Apr 28, 2013

26 Reasons I Love You

My friend's husband did something similar to this for her birthday, I decided to copy him with my own twist. I'm not usually mushy, gushy and Brandon and I are not into PDA but I do love him, so for his 26th birthday I have decided to write down 26 reasons why he is my perfect match.



#1 Brandon makes me stronger. He makes me do things I don't want to so that I learn how or can later feel the accomplishment. He knows my limits better than I do and he pushes me to them in the most loving way.

#2 Brandon is smart. That's all... call me shallow but I like a smart guy!

#3 Brandon loves to learn. What's smarts without knowledge? You can constantly find him on the computer researching things. From the "7 days war" to programming.

#4 Brandon is a nerd. Brandon has read the entire Lord or the Rings trilogy multiple times. He knows all the nerdy references from star wars and star trek and constantly impresses me with tidbits of information and random facts.

#5 Brandon is HOT! Tall, lean, tan, bright blue eyes... no wonder my son is so cute!


#6 Brandon indulges me when I really need it. Brandon watched Phineas and Ferb with me almost every night of my pregnancy! He bought me licorice at 10:30pm because I was crying for it. He then checked on me in the middle of the night while I was cleaning the house and eating said licorice. (confessions from the first trimester).

#7 Brandon can sing. I mean really sing. Sometimes, when I beg enough, he will sing the Hobbit song to me. Sends chills down my spine!

#8 Brandon is financially savvy. What could make a girl more secure than knowing her husband understands finance, saves for the future, and takes care of his family.

#9 Brandon wants to work and wants me to stay home with our children. I couldn't be more grateful for this. Although I would go back to work if needed, I love that Brandon wants me to be able to stay home.

#10 Brandon is a great dad. He makes sure Seth has what he needs, plays with him, and sends me a text EVERY Wednesday afternoon to ask how Seth's physical therapy went. Melts my heart!

#11 Brandon will debate with me no matter how strange the topic. One example would be the likelihood of a shark pulling off my scuba mask!

#12 Brandon doesn't need to understand my feelings to believe that they are there. No matter how irrational or silly, he validates what I feel.

#13 Brandon is a righteous priesthood holder and temple worthy man. Enough said.

#14 Brandon is a biblical scholar. You have a question about the Bible, he has the answer.

Elder Hatch in Connecticut

#15 Brandon has a GREAT memory. One of his friends joined the navy to work as a submarine engineer and Brandon had an hour long, two sided conversation with him about all the different submarines. When we left I asked him how he knew so much about them and he said "Oh, I read a submarine encyclopedia I found in my dad's study when I was 9."

#16 Brandon is the most service oriented man I know. Brandon will help out anyone, anytime without question. Last Christmas, we drove to Montana. The night before our 6:00am drive there was a ward Christmas party. We planned to make an appearance and then leave but Brandon got busy helping with something. Before we knew it we were one of the last people there. Instead of leaving at this point, Brandon stayed to the bitter end helping take down lights, vacuum, and pack decorations.


#17 Brandon is responsible. He never shirks his duties and makes sure that I don't either.

#18 Brandon is a hard worker. He does his best and he keeps going until its done.

#19 Brandon enjoys the outdoors. I grew up camping and hiking so I'm glad to have someone who is always up to doing those things with me.

#20 Brandon takes care of himself. Brandon enjoys mountain biking and goes on runs when he isn't able to get a ride in. With all the health problems going around these days, exercise and healthy eating can make a huge difference.

#21 Brandon's happy little grin. When Brandon is really excited about something or is having fun doing something he thinks is somewhat silly, he has this cute smile he will flash! The first time I saw it was after our first date when he couldn't even wait until the next day to ask me out again. I knew then that I was in trouble because the crush had started! The next time I saw it (its kind of rare) was 5 months later when he flashed it to me in the middle of singing along hard core to one of his favorite songs on the car radio. I knew right then and there, I was in love!

#22 Brandon loves his mom. There is no denying the love he has for his mom when you have been around the two of them or heard him talking about her.



#23 Brandon respects his dad. He values his dad's opinion and although he is not likely to seek out advice, when his dad gives it he takes it very seriously. He does the same with my dad which is another great thing about him.

#24 Brandon knows me. He knows my flaws, my concerns and what makes me happy. He knows when I need to be alone or when I need some attention. He knows that I am always right!

#25 Brandon is patient. I can't number the times I have kept him waiting, been late, or made the same mistake over and over again but he never gets mad. Irritated, maybe. But never angry.

