I have a long list of thank you's to go through... and I know I'm going to at least miss one person...
Here it goes:
My wonderful Mother: Thank you for putting up with me through my wild, spunky childhood, ridiculous teenage years, and yes... sometimes I am still ridiculous. Anyways, you've shown me support and love through it all... I'm definitely lucky to have such a patient mom! Thank you so SO much for everything you did for the wedding. You were really the hands behind just about everything. Again, thank you.
Daddy: I'll always be your little girl. You're sunshine. Thank you for your wonderful example of how a husband and father should treat his wife and children. It's because of your example that I knew what to look for in my amazing husband. You've helped us in more ways that you'll ever know. Thanks for the wedding and reception... It wouldn't have happened without you.
Warren: Thank you for raising such an amazing man and teaching him by example how to really love and adore his wife. Thank you for coming to NC for our wedding. Thank you for our SUPER comfortable bed, we LOVE it. Thank you for welcoming me into your family.
Margaret: You have raised an amazing man... and I am incredibly grateful to you for that. Your gift with children has definitely been passed down to Ross (whoo hoo!), who is going to be an AMAZING father someday. Thank you for coming to NC and celebrating with us. Thanks for talking to me and giving me so many wonderful words of wisdom. You're a wonderful woman. Thank you for accepting me and loving me.
Grant, Leah, Jackson, Emily, and Gavin: Thank you for SO much... letting RossiePoo live with you (I wouldn't have met him otherwise). Thank you for being so welcoming of me. You're kids are adorable and I have enjoyed getting to know them and we are SO glad to live near you guys. Many childless nights are in your future when you're kids are over here with us!!! :) Thank you also for the mattress... yes I know you were in on it.
Dan, Marci, Morgan, Owen, and baby Ruthie: Thank you SO much for making the long trip out here for our wedding. I am so excited to get to know you all better. A special thank you to Morgan and Marci for the adorable apron! I love it. Dan... thanks for always being such a great older brother to Ross. I know for a fact he appreciates it.
Joe, Sarah, and Rocky: You guys are awesome! We are so grateful to you guys for coming out here twice in the past year and spending so much time with us. Ross and I will continue to whoop you guys at pool... yep, you heard it correctly. I'm going to try to get the hang of Pinochle by the time we see you guys again... you might as well get used to losing. We love you! Thanks for the mattress :)
Ashley: Thanks for letting me stay with you in Utah and helping me find my dress! You were unbelievably helpful :) Thanks for coming out for the wedding and being so understanding about our lack of free time close the wedding. We promise to see you more next time you come to visit. Thanks for the mattress!
Hannah and Wor: Thank you for our lovely, delicious cakes. You guys were SO generous to give them to us as one of our wedding gifts. We also loved the cookie making kit and lingerie :) Hannah, thanks for all of your help with the wedding, planning of the bridal shower, planning of the bachelorette party, and all of your many supportive words and actions. Wor, thank you for being patient as we kept your new wife super busy :) You're very generous to share here... I KNOW its hard!
John and Dani: Thank you so much for being wonderful, supportive siblings to us. Thanks for the coffee table which later became a microwave :) Thanks for making the adorable coloring books for the wedding! They turned out AWESOME. We're so glad you get to stay here for school! Yahoo!
Becca: Thank you for being the adorable, sweet, light-hearted sister that kept me sane with Zumba classes and your cheerful smiles and wacky moods :) Thank you for the gorgeous hurricane and adorable cupcake stand. Thanks for your help and support even when you have been so busy this semester. Thanks for helping and being a huge part of the planning with the bridal shower and bachelorette party. I love the lingerie!
Adam and Jacob: We haven't been able to see you guys as much lately considering we've been a bit crazy... Thanks for your patience as we've taken a bit of your mother's sanity... You guys are awesome.
Brenda: Thank you for helping keep my mom sane during the planning. Thanks for paying for our invitations and for our china. Thank you for being there during all of the planning of the floorplan and helping get everything ready for the wedding and bridal shower. Thank you for everything. You are awesome!
Rhonda: Thanks for helping with the shower, wedding, and candy. Thank you for the china. Thanks for being so supportive and loving.
Carol: Thank you for the beautiful and delicious bridal shower cakes. Thanks for your love and support. We're so blessed with family.
Mike: Thanks for DJing! You were awesome! We love everything about the music. You really did a great job.
Jordan and Erin: Thanks for your support and being here for all of the events leading up to the wedding and for your help at the wedding itself.
I know I had to have missed so many people... if I did... thank you!
Ross and Rachel
Monday, March 22, 2010
We're MARRIED!
It's unbelievable. We're happier than we've ever been. God is SO SO good. Period.
