My Wonderful Life

(Post from Ron's Blog "ronsoccasionalthoughts.blogspot.com")
It is around 5 am and I lie in bed sleeping peacefully. I am awakened by an alarm my wife set so she could help a friend out and take her to the airport. She turns over, kisses me and tells me she loves me, then gets out of bed and is on her way. I turn over and shield myself from the cold with the covers and quickly fall back asleep.

When I awake the second time I am delighted to find my lovely wife kissing me once again. She quickly snuggles into bed and we hold to each other as the cold enters the blanket barrier I had made. As I close my eyes and genuinely tell my lady I love her, I realize how lucky I am. It dons on me that the vast majority of marriages (or perhaps even relationships) are not genuinely happy to see and hold their spouse.

What happened to our society? Why are people so determined to get what they "want" and sacrifice the very things that are important to them? With just the simplest jester of a kiss and embrace I am reminded of the simple beauty of my life. I am reminded of the true joy that comes from love and family. Why would someone throw that away just because they don't want to give up some attribute of themselves? Have we really forgotten that a relationship is work? That BOTH parties must bend?

Just a few days ago I got a message on Facebook from an friend that was just telling me how she was happy that "My dreams came true." I really thought about it at that point... Had they?

Was this really the life I have always wanted? I looked back and remembered how I felt that morning laying in bed with my wife. A smile adorned my face and I realized yes, it was. It is not ANYTHING like I imaged, but it is the life I have always wanted. And my dreams really have come true.

Shouldn't we all feel that way about our lives? And if you don't.... Why don't you? It's your choice. Be happy with the choices you've made.

Insert here (a title that is creative to encompass a lack of writing)

My dear blog,


I have neglected you, I am very sorry. I got a full time job that consumes my afternoons and evenings, and when I get the most inspiration it is at random times when I am not able to write. I was complimenting a friend of mine (Kira) on her blog one day. She stated that she wrote when she felt like she had something to write about. I guess that I am afraid sometimes to express what I really think because it might actually be okay and I won't be judged. I at least hope so.

SO here is why I am blogging so early in the morning (I have a slight case of insomnia). I was at work this afternoon when I received a text from my husband. He was reminding me of a promise we made to each other. It was super cute, but unexpected. When I came home for my dinner break I asked him to elaborate on his text. Without becoming too personal on a medium that is intended to be personal without crossing particular boundaries, I care to express one thought: Neil L. Andersen. If you are LDS and watched the Saturday Afternoon session of General Conference 2011, you will get my drift. If not, go look. It will be well worth your time.

I was impressed by many things that he said. However there were a couple of different things that stood out to me. Having children is important, if you can have them, try to have them. If that is not something in store for you, TRUST in Heavenly Father's plan for you and do what you can to experience mortality as it should be experienced. Last but not least, STOP JUDGING!!!!!!!!! You have no idea what others are going through and quite frankly, IT IS NONE OF ANYONE'S BUSINESS! That is what I got from his talk.

I know that trusting part is much easier stated than done. The older I get, the more I realize that EVERYTHING is an experience of faith. Dating, getting married, starting a family, experiencing family as it comes, experiencing the passing of a loved one, passing on ourselves.

Each one of the previous described states of expressing faith are currently affecting my life. I have incredible friends who are single, and wish to be married. I have recently married my best friend. I have friends who have started families. I have friends that have tried for years and have not been blessed with those cherished desires. I have friends that are experiencing family as it comes. and I have friends that are experiencing the passing of a loved one, and subsequently have had friends pass on. Each time I speak with those still here, I am impressed and reminded of the love of a Heavenly Father who is truly perfect and expects(HOPES) his children will trust (have FAITH in) Him and love (Charity) him despite the "unfairness" of mortality.

My dear friends that have read this post: I wish to express one thing, (and this is to myself also). Please try, with as little amount as you are possibly able to bear, to trust a perfect being who knows what he is doing and is very aware of who you are. He knows it is hard and he knows that there are going to be times where we are on the brink of loosing it, but he asks us to just try. So for his sake and mine (writing to my future self and others) try to believe him. Try to trust his plan for you. and please TRUST YOURSELF.

-Much love,
Hannah

Graduation....of all sorts

I graduated from Brigham Young University today. It is kind of crazy to think that I don't have to go to school in two weeks. All of the job interviews I have been going to have surely reminded me of the growth that comes with life milestones.


I also have another friend graduating, but not from BYU. She is one of the most kind people I have ever met in my life. When I was a little girl, I think it was 4th grade, I was really sick and she came and picked me up from school because she was the emergency contact on my records. She never did graduate from college, that I know of, but she was always learning. She has been a great influence in my life and I went to see her before my mission and after. She even came to my wedding reception, even though she has been sick with cancer. My sisters and I are planning to see her before she 'graduates'. I read two of her daughters blogs and I am amazed with how well they are preparing for the adjustment that comes after graduation. I was speaking to a good friend just the other day. She said something that really stuck out to me. "Hannah, I truly believe that the people sent to us in our lives, especially our families are here to help us, and we them, to become exalted." I witness of the truth of that statement.

I believe there is no interaction, day to day, in our very geography region, in our ecclesiastical areas, that is by mistake. We are supposed to meet everyone we come into contact with. My witnessing of this idea has grown over the years and gets stronger when I see people like my friend graduate. I love them, I miss them, and I look forward to that day when we can be reunited, not only symbolically like we are here, but literally and with full emotion.

