So Corbin's first birthday is coming up in just a couple weeks, and I'm told it's normal at this age, but I can't handle the temper tantrums! For one thing, he's too big and strong for me to contain, so when you add his strong-willed personality and throwing his head back, I just have to put him down now.
So my question, how do you guide his head so it doesn't hit the floor, or at least doesn't hit hard, and still ignore the tantrum so it ends as quickly as possible? Is it feasible?
I hate to do a whole post on temper tantrums since it's not something I really want to remember about my sweet baby boy. But I figure it's also a sign that he is growing up and exerting his independence. It's so strange that he has his own ideas and can actually make choices about where he goes and what he does.
Speaking of choosing where to go, I just added "Walking" to the title since it's also a new development as Corbin approaches turning 1. Corbin now chooses HOW to get somewhere, which is REALLY strange. Although he still chooses crawling most the time (because it's faster), he is getting more and more stable on his feet. He LOVES walking while holding my hands because then he can run. He would do it all day if I was willing. But he's starting to take more steps on his own as well. This morning, I was in my bedroom and Corbin was in the hall, and I suddenly saw him toddle into my room on only two limbs. It was so crazy to see him! I get so proud of him when he tries.
Dustin and I laugh because he walks better when he is holding something in one or both hands. It's as if he trusts the objects to hold him up, like he's holding someone's hand(s). We call it his magic object which helps him walk.
Well, I'm done avoiding my chores. I'd love to hear some thoughts on tantrum control...
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
The System
As I've started to really enjoy couponing, my system has evolved, but I'll give you the most simple way I started so you can go from there to find what works for you.
1. Buy a Sunday paper.
2. Clip coupons (There are methods where you don't clip them but you just save your inserts--I might start that at some point, but for now, I like to clip them so I know what I have.)
2b. I'll cover online coupons on another post so as not to bog you down. It's something I just added to my system.
3. Organize your coupons. (Another reason I avoided this--I thought you had to get all involved and buy a fancy binder, etc. All I did was put some paper in a regular 3-ring binder and stapled my coupons right to the papers. Each paper was for a different category.)
4. Look through the ads. You can get the paper ads or look them up online. I tend to do both. Some come in the mail to me and others are in the Sunday paper.
For St. George, I tend to do Smith's, Lin's, Walgreen's and Albertson's. Look at the ads one at a time and create shopping lists for each store as you go.
6. Pull the coupons you need for each store. I have an envelope for each store. As I look through the ads I write on my list anything that is on sale that I already need, or anything that is on sale that I have a coupon for that I can stock up on at a great price.
7. Put the list and the coupons in the envelope and go shop before the week ends.
FYI:
Smith's sales are Wed to Tues
Lin's are Mon to Mon (so on Mondays you get deals from both weeks)
Albertson's are Wed to Tues
Walgreen's are Mon to Sun
Walmart has ad match so you could potentially get all your shopping done there. I haven't tried it because it's easier for me to do 2-3 short trips a week with my baby, than to do one long trip that gets everything. Also, remember I coupon for my shopping fix so I "need" to go every once in a while so I don't go wander D.I. :-)
OTHER QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE
Expiration Dates
For better or for worse, I don't get bogged down in expiration dates. I'm sure there are some coupons that I miss out on but good deals are always coming around, I decided. The coupons that are for things that are most important to you will be at the forefront of your memory most likely so you'll be aware of their expiration dates. I just organize by category and call it good. Haven't missed anything too amazing yet. :-)
What's a Good Deal?
This has been something I've researched a little just out of curiosity, and not surprisingly, those extreme couponers have LOTS of information online. But rather than worry my pretty little head with so many numbers, I decided that trial and error is the best way to learn. I figure, if I'm getting even 25 cents off and item, I'm already paying less than I would have at that store so I just go for it. Then when I get home, I usually check walmart.com's price for several things to see if I got a good deal. It's not fool-proof, but I figure if I got it for cheaper than I would have at Walmart, I did pretty good.
