuendos at a bright yellow truck named Grave Digger! Gotta love it!

God Bless America…where even the impossible is possible!

The TV is back...

AND...

the roof is done!

HALLELUIAH!!

This is the best week after the 4th of July weekend EVER!

Star Spangled Fun

For the last 5 years the B. family has spent the 4th of July weekend camping at Downetta Hot Springs, but because we live on the edge we changed things up this year. We instead spent the weekend at my mom and dad’s.

I made the mistake of telling Brynlee first thing Thursday morning that we were going to Grandma and Grandpa’s that day. In case y’all are wondering how many times someone can ask “We goin’ to Grampa’s YET?” in one day, I’ll tell you. Too many. So many that I was about ready to load a PB&J, some Dora fruit snacks and a sippy cup in the trunk of her little red tricycle and send her on her way.

When we finally made it to Grandma and Grandpa I was quickly reminded why she wanted to go so bad. Grandma and Grandpa’s house is like a miniature version of Disneyworld. Brynlee LOVES it there. On Thursday night we went to my parent's towns 4th of July small-town-tacular. A party equipped with carnival games, musical entertainment, prizes, races and all the FREE snow cones, cotton candy, and popcorn a little tummy can handle. Did you hear that....FREE!? Needless to say we all enjoyed ourselves. And the kids had a good time too. I have to give kudos to Malta’s firework show. The best part of the entire thing was that it didn’t take 112 cops manning glow sticks and three hours of bumper to bumper traffic to clear out the place afterwards. I guess that is one of the many luxuries of only having 37 families living in your entire community. The next morning we all woke up bright and early, quickly got dressed and were done with breakfast no later than 11:30 am! Let freedom ring! It was beautiful. The guys went to work on building mom and dad a new deck because nothing says the Forth of July like a table saw and power drill.
While us girls sat back, ate an entire thing of red licorice, more otter pops than I care to mention and talked about how there was NO WAY that they were going to get a deck built in one day. Thanks to all of our help and encouragement they finished it up before dinner time. NO JOKE!! The little girls had a blast jumping on the tramp, playing in the castle, riding the 4-wheeler, swimming in a little blow up pool, eating all Grandpas’ junk food, and doing all the other fun things that you get to do at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We tried to get all the girls together for a 4th of July look-at-me-I-ate-licorice-all-day picture. Obviously they were very into the whole picture thing. We all had a great time and truly enjoyed ourselves. But then again, this is the same family that gets a kick out of watching Spongebob Squarepants.
Clearly we are easy to please.

All great things come in big black garbage bags!

I just want to give a shout out to my Aunt Carilyn for thinking of me while engaging in her yard-sale excursions. Last time we saw her she filled the trunk of my car with big black garbage sacks full of lil’ boy clothing. I definitely got the hook-up and Little Boy M. should be good to go for the first few months of his life. Thanks Aunt Carilyn! We really appreciate you thinking of us.Her great finds have caused me to set a new goal for the summer. My original summer goal was to try to limit my Otter Pop intake to NO MORE than six a day. I have miserably failed. Hey, don’t judge me…it’s hot and I’m pregnant. My new summer goal is to try to hit a few yardsales. I know I shouldn’t overdue it with all these big goals I am setting for myself, but I have always been kind of an over-achiever!