Sorry love....

I just realized that although we celebrated our anniversary last Saturday I didn't post anything about it. What can I say about my dear sweet husband. He has stood by me at times he should have just walked away. He has helped me so much through these past several years and has helped me through thick and thinner...(A picture is literally worth a thousand words)

July 2009

Last weekend- Aug 2011

I have to thank you my love for everything that you have given to me and have done for me. I love you more then words can ever say.

Happy anniversary to the best husband in the world.

Love you Pookie!!!

Whose this guy I married.....

I always thought I was the strong one in our marriage, the leader, the one who was in control. Little by little I have found that Eric and I have equaled out. When we were first married Eric was very passive, quiet and shy. He wouldn't talk to a stranger unless he had to and then only very minimal. However, in the past 19 years he has morphed into this strong, assertive man that I love even more. It amazes me.
Example: We were at Walmart. We ran into one of my co-workers. I introduced Eric and we went about our business. Later as we were leaving I ran into another co-worker as well as the first one. We were all at the Redbox. I walked outside to talk to the second co-worker and apparently Eric had an entire conversation with the first co-worker.. I was told by this person, you husband is so funny, and knowledgeable. Of coarse I already knew that.
I am so thankful for my love, for my funny guy. He is so loving and supportive of me in everything I do.  I laugh sometimes when I hear friends and co-workers complain about how their husbands have changed since they have been married. I always tell them. My husband has changed, only it's for the better.

Ye of little faith....

Can I just start out by saying that my husband is....

  AMAZING!!!

He has become quite the little house father while he has been off from work. He not only cleans but he has been looking up wonderful recipes to try and cook each and every night so I come home from work with a wonderful meal on the table. It has been quite the treat. 

Two weeks ago, he sent me a text and told me that the TV had died. We talked about buying a new one but just felt that with him being out of a job it really couldn't happen. We went and got out old TV from the playroom in the basement. (Interesting enough this is the TV we bought the year we were married so it is 19 years old.)It's not a bad TV, it is good sized, still works after all of these years, and all that is wrong with it is the power button doesn't work.

When I got home from work that evening Eric told me he had figured out what was wrong with the TV and  was going to fix it. I laughed and said,"Okay, you go right ahead and fix the TV." He was really excited and told me it was going to cost less then $20 dollars to fix our $500.00 TV. I still showed little enthusiasm, but figured it was a nice little project for him to work on. 

Last Monday when the part came he was like a little boy on Christmas day. So excited and he couldn't wait to get started. He had picked up his soldering equipment on Monday afternoon and was planning to begin the project on Tuesday. 

I just smiled as he talked about it. what little did I know, and shame on me for having such little faith in my husband. 

When I left for work on Tuesday, I kissed him goodbye and told him not to burn the house down. 

Two hours later he sent me this picture.... 

This is the $1.20 part that many people just throw away there TV's for... 

 Shame on me for not having a little trust and faith in my husband. He showed me. So the next time he tells me he can fix something, I guess I won't just worry that he is going to burn the house down.

18 years & Forever to Go....

7 Houses,

6 Cars,

5 Dogs,

2 jobs,

1 stolen car,

5 trips to the ER,

4 Trips to Southern Utah,

3Trips to Hawaii,

1Trip to Mexico,

4 car accidents,

5 surgeries,

and 1 sweet teenager later

and I still love him like the day we were married.

Happy Anniversary My Love!!!!

Fathers and Sons...

I am so grateful that Eric and Guido have such a wonderful relationship. Eric has done his best to remain a strong influence in his life and I know that he always will be. I think that it is important to him because of the relationship he has had with his own father. He doesn't want that for his own son. I am so blessed that I have such amazing "Dad's" in my life ~ From Eric,and my Dad,to my brothers,and my friends, and certainly the most important "Father" of them all. What a lucky girl I am.
Happy Father's Day to you all!!!

What a guy....