The more you start to pay attention, the more aware you are of what's a good deal. There are also websites like Freebies2deals.com and XOXO Frugal Momma on Facebook which tell you when a price is good for stocking up. They also have links to online print-at-home coupons so you can get the exact deal they describe. I tend to check their posts now just to see what free things I can get each week.
Free Things
Set up an online account for your Smith's card and every Friday you can download that week's free item. Then you have a couple weeks to go pick it up. Smith's also has coupons that you can load right onto your Fresh Values card right from their site. The only bummer about those is that they override any paper coupon you might have used so you have to kinda remember which coupons you loaded.
For example, I could have gotten free toothpaste the other night using a 1.00 off coupon, but I forgot I had a 75 cents off coupon on my card. It took that first so I couldn't use the other. I still only paid 25 cents for toothpaste so no big deal, but it's an example....
Check Your Receipts
Extreme couponers organize better than me, I'm sure, but so far, my system has worked pretty well. One thing I've had to learn is to not be afraid of being the "crazy coupon lady." I check my receipts every time now--sometimes there are coupons that didn't get on there (like store coupons at Walgreen's that I forgot to point out to the clerk), or sales that didn't register (Smith's Buy 5 Save 5 deals and you accidentally only bought 4), or something that was listed in the ad that didn't ring up as listed. You have to pay attention and not be afraid to point things out. I've found that they are always really helpful at all the stores, and they can even go back in and fix your mistakes for you (like if you forget to give a coupon or don't buy enough of an item).
1. Buy a Sunday paper.
2. Clip coupons (There are methods where you don't clip them but you just save your inserts--I might start that at some point, but for now, I like to clip them so I know what I have.)
2b. I'll cover online coupons on another post so as not to bog you down. It's something I just added to my system.
3. Organize your coupons. (Another reason I avoided this--I thought you had to get all involved and buy a fancy binder, etc. All I did was put some paper in a regular 3-ring binder and stapled my coupons right to the papers. Each paper was for a different category.)
4. Look through the ads. You can get the paper ads or look them up online. I tend to do both. Some come in the mail to me and others are in the Sunday paper.
For St. George, I tend to do Smith's, Lin's, Walgreen's and Albertson's. Look at the ads one at a time and create shopping lists for each store as you go.
6. Pull the coupons you need for each store. I have an envelope for each store. As I look through the ads I write on my list anything that is on sale that I already need, or anything that is on sale that I have a coupon for that I can stock up on at a great price.
7. Put the list and the coupons in the envelope and go shop before the week ends.
FYI:
Smith's sales are Wed to Tues
Lin's are Mon to Mon (so on Mondays you get deals from both weeks)
Albertson's are Wed to Tues
Walgreen's are Mon to Sun
Walmart has ad match so you could potentially get all your shopping done there. I haven't tried it because it's easier for me to do 2-3 short trips a week with my baby, than to do one long trip that gets everything. Also, remember I coupon for my shopping fix so I "need" to go every once in a while so I don't go wander D.I. :-)
OTHER QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE
Expiration Dates
For better or for worse, I don't get bogged down in expiration dates. I'm sure there are some coupons that I miss out on but good deals are always coming around, I decided. The coupons that are for things that are most important to you will be at the forefront of your memory most likely so you'll be aware of their expiration dates. I just organize by category and call it good. Haven't missed anything too amazing yet. :-)
What's a Good Deal?
This has been something I've researched a little just out of curiosity, and not surprisingly, those extreme couponers have LOTS of information online. But rather than worry my pretty little head with so many numbers, I decided that trial and error is the best way to learn. I figure, if I'm getting even 25 cents off and item, I'm already paying less than I would have at that store so I just go for it. Then when I get home, I usually check walmart.com's price for several things to see if I got a good deal. It's not fool-proof, but I figure if I got it for cheaper than I would have at Walmart, I did pretty good.
