6 Years of Happily Ever After

Six years ago today, Seth and I were sealed together in the temple and our Tate Family was established. We loved our little (tiny) apartment downtown and loved being in walking distance to the temple. We were so in love (and pretty darn sappy) and so excited to spend every moment together.

Nine months later, we bought our first house and got a (rambunctious) puppy. We tried obedience training. We loved her like a baby. She was a good dog, but still crazy. I graduated from college. We were so in love and excited to be living our dreams.

In another 8 months, Morgan joined our family! We doted and took pictures and video taped endless footage of him laying on his back looking at stuff. Seth graduated from school and got a great job. We were so in love and so happy to be parents.

Not quite 2 years after that, we got another puppy. This one was less rambunctious, but oh.was.she.a.puppy. She yipped and peed and howled. And we loved her, and cuddled her, and counted our blessings that we had so many little lives to love. We were so in love and excited for the next big step in our lives...

10 days later, our first baby girl was born and we were smitten! Chloe was beautiful and sweet and we couldn't imagine our lives without her. We worried for her safety and well-being with a big brother who was not quite 2...but he loved her, and she loved him, and it was the start of a beautiful friendship. I quit my job to be a stay-at-home mom. We enjoyed watching Chloe learn so much, so fast. We played together as a family every spare moment we had. We were so in love and wondered how we got so lucky to be living in this fairy tale.

Another year later Seth got accepted to the DNP (doctor of nurse practice) program on his first try. So, feeling like we could take on the world, we decided to build a garage before he started. It was hard. It was long. It was stressful. It is (still) not quite finished. We were so in love - even when we were too exhausted to realize it - and impatiently anticipated getting back to our fairy tale.

A few months later, Seth started school. It was busy. There was a lot of homework. Breaks were never long enough. I spent a lot of time by myself (if you can call hanging out with 2 kids and 2 dogs by yourself) and in my pregnant state, felt inadequate to do it all. Between work, school, kids, and sleep, we only saw each other in passing. We were so in love and missing each other so much.

Another few months passed and we had to say goodbye to our sweet puppy #2. We found her a wonderful home. And we cried. and cried. and cried. And we missed her like crazy. But we knew she was happy. And we were happy too. We were so in love and so excited for a new chapter of our lives to start...

Less than a month later, Brynn joined our family. She was tiny and beautiful and amazing! Her big brother and sister were smitten! Her mommy and daddy were smitten! We took thousands of pictures and carved out more family time. We adjusted to 3 babies. We couldn't keep up with it all. We relied on each other and relished our time together. We took some time off to get away...all of us...and it was good. We were so in love and feeling so blessed.

So now, here we are, six years later. We have had ups and downs, blessings and trials, but that is what life is all about. I feel blessed to have held Seth's hand through it all. As I watched conference last weekend, I couldn't help but feel immensely blessed as I listened to the talks. Seth is the epitome of temperance. His highest priority is our family. I have never wondered for a day of my marriage whether he loves me, because he tells me every day and he shows me every day. As I see the good in my children, I know that it is due, in large part, to the father that Seth is. They know he loves them because he tells them and shows them.

Right now, we enjoy our family so much. We count our blessings that three sweet spirits were sent to our family. We have learned so much about love from them and it just gets better as they grow. We find joy in the relationships our children have with each other. We are making more time for each other, despite the busy schedules. We are working on becoming better individuals. We love spending time together: laughing, playing, working, learning, serving, and occasionally relaxing. We are grateful for the gospel. We are happy. Most of all, we are so in love and looking down the road of our life with excitement and anticipation, because it is true what they say...it just gets better with time!

My Life on the Silver Screen

That's right, friends, if you ever wanted to watch the movie of my life, rent Marley and Me. Seth and I saw it last night for the first time and it was hysterical! Callie is pretty much the black and skinny version of Marley in that movie. Sure, she didn't get kicked out of obedience training, but our teacher couldn't get her to calm down for anything! I laughed when she chewed the couch cushions up because, well, I've been there. I laughed when their little girl gave Marley her lamb and said, "She can have my lamb if she promises not to chew the other ear off." I almost fell off my bed laughing when Marley stole the necklace and they had to chase her around the house...and when she ran through the screen door and jumped the fence...and when she tried to jump out the car window...and...and...and...and even when Jenny (how fitting) was losing it and screamed, "Get that dog out of here!" and meant it. Then I felt bad because I have been there and done that - more frequently than I care to admit!

Then, I came to the realization that I am not really cut out to be a dog owner. I am utterly unprepared for the day when my sweet and energetic puppy isn't energetic anymore. I will never be ready to explain to the kids why Callie isn't peeking through the blinds waiting for us when we get home. I cried for a very long time during and after the movie, and I hugged my sweet companion a little tighter - and even tolerated lots of doggy kisses - afterward. So, to my unconditional friend and very tolerant little puppy - I love you! You are not a bad dog, or intolerable, or stupid - despite what I may say in moments of frustration and being overwhelmed. You are the best dog our little family could ever ask for and completely irreplaceable. You will always be our first little baby and we are so glad that you get to play with us for a long time to come!

If you haven't seen this movie, I am sorry if I ruined it for you, but it is totally worth seeing: hillarious, uplifting and very sad, but inspiring.

Utterly Adoreable

As I was filing some recent pictures, I couldn't help but feel grateful to be the mother of such beautiful children. What do you think, are they adoreable or what? (Anyone who says or what is in big trouble!)

These faces make me so happy! Cute, Cute, Cute!

Houseguest

Last Friday marked our first "visitation" arrangement with Roxy and she came to stay with us until last night. It was so nice to have her with us and realize just how good this whole arrangement really is. We certainly miss her, but she is doing so much better and really thriving with the one-on-one love and attention she is getting in her new home. She and Callie were right back to teasing each other like siblings, but they were much more controlled about it. Morgan and Chloe were so happy to see her and we loved all the cuddles!

She was so well behaved - we always wished we had been able to devote the time and attention to her training that she is getting now - and it was evident that she missed us even though she loves her new home. The first thing she did when she got to our house was search for Seth. But, since he wasn't there, she had to settle for me and the kids. She sure loves her daddy!

Callie has improved her behavior significantly too. She is more obedient and responsive to commands and generally seems happier. I thought that the timing of this visit might be a little stressful with the baby coming and all, but it was a delight. We are truly blessed to have found Roxy such a wonderful home. It has been a blessing for everyone involved even though it has been hard. Thanks for visiting sweet Roorie - we love you!

Fun at the Cabin

Last week we spent a couple of nights at my family's cabin east of Oakley. We had so much fun bumming around in our jammies, sledding, snowshoeing, reading, watching movies, and even organizing pictures. I didn't even take shampoo (which is utterly amazing, if you know me well).

The kids were so cute the whole time (and they even slept through the night Tuesday) that we took hundreds of pictures. So, instead of choosing a couple to represent, I am sharing all of them with you via slideshow!

If you are asked for a password, click here to view the slideshow. You will have to enter a password there, but there is a hint (I am working to fix the slideshow technical difficulties).