5 years

For our anniversary, we got my mom to come over and watch the boys so we could have a romantic night out. Romantic meaning- Dave and Busters and 300: Rise of an Empire..... Haha so not romantic at all, but we had so much fun! After five years and two kids, you just need to have fun!

We started off the night cashing in a $5 scratch ticket that I won $80 on! We never buy crap like that, but we randomly did and actually won. Then we went to Dave and Busters and had an amazing time! We always play the same coin game where you drop your coin in and it hopefully pushes the other coins off the ledge and you get tickets. That game just wasn't cutting it so We branched out and played deal or no deal, which we ended up loving! One time I actually picked the case with the most tickets. I was preeeetty stoked.

We got lucky a few more times and won quite a few tickets but couldn't really find anything in the gift shop we wanted. Last time we got the boys these plastic. Cups with swirly straws and they just LOVE them. But there wasn't really anything else we wanted so we are just going to save the points and go back later with the boys and let them pick what they want. 

After that, we headed to the movie. I watched 300 for the first time when dan and I were dating and it has been one of my favorite movies ever since. So I was excited when the second one was coming out. We both really enjoyed it and thought it was right up there with the first one. 

At the end of the night we were talking about what we want to do in the next 5 years and how fast and crazy these first 5 have been. We reminisced about the late nights we would stay up in NYC talking about our future and our kids and the kind of parents we wanted to be. It feels like yesterday, and it was a lot easier to talk about the kind of parents we wanted to be than actually becoming those parents. We feel ok about the job we are doing, but it's just a big job and anyone who doesn't have kids can't imagine what it's really going to be like and how to react in certain circumstances. So I can't feel too bad that I'm not exactly the kind of mom I thought I would be 5 years ago. The naive, inexperienced, 19 yr old had no idea what it was really going to be like. 

So we talked about what we could improve on and what we wanted to do as a family and couple in the next 5 years. It's always fun to talk about that kind of stuff with Dan. I really picked a good guy! 

It's always an adventure with Dan, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

5 year Anniversary!

 

5 years ago at this exact time Dan and I were walking out of the temple as Husband and Wife! One of the happiest moments of my life! I can't believe it's already been 5 years and 2 kids later!! This morning our boys woke up and crawled in our bed around 7:30..... Dan and I didn't go to bed until almost 2, which has been happening way too frequently lately. As these two little boys were sticking their feet in our faces and whining for the iPhone and cereal, I had to stop and say, "Hey babe, happy anniversary!" Our mornings are a lot different than they were five years ago... But I wouldn't change it. Well..... Maybe some mornings I would haha!

Life was so simple. We were so obsessed with each other that nothing else ever mattered! There's always stress when you're a newlywed. Mostly just financial stress. Dan was just graduating with his bachelors and we moved to NYC with more money in our bank than I had ever seen or would ever see at one time for years. But I knew it had to last for 4 months and once that bank account hit $12, that stress got real and it got real fast. I had a little job that we maybe made $400 a month. We used all our gift cards from our wedding for food while living there. It wasn't much. A lot of peanut butter and jelly. When we knew there wasn't going to be a job at the end of this internship, we used almost all our money to buy our plane tickets home. I think we had less than a hundred dollars to our name when we stepped off the plane in Boise. But we were glad to be back! 

Being in NYC with Dan taught me a lot. It was scary for me to move across the country to such a big city. Especially since I had lived in a tiny farm town my whole life. To not have money or any stability or solid plans for the future. But I always knew that as long as I had him, I would be ok. And that has been so true over these last five years. Dan is always working so hard to take care of us, and I love and admire him so much for that.

When we got home and had no job and found out we were pregnant with Damon, we were so happy but once again, that real world reality sunk in. Luckily Dan got a job that lasted 3 years and life was good for the most part. We tended to live paycheck to paycheck but always seemed to have money for what we wanted and lived a comfortable life. Which was all I ever really hoped for! Last year things changed and it's been hard on us and our marriage and our kids. It's been a BIG slap in the face of reality. I guess the point in sharing all these moments is to say when I look back on our life together, things start out so blissful and wonderful and you're kind of in this newlywed wonderland and through the years I can look back and see those things in our life that have snapped us out of our little dream. These days making it 5 years is a big deal! Sometimes when people get married and get that reality check time and time again it can be hard to stay together. I can honestly say that through everything that has happened in the last five years, I love Dan more than ever. And our marriage is stronger than it's ever been. And our life is so full and happy regardless of the real world problems and trials that we go through. As long as I have him and we are facing things head on, together, things will workout and be great! I wouldn't change anything that has happened while we've been married because every trial has brought us closer together. 