Last weekend, we added on five extra children and an extra dog and off we went to my grandmothers.With me being so sick I worried about how I would handle the extra crew, but Eric jumped in and took over. He not only journeyed to all of the cemeteries with Nana and my Great Aunt, but he barbecued for the entire crew, helped roast marshmallows, played baseball, and entertained until he could entertain no more.
It was amazing to have such a relaxing weekend. I am so thankful I have such a wonderful husband who is willing to do so much even if it seems so little.
I came home so well rested. Ready for another weeks worth of testing, a wonderful book read, and a nice start on my tan.

Thank you so much my love, I really don't know what I would do without you!!!

I think he needs rehab...

My husband is hopelessly addicted. Everyweek when I am making a grocery list he asks for the ingredients for it. Everyweek he has to have his fix and I can't persuade him otherwise. What is his vice you ask. It is this....

Eggplant Parmesan!!!

After several weeks of cooking it I taught Eric how to make it so he now makes it for himself. He makes a big huge batch that he snacks on for several days. I will occasionally have a bite if I am in the mood. But I have to be in the mood for it and that mood doesn't happen on a weekly basis. Eric actually is a really good cook and does really well with it. He even cleans up his mess when he is done. Every time he cooks it you can hear Guido telling whichever friend is around," Oh no, my Dad is stinking up the house with eggplant again." My grandmother thinks it's just cute and always says, "He cooks, he cleans, he even does laundry. Jenny you are so lucky." But I keep telling her to let him come stink up her house with Eggplant everyweek and see how cute she thinks it is. Not to say I am not thankful that I have a wonderful husband who does cook, and will clean and even does do laundry. But the Eggplant has got to go. Maybe next week the store will be out. Although, I don't know if I could tell him there wasn't any with a straight face. Besides he would probably get in the car and go hunt some down!!!

Thankful Thursday...

As I parked my car today and was getting all of my stuff together to go inside the Department of Workforce Services. I looked at the women in the car next to me. She was on the telephone, she was upset and crying. As she looked at me, I smiled hoping that maybe that kind gesture would put some glimmer of hope in the sadness she was feeling.

Later this afternoon I could hear a guy yelling at someone. He was being very rude and telling whomever he was talking to that they were stupid and worthless. I walked over to him to see if I could help him. (Really to stop him from talking the way that he was.) It was so upsetting to me to hear someone talk this way that I could only imagine how the person he was talking to felt. I was saddened to see that it was the young women I had seen in the car earlier today.

When she turned to me to tell me that they didn't need any help I noticed that she had a huge black eye and a split and swollen lip. She tried to cover it with her hand but I could still see it. I told her that if she needed anything she could just let me know. She said okay but she was fine.

I didn't know what else to do for her. I felt so helpless that I couldn't just tell her to leave this guy, to run and not look back. But I couldn't it wasn't the right place or the right time.
It struck a cord with me. It made me think about how lucky I have to have Eric at my side. To have a husband who supports me and cares about me. A man who would never hurt me or cause me to feel like I was worthless or stupid. I am so thankful for Eric and the man that he is. I thank Heavenly Father everyday that he is my husband, and my best friend.

Papa...

"The best lesson we could learn from our grandparents is to cherish every moment we have with them." ~Carin

Twenty years ago today my Grandfather was called back by Heavenly Father. I remember that day so clearly and what a blessing it truly was. In May of 1989 Papa had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He stayed strong for a few months but he quickly deteriorated towards the end of the summer and by the end of August he was really suffering. He began to quickly deteriorate, every breath was a painful struggle and we began to pray for him to pass on.

A few days before he passed away he told my grandmother about a dream he had. His mother had come to him and told him it was time for him to come home. She had several children gathered around, one little girl and a set of twin boys. This was of special significance to him because he had a sister that they had lost when she was a few days old, and my grandmother had given birth to stillborn twin boys. He then asked where his father was and she told him he would be here when the time came. My grandfather's father was killed when he was six years old.

