The Hospital Happening-Audrey's Birth Story Part 1 (Jenna's Version)

    In the weeks leading up to my due date I was feeling pretty good. Sure I was exhausted, and I felt like a fat cow that was about to pop but considering how I had felt during the first part of my pregnancy I was just grateful to be moving around. Everyone I talked to had mentioned how usually first babies don't come until after their due date. In fact, my mom went almost two weeks past her due date with me. Because of this I assumed that there was no way Audrey was going to come before her due date on the 25th of April.
      Because of how sick I was during my first trimester I had already had to take a lot of time off of school. So I was determined to work up until my little miss decided to make her grand entrance. But I had it in my head that she would be at least a week late and was going to be my May baby. I went back and forth in deciding if I should make sub plans for the week after my due date. My teacher friends know what a pain making sub plans are and I really didn't want to use the little energy I had writing sub plans that I was sure I wouldn't use because my baby wasn't coming until May. *(My first trimester should have been an indicator that this little girl had a mind of her own and was going to do things her way).  That's why we were still putting together the last minute touches to my sub plans when I went into labor. (Big shout out to Brandon, my mom, and my cousin Kendra for all the work they did that day after school since I was basically useless.) But we did get them finished so I was all ready for my baby to make her grand enterance AFTER her due date, because I Was NOT going to write one more day of plans (I had already written four weeks worth).
       Looking back I was probably having contractions all day Tuesday (the 21st) and just didn't realize it (yeah dumb I know).  There were points during my lessons throughout the day where I would have to stop teaching for a second because I couldn't talk past the pain. Even walking the hallways of school was hard and several people commented on how it looked like I was going to pop. Because I hadn't felt anything like it before I just assumed these were Braxton Hicks that everyone talks about.
       When I got home the pain only seemed to increase when I got home so Brandon sent me to bed early since I was determined that Audrey was NOT going to come until at least after school Friday.
    Finally around 11:00  Brandon started timing my contractions and by 1am we were headed to the hospital. However, when the nursed checked me I was only dilated to a 1, she said that if I didn't make any progress so they would discharge me since my water hadn't broken. When she came back I had only progressed to a 2 but they noticed that Audrey's heart rate wasn't very strong so they wanted to keep me in.
      So by 4:30 the anesthesiologist came and gave me the epidural. When a curled up so he could get a better look at my spine, my water broke. However again I didn't really understand at what had just happened and I thought I had peed myself. I was mortified!!!  I kept apologizing to the nurse, who just laughed and explained what had really happened. After that I was able to get some much needed rest. But I was still worried about what was going to happen to my class for school Wednesday- Friday of this week. I hadn't made any sub plans for before due date!! Luckily I had the most amazing understanding principal and team members who found me a sub and helped my class through those days so I didn't have to worry about them.
  Wednesday was a long day with my progress being very slow. But by 4:00pm  Wednesday I was fully dilated and was able to start pushing!  However after about an hour of pushing the doctor informed me that Audrey was facing the wrong way and couldn't get her to rotate, that and though I was fully dilated she wasn't making any progress. During all of this her heart rate was still much lower than ideal and the doctor was worried that pushing would put her in distress. He recommend a C-Section.
    When I heard those words my heart dropped. I felt like I had failed. This was what my body was supposed to be made for, and yet I couldn't. I had spent months researching birth plans, reading birthing stories. I had taken classes and read books that stressed the importance of vaginal birth over cesarean. I wanted to experience the joy of feeling my baby come into this world, to have Brandon cut the cord, to do skin to skin. Even to this day it's hard for me to admit that I couldn't make my body give birth in the way that I had wanted.

  However, my primary goal was a healthy baby so we agreed to the C-section. They gave Brandon his "michelin man" outfit he had to wear in the OR and we were off. Being on the table in the operating room I couldn't stop shaking. I kept asking Brandon if he was cold too but the nurse explained that it was the adrenaline that was making me shake. Finally the doctor's announced that Audrey was here but she was going to have to go to the NICU straight away because she wasn't breathing on her own.  I told Brandon that he needed to go be with Audrey,I had no idea how bad it was and I didn't want her to be alone.

  As the doctor's were stitching me back up, it amazed me that they were carrying on such a normal conversation. I don't know why this surprised me so much but it was weird listening to them talk to each other about their children and lives while sewing my insides back together.
  They wheeled me back to my delivery room and I felt kind of empty. This was not how it was supposed to be. I was supposed to be spending the first hours of my daughter's life with her, not alone in my hospital room. Finally they let me go see her in the NICU. I felt really weird having to be wheeled into the NICU laying on my bed. Looking at her, I was afraid that if I touched her I might break her, but the nurses assured me that she was doing great and would be able to leave very soon. I was already so in love with this tiny little girl in front of me.

