Day 7--It's the Little Things.....

Sunday, March 7th--When I think of all the million and 1 reasons I love Nate, it really seems to be the little things that mean so much. Like I've said before, the kisses on my neck, running to fill my soda mug, reading to and tucking the kids in at night, etc. Something I mentioned a while ago is when I'm driving or he is and he takes my hand and holds it (while the other hand is securely on the wheel!). I don't know why but it still brings me back to the times, while we were dating, when I flew to Utah to visit him and he'd pick me up from the airport then hold my hand all the way to where ever we were going. It's a feeling of pure joy! The kind of joy that'll bring tears to your eyes. He smiles at me a lot, even when I wanna be a crabby you-know-what. I love when he puts his arm around me while we're sitting at church or somewhere else. Maybe this seems silly but I love that he enjoys history and watching documentaries and such. He and I are alike this way. For a while, he's been really interested in the Wild West, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. I think that's pretty cool! He'll read books and then tell me all about them or show me photos he's come across. I love to hear him clapping and cheering as he watches some sports game downstairs in his "man room". I love when we rent something from Red Box and watch it after the kids go to bed (the latest was "Couples Retreat"--oh my, it was so incredibly funny!). I love that he gets kind of excited for Black Friday and the fact that he can get a flat screen TV for so cheap. On the weekends he'll get up with the kids so I can sleep in. I'm so happy he's an early riser! I love that we can text each other! We don't do it often but it's so nice to have that option, just to send something sweet or just informative. Once again, there's so much more I could say but you get the idea!

Anyhoo, so many little things that contribute to and help create this GIANT love I have for my favorite person in the whole world, my Nathan.

S.I.B.B.S. Day

Saturday, March 6th--We got an invite, a while back, for Elise to attend a workshop called S.I.B.B.S. Day. It stands for Super Important Big Brothers and Sisters. This workshop was all about learning how to be awesome, supportive brothers and sisters to siblings with chronic diseases. I signed Elise up and today was the day. I dropped Brady off at my sisters house and then we drove up to Primary Childrens Medical Center where the workshop was held. It was a 4-hour workshop with lunch included. I thought I would be with her the whole time but as soon as we checked in the volunteers said I could go and come back when the workshop was done (hooray, I got to go shopping!). Elise looked a little worried but, according to her, warmed up quickly and had a really good time. She got LOTS of fun things to bring home, including many of the things doctors and nurses use when caring for patients. She's so funny, the name tag on her shirt she put "Dr" in front of her name. From the time I picked her up to when she finally went to bed tonight she's kept the medical mask on either over her mouth or around her neck and her medical "cap". She also wore her latex gloves as much as possible. One of the things she got was a cloth doll, complete with a hospital gown! She was able to decorate it with markers and then use it to practive giving shots and bandaging up. She's been "treating" it throughout the night! I can tell she really had a great time and we'll plan on going next year too.

Elise really is a super important sister! Caring for Brady's diabetes requires a lot of our attention and I worry she doesn't always get the attention she needs. I hope she doesn't feel that way but it crosses my mind often. I am thankful she's pretty easy to please, for the most part.

Day 6--Our Songs

Saturday, March 6th--Nate and I love music and many different varieties. There are several songs that bring me back to memories of the two of us together when I hear them. Here's some:

"Somebody" (Depeche Mode)--On our very first date, March 14, 1999, Nate picked me up and when we got into the car, he started it up and "Somebody" was playing on the radio. It was a great night, a spark was ignited between the two of us. From that night on, Nate decided to deem "Somebody" our song. Every time I hear it I think about our special first date. We included it in a special wedding video my MIL had done for us. It's now my ringtone whenever Nate calls.

"Standing Right Next To Me" (Karla Bonoff)--The first time I heard this song, I teared up. I actually heard it before I ever met Nate but knew that whoever my knight in shining armor would be, this would be a song that would remind me of him whenever I heard it......and it does. It's an incredibly beautiful song in lyrics and notes. It's one of the few songs I could listen to over and over again and never get tired of it. We also included this song on our wedding video.

