I can't believe it's already been a year. This is so crazy! I know that in 10 years that will seem like no time at all. It just doesn't really feel like a year since we were surrounded by so many friends and family in the sealing room of the Newport Beach Temple. It has brought back memories. I couldn't make eye contact with Brandon during the whole ceremony, because I was trying so hard not to cry from the overwhelming emotion I felt. When I think about those days of receptions and the wedding, I'm so grateful for everyone who made it possible.
I didn't really know if I would get married at 20. (True, it was 11 days before my 21st birthday, the day of the Vegas fiasco... another story) I remember when I met Tommy, my brother-in-law, I didn't think I could find anyone who was as nice as him. I dated a few other guys after their wedding, but nobody lived up to that expectation. When I met Brandon, I couldn't believe how nice he was. That's actually what attracted me so much to him at first.
Our marriage has been different from a lot of others that we know. I know everyone says that, so hear me out. We are the only couple I know that dreads Fridays and looks forward to Mondays. On top of that, many people don't know how to spend the night away from each other. To those people who complain about having to spend one night away from each other after being married a year without doing that, I don't have much sympathy. About half our married nights have been spent apart, and I think it helps us like each other more.
One of our habits that I've loved is reading part of the Book of Mormon every night. We haven't missed a night, and the night before our anniversary we had made it to Alma 47. Not bad at all. We have also said prayers every night as a couple. It's kept us going sometimes... even the nights when the wife is in a bad mood. Because it's never the other way around.
We have also (to date) been to 9 temples.. 8 in our first year and started off the second year with the 9th. At this rate, we will have gone to every temple in about 20 years. But that probably won't happen. In our first year, we've gone to:
Newport Beach (August 2011)
Rexburg (November 2011... we're never going that long without going again)
Laie, HI (December 2011)
Mt. Timp, Utah (February 2012- with Austin!)
Idaho Falls (March 2012)
Oakland, CA (April 2012)
Salt Lake City (May 2012)
Twin Falls, ID (July 2012)
We've gone in between some of those pictures... it's just a picture from the first time we go to a temple.
Our marriage has been different from a lot of others that we know. I know everyone says that, so hear me out. We are the only couple I know that dreads Fridays and looks forward to Mondays. On top of that, many people don't know how to spend the night away from each other. To those people who complain about having to spend one night away from each other after being married a year without doing that, I don't have much sympathy. About half our married nights have been spent apart, and I think it helps us like each other more.
One of our habits that I've loved is reading part of the Book of Mormon every night. We haven't missed a night, and the night before our anniversary we had made it to Alma 47. Not bad at all. We have also said prayers every night as a couple. It's kept us going sometimes... even the nights when the wife is in a bad mood. Because it's never the other way around.
We have also (to date) been to 9 temples.. 8 in our first year and started off the second year with the 9th. At this rate, we will have gone to every temple in about 20 years. But that probably won't happen. In our first year, we've gone to:
We've gone in between some of those pictures... it's just a picture from the first time we go to a temple.
In honor of our first anniversary, Brandon has even agreed to post on the blog! I decided to keep a humorous theme here, and post about the top 10 things we have learned about each other this past year.
Camille:
1) I never thought I would marry someone who was so self-sacrificing for the two of us. He has given up so many hours of sleep and weekends he could have used to spend with his friends who are now moved away to work, so that we could have an income.
2) Brandon gives very good advice with anything, but packing. When we went to Oakley over spring break, he told me that it was going to be in the 70's all week so I only needed to bring one pair of long pants. Welllllll, it was in the 40's the whole week and I wore the same pair of pants all week.
3) I love that I married someone who thinks I'm so funny. I mean, I've always thought I was funny, but the fact that Brandon laughs at the weird things that I say and do has helped me to open up to him so much more in this first year of marriage.
4)Brandon is so not sentimental. I'll find something that has a significance to our relationship, and he's like "Cool, but it takes up space right now." So, we're working on a compromise as I am completely oversentimental about everything.
5) Brandon is very logical about everything. When I come to him with a problem about something a girl said about me or whatever happens in my major, he listens for a minute, then says, "Ok, well what we can do to fix it is..." I've learned to tell him beforehand to just listen to me, and he's learned to not automatically jump to helping solve a problem.
