an anniversary.

Over the Christmas break we celebrated our 9th anniversary.  Aww, it seems like just yesterday we tied the knot...

Okay, so maybe not just yesterday, but it has been a fabulous 9 years.  And it has gone by rather quickly.

Sorry to my friends who are not fond of online public mush (as my grandma calls it), but I just can't help it.  I love this guy and sometimes I just want to shout if from the rooftops!

"I LOVE MY HUSBAND!  HE'S THE BEST IN THE WORLD!"
 

While I do understand that everyone else thinks their husband is the best, I can say for surety that my husband is the best husband for me.  And to each their own.

This year's celebration consisted of a late night trip to the drug store for some nyquil and cough medicine.  It was followed by 5 straight days laying around the house and watching movies.  I couldn't ask for a better way to celebrate...except for Curtis to have felt better....but I loved the lounging we got to do.  And I finally got to watch Pretty Woman from start to finish, so it was a win/win.

In our 9 years of marriage, we have...

moved 7 times.
earned 3 college degrees (actually 4 if you count my Associates...I have the diploma, ya know).
cared for and killed 4 fish.
rode in an ambulance together.
stayed up past midnight 6 times.
both fallen asleep at the movie theater 10 times.
moved to a new state.
lived in 5 different cities/towns.
fixed up 2 rundown houses.
painted 17 rooms.
repainted 9 of the 17 rooms.
became landlords.
bought a VW bus.
made lots of friends.
laughed a lot.
watched the Big Lebowski 45 times.
purchased 2,346 scooters (give or take a few).


Life with my sweetie just keeps getting better and better!

I'm looking forward to adding to our list.


Happy Anniversary Sweetie-Peetie-Pie!!

Sept. 11

There are those events in our lives that we remember so clearly....like we know exactly what we were doing that very day.  September 11, 2001 is like that for me. 

I woke up and was getting for school, as usual.  Except that instead of watching the news like I did every single morning while getting ready, I decided to listen to a CD.  Then on my drive to school (about a 45 minute commute to Salt Lake Community College), I listened to my CD instead of listening to the radio like I usually did. 

I arrived early to school so I headed to the "commons."  The common area was packed with students...usually that early in the morning there would only be a handful of people in there... so I knew something was going on.  Everyone was jumbled together in front of the big screen TV.  I pushed through the crowd and tried to make my way to the TV.  Right then the second plane hit the tower.

I was so confused, but quickly learned what was going on.  I just felt numb inside.

All of my classes were canceled.  On my way to my car, I ran into a friend who had recently served in the army.  I remember him being so upset.  I was still trying to wrap my head around everything that was going on, but visiting with him made it all a little more real.

I was glued to the TV for days.  I wanted to know everything that was happening...who was behind the attacks, how many survivors were being pulled from the rubble,  what was next??  

I had never before loved this country so much.

I also felt such a great love for the heroes of that day....the firefighters, policemen, medical personnel and all the ordinary people who did extraordinary things to help others....including all those on flight 93. 

My heart was heavy and went out to everyone who lost loved ones and who was affected by that terrible attack.

I can't imagine how frightening in must have been for those close to the crash....those in the towers...those in the planes....those on the phones with their loved ones before the crash.  I was frightened and sad and shaken up and I was thousands of miles away.  

10 years have since passed.  I still love this country and my heart still goes out to the victims of that day. 

The past few days I have been watching footage of that day, listening to audio, and watching documentaries.  Every time my throat gets tight, my chest gets heavy and my eyes get teary.  It was definitely a day I will always remember. 

I am so thankful for the servicemen who serve and protect our country.  I am thankful for our freedoms and I truly am proud to be an American.   

thinking back . . .

Four years ago today Curtis and I were in a terrible car accident.

You've heard the details before, I know.  But I can't help but reflect back on that day.

A car came into our lane and we collided head on at about 60mph.

I had never experienced such pain in all my life (and hope I never do again).  I felt like I was dropped from a tall building with only cement to break my fall.  I was in pain from my head to my toes.

We spent a week in the hospital with injuries that included broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a collapsed lung, bleeding kidneys, cracked vertebraes, broken tailbones, and swollen, black and blue feet....and not to mention poor Curtis had a head full of gouges and glass from hitting the windshield.