"Fingers of Love" (Crowded House)--When I was living in Washington, Nate and I would send care packages to each other. As part of the packages I got from Nate, he would include a mix tape of songs he loves and hoped that I would love them too and think of him whenever I heard them. This song really stuck with me. I know several Crowded House songs but I had never heard this one before and just adored it right from the start. It's, uh, kind of a suggestive song, which is pretty funny that Nate would send it to me (perhaps he was preparing for the future? ha ha).

"At My Most Beautiful" (REM)--Another one of those songs I had never heard that Nate included on a mix tape for me. Once again, I've heard MANY REM songs but not this one. I instantly fell in love with it. And yep, included on our wedding video.

"Pictures of You" (The Cure)--Nate LOVES The Cure!!! I enjoy them too, not quite as much as him but this song is just a great song. When we were 1,000 miles from each other we had phone calls, emails and......pictures of each other. It wasn't everything but it got us through till the day I was able to move to Utah and we could finally see each other whenever we wanted.

"I Will Not Take These Things For Granted" (Toad the Wet Sprocket)--One of the biggest lessons a couple needs to learn is to not take each other for granted. Cherish every moment and make sure the one you love most knows it and understands it everyday. This song says all that.

"Never Felt This Way" (Brian McKnight)--Nate is not a R&B fan, and that's okay. However, I am and this is a song I heard way back my senior year of high school. I remember listening to the lyrics and hoping I would find a love I could feel this way about and vice-versa. It's always stayed with me and was one of the first songs that popped in my head when I realized Nate was the one for me.

There are more but this is already a long post so I will end with:

"The Gift" (Jim Brickman)--I heard this song a few months before Nate and I got married. In planning our wedding & reception we had talked about utilizing some of the many musical talents we have on both sides of our family. Nate's brothers played piano beautifully and I wanted my sister, Amanda, and her husband, Ben, to sing this song since it's a duet. Unfortunately, they ended up not doing it and I was sad about that but we had the handy dandy CD and were able to play the recorded version. Almost 3 years later, Nate and I went to a Jim Brickman concert. Along with a female performer, he sang "The Gift". I teared up, it was so beautiful! We got to meet him afterwards and I told him how special this song is to us. He said, "If you ever get married again, give me a call and I'll come and perform it for ya." Ummmmm, okay, Jim, no plans to get married again but thanks for the offer! he he We did joke about getting a divorce and remarry just to see if he would actually be true to his word!

Thank you, Nate, for the "gift" you give to me everyday. I'm so thankful there are so many, MANY songs that remind me of you and give me instant smiles and memories.

Day 5--The Day Before You

Friday, March 5th--I LOVE the band, Rascal Flatts! Many of their songs lyrics are just amazing. Whether they write the songs or choose songs from other writers, the song lyrics are perfect words for my emotions and feelings. One of their songs is "The Day Before You":

"I had all but given up

On finding the one that I could fall into

On the day before you

I was ready to settle for

Less than love and not much more

There was no such thing as a dream come true

Oh, but that was on the day before you

Now you're here and everything's changin'

Suddenly life means so much

I can't wait to wake up tomorrow

And find out this promise is true

I will never have to go back to

The day before you

In your eyes I see forever

It makes me wish that my life never knew

The day before you

Oh, but Heaven knows those years without you

Were shapin' my heart for the day that I found you

You're the reason for all that I've been through

Then I'm thankful for the day before you

Now you're here and everything's changin'

Suddenly life means so much

I can't wait to wake up tomorrow

And find out this promise is true

I will never have to go back to

The day before you

Was the last day that I ever lived alone

And I'm never goin' back

No, I'm never goin' back"

