An {ANNIVERSARY} to remember...

 

It was my turn this year to plan our anniversary.  Marty and I never tell each other what we are planning.  It makes it super fun and each year we try to come up with something unique.  This year we were going to be on vacation with my family up at Snowbird when our anniversary hit so I used our beautiful surroundings to kick it off and then finished it later that weekend in our hometown. 

I presented Marty with a "playbill" (like the kind you get when you go to musical theatre) that outlined what we were doing.   I planned our celebration around a mystery theme so much of what we did had to do with clues and mystery destinations.  Our last destination was to a local movie theatre and the movie itself  had a mystery plot.  

  Here was the clue Marty had to solve!  He had to figure out where we were exactly going and what we were doing before we could leave dinner.  It was fun to watch him figure it out!

Clue: 

You've been HERE before, You've SEEN  many thrills

A FUN time you'll have, now SHOW me your skills

Don't let your mind REEL, there is no need to worry

And yet solve this fast,..you may need to hurry

Your MAIN destination is just part the design

When you arrive you will see,... and fall into LINE

DRAMATiC  is your love, SUSPENSE is your fate

after solving this clue for me,...another mystery awaits  

(the movie was...Now You See Me and luckily he figured it out)

{New York}, NY.....

 

Marty took a trip to New York City this past summer.  Mitch, his brother was there on business and had some amazing accommodations and thought Marty might enjoy tagging along.  Marty has never been to New York City before and so he jumped at the chance.  Our brother-in-law, Matt provided Marty with a RED PASS, which allowed him to fly free on Southwest Airlines.  Marty just paid him the tax fee and he was set! What a blessing!  Marty was also excited to see his friend Andy and his wife Ashley who just recently moved to the city. 

                                

Marty had a wonderful time until he got stuck in the city trying to make a flight on standby.  It took him three days extra and a night's stay in the Denver airport before he could make it back home to us.  Small (okay maybe big) price to pay for a great trip to New York City.  Marty is a true family man and he missed us so much and couldn't stand not getting back to us.  So sweet.

all things {CHERISHED}

Mommy:  "What do you love about Nyah?"
Ethan:  "I love to cuddle with her and give her big kisses!"

Mommy:  "What do you love about Ethan?"
Nyah:  "I love to cuddle with him and tell jokes with him!" 

The {Story} of US

Marty and I met on New Years Eve!  My sister was dating his older brother and our two families got together that evening.  While I thought nothing of it at the time, Marty went home with the distinct feeling that he met his future wife!  (crazy,..I know!)  Not long after, he called me up and we went on our first date. I was in college at the time and he drove the hour to come pick me up.   I remember thinking that it would be fun but that I didn't see anything coming from it.  We were so different,......I thought!  It ended up being the best night ever and I was extremely impressed by him for so many reasons. We continued dating while I finished up my last semester in college and were married that summer! 

When people say opposites attract,...it is true!  I am the planner and he is spontaneous!  He loves a big crowd and I am more comfortable amongst family and  really close friends.  He likes surprises and I like to have time to get used to things.   I love chocolate and he loves things that are sour!  ....And it just works!  Where one is weak, the other is strong and it has blessed our marriage so much.  The thing we have realized is that even though we are different in a lot of ways, our goals and beliefs are grounded in the same place.  We want the same things and we cherish the same things.  Family is the most important thing to us and we rarely disagree on anything pertaining to our marriage, raising our children, or fostering relationships with our loved ones.  That is why we work so well!

When Marty and I got married I had only student teaching left to finish up my degree.  I finished up and graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology and Special Education.  I got a job immediately after teaching at risk children with behavior disorders.  Marty started his schooling at that point and was awarded a Bachelors in Communications and Public Relations.  When he was nearing the end of his degree we had an experience while at a marriage retreat that would change the course of our lives forever.  He had a distinct feeling that he should pursue religious education.  He immediately entered into the program, while finishing his bachelors, and was selected to student teach that next year.  He student taught in various settings that entire year and was hired that May.  Teaching seminary and institute was his dream job and we felt so blessed to have been hired especially since only 27 out of almost 1000 of the original applicants had been hired that year.

While I was working and Marty was going through school, we prayed earnestly to start a family.  We knew early on that it would be hard for us to have biological children and our journey of infertility spanned over seven years.  We pursued many medical avenues including surgeries and expensive fertility treatments/procedures that resulted in only heartache.  Our desire for children was everything to us!  Our relationship as a couple grew even stronger because of this hard time in our life and we feel blessed to say that those unanswered prayers were everything we needed.  We were able to focus on each other and really rely and serve one another.  We also learned patience and the gift of turning our desires over to the LORD and allowing his greater plan to unfold.  And so it did!  In 2007 we were blessed to adopt twins!  Marty continues to teach seminary and I am blessed to be home with our children.