That first night in the hospital, I couldn't sleep.  Every time I closed my eyes, I saw a car crashing into me.

I had stressful dreams from there-on-out.  For about 3 years.

When looking back at our accident, a lot of memories flood my mind.  Memories of the ambulance ride to the hospital, memories of the emergency room...doctors coming in and out...nurses never leaving my side...worrying about Curtis...getting a CT scan, the daily chest x-rays...the liquid diet...using the nurse call button, etc.  There was so much going on.

The one thing that stands out to me though was the love and support that was shown to us during this time.  It was overwhelming.  It began immediately following the collision.  Passersby came to our aid right away.  They called 911.  They put blankets on us.  Sat with us.  Comforted us.  Told us we were going to be okay.  One guy who was on scene even contacted us weeks later to see how we were doing.

We had just moved to a new state only six months prior....so...we didn't know very many people from our new town...but we never once felt alone.  So many people reached out.  People from our community who we hardly knew called us at the hospital to check in on us and to let us know they were praying for us.  People came to visit us (even though the hospital was an hour and a half from town).  People sent emails daily.  Our friends from Utah called and sent messages of love and support.

When we got home, the love and support didn't stop.  People brought us food.  People came and sat by my bedside and cared for me while Curtis was at school.  People sent us money to help with the bills.  My boss donated her own 2 weeks worth of paid vacation time to me.  People sent letters, people prayed for us, our families braved the Wyoming cold weather to come and care for us.

I will never ever forget the kindness people showed to us.  It changed my life.


I think about our car accident a lot.

I have my daily reminders with my constant back pain, my two bulging ribs and my bouts of anxiety when driving.  But, I also have a greater appreciation for life and what is really important.

Today I am thankful to be alive.  I am thankful my sweetie pie is alive with me.  I am thankful for the wonderful people who continue to touch my life everyday with their kindness.

This world is full of really good people...and for that, I am grateful.

seven.

Happy Anniversary sweetie-pie.

Thank you for every day of the last seven years. Thank you for marrying me. I love you so much . . . more than words (or a blog post) could ever describe. I love being with you, I love laughing together, I love our shenanigans, I love our adventures, I love that I can spend everyday with my best friend.

I love you. You're the best!

Happy 7th.

Life is good . . .

I love this time of year! I love Christmas, I love spending time with family and friends, I love that my anniversary is just 2 days after Christmas, and I love getting ready for the new year.

We had a great Christmas. We were able to spend time with both of our families as we played games, ate great food, opened presents and enjoyed each others' company.


Curtis and I had a wonderful anniversary! 6 YEARS!! Can you believe it? We enjoyed lunch together, went shopping, bought some fancy new pans (that we have been wanting for awhile) and then we enjoyed a fun night playing games with family. These past 6 years have been the best ever!! I'm the happiest I've ever been and I'm so thankful to share my life with Curtis. Thanks babe for 6 wonderful years and I'm looking forward to many, many more!


You know what else is exciting about this post? It's my 100th post! Yay for blogging and yay for my 100th post! And yay to all of you and I hope you all had a great Christmas and I wish you all the best in the coming year!

5 Years!

Curtis and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary last month....and what a wonderful 5 years it has been! I love being married. What a blessing to be able to be with the person I love so much. We spent our anniversary shopping in Salt Lake, going to lunch, and then by the end of the day we were both so tired we decided to cook a pizza and stay home and watch a movie (The Big Lebowski). It was a great day and I enjoyed spending it with Curtis.

Our anniversary is also a fun time of year because it is also Christmas time. We spent Christmas in Utah with our family. It was really good to see them and spend time with them. It's tough being so far away from them. Luckily, both our families live close to each other, so when we do go "home" for Christmas, we can easily spend time with both of our families.

Also, while in Utah I was able to decorate my brother's grave with Curtis and my mom. His birthday was Dec. 22. He would be 34. We decorated his grave with a Christmas tree and garland. We used battery opperated lights and hung ornaments on the tree. It was fun spending time with my mom doing this. I love Shane and miss him so much. I know he's in a good place and that he's watching over our family. I'm lucky to have such a wonderful family! I truly treasure each of them in my life.