Thirteen Years!

Thirteen years ago today, Brandon and I were married! It's true. It's been 13 whole years!

(January, 16th, 1999; Idaho Falls LDS Temple)

I've written a lot over the years on this here ol' blog about our wedding date, so I won't be doing that today. If you would like to read about the wedding, though, please go here (this one tells a cute story at the end about our wedding luncheon), here (this one tells the whole wedding story --pretty much), here (tells about our 10 year anniversary --we were in London! A dream come true for me!), here, and here.

Instead, I'm thinking about lists. I'm a list-maker (and a list-hater; how's that for irony?) and I enjoy making lists in my mind. Like bullet points or something. In fact, I made a small one last year. Huh. Oh, well.

In thirteen years, Brandon and I have:

*moved 8 times

*received 3 degrees (1 Bachelors each, 1 Master's for Brandon)

*served in over 32 callings in our Church

*had six children and two miscarriages (disregard the fact that baby #6 won't arrive until next month, because even if the most horrific of horrific happens, he's still ours forever!)

*owned 5 vehicles and 1 house

*gone through 16 jobs (counting our jobs while in college)

*traveled to at least 11 countries (not always together, though)

*received 3 speeding tickets (I think. If it's more, they're his! I've only gotten one. In my life! --knock on wood)

*lost 90 pounds together (disregard the gaining back of some of it, okay?)

AND

*have had innumerable moments of laughter, anger, joy, frustration, loneliness, fatigue, arguments, dates, temple trips, kisses, biting-of-the-tongues, contradictions, compromises, and hand-holdings. Not to mention peace and contentment.

Marriage is not easy, but it is wonderful. I feel very blessed to have Brandon in my life and I love him with all of my heart!

(Outside Buckingham Palace on our 10th wedding anniversary)

(Brandon's graduation ceremony in Philadelphia, PA last May)

(BYU Basketball game a few months ago)

(Ha! His head really isn't that much bigger than mine --see the other pictures --it's just in these phone pictures, he's the one holding the phone to take the shot, so the angle is funny.

Sorry, honey!)

(Aspen Grove Family Camp, Oct. 2011)

Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.

~Bruce Lee