So far this summer I'm still working two part time jobs, attempting major cleaning projects, and writing a book. The jobs are going well, though I discovered that teaching sewing classes 4 times a week is lots harder than I anticipated, and I'm glad the other teachers survived girl's camp so that I don't ever have to do that again. I'm also glad that the feast/famine parts of my other job are really hungry right now. The kids have been dutifully helping with the cleaning projects and bags of trash and donations have been removed from the house making me see we just might be able to live here a while longer before actually bursting the seams. I've also somehow managed to write almost 20,000 words in my book AND the dishes get cleaned, laundry gets sorted and put away, and dinner gets made.
Early on I realized that all work and no play makes the kids fight and drive me crazy, so we built fun into the schedule on purpose to keep my sanity. Thanks to my wonderful neighbor (the children's librarian), Tuesdays at the library summer reading program have been amazing. We've gotten books, videos, and entertainment every week. Wednesdays the kids have attempted with varying degrees of success to find a friend to play with, Fridays Grandma helps out by sharing her big back yard with lots of big shady trees, and on Thursday's we've got Adventure Day.
Without realizing what I had created when I invented Adventure Day on the spot when my 10 yr old asked what we were doing this summer, it has been totally successful. We've ridden the Heber Creeper, finally used some of the free discount movie tickets the kids earned all year during school, visited new parks, jumped on trampolines, played laser tag and gotten soaked in the bumper boats, and eaten many samples at Costco. I get several emails from lots of daily deal sites to help us afford all the fun activities. We've also planned some adventures that only require us packing a lunch in advance. Now as we enter the HOT part of summer I'm hoping my resolve keeps up, because we've still got a bunch of fun things to do. But the sculpture garden in 104 degrees does not sound fun, though those hikes and tram rides we planned up the canyon might just save us by a few degrees. What fun things are you doing to survive the "What are we doing today" summer time blues?
PS - Yes I realize that this isn't a letter and I'm not sure that PS even exists anymore in our email world. But I've got this totally unrelated thing to say today and so yeah I'm totally sticking in an unnecessary PS.
This past week, while I worked those extra sewing hours, my loving husband took time off to watch the kids. And since it was our anniversary Wednesday we had adventure day every day after I got home. Dad got to experience sorting rooms, doing dishes, fixing dinner, and still managed to have fun. It was a nice break for Mom, even though I was totally exhausted from helping all those cute busy little girls learn to sew.
Scott and I have been married for 16 years. And we dated for the hugely long time (for Mormon culture anyway) of about 1.5 yrs before getting married. We are quickly approaching that milestone of having lived more years together than we did apart. On the morning of our anniversary I asked him if he still loved me the same as he did the day we got married. . . . and Scott hemmed and hawed a little bit, because we don't love each other the same. Then I remembered this.
We were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 26, 1997. That morning was crazy. I was equal parts excited and terrified. Not because I was getting married to Scott, I'd know that was right since about our third date, but because having just taken out my Endowments I'd never been to a Sealing** before and didn't know what to expect. I knew it wasn't like weddings you'd seen on TV. And though I'd taken the classes, seen the rooms at open houses and in books, and my parents had done everything they possibly could to prepare me I still imagined a million things going wrong. In the special bridal room, my mother helped me dress. And then all alone (okay the super friendly temple workers were there, but I didn't know them) I walked down the longest hallway in the world to the smallest room full of the waiting grooms. I caught a small glimpse of the men as the bride before me entered. They all looked as nervous as I felt. As she walked through the door, one guy jumped up. It was as if getting married was some lottery and if you didn't claim your bride first someone else in the room would get her. As that couple exited through another door, I entered and Scott popped up just as the other groom had. At the moment I was no longer afraid. I knew he would keep me calm and safe. And he always has.
So I asked Scott if 16 years later he loved me the same as he did when he popped out of the chair to claim me as his. His response was "yes" and so was mine. I realize that I'm extremely blessed. We work hard on our relationship, but every time he walks in the door I get the same twitterpated feeling I did when we first met. And smile a little that he is mine and nobody elses. We don't usually publicly declare our love for each other. Occasionally I'll talk about how great he is, but as this blog is kind of my own version of a journal I want to put down for posterity how much I love him. He completes me. He is the butter to my bread. He is the only one I'll ever need. And all the other cheesy things from romantic movies. He sleeps next to me every night, holds me when I cry, puts up with my crazy, and loves me despite of all my flaws. I truly am the luckiest girl in the world.
**To learn more about Endowments and Sealings read this link.
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