Seventh Anniversary Travels

Every year during fall break, Robyn and I take a short trip to celebrate our anniversary.  We take turns planning the trip, and this year I was in charge.

We decided to head into southern Utah for some outdoor festivities.  Our first stop on the way down was to Pando Forest near Fish Lake.

Pando Forest happens to be the oldest and largest living organism on the entire planet.  The entire forest consists of one Aspen tree that has spread its roots far and wide and sprouted other trees from that same root system.  Which means that every tree in the entire forest is part of one vast living organism.

We did the Doctor Creek Trail which goes right through the forest.

Sometimes I have to hug the oldest living organism on the planet.

The forest was really pretty.

Standing among the trees with the slowly falling leaves was super relaxing.  Robyn needed to do her zen pose.

After Pando Forest, the plan was to continue south and head to our cabin.  Unfortunately, we had no signal so the GPS on our phones wasn't working.  We figured we'd just start driving around the lake and hopefully find some place with a signal.  It was a super scenic drive and it was really pretty.  But it was also in the wrong direction, so we added a good hour to our drive.  Oh well, it was fun.

We got a picture of the lake out of our little drive.

Eventually, despite our detour we made it to the cabin.  It was a super cute little cabin in Duck Creek Village, Utah.

Doesn't it look so fun?

The next day we went to Zion National Park to do some hiking.

The drippy, mossy walls at Lower Emerald Pools

The waterfall coming off of the middle Emerald Pool (onto the Lower Emerald Pool)

Robyn at the Middle Emerald Pool

Posing with the mountains

It was very important for Robyn to take lots of pictures.

It was also important to do the signature Robyn pose.

As we were walking back to the car, this deer was just chilling and didn't care that we were there.  I've never been that close to a deer before.

The plan for day 3 was to go to Bryce Canyon National Park.  Unfortunately, it rained all day long.  We decided that hiking through mud didn't sound very fun.  And we thought the flash flood warnings sounded even less fun.  So we had to find things to entertain ourselves.

We found a German Bakery with delicious pastries.  It also had a carving of the Bread Spirit.  I've never heard of a bread spirit, but that sounds like the coolest ghost ever.

We did do some walking in Duck Creek Village.  It was wildernessy enough to at least feel like we got some nature in.

We did lots of reading.  Doesn't she look so smart with her reading glasses?

That evening I had planned to have hot dogs roasted over the fire for dinner.  The vision in my head was that I would make a camp fire, we would sit around it and chat while it got dark.  We'd eat our hot dogs outside and have a grand old time.

That's not quite what happened.  In the true story, I went out in the rain and built a fire.  Robyn stayed inside and yelled that it was cold.  When the fire was big enough to roast hot dogs over, she ran outside to participate in the roasting.  She roasted hers as quickly as she could and then ran back inside.

Isn't she a cute little hot dog roaster?

You should know that even though it was raining, it wasn't nearly as cold as her attire would have you believe.

This was the actual proper attire for hot dog roasting.

Despite the rain changing our plans, it was really quite a successful trip.  The most exciting part was that my sister totally made a person while we were gone.  (Well, it was really a project that she'd been working on for 9 months or so.  It wasn't all done while we were gone, but she completed the project during our trip.)

On the way back, we stopped off at the hospital to meet our new niece, Adaline.

Do you see the preciousness?

So with plenty of nature, plenty of time with my love and a precious new niece, it was a fantastic weekend.

Dinner with Spencer and My Love

I mentioned earlier that Robyn is taking me on a mystery trip for our anniversary.

However, the anniversary trip didn't actually take place on our anniversary.  It works out much better to take the trip when Robyn has the day off.

That meant that I was in charge of planning a date on our actual anniversary.  We switch off who plans dates every week, but usually it's something simple like a movie at home or going for a hike.   For our anniversary, I took the liberty of taking us to something slightly fancier.

I googled "romantic restaurants in Utah" and one of the top hits was Spencer's For Steak and Chops in SLC.  It was definitely more expensive than our normal date, but the deliciousness was off the charts, and we had a great experience.

Of course, it was a surprise for Robyn where we were going.  She suspected we'd be spending the evening in downtown Salt Lake, mostly because that's where all the fancy restaurants are.  I tried to throw her off by saying stuff like, "for all you know we're going to Idaho." as I was driving north on I-15.  She let me know that if we were driving all the way to Idaho, she would be cranky because she was hungry.

