Change

I asked a patient this afternoon what flavor of prophy paste she wanted me to polish her teeth with. You would be surprised at the variety of flavors offered: bubble gum, cherry, orange, root beer, cookie dough, mint, cinnamon. After reciting the memorized list that I repeat daily she decided to go with plain mint because the though of having her teeth polished with bubble gum or cookie dough paste was disgusting to her. My next patient was a little kid who excitedly chose bubble gum and I could tell that getting his teeth polished with bubble gum paste was the highlight of his day.

I remember being little and just like my patient I loved bubble gum paste. I remember loving to dress up in my mom's high heel shoes and having her put lipstick on my 5 year old lips. I remember sitting with Ashley at the Jr. High after school eating a whole bag of Cool Ranch Doritos because we could eat whatever we wanted and not have it effect us at all. My little sisters use to drive me crazy and I always wanted them to leave me alone. Staying up all night on the weekends was a routine thing to do. I also remember thinking about my wedding day and wondering what kind of person I would marry. Now everything has changed.

I wear high heels everyday day of the week...rain, snow, or shine. I could choose to wear lipstick if I wanted but it's really not my style. My little sisters are now truly my best friends. I feel the effects of all those bags of Doritos we ate more than ever and I can't even stay up past 10:00 p.m. Now I don't have to sit and daydream about my wedding day because it's come and gone. It was everything I'd dreamed it would be. I wish I could relive it on a daily basis. And the person I married is the most amazing person on the planet.

I am starting to understand that as the years go by we change. It's inevitable. The scary thing is that change happens all the time, but most of the time we don't even realize it. Maybe because we are too busy to realize...or maybe because we are scared to grasp the change. I personally hate change. The hardest change for me has been growing up. Some of the experiences I've had are almost embarrassing. I remember my very first day of college I was sick to my stomach. I couldn't even function properly. I missed my first couple classes because I had to call my dad and have him come give me a blessing. I was a mess. I also remember when I moved out of my house and up to the Ridge. I was 20 years old and honestly it's only 2 miles from my parents house but I cried and cried because I had to leave home...ridiculous right? It's funny to look back on those experiences and see all the things I learned from those changes.

Before Tyler left on his mission he told me that it wasn't a matter of if I was married or not when he got home, it was a matter of if I had changed or not. He was going to change for the better the whole 2 years...I better be trying to improve myself too. Apparently I changed a little or else we probably wouldn't be married now. I find myself continually trying to live by this....trying to be a better person for him and others around me. Let me tell you, it takes a whole lot of change. I am astonishingly good at being human and I make more mistakes than you can count everyday but I TRY constantly to fix those mistakes and change.

I guess what I am trying to say is that change can be hard. It's not fun to look back on some changes. Other changes are the best things that happen in life. Either way it's important to realize change in your life, see what you can learn from it, fix it if you need to, and be grateful for it because it makes us who we are....now all I need to do is take some of my own advice:)

I found these pictures that were taken of Ty and I in 10th grade...

Hopefully we have "changed" a little since then!

A Beautiful Mess

So I finally succumbed to temptation and decided to start a blog for Ty and I. I actually set it up about 4 or 5 months ago but apparently this blogging process was too confusing for my little brain to figure out on it's own. Last week I got my act together and had my sister-in-law teach me how to set this thing up. So we are gonna give it a go.

Tyler and I have been married for a little over a year. I thought I might give anyone who is interested a light overview of our delightful first year of marriage...a little look into the beautiful mess we live in. If you are not interested that is just fine too:) Forewarning...this post is a little lengthy.

On November 21, 2009 Ty and I were married in the Rexburg Temple. It was an almost perfect day...except the wind was blowing about 70 mph. I guess that is what to expect here in crazy Rexburg.

Our wedding day was perfect. Having all of our family and friends there to celebrate with us was amazing. There is not one thing about that day I would change...except maybe the wind!

We wanted to get out of the cold so we decided to go on a Mexican Riviera cruise for our honeymoon. We had such a good time touring different cities in Mexico...and doing other fun stuff too...

December was a long month. As soon as we got back from our honeymoon Tyler left the airport and came to Rexburg for surgery and I went back to Orem for school. For the first 4 weeks we were married we only saw each other on the weekends. Needless to say we made it through and in January he moved down to Orem with me for the last 4 months of school.

