Weekend in Boise

We went to Boise this last weekend to spend a few days with my parents. The boys, like always, had fun running wild around grandma's. Mr. Keller and I went out for our anniversary a couple of times. We went to the temple, shopping and to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We met up at Aunt Jackie's for my grandpa's birthday party. 

Saturday, we did gingerbread houses and visited and Saturday afternoon, we did some more shopping, went to Carinos and to the movies. 

Sunday, Morgy wasn't feeling very well, so he stayed home from church with grandma. We loaded up the car when we got home and went to Kricket and Michael's house for a nice lunch. The boys are always SO spoiled. They had so much fun playing with the big bag of toys Kricket and Michael gave them for Christmas. The lunch was so yummy and we had a fun time visiting. 

Here are some photos from this weekend (and a few from this week):   

Nine years with this one. I can't believe how quickly time has gone!

Visiting Kricket

Wrapping presents

 Anniversary pizza, sparking cider by candlelight, except for that lasted about twenty seconds and then Danny blew them out. The romance is real!

Sweet little card I had Morgan draw for Mr. Keller. Hearts and then he drew us both getting ready to kiss! 

Danny and his little lion baby einstein toy he wants SO bad from Santa. We saw it at Walmart last week and he is totally smitten! He's been carrying around this paper, even sleeping with it. He keeps looking at it and saying, 'He's soooooo cuuuute!'

Christmas is going to be so fun!

Pit stop in the fields of Jerome!

A trip to the dollar store to pick out presents for each other!

And some photos with grandma and papa!

 This child, you guys.

Our afternoon and Kricket and Michael's beautiful home!

Michael trapped some squirrels earlier that day. The boys LOVED watching them in their cages.

Gorgeous table setting!

Twelveseventeen.

Mr. Keller and I have been married for seven years today. This weekend he surprised me with flowers and a handwritten card (which rarely happens). He told me he adored me, which was very sweet. I treasure every letter he's ever written. We had all sorts of other random plans for a weekend out (slc and temple square were one of them), but we decided to stay home instead. I'm really glad we did. It was snowy and we were tired and had heavy hearts after friday. We got a babysitter saturday afternoon and went to the Hobbit and to dinner. We came home, put the boys to bed, built a fire and watched the Hallmark channel for the rest of the night. And I wasn't even the one who turned the channel to that station. I think we were both in need of something light.

This year feels different. We both know this. We sat across from each other at dinner and I cried. We both agreed how we've somehow turned a corner, turned a page and we're looking onward to a new path, a new chapter. Of course, I'm always looking back, and he's the one looking on. I'm longing, he's excited. And that is why we'll be just fine.

Jlk, in years past on this day, I may have loved you for being silly, for being romantic at the most unexpected times. Today, my feelings are deeper. Today, I love you for touching my tears, for staying right close when I can't sleep at night. I love you for comforting, blessing and protecting me with the power of the Priesthood. I love you for being my companion. Heavenly Father knew exactly who I needed to be by my side. I'm so glad it was you. How very perfect you are for me. You lead me on. For this I'm grateful. I love you with all my heart.

  

Thirty-two.

{Hayden Lake, early 1990s}

Happy anniversary to my sweet parents, who have been married for thirty-two years today! According to my mom, who is here spending the entire week with us (yay!), the secret to a happy marriage is "caring more about the other's happiness more than your own."  

The sweetest part about this is when I called my dad on the phone to ask him the same question, he essentially said the exact same thing. He said the marriage secret is "to be able to put their spouse on a pedestal and  look out for their needs and their wants more than their own." 

He loves her most for "her ability to mother" and thinks it's cute how she always cuddles up to him when she's cold. She loves him most for his kindness, and loves his smoothe face and nice skin. (Sweet and cute to hear her say that, because she always touches his face when they smooch!)

I love you both! Xoxo! 

Six years.

I've been laying on the bedroom floor tonight watching Mr. Keller write bills and lick envelopes. The kids are in bed. The dishwasher's humming. I'm in my sweats. In one sweeping moment, I felt something deep in my chest. I felt warm, loved and safe. I am content.  

For our sixth wedding anniversary, we went to Idaho Falls for the afternoon, and we took the truck so we could sit extra close on the drive there. We went to the temple, lingered in the celestial room, and ate at Buddy's later on. 

Eating at Buddy's prior to attending a romantic party-for-two at the Black Swan is only for seasoned lovebirds (those married for five years or longer, who have loved each other through sickness, health, childbirth and other less-than-flattering situations). Buddy's always equates to a delicious garlic overdose of sorts. We walked through the doors, and never stood a chance. Neither one of us cared. 