MARTY

Height:  5'10'

Age: 36

Hair Color: Blonde/Light Brown

Eye Color: Hazel/Blue

Educational Background:  Bachelors in Communications/Public Relations and Masters in Education (Curriculum & Instruction)

Favorite Things:  Brigette (he told me to say that), his children, chocolate covered cinnamon bears, football & wrestling, writing, and traveling.

 

BRIGETTE

Height: 5'7''

Age: 35

Hair Color: Dark Brown

Eye Color: Hazel/Brown

Educational Background:  Bachelors in Psychology and Special Education

Favorite Things:  her family, chocolate, a good book, singing, piano, and vacationing with loved ones. 

...little {WAVES}

 

SWIM LESSONS:  Little Wave II Class

Nyah loved it!

Ethan braved it!

Both grew immensely with their comfort level in the water.

Alexa, their teacher was one of Marty's old students.  She recognized the kids right away from pictures he had in the seminary classroom!  She was very sweet and challenged them both to try hard things.  So proud of them both......

 

I was able to share some of my thoughts about Ethan's swimming experience in a talk I gave in sacrament meeting about a week later.  Some precious truths came alive for me while I studied a very special conference talk given by our General Primary President, The Words We Speak.  I shared the following experience:

 

 During each swim lesson Ethan consistently made eye contact with me in need of reassurance and praise.  I was his cheerleader.  Luckily for me, a few months ago my phone was lost and we had not yet replaced it.  I didn't have anything to distract me from what my little Ethan needed at that moment.  I did notice many moms with their devices while their little ones had their swim lessons.  And to be honest,....their children probably didn't need them.  But for me,  I was grateful that I didn't have that distraction so that I could be there for Ethan.  When his fear started to overtake him, I was looking on from the sidelines with words of encouragement and big thumbs up when he did something brave.  I was able to enjoy his little triumphs along with him as he would exit the water with a huge grin after attempting to do things that were very frightening for him.  I could tell, he was so grateful I had witnessed it and shared that moment with him!  Had I been sending that one text or checking my email, i would have lost that opportunity.  It seems small,...but to both of us, it was a cherished moment we shared! 

 I love what President Gordon B. Hinckley had to say about our precious children:  "Behold your little ones. Pray with them. Pray for them and bless them. The world into which they are moving is a complex and difficult world. They will run into heavy seas of adversity. They will need all the strength and all the faith you can give them while they are yet near you!"

 I was so grateful to share these moments with my children as they stretched and faced their fears! 

·        

....just the {BEGINNING}

Ethan and Nyah had their first day of KINDERGARTEN today at the big school....

This momma might have shed a few tears...

The kids were so excited and just a little bit nervous when we walked in.....

They met their teacher who is wonderful and is expecting a baby pretty soon!

That night Ethan & Nyah prayed for their teacher and her baby, because they already loved her!

Feeling grateful  for this new beginning in their lives. 

....also feeling sad that this is the beginning of more moments away from me and more learning in the big world!

When did my babies grow up?!

....a {DAY} in the life

I thought I would record some of the latest and greatest of Ethan and Nyah.  Their personalities and character is developing so much and I don't want to forget these precious, humorous, and sometimes crazy things they do and say!

NYAH:
This age can bring a little bit of WHINING with it.  (or a LOT!)   One day I told Nyah that I don't speak "Whine-ese" and I couldn't understand her.  Her whining was replaced with a smile and we moved on with our day without much more drama.  Fast forward to  days later when the twins and I were at the store.  Nyah discovered that she needed a Band-Aid and she inquired how to say it in Spanish.  (the twins are enrolled in the Spanish immersion program at their school and so we are always trying to communicate in Spanish)  I told her I didn't know how to say Band-aid in Spanish.  Nyah then replied,...."Oh mom....we can call Mama-shell.  She knows Spanish!  Yep,.she knows Spanish...but she doesn't know Whine-ese!"  Totally cracked me up!

Nyah just recently started up dance classes again.  We weren't sure if she wanted to do it again because although she loved her experience last year, she thought she might like to do soccor this time around.  I sat down with her and asked her what she would like to do.  She said she was worried to take dance again.  I asked her, "Why?  Didn't you like it?  She replied..."I totally loved it but it took to long to get a water break!"  I had to laugh!  I thought she was going to tell me that she didn't enjoy dancing after all or that she really loved the idea of soccer.  Once I told her that I would be willing to send a water bottle with her she still wanted to think about it.  I told her I thought that was a great idea and that I would ask her in a few days what she wanted.  I did so,...and she told me she still wanted to think about it. That next day she told me she wanted to do dance again and was excited to start again as long as she could have a water break!  Oh the worries of this cute girl!

