And so we commence

Well, as my husband says, "There comes a day in every man's life..." Today is the last. Tomorrow is the first. Today is the end. Tomorrow is the beginning. School starts tomorrow, folks. Yes, tomorrow! And with it, seminary starts. Nay, 6:30 AM seminary! And with that starting, my husband's beautiful, carefree mornings and relaxing evenings have oh so quickly slipped through our fingers.

It may sound like I'm making light of the subject, but I'm really being quite serious. For those of you who have never had a seminary teacher as a spouse, or have never been a seminary teacher yourselves, let me explain.

Seminary in Casper Wyoming Stake is not a job. It's a calling. Yep! A calling. A wake up every morning at 5:00-ish, get dressed up, go teach a group of teenagers the scriptures, go to work, come home and prepare another lesson for tomorrow calling. Now, I'm not complaining. I'm admiring my husband and bragging on him because I don't know of too many people that would be as willing as he is to do what he does for the entirety of the school year. He's absolutely amazing, and as I say many times on my blog, he's the most wonderful husband and father in the world. If there's one thing I could go back and tell my young self, it would be "Marry the same guy." He's brought me so much happiness and love.

So, one can begin to understand why our summers are so precious. Two of my most favorite times of day are the early mornings and the evenings when Kyle and I talk in bed together. Those moments are so precious to me. With seminary starting, the early morning talks together are taken away. Plus, the evening talk time is sometimes shortened because Kyle's so exhausted from his day and preparing a lesson. During the school year, I truly miss those "couple" moments. (No pun intended. ha ha)

Now, let it be known that because my husband is a seminary teacher, and because he truly magnifies this calling, we as a family and couple are extremely blessed. I know this to be true. Heavenly Father blesses our family for my husband sacrificing of his time and talents. Because we are blessed, I am eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father, and I'm grateful to my husband for serving so that we may reap the blessings of what he's sown.

So, although last night I literally cried in my husband's arms as we laid in bed talking about what Monday brings, and as Kyle is enjoying a "last day" of
sleeping-in even at this very moment, I am thankful for seminary and that my husband has been asked to serve in this calling. I will still miss him though, and the extra moments we spend together.

Kyle, know your family is supporting you 200%. We love you! Have a great first day of seminary and a great school year studying the Book of Mormon. You'll be AWESOME!!! Go get 'em Tiger!

Fabulous Five

Five years ago today, my dreams came true when I was married to my best friend and love of my life, Kyle. I think about the past five years and tears of gratitude come to my eyes. I honestly can't imagine a more wonderful life than the one I have been blessed with with my husband. We truly have something magical that only a handful of couples can say they have.

Today, to honor my marriage and my husband, I first want you to view this video.


Those first few moments as husband and wife are priceless. I love every memory from that day. It couldn't have been more perfect. From the weather, to the people that attended...it was just as I had hoped.

Here are some more pictures of our wedding day, and of the reception that we had 10 days later.








A Few Things I've Learned in the First 5 Years of Marriage
1. It's the little things that matter
2. The things that seem big, usually aren't that big if you just let them sit for a day
3. Welcome home kisses can turn a frustrated, tired man into a happy, tired man and they can turn a wicked witch into a wife
4. Dishes CAN wait, (so can laundry)
5. Children add SOOOOO much to marriage and life, and they add so much love to the love you already have for each other
6. Family date night can be just as fun as couple date night
7. My husband is amazing!!! I am so blessed to have the husband I have.
8. Couple prayer is always more fun when it takes 5 minutes or more to begin the prayer
9. Don't ask the husband to find anything that might be behind something else
10. Movies are funnier the second time you watch them
11. Couple time at night is worth all the craziness of the day
12. Tithing is the key
13. Start with the point. Fill in with details.
14. Listen. (I'm still working on this one. Sorry Kyle!)
15. Hugs solve lots of problems.
16. Holding hands keeps you close. (I know it seems obvious!)
17. Taking the extra time to whip the eggs isn't that big of a deal
18. Cold feet are warmed quickest on warm feet
19. Keeping the shower water running through the whole shower does make for a better shower experience
20. I love my husband!!! More and more everyday! I'm so glad I have eternity with him.

Happy Anniversary Baby Lou! I love you! XOXOXXX

Lived to Tell the Tale

Well, the big 5K race was Saturday for my husband and I. It was really enjoyable. I won't lie to the fact that prior to the race my stomach was in knots. I'm not sure if that's due to the fact that I've always gotten nervous before my races or because my husband had been praying for the past week "that we may not die on our race." (Talk about really boosting my confidence! ha ha)

Well, after some stretching, paying a fee and a tightening our shoelaces, we were off. My husband had a bit more gusto than I did and bolted out of the gates. He was so sweet to first check with me to see if he could go on ahead. I wasn't far behind him, probably 75-100 yards. I never lost sight of his cute backside the duration of the race. That's what kept me motivated to keep going.

We still don't know our exact times. They said our times would be posted in the newspaper on Thursday. That's good ol' Wyoming for you. Kyle thinks he finished around 26 minutes and I was shortly thereafter.

Needless to say, it was great! We survived, AND......we're running another one in two weeks! Yep! That's right. The heat is on!