6) Brandon is so helpful with everything! I'll be doing a homework assignment, and look up and see that the whole kitchen was cleaned. He won't even say anything, he'll just get up and do it. It's so nice, and makes me feel bad at the same time.
7) Brandon would never admit this, but he's definitely more of a cuddler than me. When he gets home from work, I'll be asleep and he'll come in and try to cuddle with me. I'll usually growl something unintelligible at him.
8) For someone who has short hair, he spends an awful lot of time cleaning long hair out of drains, vacuums, and everywhere else. Probably because he married someone who is half human and half lion.
9) Brandon loves to cook. Ok, maybe he doesn't. But he does cook a lot. This is usually due to 2 things- Rule #6, and the fact that I get stressed out when I am doing homework and rule 6 comes into play.
10) Brandon is quite simple in what he wants in life. If he has food in his stomach and has the chance to go to the gym, then he will be happy in life. I've learned to go through with this and "let" him go to the gym a lot, because he is happy and mellow throughout the entire rest of the day.
Brandon
3. After spending a whole year with Camille I can’t think of a single day in which I did not laugh because of something she said or did. She is the funniest, quirkiest person and I love that about her. Life is not boring or stagnant living with Camille. She cracks me up daily! Sincerely, she is one of the funniest people I know!
4. I married someone who has made me feel so good about myself! Camille is great with handing out compliments. She is constantly complimenting me and telling me how proud she is of me. Not only does that make a guy feel good about himself, but in the last year I have found it to be very motivating. It makes me want to live up to those compliments and strive to be a better me.
5. Camille has inadvertently expanded my cooking skills over the past year. I still can’t tell if she is using Jedi mind tricks to get me to cook all the time and be the “domestic” one in our relationship. Perhaps she’s a reincarnated Darth Maul! Maybe she has just been so busy with school over the past year she has not had much time for the kitchen, but I am pretty sure she is using her woman powers to “train” me. When she does cook it is delicious!!!! Especially her chicken parmesan!
6. I have learned in this past year of marriage that living with Camille can be very scary! First of all, I never knew my sleep could be disturbed so much by someone. Many a night this past year I have been rudely awakened by Camille and whatever crazy dreams she is having at the moment. Also, she hides behind walls and doors and jumps at me and scares me. I am pretty sure she takes pride in seeing my frightened reaction because every time she scares me she laughs uncontrollably and cannot contain herself! I am ashamed to say that just the other day she spooked me and I let out a girly shriek! NOT GOOD FOR MY MANHOOD!
7. I am not a sentimental person. Many times in my life I have thought that I need to be more sentimental about things, but I still have a looooonnnnnggggg way to go. Camille is extremely sentimental about everything!!!!!! She is helping me to learn how to me more sentimental, which is a good thing, but I think she is finding it harder than she thought to bring out my sappy side. I don’t know if it’s because I am a guy or a heartless nincompoop. Camille is great about documenting and taking pictures of important events in life and that is great for future generations and for us.
8. Camille has really helped me understand the importance of slowing down and taking time to enjoy the moment. It has been a great lesson for me to start learning. Many times I like to get things done and I rush and rush until the task is completed. Camille has been great for me because she helps me to slow down and it really has helped me to enjoy the little things more than I ever have before.
9. I never thought in a million years that I would marry a girl that did not love watching sports with me. I am still working on her! I think I might need to summon the Force to accomplish this feat!
10. She liked my mustache….or at least she let me grow one!
5) Brandon is very logical about everything. When I come to him with a problem about something a girl said about me or whatever happens in my major, he listens for a minute, then says, "Ok, well what we can do to fix it is..." I've learned to tell him beforehand to just listen to me, and he's learned to not automatically jump to helping solve a problem.
6) Brandon is so helpful with everything! I'll be doing a homework assignment, and look up and see that the whole kitchen was cleaned. He won't even say anything, he'll just get up and do it. It's so nice, and makes me feel bad at the same time.
7) Brandon would never admit this, but he's definitely more of a cuddler than me. When he gets home from work, I'll be asleep and he'll come in and try to cuddle with me. I'll usually growl something unintelligible at him.
