Anniversary Trip 2017

So, last Thursday night (on the 2nd) we left after Grig got home from work and drove to Idaho. On the way, we nearly hit a deer. A doe was crossing the road, and I slowed down, expecting her to keep going. Instead, she stopped in the middle of the road. I had to brake pretty quickly to avoid her. She remained standing until we were almost stopped right in front of her before she turned around and rejoined a few other deer on the side of the road.

Then we met Mom and Dad at a store where I used to work. We handed Kevin off to them, and then we turned around and went back to stay at a themed hotel.

We found it just fine, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. The themed hotel near where we live has a very artsy exterior and is in a pretty nice neighborhood. This one was in a very old-looking building crammed between other ghetto-like shopfronts. I wasn’t very impressed with the outside, especially for the cost. There was also no parking, but we received a promise that we wouldn’t be ticketed.

The inside was classier, and our bedroom was nice. We picked the Alaska room (mostly because it was the least expensive), but it had everything that we wanted. The jetted tub was awesome, the bed was super-comfy, and the television was huge.

We relaxed and watched some movies that night.

The next morning, we got up just in time for them to deliver our breakfast at the door. That was pretty awesome. Then, we hung out and watched more television until about 1:00 p.m. At that point, we went out walking and found a museum just down the street. They had a Roman display, so Grig and I decided to check it out. It turned out to be more interesting that I was expecting. I especially liked the weapons. I got some fun ideas for my book. I also learned that they were pretty inventive. I didn’t realize how many things we use today that originally were created in Rome.

They also had a Roman game you could play, and one of the volunteers offered to show me how to play it. I thought he was just going to explain the rules, but he ended up playing a whole round against me. It was kind of a funny match because he didn’t tell me half of the rules until we were half-way through. If I had known you could make the same three of a kind over and over, I would have probably made some different choices at the beginning. I lost, but there were a few times that I surprised him.

Grig was going to play it with me next, but a couple other people came up and started playing before we could, so we went to lunch at a Thai restaurant instead. The food was good, but expensive.

Afterward, we returned to the hotel and spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying each other’s company.

Saturday, we got up, packed, and checked out of our hotel by 11 a.m. Then we went to Barnes and Nobles and bought some books. Afterward, we drove to the river and walked and played along the edge. We gradually made our way to Walmart, got a few more items we needed, and then walked back. We grabbed some lunch, and watched a video in the car while we ate.

For our last activity, we went to an Army Surplus store, which was awesome. We had a really good time, and I haven’t felt so relaxed in a while. We got a little tired of junk food, but it was really nice to have a vacation and spend one-on-one time with my husband.

I think I laughed more during the last few days than I have in months. I really love Grig. He completes me and makes me feel like I am loved. He is an incredibly supportive husband and a loving father. Kevin loves his daddy.

We headed back to my parents' house and found Kevin over at my sister's house. He was pretty excited to see us. We then watched all of the cousins that were there while my sister and her husband went on a date and then to Stake Conference. We showed the kids Storks and Over the Hedge. They also wanted to play Plants vs Zombies on Grig’s computer. After the adults came back, we put Kevin to bed and watched Doctor Strange, the new Marvel movie. I liked it. It was a fun, psychedelic experience.

On Sunday, we attended Stake Conference for the second week in a row, but Kevin did really well with his cousins there. Last week we had stake conference in our ward and Grig sang in the choir. After the meeting ended, I looked down to put some toys away, and when I looked up, Kevin was gone. We were in the primary room, and he had completely disappeared. It was pretty scary. I finally found him with his father. He had left me, and charged across the whole church and found his dad at the front of the Sacrament room. I was happy he was safe, but we had a good talk about not running away from me.

After Sacrament we mostly hung out and talked with everyone while Kevin played with his cousins. We had a great time, and left about 6:00. The roads were great for the first hour and a half, and then a heavy snow storm came out of nowhere. It was fine for a while, and then it became very hard to see the roads. It was a scary drive for the next hour and a half, but with a lot of prayer, we made it home safely.

I'm really glad we were able to go. Sometimes you just need to take a vacation.

Oh, and an update with the foster care thing. We just got word that our background checks have cleared. We just had to fix one screen window (which we're going to do tomorrow) and then we should be scheduling a home inspection.

Life is about to get really interesting.

Our Anniversary Date

We had a great weekend.