The more you start to pay attention, the more aware you are of what's a good deal. There are also websites like Freebies2deals.com and XOXO Frugal Momma on Facebook which tell you when a price is good for stocking up. They also have links to online print-at-home coupons so you can get the exact deal they describe. I tend to check their posts now just to see what free things I can get each week.
Free Things
Set up an online account for your Smith's card and every Friday you can download that week's free item. Then you have a couple weeks to go pick it up. Smith's also has coupons that you can load right onto your Fresh Values card right from their site. The only bummer about those is that they override any paper coupon you might have used so you have to kinda remember which coupons you loaded.
For example, I could have gotten free toothpaste the other night using a 1.00 off coupon, but I forgot I had a 75 cents off coupon on my card. It took that first so I couldn't use the other. I still only paid 25 cents for toothpaste so no big deal, but it's an example....
Check Your Receipts
Extreme couponers organize better than me, I'm sure, but so far, my system has worked pretty well. One thing I've had to learn is to not be afraid of being the "crazy coupon lady." I check my receipts every time now--sometimes there are coupons that didn't get on there (like store coupons at Walgreen's that I forgot to point out to the clerk), or sales that didn't register (Smith's Buy 5 Save 5 deals and you accidentally only bought 4), or something that was listed in the ad that didn't ring up as listed. You have to pay attention and not be afraid to point things out. I've found that they are always really helpful at all the stores, and they can even go back in and fix your mistakes for you (like if you forget to give a coupon or don't buy enough of an item).
Thoughts from a less extreme (but enthusiastic) Couponer
Ok, so like I mentioned in my last post, we've put ourselves on a pretty strict budget and tried to start cooking at home more. Dustin encouraged me to try couponing and turns out, I love it. In fact, I'm probably getting border-line addicted, which might make the budget thing an issue again.
Some friends have asked my system so I said I'd post it here. I've drawn a few conclusions about couponing that I'll start out with. (I'll put the system itself in another post for those who aren't interested in or too busy for my phisophizing....)
THE HUNT
I enjoy couponing because I enjoy finding great deals. My mom taught me the art of thrift store and yard sale shopping ("treasure hunting" we sometimes call it) from a young age, and I've always enjoyed the search and the find. I didn't mind being in the store for hours to find a great deal, and I almost always found that thing (or things) I didn't know I needed. :-)
The thing is, at this point in my life, I don't need any more stuff. I don't need clothes, I don't need interesting retro furniture pieces that I'm going to re-make "one day," and I don't need more cookware or whatever else I tend to pick up at these stores and yard sales. And besides that, I don't have any room for any of it. But food? You always need food. It gets consumed regularly. So couponing has been killing two birds with one stone for our budget. I get my "treasure hunting high" from finding great deals at the grocery store and in the ads, so I save the money I would have spent at D.I. on things I don't need, and I also get the food we do need for less.
My point? If you are like me and like to shop, couponing might be a good outlet for you. Because for me, the shopping was about the hunt, not necessarily the catch. Ya, a new pair of jeans is fun, but the buyer's remorse is almost not worth it sometimes.
The opposite might be true as well. If you don't enjoy the shopping process, you might not be a couponer, or at least you might not enjoy it. But you can keep it pretty simple--I basically cut out a portion of Facebook time (which who doesn't need to do that anyway) to go through ads and clip coupons. I can also work on it while I watch a show at night with my hubby so it doesn't have to be your new hobby if you don't want it to be.
A COUPONER's FOCUS
Ok, one of the reasons I put off couponing before is because I felt like there weren't coupons for the things I buy. Well, that has changed in two ways.
1. I became a mom and so I do buy things now like Cheerios and boxed meals, which are things that OFTEN have coupons available.
