6 Years of Wedded Bliss

Today is Jesse and my 6th Wedding Anniversary. I can't believe it's been 6 years. We have both grown so much. Here are some pictures and memories from our Wedding Day, November 21, 2002:I woke up that morning and I remember thinking to myself, "Wow, this is just like any other day." I thought it would feel much different when I woke up, but it was very real, and I liked that.

Jesse came to my house to drive with me and my Mom to the Salt Lake Temple (we went in my Mom's car...this part is important later). I was so nervous to see him. It was awkward...I wondered what to say to him, I mean, we were on our way to commit ourselves to each other for Eternity. I felt like such a nerd the whole drive down town. I don't know why, I just did. I was so excited though, I just couldn't find words to express it.

We parked at the Conference Center and then started walking to the Temple. As we were walking Jesse turned to me and said, "Do I need my tux?" And I really thought I was going to cry at that moment. The night before I said to him, "All you need in the morning is yourself and your tux. We will be getting pictures outside of the Temple after we get married (obviously) and you will need to be in your tux for them." Well, he didn't listen to me. My cute Mom turned to me and said, "Don't worry. Today is not a day where you need to worry. I will take care of it. It will be here by the time you get your pictures taken." So Jesse and my Mom called Jesse's Mom, Jan, and she came downtown, got the keys to Jesse's car, drove back to my house in Sandy, picked up the tux, and then brought it to the Temple. She was a life saver that day! And look how nice he looked in it:In the Temple Jesse and I were lucky enough to have his Mission President's parents as our Temple workers. That was such a sweet surprise. Jesse's Mission President had worked it out so they could be there with us. That meant the world to Jesse, as he still missed Taiwan and still had such a strong connection to his mission. After we got ready we were sealed by Ned Winder. He was one of the funnest, sweetest, kindest, and most spiritual men you will ever meet. He has since passed away, but I have such fond memories of him from my childhood. We used to go to Winder Dairy and see the Christmas lights every year, and we would also see him around our neighborhood and he was always so interested in what was going on in our lives. He was a great friend to my Dad and to my Grandma, and I always looked up to him so much. I was so grateful that he could be the one to perform the ceremony.
After the sealing we had our pictures taken. It was a VERY cold day. The sun was shining so the pictures don't look like it was 40 degrees outside, but it was. My arms were numb by the time we were done, but I still had a blast posing with my cute husband!Next we had our luncheon at Marie Calendars on 3900 South and 1100 East. It was such a nice, filling, and relaxing luncheon.After the luncheon we went and took a nap at my house. I don't even remember letting my head hit the pillow. We fell right to sleep. Neither of us had slept much the night before, so we were happy to squeeze in an hour of rest (and yes, we really did take a nap people...)

After our nap we went to Heritage Gardens for our reception. I LOVE Heritage Gardens!!! It was always my dream to have my reception there. It was right down the street from my house and I watched it be built and then went to the grand opening, and I just knew that's where I wanted to have my reception. I think it turned out beautifully and I loved how many of our family and friends came to support and congratulate us. Between our parents and all of our step-parents we sent out 600 invitations. Over 400 people came. It was a crazy, fun, exciting night!

My bridesmaids (from left to right): my sister Ashley, my cousin Marcee, my sister-in-law Jenny, Me, my cousin Mallory, my sister-in-law Jamie, Meg, and on the front row are my sisters Cambria and Marissa

It was an absolutely perfect day. I am still so grateful that Jesse and I found each other, that he proposed, that I accepted (hahaha), that we had an amazing Wedding Day, and that through these last 6 years we have learned so much about ourselves and each other. I am excited to see what the next 6 years bring!!!! I LOVE YOU JESSE!!!!! And I am so proud to be a Hubbard!

Hubby Tag

1. Where did you meet? In choir when he was a Senior and I was a Sophomore at Hillcrest High School (September 1998)


2. How long did you date before you got married? We didn't date in High School. We were acquaintances and as Jesse said after he looked at my Sophomore yearbook picture a couple of years ago, "No wonder I didn't date you in High School, look how big your cheeks were!" He was kind of kidding, but I like to bring it up if I ever want him to do something for me since he feels bad that he said that :) hahaha...just kidding. Anyway, once he got home from his mission in February of 2002 we started dating, got engaged August 9, 2002, and were married on November 21, 2002, so we dated for around 9 months.


3. How long have you been married? 6 years tomorrow!


4. What does he do that surprises you? He is kind of vain. I just never knew that about him until he was in college and we were looking at buying him a car and he said, "I have to confess something. I want a nice car that is noticeable. I like to have people look at me when I drive past. Not people that I know, but strangers. I like them to wonder who is in that cool car that just drove past." He's just vain with cars. In general he doesn't like to have attention on him.


