Happy Anniversary #14 to us!!!

February 9th is our 14th anniversary!!! Holy smokes that makes us sound ancient!! Come to think of it, we kind of look ancient, compared to these wedding photos!! Yipes!! Just how young WERE we?? The other night someone asked me about our wedding date. We were engaged in October. Darin wanted to get married over Christmas break. I wanted to get married over Spring break. So, we made our first marital compromise!! He picked a date, I picked a date, and we went towards each others date one day at a time til we met in the middle. We landed on February 9th, 1995. It was a Thursday, right in the middle of a college semester. And it worked out perfectly.

14 random things about our wedding day!!

1- When I woke up that morning I was nervous and laid in bed awhile. Once I actually got up, the butterflies fluttered away. (Most of them.)

2-I've never been much of a "girly girl". I had my first manicure ever for this day--done by Darin's sister. No colored polish. And I did my own hair.

3-At the temple, prior to the ceremony they put Darin and I in a small sealing room (marriage room), to wait together. We waited for quite awhile, and it turned out the man who was marrying us was running behind. I think some people started to wonder where we were. All the wedding guests were seated and waiting in the large sealing room.

4-We were married by Pres. Kidd, a man who was our stake president for years. And a man Darin and I both admire and respect.

5-When Pres. Kidd told us we could kiss over the alter, we made sure it was a kiss to remember, and to make a few in the room blush.

6-We had bunches of family and friends present at the temple. And when we came out the front doors, we were shocked and laughing at what seemed like dozens of cameras that started clicking.

7-It was VERY cold outside taking pictures.

8-Our photographer was very grumpy. He was the same man that did all my older sisters pictures. So my mom made me use him as well. Can't complain since she was paying!! And even though he was grumpy, he did take great photos.

9-Our luncheon and reception colors were pink and maroon, and the main flowers were pink roses. My favorite color had always been pink, and we were married just five days before Valentine's Day--so it seemed fitting.

10-The train of people coming into the reception was non-stop. So non-stop, that I never even SAW the refreshments that were being served. Didn't lay my eyes on them, or sample them.

11-Our wedding cake was something nasty like carrot or spice. The gal making it said she couldn't do chocolate--it wasn't heavy enough. It was beautiful though. Real roses were the cake decor. We saved the top layer of the cake in the freezer, for our 1st anniversary. On our first anniversary, we lit 1 candle and blew it out--then put the cake in the trash.

12-Our car got so "decorated" during the reception that I didn't want to go near it in my dress. So my dad traded keys with us. We took his truck, and he took our car to the car wash.

13-We stayed at the Anniversary Inn for our wedding night, in the Aphrodite's Court room. It was a very romantic and lovely room. At 2:00 AM, the smoke alarm went off in the room. I am SERIOUS!! And there was no smoke to be found!! Darin hit it with a shoe to get it to stop.

14-Among our bazillion gifts, we got 8 crock pots!!! Come to find out, they were on sale at Walmart!!! Later that week we returned all kinds of gifts. My favorite return was a fruit shaped glass serving tray to ZCMI. The tag was so old they didn't even carry it anymore. But they still gave me the credit, and I bought myself some boots!!

14 of the fun vacations we've been on during the past 14 years!!!

1-Zions National Park. Highlight was a hike to the waterfalls.

2-Jackson Hole. Highlight was seeing a mother grizzly and her cubs WAY too close up. This was one of my all-time favorite trips together.

3-Portland, Oregon. Highlight was the drive out to the coast.

4-Washington D.C. Highlight was getting to see our niece Maddie at only three days old. A notable memory was taking the subway to go see Harry Potter on opening day at 1:00 AM.

5-Ketchikan, Alaska. Highlight was catching salmon and just being with mom and dad on their mission.

6-Oregon coast. Highlight was eating fresh crab in our hotel room. Highlight was doing that trip with mom and dad.

7-California coast and San Fransisco. Too many highlights!! I love road trips. (Before children.) The Big Sur coast area was breathtaking, and San Fran was just so fun!!

8-Catalina Island. We went there several times. Catalina was our last vacation before becoming parents, and holds significance for me. Highlight of Catalina trips is snorkeling and seeing the flying fish.