2. I changed my focus to creating food storage. When something non-perishable is a great deal, you stock up. You have canned foods and boxed meals for a rainy day (like the end of the month when you've maxed your grocery budget and you are trying not to go back to the store till next paycheck)
Couponing has also made me more aware of the grocery ads. When you coupon, you want to use your coupon when the item is also on sale so you maximize your savings. By looking through the ads (something I rarely did before), I have started to notice when the things I DO buy (that I don't necessarily have coupons for), are on sale. I am able to get the best deals on produce, household items, milk, eggs, etc. just by going to the store that has them the cheapest that week. Most of my savings has actually come just from getting sale items, I think.
Along with changing my focus, couponing (and the things I can buy with coupons) have changed the way I cook. Where I never would have bought Hamburger Helper before, I couldn't resist buying it at 9 cents a box this week. I noticed that as a busy mom, it's nice to have something there in the pantry that is already a meal. I can add fresh vegetables and experiment with the sauce and such, but the seasoning/sauce packet that's already in the box gives me something to work with. I'm one who hates coming up with meal ideas and I tend to doubt my cooking abilities so for now, these boxed meals are actually helpful.
So now I admire my lovely stock of boxed and canned goods in my pantry rather than trying to stuff yet another dress into my closet (or chair into my living room--yes, that was happening), and I feel really good knowing that if money got tight, we would be alright for a while.
See the next post to see how I'm couponing. I'll keep it simple (in case you are like me--avoiding it because it's too much work to even read how to do it)
Some friends have asked my system so I said I'd post it here. I've drawn a few conclusions about couponing that I'll start out with. (I'll put the system itself in another post for those who aren't interested in or too busy for my phisophizing....)
THE HUNT
I enjoy couponing because I enjoy finding great deals. My mom taught me the art of thrift store and yard sale shopping ("treasure hunting" we sometimes call it) from a young age, and I've always enjoyed the search and the find. I didn't mind being in the store for hours to find a great deal, and I almost always found that thing (or things) I didn't know I needed. :-)
The thing is, at this point in my life, I don't need any more stuff. I don't need clothes, I don't need interesting retro furniture pieces that I'm going to re-make "one day," and I don't need more cookware or whatever else I tend to pick up at these stores and yard sales. And besides that, I don't have any room for any of it. But food? You always need food. It gets consumed regularly. So couponing has been killing two birds with one stone for our budget. I get my "treasure hunting high" from finding great deals at the grocery store and in the ads, so I save the money I would have spent at D.I. on things I don't need, and I also get the food we do need for less.
My point? If you are like me and like to shop, couponing might be a good outlet for you. Because for me, the shopping was about the hunt, not necessarily the catch. Ya, a new pair of jeans is fun, but the buyer's remorse is almost not worth it sometimes.
The opposite might be true as well. If you don't enjoy the shopping process, you might not be a couponer, or at least you might not enjoy it. But you can keep it pretty simple--I basically cut out a portion of Facebook time (which who doesn't need to do that anyway) to go through ads and clip coupons. I can also work on it while I watch a show at night with my hubby so it doesn't have to be your new hobby if you don't want it to be.
A COUPONER's FOCUS
Ok, one of the reasons I put off couponing before is because I felt like there weren't coupons for the things I buy. Well, that has changed in two ways.
1. I became a mom and so I do buy things now like Cheerios and boxed meals, which are things that OFTEN have coupons available.
2. I changed my focus to creating food storage. When something non-perishable is a great deal, you stock up. You have canned foods and boxed meals for a rainy day (like the end of the month when you've maxed your grocery budget and you are trying not to go back to the store till next paycheck)
Couponing has also made me more aware of the grocery ads. When you coupon, you want to use your coupon when the item is also on sale so you maximize your savings. By looking through the ads (something I rarely did before), I have started to notice when the things I DO buy (that I don't necessarily have coupons for), are on sale. I am able to get the best deals on produce, household items, milk, eggs, etc. just by going to the store that has them the cheapest that week. Most of my savings has actually come just from getting sale items, I think.