Friday, Grig got off work about 4:30, and we were ready to go, but we also had to run a few errands quick...like buy ourselves our Valentine's present. We went to the store and got ourselves a chainsaw for Valentine's Day. It is pretty awesome. We're excited to do some pruning this year.

Then, by the time we got some snacks and dinner, it was about 6:15. I was on a hurry to get on the road and didn't want to make any more stops. So, when we realized we'd forgotten my planner and Grig suggested we stop at home on the way out of town, I was not interested. About the same time, I looked at the gas gauge and realized that we were about a quarter tank from empty.

I was in a hurry, so I just figured we'd fill it up later.

We had a nice drive, and Grig and Kevin fell asleep. We were going to meet my parents at a certain point of the trip. They had asked that we call them about twenty miles before we reached that point.

I did so, and just as I was talking to them, the low fuel light came on. I mentioned it, and they asked if we'd be able to make it to the gas station that we were going to meet at anyway. It was only 14 miles away, and I thought we'd be fine. However, after only four short miles, the speed of the vehicle began to drop, and the engine stopped working.

I woke Grig up, and we pulled over to the side of the road and put on the emergency lights. Then we called my parents again. We were blessed that they were so close. They said that they'd get some gas and come and find us.

As we were waiting, Grig decided to go ahead and see what the next mile marker was, so it would be easier to find us. He left the car, and we went forward. It was a tense few minutes until he returned, but shortly after he'd come back and we texted the mile marker to my parents, a car came and pulled up behind us.

We thought it was my dad, until a spotlight shone into the car. My dad doesn't have a spotlight. A few seconds later, a police officer came to the window. I turned back on the car and rolled it down.

He asked us if everything was alright. I kind of looked down and said, "We ran out of gas."

He laughed a little and told us that someone had seen Grig walking down the highway and our car on the side and had called the police. Then he asked if we had someone coming.

I told him my parents were on their way, and he said that he'd keep the spotlight on us until they came.

That was really nice of him. As Mom and Dad pulled up a few minutes later, they told us that there were actually three police cars behind us. Must have been a slow night.

Anyway, we filled up enough to make it to the next gas station, and then they took Kevin and we went to our hotel.

I learned a good lesson about not being in such a hurry. If we had gotten gas sooner, we wouldn't have been stuck on the side of the road. Also, in not going home for the planner, we forgot our checkbook (which turned out to be important later), and we also forgot our camera. The pictures we have, my father took them, we got from the hotel's website, or we took using my dad's camera.

So, we got to the hotel. We had decided to stay at Americinn and we had chosen a jungle-themed room, and we really enjoyed it. It was smaller than our room had been the year before, but that turned out to be fine. Here are some pictures from the hotel's website of the room that we stayed in.

I really liked how the walls and ceilings looked like canvas.

This couch wasn't very comfortable, but it looked neat.

You can see the jetted tub in the back of this picture. I love jetted tubs. Someday, I want one.

The bathroom was one of my favorite parts of the hotel. It looked really neat.

It was really fun, though half-way through the evening I found out that I had a pretty bad fever. Grig didn't even want to cuddle me I was so hot. So, I was sick over the weekend, but it was still super relaxing and we were able to completely de-stress.

The next day, we went and visited some family members and went shopping at a used bookstore. We also went to look at the puppies. When we got there, they wanted the $100 deposit in cash or check, so we said we'd come back later and bring Kevin.

He sure like the puppies.

We're not sure what either of them are thinking in this picture...

She is so cute!

Grig was trying to show the collar that they put on her for us to distinguish her from the other pups. 

We went to eat out at a restaurant that was closing soon, and they only accepted cash or check. So, Grig had to run to a nearby store and get some cash. 

In all, we had a pretty great day. It was nice to spend so much time with my husband. He's a pretty great guy. I never get tired of being around him. Other than the fact that I was sick, I have no complaints about the weekend. And, as I told Grig, there's no one else I'd rather be with if I had to be sick. 

Saturday night, we stayed with my parents and went to church with them on Sunday. We had a family dinner with five of my ten siblings and their families. It was a pretty good crowd. Afterward, we discussed Sister Wixom's talk from General Conference about "Discovering the Divinity Within." Grig and I led the discussion. 

We got home Sunday night about 10:00 p.m.. It was a fabulous weekend, and we're grateful to my parents for taking Kevin so we could go and spend time together. 

To quote Kim Possible: 

"Good news! Our marriage is stronger than ever!"

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Sometimes facebook is a wonderful thing. I went onto it, and it reminded me that today is my anniversary. Whoops.