In January we celebrate my birthday by going to my aunt and uncles cabin. Josh and Hayli came with us. We had fun snowmobiling into the cabin, playing games, and eating food. The next weekend Ty surprised me and took me to Salt Lake for the weekend where we played all day and stayed the night.

February was the month I started studying for boards. It was not a fun month for Tyler or I. I was cranky and studying all the time but Ty was a good sport and tried his hardest to cheer me up!

March was Tyler's birthday. He turned 23! Hayli and Josh met us in Ogden where we went to dinner and a comedy club. We pretty much laughed until we cried:) We are so lucky to have such awesome siblings to party with!

April was a pretty big month. I took my written national board test on April 9th. It was the longest and most extensive test I have ever taken. When I left the testing center I was pretty sure I failed. A couple weeks later I found out that was not the case:) At the end of April I graduated from Dental Hygiene school. I was kinda proud of myself...it is one of the biggest accomplishments I've ever achieved.

I would have never made it through school with out Kandace and Mel!

My husband was happy to have his wifey back!

I had clinical boards the first couple days of May. It was intense and I am glad I don't have to do it again. However, the rest of May was great. Kandace and Joey got married on May 20th. A couple days before we threw her a bachelorette party. I loved being at their wedding. Kandace and Joe are our lifesavers!

Tyler and I moved back to Rexburg after boards and he started another semester at BYU-I. Also in May Josh and Hayli announced they were going to have a baby. I was really excited because I don't have any nieces or nephews. They made us these awesome t-shirts to wear to the hospital after their baby was born.

In June I received my dental hygiene license and was able to start working. It felt good to be out of school and actually practicing. Ty and I got the chance to go up to Canada for Rach...el's wedding. Her and Seth were married on June 18th. I love being at her house in Canada. It is one of my favorite places. I was so happy Ty got to go there with me and that we could be there to celebrate their wedding.

Me and my beautiful friend.

Outside the Cardston Temple.

The rest of June, July, and August were spent camping, boating, and fishing. We went camping 7 weekends in a row. After that extravaganza I told Ty we needed a little break....I like camping but that was a little excessive. We stayed home one weekend and were gone camping the next:) For graduation my mom and dad gave Ty and I a trip down the Salmon river. It was a white water rafting trip. My dad was a guide on the 7 day trip and we had a blast just being in the outdoors.

September and October were spent working. Tyler was off-track so he worked too. Fall in Rexburg was beautiful this year. Tyler golfed and fished even when it was probably too cold to be doing so. We went four-wheeling a few times, had a lot of fires at the sand dunes, and went to the ice caves as well.

November was a busy month. Ty and I celebrated our ONE YEAR anniversary. Tyler took me up to Jackson Hole for the weekend. It was nice to get away from work and spend the weekend hangin out with the hub.

ONE YEAR!

We also went down to Utah and spent a weekend with Joe and Kandace. It was fun to be with our long lost friends!

We even got to see our buddies while we were in Utah. I love Ashley more than anything and I am so grateful for her friendship. She is my best friend and always there when I need her.

For Thanksgiving we went with Tyler's family to Park City and then St. George. I am lucky to have awesome in-laws who I love and adore!

My sisters and I getting ready for family Christmas pictures.

The best part of November and the beginning of December is that Tyler and I became an aunt and uncle to not one... but TWO adorable little girls.

Cody and Jill adopted their sweet little girl Jada Marie. She was born on November 17th and we all instantly fell in love with her!

And on December 10th Josh and Hayli had their baby. Her name is Blaykli Rae and she is the cutest thing you'll ever see...even if you can't quite see her in this pic:)

It seems lately everyone is having babies. Apparently there is something in the water....so Ty and I are being real careful about what we drink:) We have loved having these beautiful babies around and are excited to watch them grow up!

Christmas was wonderful this year...as it is every year. I bought Ty a pair of fishing waders and I was so dang excited to give them to him I almost didn't make it until Christmas! He loved them and that made me ecstatic. We enjoyed spending Christmas time surrounded by the people we love.

So that about sums up our first year together. Our time being married has been the best. Remember now that I did not put up anything about the numerous disagreements we have gotten into over the last year, the student loan we are trying to pay off, the stress of finding a hygiene job, the transmission going out in our truck, or the adjustments of being married. Life is not always blissful but when it gives you lemons you just gotta make lemonade. I love the quote "We may not have it all together but together we have it all." That is how I feel with Tyler. Ty and I live in this beautiful mess and there is nobody else I'd rather be in it with!