1st Anniversary!

Thoughts on the first year of Marriage:
(the celebration details are below)

  When we first got married we kept hearing from people things like... "oh the first year of marriage is the hardest" or "if you can make it through the first year you can make it through anything!" Now that we have reached that one year point all I can say is...if that is the hardest that our life is going to be then we are living a life that is better than any fairytale I have ever read!

     

This past year has been such an adventure and so full of excitement I would not trade it for anything! Everyday of the last year has been full of thrilling change and comfortable consistency.

     

Eternal marriage is one of the greatest gifts that we have been given. It is so much more than the fun you have living with your best friend. It is the knowledge that everyday in this life and in the life to come you have a partner that will be there by your side through struggles and times of peace. And even in those times of struggles when they can't make things better, having them there gives you the strength to hold your head high and face whatever comes. Because no matter what happens, at the end of the day you have someone truly loves you and that is worth any struggle.

     

I am sure that so many women would say that they have "the best" husband. So what I am going to say is that Kirby is without a doubt, the best husband for ME. I could sit here for days and make a list of the things that I love about him, but I figured I would do things a little differently and express my gratitude for all of the little (and not so little) things that he does with me in mind. I am so thankful that...

• He drives me to work every morning (after warming up the car and turning on my seat warmer) then drives back home to park so he can walk to class.
• He doesn't force me to do things that are too scary for me, but helps me take a step out of my comfort zone every now and then.
• He packs me breakfast and lunch to take with me to work...every morning.
• He will read/listen to books with me.
• If we are running short on hot water, he always makes sure I get to shower first. 
• He is always quick to apologize.
• When I am running late, even though I know it is frustrating for him, he never gets rude or impatient.
• He often gives up what he wants to do in order to do something I want to do...without me knowing (even though I often find out later what he gave up).
• He'll sing and dance and be silly with me because he knows that that is home for me.
• He is a great complimentor and always knows how to make me feel great about myself.
• He lets me cry when I need to, but also knows how to gently tell me to buck up when I need that too.
• He wakes up with me every morning even though I have to be at work hours before he has class.
• When I am stressed and neglecting my chores he will take over without being asked.
• He still takes me on dates all the time.
• He will surprise me with cute things, because he knows I love surprises and mushy stuff like that.
• He is a great cook and makes us delicious meals all the time.

It is easy to see that I have a very special and selfless man to call my husband. His example of selfless service is one that I strive to reciprocate to the best of my ability. My life has been so blessed by his presence and I am looking forward to every moment in the rest of eternity because I know that he will be right there with me the whole time. One year with him has already changed to rest of my life. So happy anniversary to my dear Kirby Lee Muir!

How we celebrated:

 

Having never experienced a marriage anniversary before... I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I knew that Kirby had been planning something special, so I just sat in excitement waiting for the day when it would all take place. We celebrated our anniversary a day early because it fell on a Sunday. So Saturday morning we woke up, packed for the nights (I was still a little clueless) and left in our church clothes for Idaho Falls where we attended a session at the temple. I had never been to the Idaho Falls temple and I just loved it! But then I guess out of the 8 or so temples we have been through, there is not one I didn't love! Having been married in the temple it was the perfect way to kick off an anniversary and this is something I plan to make a tradition for all of our other anniversaries to come!

     

After the temple we headed out to grab some sushi at the very place where I finally received my ring! I would have been totally happy if the celebration had just ended there...

     

But my wonderful husband was not going to cut such a special day short! So he whipped out two tickets for Catching Fire...which was totally incredible! At the movie we munched on snacks from previous special occasions - sour patch kids because we ate those on our first date, honey roasted almonds in remembrance of the nuts at our wedding receptions a year before, and takis (mexican chip things) because we ate those on our honeymoon! I was in heaven...my favorite man, at a movie based on one of my favorite books, eating snacks from a few of my favorite days!

    

Now after the movie, we pulled up at a hotel that just looked like a regular hotel to me. So we got the key, went up to the third floor and opened the door... I about died! It looked like we had opened the door to another planet! Literally! It was incredible, I am still trying to take it all in! Everything from the floor to the ceiling and everything in between was painted and sculpted to look like we were on a mysterious planet out in space. There were stars on the ceiling that really twinkled and "craters" in the walls that acted as shelves. On the counter stood a bottle of sparkling cider with two champagne glasses, and in the corner was a jacuzzi that looked as if it had been built into a rock formation with little holes in the rocks where you could "see" the night sky.

     

Not only was this room incredible, but it totally fit us. As a little girl I was in love with space. Instead of a barbie or princess birthday party, I would ask for a "sun, moon, and stars" party. I would lay out on the grass with my Nana with a book of constellations searching for specific stars for hours. Then when Kirby and I started dating we would go star gazing, and make trips to the planetarium on campus. Not to mention that our very first date with just the two of us, was to  see Star Wars in 3D. (Told you that we are nerds!) So this room was literally meant for us! We had way too much fun and stayed up alllll night, then in the morning it was so hard to leave. It was as if we had been living on our very own planet for the night.

     

Before we left, Kirby handed me a gift bag... He seemed a little shy, or embarrassed by what was in there. After I tore out the tissue paper I found one of the sweetest gifts. It wasn't the biggest, or most expensive gift, but it was perfect. He had gotten me a necklace and a couple of dish towels...now this might seem kind of random...but to me it opened my eyes even more to what a sweetheart my husband is. The necklace is one that I had found months ago, and mentioned to him how beautiful it was as we walked by. And the dish towels I had simply seen at Target when we were shopping for a birthday present for our nephew, and I had told him how much I loved them! Both of these items I had merely mentioned, and he made the extra effort to track them down in order to make me happy. This just proved to me how much he pays attention to the little things I say.

     

Then when I thought the festivities were over, we got home I found my favorite flowers, your classic red roses. And the night was finished off with our wedding cake! The whole couple of days were perfect, and so much more than I need. Every day with Kirby is wonderful. He is so thoughtful and romantic and I love him so much! I can't wait to make it up to him with plans for next year!

After a session at the Idaho Falls Temple.

At the movie!

Yes, they put rose petals on our bed... the coolest bed ever that is!

Ok I just had to share this sweet sink! The water forms a whirlpool as it goes into the sink.

So in love with my present :)

Most relaxing jacuzzi ever, with the stars right above me!

The jacuzzi!

Our neighboring planets...

More wall/ceiling details.

Sparkling Cider in bed? Yes please!

The night time stars when the lights go off.