I'm lucky to have a strong, motivated man by my side who never gives up, no matter how many times he's knocked down. He is an amazing father and our boys absolutely adore him. Nothing fills my heart more than seeing the love our boys have for their Daddy. Now that he works from home, we get a lot of time together and he gets to see the boys in the fun stages they are in. It's been a lot of fun for all of us to just be together all day, everyday. He's given me a beautiful life and beautiful children and I am so excited to see what the next 5 years bring!

Here's to 5 years down! And many more to go! I love you Dan! 

TX-ID

I forgot a few things in my last post. I'll start with our uhaul trip from Texas to Idaho. I don't recommend it to anyone haha. Moving in general! I hate it! A lot of our stuff got damaged even though I was good about covering furniture and boxing up everything.... I was sad when we unloaded it. Our table is probably the worst. The legs and chairs look horrible, and the top has a quite a bit of scratches and dings. Thankfully we bought it off the clearance floor at rc willey and wasn't too expensive. Dan and I flew down on Wednesday, packed up our truck on Thursday, thanks to some amazing helpers! The good thing about Dan working in the fitness industry is everyone he works with and came to help was buff and loaded our whole 10'x20' unit in just a few hours. When we packed it, it took Dan and I all day! That thing was PACKED! 

I was nervous about the trip and driving that huge load 1700 miles. Dan drove the whole time! So we took off right after we finished packing and drive through little town after little town. They all reminded me of Melba. Middle of no where, no stop lights, two lane road, no place to eat or sleep. Well we were about 4 hrs I to it and it was starting to get dark. Then it started raining. Freezing rain. We could barely see out the windshield. Out wipers and lights sucked and it was scary. We were freaking out. Right when we were ready to just pull off on the side of the road we saw a sign for a super 8 in 10 miles. Longest 10 miles of the whole trip! We got there and it was sketchy!!! Our room looked like something from a murder mystery movie. Stained carpets, bad lighting, nasty worn out bedding. It was gross. So there was a little diner and we had hardly eaten all day and it was the only place to go, so we got some dinner and the tv was on and all it kept talking about was this giant winter storm coming through the same spot we were driving! And not only was it going to be freezing rain and fog, they issued the whole- don't drive u less you absolutely have to warning. We were freaking out. We got back to the room and I was sick to my stomach. We were watching the weather Chanel and as soon as storm "cleon" passed, storm "Dionne" was going to follow right behind hitting Utah and Idaho and Nevada.... The same days we were driving through there! So we texted out families, told them what's happening and got a game plan to just get up and drive as far as we could. We barely slept that night. The next morning everything had a sheet of ice on it. We got the windshield cleared off and some gas and got on the road.

After about 50 miles, the sun came out, the fog lifted, and the roads were clear. We couldn't believe it! 

We drove all the way to Phoenix that night I believe. I think it's was like 13 hrs. The roads were pretty good after that. I really enjoyed driving through a different part of the country than we took our first route back home. It was beautiful! Lots of cacti and funky Joshua trees and rugged mountains.

Kinda hard to see but there's a to. Of cacti

Joshua tree

We had to drive across that bridge, which looks small in this pic but it was huge! And up really high! I peed my pants. Little bit! This was on our way to Vegas right by the Hoover Dam.

This was on the back side of Vegas, I can't remember the name of it.

We made it to Vegas and stayed at my parents time share. We caught the shuttle to the strip and had dinner at planet Hollywood, which was awesome. Walked around Caesars palace and hit the black jack tables.

Goldmembers outfit from Austin powers. We ate dinner at the table right next to it.

"Is this the real Cesar's palace? Like did Cesar actually live here?"

(Side note, I don't know how to spell Cesar......Caesar? My autocorrect is showing me both ;) )

Anyways! It was the weekend of the NFR and the weekend so the table minimums were like $25. We found one for $15 and say and played for like 2 hrs next to some Argentinian guys who were so funny. We were doing really well, then the table turned but we walked away even. Which is a great thing when Ur in Vegas! 