5. What is your favorite feature of his? His shoulders and arms! I love it when he wears long sleeve shirts and pulls the sleeves half-way up his arms! Don't ask me why, I just do. Man I need to fan myself off now that I just thought about that. He is so hot!


6. Does he have an annoying habit? He loves to play with any loose skin I may have. Behind my elbows, on my knuckles, wherever it is, he just loves to find it and pull on it. I hate it. It doesn't feel nice and he does it sub-consciously and it just drives me up the wall!


7. What is your favorite quality of his? His calm nature. He just enjoys being around people and having fun. He doesn't get stressed or overwhelmed easily. I am SO the opposite, so I love that he is so even-tempered.


8. Does he have a nickname for you? Tink


9. What is his favorite color? I think it's black. Or it may be white. It's something odd like that. And I always forget which one it is because I just think it's crazy that he would choose one of those "colors" as his favorite. I really am leaning more towards the answer being "white"....


10. What is his favorite food? Jesse loves food. It doesn't matter what kind of food. He really only eats a full meal at lunch time and he doesn't eat a lot. I love that he isn't picky and that he just goes with whatever I feel like. How nice for me :)


11. What is his favorite sport? Football. He loves going to the Utah games with Quenten.


12. When and where was your 1st kiss? I actually had to think hard about this one and that made me sad. It was in his parent's basement while we were watching 12 Angry Men (what an odd movie to be watching, I know, but it was a college assignment for me so Jesse was kind enough to watch it with me) and it was on May 9. I also specifically remember the night before our first kiss when I thought he was going to kiss me and he chickened out and kissed me on the cheek instead. Hahaha...he was so scared of making a move...I love that!


13. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? I think watching movies or TV shows that make us laugh. I just love to laugh with him. I will do anything with him as long as it isn't scary or some death-defying thing...as long as it makes us laugh.
14. Do you have any children? Just our 5-year-old cat, Woody. He is such a little person. Jesse has trained him to be a little strange though...well, a lot strange. They are so funny together.15. Does he have a hidden talent? He is an amazing pianist. I love it when he plays. Though it's been at least 2 years since I've heard him play. I wish he would. I really do love it so much. The first time I saw him he was sitting at a piano playing warm-ups for the choir. I wish he'd start it up again...sniff, sniff...


16. How old is he? 27


17. Who said "I love you" first? Jesse did. But I thought it first. I just wasn't going to be the idiot girl who says "I love you" before he's even thought about it...so I waited. And I'm glad I did. I remember that moment vividly. It was very sweet.


18. What is his favorite type of music? He loves hard rock. And so do I. X96, 94.9, 97.5, any of those radio stations. We both LOVE Barenaked Ladies and Relient K as well. We have very similar taste in music, though he occasionally listens to Country and you will NEVER hear me listening to Country. That's our one big difference.


19. What do you admire most about him? When he decides to do something he does it all the way. When he decided to go on a mission and found out he was going to Taiwan he studied the language. He'd wake up extra early in the mission field to study his characters so he could read Mandarin well too. Then when he decided to become a Mechanical Engineer he devoted his life to school. He made sure that he applied the things he was learning to daily life so he could retain the information. And though that made for some very boring conversations sometimes (listen, I am pretty smart but I do NOT want to talk about formulas and how things work at the dinner table) he graduated and has an amazing job now. He is just a really hard worker and wants to ensure that we have a comfortable life.


20. Do you think he'll read this? It depends on if anything interesting has been posted on YouTube or Ebaum's World...hahaha...just kidding, yes, he will read this eventually.


I LOVE YOU JESSE!

Opening Night is finally here!

Tonight is opening night for Miracle on 42nd Street. I am so excited!!!! We have had a long Tech Week with three very late nights (not leaving the theater until 1:00 AM or a little after) but last night was Preview Night for our families and it went so well! I was lucky enough to have a huge support system there for me, and I was so grateful for that.

Preview Night is always the hardest night. It's the first time that you have an audience and it's an audience full of people who are there for family and they didn't have to pay so they are not always inclined to laugh, which is hard since the shows we do at Desert Star are comedies, BUT last night everyone laughed at pretty much everything. So if that's any sign of how this run is going to be then I am so excited!

