Life as a married couple started out rough reguardless of the blissfull swift engagement and marriage.  Over hte past 4 years we have had to struggle to stay together and work on things.  I think most couples if they are honets with themselves would admit the same thing.

Over the past year, Joel and I have been through the ringer with our relationship but and especially with life.

I've started looking at things and realizing all the lessons that we have learned and good times we have had. 

Joel and I have made it a year.  There were times when we wondered if or how we'd make it but we have!  As Joel and I sat at our anniversary lunch we started going back and forth with things that we enjoyed or things that we remembered from this past year.  There has been lots of things, good and bad. 

Garden of the Gods

Where it all re-kindled...

Instead of running the race, we volunteered because Joel tweaked out his back at work.

Mini Golf.  After Joel cornered my dad to ask "permission."

It looks like Joel's ahead but he starts going to fast and biff's it!  I WON!!!

Haven't showered in a couple days... What!? The smell's not me! It's Joel's feet!  Washing Joel's smelly feet... this eventually turned into a water fight. :)

He was proving that he fit in the bathtub... Barely.

J- Skiing at Big Sky Montana in December 2012 with Red.  I was surprised at how well Andrea picked up skiing after not having skied in over 10-15 years.

Only a minute later a snowboarder tried to grind on the bench behind us... I guess he didn't realize the bench wasn't as smooth as he thought.  He ate it hard... Just imagine it because we didn't capture it.

A- Stopping to see the hot pools in Yellowstone.

J- Seeing Hailey first thing through the door after a long day at work.
A- Hot air balloon Nite Glow and Sunday morning adventure watching the balloons blow up and light up.
J- Here Yoga with Red, especially when Andrea was in front.
A- Here Yoga with Joel... watching him sweat and realize that yoga is hard and actually a workout.
J- Learning how to watch football while married.  I have the game to myself but Andrea gets the attention during the commercials.
A- Watching Joel carseat/stroller shop before Hailey was born.  He would get excited and spend hours looking up reviews on what is the best.

J- Anything involving Wizard (Bishop Price).  Meeting him, staying at his cabin, staying at his house, making breakfast with them, talking late into the night.  "I like how he is.  I like his and Marsha's relationship.  I'd like to pattern our relationship after theirs."

A- Smith family reunion and baby shower.
J- Long chats with family at the reunion.  It'd been way to long.  Levi, Sheri
A- Running errands while in labor, definitely memorable.
J- The way we have learned to banter while company is over.  We can have conversations that leave people scracthing their heads because half of the conversation was non-verbal or already understood.
A- Taking walks in the park.  Veterans with all the links to the beltway.  Ann Morrison with the ducks and geese, beltway and river.
J- Skipping Sunday School and Relief Society while pregnant to come home and enjoy each other and the sunshine.
A- Realizing our communication gap/error and then being able to resolve issues/arguments easier.
It only took till August... 11 months.
J- Laying in the backyard or at the park with Hailey.  Laying in the backyard or at the park before Hailey was born.  Same activity yet very different.

She has strong feet and a definite kick reflex.

A- Joel driving a mini... something he said he'd never do.  His concern for the safety of his family trumped his irritation and loathing for minivans.
J- The one bike ride that Andrea and I were able to go one before Hailey was born.
A- It's Sunday.
J- First time Hailey fell asleep on my chest.  She was fidgety and crying so I put her on my chest and pulled the blanket over both of us and she was out.

A- Joel singing to Hailey to try and calm her down and get her ready for bed.
J- Hailey's smile.  She first smiled at me right before the family reunion.

Money is money.  It comes and it goes.  It is not the most important driving thing in life.
His past year has been frivolous with the Legal Adventures of John Hunt and the Nevada Dental Board.  I have been worked over and battered( Joel calls it being raked over the coals) and somehow now that most of it has pasted, and a few good counseling sessions, I have started to look at the experience with new eyes.

I remember the night before going to court, Brother Bennion came over to give me a blessing.  He talked for a while and then left.  He mentioned that money comes and goes.  It is not what makes life life.

This theory has helped me not to be so stingy with funds.  If someone is in need, help them.  It sounds simple enough but when you're struggling financially it's hard to give what little you have to someone else.  But the key is that it always comes back to you somehow.


Realization of November.  You pay for services rendered. 

Hailey has been sick a few times this past month and twice I have resulted in a drs visit.  I hated paying so much for something so trivial.  Hailey had a UTI and I knew it.  They tested her urine and gave us a rx.  The bill came in at a couple hundred dollars after insurance.  That irritated me.  Then I realized that in part, Drs charge what they do because the cost of their education and expertise was expensive.  They had the ability to do what I could not.

I realized that I grew up with a dad that had a trade-able skill set.  He could trade dentistry for x, y, z and he did.  He traded dental work for medical visits.  AS far as I know anyway.  He traded preschool for dental care.  Growing up not paying for medical visits made for an interesting lesson to learn now, when I no longer have access to that commodity.

Joel's truck brought up this same example.  He was quoted $1500 to pull and put back the engine for his truck.  We thought that was expensive and he figured he could to the job better himself.  Well, that came back to teach us a lesson.  The engine was much harder to pull and in the end, Joel would have gladly paid the $1500.  He was used to being able to do something himself but now had traded his skill sets from automotive repair to welding.