The next day we drove all the way back to Melba, which was a long drive but we were so ready to be done! 

We love our new rental house, it's so nice compared to our cat pee one in Texas. We have a big back yard which is my favorite part! It's by the freeway, our bank, Walmart, and my gym. The boys have a big play room and the master bathroom is awesome. We are glad to be settled somewhere and hopefully we can take a big breath and relax for at least a Year before we have to move again. 

2014!!

I seriously suck at updating this! My laptop is kind of a piece and it always shuts off randomly and takes forever to turn on so I just have stopped using it..... And blogging! But I just found an a app so I can do it from my phone, so here's to more blogging in 2014..... Hopefully;)

New Year's Eve was pretty chill for us! We played games and had good good with family. Dan and I didn't really set exact goals, but we have talked a lot about what we want to accomplish this year as a couple and individually. We really want to make this year awesome... And after last year, hopefully that won't be too hard! January wasn't really off to a good start. My Grandpa passed away after he had surgery on his stomach. He was 88, and lived a full life, but it all seemed to happen too quick and I wasn't ready for him to go. Seeing him at the hospital was hard and I know he was in pain, so I'm glad that he is in a better place and reuniting with my grandma and his siblings and old friends. But I sure miss him and think about him every day. The hardest part for me was that I feel like I didn't take advantage of his last few years on earth. His mind was starting to go and I never felt like he really knew who I was, and I hated to see him like that so I kind of kept my distance. I would say hi to him and give him a hug, but it was hard to have a full conversation with him. But regardless, he was always fun to be around and would always say sweet things. Before we moved to Texas I had a good conversation with him at church about our whole situation, and I just vented all my frustrations and worries and I wasn't sure if he really knew everything I was saying and following my ramblings, but I just needed someone to talk to and just kind of threw it all up on him. When I finally stopped talking, he gave me great advice and helped put me at ease about everything. He told me life was short, and there are always big decisions that need to be made and they can be scary, but to just have faith. He said it would be a fun adventure and I would learn something from it all. 

In that moment he was so clear and so understanding and told me just what I needed to hear. I will always cherish that memory and be thankful for his advice. 

Other than that, we have been sick for weeks! It started out with Damon getting pink eye, then a little head cold, then rafe caught it so we took them in and got some eye drops. Damon had an allergic reaction to it, so when we took him back to the dr. Rafe had full blown pink eye and an ear infection so we got meds for both kids..... It started to get better and the pink eye went away. The colds spread to Dan and I and the boys seemed to be better for the most part. Then they got sick again and their coughs were getting back to the dr again! They've been in their meds for about a week now and seem to be on the up, but Dan and I are all plugged up and coughing and it is SO annoying!  It's just been cycling through our family and the dr said its viral (of course) and just has to run its course. Well 4-5 weeks I to this and I'm ready for this "course" to be done now!! I hate it when both kids are sick and not sleeping, and we are sick and not sleeping,but he fact that this has been going on this long..... I'm ready to lose my mind! No church no gym no hanging out with friends, we have just been quarantined at home! 

Dans beat friend Matt came up to visit this last weekend and we had a blast with him. Dan and Matt are two peas Ina pod, if there's anyone who knows my husband, it's him. They are the same person in so many ways. I think the weekend was all communicated through movie quotes;) haha which I've grown to love, but in the beginning I thought they were so weird! But after almost 5 years of marriage I can hold my own;) for the most part we stayed up late watching movies and having talks about life. We took Matt to a hockey game and to some of our favorite places to eat. We were sad to drop him off at the airport yesterday. 

It has been snowing like crazy here! I tried to send the boys out every once Ina. While when it was over 20 degrees to get some fresh air and some energy out of their systems. I love watching them play outside. Damon, for the most part, is so sweet to him. He holds rafes hand to help him through the snow, shares the toys, and almost seems to be more interested in rafe having fun than himself. It melts my heart. They grow closer every day. We play hide and seek a lot and they always hide together in the same spot. At bed time Damon loves to sing rafe songs before he goes to his room, and when they wake up it's always the sweetest thing to hear "hi Damon!" "Hiiiiii rafey!" That's probably one of the best parts to our day is seeing them greet each other in the morning.

