Happy Halloween!

Sincerely,

Steve Jobs and iTouch

The ROI of a hug and a kiss

Troy and I are both taking Accounting this semester and one of us is enjoying it more than the other....can you guess who? Anyway, I like to make sarcastic comments as I watch Norm Nemrow at low and high speeds on my computer as he very unenthusiastically says, "Welcome back. It's me, your favorite accounting teacher..."

Okay, I admit, I've learned some valuable things in there about assets, liabilities, equity, debits and credits, etc. and amazingly enough some of this stuff actually applies to my life!

So as Troy and I were talking before we fell asleep the other night, I asked him, "What's the ROI of a hug and a kiss?" He couldn't have given me a better answer. He said, "Well, I invested all I have into you and this marriage and the return has been much greater. And more returns are still to come."

This is why I love this guy.

"To Have Peace and Happiness"

During September 2010, Troy and I were considering marriage and although we were both undoubtedly in love with each other, we had a lot of questions and wanted to know if this was the right decision for us. The following Sunday after we had our "marriage talk", we attended a CES fireside together. Elder Richard G. Scott was the speaker and boy, was he inspired. So many of our questions were answered specifically in his talk. We honestly felt as though Elder Scott was speaking directly to us. We walked out of the BYU Marriott Center together thinking, "Well, I guess we know what to do!"

The following are some of my favorite quotes from his talk:

"You can identify an eternal companion with whom you will have a marvelous life as you both express faith in the Savior and His power and live worthily through your courtship."

"May each of us ever be tender and appreciative of the special companion who enriches our lives."

"Pure love is an incomparable, potent power for good. Righteous love is the foundation of a successful marriage."

"Marriage is so wonderful...You get to know each other very well. In time, you begin to think alike and have the same ideas and impressions. You have times when you are extremely happy, times of testing, and times of trial, but the Lord guides you through all of those growth experiences together."

"Marriage enables you to really find out who you are. It provides an ideal setting for overcoming any tendency to be selfish or self-centered."

"I have found that the best way to live life is to seek to know the will of the Lord as guided by the Holy Spirit. He knows what is best for you. As you are obedient and exercise faith in Him, He will help you realize His will for you in your life."

To read, listen to or watch Elder Scott's entire talk, visit LDS.org.

Musical goodness

If you ever need a pick-me-up or something to get your feet tappin', head boppin' and fingers snappin', just listen to a little Motown. This style of music is groovy and guaranteed to put you in a good mood. Motown singers have straight up raw talent - no autotunes. They're the real deal. This past week, I've listened to Motown on Pandora while getting ready for the day and have found I walk out the door with a little bounce in my stride.

Feel better? Yeah, I thought so. 

Best Buds

Rosemary announced the separation of our blog today. I knew this was inevitable, especially since I was such a poor contributor to the blog. She’s a better, more eloquent writer anyway. But I have to say, a tinge of sadness ran through me when I got the Facebook message that she now had her own blog. But I’m also proud of her. She’s gone through a lot with two of her best friends getting married in the last year. The three of us were the three amigos – the closest of friends. And now we must be shared.

Marriage and my friendship with Rose are alike in many ways. In both relationships, I have been attached at the hip, going nowhere without the other. We share everything together. We laugh together, are silly together, talk about life together, worry together, feel happiness and sorrow for one another. From both relationships, I’ve learned my love can grow beyond what I think it can.

Although physical distance and busy schedules may separate us, and unfortunately it’s impossible to be in two places at once, we’re still best friends. Luckily, the fact that we’re family will always keep us tied together. Being family, we have an advantage that many best friends don’t have.

On Rose’s new blog, she has a quote that reads, “What's left after what one isn't is taken away is what one is.” I’m no expert on poetry interpretation, but my take from this is over the last 22 years, Rose and I have taught each other a lot, although she’s probably taught me a lot more about how to be a good person. What we are today has been shaped by our friendship.