Our Story, part 2

When Eric got back into town, he asked me out on our first official date. He planned an evening that was simply perfect in my opinion. After eating at Dilly's Deli, he took me to the library. I love the library! We went back to his house to make strawberry, mango smoothies. We hung our feet in the pool and sipped our smoothies while we talked. By the pool in the moonlight, we kissed for the first time. It was magical. We went back to his house and ended up painting pictures with our feet. Ha! That was random. He took me home and left me with more kisses by the door.

Two days later, I joined all the Round Valley people on a trip back to Eagar. I drove up with Robin and Lindsey. I spent two nights there. Eric gave me a tour of the town. I met a lot of his friends from high school. We played pool at his house. He took me out to dinner. We went star gazing. Early Sunday morning, Eric drove me home to Mesa so I could teach my Relief Society lesson.

We were pretty inseparable that next week. School was out for the summer so every moment we weren't working was pretty much spent together.

Sunday night, June 1, we met some friends at the Mesa temple. We walked around with them for awhile, but then we went off by ourselves. We then had the talk that made us officially "together".

The next few weeks, we were together as much as we could be. We hiked, went to parties, hung out with my family, went wakeboarding, watched movies, shopped together, cleaned together, visited my grandparents, played games, went to a play, and went to church together. The longest we went without seeing each other was two days.

We mostly just hung out and did regular things with our friends and such, just always together. However, Eric did plan a romantic night out. It was June 12, the Valentine's day of Brazil. He took me to eat at a brazilian restaurant, a Churrascaria. We ended the night out at Fountain Hills-- a favorite spot of ours and a beautiful place to walk around.

About a week later, we were talking late one night and Eric told me he loved me. I didn't say it back at first (I will probably never live that down either). I was scared--those seemed like such strong words. I dd eventually tell him I love him, too. And I meant it.

On the 4th of July, I drove up to Eagar with Kiri and we spent the day with Tona and Eric and his family.  I drove home late that night and left two hours later for my trip to the Dominican Republic.

I spent a week with my good friend Danielle serving at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. No contact with Eric, but a lot of time to reflect. I learned so much during that week, but I was excited to go home and see Eric.

Things didn't go as I imagined. I got home, and Eric was acting super distant. We saw each other a little, but he didn't sit by me at church and he didn't make an effort to see me on my 19th birthday. I was sad and hurt. I knew we needed to talk.

We went out to dinner the night after my birthday. After eating, we ended up at the Hole in the Rock and then Tempe Town lake. That's where we had a serious talk. We talked about taking a break and dating other people, or if there would be a point to that. We talked about if we were each ready to be married to someone. Eric was scared of where we were headed. We both were.

We didn't break up that night.

In fact, about a week later, after Robin's birthday party, we were up late talking and Eric whispered "I think I want to marry you . . ."

Our Story, part 1

Friday will mark 11 years. Eleven years since that morning Eric and I walked into the Mesa Arizona temple together to be married and sealed for time and all eternity.

Our story began about 9 months before that.

I take that back, maybe it goes back to about a year before that day. It was my first semester at ASU. I had a full-ride scholarship, but I was living at home to save money. I started feeling really unsettled and made the decision that it was time to move out and try my hand at this growing up, living on my own, and paying bills thing.

I had a friend from work who was also ready to move out of her parents house. She had a cousin with an open room and was looking for another roommate. I thought it sounded good to move in with those girls, but when it came time to make the decision there was no good reason not to, except it didn't feel right. That guidance from the Spirit helped me to end up in the right place.

Soon after I found another place with an open spot just a few minutes from ASU campus. In January, I moved into that little house in The Oaks with four other girls. Three of those girls were from Eagar, Arizona. I had never heard of Eagar, AZ before. Yet, that little town became very significant to this story.

me, Robin, Kiri, Tona, and Lisa

me, Tona, and Robin

me, Kiri, Robin, and Tona

Two months-ish later,in February, the boy I had been dating left on his mission.

That same month Eric Allred returned home from his mission, though I didn't meet him until March.

Sometime in March I came home from visiting my grandma to find my roommates hanging out with two of their old friends from high school. I was introduced to Eric and Devon.

Eric says he remembers that day perfectly because I showed them the crazy, cool old orange shirt that my grandma gave me. He says that it was this moment that he became interested in me because I seemed like a cool, cute girl.

Eric started coming to our house to use our computer and stuff. Really he was just coming over because he was chasing after my roommate, Robin, because they had been good friends in high school. So I saw him a little bit.

One night at the beginning of April we all went over to Devon and Eric's house to play games. I wrote in my journal that night two important things. 1) I won at monopoly! even when the boys conspired against me. 2) "I think I kinda like Eric." It was the first time I mentioned Eric in my journal.

It was a week later before I saw Eric again. My roommate, Kiri, invited me to go with her to an Easter party. I had a big paper to write for my Japanese history class so I was going to stay home and work on it. But then I found out that Robin was going to go with Kiri. And that Eric was going, too. I decided the paper could wait.

I had a lot of fun with Eric that night. We talked a lot and got along well. I remember he still had this cute accent from speaking Portuguese in Brazil. But I also remember that was the night that Tona told me that Devon told her that Eric likes Robin.

