Grandma

My grandmother passed away Thursday, after suffering a heart attack on Wednesday.
We weren't super close, my grandma Marian and I. It's made this loss different, and in many ways more difficult. However, she is my grandmother, and I love her very much.

I love her for being so herself-never trying to be something she wasn't around us.

I love her for being able to laugh at herself, usually right along with us.

I love her for her signature look-black hair (only recently did she let it go more grey), lipstick, and black clothing. Very classic.

I love her because of the way she was so cautious with us when she would watch us-only allowing 5" of bath water for my six year old sister.

I love her because she would say outrageous things. Like the time she asked me if I had ever seen a black person before.. oh grandma.

I love her because of her love for beautiful things-including me and my sisters.

I love her because of her laugh, and the way she would sort of gasp when something was shocking, or simply so wrong. (Usually to something my Pops said.)

I love her for giving me one of my very favorite people-my mother. Who, is the best mother I know.

I love her for following her heart and marrying Pops at just 15 years old because she loved him so much. I can't imagine being that brave, and crazy.

I love her for surprising me and showing up the night before my wedding. I'll always remember the way she said "You are such a beautiful girl" that night. I'll also always remember how happy it made me that she actually came. It was so hard for her to leave behind her husband and responsibilities-but she came, and it meant more to me than I probably ever told her.

I selfishly love her for giving me my Pops for all those years she wasn't with him. I can't imagine my childhood without him, and that, oddly enough, is thanks to her.

And I love her for loving my Pops still, after fifty years, a divorce, and so much hurt all around. Their love story is one I still have a hard time comprehending. However, it was her Pops loved at the very end, and that to me says more about my grandma than anything else I know about her.

And I love her for being my grandma-for never missing a Christmas or birthday, for caring about me and my sisters so much,  for being proud of us, and for simply loving us. So, while we might not have been that close-there was still a lot of love. I never doubted that she loved me, and for that I am grateful.

Ten Things Making Me Incredibly Happy

It's that time again, time for a little happy list!

Things around here have been pretty low key, but very happy. Here are just a few of those things making me incredibly happy these days!

10- $5 night at the movie theater

9- Getting to see this girl for the first time in 18 months!

8-Chuck marathons with my best friend.

7- Chocolate covered banana, with coconut! And other Farmers Market gems!

6- "Just because" bouquets of my favorite flower, from my favorite man

5- Dirty Diet Coke floats-with coconut ice cream! Delicious!

4- Walks around the block to commemorate 7 years since this guy went to the MTC.

3- Thanksgiving Point gardens-they were stunning

2- Pretty steals from Target

1- Getting to hang out with these wonderful people, and catching a live performance of MoTab singing "Come Thou Fount"

Shark Attack

My husband is a pretty adventurous guy-it's one of the things I like most about him. While we were dating he told me that at the top of his bucket list was swimming with sharks. I smiled, and secretly thought that it would never happen.

I was definitely wrong.

When we decided we were heading to Hawaii Nate immediately started talking about swimming with sharks. At first I was pretty nervous about the idea-I didn't want him to get eaten by a shark! However, once I learned you were in cage, and that everyone does it (I know, I succumbed to the peer pressure!) I decided that maybe it would be alright to swim with sharks. He was pretty convincing too because I decided to give it a try too! By the time we were in Hawaii, buying tickets, I was pretty excited!

We left Waikiki by 5:45 am, and by 6:30 we were on our way. Once we got out to the spot, we could see the sharks coming up to the boat. At that moment, leaning over the boat to get a good look at the sharks, I realized that I was about to get in the water with them. It hit me then that all that stood between me and a flesh eating monster was a small cage and a little plexiglass. I was officially nervous.

Once we were in the water though, there was no energy to be nervous. The water was rough, but we had a wonderful time diving down to get a closer view of those sharks. There were probably at least 10 of them, each about 8-12 feet long. We had a blast! It was one of the most adventurous things we've ever done together, and I must admit, one of the most fun things we've ever done together too!

I'm so glad we got to check this off the bucket list! Now, if only I could convince Nate that diving with Great White's isn't as cool as people make it sound....

 So glad that we could do this with Edward and Natalie.

 The view from the boat

By the way, this is our "we survived" look.

And-just in case you prefer a video....

Aloha

Back in January I found an insanely good deal on flights from Salt Lake to Honolulu. I got home from work that day and told Nate that I seriously, really, 100% honestly thought that we should go.

After all, why not? We have no kids, we're not in school, the price was right, and it just plain felt good. So that night we booked tickets, and a time share (thanks to my generous father in law) and before we knew it we were going to Hawaii.

It was the most spontaneous thing we've ever done.

It was also one of the very best things we've done.

The trip ended up being a much needed break, more than we could have anticipated when we decided to go. It was exactly what we needed to get a break, gain perspective, and honestly just have fun. Words can't do this vacation justice-so I'll stop using them, and instead let the pictures do the talking.

How could it not be a wonderful vacation when we're together. I still get giddy at the fact that I get to go on my best adventures with my best friend.

PS More posts to come-including one about shark diving!

Provo Progressive Dinner

When Natalie and Edward came to town I knew two things had to happen:

1) Late night chat sessions with my long lost roommate
2) We had to cram all the best Provo food in during their 1.5 day stay

Of course both of those things happened, what kind of hostess would I be if they didn't? However, with such a short stay we had to be creative with how we consumed the best food of Provo. So N squared put their heads together again, noticed all the signs from the universe and came up with their best idea yet-the Provo Progressive Dinner.

Appetizer: Guru's Sweet Potatoe Fries
Drinks: Sodalicious
Dinner: Zupas soups
Dessert(s): Sweet Tooth Fairy cookies for tomorrow, and Graham Canyon for tonight (we couldn't choose just one...)

#fgp

(PS I'm writing this post like a month after the fact and I'm so sad-Natalie please come back)

Celebrating Mom

To the woman I most admire, happy mothers day and happy birthday. May the coming year be filled with the sound of laughter, and many happy new adventures. You're a mother beyond compare-one that has such a deep capacity for love, and shares it with everyone. I'm so glad I'm lucky enough to call you mine!

Wonderful Unknown

"We can't insist on our own timetables when the Lord has his own... The Lord's delays often seen long. But they are always calculated to bless."

-President Eyring, Where is the Pavilion

Tonight laying on a blanket in our front yard we soaked up the remaining rays of sunshine with a couple good books. The light started to sink behind our little neighborhood and I caught a glimpse of Nate, smiling. As I watched him fly his helicopter around the yard,  the sun lighting up his face, I had the very distinct feeling that this, these very moments, are why we're here right now. Living here in our little home, just the two of us.

Last year when we got married it was not our plan to still be here in Provo. We had other dreams, and ambitions. Dreams we felt good about, ambitions that felt right. Despite the fact that this year didn't work out as we had planned, it has worked out perfectly. We've been able to spend so much time together-exploring, reading, cooking, traveling, teaching-together. We've had so many seemingly simple moments and conversations that have meant everything to me. We were given a beautiful gift from our loving Heavenly Father-not a year we wanted, but a better year, one of incredible happiness.

We're at a time again where our future is very much unknown. However, we feel at peace with this fact. How could we not, after the year we've had? So as the sun sets on this year of our lives we look forward, faithfully, to our wonderful unknown.