Real Life

Recent events have got me thinking lately about "real life" opposed to "blog life." I've noticed that all of my post have been about fun, exciting, or new things that have happened in Andrew and I's life. What I've left out a lot of is the hard struggles that happen, which is apart of life as well. This post is going to be about "real life." The stuff that people don't necessarily want to read about, but it's the hard things that make us human and not seem like EVERYTHING is just picture perfect.
I have been having a huge struggle these past few years with my employers. I absolutely love what I do and I have thoroughly enjoyed working on my patients and getting to know them. I've had some tell me that I know more about them than some of their own family. I value their confidence in me. However, my employers have not made my experience there a happy one. So, last Wednesday, on our anniversary, I got fired from my job. I am proud to say that I got fired, because of what I got fired over. They wanted me to sign an office policy (that they just sprang on us) that I couldn't follow. I didn't feel right about signing it and breaking a contract even though they probably wouldn't ever even know that I was breaking it. They told me they wouldn't make exceptions for me and that I couldn't have employment there. I told them ok and was done.
This experience has been a life altering experience for us and has made me really kick it into high gear. It's pushed me to get out on my own and do something that I've been wanting to do for a long time, but have been in a comfort zone that I didn't want to get out of. Change is a good thing and I'm excited for this new adventure. I am going to be renting an awesome space at Liberty Square that is in Ammon to do my massage business. I am so grateful to my brother Trent for doing a lot of the leg work for me. I wouldn't have had this opportunity if it wasn't for him. He's introduced me to an awesome business man that can see my same vision in what I want to do. It's refreshing to finally be working with great people!
I see loosing my job as not a bad thing, but as something that was supposed to happen so I'll learn and progress. I know that we have struggles so that we get stronger and so we can turn around and help others along their way. So in a way I feel like I should thank my previous employers for helping me break that chain of monotony, because I'm going to be better because of it!

Already 3 years!

It seriously doesn't seem like Andrew and I have been married 3 years. We have had so many fun experiences together it's just flown. We've definitely had our ups and downs, but that's how we've grown to love each other more and more. I appreciate Andrew more now for sure than when we started 3 years ago. I couldn't picture myself with anyone more perfect for me than him. How I got so lucky I don't know, but I am so grateful to have him in my life.
We decided when we got married that we would try to do something fun on or around our anniversary. We really wanted to celebrate being together. We also decided that each year we would have one of us in charge of our anniversary.

Andrew was in charge of our honeymoon. With the help of Andrew's parents in offering a week of their time share and my parents in paying for my plane ticket, we went to St. Maarten for our honeymoon. It was such a blast!

At Matilda's pub. We ate there a lot. . . unfortunately it shows.

On the French side of the island eating, imagine that.

For our 1st anniversary I was in charge. Not very much pressure, compared to our honeymoon. A girl from my work told me about this and I quote "quaint" hotel in Preston, Idaho. I should have know when she told me Preston. However, I decided to go through with it because it was really cheap and I trusted her judgement. Wow was I wrong! I surprised Andrew by packing all of our stuff and taking him on a drive. When we got past Pocatello he was really wondering where we were going. We finally drove into Preston and got to our "quaint" hotel. Long story short the room we were supposed to have was not made up and it was all dirty and the bed wasn't made. The whole time Andrew thought I was joking by bringing him there. I really wish that I was. After deciding to not stay there (it wasn't a real tough choice) I called my mom and asked her what we should do. She told us that we should drive to Logan and stay at the Anniversary Suites. She looked up the number and basically saved our whole trip. That's what mom's are for! We did end up salvaging our first anniversary together and stayed in the Swiss Family Robinson room it was a lot of fun! The next day we went shopping and then drove home.

We saved our wedding cake. It was pretty good.

Our room had a huge tree going through it. We didn't realize how entertaining a room could be!

For our 2nd anniversary Andrew was in charge and he was so excited about his idea that he had to let me in on it before we went. It was weird because I was thinking that we should go skydiving for our anniversary too. We were on the same page on that one. We went down to Ogden to do it. I have always wanted to skydive and I had it on my list of things to do before I die. I decided that if I died doing it at least I accomplished a goal I had written down. Andrew has also always wanted to skydive. So we're a bunch of adrenaline junkies. We decided that we should do something crazy like this before we had kids too. We had an absolute blast and Andrew wants to do it for every anniversary or every year which ever comes first. I, however, think we have already defied death once and we shouldn't take too many chances messing with it. But really it is pretty safe and we will probably do it again. . . but not this year.

Us with the people we trusted our lives with. My guy looks like a nerd, but he did a really good job in making me feel safe. Andrew's guy "fell asleep" and then said that he was praying. . . comforting, I don't know?

Andrew was the first to bail. He did a full flip.

I'm sure I was thinking "what the crap did I get myself into" and also thinking "oh well, it's too late now!"

This picture is funny because you can barely see Andrew's gum on the corner of his lip. In his video you can see it fly out. It's hilarious!

You are falling so fast it sucks your cheeks back. Very attractive.

Over the past 4 years that I've known Andrew I have come to love him more and more every day. We have made it a goal to do things for one another so we'll be this happy 50 plus years down the road. Happy Anniversary Andrew! I love your guts!

44 hours!

Andrew has been home for a little over a week and I am absolutely loving it! It's so nice. However, getting him here wasn't the funnest or most comfortable thing to do. We started on our "trek" across the United States Sunday August 30th at 9:30 a.m. I really don't know what else to say other than we drove, and drove, and drove. I had to be to work at 9:00 Tuesday so we were in a bit of a time crunch. We did find time to make a few pit stops. We decided that we would stop in Georgia to get home grown Georgia peaches and make jam when we got home. We could have got them in Idaho, but it was the whole sentimental thing we were going for. We didn't know where to get them, but there were signs along the freeway saying that there were peaches. We went past one exit and thought it would be our last chance to get them so we turned around and got off and made quite a bit of a detour to get them. Come to find out there were peach exits clear till the end of the state, but we got our peaches and ended up making "Georgia Peach Jam" with Andrew's parents. Thanks Todd and Loretta for all your help!
Georgia ended up being a really long state for some reason, but we finally got out and started west. We ended up stopping and sleeping some place for 3 hours in a parking lot. It was so uncomfortable because we couldn't put the seats back with all the stuff in the cab. I think that's why we only lasted 3 hours. Basically that was our only stop other than gasing up. We finally rolled into our house at 3:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. It was a welcomed sight. We figured that we each drove 22 hours total in the 2 days. Not very healthy :) We really had fun though being together talking and laughing. It will be a memorable trip that we wont forget for sure!

Andrew saying bye to Florida

Us starting the drive all happy. . .and showered!

Our 3 hour sleep. All I gotta say is it was quality sleep for sure :)

Entertaining ourselves

I had to get a picture of this! And we thought we were packed!

Middle of the night or not we had to get a picture. A very welcomed sight. . . and not just for Andrew!