Donut Date.

A couple of days ago we were on our way to Target, when we decided to swing by Krispy Kreme for some donut holes. So, basically our donut date consisted of us driving through the KK drive-thru, eating the donuts, and talking on our way to Target, while Tatum was third-wheelin' it in the backseat.

So, okay, maybe it wasn't an actual date...but can we just call it that, for my sake? And considering Josh really hates Target (don't even get me started), I mean, this was kind of romantic. Right? 

...Just go with it.

i choose you.

{typical josh. also, weirdest picture ever for this post.}

•I choose you – above all others.
•I choose you – above myself.
•I choose you – above my children.***
•I choose you – above my career.
•I choose you – regardless of income.
•I choose you – in spite of your weirdness.
•I choose you – in spite of my quirkiness.
•I choose you – so I will forgive when you’re wrong.
•I choose you – so I will repent when I’m wrong.
•I choose you – so I will give you the benefit of the doubt.
•I choose you – even when I think you’re stupid.
•I choose you – even when you treat me like I’m stupid.
•I choose you – when we’re in debt.
•I choose you – when we have more than we ever dreamed possible.
•I choose you – when you succeed.
•I choose you – when you fail.
•I choose you – when you’re nice.
•I choose you – when you’re not so nice.
•I choose you – when you’re beautiful.
•I choose you – when you’re messy.
•I choose you – when you’re healthy.
•I choose you – when you’re hurting.
•I choose you – when we agree.
•I choose you – when we disagree.
•I choose you – when all’s right with the world.
•I choose you – when everything falls apart.
•I choose you – when life is busy and we don’t get to see each other.
•I choose you – in those quiet moments that it’s just the two of us.
•I choose you – your dreams, desires, & hopes.
•I choose you – your hurts, habits & hang ups.
•I choose you – your family.
•I choose you – above my own rights or opinions. This is mutual submission out of mutual respect.
•In light of every other possibility - I choose you.


A friend shared that with me the other day, and I immediately emailed it to Josh.
It's so, so spot on and reading it made me so happy. Everyday with Josh, I make the choice to love him, and him me. It doesn't just happen...Love isn't some magical, sunshine and roses type of deal.
Because love isn't just a feeling inside of you.
It's an action.
And man, sometimes...Love. Is. Work. It just is.
But from my experience, it's some of the most fulfilling work that there is.
And every single day I am so happy that we have made the choice, put forth the effort, and really loved each other.

-----

On a less serious note: I cannot stop thinking about Pokemon now. "Joshua! I. CHOOSE. YOUUUUU." Yep.

With me, you get some serious, but also a lot of silly.
It's called balance, guys.

***JUST FYI, before I get any comments on it, I take this to mean that I make time for Josh + it's not always about Tatum, that I consider his opinion first, that I respect his decision making, and so on.

valentine's date.

We had a really fun Valentine's Day this year. It was a low-key family event and I'm 100% happy with that. We went to dinner at a pizza by the slice place and then just walked around, browsing Urban Outfitters. There were supposed to be cupcakes involved, but the preferred shop was closed, so those came tomorrow! : )

Obviously I wore red for the occasion. I mean, duh. I also wore the baby--the best part of my outfit! Seriously, though...Before this trip I'd never used a carrier, because I didn't have a reason to. I love it now. (Good thing, considering I carry her for miles and up giant hills almost daily.)

And for anyone who may wonder: My carrier is from Hotslings.

Tatum went all out and wore a few different shades of red + pink. (Ignore the Pooh paci., plz.)

 

My gift! (The rings in the middle.) I was so super excited! I've wanted these rings for months. I was really surprised Josh got them, because he only saw them once and had no link to them. He said he typed "branch ring" in on the Etsy search bar. That's it. These were an option and he thought they looked close. Phew. : ) Haha.

Oh. And I got Josh a couple pairs of Toms. And we'll just say those dolls I bought were Tatum's gift. : )

What'd you do for Val Day?

the best valentine.

{BFFs.}

(this picture is old. she was tiny, sigh.)

Josh got me some pretty sweet gifts for Valentine's Day, but I'm pretty sure Tatum got the best of all. He got her the cutest card with a heart shaped pizza on the front and wrote her the following letter:

Tatum, You're so beautiful.
I can't imagine not having you. 
You make me so happy and I love you so much.
I can't wait to see you grow up.
You're my perfect little daughter.
I love you.

I'm definitely saving this for her. She'll love it someday.

Tatum is so lucky to have him for a Dad.

And I think we're pretty lucky to have her for our daughter.

two whales in a pod.

so, as most of you probably know...i hate my job.

one of my "resolutions" for this year was to find a new one, asap.

i've just felt very under appreciated for a long time there.

and i also hate all of the drama that goes along with this job.

i hate sounding really whiny and complaining, but there's just some stuff i have to get off my chest.