Along with changing my focus, couponing (and the things I can buy with coupons) have changed the way I cook. Where I never would have bought Hamburger Helper before, I couldn't resist buying it at 9 cents a box this week. I noticed that as a busy mom, it's nice to have something there in the pantry that is already a meal. I can add fresh vegetables and experiment with the sauce and such, but the seasoning/sauce packet that's already in the box gives me something to work with. I'm one who hates coming up with meal ideas and I tend to doubt my cooking abilities so for now, these boxed meals are actually helpful.
So now I admire my lovely stock of boxed and canned goods in my pantry rather than trying to stuff yet another dress into my closet (or chair into my living room--yes, that was happening), and I feel really good knowing that if money got tight, we would be alright for a while.
See the next post to see how I'm couponing. I'll keep it simple (in case you are like me--avoiding it because it's too much work to even read how to do it)
Monday, September 9, 2013
Two Year Anniversary
To commemorate our two year anniversary, I want to take a minute to remember my favorite moments from the past two years (since I didn't do it last year, I'll include both years, but hopefully I can keep up for the next years...)
These are in no particular order, other than the order that they come to mind.
Corbin's birth, of course.
It seems like most of this second year has revolved around Corbin and being parents. That's probably because we had Corbin just after our first anniversary, which means we really have spent our whole second year of marriage learning how to be mom and dad.
The first year of marriage was learning to be husband and wife. However, nothing throws a wrench in those roles like adding a baby to the mix. Then again, I was pregnant most of our first year of marriage, so I'm not sure I can really say that year was "normal" either.
I remember a conversation Dustin and I had early on in my pregnancy. I was recalling how in my single years I always heard about the "wait one year rule." I don't know if it is just in Mormon culture, but there seems to be this unwritten "rule" or recommendation that couples wait a year to get pregnant. Someone told me once that it was a good idea because the first year of marriage is a lot of adjusting and one person even told me once that the first year was the hardest. Dustin and I said that our first year had seemed quite easy, and we really didn't feel like we had had to make that many adjustments. We wondered if it was our awesome personalities ;-) or the fact that we dated a good amount of time (also following the one year "rule"), but we were glad we had lucked out to have such a smooth ride that first year.
Oh wait, looking back I realize now that we were having that conversation probably in March, which puts us at 6 months of marriage. I'm thinking now that we were probably still in the honeymoon phase. Besides that, we were two working DINKS (dual income no kids). We both had jobs we liked that we chose, we got to spend a lot of time together doing pretty much whatever we wanted, and we ate out...a lot. It's like my friends Summer and Joel call it--married without kids is "when we were single." This isn't to say that our marriage has been jeopardized since having a baby, but merely an observation that even if we had waited the "suggested" one year, we still might not have faced these adjustments--because it was the baby and the total changing of our roles and responsibilities which has tested our relationship the most.
So September 2011 to March 2012, pretty blissful.
Enter pregnancy...I don't necessarily remember a lot of arguments or "adjusting" while I was pregnant. I think it's because I felt so yucky in the first part that pretty much anything was considered acceptable behavior. Dustin was pretty good about catering to my every whim. And since we were both still working, we just ate out a lot still...lots and lots of Cafe Rio.
The reason I mention the eating out is because it's the most recent big change we've made. As we've entered our grown-up married life, we've lost one income but added more expenses. Weird how that works... Looking over our budget, it became clear to me that I'm going to have to adopt some domestic goddess skills that I've avoided for almost thirty years. We've cut out most eating out (I think we've only gone out once or twice in the last two months), and I now cook at home fairly regularly, using the groceries I bought with couponing and sale watching.
