Oh How The Years Go By!

Arden and I were married 16 years ago, October 10th. Today is the 16th anniversary of our reception, so I guess I'm not too late to say Happy Anniversary to my honey bunches of oats.

Last week for our anniversary we ended up taking our kids to Lagoon for Frightmares. Maybe not the most romantic night, but we did have a lot of fun. Tomorrow, we've planned a date night for dinner, it is kind of sad how your love life has to take a back seat as your family grows.

I remember our wedding day, it was such a beautiful autumn day. It was so sunny, we could hardly keep our eyes open for pictures. Arden picked me up very early that morning to drive to the Manti Temple, you would think we would have gabbed the whole way from Salt Lake but all I can remember is that I slept the whole way. Arden has found this to be my choice way of traveling ever since, dead asleep.

The temple was so amazing, we were sealed in the Persian room, very beautiful. I cried through most of that. Arden has also found that I cry way too much, you learn a lot about your spouse on your wedding day that you may not have previously known.

After the temple ceremony we had pictures with the fam and moved on to our wedding breakfast at the Country Village Inn, or something like that. It was yummy! We then took off for our honeymoon that lasted one whole night because I had to be back to Salt Lake to start my new job with UPS that following Monday. We stayed at some scary Holiday Inn in Cedar City, not the best of memories. Luckily after our wedding reception the following Friday my sister, Debbie, got us a fabulous room at the Grand America, that was wonderful. LOVED IT!

I miss the days of being a newlywed and starting our life together, the only thing that mattered was spending all of my time with Arden. I don't feel like we get enough alone time together anymore, but I will always have fond memories of the time we did have alone while it lasted. Here's to many more wonderful years. Love you Ardee!

It's Official, She's a Teenager!

Happy Birthday to our dear sweet Chelsea, whom we love and adore more than words can say. I can't believe how fast the last 13 years have gone. I swear she was just a baby the other day.

When I was pregnant with Chelsea, I was just sure that I was having another boy. My Grandmother Davis was in failing health at the time and kept insisting it was a girl. She also insisted that she would not die before I gave birth, she just loved the great-grandkids. One day as I sat with Grandma, I told her that if she was just waiting around for the baby to come then she should go, that way she could spend time with the baby before it came to earth. October 3, 1995 my Grandma died, that very day I was scheduled for an ultrasound. When my sister, Janet, and I went in for the ultra sound I just cried and cried because they confirmed that it was indeed a girl, and I knew my Grandma was with her. I have often felt my Grandma's spirit with Chelsea.

What a fun baby, bright red hair, and super happy. We used to call her our baby orangutan. She looked just like a baby orangutan, she had hair on her ears and back, which has mostly gone by now, hee hee. She has attracted such attention for that hair too. When she was an infant, oh how the people would stop when we would go out in public. We would get the funniest comments like, "Oh I love her hair, is that natural?" I would have loved to ask them what kind of idiot perms or dyes an infants hair? What did they mean by asking such a silly question. Another of my favorites was a woman who stopped us in a department store one day when Chelsea was 2 or 3. She said "Do you know how much I pay to TRY and get my hair that color?" She was quite jealous.

I often tell her how proud I am to be her Mom. I'm so glad that I don't have to worry about her and the choices that she makes. Chelsea is always willing to help around the house, and keeps her brothers in line. Her outlook on life is so positive and she rarely complains. I don't know how I became so lucky to be her Mom. I thank the heavens above that she was sent to me. Heavenly Father knew that I needed her in my life.

I love you Chels!