(then, onto happy things!)

at the beginning of this year, i took my two weeks of vacation.

after i got back to work, i found out that they didn't count my second week, because i can't take it til after my anniversary.

but apparently no one decided to tell me this the multiple times i asked about it.

thanks, guys!

also upon my return, i find that i have been kicked out my position in the office and demoted to cashier.

it has been about 3 weeks that i've been back and no one talks to me about it. at all.

until two days ago.

my manager comes and talks to me and tells me that because i was out for a week, i was kicked out.

so on top of the fact that i was so sick i could barely walk or even move,

or that i was seeing multiple doctors everyday...

i lost my job.

it's just very hard to accept and deal with.

i want to get out of there as fast as i possibly can.

ANYWAYS.

yesterday started out as a pretty rough day in paradise.

i won't lie...josh and i aren't perfect always.

he had his moment yesterday afternoon, and i had mine later that night.

and honestly, i can't even care that there are occasionally moments like these.

i love seeing how josh and i work through things and every time we do i feel closer to him.

i love watching how the two of us grow together and learn from each other.

it's so beautiful and wonderful to me!

things were mended quickly and we had a fun day.

we went to eat at steak n shake.

every time we go josh always gets chicken fingers and fries with barbeque sauce.

but when the waitress asks what he wants, he says, "chicken fingers with ra--barbeque sauce."

because he hates, hates, hates ranch.

and he did it a million years ago when we first started dating, to be silly, and now he has done it ever since.

it always makes me laugh. :)

i really wanted to go to the pet store afterwards, so we did!

i tried to get josh to guess my favorite fish, but they DIDN'T EVEN HAVE IT. thanks a heap, petsway!

we also looked at chinchillas, which i have a really funny story about, but i'll save that for another day. :)

there was this really funny little bird that hated josh and every time he got close it would snap at him.

but it let me touch it's creepy, cute little toes and talk to it.

and they had a bunch of "free to good home" dogs that i was DYING to have, but i know the 'rents would have killed me. :(

we went to jcpenney's and looked in their jewelry dept. at rings.

they didn't have the kind i liked, they only had the square and pear styles.

but i still liked going to get a better grasp of what sizes and stuff are like.

it was really awkward for me talking to the people behind the counter.

because i didn't like anything they were trying to show me, and i felt so weird being like, "no. no. no." ha.

oh, and at one point the lady was like, "i heard you make a comment about diamonart. what was that?"

and i was like, "um....they're not...real?"

and she was like, "oh. right. they're CZ. you don't want that?"

do i want a fake diamond ring? no, no thank you, lady.

i mean, i'm not trying to be shallow or greedy, but i would like a real ring!

i told josh he had to do the talking, and we left. :)

we went to the movies and saw "when in rome."

it was pretty cute! but there was this lady behind us that thought that literally every line of the movie was like, rip-roaringly funny. josh and i could not handle it. so funny.

i love being with my best friend.

seriously, such a blessing! :)

S U N D A Y !

yesterday was a really nice day.

and i'm very happy about it. :)

i went back to my church.

and i actually liked it and felt happy being there.

i was pleasantly surprised, and i intend to continue going there up until josh and i leave.

josh is even going to start going with me next week, which i'm very happy about. :)

also, i went to the gym with my mom, tori, and paul.

it was way fun, and i loved working out!

my little brother was so funny and cute on all the machines, because he is so small.

he was making me laugh the whole time. :)

i had a pretty good workout: 3 miles on the bike and 2 miles speed walking on the treadmill.

it felt really nice and i'm so excited to continue on this journey.

after i worked out, i went to jcpenneys to try and find some new jeans.

i'm usually not a fan of their selection, but i was given a gift card to the store and i'm in desperate need.

there's not really anywhere else in the town to shop for them either, if you're on a pretty tight budget.

i was so happy when i got there and before my eyes were levis!

(they had stopped carrying them here for a long time, for whatever reason.)

so i found this totally perfect pair and was in and out of there in a flash. :)

when josh got to my house we went to town and rented some tv shows.

then, we went to kroger to pick up a few things.

and after decided to go to applebees, where josh's iphone fell out of his pocket and is now totally shattered.

poor whale.

he thinks he is going to tell the apple store that he fell asleep with it in his pocket.

and when he woke up that was just how it was.

now, i don't really condone him lying or anything...

but, basically i want him to tell them this because it is a completely ridiculous thing.

and i think it's really amusing that he thinks this will even remotely work.

god love him.

(i don't know why i'm sad. but he's cute!)