I am also glad that I get to play the ditsy blond. It sure is a good time. I truly enjoy acting. Who knows how good I am, but I enjoy it and that's what matters. I love going on stage and just being a different person from head to toe. And I get to wear and do things I would never normally do, and it's just fun. I am so lucky to be able to do this. And I really am so grateful for this phase of my life where I am just having a good time. I love my hubby, I love my twin, I love my family, I love my job, and I love being in shows. So life is good. And I will actually get a good night sleep tonight so I am stoked!

Oh, and thanks to my cute little Mom who brought me Smart Cookies! I LOVE their frosting! If you haven't ever had a smart cookie you should definitely find a way to get your hands on one. I love them...here's a picture of my favorite sugar cookie:

I do have to warn you people, if you try these cookies you WILL be addicted and as of right now they only have Utah County locations, so you'll be driving a bit to get your fix. Luckily for me my Mom gets me one about once a month so I just wait for the blessed day when she brings me another. Oh, and I just realized that this "Preview Night" cookie didn't have writing on it like my last opening night cookie...just to remind you all, here's the picture of the cookie from Scary Poppins' preview night with my Mom's classic message:

Hahaha...my Mom is so cool. I just love her! Anyway, here's to Opening Night. I can't wait!

Beyond Tired

I am beyond tired. Far beyond. Have you ever gotten to the point where you are so tired that everything is funny. Everything. Even when I say a sentence on the phone to someone and it just comes out different than I expected I laugh. People here at my work think I've lost my mind and maybe I have...maybe I have...I just wish with all of my heart that I could sleep. Two nights of only getting 4 hours of sleep is just too much. And it doesn't help that I haven't gotten more than 6 hours of sleep a single night these last 3 weeks. So I'm done. I have lost my mind and I am wishing I could curl up under my desk and sleep for 3 hours. That would be nice. One day I will sleep again and I will be the happiest camper you have ever met. Though I am currently happy because I have finally lost it. The end. Enjoy your sleep people...

Oh how I wish this was me...

Ode to Clint

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLINT!


Clint is my brother-in-law. He turned 16 on October 29. He is one of the coolest people I know. Let me share a few memories/things that I love about Clint:


1. When Jesse and I were dating I would go hang out at his house and Clint would be in whatever room I was in. He hung on my every word, so I obviously liked him from the start :) Hahahah...I hope you hear the sarcasm in my voice...I really am not conceited, I promise. Sometimes I say things in a dry way and people think I'm serious but I am really and truly not...anyway, back to Clint, I love that I can bring up the fact that Clint had a crush on me whenever it is necessary (or when it's not necessary, I just like to bring it up at various times when he's around, to let him remember that I really am cool, and that he at one point in time thought I was the cats meow...hahahah...)


(This is a picture of Clint & Jesse at Deer Creek for their Dad's annual Open Water Swim, and yes, Jesse is in a cowboy hat, and no, I did not agree to him buying that hat...)





2. Clint went to the Barenaked Ladies Concert with me, Jesse, Meg, Quenten and some of my siblings in November of 2006. That was one of the greatest nights of my life. Clint was so into it. He screamed along with us and danced around (though he didn't make a fool of himself like Meg and I did, but he tried, and he was loving it the whole time, which I appreciated). Clint is always up to try new things. If I enjoy something, or if anyone enjoys something, Clint will try it. Even if it isn't necessarily what he wants to do, he'll give it a shot. I've always loved that about him.



(Here's a picture of me, Meg & Clint in Ibapah this last Summer. He's so good at humoring us even though he thinks we're crazy :)



3. Clint is a good kid. He just is. Through and through. He always does the right thing. And he is such a hard worker and he's always serving those around him. I wish I had the stamina of that kid. He just keeps going, and going, and going...well, you get the point. He is a do-er and I love that.


4. Clint is an amazing athlete. He has dedicated himself to soccer, and though soccer is not my sport of choice, I enjoy watching it when he's playing. He did this awesome move last season where he knocked this kids legs out from under him and he didn't even use his hands or anything. He just slid across the ground and knocked the kids legs with his own legs. It was amazing. I could never do anything like that. So props to Clint. He is one amazing athlete.


5. Clint has awesome sarcasm. I thought I was pretty good at sarcasm, but I fall for things Clint says all the time. He is so laid back and smooth with his sarcasm and I love it! He is just brilliant.


6. Clint is the greatest Uncle. He loves to take care of his nieces and nephews. He always has someone scooped up in his arms. And all of them love him with all of their heart. He is their favorite Uncle because he's always there for them. And he's always willing to play. I'm excited for my kids to have him as their Uncle. He's the best.


7. Clint is like Ken. I can dress him up however I want. Meg and I enjoy that very much. It helps that he has an athletes physique, but he also can pull off many colors and styles, so I am excited about the prospects of trying new things on him.

