Married at 22

In a Mormon world 22 is the average age to get married. Not too young, not too old.

In a non-Mormon world, Andrew and I basically threw our whole lives out the window. Ha. 

That maybe true for those who believe it, but for us, who are now married for 7 months, love being married in the most literal way possible regardless of all the struggles we've been through.

Marriage is hard.

There I said it. 

But despite it being hard, I still think our love story is one for the books. Andrew treats me the very best without a doubt. He snuggles with me before we go to bed and snuggle and gigil/kiss me when we wake up. We cook dinner together, wash the dishes together while we make fun of each other and laugh, and make the bed together in the morning. He's very patient with me and all my emotional roller coaster. When I'm too tired to clean the house he lets me rest while he does the cleaning. Vice versa when I know he gets really busy with school. He takes really good care of me. We never have to argue about who's doing what chores. I never have to nag him about anything. Never. But we fight. We cry. We laugh. But most of all we love more. 

Everyone thinks we never fight because we look happy all the time. Well, we fight just as much as other couples do. We don't pretend our life is better than other people by posting happy pictures all the time. We post happy pictures because we ARE happy(despite all our problems.) We dislike posting negative things on social media because we think there is no point in broadcasting our problems. It's not everyone else's business. It's ours and It's normal. We love spreading good energy and good energy ONLY. We're not Debby Downers. We just love life and that's how we will always be.

3 important things(out of a billion) I learned from being married:

ALWAYS FORGIVE. Always. Always. Always. Now this comes very easy for Andrew. Unfortunately, it comes really hard for me. Andrew and I never say "It's okay" after the other person says sorry. It has become a very important gesture for us to always respond with an "I forgive you" phrase. Saying it's okay gives us the idea that it's okay to do it again. It's never okay to do it again. Not in our house. Causing pain to the person you love most is never okay. When we forgive the other person and mean it when we say it there is a feeling of a weight being lifted that makes us feel relieved. No matter how much your spouse tells you they will never break your heart, best believe they will. Because that's what happens when you love someone. Little fights will break your heart. Even the silliest of reasons will break your heart. Our little fights has broken my heart over and over again, hence there is a NEED to forgive over and over again. 

"You win if you let it go." Andrew has taught me how easy it is to forgive. The more I forgive the more I gain so much love for my husband. 

ALWAYS BE KIND. Andrew is the best example of being kind. Every good thing about our marriage doesnt come from me. It comes from him. He speaks kind words. He communicates to me how he feels very well more than I communicate how I feel. I never have to feel like I'm putting myself out there to eventually be rejected. He's very open. He listens to me. He doesn't raise his voice. He makes me feel safe to say whatever I feel and he doesnt judge me. He's very well mannered and polite. He asks me how he's hurt me and tells me he will never do it again. He's very honest and very sweet. Now me on the other hand, as complicated of a woman as I'll ever be, seems to me that my PMS comes every day, not every month. My poor husband. Good thing I'm better at being kind now than I was before. I promise I'm not that much of a horrible wife. You can ask Andrew. I'm nice, 
too. Haha. In all seriousness, I've really really learned that being kind is more important than being right. 