I really did have it made that first year of marriage. Dustin did almost all of the cooking, and especially when I was pregnant, he probably did all of it. He's a better cook, but I'm learning and improving now that he has given me the space to do so. It isn't that he expects me to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, but I'm just discovering that I desire to be at home with Corbin. I do appreciate that Dustin supports my dancing, and I am still able to teach one class a day, and even will be doing some of my own dancing starting this week. But I had a real desire over the summer to be at home more and have time to be the kind of mom I feel Corbin deserves. So I quit studio teaching in the evenings and have really enjoyed being at home with my family every night this semester.
Ok, this was supposed to be about highlights from the last two years and it's turning into lessons. Back to the point...
Our house has definitely consumed a lot of our second year of marriage. We started renovating in February and are still in the middle of it. The house gets more liveable each day, but I can't wait to have a kitchen sink--seriously, we have everything but the kitchen sink...
We got our dryer installed today, so I think I've line dried our clothes for the last time (barring an issue with our dryer at some future point--knock on wood). The first time I hung the clothes out on the line, Dustin was out working in the yard, and I actually wore an apron (to have the clothespins in the pockets). Corbin was napping in the house. I felt like June Cleaver, and I loved it. Of course, it only took a couple weeks for the rose-colored glasses to get foggy in the heat of summer and the novelty wore off.
Then the power went out and we had to stay with Dustin's brother for about a month. I was grateful to them, but that setback was a real challenge for our marriage. We learned a lot about communication, and it was the springboard for me to learn how to sleep train and budget--so I guess in hindsight it can now be numbered among our blessings.
Those are the big things--house and baby. But there were lots of other small things that have made these two years special...
Trip to California with my parents last summer.
Hawaii for Spring Break this year.
Family reunions on both sides including my parents' 50th wedding anniversary and Corbin's first Lagoon trip.
My parents moving six hours closer to us so we can have birthdays and holidays and even long weekends together again.
Making some great friends in our first ward and starting in a new ward this year.
And some personal accomplishments for both of us...
Dustin has sold several pieces of furniture that he refinished and is starting to build custom pieces.
He built us a beautiful custom bed as well as all the amazing work he's done on our house.
I went on my first tour with St. George Dance Company to perform in Salt Lake.
I enjoyed a part-time position at Dixie State College for one semester where I had an office and taught several classes a week.
I'm sure there are things I've forgotten, but I hope this gets the point across that I'm really happy I married Dustin, and I understand more each day the advice my dad gave me when we got engaged. He said that most of life feels like "cabin fever" or "island fever" so you want to make sure the person you marry is someone that you have fun with even when you are otherwise "stuck" in one place. Dustin and I have never lived in more than 800 square feet, and yet, I love sharing it with him. Happy 2nd Anniversary!
These are in no particular order, other than the order that they come to mind.
Corbin's birth, of course.
It seems like most of this second year has revolved around Corbin and being parents. That's probably because we had Corbin just after our first anniversary, which means we really have spent our whole second year of marriage learning how to be mom and dad.
The first year of marriage was learning to be husband and wife. However, nothing throws a wrench in those roles like adding a baby to the mix. Then again, I was pregnant most of our first year of marriage, so I'm not sure I can really say that year was "normal" either.
I remember a conversation Dustin and I had early on in my pregnancy. I was recalling how in my single years I always heard about the "wait one year rule." I don't know if it is just in Mormon culture, but there seems to be this unwritten "rule" or recommendation that couples wait a year to get pregnant. Someone told me once that it was a good idea because the first year of marriage is a lot of adjusting and one person even told me once that the first year was the hardest. Dustin and I said that our first year had seemed quite easy, and we really didn't feel like we had had to make that many adjustments. We wondered if it was our awesome personalities ;-) or the fact that we dated a good amount of time (also following the one year "rule"), but we were glad we had lucked out to have such a smooth ride that first year.