Not that I didn't remember, I just hadn't thought about it yet this morning.

So, I was able to wish Grig a happy anniversary before he went to work. Facebook also showed me a video montage they had made celebrating our anniversary. The only problem is...it was kind of lame. All the pictures it showed were from this year.

It really should have looked something more like this:

4 Years

June 25, 2011:

I had work at 2:00, and then I worked until 8. However, at work, a kid who is the roommate of my co-worker’s fiancé came in and asked me on a date.  I had met him a couple times before, and my coworker told me that he had been wanting to ask me out since he met me.  He asked me what I was doing that night, and I told him working.  He asked me if I wanted to come over to his house afterward and do something.  I told him that would be fine.  He asked if 9:00 was okay, but then I remembered I was practicing the song I was singing with another guy on Sunday then, and so I asked him if 9:30 was okay.  He said that was fine.

He left and I was all nervous.  Work finished pretty quickly, and then I went home.  My roommate helped me get ready, then I went to my singing practice.  It was a good practice, and then I went to Crestwood for my date with Grig.  

I got there and texted him to tell him that I was there.  He came out and brought me over to the table that he had brought outside under the trees and next to the pond.  He had made stir-fry, and he served it to me. He was really sweet about it.  Then we ate and talked for the next two hours.  He is a really nice guy.  We have a lot of the same interests.  We talked about sheep and missions and such.  He said he is from Virginia.  We talked about the coolest moments of our missions, and then we talked about animals. As curfew neared, and thanked him for the evening, and gave him a (super awkward) hug.  He then walked me over to my car.  As we neared it, he asked me what I was doing the next weekend.  I told him working, but then I remembered my work schedule was in my pocket, so I was able to tell him the time.  So, next weekend we are going on another date at 7:00 on Saturday.  

I’m excited for it.  After I left I was left with the impression that he was a good guy, but now I wanted to see how he interacted with others and I wanted to do things with him.  So we are going to a Greek play and we are going to play games afterward. 

July 10, 2011:

Tonight I held hands with a boy for the first time ever!  We’ve been dating for two weeks.  I guess that’s not so long.  It was Grig.  I really kind of like him.

August 2011:

Grig is back in Virginia for the break, but we are officially boyfriend and girlfriend. I even kissed him on the cheek before he left! We skype every morning at 7:00 a.m.

September 4, 2011:

Grig came back tonight. I was nervous to see him, but it was really good. We talked about the stupidest things, but we both had similar views on them, and I decided I really like him after he left. It has been good to see him. 

A picture taken at our Halloween date

October 5, 2011:

I had kind of told Grig that I loved him via text message before work yesterday, and then hadn’t been able to see what his response was because I locked my phone in the store where I worked.  I knew however, that it would confuse him a bit.  Which it did.  I wasn’t able to respond to him most of the next day either, because I drove to Utah right after I picked my phone up from the store and was busy most of the day. When I finally got to talk to him, he said he wasn’t sure if he loved me yet, which is okay, because I also decided that in order for our relationship to progress, I needed to see him more than twice a week.

I think I’m almost ready to kiss him.

October 26, 2011:

So....today, we were out walking, and we came in because it was cold.  We were sitting at the kitchen table, and we began talking.  It went like this:

Emma: “So, we are both going to be graduated in two semesters.  After that I am going to be student teaching.”

Grig: “Yeah, beyond that I haven’t thought of things.  Besides, you know, general things.”

Emma: “Yeah, I think I’ve though about those same kind of general things too.”

Grig: “Yeah, I’ve been thinking of talking about those things with you, but I’ve been afraid I was going to scare you off.”

Emma: “I think it’s almost impossible to scare me off at this point.”

Grig: “Really?!”

Emma: “Yeah.  In fact, I was thinking that we should go check out our ring sizes at some point.”

Grig: “Do you want to go on Friday before the concert?”  

And that was that.  We planned it out, and then we went on Friday to go ring shopping.  I wasn’t feeling well at all (stomach flu), but I wanted to go anyway.  So, we went to a jeweler and got our ring sizes.  I was a 6, and Grig was a 9-9.5.  We didn’t really like anything that we saw however, so we left.  However, we started talking about other things, like receptions colors.  Then he said, “How does about February sound?”

It sounded pretty good.

