A Day Late

I have been anticipating our 5th anniversary for some time now.  I've had it all planned out with what we wanted to do.  There was going to a nice dinner out on our actual anniversary and then the next day we would go on a road trip to a beautiful woods with lots of waterfalls called Ricketts Glen.  It was going to be busy since we were getting home from Minnesota the day before our anniversary, but we really wanted to celebrate this momentous day.

Right before we were leaving Minnesota, poor little Nathan started to get sick.  All he really had was a fever and was grumpy.  We endured our flights home with our feverish little boy (during which he only had one major tantrum luckily.)  However, that night (the night before our anniversary) he was so so sick.  I only got about 3 hours of sleep that night.  The day of our anniversary Nathan was still very grumpy and only took an hour nap.  Which meant I was good for nothing on the day of our anniversary.  Having just gotten back after being gone for 2 weeks meant the only food we had was in the freezer.  I couldn't even make us a good meal.

At least Brad planned ahead and sent me flowers. He's so thoughtful like that.

We ended up celebrating the next day with a nice dinner at home and spending time as a family.  Here's to all eternity together.  Love you Brad!

4 Years

A lot has happened in 4 years.  I'm glad I've spent them with my best friend.  Even though this last year has been the craziest by far, I couldn't be happier with life right now.  I've got a wonderful husband and the sweetest little boy.  Love you Brad.

Look Where We Are

For our whole married life we've been working towards a goal, to get Brad into dental school.  Brad has studied for hours on end, done research for a professor, took so many practice DAT tests he thought he'd explode, did humanitarian work in Nicaragua, and spent way, way too much on applying for a lot of schools, not to mention the expenses of interviewing.  We've lived on a budget and saved what money we could to finance (in a very small part) this venture.  We've moved across the country for this opportunity of Brad attending dental school.  We are paying a ridiculously huge amount of money for him to attend one of the best schools in the nation.  This is not a small undertaking.

Three years to the very day of starting our new life together, we have at least something to show for our commitment to our mutual goal.  This anniversary has been very different from every other anniversary we've had.  There was no special getaways, no evening together, not even going out to dinner as a couple.  Instead, Brad got something else.  Brad received his white coat, a symbol of becoming part of the dental profession.  During the ceremony the dental class recited a professional pledge, a sort of dental Hippocratic oath.  I am so proud of Brad for making it to dental school.  With studying, applying, and interviewing nothing was for sure.  But Brad has made it to dental school.  It feels like we have finally started on the path toward becoming an actual dentist.

These are the other LDS dental students in Brad's class.  In all the other years there are only two.  We are so excited to have so many friends who are doing exactly the same thing!

I've been reading this poem for months, thinking about our life.

Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with life.

And then I try to look into the future and I picture us together,

and no matter what we're still together,

and somehow life doesn't seem so hard,

or so long.

It just feels like the things we do make life hard,

But being together is who we are.  That's our real life.

I think today I was able to see a little bit of that future together and see that this path, the sacrifices, everything we've been doing will be okay in the long run.  This is our life and I'm so glad I get to have this adventure together with Brad.  Happy 3 year anniversary!

My Best Friend's Wedding

Yesterday was a busy, busy day.  It went a little like this.
4:15 Wake up at and start to get ready.
4:45 stop getting ready to help Brad while he's throwing up.
5:15 finish getting ready.
5:45 drive on white-washed roads while it snows so hard you can't see what's ahead of you.
7:10 arrive at Salt Lake Temple just in time to go to my best friend's wedding.
7:40 Watch my best friend get married.  And cry a little because I'm just so excited for them.

It was crazy watching as Holly and Wayne were married.  I had several people ask me how I know Holly, and many people were shocked to find out we knew each other from elementary school and are still friends.  We didn't really become good friends until high school, and even after high school she is still one of my best friends.  And there I was watching my best friend get married.  But Wayne is a great guy who I know will make Holly happy.  I'm so excited for these two.

9:00 Pictures in front of the temple.
9:30 Drive back to Provo to bring Sprite and Pepto Bismal to my sick husband. (Luckily the roads had cleared up.)
11:00 Wedding luncheon. And maybe I cried a little more at their slideshow.
1:30 Sneaking out to decorate their car since they weren't having a reception.

And when we were done, I went home to my sick husband.  But even then, I didn't mind because he's my husband and I'm very lucky to have married to him.  I love weddings.

But that was not the end of my busy, busy day.

Anniversary

It's been 2 wonderful years of married life!  I'm such a lucky girl to have Brad in my life.  We've had so much fun together and I know that this is only the start.   In commemoration of our anniversary, I've updated our "About Us" page.  It has a lot more about the story of how we met, dated, and got engaged.  We've had a lot of good times together and I love having such an amazing best friend.  We've had a lot going on this year, but I'm glad you've been there with me for it all.  Here's to another wonderful year.

