6th Anniversary

Six years tomorrow. Six truly fantastic years. I really can't believe how far we've come in those six years. I was looking back at the blog posts I've written for our anniversaries (3rd on, since I didn't blog before then), and I just couldn't help but laugh to myself. 

3rd anniversary:  I said that this was the year that we really and truly became best friends, and I still agree. Funny. I've said over and over how lucky I am that you turned out to be such an amazing guy - you are a lot better than the man I thought I was marrying. We were just kids. We barely knew each other. We were still shy and embarrassed and said what we thought we should. That third year was when it all changed. We learned how to be us.

 4th anniversary: No blog post this year (sad). Probably because we were busy living by ourselves across the world in Australia, vacationing in New Zealand, and becoming pregnant with little Kaiah! What a crucial year this was! Living on our own, away from all of our friends and family - I think that is what prepared us for parenthood. We really grew up that year. We learned how to save, we learned how to rely solely on each other, and we learned how to have fun on a Friday night by ourselves with no money. We became unselfish. We became a family.

5th anniversary: To this day, we still cannot remember what we did for our anniversary last year. I know it was nothing big, but I am sure we at least went to dinner. The thing is, it really didn't matter. This 5th anniversary blog post still is probably the most true thing that I have ever written in my life. I meant every single word of it, and I still do. Starting a family with you changed my whole perspective, and the most important thing was that confidence that I had in you, our marriage, our love. I've never questioned it. Ever.


And now, as I reflect on our 6th anniversary, I just have to chuckle to myself. I feel like we've grown so much and come so far, and yet it is clear that we are still just learning about these things called life and love and family. We are still trying to overcome our tendencies and focus on priorities. I found myself this year reverting back to those first two years of marriage - our anniversary needs to be big! We need a night in a hotel, La Chaille ($200 meal?!?!?!), gifts. I insisted that we needed those things to be happy. Then, the new, mature Kasie finally emerged from this regressive state. I remembered that we don't need to be someone else. We are okay just being us. People can laugh that we love drive-in movies - who cares? There is nothing more that I need than to just celebrate us the way we do it. So, our plans for the night: dr. appointment (almost 16 weeks!), Cheesecake factory (plenty of a splurge for us!), and a drive-in. Sounds perfect. Just like us :)

And, yes, this year has been our best year yet. I say that every time, and I always mean it. I was thinking about our Scrabble game last night - I killed Jer. Super won. Jer was pouting and said that he would never play with me again because I am opportunistic (isn't the point to win?) and that I leech off of  him (I'm sorry if I can turn your 10 point word into a 30 point word with just one letter). Later, before we fell asleep. I told Jer that I love him and that I wouldn't change anything about him. Not even his issue with board games and competitiveness. Why? Because we are perfectly matched. If I wished he was better then he would no longer be my perfect equal. Instead of one person pulling the other forward or us wasting our time trying to fix each other, we get the wonderful, wonderful blessing of working together towards our common goals at equal speed. Nothing feels better in the world than having a perfectly equal companion, in the true sense of the world, to live life with.

Well, except maybe raising a baby (or two) with that companion. Now that is good.

This week

I feel like this summer is just FLYING by. Seriously. I don't think I have ever been so busy in my life! My sis and I were just trying to schedule a two-day camping trip for my family (the first one EVER), and we only have two options - one in Sept. and one in Oct. Yes, that means that every single day and weekend through July and August are completely full (and not of fun stuff, either). Ugh. Jer and I decided that we HAVE to go on one vacation every summer because if not, then, well, it pretty much sucks. This is what I get for becoming a coach.

On happier news, we just had a housewarming party on Saturday that was awesome! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to celebrate our new home with us! We absolutely love it and it feels so incredibly wonderful to finally have a place of our own! Pictures to come (umm . . . maybe. No guarantees).

To celebrate the 24th, we went to Tucanos with my fam, then just hung out. No fireworks (which made Kaiah happy). Then my little clan went driving around the Alpine Loop and walked around Cascade Springs - beautiful! It was super fun just to let Kaiah get filthy and play outside.

This is my last week home with Kaiah this summer (sucky) but Jer and I celebrate our 6th anniversary this weekend! Yay! Details to come. Then I leave for a conference in Seattle on Sunday :(

Here's to looking forward to a great week!

Update on Kaiah

Kaiah is spending the week at Grandma Wewe's house because I have to be at this stupid Common Core thing all week long - so, obviously, this leads to me seriously missing my little girl. I thought I would take this sentimental mommy moment to write down some adorable memories of my Kai.

• Her favorite movie BY FAR is Tangled. I have no idea how this happened, but she is obsessed with it. Every time we get in view of the video cabinet, she runs over and searches through it until she finds her favorite movie. Then, she'll just sit still for at least the first half - usually more. Sits still. That never happens!
• She still doesn't say a ton except, of course, for "No!" Jer, being ever clever, made this a little better by teaching her to say "Oh No!" It just seems a little cuter and a lot less bratty stubborn.
• She has learned how to say "Elmo" and "Grandpa" and "Side" (for outside or slide). I love every new word and think that she gets so much more adorable with every one.
• She is still fiercely independent - seriously. She tries to do everything, and I mean everything, by herself. She hates help and needing mommy and daddy!
• Plus . . .
• She is going to be a big sister in Januray! I am 14 weeks along, due January 16th! We can't wait! :)

Still Alive

Yeah, I haven't blogged in over 2 months. I wish I could say it was because nothing exciting was happening, but it is actually the opposite. Tons of exciting things have been going on, and I have missed blogging all of them. Living with my brother-in-law's family for a whole month while homeless - missed. Kamie and Alex moving away - missed. Jer's 29th birthday - missed. Getting the drill job at Wasatch and our whole first month of practice - missed. Stephen finishing his bout with chemo - missed.  Buying our first home and moving in - missed. Kaiah growing up before my eyes - missed. So, so ridiculously sad.

I don't really know what kept me from blogging. I guess it just felt like I always had so many more important things to do. But, really, it is those important things that were the most important to blog. I can kinda tell how my life is going by the frequency of my blogging. You can guarantee that if my blogging has slacked, something else in my life has, as well.

So here's to a new, committed approach to blogging!

Oh, and I also missed BYU going Independent - can't forget that!