October 30, 2011

Grig and I began to look at rings online.  We also started talking about honeymoon ideas.  I really love that guy.  As he was going to leave, I kind of went to kiss him, but he was so used to me ducking his kisses on the lips that he avoided my kiss.  Then, as I hugged him around the neck and buried my face in his chest with embarrassment, he said, “Oh, really!?!?!?”

I said in a muffled voice, “I meant to, but it’s scary.”

He said, “Do you want to try again?”  

He sounded kind of hopeful, and I wanted to so I said, “Maybe?”

We went outside, and I asked if anyone was around, and he said no.  So, I said, “Okay,” and then, we kissed.  

It was weird, but not as weird as I thought is was going to be.  It wasn’t earth-shattering, but as our lips brushed, it was...nice.  He kissed my face again afterward, and I said, “One’s probably enough for tonight, because it’s new.” I’m so logical sometimes, it’s ridiculous.  Our relationship works for us though, and it makes me happy.

He grinned and said, “That’s fine with me.”  Then we wished each other good night and told each other that we loved each other.  For the next 15 minutes, my lips tingled. 

October 31, 2011:

So, tonight, we went on a walk. 

Grig took off at a pretty fast pace, and I knew he was up to something, and I told him that, but I also told him that I had decided not to worry about it.  He said that made him glad.  We walked around in a big circle from my apartment and came back around to Porter Park.  As we stepped into the park and headed toward the other end, Grig said, “So, I finally finished a poem for you.”

I said, “Good!” thinking that this is what the surprise was all about.

He continued, “However, it is a tree poem, so it can only be read up in a tree.”

 

I nodded, “Okay.”  So, maybe that is weird, but since we do weird stuff all the time, it wasn’t that weird.  We like to climb trees together, okay?

Anyway, so we climbed to the top of the tree, and Grig read me his poem.

After he finished, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black box.  As he opened it and I saw a ring, I think my mind shut down a little bit, and I went into shock mode; which for me, means no emotion.  

“Oh, a ring,” I said, taking it out of the box and putting it on my finger.  After a couple seconds, Grig asked, “Does that mean yes?”

For a reply, I decided it was appropriate to kiss him.  (We’d had our first kiss the night before.)  As I pulled away, I became conscious of people running toward us cheering.  I was surprised to see his roommates, but since I was still in shock mode, I simply said, “Look, people.”  We climbed down from the tree, and I realized all my roommates were there too.  Everything fell into place.  Little sneaks.  They were carrying a bundle of flowers, and they handed them to me.  The ring that I was wearing wasn’t the ring that we’d picked out the night before, it was Grig’s grandma’s ring, and, surprisingly, it fit really well.  We talked to everyone for a moment, I talked to mom and dad on the phone quick, and then we got into Grig’s station wagon and drove back to my apartment, where I proceeded to call everyone I knew (at some coaching from my roommates.)  Finally, the shock wore off and I began to get giddy.

I'm getting married in February!

February 18, 2012:

Today, we were sealed for time and all eternity. The temple was amazing.  We were sealed by a man who was originally from Argentina.  He spoke five different languages, and he was really funny.  I’ve never been to a sealing where people laughed so hard.  

Probably the best moment was when he had finished the ceremony, and he said, “You may now kiss yourself.” (Due to the language barrier.)  Grig said, “I’ll kiss you,” to me, and kept it from being super awkward.  We kissed and were married.  It was kind of weird because I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t feel any different.  I expected to feel heavier or something, but I still felt the same.  

February 25-March 11:

Our honeymoon lasted two weeks. The first week we went on a cruise to the Caribbean, and the second week we stayed in Viginia with Grig's parents. Here is one of the best moments:

Thursday, we stopped at Grand Cayman, one of the Cayman Islands.  We had an excursion called “Turtles, turtles, and more turtles.”  We had a long line to get out to the boats that would take us to the mainland, but we were entertained by one little boy who kept asking if we were going to go see “more and more turtles?  No fish?”  It was really cute.  We were led out to our little boats, and were taken to shore, where we then found our excursion group and they loaded us onto busses and took us out to the Sea Turtle Farm.  It was really neat.  We were taken on a tour of the facilities, where we were able to hold little baby turtles.  We found out if you stroke their throats, they calm right down, but if you don’t they flap their flippers and try to fly away.  They were really cute.  We went by a breeding tank and saw many different ages of turtles.  In the 18-month pen, we were allowed to catch them and pick them up.  I did so, but the turtle I caught was really pretty big.  He was at least 35-40 pounds.  I had him on the side and was stroking his throat, and he calmed down for a bit.  He kind of eyed me for a moment, and then suddenly, he struck.  With a slapping sound, his front fin hit me square in the eye.  I was blinded for a moment.  He hit me really hard.  I petted him for a few more seconds, and then I let him loose.  My eye hurt for the rest of the day.  It turned out that he had cracked my contact lens all the way through.  When we got back to the boat, I wore my glasses for nearly the remainder of the trip.  However, while we were still there, I put on the sunglasses because my eye was a big photo sensitive, and then we went snorkeling with fish and small sea turtles, which we had fun catching until we were told we weren’t supposed to do that. 