Honestly, I had a great life before I met Nate. Much of it revolved around church (my awesome singles ward), my friends, my parents, exploring the amazing western part of Washington (gosh I miss fresh air!) and a pretty nice job. I got to work with my best friend, Donna, we shared an apartment together. The two of us and a few other friends had a BLAST spending time together, had tons of fun while racking up credit card debt in the process. Every week we played volleyball, racquetball, and went to dances. It was really a great time and I cherish it immensely (the credit card debt is pretty embarrassing but I don't regret the memories we all made thanks to them, eventually the credit card debt got paid off). But even with all these wonderful things and people, I was pretty lonely. I needed romance, love, and affection. I had, and still have, some wonderful guy-friends, many of which I would have happily dated. Our friendships seemed strong but never went beyond that. When I met Nate, that all changed. We clicked instantly. At first, neither of us wanted to admit we felt something because we were worried the other person didn't feel the same. Luckily, that only lasted a short while. Both of us came out of our shells and realized we totally felt comfortable with each other and sharing our emotions for each other. It was really weird at first! There were times I had thoughts of convincing myself that he could never feel for me what I feel for him. Just as fast as the thought would come, another would overcome that thought, the thought that he does love me and wants to be with me. It brought a peace to my heart that I didn't even realize I was in need of. Just like the song says, all of lifes experiences, good and bad, led up to the day I met Nate and discovered he's the one my heart belongs to--it always has.

I love you so much, Nathan, you are everything I need!

Elise, Our 2nd Grade Jazz Reader Winner!

Thursday, March 4th--Elise and so many other students at Pony Express Elementary participated in the Jazz Reading Program. This program is 4 weeks long and several other schools participated. The students read as many minutes as they can and then turn in their minutes every week. Each week the minutes would be entered and then the student, from each grade, that read the most minutes would get a certificate and get to wear a Utah Jazz jersey for the week. Elise won this the first week but none of the other weeks. However, when the minutes were tallied for the entire 4 weeks we found out Elise won for the most minutes read in the 2nd grade. Each grade had 1 winner. Her prize was being allowed to keep a Utah Jazz jersey plus she got a certificate, goodie bag and a pom pom. The school with the most minutes read gets a visit from a Utah Jazz basketball player. In the past Pony Express usually wins a visit but this year they didn't quite make it. Instead they got to play a hilarious version of "Fear Factor" during an assembly. I got a call from the school office the day before inviting me to attend and see Elise get her reward and watch the "Fear Factor". Elise got to sit in front, with the other winnners, and cheer the participants on with her pom pom.
Right before the end of the reading program Nate gave Elise and "incentive" to read a lot and win. He told her he would take her to the local bookstore and let her pick something if she won. Her choice (with my persuasion, I must admit!) was the complete Harry Potter set (thank goodness for discount coupons!). Her teacher, Mrs. Simpson, said this is a good age to start the series and Elise seems to be really excited to begin.
Great job Elise! You really worked hard to read and sacrified so much in hopes of winning. I'm amazed at all the MANY books you read and how much you seemed to enjoy reading them too. We are so proud of you!

Day 4--He's SO Thoughtful and Sincere!

Thursday, March 4th--This 1st pic is one of my favorites of us. We're in Disneyland (as usual!) and I was crazy enough to believe that I'd be okay spending 4 days there while being 7 months pregnant, with Brady. I did okay but towards the end I got pretty uncomfortable. My parents came along and my dad insisted we rent a wheelchair for me. It was weird to be sitting in a wheelchair but Nate pushed me around and never complained. As much as I hate to admit it, I was so thankful for that wheelchair and thankful Nate was so willing to make sure I was okay, and somewhat comfortable again.
Like I said, he's so thoughtful and sincere! I'll be cooking something or doing dishes and Nate will come wrap his arms around me and kiss my neck---I LOVE that! He enjoys doing "treasure hunts" for me, complete with clues and various places inside and outside of our house. The look on his face as I get each clue is priceless, I can tell he's spent a lot of time planning it out. The "treasure" is always something sentimental and sweet, something he knows I will love immensely.....and I do! When I'm sitting on the couch he'll come stand behind the couch and rub my shoulders, heavenly! He knows how much I love to refill my soda mug at the convenience store and he'll offer, quite often, to run and fill it for me. Every morning before he starts working and every night before we go to sleep he tells me he loves me. There's so much more I could share but my thoughts are also with Nate as a dad.
Nate is such an amazing dad. I know I say it all the time but it's so true. I have never met another dad that is so involved and enjoys being around his kids as much as Nate does. He reads to them every night before bedtime. On his way home from work he stops at the library and picks out books he knows they'll love. He plays games with them and finds activities we can enjoy as a family. Quite often, he takes the kids to the park or swimming, etc. to spend time with them but to also give me some quiet time. I don't even need to ask! He's been a loving, devoted dad from the very start--far beyond what I ever imagined--and I just feel so tremendously blessed.

