June 21st Happy Anniversary!

13 years ago today my sweet husband and I were married in the Toronto Ontario Temple. We always look back and laugh at those few days leading up to this day and the adventure we had getting to the temple.

Since we were getting married outside of the country we had to get our marriage license three days before the wedding. So we flew from Provo, Utah to Detroit, Michigan. Our flight got in at midnight and we cautiously had to find our way to our friend's parents house. Needless to say we were a little intimidated to drive around Detroit at that hour. As Dave said "muggings and beatings start after midnight" thanks Dave!

So anyway...the next morning we drove our rental car across the border, got our marriage license, drove back to the airport and boarded a flight to Vermont. Hard part over, or so we thought. That evening we got stranded in the Newark New Jersey Airport because of a tornado warning. So we spent the night in the airport with hundreds of other stranded travelers. I was so worried about someone taking my wedding dress while I tried to get some sleep that I tied it to me with my belt and hugged it tight. I'm sure I looked pretty interesting.

After a night in an airport and another missed flight in the morning due to fog we finally boarded a flight to Vermont. We spent the night there before we drove the 9 hours to Toronto with my mom and dad. We couldn't afford a rental car so we borrowed my mom and dad's car for the drive and our honeymoon. (Just like they borrowed my mom's parents car when they got married. )

Story over? Not quite yet! The drive up was pretty uneventful as was that evening. I was up bright and early the next morning ready to go get married! Kirk was still sleeping an hour before we were supposed to be there! (We later discovered he was actually coming down with a sinus infection.) When we arrived at the temple they didn't know who we were, they misplaced our paperwork. After 10 stressful minutes of waiting they finally found the paperwork. So off we went. Once we walked into the temple the stress melted away and I felt the peace I always do there. The temple workers treated me like a princess as they do with all new brides. It was a very special and sacred experience and one I will always treasure.

Getting there was an adventure and that's just how life has been. We've been through lots of stuff together. Getting through school and having a baby, being so poor we couldn't afford more than window shopping for a date, Moves across the country for new jobs. The year of the

'3 T's" (twins, terrorists and a tornado in a month.) Life has been hard at times, but it's also been very rewarding. I don't think either of us would trade the experiences we've had together and as a family. So here's to another 13 years of adventures, gray hairs and more wrinkles than I want to think about!

Spring break fun!

Since Kirk is now a working man as of today, we decided to play for Spring break. We considered a road trip, but decided it would be nice to just visit the wonders in our back yard. So we piled in the car and drove 3 hours to the east to see the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We've driven by so many times on our way to Denver and decided it was finally time we went to see them up close.

From a distance you can see the sand dunes up against the mountains, they look a little out of place really. I didn't realize they were so large until we pulled into the visitor center and started looking around. It really is amazing to think about how this little ecosystem functions.

The best part about our visit was the really cool wheelchairs they had. They have huge beach ball like tires that allow you to push it through the sand. Kirk had Mike and I had Emily, yes I am a wimp and wanted to little kid! So off we went across what looks like a beach and then up the hills, barefoot of course. The sand felt great between my toes and it was fun to watch Olivia jumping and rolling down the dunes and just having a great time. That was until the wind started to pick up, I can see why sand blasting works so well!!

When we put Emily down in the sand she just sat there letting it fall through her fingers over and over, she wasn't sure what to think. The only part she didn't like was the visitor center, she just likes to be on the go!

All in all it was a fun day and we look forward to going back when the spring run off starts to flow. Then there are little rivers all over that you can splash around in, it looks like a fun time!!

These last 8 months with Kirk home have been wonderful. Since we were prepared we were able to not stress too much and just enjoy some time together. At family home evening we talked about how lucky we've been and how we'll always remember this special time with Daddy. He will be missed, but it will be nice to have financial stability again and I'm sure he'll be happy to get back out there again.

So life is going back to normal so to speak and we are just grateful for a job and that we don't have to move! I think we are finally home! :) Enjoy the pictures!!

Faith is like a little seed...

The faith of little children just amazes me, especially when it's my children. The other night Olivia was asking me all of these questions, serious gospel questions. We talked for about 5-10 minutes about it. We talked about a testimony and what it is and how we need to nourish our testimonies. Then she said "Mommy, I love the scriptures, I love church, I love my Father in Heaven and I love you and Daddy." That last part was so sweet and I hope she always feels that way. She is such a sweet little spirit and reminds me so often that our faith doesn't have to be complicated it can be very simple.

I am so grateful for the special little spirits that I get to raise and what they teach me every day. Sure there are days that are hard and I want to cry because my Mike is falling down all the time, or Emily is having another seizure, but all the joy they bring makes it all worth it. I would not be the person I am today without my 3 sweet little kiddos and the help of a loving Father in Heaven.

Just stuff

Things have been pretty quiet in our house these days. The only big news has been Kirk's lovely CSI eye as we've labeled it. Over Christmas his eye got really red, but it seemed to get better. It flared up again and this time he was in a lot of pain. Sinus infection, or so we thought. When he went into the doctor she couldn't find anything and sent him home with oral and topical antibiotics. She said to go into the Opthamologist if it wasn't feeling better in a week.

Things didn't improve over the next week, in fact the pain intensified. So into the opthamologist to find out what was going on. After she looked at his eye and reviewed his medical history of allergies and Guillaine Barre Syndrome she knew exactly what it was. He had Uveitis, an autoimmune disorder; his body was attacking the healthy tissue in his eye.

So more eye drops and two weeks later things are a lot better. We had to dilate his eye for a week to help the swelling go down, it wasn't very fun for him. I kept asking him to look at stuff and forgot he couldn't really see very well. He's very happy to be done with those drops and is feeling much better!

So there you have. Life has been pretty quiet which I don't mind one bit. Now if I could just get over this cold...