Wedded Bliss

It's been 3 happy years now that Henry and I have been married, and 4 years and about a month of togetherness. I think it was about 5 years Henry last kissed someone other than me. Ha! (What a waste of a kiss)...

I am so happy that Henry and I found each other. I could not imagine being happier alone or with someone else than I am with him, and I doubt anyone else would have the nerve and patience required for a sane co-existence with me. It's been so much fun already to be together and I can only imagine how wonderful the (hopefully) next decades together will be. I thought I'd make a list of some of highlights of our marriage so far:

• Sophia's birth (that had to be first right?)
• traveling with Sophia, swimming with Sophia, being with Sophia
  
• visiting Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France and Greece
• camping in Mesa Verde
• camping in Wyoming and having some crazy Russian dude shaking our tent, and scaring us half to death, then laughing ourselves almost to death
  
• moving together across half of the country
• Black Widow infestation and captures in our previous abode
• locking ourselves out of our apartment
  
• game nights, game nights, game nights (Henry winning most games)
• trips to AZ, CA, Missouri, Cleveland, Virginia and Texas
  
• Horseback riding in Wyoming, horse back riding lessons for Henry in Ohio
  
• running up to the Y in Utah
• biking together, Fran getting mad at some man who passes her and suggests that she is of the weaker sex, therefore Fran giving it her all to catch up with the dude to "show him", then almost passing out with some sort of asthma attack from the exertion (maybe the weaker sex after all)
• planting and harvesting our first tomatoes together
• Henry trying to do some impressive stunt on his bike, not making it, and instead busting his knee
• ending up in Urgent Care with dehydration from throwing up and getting an IV (Fran)
• Fran swearing at Henry over the phone as she drives herself to the ER in the middle of the night with what turned out as appendicitis (Henry was driven to the hospital by our old, but speeding landlord/friend)
• Thanksgiving with Henry's sister
• teaching the 12-year old Sunday school boys -insanity organized into one little group
  
• endless discussions about life, family, politics, culture, books, food, each other, the future
  
• lots of laughter
• cuddling in front of a fire place
• reading the last Harry Potter book together while hiding away from the world in a cabin in Logan Canyon
• swimming in Bear Lake
• going on a hike with a friend to a lake, seeing the lake, turning around without a swim (nastiest lake ever). Instead we swam in the less nasty lake with only a few dead fish floating around.
  
• getting stuck in the mud with Zippy (our car) on the way to Bear Lake - the mud reached all the way up to the door. Henry had to save us, since it was his idea to drive through the mud. Good thing a huge truck drove by and offered to help...
• the happiest Easter (not so happy because we had to try and find our Landlord's dog)
• Advents singing with friends, and sharing of Christmas traditions
• reading books together
• while moving staying in such a nasty motel, that we got our bedsheets etc. from the moving truck. We were too afraid to touch anything.
  
• Staying in a youth hostel and sharing a room with 3 other guys, finding two of them drunk and not covered up very well after we came in at night (and after Henry proposing to me on Charles Bridge in Prague, then it being so late that there were no buses and we had to hitchhike to the hostel)
• teasing and tickling
  
• singing together while playing the piano or guitar
• White Coat Ceremony
• getting an eye-exam from Henry
• being at each others graduation
• turning 30
• fighting and making-up :)
• speeding on the Autobahn, speeding in the US and getting lots of tickets
• both of us getting mad at drivers in the US, every time we just got back from Germany
• going swimming together, going for walks together, going anywhere together
• going to the Symphony, concerts, and plays
• singing a duet with Henry in church and feeling like vomiting for the rest of the day
• going to the temple
• having family and friends visit
• having FHE together
  
• trying to figure out our dream house together
• cleaning up together
• quitting lame jobs, being fired from lame jobs
  
• Optometry school
• watching thunderstorms together
• walking in the rain, hand in hand
• dancing together, and with Sophia in the Baby Björn
• taking dance classes, being surprised how Henry is the Cha-Cha king
• Raclette with friends
• scrapbooking together
• me trying to scare Henry by hiding in a corner, waiting endlessly for him to pass that corner, then noticing that he went the other way and started watching TV. A few days later having Henry scaring me, hiding in that very corner...
• waking up together, sleeping in, or being wide awake together in the middle of the night
  
• breakfast in bed
• endless massages
• crazy traveling this year when coming back from Germany, surviving the landing in Columbus (which turned out to be a good one)
• Henry making me laugh when I was all mad a second ago
  

Henry's addition to the list:

• Easter egg hunt in the backyard of Glenny's home.
• Having all the Schulze's come to our wedding and that Michael could seal us.
  
• The train car suite Franny didn't like for our honeymoon.
• Fran planning a great anniversary in Logan, Ut in a nice hotel, and going horseback riding in Montana
• Taking Franny to the squaw peak lookout and snuggling even though she didn't want to.
  
• Hiking to the top of squaw peak.
  
• Franny beating me at Mancala.
  
• Snuggling with Franny before falling asleep. She says, "move over", so I move closer.
  
• Having FHE faithfully since Sophia was born.
  
• Buying flowers for Franny. (Once I start making money again, I'll buy more).
• Watching American Idol with Franny.
  
• Talking politics and delving into deep discussions about life and the world with Franny.
• Reading all the Fablehaven books with Franny.
  
• Buying a crappy printer only to find it doesn't work, then having Fran redeem me by getting a steal on the super-awesome printer we have now.
  
• Fran bringing me breakfast in bed.
  
• Watching Fran play with Sophia.
• Giving Fran an eye exam with Sophia crying because neither of us would pick her up.
  
• Getting Killer and finding she wasn't the "perfect" rabbit we thought she was. Now she is an outside rabbit.
  
• Fretting over Franny as she labored. Her getting the suprapelvic "punch" to get our little Sophia out.
  
• Holding Sophia's head in my hand, comforting her as she tried to breathe after possibly having meiconium in her lungs.
  
• Holding Sophia and taking millions of pictures.
• Having Sophia say "Da da da da" all the time then copying me when I say "Pa pa pa". Even when I whispered, she would whisper.
• Sophia's arm-splaying reaction to us jerking her toy away from her quickly.
  
• Dancing with Franny and Sophia at Steffen and Mariella's wedding.
  
• Getting into the Master of Vision Sciences program.
  
• Going to Old Man's cave and feeling like we were in Rivendale, wishing we had brought Rob and Angie down there.
  
• Hiding the Twix, jumbo box, Fran bought from Costco, and trying to find it when Fran hid it.
  
• Having Fran be impressed with my exam even though I was a bit flustered.
  

I am sure there are many great things I am forgetting right now, but basically there are so many every-day things that make our relationship so wonderful, and also great things. All in all it's just so nice to have each other, and to live together and build up a future together. I love you Henry!