Day 2 & 3--Tribute To My Special Man

Tuesday & Wednesday, March 2-3--Oh my, how the days fly by! Today is a double-scoop of pure sweetness which means double the toothache (How's the toothache, Bub?!)! he he he

Nate is a hard worker! Yeah, he works in his pajamas 3 days a week (the other two he's in the office wearing regular work clothes) but he deserves it--as I'm sure most providers do! I get that he's lucky to be able to work from home those 3 days. I also get that I'm lucky he's able to do that so I can go to work a few hours a week or run errands without kids, etc. But honestly, the way the last year has been, he's earned it. The company Nate works for has been threatening bankruptcy for over a year now. Unless they get a buyer for the division he works in then that's the plan. There have been interested buyers come and go. He's worked longer hours and his Blackberry is beeping or buzzing non-stop (I've been up at 2:00 am and heard the darn thing go off!). It really sucks he's paid salary cuz the overtime he'd earn would be HUGE. He's had one boss change after another as the "higher-ups" get these "brilliant" ideas that they can get rid of people competent and capable of doing their job and replace them with well, the opposite! He's seen co-workers come in to work thinking they have security in their jobs only to be laid off that very day. There's been 1 or 2 that came back from vacation and instead of "Good morning, welcome back!" they've been told "This is your last day of work." Oy vey, I could go on and on. In all of this madness he's kept his cool, for the most part. There's days when I can tell he's had a really rough day and he's getting tired of the drama. When I've been checking employment websites and classifieds, in and out of state, he's basically told me to relax, he's not worried. I don't know how he keeps his cool but he's confident everything will be okay, whether he keeps his job or has to find another, and I know I need to trust in that. I'm just not a fan of the unknown! I'm really proud of him and his hard work. He is such an example to me!

Nate is a financial controller/accountant. I gotta admit, when I first met him and found out he was going to school to become an accountant I jumped for joy! I am terrible at saving, investing and being "smart" with money (thanks mom and dad! he he). I knew I needed to marry someone that could whip my butt into shape on that particular concept! Of course, there are MANY reasons for wanting to marry Nate but I was really happy about this one and he did not disappoint. From the start he helped me pay off my credit card debt and get us on the right track to being debt-free. When Elise was born, I quit my job to stay home with her. With his income alone, the numbers didn't match up against the bills we had. And, just like this whole job drama, I worried and panicked but he didn't, he was prepared and had put most of my paychecks into savings before Elise was born. Then came the great news several months later, a promotion and raise! Phew!

While I still panic and worry more than I probably should, I know that, whatever happens, Nate will do what he needs to do to provide for us. He always has, he always will--even if that means no more working in pajamas! Although he's really hoping that never has to happen! : )

A Welcome Home Parade for a Local Olympian

Monday, March 1st--Noelle Pikus-Pace lives in our little community. She just competed in Skeleton races during the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. She placed 4th, missing the bronze by only a 1/10th of a second (that's a blink of an eye!). We, here in Eagle Mountain, are very proud of her and the city decided to welcome her home in style. At the entrance of our community, The Ranches, several flags were placed. She pulled into the the Maverick, by the front entrance to fire trucks, city vehicles, ambulances and news crews. Apparently, she had no idea! Most of the residents had got word this was taking place so many of us lined the streets to watch her come down the road. I made a sign "You Are Worth GOLD to Eagle Mountain!" and Elise made a cute American flag and then, flipped over, it says "You ROCK!" with a gold medal next to it. The long series of vehicles drove past us pretty quickly so we didn't get to do much but wave to her. The vehicles ended the parade at Hidden Hollow Elementary School where Noelle was given a key to the city. I saw the presentation on the news, it was pretty touching. Such an awesome example of endurance and determination! Congrats to Noelle!