(Quenten & Clint in February 2008 being kind enough to pose for me when I told them to...though this wasn't quite what I was looking for)

I could go on and on, but I'll stop now. I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLINT! I love you and am excited about all of the good times to come. And I'm excited that you get to start dating. What a fun/exciting time of life to be in!

10 Things I'm Grateful For:

I am excited about this upcoming Holiday Season and thought I'd start it out with 10 Things I am Grateful for. I know I did this a little while ago, but I've felt very negative and un-fun these past couple of days so I need to get thinking positive again:

1. My boss. He is so understanding and let's me stay home when I am sick without making me feel guilty. Having worked at a company that used to make me feel horrible if I had the flu or a fever this is something that I definitely appreciate.

2. The snow. We were so lucky to get our first real SNOW this week. I love it! I love how beautiful and peaceful the earth is when it snows. Hopefully we'll get LOTS of it this Season!

3. My cat Woody. He is so sweet. I love that when I stay home he is so happy that I am there. He will never leave my side when I am sick and it just makes me feel better having him by my side. Here's a picture of him:

4. A healthy body. My body really has been pretty darn healthy these last 9 or 10 months. I'm grateful that my body can heal itself and get over illness quickly. I was worried this flu bug of mine would affect me for double the time it normally should since my stomach is so sensitive, but not this year! Yea for my body!

5. Friends. I love friends. I love it when I get a chance to sit and chat or play games with people that I have fun being around. And I appreciate knowing I have so many people who are there for me if I need anything, just like I will be there for them if they need anything.

6. The Gospel. I am grateful that I have the gift of the Gospel in my life. I love how much peace and comfort I feel when I take a step back from day to day life and think about the grand scheme of things. I am so grateful that I know that God loves us and that there is a purpose to this life. I don't know how people get through trials without this knowledge.

7. My husband. Jesse is so kind and patient. I know I've said this many times, but it's true. He loves me no matter what. He is such a hard worker and wants to make sure that he gives us a comfortable life style and that he will be able to be the sole-provider once we start our family. He is also so much fun to be around. He is my best friend and I love spending time with him.

8. My twin. I always talk about Meg. And I always will. I am just so lucky to have her. She is my best friend in a completely different way than Jesse. I love that I can have two completely different best friends who love each other as well. How lucky am I that they understand the need I have for the other one in my life and they are happy for me that I have the other one. I truly am blessed. Meg just makes me a better person. She loves me no matter what and she comforts my heart when no one else can. She knows me through and through, and I am so grateful for that amazing gift the Lord has given to me.

9. My family. I am so lucky to have so many of my family members so close by. I am so grateful that they are all so loving and supportive of me. I love how different we all are but how we can learn from each other and we can put our differences aside and be there for each other when times get ruff.

10. My job. I am so grateful that I have a steady, secure job. I am so grateful that I enjoy what I do and that I enjoy the people I work with. I wouldn't have thought that working in the Title business would be my dream come true, but really, I love what I do and I am grateful that I get the opportunity to learn so much.

One More Political Note

I am just going to say one other Political thing, and then I will move on. This was on the Seethaler's blog and I have to agree with it.

The Treatment of Bush Has Been a Disgrace

What must our enemies be thinking?

By Jeffrey Scott Shapiro

Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush. The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.

According to recent Gallup polls, the president's average approval rating is below 30% -- down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.


This is the price Mr. Bush is paying for trying to work with both Democrats and Republicans. During his 2004 victory speech, the president reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry, and said, "Today, I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust."

Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties. The president's original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there.

It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.


Yet it should seem obvious that many of our country's current problems either existed long before Mr. Bush ever came to office, or are beyond his control. Perhaps if Americans stopped being so divisive, and congressional leaders came together to work with the president on some of these problems, he would actually have had a fighting chance of solving them.

Like the president said in his 2004 victory speech, "We have one country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."


To be sure, Mr. Bush is not completely alone. His low approval ratings put him in the good company of former Democratic President Harry S. Truman, whose own approval rating sank to 22% shortly before he left office. Despite Mr. Truman's low numbers, a 2005 Wall Street Journal poll found that he was ranked the seventh most popular president in history.

Just as Americans have gained perspective on how challenging Truman's presidency was in the wake of World War II, our country will recognize the hardship President Bush faced these past eight years -- and how extraordinary it was that he accomplished what he did in the wake of the September 11 attacks.


The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.

Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty -- a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.


(Mr. Shapiro is an investigative reporter and lawyer who previously interned with John F. Kerry's legal team during the presidential election in 2004.)

