Why I love him...

My husband is fantastic...let me tell you why...

I have just been overcome with gratitude for him the past few days. It really struck me this morning as he drove past me as I was pulling out of the driveway to go to work and he blew me a kiss from the Durango. He always does this. Some people would say it is no big deal but I've discovered in the past 7 weeks I've grown used to it when the timing is right and we pass each other going opposite directions to work. As much as I'm looking forward to being done with the drive to Salt Lake everyday for work- and in 10 weeks, school- I'm honestly going to miss those last minute exchanges we get to share before we have to leave each other for the day.





I could never doubt the love this man has for me or how much he adores me because every time I call him or he calls me I am greeted with "Hello Beautiful!" How lucky am I!!! Funny story about this greeting however...Oh my goodness it gives me the giggles just thinking about it. Yesterday I got a twitter message from him that read, "Look at phone number of incoming calls closely before choosing your greeting, or you might say "Hello Beautiful! to your boss."

I can only imagine the dead silence on the other end of the line when J.D.'s boss JEFF got that as a greeting. Once he was over being surprised with that greeting he said, "well it's nice to be told you're beautiful every once in awhile." Now before you all think I'm mean for telling this story I got clearance to share it. I love it that my sweetheart isn't ashamed to call me beautiful or say I love you when I need to call him at work even with the guys standing there.

Laundry, loads and loads of laundry. I have never had an issue doing laundry. I always just assumed when I got married that would be one of the chores I would do. I think because that is how it was in my house growing up. I actually don't mind this chore (dusting is another story)and I actually enjoy ironing. However, it seems like every weekend (that's when we do laundry) since we have been married I have had something going on Saturday's and don't get a chance to start laundry before I leave to go to whatever activity, etc that is happening.

J.D. doesn't blink and eye or complain for one second that I don't get it started, he just sorts and takes care of it. I know he did his own laundry for years so why should saying "I Do" switch a magic and invisible switch but I just assumed it would I guess. I have started ironing J.D.'s polo shirts that he wears to work and he seems to like that I do that. I'm not sure what it is about it but he likes it and he lets me know. I am so grateful there is some small thing I can do to serve him- however small it may be. Honestly, it made my day a few weekends ago when he came to me with a shirt I hadn't seen before, while I was ironing and asked me if I could fix the collar on the shirt. Basically, it had dried weird the last time it had been washed and it wouldn't lay right. It may seem silly but I was so glad that he recognized what I was doing was helpful and could "fix" a problem he had and didn't know how to fix himself.

Honey Do's and Will You's

I may be bragging but I never have to ask twice for anything to be done. Even before we were married I had moved all of my stuff into our apartment. I just mentioned that I would like to have some pictures/decorative signs hung up in some places and next time I came over they were up. If I ask for help with anything he is right there by my side helping me or just simply doing it for me. I always thought I enjoyed that "independent woman/ I can do it myself" thing that I had going on. I'll be honest, that's great and I do like my independence but it is EVEN BETTER having someone there you KNOW that you can rely on to help you out.

Yesterday, I volunteered us to go help my friend Carla get her travel trailer ready for the first BBQ competition of the year.. The trailer is a nice addition to the competitions but it definitely needed some work and Carla has done a lot already but the door to the trailer needed some attention. Weather stripping, straightening some bent metal, a latch that would work, etc. Carla mentioned to me when we were at lunch last week she was worried it wouldn't get done in time because her husband hasn't been feeling well so I told her if she needed help to just let me know and we would be there. I knew that I didn't even need to ask J.D. first because he would be more than willing to help out. No surprise, he was more than happy to help and we went over and J.D. and Carla's husband got most of the work that needed to be done finished. J.D. told me on the way home they could have finished the project but it wasn't ours to finish so they stopped when Carla's husband said they were done for the night.

I love my husband because he takes such good care of me too- obviously from what I've already written but it's so true. The past weekend I just couldn't seen to get enough sleep. I swear I slept all but maybe 6 hours on Sunday. It was ridiculous. Again, he just went about his business and just took care of lunch, dinner and let me sleep. I have a maintenance medication I have to take and he reminds me to take it every morning and every night. I worry about finances while I'm in school because I don't have a job yet. Whenever I mention this he tells me it is going to be ok. It isn't a brush aside but with genuine belief that everything will be ok. I know it will be ok but he will make sure it is so.

He prays for me when I don't feel well. He consoles me when I am nearly unconsoleable. He makes sure that we say our prayers together. When he was traveling for work at the first of the May he reminded me to say my prayers when we said goodnight. He is such a good example. He reads his scriptures EVERY day. I am amazed by him and his testimony. He has such a desire to do those righteous things and to lead our family. I am so excited that he will be ordained an Elder in the next few weeks and then we will be able to go to the temple together.

