Some Thoughts...

Five years ago tonight, was the night before I got married. I remember that night well. I turned off my bedroom light and sat alone on my bed. It was the bed that I had slept in for many years, and it was my last night there. The next night, I would be sharing a bed with the man I loved. I felt so much peace. I remember feeling grateful that I had saved myself for my wedding night.

I respect all different beliefs and ways of life, but for me, giving myself to my husband after we were wed was the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced. Something was so liberating about committing to God and each other before we shared our bodies with one another. I loved that it was planned. I loved that it was in a beautiful hotel suite. I loved everything about it. That night, I experienced respect and love to a level deeper than I had ever experienced it before.

I will forever be grateful for the choices that Jaren and I made. For us, it was perfect. Those traditional and "old fashioned" values were amazing. I feel like it was a perfect platform from which we dove into our marriage head first. So tonight as I lay in bed with my husband, five years later, I am going hold his hand extra tight and whisper "Thank you".

Dating (summer 2008)

Engagement picture 2009

Engagement picture 2009

Engagement picture 2009

Engagement picture 2009

Happy Birthday Hannah!

Dear Hannah, 

Happy Birthday sweet Hannah! What an amazing year it has been. I have teared up multiple times this month (including a few shoulder shaking sobs) thinking of the fact that you were going to turn one so soon. One year ago, tonight, you changed my world forever. After being in labor for 18 hours, I was so excited when you officially made your debut! I remember being so surprised that you had a bunch of brown hair- or any hair at all. Since that life changing night, your dad and I have learned and grown so much. Thank you for making that possible. You have made me a better person, Hannah. You have helped me to learn about selflessness at a deeper level than I have ever experienced. 

Being your mother has been the most amazing experience. My very best days are the ones that I get to spend the whole day with you. Sometimes I just stare at you in amazement. You are such a smart, kind, and beautiful person. 

Your dad and I feel your strong spirit. You make us want to be better. You make us want to follow God that much more. We know that you and your future siblings are rooting for us! We are a "team" just like your dad always says. Thank you for being our "third teammate". We truly feel honored to be called your parents. 

I try to be more like you every day. I love you. I always will. 

Love, 
Mom 

Contentment

“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough” - Oprah Winfrey. This concept, of being grateful and content, has been on my mind lately. Isn't it funny how easy it is to focus on the negative things in life? It is so easy to compare ourselves to others when it comes to what we have, what we can do, what our bodies look like, the way our spouses express love, and everything else. What if we could just be content with our lives exactly how they are? There is such beauty in being content. Content with our family, our spouses, our friends, the amount we get to travel the world, our money, our small town or big city, our talents, our trials. Although I am not saying that our contentment should hinder our progress or our desire to improve our lives, I have seen that simply being content can help us to be happier. 

How do we stop wishing our lives were different? When you find yourself going down that path, pause for a second and list things that you are grateful for. As soon as you wish you could travel more, or that your spouse would do more sweet/romantic things for you, or that you looked differently, or that you lived in a different town, or that your trials and struggles were different, or that your were better at something... STOP and literally LIST things you are grateful for in your mind. I'm not meaning to pull a therapy stunt on you but I have seen the positive effects of being content and grateful. This is something I have to continually strive to work on in myself. But when I work on it, I find that I enjoy my life, exactly how it is, more. We will never be perfect at this. We will always catch ourselves wishing parts of our lives were different. But there is something amazing about trying to be content. There is beauty in life, exactly how it is. 

Picture from here 

Top 13 of '13

Just like I have done for the past two years (see them here and here), I am going to write about some of our highlights of this year. 2013 has been the most life changing year of my life thus far. Our sweet Hannah was born. All of our "top 13 of '13" would be things that Hannah has done and learned. But, I am going to mix it up a bit and add other significant and special events as well. What a gift 2013 has been!

#1- At 7:26 pm on March 20th, Hannah Elizabeth Dickey was born. It was such an amazing, crazy, and life changing experience. She is our joy. She has added so much to our family. My "princess Hannah" makes me smile each day and Jaren's little "bannah" is his little love.

#2- Because Hannah was born in March. I had my third trimester of pregnancy in 2013. I loved my growing belly and Jaren was my cheerleader (I'm not sure he would like to be called that haha) the whole time.

#3- Jaren got accepted to medical school in 2013! On the first day that people could start getting accepted, he got in! What a blessing. The acceptance came from the MD program at St. Louis University. Although there is a chance we may go somewhere else (since he has other interviews), we have heard nothing but positive things about St. Louis. Adventures ahead!

#4- Hannah has learned sooooo much over the first 9 months of her life. It is amazing to see how much they change and learn. It's been a great ride! Here are a few of the highlights...

First Easter (about 2 weeks old)

First time she rolled over (about 3.5 months)

First Independence Day

First time swimming 

Learning to sit (about 5.5 months)

Playing in the leaves 

First Halloween 

First pumpkin patch (Her cheesy grin kills me!) 

First Christmas morning 

#5- I started a new job at the beginning of 2013. I am a mental health therapist in Rexburg. I love my job and my supervisors are so great! Counseling has been a good fit for me. I love helping people who may otherwise feel like all is lost. Although some sessions are better than others, seeing someone come into my office with shoulders drooped and then leave with their head higher and a smile is amazing! I only work 5-10 hours a week which is awesome because I get to spend my time being a stay-at-home mom! My favorite!!

#6- Jaren also got a new job this year. He is the general manager at a place that sells TV and Internet Service. His job has been a blessing. Although it is not what he likes to do and has been frustrating at times, it has been a good job for the time being.

#7- Since Hannah's birth, we have been able to go on many little get-a-ways! Hannah has been on at least 9-10 trips in her short 9 months. Haha call us crazy! She does really well in the car. It has been fun spending extra time with family on vacation.

Boise, ID

Morgan, Utah visiting family 

Girl's trip to Logan, UT

Driggs, ID

Jackson, WY

Jackson, WY

Visiting Jaren's grammy in Layton, UT

Hotel in Rexburg! A "stay-cation" as Jaren calls it.

#8- My little sister, Stephanie, left on a mission to Little Rock Arkansas in 2013! She is doing so well and is the happiest I have ever seen her (and she has always been happy!). Hearing her stories blow me away. The gospel of Jesus Christ is so amazing.

#9- My younger brother, Ryan, got married! His wife, Allison, is my first in-law on my side of the family and she is soooo awesome! We have bonded recently and she is one of my best pals now! I'm so happy for those two. Their love is so sweet.

#10- Jaren and I became an uncle and aunt for the first time this past December! Jaren's brother and his wife had sweet little Lincoln Alan Dickey! He is a little cutie and is so sweet.

#11- My family's dog of 17 years died this past summer :( Bear was a huge part of our family. Sometimes I still expect her to come walking up to our car when we pull up. Many summer days I could be found sitting on the lawn snuggling with her. She was always one of my best friends! I'm sad that she is gone now.

#12- Mine and Jaren's alone time has become more valuable since becoming parents this year. We have always been kind of obsessed with spending time together (hopefully in a healthy way haha). This year we have had many fun dates and special time together. Becoming parents together has been a special experience.

#13- Although I finished in December 2012, I was able "walk" in graduation in May 2013 for my masters program. Both mine and Jaren's families drove to Boise, Idaho to support me. It was such a fun experience.

Along with these 2013 highlights, we have had trials, hard learning experiences, and stresses as well. It is those times that shape us and bring us closer to God and the ones we love. I'm grateful for those trials as well as our happy highlights. 2013 has been great! I am excited to see what lies in 2014!!