Celebrating 12 years!

Well, what better way than to start (again) on my blog about Nathan and I. I have 12 years to catch up on! LOL...what better time to start than for our 12th anniversary.

I can't even begin to tell you how invigorating the last 12 years have been! We have had our trials that have made us stronger but we have had a lot of triumphs. 

I remember back when were dating and deciding whether Nathan was the "man" for me. I remember confiding in my Bishop at church and he said, you only need to ask yourself one question. "Can you see eternity with him?"

To be honest my answer came quickly of  YES! but it still took me some months before he proposed and even then I was a mess and kept doubting my heart. But our journey together has been AMAZING! When we first got engaged the word "Eternity:" scared me the idea seemed looooooooooooooong and daunting. But as each year, day, minute passes. I realize how eternity with Nathan is a true gift. To be with him for the long haul makes me feel excited to be on this journey together.  I just look forward to more minutes and more days...well frankly...eternity with him.

 I love being married to him, I love talking to him, I love being in his arms, I love watching him with our children as he teaches them about literally everything, how planets rotate, rain & clouds, what the square root of something is, faster ways to multiply digits in the head. (something I can't even fathom) how he wrestles with the kids, and tickles them til they are blue in the face, his 'crazy monster' at bedtime with the kids. There is nothing more heartwarming than to see him be a Daddy. (and a great one). I love his spiritual nature. He is compassionate, giving, passionate, persistent, determined, controlling, loving, patient (most of the time). He makes me smile every day and every minute. I love hearing his voice. I love watching him serve faithfully in our church. He still makes my heart skip beats. We often joke that he is "bad" for my heart health...but I guess that is just a risk I am willing to take!!! And his touch is still "electrical".


I love Nathan for all he is, all he wants to become and all that he dreams. He truly "completes" me. He makes me feel like I am who I am suppose to be and helps me be a better mother, wife and friend. I once shared this on FaceBook, but I just had to share it here for our Anniversary.  

" this is how I feel when Nathan touches my hair. Completely loved unconditionally...it is just a testimony to me that not only is the Savior always there for me he has sent me a wonderful awesome husband to make me feel special ALWAYS... and that Nathan emulates so many of our Savior's qualities. I am truly truly LUCKY to have him."

Nathan, I love you for all that you are and all you are capable becoming. You amaze me in your ability to balance life in such a way that I just watch you in awe and wonder how you do it all. My heart is 'full'. You make me a better person. I love being on this eternal journey together. Thank you for all your support in my health issues, my crazy mother moments and loving me for who I am. We are so great together as we go through this life together, learning and growing and raising five beautiful little people who won't be little forever. I look in their eyes and see you and think they are truly lucky to have such a great Dad. You are beyond what I ever dreamed of for a husband. I realize more and more each day of our lives how truly blessed I am that I got you, when you should have kicked me to the curb back in January of 2001. Thank you for taking me back, making me your wife and making me the happiest woman alive.

"Thank You For Loving Me" -- Bon Jovi--

The Set Up!

         Yes, it's true. 

We began our relationship on a blind date. It was the end of September 2000 when I received a phone call from our friend Eden. Eden and I became friends at the college of Southern Utah University. Nathan and Eden met and became friends in a singles ward in Las Vegas.  I roomed with her and our friends Angela and MaryAnna for five weeks while I did a required teaching practicum in Cedar City prior to moving back to West Jordan to do my student teaching in March of that year. During that stay, she had received a birthday card a month early from Nathan who was serving a mission in Peru. She complained up and down about how Nate could just NOT get her birthday right. (it's in April not March). She continued to talk about him that week and frankly I thought she was in denial and liked the guy. Fast forward...Eden calls me up at the end of September to tell me all about Jared. He was a guy she was set up with and really hit it off. She really liked him and their relationship was progressing quickly. She then goes on to ask me if I would be willing to go on a date with her friend Nate who had recently returned from his mission. He just so happened to be the individual who set her up with Jared (they got married by the way). So he asked her to return him the favor.

She at first wanted to set him up with our friend Fiona but our friend Angela convinced her to set him up with me. I was clearly hesitant.I had just been on the WORST blind date ever and I was very numb to blind dates because of that "awful" experience. (another story in and of itself). BUT, Eden had a lot more "class" than the last person that set me up and I tried to be positive about the idea and listened to what she had to say. During our conversation it hit me that she said that he had JUST returned from his mission and that he was heading to Salt Lake for a mission reunion. I thought to myself,  "Wait, he is JUST getting back from his mission?" I had been home for 2 YEARS from my mission. All of a sudden my mind went numb and my proceeding thoughts were "He is younger than me!" That was kind of a huge deal to me. After talking with her some more about him, in the end she somehow convinced both Nathan and I to agree to the blind date.

A quick view of Nathan's perspective:

When Eden told him she would set him up, she mentioned to him the possibility of Fiona. He thought wow what a cool name. When he found out in the end she wanted to set him up with me, he was not as enthusiastic about it since his mom's name is Ruth. But somehow they even convinced him to take me out. I think they convinced him with the fact that I looked like Uma Thurman. (Yes, I use to get that a lot) and she happened to be his celebrity "crush" at the time.

Corrections!

So...after Nathan read through it some vital corrections need to be made. I really want to have our story as correct as we both remember it. I told him that we need a "his perspective" version...after discussing it in detail, I have to admit I think he is right on some of the information. So stay tuned...for the more correct "real" version. With hopefully more pictures and more details!...and better grammar...LOL