We got to Spencer's and they seated us right away.  We definitely did not track calories at this meal, and we ordered a lot of food.

The most important part of the night was making sure to take a selfie.

The second most important part of the night was all of the cheesiness.

I made Robyn pose with her cheese.

 I'm not gonna lie.  We indulged with this meal.  We ordered like 5 courses, and all of it was fantastic.  (And most of it we took home because we couldn't eat it all.)  I had filet mignon and all sorts of goodness.  But I think my favorite thing of the night was the macaroni and cheese.

I ordered macaroni and cheese as a side.  It was the fanciest mac and cheese the world has ever seen. 

The macaroni had candied bacon in it.  CANDIED BACON!  I told Robyn we could totally come back there and just order that and I'd be happy.  Did I mention candied bacon?


At the end of the meal they gave us free dessert because it was our anniversary.

This was some of the best cheesecake I've ever had.

This chocolate cake was more like a truffle.  It was good, but the chocolate was a little dark for my taste.

 It was a fabulous evening.  The food was fabulous, and the company was even better.  I love going on dates with her!

I'm looking forward to our little trip we have coming up.  It will be like a 3 day long date.  I can't wait!

Six Years of Bliss

As of today, Robyn and I have been married six years.

Six years doesn't actually sound like that long of a time period.  I'm 33 years old.  I've only been married for about 18% of my life.  Yet, in some ways, I can't even remember what life was like before I was married.

It's been a fun adventure so far.  We've had many great experiences together, and I look forward to many more.  We've packed quite a bit into 6 years.  I thought I'd chronicle just a few of the highs and lows of our brief six years of marriage.

We've had our face printed on candy.
We've been to Hawaii twice.
We've struggled through infertility.
We've begun the adoption process.
We've been on two cruises.
We became Scuba certified.
We backpacked into the Grand Canyon.
We bought a house.
We became landlords.
We've kissed approximately 1 billion times.
We've fist bumped approximately 47 times.
We've lived under 2 United States Presidents.
We've acquired 7.8 nieces and nephews (one is due in December.  I figure he's 80% cooked.)
We've had 3 surgeries between us.
We've been to Europe.
We've lost 120 pounds between us.
We've bought 2 cars. (I only wrote about one of them, so that's all that is linked.)
We've traveled to 18 states and 8 countries together.  (That includes our home state of Utah in our home country of the United States.)
We've celebrated 6 versions of every Holiday.  (But most importantly, Pi Day.)
I've fallen to my death at least twice.
We've taken approximately 12 billion selfies.  (I make no guarantees about the accuracy of my approximations.)


This was just a list that I was able to come up with in a brief time period of ten minutes or so.  We've had so many adventures, that I could never list them all.  But the biggest adventure of all, is coming home every day to the love of my life.  She always surprises me with her wit and her fun personality.  She brings me joy just by being in my presence.  I look forward to many more exciting years.  Happy Anniversary my love!

P.S.  Here is the most recent of our 12 billion selfies.

It's extra precious because my parents are in the background.

Anniversary Surprises

Friday was my Anniversary. (As I mentioned here)  It was a fabulous day.  I mentioned then that Robyn had some surprises in store for me.  You're about to find out what those surprises were, but I'll warn you now, there's lots of preciousness ahead.  Some may see the preciousness as "mushiness".  Whatever terminology you choose to use, there's plenty of it about to enter your life.

When I got home from work, I pulled my car into the garage and she was there ready to greet me before I came into the house.  She must have been diligently watching for me because there was something important she needed to tell me.

"You're not allowed to go into the bedroom."

She had blocked off one room of the house, where she had been working on a secret project.  What was that project?  Well, that was to remain a mystery at least for the time being, because it was time to go out for dinner.  She had planned a special dinner and I wasn't allowed to know where we were going.

Normally, I drive whenever we go anywhere, but I was in the passenger seat as we drove to our destination.  This was to avoid the awkwardness of the fact that I had no idea where dinner was going to occur.  I knew we had reservations at 7:00, so as we drove I was speculating where we might be going based on how much longer we had to drive.  When we started going south on I-15 I figured we were going to downtown Provo.  But we got off at Center Street in Orem.  I instantly said, "We're going somewhere in the Riverwoods, but I have no idea where!"

