1 down, infinity to go...

I can't believe it's been a year... time flies when you're having fun!  Here's a glimpse back to some memories from April 19th, 2008:

Today has been a wonderful day of reflection as I've thought back on the memories of this last year.  Ross and I were married a year ago today, and the time has FLOWN by.  It seems like it was just yesterday that we were sealed in the temple for time and eternity, and now we're here... 2 apartments, 1 house, 6 jobs, and a pregnancy later:)  Baby Gabe has the hiccups (for the 3rd time today) as I write this, and I wish I could say that my sweet husband was sitting next to me with his hand on my stomach.  However, Ross is 3,000 miles to the northeast, sharing music and the gospel with the people of Alaska.  He is with BYU-I's Collegiate Singers, and they left last Monday for their choir tour.  They'll be gone for 2 weeks, so I have another week to go before Ross comes home.  But he's been extra wonderful today, calling when he can to wish me a Happy Anniversary and just to talk.  In fact, as soon as they finished singing at a youth fireside tonight, Ross had a bunch of the Young Women from the Wasilla, AK stake yell out to me "Happy Anniversary from Alaska!".  It's been hard to be away from him (especially being pregnant, celebrating our first anniversary AND his birthday apart from each other, and trying to prepare for our move to Indiana next week), but I know that he is having some amazing experiences, seeing some beautiful sights, and sharing his wonderful musical talent.  Thank goodness Verizon doesn't charge extra for roaming when calls and texts are in the same network!  I made sure to clear that up before he'd been gone too long... we definitely didn't want to end up with a horrendous phone bill at the end of the month! 

Anyway, here's to our First Anniversary:)  I love every day that Ross and I are together.  Like Ross said to me, "we've had some good times, but we've really had some GREAT times."  Every day I learn from his optimism, his pure heart, his thirst for knowledge, and his caring and forgiving attitude.  He truly makes me a better person, and he is the absolute light of my life.  He doesn't just make me happy... he fills me with joy.  I am forever grateful for his patience (that has been 18 years in the making when it comes to dealing with me), his hard work, and the sweet love he shares with me, his eternal companion.  We really were meant for each other.  

So babes, Happy First:)  I miss you.  Te quiero mas que las estrellas de los cielos.  

*T

a not-so-bedtime story

We have had some crazy busy weekends these last few weeks, and I'm starting to think I could make the drive from Rexburg to Alpine with my eyes closed.  That obviously would be a bad idea, so I won't do it, but it reminds me of a time when I almost DIED a few weeks ago.  So that's where I'll start:) 

There are times when Ross gets a little behind on schoolwork, which happens to most college students (especially crazy-busy music majors).  Well, a few weeks ago I decided to take a trip to visit my family and give Ross the opportunity (i.e. time, space, freedom, etc.) to catch up on everything.  I left Rexburg in the afternoon to give myself plenty of time to get to Utah without it getting dark.  Well, I was less than 2 miles south of Rexburg and had just passed a pocket of traffic (including a semi-truck) when I made the mistake of looking down at my console to make sure I had my cell phone within reach.  I don't know how it happened, but the next thing I know I'm halfway off the road and into the median.  I remember thinking to myself "don't overcorrect, don't overcorrect!", but my first reaction was to pull my car back onto the road.  I had just barely set my cruise control at 70 mph, and it wasn't until I (involuntarily) jerked the wheel to the right that I hit the brakes.  My car (a Honda CR-V) squealed across both lanes on Highway 20, hit the right shoulder, and I frantically tried to gain control of the car.  I ended up overcorrecting again, sending my small SUV flying back across both lanes and into the median.  I am SO THANKFUL for my car... had it been any other SUV, I would've rolled it.  I know it sounds dramatic, but the first police officer to the scene actually saw it happen.  He said that when I hit the median the 2nd time, I had two wheels in the air and was sliding sideways down the highway.  He thought that I was going to roll the car when I hit the median, so he was very surprised when I landed with all four wheels on the ground.  All I remember is that before the two wheels went into the air, I was looking down the highway out of the passenger window.  That's how far my wheels were turned.  I think it was also a blessing that the snow had just melted on the median, so the dirt was softer and more squishy and it actually helped to keep me from rolling.  I've never been uncontrollably hysterical before, but I think it took about a nanosecond for my body to go into complete freak out mode.  I started to shake all over, I couldn't breathe without wheezing, and I started to cry.  My first reaction was to call Ross, and because I was so hysterical, he thought I'd had a REALLY bad car accident.  I barely had time to tell him where I was before a nice cowboy in a pickup pulled off the road to make sure I was okay, and then the cop pulled up (the one who saw it happen).  The cop noticed that I was literally clutching my belly, so he asked if I was pregnant.  When I said yes, he called an ambulance to make sure I was okay and that I hadn't hurt the baby.  All I could tell him was that my sunglasses were on before I lost control, and by the time the car stopped in the middle of the median, they were on the floor.  They wanted to check my head and my vitals, and they also did a belly check to make sure everything was okay.  Poor Ross... by the time he got to where I was, there were 3 cop cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck (a LITTLE over the top, but that's how they do it).  He sat and rubbed my hand while they checked my blood pressure (which went from 130/96 down to 117/80 by the time I could get my breathing under control), and I've gotta give him props for staying so calm.  After confirming that all was well, including Baby Gabe, I shook the hands of the men who helped me and walked back to my car.  Ross put his arms around me as we were walking and said "I just wanna hold you for a second."  We both realized how close of a call this really was... according to the police officer, this could have been a very bad accident.  Ross followed me back to Rexburg so we could take the car to the shop (it was making a grinding sound when I'd turn left), but other than cleaning out LOTS and LOTS of dirt and gravel from the wheel wells, they only had to replace part of the axle that was bent.  Did I mention that I love my car???  Not only did it literally save my life, but it held up pretty nicely considering it took a pretty good beating.  

Anyway, Ross and I now think twice before taking our eyes off the road.  Unfortunately, it took this incident to shake me up and make me realize the importance of staying alert ALL the time.  I looked down for a second, but it only took that second for me to lose control of my car.  So, as my plea to all who read this, please keep your eyes on the road.  Don't look down, DON'T TEXT, don't allow yourself to get distracted.  You can't afford to take your eyes off the road!  Believe me, I KNOW.  Please, just be smart when you drive!  

*T