My Life 5 Years From Now

In 5 years I hope to be...
Growing my family. One, maybe two more babies.

Working outside of the home. A flexible, maybe part time job that would allow me to contribute financially, use my education, and still be home with my kids most of the time would be ideal.

A better wife. I couldn't even begin to tell you how much room there is for growth in this aspect of my life. It's something I'm always aware of and working on.

A homeowner. I dream of buying a fixer-upper and DIYing the whole thing.

Financially stable. We're out of the poor student, living on loans phase and into the employed, real-world phase of our lives. I'm excited to start paying off student loans, saving, resume contributing to our 401k's, etc.

A good mom with my own identity. 95% of my time, effort and energy is put into making sure that Noah gets the best. These last 7 months, I've made it a point to take time for myself by doing things like working out or going shopping after he goes to bed at night. I hope that as our family grows I continue to recognize the importance of taking care of myself, having hobbies totally unrelated to motherhood, and pursuing my own goals.

Having a blast. Because, otherwise, what's the point?


Linking up with Becky of From Mrs. to Mama!

Four Years

Four years ago today we were doing this:

Happy anniversary baby. I love you!

Sayonara to Law School

Almost three years ago we quit our jobs, packed up our house, and left our family and friends.  I would have rather gone to any other school than the one Josh had chosen and it had been a point of contention in our marriage. I thought we were headed into three years of misery. But the last three years? They've been really awesome. We've made great friends, we've worked hard. Our relationship has been strengthened by the challenges we've faced together, without the help of our families.  Highlights of the last three years (completely unrelated to actual law school) include the Vegas Bowl

vacationing in Hawaii

 finding out I was pregnant

finishing my bachelors

and welcoming Noah into our family.

The last three years have been demanding, exciting, and rewarding and there's nobody else I'd rather have done it with. I'm proud of you, baby, for all of your hard work and I can't believe we're done!

Six years ago today....

...it all started. The beginning of our relationship was...complicated. He was fresh off a mission. I was ready to start my first semester of college. He was kind, outgoing, ambitious. The connection was instant.  I was in a serious relationship, but from the beginning I imagined a future with Josh. Marriage, babies, the works. I knew it was right, but leaving a long-term relationship is challenging regardless of the circumstances.

It had been a few months of confusion when Josh invited me to go bowling on Valentine's Day. I told him that my boyfriend, who was working that night, probably wouldn't appreciate me doing something with another guy on this romance-infused holiday. He told me it was with a big group of his friends and assured me that said boyfriend had nothing to worry about. Sneaky guy. We had a blast and to make a long story short, that night was the official beginning of us. We've gone bowling on (or around) Valentine's Day every year since.

Josh is a hard worker. He's an excellent dad. Noah is his little buddy and seeing them together melts my heart. He's curious in a way that sometimes makes me feel like I'm hanging out with a seven year old. He's outgoing and doesn't take himself too seriously.  Josh is also one of the most persistent people I've ever met. If this guy wants something, don't try to stop him.  He would literally do anything to make sure that me and Noah are happy and taken care of.  He worries about us. He prays for us.  He's a good friend, brother, and son. The boy has a big heart.  I'm so glad he's mine.

2007