9 Crazy Years!

This month Dave and I celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary! We are almost to double digits! I can't believe how much has happened in the past nine years. By my count (which might be inaccurate) we have moved 13 times in those 9 years--and that is not counting the 1 or 2 month stays at my parents' home in between moves. In these nine years--actually in the first 6 years--we have had 4 children and now we are waiting to get our little girl from China (which is taking forever, for those that were wondering). Dave and I have both finished our Bachelors and Dave has finished his Masters degree since we have been married. Dave was deployed for a year and a half--actually with all his trainings and deployments we have been apart for about 1/3 of our married life! It seems that change is the only thing we can count on since we have been married! The one thing that has remained constant is how I feel about Dave. He is honestly my favorite person on Earth. He is the only person that ALWAYS knows how to make me laugh. I have fun with him whether it is watching TV or even doing the dishes. He just makes life enjoyable for both me and the kids. He is the best dad I have ever seen. He is always the dad that is out in the mix, entertaining the kids while the other adults sit around and talk. I love that he is already teaching our boys to have respect for women. I love that his way of showing me that he loves me is by quitely doing the dishes or the laundry or helping out with the kids because he understands that being a stay at home mom is not easy. Dave is the hardest worker that I have ever met. He is always looking for something to do to help me or the kids out. I love that he is a worthy priesthood holder. This week he gave the children Father's blessings to prepare them for a new school year and listening to him during the blessings made me realize how wonderful it is to have him as the patriarch of our family. Enough gushing--sorry, I have to let him know how much I love him at least once a year! I am so glad that he is my eternal companion.

Our announcement photo.

(It has holes in it to tie the ribbon through.

For some reason this one didn't scan in well)

Bridal portrait
Just after the ceremony, outside Mt. Timpanogos Temple.
Cutting the cake.

(I love this picture because of Dave's HUGE smile--

He always smiles like this but it is rare to capture it on film!)

Dave decided to take advantage of our family while in Utah and used his dad as an overnight babysitter for the kids. No matter how hard he tries to surprise me I always figure it out because I ask too many darn questions. I'm a planner and always think ahead--I guess it is one of my many weaknesses. Well, this time he was able to plan a night away without my knowing. And so he surprised me with our Anniversary celebration almost a month early (Note: Dave will miss this anniversary due to a training event) So we went to the Anniversary Inn(the one on 5th South in SLC) in the Sultan's Palace Suite. It was too much fun. It was a great surprise.

This was our bed that was on the top of two elephants' backs.

Our bathtub/shower was a crazy dragon type animal.

The yummy breakfast they brought us the next morning.