Friday, January 20, 2012

Happy Birthday Danny!


Happy birthday to my lovely husband!  The big 24. In light of this wonderful occasion, here are 24 things I love about him :)

1. He never complains. If he has to wake up at 3am every day to drive missionaries to the airport, or work 120 hour weeks in the middle of nowhere and sleep in a field--there's not a single complaint. I really need to be more like this.
2. He's motivated. I don't think that boy has gone more than one month with out school, work, or another serious commitment.  He started doing wildland firefighting as soon as he graduated high school, then he was off to Weber State with a track scholarship.  As soon as he finished his second semester there, he went on his mission to New Zealand for two years. When he got back, he did another summer of firefighting and got into BYU.  He of course found a job right away and got into the business school.  He then did his third and final year of firefighting (thank goodness), got a job at the MTC, and an internship at Scottrade. I'm not sure he's capable of doing nothing.
3. He's good with kids--I guess this happens when you grow up with nine younger siblings!
4. He's a fighter. Danny is the kind of guy who stands up for what he believes in. This might get him into trouble every once in a while, but I admire that in him because it's something that's very hard for me to do.  I don't like to offend people or cause any tension, so too often I will let things pass me by and won't voice my opinion.
5. He's athletic. Danny can pick up a sport faster than anyone I know. Especially water sports. He has such good hand-eye coordination too-it's not fair! He plays football, basketball, baseball, tennis--and he's good at all of them!
6. He can have a conversation with anyone. This seems like a little thing, but you know when someone gives you a ride somewhere, and the whole time it's awkward because you don't know what to say to each other? Yeah, that doesn't happen when Danny's in the car.  He knows what to talk about, with who, and when.
7. He loves the gospel.
8. He's good with finances. Danny has taught me so much about finances and being a real adult--it's actually pretty useful!
9. He's a morning person. I am not a morning person, but since being married to Danny, mornings have become my favorite time of day. He is always so energetic and ready for the day. I can't help but smile when he comes barging into the room so happy to be up and going.
10. He's always up for a good time. He's the kind of guy that doesn't want to take a nap for fear that he will miss out on something fun.  He always wants to be doing something, and this is good for me because I often get lazy and am happy with just sitting around and watching a movie.
11. He's never late. Seriously, never. He would rather be 30 minutes early than two minutes late.  I really need to do better at that.
12. He's reliable. I can always count on him to do the things he says he'll do.
13. He gets things done. When he starts on something, he won't stop until it's finished. Yes, sometimes this drives me crazy because I'm more of a take-your-time-do-it-when-you-feel-like-it kind of a person, but I've realized it's much more effective to just do it!
14. He loves absolutely everything I cook (or at least does a good job pretending he does!)
15. He's good looking ;)
16. He cares about everyone. He is constantly trying to help those around him. I always catch him helping out his younger siblings, teaching them what he has learned the hard way so they can learn from his mistakes.
17. He served a mission. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe that Danny lived in New Zealand for two years teaching the gospel, but I admire that so much.
18. He's supportive. There's nothing like having a person at your side constantly holding you up and pushing you forward.
19. He makes me laugh.
20. He always has a plan. Whether it's a plan for the next day or the next year--he's planning.
21. He defends the people he loves. His mom has told me countless stories about little Danny getting in fights with all of the bullies in the neighborhood. This trait shines in different ways now, but it is so apparent in him.
22. He's close to all of his family--grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles included (and believe me, there are a lot of them!)
23. He likes country music, and so do I. It might seem like a little thing, but too many people act like they're too "cool" for country music, so I love that we can listen to it!
24. He catches me every time I faint ;) (literally!)

Happy Birthday Babe!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Gettysburg

Gettysburg on a quiet and chilly wintry day--gives you the chills. It's such a unique experience to be where so many soldiers gave their lives. There's such a reverence on that battlefield.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Washington D.C.

The part of Delaware I grew up in is in possibly thee most convenient location. No more than a two hour drive can get you to so many places--the beach, D.C., New York, Baltimore, Gettysburg, Philadelphia. It really is pretty nice. We decided to go down to D.C. a few days after Christmas. It was so fun! I hadn't been down to that area since high school, and I don't think I had ever been there and appreciated it. When you grow up so close to a place like that, it doesn't seem all that special. Since meeting Danny though, I have learned to appreciate a lot of things about the east coast. We spent the whole day there, and the only downfall was that we ran out of time to go to the DC Zoo which not only has pandas, but it's totally free! I was pretty bummed, but we got to do a lot of other cool things instead! We saw the Washington Monument (still can't go up since the earthquake), Lincoln Memorial, Holocaust Museum, Ford's Theatre, Air and Space Museum, Museum of American History, and the White House. Here are some pictures from the trip!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Christmas 2011

For our first married Christmas, we went out to Delaware to be with my family. We managed to work it out so that the entire family was out there (at least for 3 days everyone was there at the same time). All the husbands, nieces, and girlfriends included. It was so nice to just relax with family--no school, work, or any worries for that matter. It felt so good to get out of Utah for a little bit, and it's always so fun seeing nieces! Because they're so young and we don't see them often, every time we do get to see them, it's like they're a new person. First they're crawling, then suddenly they're walking, then they're learning to talk, starting preschool, and learning to swim. Somehow, they just keep getting cuter though.
Hmm, one stocking seems a bit out of place... :)
We had the most delicious Christmas Eve dinner
These are the cute little monsters we all got for Christmas.  We had to build them out of pipes! Impressive right?
Me and my sisters

Before heading out to Delaware for Christmas, we of course had to go see the lights at Temple Square. Cold, but very pretty.

We had a great Christmas and a much needed break from life.  We managed to get cheesesteaks I think three times, and even made it up to the indoor Rita's in Philly for some water ice!  Danny surprised me with an iPhone :) That sneaky little husband, and we got to spend a day in D.C. and at Gettysburg--more pictures to come!

Hope your Christmas was as merry as ours was!