I can't wait for us to be parents and to watch this gentle and patient man with our children. Our children are going to lucky to have him for a dad. He is like a little boy with some of the things he does. It always makes me giggle when he does some of those little boy things. Sometimes I just stand back and imagine little munchkins with him playing and happy. He makes me playful and I hope more fun. Even this morning, I was teasing him and going to give him a wet willy...he wouldn't have it and squirted me with his water bottle which started a small water fight. After it was over we just laughed like little kids then proceeded to get ready for work. Who gets to be 32 and have water fights in the morning before work?? Me and my J.D.- that's who!

I tell him how much I love him and I truly am amazed daily that such an extraordinary man fell in love with me but he did! He did and he makes sure to tell AND show me every day how much he loves me! I love you, J.D. thank you for being everything I hoped for and never knew I wanted in a husband! You really are my best friend and I love you!

Until next time...

Back to school...

It is ridiculous how much I don't really care for change but how I can keep it coming at nearly constant pace in my life. I have wanted to take the classes to become a Master Bodyworker at UCMT for quite some time. It hit me really hard at the end of my professional program that I wanted to do it but I couldn't seem to figure out how I was going to make it happen and keep a job because the program is during the day only.

Who wants to hire someone that is only available a few days a week? (I'm still wondering that as I am looking for a massage position that fits me and will fit my schedule) A few weeks after JD and I were married we were talking about school and what our goals were for school and I told him that I wanted to do this master's program but I was worried about the job situation and I would have to leave my current job as an administrative assistant to make it possible because it was only during the day that the classes I need to take are offered. Granted the program is only 10 weeks and it is only 4 days per week for the first 3 weeks then it is only 3 days per week but I am one who has always had a job that was 40 plus hours per week and a "guaranteed" paycheck every pay period. Well enter CHANGE...I put in my notice at my current job several weeks ago, enrolled in the Master Bodywork program and will start school again for 10 weeks on May 26. I am so excited to go back to school and make this dream come true. I am even more excited and grateful that I have married such a wonderful man that makes it possible for me to follow my dreams and encourages me to follow them. When I get stressed about how everything will work out he is cool as a cucumber and says it will be just fine and not to worry about it. Some how that seems to work and when I get scared again he is right there still cheering me on and encouraging and telling me it will be ok and I know it will.

Now on to the massage therapist job search...it has been an interesting experience. You may or may not know that when a massage therapist applies for a job it isn't the typical face to face hand over your resume interview- it also includes a hands on massage session. Honestly, as much as I love to talk I love to give a massage more so that part of the interview if my favorite. Every company or group is different how they do it too.

Last Saturday I spent 3 hours in the breezeway at a COSTCO in West Valley City, UT doing chair massages and helping the company I was interviewing with promote their new business that is opening in mid- June. Now I was raised to be honest and I had this nagging feeling working there last Saturday that these fellas may not be the most honest guys I had ever met. I expressed my concern about telling people about what I was supposed to tell people while I was massaging them because I didn't know anything about the business besides the 2-3 minutes they had told me about it when I got there. One of the owners actually said to me, "Don't worry about it just tell them whatever because people forget 70% of what you tell them anyway." YIKES!! This threw up a big red flag but I finished up the interview and by the end the owners had offered me a position at their Medical Spa. However, a big portion of it would be selling a coupon to get people to come into the business and try out the other products. Now don't get me wrong I'm a team player and I'm willing to jump in and help but that was to be my main focus. I just didn't feel good about it but I wanted to talk to JD before I made any decisions. I went home and explained it to him and he said it didn't sound right to him either and he knows my passion is for massage, so I opted out of that offer. An interesting addition to this is my friend from school who set up the interview for me and was to be their spa director isn't going to be working for them either because everything they had previously agreed to they had backed out on... I am so glad I have that voice inside me that I listen too (most of the time).
The second interview was this past Tuesday at a place only 10 minutes from our home in Pleasant Grove. It is a very flexible schedule and they are willing to work with my school schedule and seemed to be impressed with my desire to continue learning more massage modalities and that I was close by. My hands on massage for them only lasted 15 minutes...very limited. I loved it! The office just felt right...it felt good...it felt like a place I should be. I am in a holding pattern now waiting to hear back from them. A good plug for us farm kids from Idaho that like to make connections with our little towns...the owner grew up in St Anthony and used to pheasant hunt in Mud Lake...I love making those connections especially in an interview- it always seems to give you a leg up somehow- let's hope it happens that way this time.
Finally, I am applying for a teaching assistant position at the UCMT campuses in Salt Lake City and Lindon. Although I will be in school all day I won't be in class at night and both campuses offer night classes and I want to be in that environment again (even after I'm done with Master's)...I always learned more when I was explaining a technique or concept to someone else and I love UCMT and the instructors and TA's I had were awesome...I want to be able to help someone else find their passion like those people did for me.

So my plea to each of you that read this is please pray that I am able to find a job that will be wonderful and work for me and JD...that will allow me to do what I love (and miss so much) and will be flexible for 10 short weeks while I add to my menu of services available.

Until next time...