We made it to 7...

Russ and I made it through 7 years of marriage!

7 years = one 6 year old, one 4 year old, and one one year old! When Anna was born, we had been married 9 months and 6 days!!! Doesn't get much closer than that! (She was 2 weeks early)

"Find joy in your children. Don't over-schedule them or yourself. You may not be able to take them on exotic vacations. It doesn't matter. When the day dawns bright and sunny, take an excursion to the canyon or the park. When it's cloudy and wet, read a book together or make something good to eat. Give them time to explore and learn about the feel of grass and the wiggliness of worms." -Marjorie Pay Hinckley``

7 years= 5 moves, members of 3 different wards, lots of callings...primary teachers, nursery workers, Elder's Quorum and Primary presidencies, Scouts, choristers, teaching the young men, subsituting...lots of hard work, lots of fun, lots of frustrations too! Yesterday morning, right before church started, Russ got called in to visit with the Bishop. I came a bit later with Kya. Russ helped pass the sacrament, so we didn't talk. Announcements were made for new callings, since our ward and another were recently split and a third ward was created, and Russ stood as they called him to be the first counselor in the Young Men's! Russ was watching my reaction, and I guess it was pretty funny! Just a few weeks ago I got put in as the second counselor in our Relief Society! I am in charge of Enrichment activities....I am excited and a bit anxious....and I have to give the first lesson in Relief Society for December...and there's no topic. Whatever I want. Yikes! Wish me luck! So much to learn from each new calling...

"We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are." -Marjorie Pay Hinckley

"For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man (and woman) is given a gift by the Spirit of God. To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby." -D&C 46:11-12

7 years= A few failed meals, like "Favorite Macaroni" with a new spice...lemon pepper!!! YUCK! What was I thinking??? Years later we still laugh about that...and laugh about when I turned the oven on with a bowl of caramel popcorn in it! I ruined Russ's favorite Tupperware bowl. I also ruined our griddle. I put it on the back of the car while I was buckling Carter into his carseat. Then I got into the car and so did Russ. He turned the corner and heard "SMASH!" as he saw pieces of something bouncing all over the road! Oops...it was the griddle!!! I loved that griddle. Russ got me a new one for Christmas! I don't feel so bad about the griddle now, because this year, he forgot to put his backpack in the car, shut the strap in the door, then dragged it down a dirt road, and ran over part of it before he realized what happened! It had his laptop in it. Yeah. He can thank his lucky stars that the laptop was completely fine! We have some pretty darn good luck! Especially when I left my purse on the back of the car in Salt Lake City. It fell off into the road. We had no idea. Some guys in a big truck grabbed it, chased us down, and gave it back! I really try not to leave things on the back of our vehicles anymore.

...don't ask me why I am admitting this to everyone...

7 years= all body parts still here and in pretty good shape, minus one gall bladder from Russ, I got my first cavity and filling, and amazingly, we still weigh about the same as we did when we were married! We were told it would all be downhill after marriage, but somehow, we have managed to dodge that ball! Whew! We are really trying to get into better shape, eat well, stay active, and make better choices overall than maybe we have made in the past.

"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order." -Mosiah 4:27

"Choose carefully each day that which you will do and that which you will not do, and the Lord will bless you to accomplish the important things that have eternal consequences." -Marjorie Pay Hinckley

7 years has included 32 months total I spent breastfeeding. It actually doesn't really seem like a whole lot. Do I dare even try to figure out how many diapers we have changed? Probably over a thousand! Nights of little to no sleep? I would have to say we've been lucky there, our kids are good sleepers, minus baby #3 who I will affectionately call "Little Miss Stinker!" Our marriage just wouldn't be so awesome if the past 7 years didn't include the ups and downs of raising little ones...and we always feel so blessed to have healthy, happy children...despite the difficulties.

"I know it is hard for you young mothers to believe that almost before you can turn around the children will be gone and you will be alone with your husband. You had better be sure you are developing the kind of love and friendship that will be delightful and enduring. Let the children learn from your attitude that he is important. Encourage him. Be kind. It is a rough world, and he, like everyone else, is fighting to survive. Be cheerful. Don't be a whiner." -Marjorie Pay Hinckley

"Marriage is still very much a living institution, worth all the time and patience invested in it. Marriage is the stable structure that encircles and supports two clumsy individuals, learning to love and live with each other." -Ronna Romney and Betty Harrison, "Giving Time a Chance"

7 years we can look back and see that we have experienced so much life!!! We have been given so much! So much generosity from family, friends, and anonymous givers too. How much it means to us to this day to think back on the times when my grandparents would fill up our car before we headed back home, the night when someone left Christmas gifts by our front door, when my sister and her husband unexpectedly gave us $100...just because they felt like they had been given so much through their struggles raising their firstborn son, who suffers from some pretty extreme physical disabilities, and they wanted to "pay it forward." We can never forget the time when we had my brother Ben, and the strength we received from the prayers of family members. When we got married, we received great sums of money from Aunts and Uncles and loved ones. Thank you so much! Russ recently had a few dental appointments. The work done on his mouth would have cost us about $3,000.00. Our bill was $0.00 and we were told to use the money to get my wisdom teeth out instead. Words cannot do justice or explain our gratitude.

"And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious;and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more." -D&C 78:19

Grandpa Meredith always takes time to give special attention to our kids, taking them outside for walks in the backyard, and because of that, our kids have a great relationship and bond with him. My dad gives me great advice and wisdom about life, family, and what is most important. He has helped me to make different choices in my life that have benefited my family. My grandma, Nanny, has never forgotten my birthday. Jan Stubbs, one of my old Young Women leaders, always remembers my birthday too and sends me the cutest homemade cards. It means so much...those small kind acts. The past 7 years wouldn't be anything if I didn't have my sisters there with me. Sometimes, we haven't gotten along, or treated each other the way we should. We face bumps along the way. But my sisters are willing to forgive. When someone withholds forgiveness...it hurts. I am blessed with some pretty awesome sisters. (and brothers too)

We have been blessed over the past years from many, many, MANY, manymanymany expressions of love from family and friends around us. We could never count them all. And I have been blessed from all the wonderful expressions of love from Russ. When he comes home from school, the first thing he does is hug his kids, give em all kisses, and then he attacks me!!! "I love you" are words he uses multiple times a day. He has a love for family history and the scriptures. He gets so excited about growing food in the garden, canning, and building up food storage. He is always encouraging me to write more, paint, sew, and run...because he knows those things are what bring me more happiness in my life. We have really struggled over the past 7 years to consistently have FHE, family prayer and scripture study...but I think we have FINALLY figured it out and have realized the great blessings that come from making those priorities and doing them everyday and every week. (even when we have nights where we TRY to read scriptures and it ends up more a disaster than success!) We for sure are not perfect. We have had moments where we certainly weren't proud of our actions. But we just try to move on, learn from our mistakes, hope others are willing to look past our faults, and improve upon our life circumstances and improve ourselves.

"The test, then, of our soul's greatness is rather to be sought in our ability to comfort and console, our ability to help others, rather than our ability to help ourselves and crowd others down in the struggle of life." -Joseph F. Smith

With everything 7 years has brought us, we are excited to live through many more.

 Alma said, "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." -alma 37:6

"When we look back on decades of life we see that the seemingly insignificant things we do over and over actually weave the pattern of our lives. And if those small and simple things are good, we will end up having  lived a fulfilling life-and that is a great thing!"  -Marjorie Pay Hinckley