missing this place

and "little ones"
lots. 

and my adventures around the world. 

i feel so fortunate to learn and grow from them.

they are one of the biggest reasons for who i am today. 

especially the people
i could tell you stories for days because of my love for them. 

to see some of my adventures go to my previous blog.

see this sweet lady? she has leprosy. and on this particular day, about two seconds before this picture was taken her finger got stuck in my mouth. her finger that was shaped like a hook. and because of her excitement she didn't even realize that her finger was stuck in my mouth, and my hands were full and there was nothing that i could do about it. so i just laughed and laughed and then took this picture so i would never forget. don't worry after i started getting sores in my mouth a few days later, i took some hefty antibiotics and i've been a.ok. ever since. thank heavens. 

two a.m.

 this is what 2 am looked like last night. 

so peaceful and quite, which is hard to come by these days.

but at two am i found it standing in the middle of the road.

i know i'm no photographer but you get the idea.  

after shoveling the walks, very late because it was a long day, 

i decided to let lucy have some fun.

this girl loves the snow. she is fascinated with it. 

such a puppy when it snows.

she loves submerging her entire face under the snow 

as desperate as i am for a change of scenery and warmer weather,

hello spring where are you now?

i was having just too much fun to go to sleep. 

do you ever?

breakfast: noun- a meal eaten in the morning, the first of the day. 

oh but not in our home. we like breakfast for the last meal of the day. this is one of those really proud wife moments when my starving husband asks what is for dinner and i hold up a loaf of great harvest bread and state, while asking for approval, "french toast?" it was a long day at work. so we put on my favorite aprons and rocked out to adele in the kitchen while we cooked, ahem while jake cooked french toast. nothing better then nights like these. 

if it were my way i may possibly request breakfast food for every meal of the day, this has nothing to do with the fact that it is simple, or the fact that husband usually cooks these nights, ok maybe it does but look at him he loves it. and it's d.e.licious. and when husband is the chef you know you can throw healthy out the window because you are most definitely going to get extra cinnamon sugar and extra extra syrup. the stuff that is really good for you. do you ever have breakfast for dinner? 

i really am

so glad that husband exists.

i just spent a few minutes watching this darling video of a very happy reunion. watching it gave me chills just thinking of the day when jake came home after two years. i know it seems silly but the day he came home ties close to first for the happiest day of my life. (obvi the other being our wedding day). i think they are so close because with out that day i wouldn't have my wedding day at all.

nothing can explain the contrast of feelings i felt that day. nervous beyond belief yet more excited then ever. questions going through my head yet nothing to say at all. too much time to waste but coming way too fast. i was a serious mess: sweaty palms, shaky hands, giggles, tummy aches, phone calls, texts, and tears.

it wasn't until i saw him that i realized how hard it had been to live with out him. yet i wouldn't have changed it for the world. we grew, we loved, and we learned. somedays i wish i could re-live that moment over and over again.

then i remember he's mine to keep for ever and ever. and i'm just so glad he exists, because if not i don't know where i would be. cheesy i know but he's become absolutely everything to me.

happy friday! make sure to spend time with those you love.

dear: tay tay

today has been a good day. in fact a very good day.

completed my second day of work, success.

was able to finally get my hairs did. thanks claire cuts.

caught up with some old friends. much needed.

took a cat nap. also much needed.

and now am preparing for some dear taylor swift with my husband.

good day.

last time i was able to see her perform was also a pretty amazing day. i was on study abroad in london, which made the experience that much better. check it out here.

it's left me with a lot of reminiscing down memory lane today. i dream of returning, very very soon. perhaps 2012 olympics?

i love tay tay. sometimes i pretend she writes her song for my life.

(one time i swear she really did)

summer re.cap

may: lake powell over memorial day with some fun couples

brooke graduated. may 6, 2011. yes yes yes

jake took his first bite out of the "big apple." toured the city and loved it.

brooke took many bites while going back to jake's mission to visit

(seriously we ate more food in one visit then i've ever done on a trip before and that is saying a. lot)

boating.

june: mitch and maile were married. it was a b-e-a-utiful event.

lake powell with the cook family and the neighborhood clan. no accidents this time. yipee!

boating and bbq's.

tennis

july: celebrated our 1 year anniversary. it was a night to remember for a number of reasons but one thing that must be documented: i made a mistake of ordering lobster not knowing that it would be a 2.75 lb lobster thinking when i ordered i would just get 1 lb for $30 like the menu had said. Nope, not the case. $180 dollars later for a meal for two. jake couldn't have loved me more eek. other then that it was a great day and we have so much to be grateful for.

Oakley Rodeo

Sun Valley. Oh and did I mention I met Oprah?

Couples boating/camping trip. Definitely a must do again.

Laguna Beach with the Curtis'. heaven on earth.

more boating.

august: Megan and Hunt seal the deal. finally!

Pool time with friends while husbands go golfing.

Football Games. love love love.

i'll just conclude that summer vacations are so wonderful when you are married and lucky for us we have the best families to share them with.

dear: old photo

this was taken before we were ever mr. and mrs.

husband and wife.

before we were engaged.

long before "i love you's".

before i was even dating him.

before i knew what i was getting myself into.

so many things were going to happen...

so many things we never could've dreamed of.

so many hard days, rewarding days, days with out another,

and days we'd laugh so hard we could never forget.

which is why i love it.

we didn't know anything about our little future together.

about our plans, or where we'd be today.

the things we'd experience together and learn to be from one another.

the twist and turns we'd take,

how they would shape us individuals leading us to become a couple.

bringing us the most happiness in our lives, and creating our love

to last us forever

i could only hope for it, yet never wanted to jinx it.

so i sat there imagining, patiently waiting.

we don't have a perfect marriage but i'd have to say

he's perfect, and it's more then i'd imagined that day.

I had to post this picture, it was too good to pass up. Seventh grade husband and wife in the school play. Meant to be.