#26 Brandon loves me. He loves me for me. He loves my corks, and my weirdness. He makes me want to be a better person and I love him for it.


There are too many reason why I love this man to write them all down. He has a good heart and I couldn't be more blessed that he decided to give it to me. Happy 26th Birthday!!
I love you Doon!

Apr 15, 2013

April

April is my favorite month. For some reason I always thought that I was supposed to be born in April and was always SO mad that I was 2 weeks late and born in May instead. It turns out, I was actually 2 weeks early... BUT April remains my favorite month. There are several reasons. I love the way the earth starts to comes alive. I love the grass poking through the melted snow, I LOVE the blossoms on the trees, I love to dance in the rain, I love to hear from the Prophet and other leaders of the church. and my favorite holiday is Easter. (yes, I know sometimes its in March). Every year I get SO excited for April. For what it represents, what it brings, and how it makes me feel.



This year was extra fun because I got to enjoy it with my baby boy. We got to take him swimming for his first time and we have been enjoying every sunny day by going outside.










I tried doing monkey bars for the first time post pregnancy... I need to lift some weights!!


Lets link arms and be best friends forever!! (They did this on their own!)

April also brought Seth's smile. He has smiled once before, and had been giving us "looks of pleasure" for a while but April is when he really started smiling!






April also brought Nikki! I was so excited for her to be able to meet Seth and to just hang out with her again. We went from being together everyday in college, to getting married, moving around, and now only seeing each other a few times a year :(.


Easter Photos


 AND speaking of new beginnings, April brought the engagement of my sister Brittney to Trevor Schauerhamer. We are all SO excited for their Wedding in July.


Its been an incredible month and its only half way through! Ah I LOVE April.

Mar 13, 2013

And then there were three


Everybody told us "enjoy your time together without kids" "Kids change everything" "don't rush into anything, you'll never be kid-less again" "Do something fun and crazy, you can't once you have kids"...

It used to bother me that people said those things because I saw them with their kids, I saw how happy they were and here everyone is making me feel like kids are a bad thing. Well I finally understand what they meant so I am going to interpret.

Having a baby come into your duo is amazing and wonderful, but it makes you realize all the things you took for granted or didn't do before. People tell you to enjoy the time before because they gained a different perspective.

Example 1: Sleep can never be too overrated! Staying in bed on a Saturday morning just because you want to is a precious gift not a right!

Example 2: Celebrating Valentines day with your spouse 4 weeks after having a baby is not a given. We celebrated valentines day this year in pieces. We gave gifts around V-day. We had our valentines dinner at the beginning of March. And we actually went out in the middle of March. We wanted to celebrate all in one day, but valentines day had us at the doctor with Seth.

Example 3: There are so many things to buy and save for once you decide to have a baby. I could have bought a plane ticket to Utah to visit family and friends with all the co-pays I've paid in the last two months.

Those are just three examples of how our lives have changed. We were ready to have little Seth. We wanted him, we planned for him, and we felt like it was time. We love cuddling with him, mocking his little noises, and laughing at his funny faces. We enjoy doing all the "firsts" with him. Parenthood has been quite the adventure so far. We have both matured and grown by having a baby depend on us completely but we are realizing all the things we took for granted before having him in our lives. That trip to Hawaii probably won't happen anytime soon, forget about "running" to the store really fast because that's just plain impossible when you have a car seat to lug around.

classic Seth face! not one of the more attractive ones but we see it a lot!


In conclusion, for all you duos out there, have children! Children are a precious gift and change your life for the better BUT until your time comes, enjoy being together just the two of you! "Run" to the store to get one thing. Go to lunch by yourself. Live life a little and use those frequent flier miles to go to Hawaii!
We may not make it to Hawaii, but at least we live next to the beach!

Although things have changed, life still goes on and we plan to keep going right along with it! Here are some pictures documenting our wonderful new life as a trio.

I've got the most handsome boys in my life



We have bonfires with friends

we watch movies in bed

We go to church..
And mom makes us wear hats

We laugh
We visit grandma and grandpa

We go to Uncle Michael's volleyball games


We celebrate birthdays


we get blessings


And we go on walks

lots and lots of walks
Brandon is still working hard and bringing home the money and I have been tutoring twice a week, running with friends, and switching over from cardboard boxes to plastic bins! We have been blessed to have brandon's family so close and my mom and brother visit and can't wait for the rest of our family to meet little Seth.