After we finished, we decided to try turtle soup (Ha ha, revenge).

March 25, 2012:

I took a pregnancy test today. A second line did show up, though faintly. We're going to take it again in a week to be sure.

Apirl 15, 2012:

I'm officially pregnant. We also got a pet snake.  He is a blizzard morph Corn Snake, and right now he’s just a baby.  We got him on April 2, and he’s now eaten two pinkies (which are baby mice.)  He’s definitely growing and maturing.  He has become better at gripping our fingers while he is exploring.  He was about a foot long when he arrived and only about an inch in diameter.  It’s a good thing that the baby mice we ordered are small too, or they would be too big for him to eat.  He’s pink right now, but when he is full grown, he will be pure white.  He will only grow to be 3-5 feet long.  He hasn’t shed his skin yet, but he is pretty comfortable with people and relaxes quickly.  

This was his first feeding. He was so little!

Toward the end of November 2012:

Kevin joined our family and our lives have been that much better ever since! We ended up with an C-section after hours and hours of labor. For that full story, go here. He was born at 8 lbs 11 oz. He was a big baby!

July 17, 2013:

For the last few months, Grig has been trying to find a full time job. Finally, we realized we'd been asking the wrong question. We had been asking, "Where should Grig work?" We were supposed to be asking, "Where should Grig go to school?" Almost immediately, we got an answer. We applied for a job there on Wednesday and they told him to come in for an interview. We drove that night to the city and stayed with my grandparents.  

The next morning, Grig applied at ICON.  Kevin and I waited out on the grass, and I kept thinking, “Well, the longer it takes, the more likely he’ll get the job.”  After about an hour and a half, I heard the sound of running, and Grig jogged up to us.  He was very excited and he said, “They asked me to come back for a safety meeting at 1:00!  I think I got the job!”  He tried to pick me up and spin me, but Kevin was in my hand in a car seat, so it didn’t work so well.  I was cautiously optimistic, not wanting to be too disappointed if it turned out to be another false hope, but I was excited for him too.  

We went home and ate, and then I drove him back. Then, Kevin and I went home and looked at apartments. We found a three bedroom apartment, pretty close to his work, for a really good price. I went and talked to the manager while Grig finished his interview. The manager said they might have an apartment available immediately. I told her I'd talk to my husband and get back to her.

Soon after (while I was reading scriptures), Grig called. He got the job! He starts work on Tuesday. We then went back, got the apartment and came back home to pack and get ready to move! Life is progressing!

We are now in our new apartment and it's awesome!

(After this point, I pretty much blogged about everything, but I will put in the highlights from the last few years.)

October 18, 2013:

Dakota (my dog from home) came to live with us! She is going to be an indoor dog now. Kevin loves having her here, and I think she likes it too!

September 19, 2014:

We got a new puppy today! We've named him Arkhon.

December 6, 2014:

After my aunt and uncle mentioned that we would probably qualify for a USDA loan, we started looking at homes. We've been trying to get pregnant for the last year and a half, but as we looked at homes, we started feeling really good about buying a home. We've been looking at lots of different houses, but we haven't found the right one yet.

December 22, 2014:

The very last home that we looked at that was in our price range was the right home. We're going to make an offer on it.

February 8, 2015:

We moved into our new house! It's so wonderful to have a backyard, and the dogs look a lot smaller here than they did in our old apartment.

July 2015:

Grig found out that his job is closing down the entire department and letting 400 employees go. He's going to be one of them. His last day of work is October 31st. We're going to have to start applying for new jobs. 

October 9, 2015:

We put Dakota down today. She got an abscess on her ribs and she's stopped eating or drinking. She can no longer get up on her own. I received a strong impression that she's happy now. That makes it okay.

November 9, 2015:

Grig started at his new job today! I think he's really going to like it here. It seems to have a much better environment, and is more employee friendly.