Oh wait, looking back I realize now that we were having that conversation probably in March, which puts us at 6 months of marriage. I'm thinking now that we were probably still in the honeymoon phase. Besides that, we were two working DINKS (dual income no kids). We both had jobs we liked that we chose, we got to spend a lot of time together doing pretty much whatever we wanted, and we ate out...a lot. It's like my friends Summer and Joel call it--married without kids is "when we were single." This isn't to say that our marriage has been jeopardized since having a baby, but merely an observation that even if we had waited the "suggested" one year, we still might not have faced these adjustments--because it was the baby and the total changing of our roles and responsibilities which has tested our relationship the most.
So September 2011 to March 2012, pretty blissful.
Enter pregnancy...I don't necessarily remember a lot of arguments or "adjusting" while I was pregnant. I think it's because I felt so yucky in the first part that pretty much anything was considered acceptable behavior. Dustin was pretty good about catering to my every whim. And since we were both still working, we just ate out a lot still...lots and lots of Cafe Rio.
The reason I mention the eating out is because it's the most recent big change we've made. As we've entered our grown-up married life, we've lost one income but added more expenses. Weird how that works... Looking over our budget, it became clear to me that I'm going to have to adopt some domestic goddess skills that I've avoided for almost thirty years. We've cut out most eating out (I think we've only gone out once or twice in the last two months), and I now cook at home fairly regularly, using the groceries I bought with couponing and sale watching.
I really did have it made that first year of marriage. Dustin did almost all of the cooking, and especially when I was pregnant, he probably did all of it. He's a better cook, but I'm learning and improving now that he has given me the space to do so. It isn't that he expects me to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, but I'm just discovering that I desire to be at home with Corbin. I do appreciate that Dustin supports my dancing, and I am still able to teach one class a day, and even will be doing some of my own dancing starting this week. But I had a real desire over the summer to be at home more and have time to be the kind of mom I feel Corbin deserves. So I quit studio teaching in the evenings and have really enjoyed being at home with my family every night this semester.
Ok, this was supposed to be about highlights from the last two years and it's turning into lessons. Back to the point...
Our house has definitely consumed a lot of our second year of marriage. We started renovating in February and are still in the middle of it. The house gets more liveable each day, but I can't wait to have a kitchen sink--seriously, we have everything but the kitchen sink...
We got our dryer installed today, so I think I've line dried our clothes for the last time (barring an issue with our dryer at some future point--knock on wood). The first time I hung the clothes out on the line, Dustin was out working in the yard, and I actually wore an apron (to have the clothespins in the pockets). Corbin was napping in the house. I felt like June Cleaver, and I loved it. Of course, it only took a couple weeks for the rose-colored glasses to get foggy in the heat of summer and the novelty wore off.
Then the power went out and we had to stay with Dustin's brother for about a month. I was grateful to them, but that setback was a real challenge for our marriage. We learned a lot about communication, and it was the springboard for me to learn how to sleep train and budget--so I guess in hindsight it can now be numbered among our blessings.
Those are the big things--house and baby. But there were lots of other small things that have made these two years special...
Trip to California with my parents last summer.
Hawaii for Spring Break this year.
Family reunions on both sides including my parents' 50th wedding anniversary and Corbin's first Lagoon trip.
My parents moving six hours closer to us so we can have birthdays and holidays and even long weekends together again.
Making some great friends in our first ward and starting in a new ward this year.
And some personal accomplishments for both of us...
Dustin has sold several pieces of furniture that he refinished and is starting to build custom pieces.
He built us a beautiful custom bed as well as all the amazing work he's done on our house.
I went on my first tour with St. George Dance Company to perform in Salt Lake.
I enjoyed a part-time position at Dixie State College for one semester where I had an office and taught several classes a week.
I'm sure there are things I've forgotten, but I hope this gets the point across that I'm really happy I married Dustin, and I understand more each day the advice my dad gave me when we got engaged. He said that most of life feels like "cabin fever" or "island fever" so you want to make sure the person you marry is someone that you have fun with even when you are otherwise "stuck" in one place. Dustin and I have never lived in more than 800 square feet, and yet, I love sharing it with him. Happy 2nd Anniversary!
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