Monday was our eighth anniversary! The whole day felt so peaceful and full of love. Abe took the day off of work and we spent the morning at home with the kids, cleaning, overseeing music practice, and spending time together.
Abe read me a beautiful poem he wrote for our anniversary and gave me a beautiful tree of life necklace. The tree of life has four green stones to symbolize our four children, and then other stones to symbolize fruit in the vine of Christ. He also wanted me to have a tree of life to remember Heavenly Mother and all that we’ve learned about her this year.
Then in the afternoon we all, including my mom, took a drive into the mountains and had a picnic at South Fork Park. The weather was perfect and everything was lush and green. One of our favorite parts, honestly, was picking up all the trash people left in the park after their Memorial Day picnics. The part where we picnicked was clean, but right over the hill there were disgusting sections. It was actually really fun to clean them up. I thought about Heavenly Mother while we cleaned and expressed my love for her by trying to pick up every scrap of garbage I saw.
After our picnic, we went to the libraries and home, where I fed Clarissa and watched Ammon play outside while Abe returned to the library again to get himself a library card and check out a ton of new books for Lydia. Lydia has gone totally bonkers for the Rainbow Magic Fairy series, and we could not be more grateful. Bless you, whoever invented the magic fairies. Thank you.
Also, Bob the Anniversary Elf made his annual visit:
Then we sat on the grass and discussed polygamy, my favorite topic of late. I am presenting a paper on it in two months–but I haven’t even written the paper yet!!! So I really appreciate the chance to talk out the thoughts that I hope to write, er, really soon.
Then we put the kids to bed and Abe and I went to Barnes and Noble to pick out our annual audio book. Every anniversary I pick out an audiobook for Abe, and this year I picked All the Light We Cannot See, since that book changed my life.
Afterward we went to Pizzeria 712 and then came home. Poor Abe’s allergies were killing him, but we were still so happy and full of peace, joy, and love. It has been wonderful to be married to Abe. I always go overboard blogging about him, so I am going to practice some self-restraint. It’s so hard!
But: I love him. He’s the best. I know for a fact there is no one better for me on the face of the planet, either now or at any point in history–backwards or forwards. All praise and glory to God, somehow I won the husband lottery. Thank You for sending me Abe and giving me eight glorious years with him!