  As I looked around the NICU at the other babies there with their families I realized how petty I had been. No, my birth plan didn't go the way that I wanted it to, but I had a heathy baby who would get to come home with me. All of my concerns now seemed very trivial compared to what some of the mothers around me were facing. I promised myself that I would try to look for the positive. As cliche as it sounds it really was an eye opener for me.

The Hospital Happening-Audrey's Birth Story Part 1 (Brandon's Version)

We always assumed that Audrey would come on Jenna's due date (Saturday) April 25th, or later.  So, we were a little under prepared Tuesday night when Jenna was having strong contractions.  We were already exhausted because we were trying to get all of her sub plans in order for her maternity leave.  We went to bed Tuesday evening, but neither of us slept well.  Around 11:30pm I started timing Jenna's contractions to see if we should go in to the hospital.  While timing contractions I was running around trying to get everything we needed for the hospital together at the last minute. Jenna kept saying that we needed to get our hospital bags together, but I kept assuming that we would have more time.  So, I procrastinated until the very last minute, and I got burnt by it.  I was frantic because I was trying to get everything ready to go, and Jenna's contractions were less than 5 minutes apart.  It was 1:00am Wednesday morning when we started driving over and I was worried that we should have left sooner since her contractions were now 4 minutes apart.  Little did I know, we would be sitting around waiting for 16 hours.

When we got to the hospital they began monitoring Jenna and Audrey.  Audrey's heart rate wasn't as strong as they wanted, so they gave Jenna oxygen.  I was worried about how tired we both were before we even started the long labor process.  Jenna was in a lot of pain, so we got the epidural and she began feeling much better.  Around 4:30am Jenna was able to fall asleep with the epidural doing its job.  I was  glad she got some sleep before she would have to start pushing.  There was a fairly hard couch in Jenna's room that I slept on.  It wasn't the most comfortable couch, so I didn't sleep very deeply, but I got what sleep I could.  The labor was progressing very slowly, and we spent the day waiting and trying to nap.  Around 4:00pm they said we could try pushing.  Jenna pushed for about an hour and Audrey hadn't come down at all.  They said we could keep trying, but because there wasn't any progression, Audrey's heart rate was less than ideal, and a couple other factors, we decided to do a C-section.

We went into the operating room and the had me sit in a chair at Jenna's head with a barrier put up.  They said I could stand and look over the barrier, but I couldn't reach over because the other side was sterile.  I had no desire to see Jenna cut open, so I was happy staying hidden on my side of the barrier.  Jenna was completely numb, but it was still a scary situation, so I just tried to keep her relaxed.  It didn't take long before they were finished.  They said Audrey wasn't breathing well, so they were going to take her into the NICU.  I wanted to walk over to the NICU with Audrey and the nurses, so I left Jenna in the hands of the doctors and headed for the door.  I kept my head pointed down and away because while I don't think I get particularly queasy with blood and such, it is still not something I am going out of my way to look at.  Especially when it is someone I know.  As I walked toward the exit, I saw a bunch of bloody towels on the floor, but that was the worst of it.  I felt wrong leaving Jenna alone, but I didn't want Audrey to be alone either.  I walked with the nurses as the took Audrey to the NICU and hoped Jenna would be back with her parents soon.

In the NICU, they put a CPAP machine on Audrey to blow air into her lungs.  They said they would keep her on the machine for a while, then make sure she was breathing well on her own once they took her off the machine.  She was very small, and I was scared to mess something up so I asked if it was okay if I touched her.  The nurse paused and probably thought "Umm... she's your baby, you can do what you want", but she said "Yes, babies like to feel pressure rather than being rubbed, so just put your hand on her".  I remember how small and fragile she seemed, but even sitting there in the NICU, I never felt worried that she wouldn't come out okay.

Audrey seemed to be doing well, so I took some pictures and went back to the room to check on Jenna and show her pictures of her baby.  Jenna was doing well, and she liked seeing the pictures of Audrey.  The next hour or so was spent bouncing between the NICU and Jenna's room because I felt like I should make sure Audrey was okay, but I also felt like I should be there for Jenna.  They took Audrey off of the CPAP machine, and she was breathing well on her own, so she was allowed to leave the NICU.  They wheeled Jenna's bed over to the NICU where she could hold Audrey for the first time.  It was good to see them finally together. Audrey was without her mom for the first 2 hours of her life, so it was great to see Jenna hold her for the first time.