8) For someone who has short hair, he spends an awful lot of time cleaning long hair out of drains, vacuums, and everywhere else. Probably because he married someone who is half human and half lion.
9) Brandon loves to cook. Ok, maybe he doesn't. But he does cook a lot. This is usually due to 2 things- Rule #6, and the fact that I get stressed out when I am doing homework and rule 6 comes into play.
10) Brandon is quite simple in what he wants in life. If he has food in his stomach and has the chance to go to the gym, then he will be happy in life. I've learned to go through with this and "let" him go to the gym a lot, because he is happy and mellow throughout the entire rest of the day.
Brandon
Things I have learned after having lived with Camille for a
year/things I love about her.
1. Growing up I had
parents that would remind me constantly of things that I needed to do. My Father is infamous for giving up a pack of
note cards for Christmas so that we can make “to-do” lists throughout the
year. I thought that marriage would
bring freshness to my life of not needed to be reminded of everything…but I
have learned this year that Camille loves to remind. “Brandon did you do this?...and don’t forget…” She has been great and in all seriousness it
is her reminding that has helped us to reach our goal of reading the scriptures
every day since we have been married. We
have not missed a day because of her!
2. I have a plethora of
married acquaintances that are men whom some might refer to as “whipped.” I am so glad and thankful that I found and
married a girl that understands that my happiness is positively correlated with
gym attendance and working out. I love
that she allows me to play sports with my friends and pursue my hobbies!3. After spending a whole year with Camille I can’t think of a single day in which I did not laugh because of something she said or did. She is the funniest, quirkiest person and I love that about her. Life is not boring or stagnant living with Camille. She cracks me up daily! Sincerely, she is one of the funniest people I know!
4. I married someone who has made me feel so good about myself! Camille is great with handing out compliments. She is constantly complimenting me and telling me how proud she is of me. Not only does that make a guy feel good about himself, but in the last year I have found it to be very motivating. It makes me want to live up to those compliments and strive to be a better me.
5. Camille has inadvertently expanded my cooking skills over the past year. I still can’t tell if she is using Jedi mind tricks to get me to cook all the time and be the “domestic” one in our relationship. Perhaps she’s a reincarnated Darth Maul! Maybe she has just been so busy with school over the past year she has not had much time for the kitchen, but I am pretty sure she is using her woman powers to “train” me. When she does cook it is delicious!!!! Especially her chicken parmesan!
6. I have learned in this past year of marriage that living with Camille can be very scary! First of all, I never knew my sleep could be disturbed so much by someone. Many a night this past year I have been rudely awakened by Camille and whatever crazy dreams she is having at the moment. Also, she hides behind walls and doors and jumps at me and scares me. I am pretty sure she takes pride in seeing my frightened reaction because every time she scares me she laughs uncontrollably and cannot contain herself! I am ashamed to say that just the other day she spooked me and I let out a girly shriek! NOT GOOD FOR MY MANHOOD!
7. I am not a sentimental person. Many times in my life I have thought that I need to be more sentimental about things, but I still have a looooonnnnnggggg way to go. Camille is extremely sentimental about everything!!!!!! She is helping me to learn how to me more sentimental, which is a good thing, but I think she is finding it harder than she thought to bring out my sappy side. I don’t know if it’s because I am a guy or a heartless nincompoop. Camille is great about documenting and taking pictures of important events in life and that is great for future generations and for us.
8. Camille has really helped me understand the importance of slowing down and taking time to enjoy the moment. It has been a great lesson for me to start learning. Many times I like to get things done and I rush and rush until the task is completed. Camille has been great for me because she helps me to slow down and it really has helped me to enjoy the little things more than I ever have before.
9. I never thought in a million years that I would marry a girl that did not love watching sports with me. I am still working on her! I think I might need to summon the Force to accomplish this feat!
10. She liked my mustache….or at least she let me grow one!
Long story short? We're still enjoying ourselves and have loved this past year. People seem to enjoy telling us that it will get harder, to which I say... "Seriously? Can't we just enjoy our newlywed time?" I know it will be harder in the long run, but I like that we're developing a good base for our marriage.
But I certainly do love thisboy man. He's great for me. By our second anniversary, we might be living anywhere else in the country. So cheers to this next year, I hope it's just as good as this year has been!
But I certainly do love this
