love languages

Do you know what your love language is?  Do you know your spouse's love language(s)?  Or those of your immediate family and closest friends?  I suggest you learn them.  There are lots of places to take the quiz but here is a link that is quick and easy.

My love languages are tied evenly between 3: quality time, acts of service, and physical touch.

This semester is crazy.  I have just begun the elementary education program at UVU, and they are not messing around with their future teachers.  I am taking a full credit schedule of 18 credit hours.  Which breaks down to be 7 classes.  I am also working about 30 hours a week.  On top of that I am expected to complete  20 volunteer hours in elementary school before March.  I am also apart of an event planning group at UVU.  And we are cubscout leaders in our church.  It has already been a little overwhelming.

The first week of school I was barely making it through the days.  The best part of my day was going home to a big warm hug from my Mikey, who had already started dinner and cleaned up the house or ran a load of laundry.  Seriously, the first week of school I didn't cook a single meal or clean any part of the house.  He was so amazing to know what I needed and to follow through.  He was so selfless and just so wonderful.  I probably would have dropped out of the program that week if it hadn't been for him!  Haha!

Now that its been a few weeks, I am getting into the swing of things.  I know that I can do hard things.  I know that I am working toward things that really mean a lot to me!  I know that I only have a few semesters left and then my education will be done.  I know that if the laundry waits til next week, we are going to survive.  Its okay that we have grilled cheese and tomato soup from a can for dinner sometimes **at least once a week** haha!

Mike's love languages are Physical touch and then quality time.  That boy needs to cuddle every single day.  He is most happy if he gets a snuggle in the morning, evening and at night!  I am so grateful for my sweet boy.  I love him so so much!

lots of love,
Brookeydee

6 months towards our eternity

We hit our 6 month anniversary yesterday!  When people used to say "marriage is hard" I didn't really understand what they meant.  These past few months have begun to teach me exactly what that means.  Finding compromise and putting together two families and backgrounds is HARD.  There have been some really hard and dark moments.  I know there will be more in the future as well, but the last six months have also been magic.

There are few things more comforting than knowing that I get to go home to my best friend every single night.  That I get to share with him my everything.  That he honestly cares about my well being before his own.  That he will hold me, support me, make me laugh, and listen.  I love that I get to reciprocate those things right back to him, it is so rewarding.  He reminds me everyday that he was the right choice.  He reminds me everyday that my love for him continues to grow.  He reminds me everyday of our Heavenly Father's plan for us and that we get to be together forever.

Six months isn't that long, and I am grateful for that, cause I get forever!  But these first six months are something to celebrate.  How grateful I am for a wonderful husband.

Here are some of my favorite memories of our first 6 months:
-The wedding, duh
-the honeymoon.. also duh
-moving into our first apartment
-a trip to Disneyland
-getting accepted into UVU's elementary program
-buying a car together
-taking a few classes together last semester
-our first Christmas

I love these photos by the amazing Mikki Platt from our engagement session.  These are just so real and so us.

Lots of love,
Brookeydee

The reason for the season

My parents have always been so good at making family traditions, we did one this past week that is on the top of the favorite list. We come together for family home evening and we sit in a circle with a nativity in the middle.  We light a candle and we each choose a character from the nativity that we can relate with that year.  It is one of my favorite traditions!  I love that my parents' Christmas traditions really teach us WHO we are celebrating!

Rewind back about a month. I am ashamed to admit, that I had a weak moment thinking about what to get my sweet new hubby for Christmas this year.  Money is tight.  We are students and newly weds.  It is okay that money is tight.  We are not going without anything we need, but there is not lots of money to spend on fancy Christmas gifts.  It is embarrassing that I thought- Christmas is going to be bad this year!  There's nothing that I can afford that is really going to excite him. I know.  So selfish.  So vain.  Immediately, the Spirit slapped me across the face.  I was overcome with emotion and thoughts.  We do not celebrate Christmas in order to give and receive fancy gifts.  It is about so much more than that.  It has changed my entire outlook- thank heavens! I needed a good slap in the face!

So back to the awesome family tradition.  This year, I did something different.  Normally I would choose a Shepherd or a Wiseman.  But this year I chose the barn.  Christ was born in a barn.  A dirty, smelly barn.  With animals and bugs and all things unsanitary- a nightmare for my OCD.  But, this is so symbolic.  His beginning was so humble.  He breathed his first divine breaths in that dirty, smelly barn.  And made his first showing to the world one of jaw dropping humility.

The lyrics to Silent Night have been heavy on my mind this month-
Silent night, holy night.  All is clam and bright. Holy infant- tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Glories stream from heaven afar.  Heavenly hosts sing alleluia.  Chirst, the Savior is born!
Son of God, love's pure light.  Radiant beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

I am so grateful for his truly humble beginning.  And for the greatest gift of all that he has given us.  I hope to always remember the lesson I have learned this Christmas.

lots of love,
brookeydee