Week 14

 This post is the first of hopefully many posts to show my growing baby bump. So, far, I don't really see much of a bump. I'm more in the awkward " I feel fat in everything" stage but not quite to the "I have a cute little baby bump" stage. Luckily, I don't feel like I look as fat as I feel just yet (though you will have to be the judge on that). 
  I did think it would be fun to document my growing bump and how I'm feeling throughout my pregnancy, so I borrowed these questions from a friend of mines blog. Just like the rest of my blog this is really just for me so I can remember how I felt/looked down the road, but I also love being able to share my thoughts with family and friends. :) 
  

Sorry about it being so blurry. This is me at 14 weeks!

How far along? 14 weeks 1 day. Yay second trimester!!!
Total weight gain/loss: Um I'm not sure, I'm still gaining back the weight I lost during the first trimester. ugh. 
Maternity clothes?  Not yet. 
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: I've been sleeping ok. I usually wake up at least once or twice during the night but I'm able to go back to sleep fairly easily. 
Best moment this week: Going to Cornbelly's with my family yesterday and not feeling sick! It was AMAZING to get out with other people and feel human again! I also really enjoyed getting to go back to work this back week! I have sure missed my class a lot! 
Have you told family and friends: Yes
 Miss Anything? - Sweets, this baby doesn't seem to like sugar very much, much to my dismay. 
Movement: Not yet
Food cravings: Nothing really, I have really like eating apples . 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Ha! Almost everything! I am doing much better, though the hayride yesterday probably wasn't the best idea. I also have been getting really carsick which I never used to do. 
Have you started to show yet:  I FEEL like I have but I'm not sure if it shows. 
Gender prediction: I'm guessing girl. Only a girl could cause her mother this much distress this early on. ;)
Labor Signs: No, thank goodness!
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: I would like to say happy but you might want to ask Brandon for a more accurate idea. ;)
Weekly Wisdom: I've been told that this is the best type of sick there ever is and that it is all worth it is the end. Let's hope they're right. 
Looking forward to: Not feeling so sick all the time!!!! It's has been wonderful to feel like a human again these last few days!

Our News

I'm sure most of you have seen our Facebook post but for those of you who might have missed it, there is some exciting things in store for the Reid family. This is how we decided to announce it on Facebook.

We are so excited for our newest addition who is scheduled to arrive April 25th. But I seriously doubt that he/she will arrive when they are supposed to. If I have learned anything so far, it's that this baby has a  mind of its own and will do things when and how they choose!

Deep in the Heart of Texas

We're moving to Texas!! 

                Ok, it's only for the summer, but still I'm pretty excited to be leaving Utah for a while.  Brandon was offered an internship at a company called National Instruments in Austin. 

        Let me take a moment and brag about my incredibly brilliant and talented husband. Brandon interviewed at several major companies and was offered a couple of different positions but NI was the company he really wanted to work for and was really excited when they offered him a position. I couldn't be more proud of everything that he has accomplished and is working toward. 

     The internship lasts for three months and Brandon will go down in the middle of May and get set up and start working and then I will follow him in June when I have finished with my school year. (It will be a little weird not having him with me for that period but thank goodness for modern technology so that we will be able to stay in touch easily.) Plus, it will be a new experience for me living away from any family/friends for the first real time in my life. 

        I'm curious to see if Texas lives up to all the hype I hear from any and everyone who has ever lived there. (Way to set my expectations really high guys).  Those of you who have any suggestions on anything that we might want to visit/do down there let me know! 

 

A Greater Plan Than Mine....

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path." - Proverbs 3:5-6

      This has always been one of my favorite scriptures. Growing up I had this scripture above my bed and every night my mom would have me say this scripture before going to bed. Though I had the words of the scripture memorized at a very young age it wasn't until I was older that the meaning of the words really sunk into my soul. 

 

        Those of you who know me really well know that I am a planner and kind of  a control freak. I like to have everything mapped out and in order. (If you are questioning this feel free to take a look at my freakishly detailed lesson plan book for school). I like to know what, when, and how things are going to happen. That way I can prepare myself accordingly. I can't stand it when there is no schedule, no order to life and even worse is when I have no control over what happens. 