Really. It is an amazing feeling when you know you have married your best friend. We both know that its what our Heavenly Father wanted for us. A few of the wonderful things that we're enjoying now that we're married:
Uh hum
Waking up next to each other
Getting to cuddle any time of day in bed
Falling asleep talking to each other
The incredible emotional intimacy that we never knew possible
Saying our own family prayers together
Reading the scriptures together as our own family unit
Furnishing and decorating our apartment (we have really similar senses of style... yay!)
Talking about having kids and really seeing it as our reality together... we're excited to be parents someday!
Feeling the Lord's presence in our relationship stronger than ever before
Not always having to be completely clothed around each other (yea... admit it... its nice!)
Combining our laundry (plus, Ross has started doing some of the laundry lately... he's so sweet :) )
Falling asleep in each other's arms
All in all, knowing that we're in it for eternity... all 3 of us working together.
I know the honeymoon period can't last forever... but we know we'll always be happy together if we continue to work hard. It doesn't always come easy. Putting aside pride and being completely selfless toward your spouse aren't the easiest things to accomplish daily, but we are working our ABSOLUTE hardest to continue the good habits we've gotten in... we aren't going to let ourselves fail. Seriously.
Really. It is an amazing feeling when you know you have married your best friend. We both know that its what our Heavenly Father wanted for us. A few of the wonderful things that we're enjoying now that we're married:
Uh hum
Waking up next to each other
Getting to cuddle any time of day in bed
Falling asleep talking to each other
The incredible emotional intimacy that we never knew possible
Saying our own family prayers together
Reading the scriptures together as our own family unit
Furnishing and decorating our apartment (we have really similar senses of style... yay!)
Talking about having kids and really seeing it as our reality together... we're excited to be parents someday!
Feeling the Lord's presence in our relationship stronger than ever before
Not always having to be completely clothed around each other (yea... admit it... its nice!)
Combining our laundry (plus, Ross has started doing some of the laundry lately... he's so sweet :) )
Falling asleep in each other's arms
All in all, knowing that we're in it for eternity... all 3 of us working together.
I know the honeymoon period can't last forever... but we know we'll always be happy together if we continue to work hard. It doesn't always come easy. Putting aside pride and being completely selfless toward your spouse aren't the easiest things to accomplish daily, but we are working our ABSOLUTE hardest to continue the good habits we've gotten in... we aren't going to let ourselves fail. Seriously.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Eternal Families
Today Ross and I were watching Cayden, and we went over to Leah's house. We found out the news that a good friend of theirs (and ours) will lose their little girl, Ella. They don't know when, but they know that it will happen. My immediate reaction was that I knew that they would get to see her again. Chris and Tiffany will get to raise her someday. They lost their little boy, Carson, as well, about a year and a half ago. I know without a doubt that they will have the opportunity to raise both of their infant children someday. They are amazing people and I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to get to know them as well as I have. They are such strong and faithful people. Someday, I hope to get the opportunity to tell them how they are a huge example to me of strength and faith. Everyone who reads this, keep Chris, Tiffany, Mya, Ethan, and especially baby Ella in your prayers...
Chris or Tiffany: if you read this, just know that our prayers are with all of you and we're willing to help in any way we can.
Chris or Tiffany: if you read this, just know that our prayers are with all of you and we're willing to help in any way we can.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Gratitude
I wanted to post a quick blog about the gratitude that I have today. I was in my argument-based research class today and we had a discussion on an essay that we had to read. The essay was about how marriage has been getting pushed back to older and older age groups and has become unnecessary to so many people. It went on to talk about how marriage and having a family is important and shouldn't be put off until older ages to keep up independence, because true independence and happiness can only be achieved through marriage and learning to live with each other and having children together.
While reading the essay, I felt the spirit letting me know that much of what I was reading was true. You can only imagine how upset I was when every single person in my class attacked the author and what she spoke about. I would have spoken up, but I knew that if I did, it would not have been a time that anyone in my class would have listened. In fact, most of them would have probably thought I was an idiot and never listen to my comments in class again.
I'm a believer in marriage, having children, and making both of those things (along with the gospel) the most important things in my life. I know that society's way of looking at women and their role in the home has changed, and it makes me sad to think about it. I wonder what horrible things the women who taught their daughters this went through. Maybe if they had a wonderful marriage and knew of the gospel and what it teaches about marriage things would be different today. It only makes me want to show people by example more each day what the gospel is about. What true joy is.