The night before my grandfather passed away, we had all gathered in his room to say a family prayer and give my grandfather a blessing. I will never forget the strong spirit that was present in that room that evening. I had never witnessed the feeling of having so many loved ones present both temporally and spiritually.

Shortly after midnight my grandmother came down stairs and said he had passed away. Once we gathered in his room he took his last breath. that breath was the sound of a clear healthy breath. We knew he was gone but it was okay. He was no longer suffering.

My grandfather taught me so many things. He was such a strong, supportive, and gentle man. For many years he was the only father figure I had in my life. No matter what I did or said I knew my Papa would always be there for me. Even after twenty years I can still feel his love and support when I feel like I need him there. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I know he is there and that I one day will have the opportunity to see him again. I am so happy to know that Mason and Eric will both have the opportunity to meet him.

Today is Eric's birthday and the day my grandfather passed on. My grandmother remarks how much Eric reminds her of Papa. Eric is a very proud and private person. That is how my grandfather always was. So today as we celebrate the day my husband was born. I also celebrate that I have had two such wonderful men in my life that I love and cherish so dearly.

Happy Birthday Pookie...

Tommorow is my sweet husbands birthday and I just want to share with you how special he is to me, to his son, and to our family. In the years that we have been together he has grown into an incredible man. As my grandmother always tells me I am so blessed to have him as a husband. We have enjoyed many good times as well as bad. We have enjoyed numerous adventures and lots of laughs. I thank heavenly father every day that I have him in my life. Here's to many more years, good times, adventures, and laughs. We love you.

Happy Birthday!!!

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
~ Abraham Lincoln

Anyone can be a father, it takes someone special to be a dad...

Each day as I have the opportunity to watch the love between my son and his father I cannot help but thank Heavenly Father for the wonderful man that my son can call his Dad. Two years ago I was able to witness the strength of my husband and the love that he has for his son.
It was the day after Father's Day and it seemed no different then normal. I had got up and went to the gym, not realizing that my phone had been ringing and ringing and ringing. When I returned home I turned on the news and began to get ready for work. There was a story on about a bear attack that had occurred up American Fork Canyon and a boy from the area had been killed. I remember thinking how awful but not much more about it. I went in and told Mason bye and headed to work. I was about 30 minutes into my commute when a friend called. She said " Jen, did you watch the news this morning." I told her I had briefly but asked why. She said that the little boy who had been killed was Mason's best friend, Sam. She told me Sam's grandmother had been trying to call me all morning because she wanted me to know before we heard it on the news. I thanked her for calling and immediately called Eric to tell him. I remember crying and asking Eric how we were possibly going to tell Mason what had happened. I pulled off the next exit and stopped my car for a moment. I prayed, I prayed for Sam, I prayed for Mason, and I prayed to have the strength and guidance to get through these next few hours. As I drove home I had such a burning pit in my heart, I could barely breath. I never imagined having to deal with something like this. Every time I thought of those sweet boys it made my heart ache even more. No eleven year old boy should ever have to experience the loss of his best friend. But this was really happening. As I walked into our house, I saw Eric sitting by Mason with his arm around him. Eric had told Mason what had happened. Mason stood up and ran to me and sobbed. Eric came to both of us, put his arms around us and I could feel his strength. I felt the presence of our Father in Heaven at that moment and new that Eric was going to be there to hold us both up during this difficult time.
I am so thankful for Eric, my friend, my love and the father of my son. I am thankful for all of the strong father figures I have had in my life. And most of all I am thankful for my father in Heaven who loves and cherishes me because I am one of his many children.

Happy Father's Day to

all of those incredible

Dad's in my life.

I love you all!!!

It is not that hot...

I can't remember the last time Eric and I have had a date night. Between, moving and being sick it seems like so long ago. So with Mason out of town, I texted Eric with just one word.