         Relying on others has never been of of my strong points. Sure there were the class projects in school where we are all forced to rely on others for our grades (which I  always hated), or the church callings which had me delegate responsibilities. But when it comes to the important aspects of my life I like to be the one calling the shots. Once I knew what I wanted to do I would always set my sights on it, map out a plan of how and when I exactly I would achieve that particular goal. 

         But there are moments in my life when Heavenly Father likes to remind me that I don't have to do it all myself. In fact I can't do it all. What has always been one of the most difficult things for me to accept is that no matter how much I try to plan out each and every detail of how things should happen in my life, sometimes 

          His plan is better than anything that I could have ever imagined. It is at times like these that the scripture that I recited each night without fail comes back to me at the most random of moments. There are things in this life that we do not understand why they happen (or don't happen) the way that we want. If we can just let go and put our trust in our Father in Heaven then we will be so much happier in the long run. And even though we cannot see it with our limited mortal perceptive, He truly will direct us onto the path that will bring us the most joy to come. 

Graduation

On April 26th 2013 (yes I am aware of how far behind I am) Brandon and I celebrated one of our greatest accomplishments so far.Our graduation from Brigham Young University had arrived! After four years of long nights, tests and papers we finally made it. I was such a wonderful experience and I was so happy that I was able to share the day with my best friend! Even though Brandon officially graduated in December 2012 and I didn't officially graduate until June we were both able to walk together which was an amazing experience. Both my parents and Brandon's parents came to Provo to celebrate the occasion with us. It was so wonderful to have them there with us on this wonderful day.
  Our original plan was to attend two separate ceremonies, one for Brandon's college and one for mine. However, as it turned out both ceremonies were scheduled for the exact same time, so Brandon ended up walking with the School of Education.
  The day was so surreal. I had been looking forward to this day for as long as I can remember. Having my husband next to me and my family in the audience was everything I had hoped it would be.

   

This is what he does when I ask him to smile. Silly boy

The Graduates 

I did it! Yay! 

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

             So I have decided that there must be something wrong  with my calendar. There were some  days that I thought that this time would never come but now that it is here all that I want to do is turn back time and have this year all over again, late nights long hours and all. Canyon has been such as wonderful experience where I have been able to not only grow as a teacher but as a person as well. The people that i have come to know during this year have been a lasting impact on me. My team has been so much more than I could have ever asked for. They also put up with my silly questions, my need for help and direction. I knew that despite the fact that they all had crazy schedules, I could go to any of these amazing ladies and ask for help on a lesson, a management issue or to just bounce ideas off of. I have learned so much from them over the past year.

           Then there is my dear sweet kids, because they are so much more than just my students that I have the honor of instructing six hours a day.  There is no possible way that I only have one week left with my sweet second graders! I have so much left to teach them, so much more I want them to know and understand not just with school but in life as well. I have seen these student blossom throughout the year. Students who I could hardly get to speak at the beginning of the year I now have a hard time getting quiet sometimes. :) I have celebrated at their successes and accomplishments as if they were my own. Their heartbreaks were my heartbreaks.  The thought of letting them go, of trusting someone else with my “kids” is difficult, but the knowledge that I will probably never see any of them again is downright heartbreaking. Sometimes I catch myself watching them and wonder what type of person each of them will become. I hope that in some small way I have made an impact in their lives because I know without any doubt that each of them has made a lasting impact on mine. As I look back at where I was last year when I was deciding which district that I would apply to to have an internship in I had a very strong feeling that for some reason it needed to be Nebo and now I know why. I needed to be here, at this school with these students because of the wonderful influence that THEY have had on ME. They have reminded me how to love in an unconditional way that somehow adults seem to loose throughout the years. They have tested my patience beyond what I thought I could handle some days (and heavens knows that some of them test it more than others), they have taught me compassion and the importance of forgiveness and to laugh at myself and never take anything too seriously. So for all of the hours spent staying late,  writing lesson plans,  getting materials ready I still feel as though they have given me more than I could have ever dreamed. Three more years with these group of kids wouldn’t be enough, never mind a measly  week. I am going to be a complete basket case when the end comes because I can’t even right this journal entry without crying at the mere thought of leaving them.

My Summer Project : The Finished Product.

     Like all good things summer has come to an end. Fall and a new school year are once again upon us (TWO DAYS PEOPLE! BAH!).... However this means that you all get to see the final product of my classroom!! Blood, Sweat and (many) Tears have gone into this classroom as well as too many hours to count.

 I would like to say that I was so creative and resourceful that I did everything in my room myself.... but that would just be a big fat lie and we all know it ;) Thank you so much to all of the people who helped me put this together, especially my wonderful husband, my parents and Christi (who made all of the amazing decorations! She is amazing!).

