The Mushy Gushy Post ;)

 So between work, school, sleep, cleaning my house that never seems to stay clean, my church calling, spending time with Dustin, and everything else... getting on this blog consistently has ever so subtlety slipped through the cracks.

And I thought being Super Woman was easier than this....

what the heck?  ;)  

Luckily for me, I've got an AWESOME husband who is a major helper -- this boy can mop and sweep faster and better than I can...wish I was joking there. haha.  He does dishes, laundry, makes our bed, cleans our kitchen, vacuums, changes the oil in our vehicles, fixes mine and everyone else's computer problems, inspires me to develop my talents and follow my big dreams, AND helps me with my crafts--sanding, painting, and vinyl lettering.  He definitely has some major skills.
 

 And sorry ladies, he's not for sale. Or rent ;)

Awhile back, one of our close friends once jokingly commented that Dustin and I are too in love.  ....hmmm....Is that even possible? ;)  haha.   I mean, if a person were to go on and on and on about the person they're completely in love with... I can see how that could fall into a mushy gushy category that some people tend to want to stray away from and thus deem "too in love" ;)... ..BUT I guess that's the good thing about this blog (and the heads up with the title of this post) is that it's all mine so I can say whatever I want right? haha.  And unlike conversations you may get stuck in the middle of where you have no other option other than to listen, people can read....or not to read this -- that is the question ;)

On a serious note, I got to thinking about what our friend said ...not really pondering on the thought that I just may be TOO in love with Dustin, but pondering more on how much I show/tell/express to Dustin how much I love him... Do I say it enough?  Do I show it enough and all the time?

So...with fair warning, I begin my Mushy Gushy Post:  ;)

I remember 10 years ago when I was 14, I wrote out a list of qualities I wanted in my future husband. 

Doesn't every girl do this? ;) 

...I still have that paper in my journal. I don't remember all the things I wrote, but off the top of my head I remember some of them.

1. I wanted a person who was helpful and who helped around the house every once in awhile when I was tired.  
2. I wanted a person who was kind and who wouldn't put me down, and who joked around with me.
3. And I wanted someone who was my best friend -- that would sum things up.

Yep, that should take care of it right?....I thought that as long as he hit the BIG points, I'd be happy. I didn't need anything else...not that I didn't WANT it but I couldn't expect him to be perfect or anything, because I surely wasn't. ....

But then I "met" Dustin, (and I say "met" because he lived right next door to me LITERALLY for a some 15 years before I even really took interest in him), at my little brother's Eagle Project.  A bunch of family and friends went out to the desert, camped, and then woke up early the next morning to clean up weeds, rocks and all sorts of stuff... I distinctly remember being very impressed with Dustin's work ethic. He didn't complain and was a super hard worker who when others whined, he jumped in and got the job done.  That's when I was like, "heyyyy, so.........we should go out."  haha.
 
From there, I won't say that our dating life was perfect or easy.  I am 2 years older than Dustin so I decided to move out and get a job while his plan was to go on a mission.  I studied abroad in Mexico for 5 weeks, then came home and moved to Mesa where we long-distance dated (2.5 hrs away) for a few months before he went on a mission to the Philippines. When he came home unexpectedly due to medical reasons, I was dating someone else.. ...yeah, totally not the happiest time of my life there figuring out how that was supposed to work out.  The other guy quickly showed his true colors, of which I was very much not impressed.  I said farewell to him, and felt the awkward and sad tension between Dustin and I....me feeling very much like I didn't deserve him and therefore not sure how to "run back" or if that was even the right answer..  After much prayer, and counsel from my dad, the answer was simple: Did I love him?  Yes.  Did it feel right to be with him? Yes.  Then there was my answer.  And once I decided on my answer, things fell into place.

And I am VERY happy to say that things did.  I truly could NOT be happier being married to Dustin.:)


That ten year old list was JUST a snippet of what kind of man I wanted my future "Mr. Perfect" to be.  Dustin not only checked off my list of "hopeful qualities" but has completely outdone it, becoming the husband I never knew I wanted and needed.

Dustin is:

1. Someone who will clean the whole house to surprise me when I come home, who will pack my lunches in the morning while I am still getting ready.  Someone who always asks me how my day is, how I'm feeling, and what he can do to make things better. Someone who asks me what I would like to do/where I would like to go without giving a thought to where HE wants to go. 
2. Someone who I can completely be myself around, and be fun and random and crazy with, because he is JUST as crazy as I am.  He laughs at my jokes even if they are super lame, and makes me laugh and smile, all the time.  He NEVER puts me down, and is constantly throwing out ideas on how he can help me fulfill my dreams of getting my craft and musical talents going into something bigger.
3. Someone who is my best friend. For life and for forever.  I can rely on him, trust him, cry to him, laugh with him, and enjoy spending all my time with him.  Sometimes I just want to run away and spend a few weeks...or months.... just us somewhere fun.  Retirement is going to be AWESOME! hahaha.

After being married for 2 1/2 years, I still get that giddy school-girl feeling DAILY when I get to see him after work.  People tell me that's called "the honeymoon phase" and that it will wear off.

 I say loving someone is a choice.


It's a choice whether you let things get old and repetitive, or whether you stop going out and having fun, or whether you let things overwhelm you to the point of snapping. It's a choice to be happy despite negative circumstances that may rise up around you. It's a choice to fall into that every day rut of "nothing's great and nothing's new or exciting."  So ya know what?  MAKE IT exciting.  MAKE IT something new and fun.

I'm not the most creative person in the world...I TRY to be creative, yes.  But ya know....it's a lot of work.  I honestly love people who willingly share their creative ideas because that not only saves me time, but saves me the stress of figuring out every little detail.  I came across this website called "The Dating Divas" where people have submitted their date ideas -- If you're looking for something last minute, fun, simple, cheap, elaborate, expensive, fancy, creative, funny, or ANYTHING, this is totally a good website to check out :)

Dustin and I have pulled 6 ideas off this website so far.  In fact, for Christmas Eve, I did THIS idea. I bought all the items I needed at the dollar store, and it was a huge hit! Dustin loved it :)

So in my mind, I got more than I hoped for.  He's definitely better than I deserve and I'm very blessed to have him.  He's not perfect. But he's perfect for ME :)

So, if this post has been way too mushy gushy and you only made it through about a fourth of it, that's cool. I'm not offended. Unless your name is Dustin...then you have no excuses ;)

I love you Dustin!  Here's to the next 70 years of marriage + eternity...which is kind of a long time.... but I'm perfectly ok with that ;)