SUSHI???

and our date was set. We have a little unknown place that we love to go to. The service is great and the food is even better. It is the one place in the entire Valley you can walk into on a Friday night and get a table. No lines, no waiting, and no overpriced processed food. It's all fresh from the Miso to the Wasabi.

The company this evening was delightful as it most of the time is. ( JK honey you know I love you) However, we seem to go through the same scenerio everytime. I love Wasabi, and enjoy the flavor it adds to my Sushi. Every time I take a dab, Eric asks if it is hot. I say no it is not that hot and what does he do but put a big glop onto whatever he is eating ( 3 and 4 times the amount I do) eats it and then proceeds to become teary eyed. Cracks me up everytime. Maybe next time we go I will tell him it is super hot and see what he does.

AHHH....

It is such a good feeling to be getting settled. We have had to add a few closet organizers and shelves but we are getting closer to being all unpacked. Eric is so amazing. He knows that one of my biggest pet peeves is to have a garage that can't be used to park in. He has done his best to get boxes moved into the rooms that they need to be in so that they can be unpacked. He did a great job installing shelves in my pantry closet so know I have enough room to store a case of all our regular products upstairs. He then organized a room in the basement to store the rest of our food storage. What a sweetheart. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful husband and am happy that I will soon have my car back in the garage.
PS - This is not a picture of my garage, just a reminder of what I do not want mine to look like(:

Call the exterminator ...

My new visiting teachers came to visit this morning. We had a wonderful visit and I really enjoyed getting to know them. They came rather early and we just thought we would have a short visit. Kind of a getting to know you visit. The getting to know you visit turned into two hours. These sisters are incredible and I am so grateful that they were chosen to be my visiting teachers. I know that I really am going to enjoy them. It was like we had known one another for years.
That all being said. I invited them in and we went into the family room (or the waste of space room as Eric calls it- No electronic entertainment- Heaven forbid)

Anyway, as we were talking along, Sister G commented on the decorations and how calming the room is. We talk about this picture and that piece just usual decor talk. But then she asks " Is there some significance to the rat on the mantle?" Rat on the mantel???
I said " Doesn't everyone keep rats on there mantles?" and then of coarse explained my husbands lovely sense of humor.

I discovered a rat on the ledge in the hall as well.
My Mr. Funny Guy strikes again !!!

Always and forever with all of my heart ...

"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you"-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
To my two favorite men. I will love you both always and forever.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

What a funny guy!!!

So when I met Eric 18 years ago he wasn't the most humorous of chaps. But in these past years he seems to have morphed into a downright funnyman. The thing with him is that it usually isn't about what he says it is more about the sneaky things that he does. Right now I have a live plant up on the ledge above my front door, that nobody can get to but him. Why,you may ask? Because he thinks it's funny and knows that there is not one thing I can do about other then borrowing a twenty foot extension ladder from the neighbor and then who knows how I would carry it down.

Ha, Ha very funny right.

Well here is a better story. My Mom and I went out last night #1 in search of finding something to put in our front hall on the giant wall and #2 to let Eric watch the BYU/Utah game in peace. So we went to ROSS and found this ornamental wall art. When we got home we chatted for a minute. Gave Eric a moment to morn the great loss of BYU and then began discussing the placement of said piece of ornamental art. We talked about whether it should hang higher or lower and what sort of hanging implements we should use since it is rather heavy yet doesn't have alot of places to hang from. Eric sat discussing for a few minutes and the said " I don't know what do you think the duck thinks? " Daisy, has a stuffed toy duck that I just bought her and I immediately began scanning for it . I looked all around the upstairs railing and in the chandelier. About 16 foot + up in there air ( Even higher then the plant) There stuck to the wall was the DUCK!!!

We laughed and Mason kept trying to figure out how it got up there. I decided we should keep it up there during Thanksgiving just to see how many people would notice said duck, stuck to the wall, oh so high in my foyer. But it isn't to be Mr. duck found his way down during the night . I wonder if my plant will be so lucky.