That's how it went for a few weeks. Eric would come over to hang out with Robin. Or Robin would invite Eric to come with us to the Easter pageant or whatever we were doing. And I would come home and write in my journal about how Eric wrote his name on my foot, I saw Eric at church, Eric is cute, Eric tells funny stories, Eric died his hair black (what was he thinking?!), I need to get over Eric, Eric came with me and Lisa to wal-mart and he didn't make fun of my ghetto car, I really like Eric, Eric probably doesn't like me, Tona and I watched McClintock with Devon and Eric, I need to avoid Eric for awhile so I can get over him, I came home from work and guess who was there? Eric!, I just don't care about eating when Eric's around, I sat by Eric at church, Devon and Eric invited me to the lake with them, I'm glad Eric and I are friends, etc. etc. From April until the middle of May, Eric was mentioned in almost all of journal entries. By that time, anything between Robin and Eric had fizzled out.They were just friends.

Then in the middle of May, Eric and I both received a boost of confidence/push in the right direction/kick in the pants (whatever you want to call it). I was riding in the car with my roommate, Lisa. We were talking about different boys and she told me I should go for Eric. Because he liked me. Likewise, Lisa had planted that seed in Eric's head telling him that I liked him, without me telling her so, encouraging him to date me.

Lisa, Tona, and me

The next day, I was doing my statistics homework when Eric called Lisa to see if she could go shopping with him for some clothes. Lisa couldn't go. So she said to him "I can't go, but Laura can. Here you go." And hands me the phone. I felt so awkward, but Eric played it cool. I went with him on our first unofficial date. We went shopping, he bought me frozen yogurt, we came back to my house and played games, made dinner together, and then went to his house to watch a movie. He held my hand that night while watching "Strange Brew".

And he held my hand again when we hung out the next night.

Then he went out of town.

Halloween 2014

Happy Halloween from Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, a monkey, and a mouse (with a tutu)!

The night before, at the ward trunk or teat, it was Harry, Ron, and two little Toy Story aliens gathering candy. 

Perry came home and stashed all of his candy in the fridge.

Earlier that morning, Layla had been Minnie Mouse at her preschool Halloween celebration.

The day before that, she dressed up as Rapunzel for a Halloween party. We got a lot of use out of the dress up box this year!

It was a rainy Halloween night. That didn't stop our older boys from bringing home more candy than should be allowed one person, even on a Halloween night. Kyler counted 212 pieces of candy and 2 full size candy bars after he had eaten some and shared some with his favorite parents.

While Perry loves trick or treating and probably wishes his legs were longer so he could've kept up with his big brothers and their friends, Layla was finished after three houses. She just sat herself down in the middle of the sidewalk and said she was done. We convinced her to keep going a little while longer. She loved it when we caught up to her friend Ava.

Perry was in heaven with all that candy. He has such a sweet tooth. When we got home, in between bites of chocolate, he made a line of candy.

Layla went for the grapes first, but she got into this candy eating freedom, too.

Happy Halloween!

pumpkin carvings

We pulled out the pumpkins last night to carve some spooky faces and designs.

Kacin was in charge of helping Layla with her pumpkin. They scooped seeds together and Layla told Kacin what kind of face she wanted.

Kyler was in charge of helping Perry.

But Perry wanted nothing to do with that icky mess.

He thought it was disgusting and that we were crazy to keep asking him to put his hands in it.

Perry was happier eating oatmeal. Kacin is quite excited to roast his bowl of pumpkin seeds tomorrow.

I love that Layla is in a flowery, spring easter looking dress for this fall tradition of pumpkin carving. She took off her sweater to stick her arms in the pumpkins. She cried to put it back on two minutes after we stepped out into the chilly air on the porch to light the pumpkins.

The finished pumpkins!

light

There are a lot of good people in this world.

I see that every day.

There are amazing people who choose to be ABA therapists and behavior coaches. They work day in and out with individuals who keep them on their toes and probably test their patience. These therapists are amazing. We just moved therapy offices to reduce our commute time, so we had to say goodbye to a sweet lady who has helped Perry for the past 6 months or so. But now we are working with two more people who I can already see shine in their jobs.

Then there are kind strangers who walk by my family and offer a compliment. Compliments, especially the one after being in the car together for four hours, remind me to step back and remember "yes, these are beautiful children. I am lucky. They may each have their quirks and challenges, but they also have so much good."

A wonderful lady from church called me awhile ago. She said she has been thinking about me and my family the last couple of months and finally decided what she could do. She said she knew we didn't have family around here and since her kids are grown, and most live far away from her, she wanted to be a "grandma" to us and have Perry over to her house to play each week. It is so very sweet of her. I cried. Seriously. It is hard stuff to be on the receiving end of kindness and thoughtfulness, but I am so grateful. I can't even describe how grateful I am. A little while ago I was embarrassed that I couldn't do it all, but I'm over that because I totally can't do it all. I'm grateful for the help. I promise that, especially, once we are through this stage I will pay it forward--I want to grow up and be like her.

I'm surrounded by good people. Good coaches and teachers for my kids, good family, good friends, good women and men at church, good neighbors, and then
a much more than good husband.

he even cooks with me :)

All these good people shine their lights for me and my family. 

Where there is light, darkness can't be. 

And when I feel like I sit alone in a room where the light is fading, I remember I have a loving Heavenly Father and a Savior, Jesus Christ. That is my greatest source of light. 

So I pray. That is how I find answers to help my kids. 

I pray. During my son's meltdown, when I glance down at the fading bruise from the bite and fresh scratch marks on my arms, that is how I find strength, patience, and love.

I pray. That is when I always feel hope and peace.

I come across this quote this week by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, ""God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things. It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn."

I'm grateful for God's light and for the light of good people around me.