10 Years of Marriage....Almost!

Monday, March 1st--On March 10th, Nate and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage. I'm SOOO excited! So, for these first 10 days of March I'm going to say some things about my main squeeze! They are going to be so sappy and sugar-coated that you just might get a toothache but hey, I love this guy like crazy and I'd shout it from the rooftops.......if I wasn't afraid of heights!

Nate is the BEST husband in the world......for me! Even after almost 10 years, I have yet to master his level of patience. It's pretty awesome. He doesn't get mad easily, which I really appreciate! We are truly opposites, which obviously seem to attract. He often reminds me I just need to chill out and let things go. It's hard but I'm trying, I really am. Maybe another 10 years of his amazing example and I'll get it. No guarantees, but, like I said, his patience will get us both through! Love you so much, Natey-pooh!

Earthquakes, Tsunami's & a Lethal Luau!

Saturday, February 27th--This morning got off to a crappy start. Chile is in ruins after a huge earthquake and a dangerous tsunami is apparently headed to Hawaii--where my sister and her family lives. They got a phone call at 3:00 am to pack up and evacuate to a church on higher ground--they live 3 blocks from the beach. They did just that and waited. The day was spent worried, praying that all would be okay for them. I feel bad I wasn't thinking much about the people of Chile but all I could think about was my family's safety. I kept CNN on, watching and waiting for any new developments. While this is going on I'm also hosting a murder mystery party for the goddesses and our husbands tonight so I was cleaning and getting things ready. I was suppose to go to a Relief Society thing but I couldn't focus enough to even get ready in time--not that I would have made for good company anyway. The approximate time came for the tsunami to hit Hawaii....nothing. A hour later....nothing. Two hours later....nothing. You get the point. Oceanographers are saying Hawaii "dodged the bullet this time". Of course, I'm very happy nothing horrific happened to, yet, another land. Hilo got some waves but nothing too drastic. I could breathe again. Time to focus and snap out of the fog I had been in all day. I don't think I ever quite snapped out of it completely. It exhausted me. Nates thoughts were with those he served for 2 years while in Chile from 1994-96.
Anyhoo, the house got cleaned, decorations up, and food prepared. All went well. Since I was the murderer last time I decided to take a non-involved role, Burdie Putts. I dressed as a golfer and even had a red golf visor, as a joke, er, "tribute" to Tiger. Nate was Chief, uh, something Wiki Wiki. I managed to get him to put his Speedo on (the one he got for Christmas) but he refused to remove the lava lava he had on over it. Shucks! He wore his Mickey Mouse Hawaiian shirt and I got some Hawaiian beads for him too. Kerri was without Grant this time but came as a sexy swimsuit model. Heather was the town whore (she won't admit it though! he he). Her hubs, Clark was Bo-Jo, the brain-fried surfer. Dawn was a rich lady with one too many rich, dead husbands. Her hubs, Eric, was a suspicous tourist with explosives in his luggage. Eek! A few weeks before I sent my sister, Amanda, some money to buy some Hawaiian goodies to ship for our Lethal Luau. She didn't disappoint! She also got several shell necklaces for each of us to have. We had macadamia nuts galore, dipped in chocolate, caramel, etc. So yummy! The murderer ended up being the surfer dude, Bo-Jo (played by Clark SO WELL!). We used Kerri's moms raclette again and grilled up chicken, shrimp, pineapple, ham and SPAM (Hawaiians LOVE their Spam. Me, not so much!). We also had some yummy bread and cheese to go along with it. Heather made scrumptious frog-eye salad and Dawn brought fruit and veggies, both with delish dips. It was a great night! Wish I could of been in better spirits but I hope it didn't show too much. I still had fun and that's what matters!
My sister and her family made it back to their house, all safe and sound, right before dinner time. What a blessing! Many prayers were answered! Sadly, not for everyone. I will continue to pray for those that have been affected by the Chilean earthquake.