Dear Blog-
I have not forgotten about you and have so many things I would like to share with you.
We have been busy. We have been so blessed and today I am going to take the time to actually share a bit of joy with you.
Nine years ago today I married my best friend. A man I loved, respected, admired and longed to be with forever.
Just look how cute and happy we were that day!!
A lot has happened in the last nine years. A start in Austin, Texas... a place I thought we would never miss. Ben worked 80 hours every week and had one weekend off a month. He was so busy and I think alot of that time was a blur to him. I worked a lot of night shifts too, we had a happy little house that we started our lives together in. I remember it never being messy. I think that's because we were rarely there and had no kids. We made some good friends, both at work and from church that we miss A LOT and still think of regularly. I miss my coworkers at North Austin more than I thought I would. Ben misses his "Whatabuds" and I miss their wives. We were a close group of friends when we left. Bridger was born there and we shortly moved. We still wear lots of University of Texas gear for no other reason than we lived there and loved it. I never miss Texas in the summer, but quite often in March and November.
Then onto Madison, Wisconsin. Oh that place was wonderful when we moved there in June. That place we loved in the summers and I hated terribly in the winters, so much that we considered moving a few times. If it weren't for Jamie and Megan, I think I would have. I learned in Madison that great neighbors are priceless and something that I will never take for granted again. Especially since the neighbor on the other side threatened to kill me... that was a first for me...but this is a happy story... I don't miss Madison, but I do miss my friends I made there. Oh yes, and my little Carter Cole was born there, he has never been little so that is a bad adjective for him... my BIG Carter.. he was a hard baby to make happy. But he grew and we have learned a lot from that kid and it wasn't very long into his life before he and his brother became best friends and that is so fun to watch every day.
Then onto Boise. A place we never considered and even when Ben came to interview here, it was a practice interview and we had no intentions of coming here. I could tell by the sound of his voice when he was here interviewing that Ben really liked it. It made me nervous until I came for the second interview and I knew this was the place for us.
Now that we have been here 3 and a half years, we've added two precious little girls to the mix. Afton melted our hearts made me realize that girls really are fun to have (shes on the brink of 3 years old, so I'll return to that thought in another year or so...) and Eden baby has been the cherry on top...That sweet little girl is too perfect for this world, how we all love her and her cheerful disposition. I can't tell you how blessed we are and how happy we have been. We love it here, we have great weather, great neighbors, great friends and a great job. Ben loves his work and is very dedicated to it. He is also a dedicated husband and father. We have experienced lots of great things together over the past nine years. We are not perfect by any means. I get mad and irritated, Ben doesn't... he just goes to work then builds cool furniture for our house.... a house that is full of kids and always messy... but it is a house of joy. We have good time here and recently Carter has demonstrated some serious dance moves that makes me burst out laughing. Oh that kid...
We basically still look the same:
(I guess nine years equals Me minus 15 pounds or Ben plus 15 gray hairs)
We have multiplied:
And, lets be honest, I seriously have the cutest family on the planet!
And guess what the best part is?! We are a forever family! I tell all my youth girls at church make sure you marry a great guy, make sure you get married in the temple so you can be sealed together forever. It makes my heart burst with happiness that this little group is mine forever!
Thank you, Ben Tippets, it has been a great nine years and I look forward to a million more.
