Love

(image via the talented Kal Barteski)

Hello everybody!

Last year I wrote a valentine for my daughter and a valentine for my husband. I would do it again, but then I'd be repeating so many of the same sentiments. I love my sweeties so much, and I don't need a "holiday" for me to say it to them. So go read them and aside from the developmental things that Abby was doing then, as well as the nursing, they apply today too.

However, I did send Spencer to work with a bag of presents to open during the day! We never do much for Valentine's Day, except go out to eat (we take any "holiday" to have an excuse to go out to eat- although when we were dating Spencer always, always got me roses and candy and a card and probably a little present on Feb 14th.)
This year, I wanted to surprise Spencer with something special to celebrate our 10th Vday together. I sent him to work with a bag of presents wrapped in red, tied with white, and a little sign on each saying Open me at 9:10, Open me at 10:10, etc. (I didn't take any pictures because I was in a hurry to get them together.)
As it turns out, I embarrassingly miscounted. I had mistakenly thought that this year would be our 10th Valentines Day together, but I was corrected this morning that it is actually our 11th. Doh!

Whether or not you know your math, I hope you and your sweetie have a fun day today!

These guys are my Valentines

What a good daddy

Sunday evenings in the summer have become days that we let Abby drag us outside and play until we're all pink in the face.

These two are best friends.

Yes, that's her daddy she's looking at.

Crazy face.

The end.

7 years of marital satisfaction!

Spencer and I were married 7 years ago today- happy wedding anniversary to us!
I posted about our other anniversary a little while ago, but this is the one we actually celebrate.

7 years ago I woke up in my uncle Brent's house (where I spent the night for one last time with my whole family, slumber-party style on the couches with my siblings), showered and did my own makeup in his unfinished basement bathroom and went to get my hair done.

We got married in the Salt Lake LDS temple and it was awesome.
(Strangely, I can't recall what I did between the wedding luncheon and the reception that night. Spencer and I went our separate ways, and all I remember is that I was brought to the reception center by my mom's friend because my mom had to do something else before she got there. Can my family members remember what we did?)
Lots of family and friends were there. It was awesome to have a day for celebrating us. There is a lot I could say about that day, but I'll just end with the fact that it was long, it was hot, and I was starving by the time we got to our hotel in Park City that night. (Sweet little fact nugget: the very same awesome hotel room that Britney Spears once stayed in, procured for us by my brother in law Dave. Back in the days before she turned psycho-crazy-shave-her-head-turned-rehabilitated, and was just a famous singer, if not ho bag. No offense to all the fans out there- I still totally sing along to  "Sometimes I Run" whenever I hear it.) 
We have been through a lot in seven years

• 10 jobs between the two of us (including summer internships)
• 3 apartments in 2 states (only one with no air conditioning or dishwasher)
• 2 cross-country moves
• 1 law school graduation
• 1 driver's license and 2 small car accidents (all mine- I'm super awesome)
• 4 stays in Vegas (we go there a lot, but in our defense, it's close to UT without being in UT-and you can drive there), 1 trip to Boston, 1 trip to Kwajalein (and therefore, 2 trips to Hawaii), several trips to California, 1 stay in the Outer Banks, 2 trips to Arizona, 1 trip to Florida, countless trips to DC, and several other places that I can't even recall wherever else we've been together. We're definitely not as cool as Robbie and Hannah, who've been to a dozen other countries- you guys win.
• 5 nieces/nephews
• 1 baby
• Lots of dinners out. Hundreds and possibly thousands of dinners out. All we ever want out of life is a good dinner at a restaurant.
• Countless dates, movies, activities, amusement parks, small little experiences that I can't even begin to think of because frankly, it makes me tired to do so.

We've had a good run. I told Spencer this morning that maybe we can stay married for another 7 years. And he said, "Yeah, at least." So here's to more years together. At least 7, probably.
I love you, Spencer!!

Valentine for my daughter

Dear Abby,
I love you.

You are such a good sleeper. I love that about you. You sleep all night. We’re talking 8:30 to 8:30. I love it.

You are so special.

I love how you make me feel.

I love how your little spirit helps make our apartment feel like a home.

You love to nurse. Thank you for being so good at it. I love to feed you.

You let me feed you AND you also feed yourself. You are so funny when you feed yourself with your chubby fingers.

You are even better than we expected.

You nurse quietly and then babble to yourself when you are done. You like to talk to no one and wave your arm around, like you are conducting music only you can hear. You grab at my face, my check, my lips, my teeth, my hair.

You like to play with your books- you love to play on the ground by yourself, but you squeal with delight when we get down and play with you. You love to take apart your diaper bag and eat everything inside it. You also play with my pump bag. You LOVE to tear the DVDs off of the shelf. That is a daily activity.

A lady at the store thought you were so cute when you were with your daddy the other day that she gave you a balloon. You are playing with it with the string off, and it confuses you to no end when it will suddenly floats away from you.

You totally go with the flow and accompany me on errands and out to dinner. Thank you for being so chill.

You say Mama more than anything else, and I LOVE it.

I love how you have made our lives better.

Thank you for being so wonderful.

You are so sweet… if I could only use one word to describe you, it would be that.

You are so tolerant of us and our being new parents.

You love TV. I kind of hate that.

You have changed my life forever.

I love you so much it hurts.

I love holding and kissing and cuddling you.

I love watching you sleep.

Your daddy loves you so much. He calls us “his girls.”

I love your hiccups and sneezes, and I already miss your newborn noises- I never thought a
baby could be so noisy when they slept…

I love how you get excited when me or your daddy come home.

Those are certainly not the only things that I love about you. But it's a start.

Love, your Mom

Valentine for my husband

You are my Valentine. I love that you like to cook. I love that I get to spend every day with you. I love that you are so smart. I love that you are so generous and kind. I love that you take care of me when I am sick. I love that you are funny. I love that you love to eat and enjoy food as much as I do! I love that you love to coupon. I love that you are such a good father. I love that you love your daughter. I love that she is excited to see you when you walk in the door. I love that you helped me every night after she was born, staying up with me even though you were just watching us nurse and bringing me snacks and water. I love that I get to be with you forever. I love that you love me.

Those are certainly not all of the things that I love about you. But it's a start.

I love you!!

Love, your wife

(image found here)