Nyah and I have always been close.  She is a Mommy's girl for sure.  One of the things I cherish about her is that she likes to snug and cuddle up with me.  It can be when she is happy, excited, sad, tired, or just in a moment of love.  She is a very grateful little girl and often tells me,.."Mommy,...I am so lucky you are my mom!"  (Of course we have had moments when she tells me I am mean when she doesn't get something---which oddly happens mostly in our car where I can't give her some space to cool off!) It warms my heart to hear her express gratitude and love, two wonderful and important things.  Likewise,  I tell her that I hoped and prayed for her and Ethan and I feel so blessed and grateful to have them.  She loves to hear over and over about the day they were born and how we RUSHED to the hospital because we were so excited! 

 

Nyah's eyes LIGHT UP and get real big when she is excited!  It is one of those moments that takes my breath away.  It is when I know she is the happiest and all is right in her world.  It happens when she does something that she has had to work hard at and is finally mastering it.  (like swimming)  It is when she squeals when she hears the garage door open because that means Daddy is home!  It is when the door bell rings and she knows one of her dearest friends is coming over to play.  (Nyah is a wonderful friend to others and has been blessed with some sweet little friends)  It is when we surprise her with news that we are sleeping at Grandpa's, or going to Nana's, or taking a trip to Logan for the weekend.  It is when she is at school and sees me walk in the door to help in her class and she waves excitedly from accross the room.  It is when we go and play on the temple grounds and she feels the spirit.  She is a JOY and it brings me so much JOY!


ETHAN:
Ethan is such a sweet boy and always tries to make the right choices.  When he makes a mistake, a mess, or does something he knows he shouldn't he always comes to me and starts the conversation with....."Mom,...I hate to tell you this, but...."

Ethan's new thing is to drop whatever he is doing and run over and give you a kiss.  The cute thing about it is that he will come kiss your shoulder, or your hand, or your cheek.  So tender this little man of mine!

Strange but lately he has been calling Marty and I...."FA-DUR, and MU-DUR"  and sometimes will even say "YES Ma'am, or YES Sir!"  Not sure where this has come from....

Ethan loves his scripture picture books.  After bedtime routine,  he gives us loves and then pulls out his books to read before bed.  I've found him so many times asleep with his book open on his chest.  He LOVES the scriptures and more so KNOWS the Savior.  He is such an example to us.  One night, I came in to check on him and he was fast asleep with his scripture book in one hand and a picture of Jesus in the other.  What a remarkable little boy he is!!

A little over a  year ago we had Ethan tested because we were worried about his speech and learning development.  While he did not qualify for services, which is a blessing in its own way, he was borderline on some of the subtests.  We've been working with him at home and he has made great progress this past year in preschool.  This past week, he took his baseline Kindergarten test.  I sat in the hall and could hear him answering his teacher on many parts of the test.  It was so wonderful to hear him share answers with confidence and excitement.  When he came out he ran to me and said...."Mom,...I counted to 50!  Are you so proud of me?!"  I quickly gave him a big hug and told him how much a I loved him and that I am always proud of him!

"Mom, I obeyed!"  has been Ethan's new favorite phrase.  He has recently shown a maturity in listening and wanting to obey mommy and daddy.  I love it when I hear him say,...."Yeah, sure," when I've asked him to do something. 

We had a gas scare at our house (false alarm) and spent the night at my parents house.  The gas company came out and checked everything and actually found that a gas can had tipped over in our garage creating the smell.  We stayed at Grandpa's house that night just to be safe.   We aired it out and all was well.  Fast forward to a few days later, we were at my parents house and Kristy mentioned to Grandpa that she smelled gasoline in the garage and wondered why.  Ethan quickly exclamimed...."It's okay Grandpa!  You can sleep over our house!"  So thoughtful,..that boy!

Ethan came up to me the other day and so tenderly professed ....."Mom,...I have loved you for a thousand years!"  That song, A Thousand Years, by Christina Perri has been one of my favorite songs to play on the piano and the twins have heard me sing it a ton.  But when he said it to me in that moment,...it was the sweetest thing ever!

Ethan would not be Ethan if he didn't have an electronic device in his hand.  He loves anything with a screen or buttons!  If someone has misplaced their phone, Ipad, or mp3 player we know where to find it....in HIS HANDS!  He loves to text loved ones on our phones and everyone is so good to send him love notes back.  Little stinker