I was right.  We went to La Jolla Grove in the Riverwoods area.

The restaurant looks like you're in a lemon grove.  They also seated me across from a really cute girl.

We decided that there was no dieting for this meal.  So we each got an appetizer, a main course and a dessert.  But, I'm definitely a different person than I used to be.  After  I finished the appetizer, I was already starting to feel full.  What is that all about?

The good news is that fancy places don't give ginormous portions.  So I still enjoyed my whole meal.

I think the best part was this chocolate mousse cake which is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me.

After dinner it was time to drive back home.  I was returned to the driver's seat since I was allowed to know that we were going home now.

When we got home, I was allowed to enter the bedroom.  This is what greeted me.

She had spent time going through all of our pictures and selecting specific ones that represented specific memories.  She had them printed and lined them around our bed with loads of cuteness.

Even more precious, she had written something she loved about me on the back of every picture.  There were such things as "I love how smart you are."  on the back of a pic us thinking with the thinker, or "I love how healthy you are getting." on the back of a pic of us on a big hiking trip.  There were even such awesome captions as "selfie" on the back of a selfie.  Is that not the most precious thing ever?

The answer is yes, it is the most precious thing ever.

Maybe next week you'll get to find out about how I surprised her.

Five Years of Happily Ever After

I like movies.  I enjoy a good action adventure.  I enjoy being transported to strange places.  I enjoy intricate plots, silly comedies, or pure fantasies.  I even enjoy (though I seldom admit it) chick flicks.

My strategy for watching chick flicks is that I play on my computer while my wife watches them.  This allows me to remain aloof in a manly sort of way.  But, there's nothing manly about the way I excitedly proclaim, "I knew they would fall in love!  I'm so happy!".

I didn't like chick flicks before I was married.  I thought they were boring.  I guess once I got to begin living my own love story, I found love stories to be more interesting: The excitement you feel when you meet that special person.  The thrill of the chase as boy pursues girl. The awkward feeling when you're not sure if the person likes you back.  The heartbreak when the person doesn't like you back.  The elation when they do like you back.  More heartbreak when you realize they don't like you as much as you thought.  More elation when they finally reciprocate your feelings. (Repeat those last 2 as needed.)

All of those crazy things were part of my story.  It was awkward and messy and fun and beautiful and totally mine.  My story also had a proposal, and a wedding.  But that's where the movies usually end.  I think that's unfortunate.  Because the dating story is a good one.  But it's just a prequel to the real story.

In the real world, this is the beginning of the story.

Five years ago today, the above picture was taken.  The super awkward part of the story was over.  The real story had finally begun.

In the movies, they always simply live "happily ever after".  That's exactly what I've been doing for the past 5 years.  But that simple phrase doesn't really give it justice.

I think "happily ever after" means something different for everyone.  I imagine that, even for myself, as the "ever after" part gets longer and longer, I will have an ever evolving definition of the "happily" part.  So, while it is guaranteed to change, I thought I might share a little bit about what "happily ever after" has meant for me so far.  At least during its first five years.

Happily Ever After means getting to spend every day with your hero.

Some heroes wear towels instead of capes.

Happily Ever After means learning to communicate.  Even when it's hard.  It means learning to say what you mean and mean what you say.

Happily Ever After means you laugh together. A lot.

Happily Ever After means that you cry together.  

Happily Ever After means there is a hot kiss available when you need it.

Happily Ever After means there is someone to take care of you when you are not feeling well.

Happily Ever After means that you surprise each other.  Robyn is surprising me with something tonight.  I know it involves a dinner reservation that's fancy enough that I can't wear shorts. (Or maybe that's just her way of tricking me into wearing something nicer.)  Her surprise comes next week.  It involves taking off 2 days of work and travelling to an undisclosed location.

Happily Ever After means that sometimes you have to be apart.

But electronic devices allow you to stay connected.  And be as awkward as ever.

Did I mention awkward?

Happily Ever After means that you face really hard times.  But you face them together, and that makes it easier to get through those times.

Happily Ever After means making time to go to the temple.

Happily Ever After means that you make big life decisions together.  Sometimes it's really scary.

Happily Ever After means dancing in the kitchen.

Happily Ever After means you try to do things that seem impossible.  (Like starting a family for us).  But you have faith that the two of you plus the Lord can achieve even the impossible.

