Pre-Valentine's Day love note

I am a big proponent of showing mushy love on random days, and not just once a year (though I am a fan of the pink stuff everywhere). So here is a love note written just for my love.

Dear Sweetheart,
I love you. I love the way you work so hard to support our little family. I love the way you hold me close when I am sad, and let me cry when I need to cry. I love the way you mumble when you sleep. I love the way you pray for us. I love the way you kick me out of the kitchen when you want to make dinner, and the way you are so proud of your hamburger helper. I love the way you always kiss me after being apart for any length of time...and I love that you don't care if people are watching. I love that you make me feel special and valued like no one else can. I love when you tell jokes only you would think are funny, and I love that I end up laughing anyway because your laugh is contagious. I love that you think "us time" is important and always try hard to make it happen. I love that you try hard to live your faith because it lets me know that you love and value our marriage. I love that we are best buds...forever. I love the way you dance in the car, and sing off key to all the songs (even though I pretend to be embarrassed).  I love the way you help keep our relationship strong when you are far away by always thinking of me. I love that your family is so important to you. I love that my family is important to you too. I love that you let me be crazy, and weird, and myself all the time. I love that you are crazy, and weird, and yourself all of the time. I love being married to you. Happy random Sunday. I love you. 

Love, Me

The Cell Phone Saint

So two days ago I lost cell phone in Kohls (please do not tell my husband). Saddest part was I did not even realize it until my little sister sent me a Facebook message telling me to go pick it up at the customer service department. I guess the lady who found it in the dressing room turned it in. Of course I panicked and and ran back over to the store where there was an unusually long line in the customer service area. Finally I got to the front of the line and got my phone back. *big sigh of relief*. And then everyone else behind me line started exclaiming how sweet and amazing the stranger was that turned in the phone. Several people were even in shock that it got turned it at all (not going to lie, I was too. Good day to not have an i phone). They were literally singing praises and idolizing this good person who turned my phone in. Now don't get me wrong, I am definitely VERY grateful. I had heaven on my side for sure. But I think it is really sad that someone is praised as a saint for simply not taking something that is not theirs. When did the world get like this? Decency is so uncommon that it is more normal to steal than it is to be honest? I am still very thankful to have my phone back, but I am really sad at where society is headed.

Together (& Crazy) Forever

 

This is the picture from our thanksgiving. 80 people and all of them related (except for a couple of David's friends from the ship that are taking this picture). They are crazy. There is so many people and so many personalities. What you cant see is the half naked little girl rolling down the hill or the screaming babies and this picture does not capture all of us yelling at each other to hurry up and get in the picture because we were freezing! But I am so glad that we will be together forever. The more I learn about and understand my Heavenly Father's plan for His children, the more I appreciate these crazy people and the more I love my husband and appreciate our Eternal Marriage. Here are some more pictures of our crazy time:

My mom and two of my sisters (couldn't find Olivia)

 Sammers LOVES Thanksgiving

 Nom Nom Nom

 Ellie. Don't you just love her cute (blurry) face?

Here is another one. Less blurry this time.

 Ellie's cousin Everett. The E's!

 Half Naked Child previously mentioned. Ohh Kingsley.

 Love you Grandma.

 Grandma and all her old Boyfriends. HA HA HA HA!! She appeared to have covered all her military bases.

 David was jealous of Vaughn's jamies and Legos. I was too a little bit...of the jamies.

 Still so in love after all these years. I want to be like them.

 My cutie patootie Grandpa.

Grandpa's sweet car. :)

To learn more about Forever Families and how we keep such happy faces visit www.mormon.org

Carrier Classic!!

Growing up I didnt really think much of Veteran's day. It was a day off from school, which I very much appreciated, but the meaning of the day would barely even cross my mind. Things have obviously changed, and days like veterans day make me reflect on my love for this beautiful country, and the people who serve and protect her. This veterans day I had the special opportunity to spend the day with our men and women in uniform...and two top rated basketball teams aboard the magnificent nuclear carrier, the USS Carl Vinson (the very same one that buried Bin Laden at sea).  The first ever Carrier Classic was quite a sight. My husband was especially childlike, getting to talk briefly with childhood heroes and great men of basketball, and not so great men, ahem Vince Carter (but that is a story for another time).  The game was great, the event was fun, but the best part was being with the men and women who have earned this special day through their hard work and sacrifice. 

