Happy 6th Anniversary…

I cannot believe I am saying 6th anniversary! Then again, I think I say that every year! It feels like only yesterday Shaun and I were married and we had the best party with all of our family and friends, brush fires and all! Our day wasn’t perfect, in the sense that not everything went off without a hitch, but it was perfect to us because we were surrounded by the ones we love. In life, that’s what matter most. 

Not much has changed since then. When the road gets tough and we are faced with challenges, I try to to worry because I know I have Shaun right there with me. He is the cool, calm and level headed person that balances my often emotional and reactive personality. In my mind we are a perfect match and after six years our relationship is better and stronger then it was before.

The year leading up to our 6th Anniversary has been a bit more rocky and challenging than the years past. But the one good thing about all of those challenges is that it has given us some wonderful perspective and allowed us to appreciate the things that we do have, each other. Here is what we were doing leading up to our 6th Anniversary…

• Abby performed in her very first dance recital. She was adorable and did such a great job! We were all so proud of her and I cannot wait to see what the future brings, assuming she wants to keep dancing. 🙂
• Celebrated Ellie’s 2nd Birthday and watched her grow even more. She is talking more than we can can keep up with and learning all the time. Ellie is has definitely started to show her stubborn side. Age two is going to be interesting! We also discovered that Ellie has an issue with her vision. She has an astigmatism and is also very nearsighted. To correct the problem and strengthen her eye she will need glasses during her crucial development years, so until about age 10. I was worried at first but she is darn cute in those glasses.
• Overnight Ellie was potty trained! All it took was a trip to Grandpa and Nana’s, some pull ups, a princess potty and some hot summer days to run around in her birthday suit!
• In September, Abby started her first year of school at St. Stephens Preschool. Where does the time go? Preschool already? There were a few years from Mommy and Daddy too!
• Abby, Ellie, Auntie Kelli and myself took a fantastic road trip up to Montana near the beginning of September. WE missed Daddy a lot but a girls road trip was a hoot. I also enjoyed sharing some of my favorite places with Kelli and she enjoyed it too!
• Unfortunately, at the beginning of October Shaun was laid off from his job at Sony. It was a scary and very startling reality to life. The unknown is scary but we have each other, the support of family and friends and faith in the fact that things will get better soon. For now we will enjoy the time we have with one another.
• Abby celebrated her 4th Birthday and she has grown by leaps and bounds since. Abby is learning so much at school and at home, it amazes me. She soaks up everything at school, loves to learn, and is making lots of new friends. 
• On October 31st, my Grandma Taylor passed away. It was unexpected, at least for me. We went to St. George to say goodbye and visit with family. Abby came with us and was such a good girl. She had a lot of questions about her Grandma Tutu, but listened and learned with the poise of an adult. I was so proud of her. It was a difficult time but knowing that she is now with my Grandpa brings me a lot of peace. Miss you Grandma and love you so much!
• Dance began again and this time Ellie started and had her very first dance class. It took a few tries, but in the end she loved it! She loves Miss Elizabeth and talks about her nonstop! I cannot wait for recital!
• We enjoyed another trip at Christmas time to Montana. No mishaps with bumpers or Montana drivers this time! Instead we enjoyed time with family, including my cousin Mike and his beautiful fiance Sue. Abby and Ellie didn’t get to see as much snow as they would have liked, but they made the best of it. Grandpa even bust out the sled and we found him dragging them around the neighborhood on several occasions. It was a fun and relaxing trip. We had to pinch our pennies but we found ways of having fun and loving the time we had!
• The NHL lock out finally came to and end and the hockey season began. Shaun surprised me with tickets to the first home game which meant we had the chance to see the Kings raise their Stanley Cup banner at Staples Center. It was worth every penny and then some!
• After not having any luck with jobs, Shaun and I decided to take a big leap of faith and made the decision to move to Seattle after the school year ended. We even took a road trip up with Abby to find a place to live. Its scary taking such a risk but I know, as always, we will land on our feet.