We have taken rafes binky away, which has been ok..... But with the sickness and his now double ear infection, he cried a lot at night so we have it back. Ugh. But he doesn't seem as obsessed as he used to be. Same with his blanky. Now that he doesn't want either, he seems so much older! I love and hate it. I feel like my baby isn't a baby anymore but a full blown toddler! Where does the time go?! I've been baby hungry to say the least, but thanks to Obama care for us to get insurance is soooo expensive that it's making us stick to our original plan of waiting one more year. $600 a month.... Really Obama? But I am really enjoying these moments with the boys and love having them be so independent! It's kind of a break for me.... So some days I'm like, no babies. But then when I see a baby I'm like, uuuuuuhhhhh I need one of those. Haha

Well here's some pics of what we've been doing lately!! 

Damon peeing in the snow! He was so excited about it haha

My grandpa and Damon when he was like 5 months.

Rafe at his second birthday party! I forgot to blog about that!

Damon reaction to his eye drops. He got red rashes and little blisters all over his face and neck.

Me and baby Harlow! I just LOVE her! She is so beautiful and such a good baby!

A little update!

I just realized it's been a good 5 months since my last blog post. Holy cow. A lot has changed since then.
So about a month after the boys and I moved to Texas, Dan told me that his job wasn't going great and it probably wasn't going to last. It was pretty  much exactly what we were hoping wasn't going to happen.He started reaching out to some people he had already been talking to about possible job opportunities. We got the one we were hoping for and it was same pay, part time, and he could work from home!
So when we found that out, we packed out stuff up, shoved it in storage, and drove back to Idaho. We've been staying with my parents, and just found a rental place that's perfect for us. We've been here for 3 months, and I am missing all our stuff! Dan and I are flying back to Texas tomorrow to pack it all up and drive it back. yeah. You could say it's going to be a long 4-5 days. I've been dreading it, but am SO excited to get into our own place again, with all our stuff, and hopefully some stability for a while. And we are spending Saturday in vegas....so hopefully I get lucky at the black jack tables!!!
This year has been so hard and has challenged us in pretty much every way. I'm so glad things are starting to settle down. Dan has a lot of good things going for him and a few side projects that we are so excited about! Things seem to be looking up after a long year of living in limbo and having no real direction. Last year I remember writing a blog post about how ready I was for 2013.....thinking 2012 was bad. Well holy crap. I think I jinxed myself. I am SO ready for a fresh start, a new house, and a new perspective!
MY BIRTHDAY:
I just turned 24 on Sunday and had such a good birthday!
Dan took me out on Saturday and I had a little shopping spree. The thing I love about my birthday is that it's so close to black Friday so I still get a lot of the great deals! I got some "big girl" makeup, as I like to call it. some MAC and Sephora stuff. I got a new purse...or two and a new pair of shoes....or two. We went to Dave and Busters for Dinner and had a blast! We love that place! Then we went to see Catching Fire. SO good. Then we did some more shopping and headed home around 1. Then on my actual bday, we had a family dinner and cake and ice cream and all that good stuff. It was a good Birthday!
DAMON AND RAFE:
A little update on the boys- They are doing pretty good! They have had a lot of change this year from everything I mentioned above! It's so hard on them to adjust and re adjust to things, but they have done really well considering how crazy life has been. Damon is pretty sweet most of the time. He loves anything that has to do with cars and trucks and trains. He plays well with Rafe and makes friends wherever we go. He surprises me every day with how much he knows and how smart he is. He's just a little sponge that soaks up everything. He is really excited about Christmas and asks every day if Santa is coming. Especially if he sees snow or Christmas lights. I'm SO excited for Christmas this year because he knows a little more about everything.
Rafe has got such a fun personality! He is no longer a little baby, he's a full blown toddler which is crazy to me! He will be 2 in a month and is learning to speak so well! Every day he's a little clearer in his words, which makes things a lot easier for me! He's a tough kid, and loves to tackle Damon and wrestle. He's also hitting, and biting, and pulling hair.....which isn't my favorite. But he thinks it's pretty fun. He's got the best face expressions and is just such a goof ball all the time!