February 18, 2016:

We've now been married for four years. I love being a wife and a mother. It's been really fun to look through these old journal entries and share some of them with you. 

I couldn't ask for a better husband. He has made me happier than I ever thought I could be. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with this wonderful man. Happy anniversary, Grig!

I chose this picture, because you can also see the current size of our snake.
He's pretty much as old as our marriage. :)

Why I've Been Gone

It's nearly been two weeks since I last blogged. For those of you who eagerly look forward to my blogs every day (if there is anyone like that out there), I sincerely apologize.

My mother-in-law drove clear across the country to drop my sister-in-law off at our home. My sister-in-law, who has yet to pick her pseudonym will be living with us for the next while. My mother-in-law also was able to stay with us for a week and a half, and we had a great time while she was here.

However, we also had a very busy time, and with all the commotion and fun, I haven't really had a chance to blog much.

We really enjoyed having Grig's mother come and visit us. We did a lot of fun things with her, and we were sad to see her leave this morning.

We did some pretty fun activities while she was in town.

It snowed last week, and for the first time, Kevin was able to build a real snowman (with some help, of course).

Awesome snowman.

The dogs were wanting to help too.

One of the nicest things that happened for Grig and I occurred last Thursday through Friday. Grig's mom was very kind and stayed with Kevin overnight while Grig and I went to a place called Anniversary Inn. It is a themed hotel, and we were able to stay at the Swiss Family Robinson room. We are especially grateful that she allowed us to celebrate our anniversary and Valentine's Day while she was here.

Here's some pictures of our room.

Grig loved this plecostomus. 

We had a great time here, and we really loved the two person Jacuzzi. It was very relaxing.

The next day, we went to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. It was really fun to spend some one on one time with my husband, though we missed Kevin. We were sure that he would have loved the zoo, but it was nice to have time alone with Grig.

 We also got a chance to test our our new camera and it took some extraordinary closeups of some of the animals.

 At one point, we were looking for the tiger, and we couldn't find it. So, we turned around to leave and found the tiger ten feet over our heads staring down at us. It was so close we could smell it, and it kind of scared me a little. They had a catwalk built over the trail and signs telling people not to climb on it.

Here he is scenting the air.

Here's my favorite!

I liked this picture I took.

We got back home late Friday night.

We also gotten a lot of projects done while Grig's mother was here. She's been very kind and helped us out with quite a few things.

Kevin was pretty sad to have his grandma leave. They really enjoyed each other's company. Tonight he was asking after Grandma. He loves her very much.

Thanks for everything, Grandma! We love you!

Our Third Annivesary

Today is the third anniversary since we've been married.

For our anniversary, even though it's Book Review Wednesday, I'm going to have a flashback to how my husband and I first met.

Engagement photo

It was the year 2011. I had returned home from my mission a year or so before, and I was getting settled into college. In fact, I was only a few semesters away from finishing. I was working at a gas station/farm store, and I was really enjoying working there. I enjoyed my co-workers, and the customers were almost always very nice. It could be slow sometimes, but there were always things to do, if you were willing to work.

I tried my best to be a good employee and made some good friends there.

One of my coworkers and I were talking one day, and I was telling her how, when I worked for a veterinarian, my boss had called me the "Cat Whisperer." My coworker laughed. She told me how she knew this kid whose nickname was "Catman." He was actually the roommate of the guy she was dating. She told me she was going to set us up on a date.

Weeks passed. After a while, I finally met this "Catman." My coworker's boyfriend, "Catman," and a couple of others came to invite me to go with them to the drive-through to watch a movie. Unfortunately, I couldn't go that night because I had to study for a bunch of tests, so I had to decline.

My first impression of him was that he was shorter than I was expecting, but not bad-looking. I wasn't sure how interested I was, but I was willing to give him a shot.

More weeks passed. Finally, "Catman" decided to take matters into his own hands. So, like a white knight on a noble steed, "Catman" mounted his bike and traveled over two miles to come and ask me out on a date.

Link

I was busy organizing some shelves when he walked in, so I didn't see him at first. the people I was working with showed him where I was.

He invited me over to his place for dinner and I accepted. I found out that he actually lived at the apartments that my aunt and uncle owned.

That night, when I showed up, he had pulled the kitchen table and chairs outside and placed them underneath strung up lights that lit up the area nicely. He told me the lights were already there, but it looked awfully nice.