Getting Ready to go into the game:

 Yes! We won tickets! You should have seen my cute husbands face when he found out that he won the lottery for tickets to the game.

 Magic talking to an WWII vet, one of the greatest generation.

 Obama giving his speech before the game/ shaking hands (aka recruiting votes)

 Us toward the end of the game:

  Way to go Tar Heels!

spaghetti squash with turkey sausage

Lately I have been on a bit of a health kick. And in sticking with my cooking something new every week that I started awhile ago, I decided to try this out. I LOVE spaghetti, but pasta is not really on the healthy food list (yeah I know there is whole grain pasta, but still). This was so so easy! I think our spaghetti days may have changed forever. you just cut the squash in half, fill the bottom half with water, put the top half over it cup side down (like you glued it back together) and microwave it for 10-15 minutes. Then I cooked some onions and turkey sausage together, added marinara sauce, and ladled it all over the squash "noodles". YUM!

I Heard a Rumor

Last night while working an event I was approached by a coworker who wished to share with me a rumor she heard about me in the office.  I do not really like rumors and I started wracking my brain thinking about what people could possibly be talking about. She said it may not be true and did not wish to offend me, and then proceeded to whisper under her breath, "Marissa, are you a Mormon?". I had no problem saying "Yes!". The rest of the conversation went like this...

Co-worker(with puzzled look): "Mormon...Like Sister Wives?"
Me: "No, nothing like that,"
Co-Worker: "But those people are Mormon"
Me: "No they actually are not, though many people think that. Would you like to hear about the differences?"
Co-Worker: "Yeah tell me, I dont know very much."
I gave her a basic outline on what I believe.
Co-Worker: "So you are basically just Christian then? Because I am Catholic and what you told me was different but it wasn't that different"
Me: "Yes, yes we are" (Happy to hear a catholic admit that a Mormon is a Christian)
Co-Worker: "Cool, I've never met a Mormon before so this is really fun" (although I am pretty positive she has met a Mormon before, and sweet she thinks I'm fun)

I got a bit of a laugh out of the entire situation. Then today, when I got to work, there was a new girl training for one of the financial positions. And guess what, she's a MORMON too! My catholic co-worker was in awe. She went from knowing no Mormons (as she believes) to 2 Mormons in only 2 days.  We are going to take over the office!  The only problem is, she went to the U so we can't be friends. Darn.

It still rained on Noah

Last week was wonderful... weather wise. It was nice and cool and there was even a little bit of rain. I was a little bit upset when I went out to 80 degrees again today (although I know my friends experiencing snow would not agree that this was a disappointing thing to have). But other than the weather, it was a very rough week. One particularly rough day as I was driving home from work reflecting on all that had happened that day, I started to tear up, and then I started to pray. I like praying on my way home from work. Sure its completely unconventional, and no, I cant bow my head and close my eyes or fold my arms, but I have 30 minutes of silence where I can express my feelings and listen for answers. I have been struggling with why's lately. Why is a question I know I should not ask because I need to just have the faith to accept the trials that come my way and learn from them, but I often wonder what I am doing or have done (in other words is this punishment) to bring particular hardships on myself. As I was praying and thinking about this, the rain started to come down pretty hard. The fact that the weather matched my mood was making me even more depressed. I finally got off the freeway and started to drive up the hill toward my home. As I approached the top of the hill, traffic slowed down. It was a little bit odd for there to be traffic on this particular stretch of road so of course my mood did not improve (and now you all think that I am just super moody). But when I finally got over the top of the hill, I saw what all the fuss was about. Straight ahead was the largest, brightest, most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. And intertwined in the first beautiful rainbow, was a smaller, slightly duller but no less beautiful second rainbow. People were pulling over to take photos, and I imagine everyone was in awe just like I was. I started to think about rainbows and what they mean. And then it occurred to me. Noah was a very righteous man who was so loved by our Heavenly Father, but the floods still happened to him. He did not avoid the rain, but he had the tools and the faith to be safe and remain dry and comfortable throughout the storm. So maybe my trials are not a result of something I did, but I can still be faithful and find a way to remain safe and comfortable (or more at peace) throughout the storm. I felt instantly lighter and so much better. And this probably isn't the truth, but I think that rainbow must have been placed there just for me to see. What are some of the rainbows in your life?