Wedding Book

A year and a half later I've finally finished our wedding book. I can't believe it's been that long, but I love being married to my best friend. Here's what our book looks like.

One Year

This is a little late, but I've been busy for the past few weeks. In between going to Salt Lake for our anniversary, a trip to Yellowstone, getting Brad started with school, and job hunting, it's been crazy. But I thought I'd put something up for our anniversary.

Brad and I met two years ago. It was on a trip up the a ward FHE/opening social that I caught a ride up with Brad and his roommates Ryan and James. Ryan was driving, I was in the passenger seat, and Brad was sitting right behind me. Ryan was being a goof and Brad was thinking, "This girl is never going to talk to us again." I had said some things that made me feel like a fool, so I was thinking, "These guys are never going to talk to me again." It was a good thinking neither of us got a good look at the other or we may have been too embarrassed to every talk to each other again.

So, time went by and we met each other at Ward Prayer. We got talking after and ended up talking for 3 or 4 hours that night. It was just really easy to talk to each other.

Time continued to pass and we ended up being in the same FHE group. By this time we were friends and liked to hang out together. So, one night after FHE we were talking out in the lobby were I was living and one of Brad's Home Teachers walked through. He told us that he was doing some stand up comedy for Humor U on campus and that we should come. Brad's Home Teacher left and we continued to talk. Right before it was time to go Brad asked if I wanted to go on a date with him to see Humor U with him. Of course I said yes. So, for our first date we had Cafe Rio, Humor U, and games at my place.

A little while later, Brad called me up and told me he was bored and was wondering if he could come over and we would do something together. I had no idea what we would do, but told him to come over. When Brad came over we discovered that the hatch to the roof of the building was open with a ladder going up. We climbed up and had a cool view. Brad thought we should get water balloons and throw them off the top. Neither of us had water balloons, but we grabbed some sandwich bags and filled them with water. When we climbed back on the roof, we saw some people we also up there. We hid and Brad said we should throw our water balloons at them. I said no, what if they we people we didn't know, etc. Brad wasn't listening. He had found a hole in his sandwich bag and was thinking, "Hmm, I'll let it drip on Alisha." Drip, drip, drip, POP! The sandwich bag burst drenching me. My hair was soaked, my makeup was coming off, and my clothes decently wet. I tried to get him back, but it didn't work. So, we sat down by the edge of the building to talk. I was shivering from being wet, so Brad put his arm around me. We were sitting talking when the biggest shooting star I have ever seen came right in front of us. We both looked at each other and asked, "Did you see that?!" I told Brad, "Make a wish!" So, we both made wishes. Brad tried to get me to tell, but I told him no because then it wouldn't come true. We only had to wait a little while for our wishes to come true.

Some time later, Brad took me out on a date to see the Joseph Smith movie in Salt Lake City. Brad hadn't seen it since it had come out while on his mission. So, after the movie we walked around Temple Square and found a place to sit and talk. We can't remember who asked who first, but someone asked about what the other had wished for on the shooting star. I told Brad that my wish had already come true, I had wished for Brad to hold my hand. We had been walking home from the library, he threw me into the sprinklers (what was with this boy getting me wet?), and then got up the courage to hold my hand. So, I asked Brad, "What did you wish for on the shooting star?" He said maybe later I'd find out. We continued to talk. Brad turned and looked at me, I looked at him, and he kissed me. "That's what I wished for."

So, we continued to date for many months. One day, Brad asked if I wanted to go for a drive up the Alpine Loop and take pictures together. I thought we would go up through Provo Canyon, but Brad said we should start in American Fork Canyon. Brad hates backroads and he went on the slowest way to get to American Fork Canyon. He said he wanted to get the sunset. We finally got to American Fork Canyon and found out that the Alpine Loop was closed. So, we turned around and pulled off on the side of the road to get some pictures together with the canyon in the background. Brad set up the camera on the tripod, set the timer and ran to get in the picture. It turned out well, but he said we should take another picture. Brad set the timer, but instead of coming and standing by me, he pulled out the ring and went on one knee. The camera went off. Brad asked, "Alisha, will you marry me?" I said, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" I was shocked. We had gone ring shopping together, but I didn't think he had the ring.

The Big Day

So about two weeks ago Brad and I got married in the Salt Lake Temple. It was an amazing day full of people we love celebrating with us. The day started out early for both of us and we were exhausted. However, we were so excited that it kept us energized. We had a wonderful sealing full of wonderful advice and promises. I finally got to meet Greg and Lauren (my new brother and sister-in-law) in the sealing room. After the temple it was time for pictures and our "Chicken Dinner" wedding luncheon. The reception was beautiful and we both enjoyed the evening together. We did get unexpectedly saran wrapped by my family. All together it was a very exciting day that we'll never forget.