Then we proceeded to eat and talk. He made stir-fry, and it was delicious. For the next three hours, we just talked. I may not have been initially super attracted to him, but I'd never been able to talk to someone before who was so much like I was. We talked about everything, even things that most people would have found disgusting. Our conversation ranged from sheep, to the church, to our families, and everything in between. It turned out that he liked animals as much as I did, and he also was a writer.

Link

Half-way through the meal, my aunt and a bunch of my cousins showed up. That was kind of funny (and somewhat awkward), and Grig realized that he was dating the niece of his landlady.

There was no 'love at first sight' for either of us, but there was mutual interest, and a great conversation. We were both super awkward, and it kind of worked for us. We ended the evening with a super-awkward hug, but because we were both so awkward, it just made us laugh.

For the first time in my life, a guy I had gone on a date with asked me out for a second date. There were no red flags with Grig, and though I didn't know for sure about him, there was no reason for me to say no to another date.

Things progressed well from there. We never were any less awkward, but our conversations always flowed smoothly. The more I got to know Grig, the more I grew to like him. Then, one day, I realized that I kind of loved him.

Wedding photo

Since we've gotten married, I've never been happier. Grig is my best friend, and I love him more than I've ever loved anyone. He always treats me with respect and he is always concerned with my needs and wants. I try my best to make him happy as well.

Our family has only improved since this little fellow was added to the family

Our relationship isn't perfect, but we're both trying our best and we're determined to make it work. We have pretty good communication, and we have since the beginning. Sometimes we still have misunderstandings, but we work through them, and doing so brings us closer.
I'm so grateful for the last three years and the love of my life.

Our family just keeps growing!

Happy anniversary, Grig! You're the best guy I know.

Isn't he handsome?

Driving Tanks Across the Country: Part 3

To read the first two parts, click on the following links:

Part 1

Part 2

I forgot to add one event from day 6. As I was walking Kevin around outside, we found a grey tree frog. Here's a couple pictures:

Day 7:

After our exciting day at Maymont Park, we decided we needed a down-day to spend with family. Grig was excited to show Kevin and me the woods around his house. His parents own quite a few acres, so we had a good time getting lost and then finding our way out again.

My man, back in his native element.

As we started away from the house, we gained an entourage. Their two dogs and various cats trailed us as we made our way through the woods. It was kind of entertaining, because we'd hear something crashing through the brush and it was just a couple of cats playing. 

Cat in a tree

Grig explained the different types of trees and other shrubbery to me, and we had a great time. Eventually we found the creek that runs through their property to his driveway and Grig and Kevin went wading into a pool that formed in their creek. I was going to get in, but I was wearing my only pair of jeans. We decided to come back later to swim, but it never ended up happening for reasons that I will explain later.

As we were walking back toward the house (Kevin needed a nap), Kevin started pointing at trees and saying, "This?" 

Grig would answer, "Tree!" 

Kevin would then point at a different tree and ask, "This?"

Grig would respond, "Tree."

This went on for quite a while until I tried to film it. Of course, then he stopped. It was very cute though. 

Once Grig's sister and brother-in-law woke up (they had flown in from Utah the night before), we spent some time with them. They didn't get in until really early in the morning, so they didn't wake up until we came back from the woods. Their flight had ended up being changed to a different flight when their first planes engines didn't work. They arrived at a different airport and their luggage got lost along the way. That was very frustrating for them.

The rest of the day we talked and watched Star Wars episode IV.

Good times.

I went to bed early because I wanted to get up early for the beach. Grig's Utah sister stayed up late because her luggage was supposed to arrive, but it never did.

Day 8:

This was now Friday, June 13. We had been planning to go to the beach the day before, but as we contemplated the hour that Grig's mom, sister, and brother-in-law would arrive, we decided to do it the next day instead. So, I woke up early and drove with Grig's mom to rent a minivan so we could go to the beach together. 

Unfortunately, I found out that Grig's youngest sister had spent the night throwing up, and so she and Grig's mom would be staying behind. That was really sad news. Grig's dad had to work for the day so he wouldn't be able to come either.

It took a while for everyone to get ready, and then we stopped for doughnuts. Even with my best efforts, we didn't get out until 11:30 or so.

That was okay though. It was only going to take 3 hours to get there, so we should have arrived at 2:30. Unfortunately, I had forgotten two important things.

1) It was a Friday.

2) It rains on the east coast.

