Dear D,

You deserve an award for being such an awesome husband. Just thought you should know. But since I don't know of any husband contests going on around these parts, I decided to write you a thank you note instead:

Thank you for being so thoughtful. You remembered the time we were at the store and I saw that beautiful Kate Spade bag on a great sale. I never told you how much I wanted it, but somehow you knew. After a long day of interviews, field trips, and teacher panels, I couldn't believe my eyes when I got home to find it sitting on the table with the sweetest note. I love my new bag, but I love you even more. Also, I'm sorry that I cried.

Thank you for laughing with me all the time. You have such a wonderful sense of humor. I love that it still feels like a sleepover, even after more than a year and a half, when we get to go to sleep together every night. I also love that we can start an epic game of truth or dare while the dinner is taking an extra long time to cook. It makes those little moments so much more fun!

Thank you for never getting frustrated about the constant piles of papers and notebooks that are all over the apartment. Teaching comes with more papers than I could have ever imagined, and I'm so grateful that you are understanding.

Thank you for volunteering to do the dishes, even when it's not your turn. You know how much I hate to do them, so even when it's me that let them pile up, you do it without being asked.

Thank you for always being supportive. You encourage me to do whatever makes me happy and remind me to take time for myself when I need it.

Thank you for going on adventures with me, like picking up random ingredients at the store because I want to try a recipe I saw on Pinterest. Or going on a walk with me in the pouring rain when you've already showered for the day. Or going to the D.I. to find a costume for a party. I appreciate it more than you know.

Thank you for always telling me that I'm beautiful. I notice how often you say it. Some days, I really need to hear it.

Daniel, you are the most wonderful husband and you are perfect for me. Lately, I have been feeling extra grateful to have you in my life. Every single day, I thank my Heavenly Father for sending such a wonderful person to be my companion for eternity. Thanks for being my partner in everything.

Love always,

M

Happy Birthday to D!

February 5, 2012

Dear Daniel,

Happy 25th birthday, sweetheart! Can you believe you're already 25? This age is a milestone for a few reasons: 1. You can now officially rent a car (without all those crazy fees), 2. Your car insurance rates go down (yay!), and 3. You're a quarter of a century old! Yipes. I've had a great time celebrating your special day with you all weekend. Being with you makes me happier than anything else. Thanks for all the little things you do that make me smile every day. Thank you for making me laugh, for working so hard, and for helping me to be a better person. You've always been my better half. Happy birthday Daniel! I love you so much. I'm so very glad you were born :)

Love always,

Mandy

One Year.

August 16, 2011

Dear Daniel,

I can hardly believe this day is here! Happy anniversary sweetheart!! It's crazy to think that an entire year has passed since our perfect wedding day last August. We've been married for a year! When we first got married, I always thought that a year would be such a huge milestone, and it definitely is. We've experienced so much together already, and I wouldn't change a thing. Being sealed to you has been the greatest blessing. You make me want to be a better person every day. You are always so supportive of me and my endeavors, and I'm so grateful for that. Thank you for being so patient, loving, and kind. Thank you for being worthy to take me to the temple, for honoring your priesthood, and for helping us put the gospel first in our lives. Thank you for the wise, calming spirit you bring into our marriage. Thank you for being so honest and hardworking. Thank you for your sense of humor and for laughing with me all the time. Most of all, thank you for loving me every single day and for making me so, so happy. There is no one I'd rather go through life with than you. Happy one year anniversary, Daniel! I love you so much. I can't wait to see what the next years have in store for us!

Love always and forever,

Mandy

p.s. Coincidence that the wedding album we ordered four months ago just happened to arrive on this very day? I think not ;)

lately.

Just a few things we've been up to lately.

1. Wandering around the Salt Lake Arts Festival.

2. Sipping Jamba Juices.

3. Learning to cook artichokes.

4. Playing guitar (or if you are M, getting serenaded by the guitar).

5. Going on little dates to the Bountiful Temple.

6. And perhaps my favorite, attending beautiful weddings!

Thanks to Mel Nash Baucom for letting us be a part of your special day!

What have you been up to lately?

M+D+Cars=Death

We have had the absolute worst month with cars. It's getting kind of ridiculous. D and I are on a first-name basis with half of the mechanics and insurance agents in the Salt Lake Valley. Every single one of these things has happened to us in the last 5 weeks or so. Ready? Here we go.

1. Early in May, I got in a legit car accident in the Corolla. It had to be in the shop for like 2 weeks, so I had a to drive a rental car.

2. The same day that I got into my car accident, D got pulled over and got a ticket for having one of his tail lights out (soooo lame, right?!) Turns out, his tail light was cracked and it had filled up with water, so it wasn't an easy fix. We had to take it to a repair shop and pay to get the entire thing replaced.

3. The day after I got the rental car, I was driving to work and a giant rock hit the windshield and chipped it. Welp, there goes the deposit...

4. When my car finally got out of the repair shop, it started steaming and smoking everywhere while I was driving it home. Overheated. No one could come pick me up, so I had to wait for a guy from the repair shop to come rescue me. Oh, and this all went down on a very sketchy part of State Street, mind you. On the hottest day of May.

5.  Two days ago, D and I were driving his Saturn around on a few errands. We went to park the car and get out, but the keys would NOT come out of the ignition. They wouldn't even turn. We tried for half an hour, and had absolutely no luck. All of the repair shops were closed because it was like 10:00 at night. Finally, D ended up driving the car to his friend's house, and they figured out some way to shut the engine off with the keys still inside. We had to borrow a car from D's parents so that he could drive to work until we can get the car fixed.

6. Cut to today. We finally find some time to take D's Saturn to a repair shop. We got it there just fine, but as we were coming home from the shop in my Corolla, we noticed that the car we borrowed from D's mom had a flat tire. And no, I don't mean just low on air. The tire is legitimately FLAT.

And there you have it, folks. Currently, the Saturn is at the repair shop, D is outside changing a flat tire, and I am blogging about our ridiculously terrible luck with cars. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Thank you.

Dear D,

Thank you for texting me in the middle of the day just to see how I'm doing.

Thank you for choosing to go to the store with me instead of watching your basketball game.

Thank you for always supporting me in everything, even if I'm being a little irrational.

Thank you for working so hard at your job so that I can go to school.

Thank you for always getting me extra blankets when I'm 'too cold' to get them myself.

Thank you for giving me the wisest advice.

Thank you for laughing with me every single day.

Thank you for always being the first to apologize.

Thank you for hugs.

Thank you for kisses.

Thank you for loving me exactly the right way.

D, you're the perfect husband. Thanks for being all I ever dreamed of.

I love you.

Love, M