I did have the opportunity today to share a little bit about myself after reading an essay on the dhali lama and discussing where happiness comes from. I was able to tell my class that I had a time in my life, not too long ago where I had to make a decision about what was most important, what would make me the happiest. I could either choose to leave a life in which I had a good job, and pretty nice material posessions and be with my family, have my life, and be safe and happy, or I could chose to keep my life the same, and possibly lose my life. It may sound harsh, but I know for a fact that my life could have easily ended, and that I am so blessed to have been protected the way that I was.
Many of you know that I chose to leave that life that I had. I chose to go back to the basics. I lived out of one suitcase for about 2 months. I didn't have money to spend. I didn't have a job. I wasn't in school. Most people would have looked at me and felt incredibly sorry for me. Instead, I have so much gratitude for going through that time in my life. I learned through that experience that my family, my faith, and my knowledge were the most important things. Those are things that no one can ever take away from me no matter how hard they try. I gained a strength that I never knew I could have. I was the happiest that I have ever been once I realized all of that. It took a while, but I was able to see that I have an AMAZING life. I have been more blessed than I could have ever imagined before that. I have everything I need, and today in class... I was reminded once again of that. Just a reminder of what's most important in life... we all need that sometimes, huh?
All in all, I am so grateful to have the amazing parents that I have. They have such amazing testimonies of the gospel, marriage, and eternal families, and they share them with their children often. They have taught me and my siblings through example that the most important things are the simplest things. My parents don't struggle for money, so they have some things in their home that are not necessities, but they don't base their happiness on having those things. The only reason that they finally bought a flat screen was so that we could watch general conference at home this past year. They had resisted it for years when they could have bought one. It just simply wasn't a necessity. They share their wisdom with us and I know that what they say is true. They are amazing examples to me.
Ross and I have both been blessed with amazing families. I don't know Ross's as well as I know mine, but I do know that he wouldn't have turned out as the man he is without the wonderful examples that he has in his family.
I just want to thank all of the people in both of our lives who have shown us the importance of the gospel, marriage, and families. That it can be beautiful and not only happy, but joyful.
Thank you.
While reading the essay, I felt the spirit letting me know that much of what I was reading was true. You can only imagine how upset I was when every single person in my class attacked the author and what she spoke about. I would have spoken up, but I knew that if I did, it would not have been a time that anyone in my class would have listened. In fact, most of them would have probably thought I was an idiot and never listen to my comments in class again.
I'm a believer in marriage, having children, and making both of those things (along with the gospel) the most important things in my life. I know that society's way of looking at women and their role in the home has changed, and it makes me sad to think about it. I wonder what horrible things the women who taught their daughters this went through. Maybe if they had a wonderful marriage and knew of the gospel and what it teaches about marriage things would be different today. It only makes me want to show people by example more each day what the gospel is about. What true joy is.
I did have the opportunity today to share a little bit about myself after reading an essay on the dhali lama and discussing where happiness comes from. I was able to tell my class that I had a time in my life, not too long ago where I had to make a decision about what was most important, what would make me the happiest. I could either choose to leave a life in which I had a good job, and pretty nice material posessions and be with my family, have my life, and be safe and happy, or I could chose to keep my life the same, and possibly lose my life. It may sound harsh, but I know for a fact that my life could have easily ended, and that I am so blessed to have been protected the way that I was.
Many of you know that I chose to leave that life that I had. I chose to go back to the basics. I lived out of one suitcase for about 2 months. I didn't have money to spend. I didn't have a job. I wasn't in school. Most people would have looked at me and felt incredibly sorry for me. Instead, I have so much gratitude for going through that time in my life. I learned through that experience that my family, my faith, and my knowledge were the most important things. Those are things that no one can ever take away from me no matter how hard they try. I gained a strength that I never knew I could have. I was the happiest that I have ever been once I realized all of that. It took a while, but I was able to see that I have an AMAZING life. I have been more blessed than I could have ever imagined before that. I have everything I need, and today in class... I was reminded once again of that. Just a reminder of what's most important in life... we all need that sometimes, huh?
All in all, I am so grateful to have the amazing parents that I have. They have such amazing testimonies of the gospel, marriage, and eternal families, and they share them with their children often. They have taught me and my siblings through example that the most important things are the simplest things. My parents don't struggle for money, so they have some things in their home that are not necessities, but they don't base their happiness on having those things. The only reason that they finally bought a flat screen was so that we could watch general conference at home this past year. They had resisted it for years when they could have bought one. It just simply wasn't a necessity. They share their wisdom with us and I know that what they say is true. They are amazing examples to me.
Ross and I have both been blessed with amazing families. I don't know Ross's as well as I know mine, but I do know that he wouldn't have turned out as the man he is without the wonderful examples that he has in his family.
I just want to thank all of the people in both of our lives who have shown us the importance of the gospel, marriage, and families. That it can be beautiful and not only happy, but joyful.
Thank you.
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