Once we checked into our pretty room and set the fireplace ablaze, we did what most in-love couples do on a kids-free night: we watched Mitt Romney on Cspan (oh yes, we did).

We slept in, snuggled and went to breakfast, just before heading home to our babies. Later, in the driveway, we kissed and Mr. Keller told me something so sugary it sounded like it was straight from a Hallmark movie. But he doesn't watch Hallmark movies, so it must have been from his heart. It melted mine.

We couldn't wait to get away, but I took note that our conversations almost always seemed to trail back to Danny boy and Morg. I suppose that's what it's all about. 

Oh, love. Six years!

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two." 

Louis De Bernieres via nieniedialogues

1,826 days.

Five years ago today, I became Mrs. Keller.

Lucky was I, that day.

I think I always knew I would marry someone I grew up with; for me good friendship always came first. And it's come in handy through the thick and thin of things, and we're just five years in. We'll need it more and more tomorrow, and the next day after that. And I'd like to think it's what we'll lean on when we're old and gray.

Once upon a time, in our younger years, we had a solid distaste for each other. And that's putting it nicely. (I used to use the word 'hate'.) The next thing I knew, he owned three suits, was gone for two years, then came back so cute. Somehow, magically, we grew into reason. Liked each other. Loved each other. Then, one night, he told me he put a ring in the jockey box and it was for me.

We've made homes together; three of them to be exact. We've had four cars, one awful dog, and the most delicious, blue-eyed boy (we've) ever seen.

Mr. Keller's been bit (during labor), punched (during fights), kicked in the junk (for fun), been called names, and had the door slammed in his face (more than once). (Deserving, every time!) But we always make up.

Mostly, because I love the birth mark on the side of his face. And I love his dark hair. And I love watching him from a distance, talk to other people.

I think he's cute when he smiles. And I like when he makes me laugh. Like really hard sometimes. Even when I'm mad, which is really rather annoying when I'm trying to prove a point. But most of the time it's just ridiculous. Like years ago, when I was pregnant, I was cutting his hair for the first time, and I shaved the sides into a mullet, without him knowing it, and I may or may not have been 'this close, to being this close' to peeing my panties. If I had a dime for every time he's made me laugh that hard....

If I had a dime for every time he's kissed my forehead, or pinched my bottom.

I'm a rich woman. And life is good.

Five years ago today, I became Mrs. Keller.

{Anniversary Hiatus' Top Ten}

...(...or top eleven).

Sitting in the celestial room together in the same temple, on the same day and at the same time we were married there four years ago.

Snuggling on the couch.

Eating Thai food.

Listening to Jared talk to the waitress in Thai.

Kissing Morgan goodbye for two days (bittersweet).

Temporary childlessness.

Feeling young(er) again.

Sleeping in.

Our lovely Wild Ivy purchase.

Christmas shopping with my darling.

Playing cards late at night.

For Tomorrow: December 17th, 2005

I am writing this post today because, tomorrow, I am sure my heart will be too fluttery and I will be too distracted with romance of all sorts to blog about it (I am a lucky girl).

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Tomorrow, we celebrate each other, certain covenants, and the day we became Mr. and Mrs. Keller.

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The morning of our wedding day, I sat on my parents' bed while my mom clasped a white swarovski crystal bracelet on my right wrist and my dad buckled my dress shoes. They asked if I was nervous.

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I was full of peace.

Bliss. Joy.

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Four years later, my feelings are changed. They are more so, and much deeper.

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They are real. All things stripped, there is tenderness and trust and love. As simplistic and as patterned as our lives may be, there is holiness in it. We find it in family, in parenthood.

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We find it in the thing which brought us to where we are now - marriage.

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And how we've learned and grown and been blessed beyond measure or compare.

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Last week, I sat on the floor with Megan and told her how I believe with a full heart, that for me, when I put my entire self into the hands of Heavenly Father, I found myself exactly where I needed to be. And in the simplicity of doing so, I felt whole and pure. All else fell into place.

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All else was orchestrated. And continues to be.

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I'm so thankful for that.

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To my darling JLK: I love you. Happy day to us on the morrow! I am the luckiest girl and you are the best for me! I'm so glad we have forever and ever together.

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{His and Her Facts}

In four years, we've owned three houses, had three cars, one lawn mower, one very naughty dog, two motorcycles, shot two deer, painted dozens of walls, had two sets of couches, ate lots of chocolate cake, had one flat tire, started a business, made one loveable baby together, and kissed 1,450,998 times.