I will miss my friend greatly and I want to become like her one day. I am grateful for truths that make me stretch and learn about the great school of my father. I am grateful for tender mercies that teach me so much and for classmates that make the curriculum bearable. I am grateful for a perfect principal who runs his university with exactness and perfection and I am grateful for being a student there.

Portland, and how much I want to live there.

I have been to the Northwest twice in my memory: once when I was 9 and visited my dad and the other a month or so after my mission (April 2008). I remember liking it from my second visit, but I didn't remember how amazing it really is.

Our first full day! Of course, we had to visit the world-famous Tillamook Cheese Factory. It was slightly anti-climactic, but still worth it.

Also, visiting the Portland Temple...A MUST!! Even if it is closed.

My husband took this picture. The temple is being worked on, but it does not diminish the beauty of being hidden in the forest. We got lost by taking a turn to early and I thought it was interesting that I couldn't even see the spires of the Temple because it was so hidden in the forest. I loved it.

Here we are at McMinneman's in Hillsboro. Again, super beautiful.

We got to see the beach while we were there. I haven't seen the ocean in three years. It was worth it, although, I miss the warm water of Florida. It was still worth it though.

It was slightly windy, but totally worth it.


Seaside is awesome. One thing that the west coast has done well at is preserving there towns and keeping them historic. Now, only if they could preserve their lives (too much smoking in that state).

(of course I had to take pictures myself)

I loved being on vacation because Ron and I just got to lounge and enjoy life. It was really good to be with close friends (adopted family really) and just enjoy the beauty of Father's creation. Ron and I are closer to the idea of being in that area than before we left. I guess it is something worth considering, maybe not.

Before our trip began- "Listen to your heart"

My husband picked me up from work and when straight to school. I stopped by the store to pick up chocolate chips for our trip ( a couple of cookies always kept people awake on medium length trips) and then I made myself dinner and watched a movie, something I am enjoying since I am not in school right now.
A young couple, both with completely separate backgrounds, end up falling in love. The movie is about experiencing that love in all its forms. But there was something that overcame me and reminded me of some who loves greatest of all. In the movie, the character Roger, becomes the brother to Danny, the main character. While Danny is experiencing adversity, Roger is a support. Even though it is a major trail for Danny, he expresses how much love he has for Roger and Roger reciprocates.

While watching this movie I was reminded, ever so gently, of how much I am love and how much I miss my brother. You see I don't have earthly brothers (just brothers-in-law) and so the ability to feel the love of a brother has been something I have had to work on. Whenever I am in just the right mood, I start to think about my brother I have not seen in a while. It feels ever so long ago that I saw him and how handsome and beautiful and amazing he is. But I know that I will get to see him sooner than it feels at the current time. One thing I miss most about him is the ability to feel the love he freely gives to me. The only thing that has come close to that memory, and is most similar, is the love I feel for my husband.

Love is truly a gift from above. I realized something while watching this movie: Love is the ultimate gift in our lives. It is the reason we live, the reason we exist, and the reason we keep going. I am grateful to have found someone to love so much and to feel as much love from. I love my husband and every time he does something selfless, I am reminded of the love I have for him. I am so lucky to feel this love and to allow myself to feel and express it back.

The excitement begins.. I am stoked.

So here I am, at work, helping my husband with his work, (kind of fun to me, by the way) and I am looking at some of my facebook friends and their lives, something I hardly ever do, surf Facebook for work, not lying either....So back to my point, I am looking at a friend of mine's blog, a friend I haven't talked to in a long time (the guilt is coming all too quickly) but I find that I am on her bloglist and I think, Wow! I need to post something about what is going on in my life. So here is the excitement for the week, and follow ups to come!!


Drumroll.............................. Ron and I are going on a journey, to one of the wonders of the world.....

This is just one of the amazing things we are going to see! The Beautiful Portland Oregon Temple.

We are also going to be able to touch the ocean (Something I haven't done in 3 years, and this is coming from a Florida girl).

These are just a taste of the goodness we will be partaking of in this week. Stay tuned for the post-trip pictures.

How we started.....Ha, Ha, Ha

Ron doesn't like pictures (actually I don't remember) but he didn't like getting his picture for the ward directory, so I had to go to his house and get his picture for the ward directory.

Yeah, who could turn down this face? The next time we said Hey to each other was in October some time. I said, "Hey Ron!" and he was like, "Who are you again?" What a great pick up line, eh? I reminded him of who I was and how I knew him, "I'm Hannah. I took your picture for the ward directory...." "Oh, yeah. Well, Hey."

We would say hey every once in a while. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas time, Ron and Joe came to church. I was excited because I hadn't seen Joe in a long time. I sat by Joe and Ron and then left for some reason. He said that was the first time he was like, wait where did she go?, but that didn't really spark anything other than a thought.

Fast Forward to end of January....Ron invited me to come in the van (Chris' van) and so we talked the whole way to Alpine and all the way back. Super flirted and lots of chatter, but after an invite to watch a movie (Ron invited me) and I turned it down because I had to work early the next day, he was like, "You're such an old woman!"

President's day 2011, we had FHE and then played games afterwards. While a lot of flirty went on that whole night, Ron was secretly trying to ask me out. After getting home and starting my cleaning check, Ron texted me and asked me on a date. I said yes. We went to the store as we were planning our date and talked till 3 in the morning, wanting to talk more, but we had school the next morning. We went on a date on Wednesday and 27 days later we were engaged! After lots of dates and time to plan (3 months, just a little too long) we got married in Logan, Utah.

and held a beautiful reception the next day! Then it was honeymoon....of course, no pictures!

Thus we continued making a new life together.