9-Ensenada, Mexico cruise. Highlights were being with all my crazy siblings and their spouses, and the FOOD!!! I didn't want to gain weight on the cruise, but LOVE to eat. So for the first and LAST time in my life, I took Ex-lax!!! One time only should cure anyone from ever wanting to try such a stunt again!! The pain was short-lived, but I was pretty sure I'd have to be life-flighted to the nearest ER!!! FYI--I didn't gain a pound!!

10-Big Bear Lake, CA camping. Highlights were riding our bikes around the lake. And not really a highlight, but a memory--During that time Darin was giving me shots every day. Which I was repeatedly scared of every day!! Well, we were in the tent and it was like a horror movie--This GIGANTIC needle is coming towards me and I see an equally GIGANTIC spider on Darin!! I don't know who was more freaked out--me, or Darin in response to me!!

11-Laughlin, Nevada. We went here a few times with promotions from my school. Highlights were the 122 degree temperature where it felt like walking into a furnace when we left our hotel room, and renting the boat on lake Mead for a day. The water must have been at least 90 degrees, but felt nice and cool compared to the air. We had a great time exploring the lake and all the little coves.

12-Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada!! My birthplace!! Highlights were seeing Orca whales while fishing. I nearly jumped out of the boat I was so excited. Also, eating fresh crab and going to Butchart Gardens.

13-Columbus Ohio. Highlight was seeing Dallon, Heidi, and the girls. What a great holiday!! Highlight for me was watching my kids get to know their little cousins, and grow fond of them.

14-California!! Yes, we lived there for 4 years. But we also went on vacation there before and after living there. Before living there, highlights were San Diego and Sea World. After living there, the biggest highlight was taking our kids to Disneyland and the ocean.

14 things I love about Darin !!!

1-He is SUCH a good dad!! Every night when he comes home it's like Christmas for the kids. And rightly so--he PLAYS with them, goes on adventures with them, and takes responsibility for them. He is completely capable to be on his own with the kids for an hour or a week, and he has been since the day they were born. I haven't heard of too many dads who can take care of two preemie newborns on his own for a day, as well as trade turns getting up with them at night, and many nights in the beginning, doing it alone.

2-He has always been OK giving me space and time to go do "my thing". Half a day to go shopping, or a few days vacation with my sisters. He likes me to have time to do the things I like, and he willingly takes care of the kids while I go.

3-He enjoys doing service for others and wants to teach that joy to our kids.

4-He has always had a good understanding and testimony of the scriptures. He is the one who sees to it that we have scriptures with the kids. We're not perfect at it, but it's to his credit when it does happen.

5-He makes a good living and provides well for our family. I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mom with no financial burden, thanks to the effort and talent he puts into his career.

6-He puts spending time with me and the kids as his first choice and priority when he has free time.

7-He often makes the kids and I my favorite pancakes that I grew up with. They are similar to crepes, and he always makes them better than me.

8-He lets me sleep in one day almost every weekend while he plays with the kids.

9-He has, for the most part, kept his mouth shut for fourteen years about the fact that he has a wife who doesn't cook. He would like me to, but has never expected it or made me feel like it was my "duty".

10-He is patient with my needing everything "just so" and my "uptightness" about life. Took him thirteen years of holding his tongue to get me to leave any dishes in the sink before we go to bed at night. Now I leave them in the sink when we go to bed, and when we get up, and most of the day!!! Oops--I went too far on that one!!

11-He is VERY good looking!! Ladies, quit drooling over the wedding shots of this young lad!! For one, those photos were a decade and a half ago, and for two, he's taken!!!

12-He loves the outdoors and is sharing that love with our kids.

13-He created relationships with my parents. He and my mom were scrabble partners. He learned all the game-winning words from her. And my dad taught him all he knows about fishing.

14-He loves me for me. Sometimes I'm not even sure who I am--but he seems to know, and loves me anyways. He has never expected me to act a certain way or conform to his ideas of what a wife ought to be. He chooses me still, and loves me regardless of myself.

HAPPY 14TH ANNIVERSARY!!! I LOVE YOU!!!