It's a Wonderful Life-- 9 Glorious Years Together

Yesterday was busy and wonderful and celebratory!

7 am: I hit the early bird sale at a department store and bought myself a lovely little black dress for our 9th anniversary celebration dinner, as well as for Kari's upcoming wedding. (The dress was 50% off--Sweet!)

8:30 am: Tee-Roy and Avandra go help build a wheelchair ramp for a 90+ year old woman in the ward who has been housebound.

11:30 am: We hit the BK and go as a family to the local water park. We all had fun even though Couscous was a tad grumpy/tired. The bummer was when we found out the rules had changed and Avandra and Couscous couldn't go down the big tube slides on my lap. That had been the highlight last year. I took Avandra and she measured 1/2 inch too short to go by herself, so of course we decided to try it anyway. She got in 3 good runs before a lifeguard measured and booted her. But it was still fun.

3:30 pm: I ran to the grocery store.

4:30 pm: I take Avandra for new shoes.

6:25 pm: I pick up the babysitter 'cuz T and I are going out!

7:15: Tee-Roy and I are 15 minutes late for our 9th anniversary reservation at Zagat's #1 Italian restaurant in town. We were still seated and it was a wonderful 4-course, 2 hour meal...Bruschetta topped with eggplant, melon gazpaucho, artichoke-stuffed tortellini, and some amazing puff pastry & cream desset topped with fresh berries and an orange sauce. We were so tempted to lick the platter clean!! It's amazing how without the kids we can still slip back into just enjoying each other's company. It seems like so often our conversation is "Do you want to change The Ky-Guy's diaper or do the dishes?" It's nice to know that we're still good friends and not just partners in parenting.


I think we have the best anniversary tradition. We don't buy each other gifts. Instead we just go out to eat at the nicest place that we can afford. During dinner we read predictions that we made the previous year. These predictions were about what we thought the next year would bring. This can be about our family, our community, the world, politics, weather, whatever. During dessert we make new predictions to seal in an envelope to open the next year. It's always funny to see what we guessed. And we definitely shouldn't make fortune-telling our income-source. Last year I guessed that we'd be really close to inviting a 4th child into our home. Ha-ha! Now I predict that next year we will still be absolutely thrilled and satisfied with the 3 we already have.

Actually this year we are giving ourselves an anniversary present. It will be a month late, but we are going to Ireland--alone!! Woo-hoo!

So...in celebration of our 9th anniversary, 9 Reasons I'm Glad I Married Tee-Roy
1. When we were dating I felt different than I had when I was with anyone else. I felt like us being together was part of something bigger than ourselves. I have seldom felt the veil to heaven so thin.
2. He has always treated me with respect and calmness. He lets me ride out my emotional waves without feeding into them.
3. He seldom, if ever, criticizes me. He knows that I am aware of my flaws and feel the pain of them enough without him adding to it.
4. He is never sarcastic or uses negative humor.
5. He honors the priesthood of God that he holds. He recognizes it as an opportunity to serve. He is always looking for ways to serve others, and that stretches me into being more kind than I naturally would be.
6. He has unshaken faith. He never doubts and isn't pessimistic.
7. He is a very "hands-on" father and husband. There is nothing that he won't do in our household and with our family. In fact, if he doesn't do the dishes after dinner, they don't get done that night at all.
8. He is an excellent teacher. He teachs our children so well. He helps them learn how to do things independently at comparatively young ages.
9. He is incredibly supportive. If I have ideas of ways we can improve as a couple or a family, he will support me 100%, even if it might mean a sacrifice to him. He doesn't try to talk me down from my personal standards, even when they are stricter than the norm.

I love this boy! I thank God every day for His guidance in bringing us together. I am so, so thankful.