Happily Ever After means spending time with great friends.

Happily Ever After means taking selfies.

Be glad I only picked 3.  I had thousands to choose from.

Happily Ever After means having someone to cheer you on while you do something incredibly difficult like try to lost 100 pounds.

Happily Ever After means experiencing the world.

Happily Ever After means trying new things.

Sometimes those new things are bacon soda.  Sometimes it doesn't turn out well.

Happily Ever After means trying more new things.

Sometimes those new things are snorkeling in Hawaii.  That's guaranteed to turn out better.

Happily Ever After means you get to wake up in the middle of the night while your partner does incoherent things in their sleep.

Happily Ever After means spending time with family.

Happily Ever After means always having someone to talk to.

Happily Ever After means appreciating the majesty of God's creation.

There's true magic in a sunrise.

Happily Ever After means that, despite the best intentions, sometimes one of you will get cranky.

She's cute when she's cranky.

Happily Ever After means having someone to lean on while getting terrible news like diabetes or infertility.

Happily Ever After means taking picnics together in nature.

Picnics with selfies, of course.

Happily Ever After means there's always someone who has your back.

Happily Ever After means that you face the world together, hand in hand.

This is just a small piece of what Happily Ever After means to me.  All of these things are part of it.  But none of them truly capture its essence.  I am so happy to have the opportunity to be with my best friend, to enjoy her company, bask in her wisdom, lean on her for support, and laugh with her every single day.

Happy Anniversary my love!  Five years of Happily Ever After barely scratches the surface.  I look forward to many, many more.

Fourth Anniversary

Robyn and I just had our fourth anniversary.  Four years doesn't seem like a very long time, but somehow I can't really remember what life was like without her.

We wanted to take some kind of short trip for our anniversary.  Robyn got two days off for fall break, so we didn't have tons of time.  We decided that the time we did have should be spent relaxing and not travelling.  Thus, we decided to go to the far off land of Midway.  (The little town on the other side of the mountains from us, not the little island halfway between Hawaii and Japan.)

We drove through the Alpine Loop, on the way there.  It is a little area that connects two canyons and takes you to some excellent vantage points to oversee the many colors of the trees as they change for autumn.

Many of the trees had already dropped their leaves, but I love the golden color sprinkled throughout.
Also, you should note that Robyn's classic pose remains the same, even though it is autumn.

On the way we saw this sign.  I like to take pictures like this, so that you can all know of the dangers we faced.

We didn't get through the entire loop, however.  We saw a sign that directed us to Midway.  So, we took a "shortcut".  It did turn out to be less miles, but I don't think we saved any time.  It turns out that you can go a lot faster on paved roads.  I kept worrying that the road would end at some private property or something, and we'd have to go all the way back and around.  But we did successfully get there, even though it was a bumpy ride.

We stayed in an awesome little resort called The Zermatt.  The Swiss style allowed us to pretend we were in Switzerland. (Which is our second favorite place on Earth behind Hawaii.)  Upon arriving, the first thing I noticed was that this accordion playing bear must have had debts with Jabba the Hutt.

We got up to our room, and it was super nice.  There was a fancy bed with billions of pillows.  (You should know of my love for pillows.  Some places are severely lacking, but this place was not.)  It even had a nice balcony type deck that we could go outside and enjoy the view.  Of course, the moment we went out on to our little deck, Robyn noticed this bug:

"That bug is ruining my relaxation!" - Robyn

I took her back inside, where she was safe from being touched by nature.

During our stay at the resort, our primary job was to relax.  But we did a few other things while we were there.

We played wizard's chess.

 finishing off the king after a checkmate

We went on some walks around the area.

We had to brave all sorts of dangers.

We went to the Crater, which is an underground hot spring that you can swim/float in.

We look super precious

This child kept looking down from the hole above us.  I kept waving at him and Robyn kept being embarrassed that I was waving.

We also got massages.  This is not pictured because A)We didn't bring our cameras to the spa and B)The massages involved nudity, which would be awkward.

But most importantly, we ate lots of good food.  This is not pictured because Robyn would be embarrassed to have me admit how many pictures I took of food over our short little vacation.

It was a short, but very relaxing trip.  Happy Anniversary my love! (If you are not my love, you don't have to read that last sentence.  But you are welcome to, if you like.)