  So without further adieu I present to you Captain Reid's Second Grade Room:

Captain Reid's Crew! (Outside our door)

Captain Reid leads her crew

Welcome!

My management board. Don't walk the plank!

First Mate Brandon trying on the Captain's hat

Birthday wall

Word Wall

Shiver Me Timbers It's Calendar Time!

Pirate Passes

The Crews Duties

Literacy Conner

Our Treasure Map (I'm going to add jewels with each of the student's name so it will be a little more colorful). Also Outside our room for everyone to see!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our First Date - (how things really happened ;)

As I previously mentioned it was getting close to Thanksgiving break when Brandon finally asked me out for our first date . However I still wasn't completely sure how I felt about him (to me he was still the weird guy who tried to scare me). I did believe that every boy deserves a chance and so I agreed to go out with him.

 Like he mentioned he first asked me out to Color Me Mine but later mentioned that there was a BYU basketball game that same night if I wanted to go to that. I secretly wanted to go to the basketball game for a couple of reasons 1. I love basketball or any BYU sports for that matter, so I knew I would be more comfortable there. 2. There's not a lot of small talk that goes on at a basketball game which made me a lot less nervous because I've never been very good at chit chat with people that I don't know. 3. Probably the biggest reason I wanted to go to the game was that I had my own BYU all-sports pass so I wouldn't be making this guy (that I wasn't sure I was interested in) spend lots of money on me.

Brandon picked me up at my apartment and we walked over to the game, we were going off the stairs to the Tanner building when I slipped on a patch of ice, and being as graceful as I am, fell flat on my face! I was totally embarrassed but I thought I was cool and played it off (apparently I was so wrong on that). Anyway when we got to the Marriott Center the first thing I see are these two guys call Brandon's name and slide down the railing. *For the record Brandon DID NOT tell me that his friends were going to be there.

When I realized that we were going to be hanging out with his friends all night my heart sank (I had had bad experiences in the past where a guy took me to a basketball game with his friends and ignored me the entire night). However I soon realized that this was going to be a much better experience. The whole game Brandon would talk to me about different players, their stats, etc, which I thought was really sweet of him. (I learned later that this had more to do with his obsession with basketball rather than being a gentleman, but whatever works right?).

After the game it started snowing and Brandon invited me back to his apartment for some hot chocolate. Normally this is the part of the date where I get all awkward and self-conscious. But it was different with Brandon, the conversation just seemed to flow and I didn't feel any need to try to impress him and could just be me. As weird as it seems I think that it was so much better that I didn't 'like like' him just yet, because I  figured if this guy didn't like me for me then who cared? I mean it was just a date right? Little did I know that it would be my last 'first date' ever. :)

Our First Date

I asked Jenna out on a date for the first time in November 2010.  I still didn't know her very well yet, so I didn't know what to plan for our date.  I gave her the option of going to a BYU basketball game or going to Color Me Mine.  She said that either one sounded good, so I flipped a coin and it ended up being Color Me Mine.  However, she called later and asked if we could go to the basketball game instead.  I told her we would meet up with some of my friends when we got to the game.

We walked to the Marriott Center and on the way Jenna tripped on a step and almost fell on her face.  I could tell she was really embarrassed, but I didn't really care that she tripped.  When we arrived at the Marriott Center my friends were waiting at the stairs in front.  Unfortunately they had the bright idea to slide down the rails.  I felt really stupid because my friends looked like dorks and what does that say about me if they're my friends?

In the end, the basketball game was a much better choice.  We were both more comfortable there than we would have been at an artsy place.  Also, this was during Jimmer Mania and any BYU student that knew anything about basketball was in love with Jimmer.  She had a good time at the game, probably because Jimmer was so awesome, but I think she mistakenly thought it also had something to do with me.  We both had fun on our first date and we were open to going on a second.

How we first met.... (Brandon's Version)

I first met Jenna in my BYU singles ward.  However, I knew she existed long before she new I existed.  I saw her at a ward 'Break the Fast' activity and thought 'She's cute'.  I started seeing more of her when Erin and Nathan became closer.  I decided that I needed to try to make her like me.  To a guy this means I need to act stupid and try and scare her during a movie, as well as force her to go to Denny's in the middle of the night even though she didn't want to.  After I spent time 'getting her to like me' I decided I should ask her on a date.

