Best Decision of My Life.

July 12, 2008

I have a really hard time grasping the fact that this day was three years ago.  These three years have been a constant learning experience, a constant adjustment, a constant state of, “I can’t believe we are...........(Finally married! Starting our careers! Buying a NEW truck! Buying a house! Getting our very own puppy!)”

These three years have brought a constant realization of how blessed I truly am. I’m living a life better than the one I had imagined for myself.

I will forever be grateful for God turning my world upside down, for botching the plans I had, and throwing Tanner into my life. My life is full, and happy, and I get to be my peculiar self, everyday, because of the man that CHOSE to live his life with me. THAT is all I could ever ask for.

Tanner and I had been dating for less than a year. My dad and I were on our annual hunting trip to my Grandpa’s property in Eastern Oregon. Dad asked me what I thought of this “Tanner” kid. I looked at him and said, “well, I think he’s about as great as it gets. I think I’m gonna marry him.” The fact that my dad didn’t hyperventilate at those words, coming from his 17 year old daughter’s mouth, was enough support for me.  Without realizing it, I had already made the best decision, the most important decision of my life. And on 7/12/08, as the Hawaiian verson of “somewhere over the rainbow” played and my dad and I stood at the doorway leading out to the front yard I grew up in, I looked at my dad and asked, “Are you ready?” His response was, “I’m ready, you picked a good one.”  

Tanner has found a way to challenge and encourage me. To ease my worries and bring out that optimistic side of me. To make me realize that the worst case scenario only happens once in a great while, and that, even when it does, there is nothing we can do about it, and there is always a purpose for it. He has found a way to MAKE me relax and rest because I certainly won’t do it on my own.  He has spent our relationship always leading me in the way he feels Christ is leading us. He has stuck up for me in tough situations and laughed at me when he didn’t know what else to do.  We have made new friends together, lost loved ones together. We’ve laughed and cried together, we’ve learned that there is so much more joy in putting someone else before yourself than in putting yourself first. SO much!

So here’s to the best three years of my life and to the BIG blessing we’ve been given in our marriage. Here’s to spending forever learning more about eachother and ourselves. Here’s to starting a family (someday). J Here’s to continuing to do things our own way, even though it makes people say, ‘huh?’ Here’s to continuing to learn and grow and live a full life, together.

I love you, hubs, more than life.

Happy 3rd Anniversary. 

you think you know somebody.....

As a newlywed (Yes, I still consider Tanner and I newlyweds and will continue to until we stop getting carded when we attend R rated movies), I am often asked what has been the most surprising thing I’ve learned about Tanner since our wedding. 

On one hand, I feel like Tanner and I really knew each other quite well when we (finally) said our vows nearly 6 years after first discussing marriage……on our second date. Yes, we were THOSE kids in high school.

After being asked this question dozens of times, and really starting to feel a bit off because I had a hard time putting my finger on it, I figured it out……..He’s an excellent stylist.

Whether it’s my hair, my outfit, my shoes, my jewelry, paint colors, furniture…..he can create a masterpiece. Perhaps I didn’t realize this while we were dating because neither of us had more than 2 bucks in our pocket at any given moment. There was no money for a splurge on clothes, decorating or accessorizing. We made do with what we had.

I first realized this hidden talent in an aisle at Target, less than a month into our marriage. We were picking out picture frames for what would eventually become our shrine of wedding pictures. The hubs was picking out frames, all black, all square (98% of everything in our house is square…..it’s an engineer thing). He was completely ignoring me, which at first annoyed me, I mean, come on, I’m your new wife! Spoil me! Give ME all your attention! Right???

Eventually, after realizing there was nothing I could do to regain my place at the center of his attention, I grabbed a stool and popped a squat and watched. He was silent. He kept putting frames on the ground. He would add to them and take some away and put them back on the shelf. He had all these frames spread out on the floor exactly how he wanted to arrange them on the wall when we got home. He gathered wall sconces to go with the frames – informed me we would need to buy some tea lights. After about 30 minutes, he loaded everything into the cart and excitedly said, “let’s go!” He. Was. Stoked.

I was in awe.

We went home and he proceeded to put the pictures in the frames and hang them on the wall. It turned out perfect! This has now spread to my wardrobe. He keeps telling me I NEED to color code my ¾ of the closet. He won’t let me leave the house if I’m wearing black shoes and a brown belt. He always picks out my sunglasses. I can try on a dozen pairs, he walks up with some I would NEVER pick up and says, “try these” and BAM! Found my shades!……you get the picture.

I asked Tanner what he found most surprising about me. His response was my dream…….habits – if you will. Apparently, I wake up in the middle of the night, absolutely certain that a talking lady bug (or something equally ridiculous) is GOING to attack me, and GOING to kill me. I wake him up, climb on top of him, in an effort to escape the saber toothed lady bug, and explain how scary lady bugs really are. And he, being his way too understanding self, calms me down and gets me back to sleep.

I never realize how insane my dreams (and my reactions to them) are until the next morning, midway through my shower when it hits me……… I finally figure out what happened the previous night. I will ask Tanner about it and he’ll just laugh at everything that happened and respond with his typical, “you’re adorable” comment.

His patience is astounding. Clearly.

I think it’s safe to say, poor Tanner got the short end of the stick with his surprise. I found my own personal stylist. :) 

the first

ahhhh....starting a blog. Something that's been on my list of things to do for quite some time and I'm finally getting around to it. I have no expectations with this and it may be something I write in once and toss aside, like every journal or diary I've ever owned. I'm hoping though that this blog will provoke thought, gratitude, and optimism in those that read it. Here's hoping! :)