As we got onto a rather busy highway, the rain began to pour. I was the only one who could drive because I had gone to rent the vehicle with Grig's mom, and so I got to experience driving in really heavy rain. It was rather exciting. We also were listening to the radio drama of Star Wars IV, so at least we were entertained for the long trip. 

The rain combined with the traffic made it so we didn't get to Virginia Beach until 4:30. We decided to try to go to the aquarium first. However, when we got there at 4:40 p.m., it turned out that the ticket stand had closed ten minutes before.

I was super frustrated at this point. Grig's siblings had told me that we shouldn't swim in the ocean after 5 because of sharks. 

We stopped and got something to eat. It was raining a little as we did so. We found a corner with several different restaurants and Grig and I went to McDonald's while the rest of his siblings went to Wendy's. While we were alone, I was almost in tears. It was a long trip for nothing and I wondered if we weren't supposed to go to the beach today. I had really been looking forward to this, and it seemed like it was ruined. 

After we ate, we prayed for guidance and then we decided to just go to the beach and see what happened. 

Another miracle. The weather cleared right up as soon as we got to the bay. We were able to swim in the bay until it got dark and we all had a fantastic time. 

The group who went to the beach Friday.

The ocean was the perfect temperature. We had a great time swimming and playing in the sand.

Grig and his brother wrestle, while the brother-in-law watches from the background.

At one point, I was jumping at waving at Kevin on the beach. Grig got a fantastic idea as I was jumping. As I jumped, he ducked under the water and came up under me, sending me tumbling backward.

I love the face-palm in the last picture

It was well-timed, and Grig's younger sister just happened to take the picture at the right moment.

The day's trip was totally worth it. Once we got to the beach, we didn't want to leave and we began talking about coming back on Monday. All the earlier frustration was forgotten and replaced by gratitude that the storm had cleared up so we could play. 

As it grew dark, we cleaned up and then went on a walkway to watch lightning in the distance. 

The only picture I got of the lightning

As we got back in the car, the rain came pouring down. We were waiting for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law to return to the car, but they were taking their time. Finally we called my brother-in-law.

He answered the phone and asked, "Is Kevin allowed to have suckers? Can I buy him a sucker?" 

I told him sure. It turned out they were in the gift shop. We decided to all go back in and take a look around at it. 

Meanwhile, the woman who owned the gift store told my brother-in-law that he couldn't give a baby a blow-pop because it has gum in it.

The woman at the counter, who we'll call J, fell in love with Kevin. The instant we came in, the swooped over and said in a heavy southern accent, "Oh my goodness! Aren't you adorable? J has something for you!"

Immediately, to my brother-in-law's surprise, she handed Kevin a blow-pop. It was pretty funny. She then said, "He looks just like my babies! Come with me, I have something else for you." 

I followed her over to a bin full of small, stuffed toys. She pulled out a turtle and handed it to Kevin. 

I wasn't sure if it was a gift, and I didn't want to take advantage of J's kindness, so I said, "We'll have to see if we can buy that."

She shot me a (friendly) glare and said, "Don't you dare! This is a gift from J. You're gonna name it J, aren't you, honey?" she said to Kevin. I agreed we would name the turtle after her. It was the least we could do. Kevin let her hold him and she told him to give her 'some sugah' and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. She was absolutely delightful. We had a great time there and we were happy that we went in. We decided to buy a couple of things as well. 

Then, we piled back into the car and I drove home. It had been a fantastic day. Most people slept on the way home and Star Wars kept me company.

We got back late and went to bed.

Day 9:

This was my in-laws anniversary!

 We started off the day late (we all slept in), and then we celebrated with a cake and a family cook-out. More extended family was going to come, but my sister-in-law was still sick, so they decided to stay away so they didn't catch it. That was disappointing, but we still had a good time. We spent time talking and spending time together.

As it began to grow dark, my brother-in-law and I went out and dug a firepit. Then we built a fire and we ended the day around it making and eating s'mores. 

It was super relaxing. Nothing quite compares to talking around the campfire while fireflies shine around you in the darkness.

I like how Grig and his dad are sitting the exact same way.

One really neat thing that happened was that as we sat around the fire, we began to notice movement. A colony of wood ants evidently lived inside one of the logs. As we watched they tried to escape with their eggs from the burning log. It was kind of fascinating. I got some neat pictures.

Most of them seemed to escape, but we didn't see the queen, so we didn't know for sure.

Eventually we went to bed.

That's the end of part 3. Thanks for reading!

Here's the next parts as well if you want to continue: Part 4 and Part 5