6.22.2016

happy six months of marriage

the past six months have been full of laughter, good food, tears, new experiences, learning, patience, and love. these few months have been challenging but rewarding also. we're still newbies at being married and i still wonder all the time how to be a good wife but it feels good to learn how to work together and be a team bit by bit.

before getting married, i had an irrational fear that our relationship would drastically change for worse. that after saying yes, the "true" chris would come out and he wouldn't be the man i thought i married. turns out didn't happen at all :) but something else happened that i didn't expect. all of my own flaws became much more obvious and i felt like a bad version of myself. if i thought a mission would show me my flaws, marriage does a much better job haha. you really do see each other through all of the good and the bad and there is vulnerability, insecurity, and lots of feelings involved.

we are not perfect. sometimes i get frustrated and he gets upset, but we love each other. i'm sure thirty years from now we'll look back and laugh at what we thought real love was but for now, this is where we are. i'm so happy i married chris. his never-ending patience, kindness, and gentleness is what i never knew i needed. i am so grateful he continues to love me every day. here's to many, many more months!








***a friend of mine named emily was looking to build her portfolio so we volunteered to get our picture taken ;) chris and i had so much fun since 1) no wedding plans to worry about  2) there was no pressure to get an incredible photo for an invitation 3) we love each other, duh. HERE is emily's website for anyone interested!

6.17.2016

snapshots of life lately

school is out for the summmerrrrrr! the past six weeks have been full of grading for me and homework for chris. most evenings were spent working but we tried to squeeze some fun into our busy days ;) 
since chris was so stressed about school, i tried to take on more responsibility at home. i tried so many new recipes and most turned out great! a few of the things i've made lately are black bean burgers, spring rolls, thai curry, taquitos, teriyaki salmon, mapo tofu, and chicken sliders. as someone who usually struggles with recipes and makes the same thing over and over again, this has kind of been a big deal to me. fun side note: chris is fun to cook for because he gets SO excited! 


chris and i serve at the provo temple every week and one day, the flowers were all so gorgeous. we were in a hurry to get to school and these don't even begin to capture the beauty of the roses but they made me happy.
just driving around in our new car. it's been giving us a little trouble lately but we feel blessed to have one at all.

for memorial day, chris took me on a picnic at deer creek reservoir. it felt like a beach with the sandy areas and being so close to the water. we daydreamed of boating while we dipped our toes in ;)
jess' baby livvy in sunglasses. i don't know why i find this so hilarious but i think she's the cutest. and my husband rocks the suit vest.

weddings! jill got married and everything about it was beautiful. her veil, her bridal shower, the temple she got married at, she herself... all gorgeous. we've known each other since kindergarten and have gotten to be much better friends these past few years in provo. i'm so happy for her and her new husband peter! they are so cute and giddy together.
i met these girls right after i got back from japan. one was engaged and the other started dating her future husband while we lived together. i started dating chris around the same time so the boys all got to know each other a bit while hanging out at our apartment. dalynn got married in april, megan in october, and me in december! we decided to have a little bbq reunion before baby comes!
 one time, chris and i went to the velour to watch his cousin play. i felt cool but i learned that concerts aren't really my thing.
one time we were hanging out around downtown provo and there was a sign that said "cronuts this way." i had heard of these crossoint donut hybrids so we decided to try the bavarian cream one. it was suuuuuper sweet and covered in sugar. chris and i split one and i was satisfied at that :) it was a good dessert but not one that makes me want it over and over again.

summer is in full swing here. we've got big plans and i am excited to play!