The Hopeless Romantic

Truth: Jon David is one of those.
Truth: I am obsessed with the fact that he is.

I surprise him with a little card the night before our one year anniversary (take it easy...one year from the day we met, that is) and he blows me out of the water the next morning.
First, I wake up to a note that says "Sorry honey, you have to wait in the bedroom. Don't spoil the surprise."

And awhile later (after he tested my patience with waiting!) I walked out to a room full of eleven white roses. Each rose represented each month from the day we met, and memories were posted by each one. This took him some time, and what most impressed me was how well he remembered specific moments of us together during each of those months.

(Party animal Lisa requested that we babysit her LoveSac. Jon was far from opposed, even though it takes up half of our living room floor. Okay I love it too, reminds me of when we were dating anyways.)

My cheeks were hurting from smiling so much.

The husband was paranoid about me seeing the kitchen before this point, because it all had to go in order.

Month 12 memories were mentioned in the most beautiful letter I have ever received, in that card. He knows the way to my heart. See those CHOCOLATE COVERED CINNAMON BEARS? And, a magnificent calla. Did you know they symbolize majestic beauty, as well as rebirth? A native flower of Southern Africa (where Jon served for two years), it is the best flower in my world. Eggs on toast, nectarines, and strawberries. He is cute enough to even get me the specific yogurt I prefer. I know he laughs the whole time preparing surprises such as these, because he pictures my face and my reaction to it all. I sort of freak out. :-)

Thank you, thank you, thank you Jon. I love everything you are. I am so blessed, and I learn from you every day.

We had a blast celebrating at Lagoon. We both sort of FREAK OUT about amusement parks too.

I think we'll always be a couple of kids at heart. (The very back is the fastest sometimes!)

Here is the key to partying at Lagoon while maintaining your budget savviness: borrow your sister's (and sister's friend's) bounceback passes. (10$ each as opposed to $4frickin4)

Love your life.

I feel more complete than I ever have before.

Had I Known...

I have been having major flashbacks to my high school days. Yesterday, Ashton McMullin married Jaron Woolley, an incident that would have made those 15 yr. old girls of 2001 squeal with delight. (If only we had known when he kissed her on the busride home from ninth grade Lagoon day: Jaron would be Ash's first and last kiss!) Crazy how things work out, isn't it?

All but one. Missin you, Andrea! I'm still the only darky :-)

Gorgeous little bride.

Oh our days of Bingham High School. Were there clicks? Oh yes. Matt and I laughed at how remnants of those clicks still existed last night at the reception. And I suppose we could laugh at ourselves, catching up with old friends in a corner of green grass, reflecting on days of our past as the sun set in South Jordan. I saw old Dance Company friends, grade school friends, and even old Goose from Camp Oakcrest. (You're not really old Goosey, I just thought it sounded good.)

To continue the teenage nostalgia, the fearsome foursome  (Matt, Steph, Hubby and Self) ended the night with a visit at Sarah Hunter Gayheart's home, only to meet up with other graduates of 2004. It feels like years since I have seen those good people. I suppose it has been...somewhere around six. And the whole night just got me thinking about my 18 yr. old self. Someone quite different from who I am today. And yet, the core of me has remained constant. My soul has always soared for truth and light, or at least aspired for it. This is not a self-boasting page by any means. The point is, the events of last night got me thinking.

Had I known.
If I had known as a senior at Bingham High School that I would continue dancing throughout college, I would have been "simply flummuxed" (President Hinckley introduced that one) and completely thrilled at the same time. It seems so strange now, but at the time I thought I was all through with dance. I would obtain my degree from college and find a passion in teaching. Well, one year without dance and little Rachey was depressed. I found myself again through performing with a company of (who would become) some of my most cherished friends and exceptional examples. My BYU experience centered around the International Folk Dance Ensemble. I traveled to some of the most amazing destinations in our world, and met some of the most inspiring people. Pioneers of the gospel in Belarus, Czech citizens who praise America, Chinese babies with smiles that would resolve contention, and various others who have left permanent imprints upon my heart.

Had I known I would major in psychology, I would certainly wonder why. Wow that was unexpected. And fascinating. Hopefully I can be a better mother, friend, neighbor, instrument, and individual because of some (I will not say all) of the ideas presented throughout my social and clinical psychology classes at BYU. If you still can, take LDS Perspectives on Psychology by Dr. Edwin Gantt. That class changes lives. After graduation I did end up working in an elementary school after all, eh? I admit I am in love with my job. And using what I learned to obtain my degree is extremely rewarding.

Ha ha ha. Had I known I would become really close friends with Greg and Maria Tucker, I might have clogged harder at clogging camp when I met them in 2007! At least I might have tried to make light conversation with them at the time. But hello who wouldn't be intimidated by such talent? Three years later, I am attempting (sort of a key word here:-) to clog on their top competing team, Jon and I babysit their children, and their faces remain in my memory of June 1, 2010 at the glorious Manti temple. It meant so much to me to have them at our sealing.


And best of all, the "had I known" that takes the cake. You can probably guess it.

Him.

Here is a picture of the day we met one year ago this Saturday.

And Nayla with Uncle Jon. She is quite taken with him.

And had I known in high school that I would pull an Ilene and get married at age 24 to really, the ideal family man, I wonder what kind of celebration I would have had. To those of you who knew me then, you can imagine it would have been no small party. And every emotion would have been written across my face. Alright I will spare you from anything more mushy than that. For today at least.

But here is the thing. Had I known all those things then, I wouldn't be the person I am today. Had I known all that was coming for me, I might have sat back and missed out on all that I encountered along the way. I was meant to trod that specific pathway, and that is what amazes me.

God is good, Jon and I often say. He is in His heavens, and who knows but what pathway He has laid out for you to venture upon? Tread that path, and find your standstill moments when you can. Choose to dare, to move, to act. Try something new. At some point or another, all of us will find ourselves saying "Had I known..." I hope that when you do, it is said with more contentment than regret.

Angel on Earth

A fortunate accident
that I arrived at the lobby then
And everyone assumed I was there
to assist her
So I pushed her wheelchair along until
she stopped me outside of the dressing room.

Despite her mumbling words, "Muh muh...bah bah..."

                  She knows the routine

And is capable of telling me what to do without actually speaking.
Shoes off. Slippers on. Temple case in the ordinance workers' room.

As I continue to push her into the locker room and wait for her outside the booth,

I feel honored

Honored to assist a woman so noble and dedicated 
Privileged to aid a daughter of God so faithful as she is
Every Wednesday she has come, infinite and pure, so that each of us may learn from her
                              And today my turn has come

Into the elevator, and she pushes the button
As we stroll along a sacred hallway to room six,
something to become a memory happens.

Her finger is reverently pointing to  every picture of Christ we pass

My heart.

"You know him, don't you"
and though I say it the words don't seem to be my own
"He knows you too"

               I am overwhelmed
                          And my eyes burn with tears in that quiet moment

She may not speak, yet I know she understands
Perhaps more than most of us
             
                       And I know she knows our Savior.

Ode to Sister Johnson.