I wanted to ask her on a date for a while, but it was complicated.  The ward set up 'tie dates', where a girl picked a tie from a pile and then got a date with whomever the tie belonged too.  Of course I got paired up with one of Jenna's roommates.  I knew that it would be bad manners to ask Jenna on a date when I was supposed to go on a date with her roommate.  So, I had to wait longer before I could ask Jenna out. Finally, I got my chance to ask her on a date...

How It All Began..... Our Story (Jenna's Version)

    As we celebrated our one year wedding anniversary this past weekend it made me reflect on just how far we have come and how I have never officially documented how Brandon and I met, our first date etc. So here it is, better late than never right?
    Brandon and I have a similar story of how we met as many couples at BYU do, that is we were in the same singles ward together.  However, I like to think that our story has a little bit of spice and is just a little bit different. In fact, the beginning of our story really doesn't have very much to do with either Brandon or myself ;)

  It was fall semester of 2010 (I can't believe it's really been that long!) when I moved into Cox apartments and in the  BYU 117th ward. I was a sophomore at BYU and was looking forward to having a fun, laid back year that included school, friends and lots of boys :) I had lucked out with the best roommates in the world and was having a good time. Well, as in any LDS ward our apartment was assigned two hometeachers  who would come visit us girls each month and share a spiritual lesson with us and see if there was anything that they could do to help us.  Well it just so happens that we had two very awesome hometeachers who got along really well with our apartment. We got along so well in fact that to make a long story short (because it doesn't have much to do with OUR story) that a couple of months into the semester one of my roommates Erin became really good friends with and eventually began dating one of our hometeachers Nathan. Because of this she would often want us (the roomies) to go to the his apartment with her to hang out with him and some of his roommates. 

   Being the loving, supportive roommate that I was I would often go along with her. My motives weren't exactly pure however, because I happened to have a crush on one of Nathan's roommates (who will remain nameless, all you need to know is that it was not Brandon.)

    In fact I didn't even know Brandon existed for the most of that fall semester.  It wasn't until Halloween when our whole apartment was over at Nathan's apartment that I even noticed Brandon and not in a good way. We were all watching a scary movie, (I was trying my best to put on a brave face so I didn't look like a wimp in front of the guy I was crushing on) when a particularly scary part of the movie came up and this guy sitting behind me leaned over and spooked me. I thought I was going to pee my pants! Well you guessed it, that weird random guy turned out to be Brandon and let me say he did not make the best first impression by doing that. 

   We ended up running into each other a couple more times throughout the month at different ward activities and would always make polite small talk but there was never really any spark there for me. Plus I still had a pretty big crush on his roommate and he was really busy with school that semester. It wasn't until nearly Thanksgiving break that we went on our first date and things started to change......

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

       Where has the time gone? I can't believe since it's been an entire year since we keeled across the alter and were sealed together for time and all eternity! This has truly been the greatest year of my entire life! I love waking up each day and knowing that I get to be with my best friend, someone who has seen me not only at my best but at my worst as well and still loves me. Someone who I can joke with, laugh with, and be a complete dork around! It's wonderful!

   Brandon planned a romantic weekend to celebrate our first anniversary as husband and wife. ( I swear I had no part in any of the planning so all the credit should be given to my amazing hubby!!) Since our anniversary was on a Sunday this year we did most of our celebrating on Saturday.
 
   Saturday morning Brandon told me to put on some comfy cloths and to hop in the car where he drove us up to Neffs Canyon in Sandy and we went on a beautiful morning hike. Afterwards we came home rested for a couple of hours and got showered we got all dressed up and went out to dinner at Oliver Garden (which is my favorite restaurant) After dinner Brandon got back on the freeway and headed north again. I had no idea where he was taking us but decided that it was best to just go along for the ride.  :)

  He pulled up to this really cute bed and breakfast called Castle Creek Inn which looks just like a castle.( I always felt like Brandon treated me like a princess but this time I really felt like royalty). We stayed in the Canterbury Suit which was decorated in an old English style and Brandon had made special arrangements to have the room extra romantic (i.g. rose petals everywhere, and sparkling cider in our room). It was really a great place!

   Sunday we broke out our top layer of wedding cake that had been waiting patiently in our freezer for the past year and celebrated together by sharing a piece( which was so much better a year ago) and talking about our wedding and our lives since. 

Before the hike.

At the top.

Look at that view!

Beautiful

My sexy hubby

our room

The Canterbury Suite

My Knight in Shinning Armor 

The grounds around the inn

My castle!

This is what happens when you put a cake in the freezer for a year and it gets pushed around.

Brandon cutting the cake