Let me just say that I have always been a George W. Bush supporter. I know some people won't like me for that, but whatever. It's who I am. I think he's had quite the load as a President and I think he has definitely made his mistakes, every President has, but I feel like the major decisions he's had to make and the way he's held his head up high have made me love him even more. I hope that he is respected in the future just like President Truman is now.

And finally, I am also grateful that President Bush has been a supporter of keeping God in the Pledge of Allegiance, the Constitution, and on our currency. It should be a part of our Country. It's what our Country was founded on. And I hope it stays that way.

Election Day 2008

I just wanted to share some thoughts I have on this Election Day. Now, I am not as well-informed as I would like to be, and that is my own fault, so I am not going to sit here and tell you why I like one candidate over the other, but I would rather like to share what I wish would've been different during this election process. You obviously don't have to read this, it's more for my own journal-keeping sake, but here goes.



These are our candidates for President:



John McCain - Republican
Barack Obama - Democrat

Now, I don't necessarily like either of our choices. I don't think either of them have the experience that we need in office. I am obviously wishing that Mitt Romney made it as the Republican nominee, but that didn't happen, so there's no use going over that road again. Though I would like to post a picture of Mitt as I think he's very attractive (he reminds me of Mark Eubank in a way...do you see it?)

So here goes...I am sad at the way this election has gone. I'm sure they've been this dirty and negative in the past, this is just the first time that I've been old enough to really care and pay attention. I can hardly tell you what either of these candidates STAND for, but I can tell you what they DON'T like about their opponent. It just makes me sad that this is what we have come to. Let's hear what you believe in, what you stand for, what you will do to change things and make things BETTER. That's what I want to know. And I don't know because that's not what this election has been about.

I am also sad that the LDS Church is being attacked. We believe what we believe. You can believe what you believe. That's the beauty of this Country. We are free to chose for ourselves what we want to believe. And I think as a church (except for some individuals in our religion, just as their are certain individuals in all churches/organizations who aren't truly converted in my opinion and thus they don't stand for anything but rather they pick other people apart and find their "false") we will accept you and love you for what you believe in, even if we don't agree. We have free agency. We all are passionate about different things. But can't we appreciate each others differences rather than attack each other for them? This article came out today about a commercial that is going to run in California concerning Proposition 8:

LDS Church responds to Prop. 8 ad, November 3rd, 2008 @ 10:04pm

By Carole Mikita and Becky Bruce

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement today in reaction to what some are calling a particularly vicious attack ad in California's Proposition 8 battle over same-sex marriage.

The ad, targeting Latter-day Saint missionaries, started on the Internet and is scheduled to air on TV tomorrow.

The anti-Proposition 8 group Courage Coalition released the ad on YouTube. In the ad, two young men dressed as Mormon missionaries visit a lesbian couple then proceed to confiscate their wedding rings and tear apart their marriage license.

While experts we talked to called the ad "offensive" and "over-the-top," Courage Campaign leaders say it's a final attempt to influence votes. "It went up on YouTube this weekend, and we were able to find some money to put it on the air tomorrow. Had we been able to go quicker, we would have," said Courage Campaign founder Rick Jacobs.

Latter-day Saint Church leaders issued this statement today: "The Church has joined a broad-based coalition in defense of traditional marriage. While we feel this is important to all of society, we have always emphasized that respect be given to those who feel differently on this issue. It is unfortunate that some who oppose this proposition have not given the Church this same courtesy."

A communications scholar says negative ads are part of the American election process, but this ad goes beyond that. Dr. Dennis Alexander, professor emeritus of the University of Utah communications department "These young men rummaging through these women's house, or that sort of thing, you know, smacks of the same fear factor that if you're not with us real Americans, then you're terrorists. It's so bizarre, it's over the top," said Dr. Dennis Alexander, professor emeritus of the University of Utah communications department. Alexander continued, "It's this assault attack, where one goes after the character of the individual, or in this case, the character of a church, or whoever they think are the proponents or opponents of it, and it's annihilation politics."

Polls in California show the vote is likely to be very close. Tonight, it's too close to call: only 3 points separate the sides, and that's within the margin of error. We'll have complete coverage of the vote tomorrow on Eyewitness News.

Why must we come to this? I guess that's what the world is coming to and it's sad. But at least I know what I BELIEVE IN and I can only control myself and how I respond to things. So I will keep praying, and I will vote for the candidate that I think is the best option for me, and that's all I can do. I guess I am just hoping that these next 4 years go by quickly and that there isn't too much damage done by whoever wins. And hopefully the next time around people will learn to stand for something. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.