LOVE MORE. Now this comes easy for both of us. We've done long distance 3 times in the past 3 years of our relationship. I would take all the struggles married life has to offer over being apart ANY DAY! This is not a brag post but I just have to say that Andrew and I have mostly if not at all mastered the art of INTENTIONALLY LOVING each other. What that means to us is to really consciously make sure we not only express our love by saying I love you but also by consciously making an effort to make time for each other, to always kiss before we go to bed, to always hug, and to actually really feel love towards the other person and appreciate the little things they do. To really feel bad when we have done something wrong. To really mean an apology. To really love the other person more than life itself. To really sacrifice. We do not take each other for granted. We have never forgotten that we love each other because we are literally consciously too busy loving each other. It's so easy to overlook the importance of your relationship when you're too busy with life. But Andrew is my life and so it has been easy for me to always realize how important he is to me. I think this realization came from being apart alot. Just a little back story. Andrew went to serve a mission in the Colorado Springs, Colorado Mission. Our only means of communication was through snail mail. We wrote letters every week. Even after he got home from his mission we were still long distance. It was pretty hard not to have him with me while making a realtionship work. I've been through it all and it's pretty darn hard. I always promised myself that if the day comes that I get to be with him without having to cry my eyes out at the airport each time we say goodbye that I will always make sure I give him all my lovin. That I will not let a day go by without making sure he feels loved. And that has been true ever since. Everytime I catch myself looking at him I just take a moment or two to just admire this perfect human I have been blessed with. He stares back at me and he smiles because he knows just how I feel without even saying anything. I thought I loved him before... and then we got married. I know now that I can never say I love him more today because I would be lying tomorrow. It gives me so much joy to know that I will get to love him even more every day more than today. To love more also means to love more than you fight. Misunderstandings are inevitable but we always make sure we love each other more. Last but not least, to love more means to love the other person more whether they deserve it or not. You married them. It's gotta mean something. There will be times when they just can't do life. They can't function and focus. Sometimes as human as we are it's hard to even understand what we want to do with our life. Sometimes I am not even worthy of Andrew's forgiveness nor I am worthy of his love but he loves me in my worst just as much as he loves me at my best, if not more. Having that kind of love makes me just want to be better every day so that I can deserve his love more than I deserve it now. I've been blessed with the most pure love anyone could ever imagine. Being sealed in the temple has been one of the greatest, unfathomable attainment I've ever gained in this life and the next to come- and that is even an understatement. 

Life is good, guys. Life is good. 

Will I Ever Find 'The One'?

This blog post is soley for those who are so fixated in the idea of 'The One.'

Here's the thing, I hate this concept.

I say hate because the idea of finding the right person is messing with everybody's heads. That's what movies and books tell you. Once you find someone who does not meet your criteria, hence you dump them. Probably also the reason why you will never find the one. 

I don't believe that there is that one person in the world waiting for us. I don't believe that we just have to stick around in our relationships for the mean time while we go search for 'The One.' And when we finally find the one, we can just go ahead and dump the person we are with right now. What an insult that is to the person who loves you. What if it was the other way around? What if you wanted them so bad, but they're only with you until they find the one for them? How would you feel?

See where I'm going with this?

There is no such thing as 'The One' if you perceive it as perfection. It does not exist.

You can list all the characteristics of Mr./Mrs Right. You can go about searching for this person and then after 12 years of searching, you finally find this person who meets all the requirements you have on your list, but there's just one problem- you are not on their list.

That would have to be the saddest love story of all times.

What I don't understand is why you so demand this person to be all that you ever wanted when you're not even perfect yourself. You probably don't have the bluest eyes or the best butt in the world. But if he chooses you, you best believe he loves both the best and the worst part of you. And you have no right to say he is not enough just because his pinky finger is bigger than his thumb. 

No matter how much you search for 'The One' in the world, you will never find them unless they feel the same way about you.

It has to be mutual.

The One for you is the one YOU CHOOSE and the one WHO CHOOSES YOU back - not the stranger in France who doesn't even know you exist. 

What makes a relationship amazing is more on commitment, more on what you put in to the relationship, more on the years you have spent building your life together than your whole idea of perfection, because that does not exist.

Far too many couples fall apart because tiny errors make them conclude that this person they are with is NOT the one. He's not the one because he doesn't know how to cook the bacon right. He's not the one because he annoys me too much. His socks are just not the same size. His teeth are too small. His shirts are not Volcom and he doesn't surf. He doesn't even lift, what the heck?! You can't even smell him because he's too plain. 

We all want that perfect person who has everything on the table. The one who smells good, attractive, sporty, smart, funny yet have a bit of a bad side, can cook, buys you shiny things, takes you out on an expensive dinner every night and all that jazz.

You may find a person who is extremely handsome and rich and smart, but isn't all that sweet. You may find someone who is very sweet and will love you like nobody's business, but might not be all that smart. 

There is always something that will bug you about the person you love, but that's okay. Chances are, you probably bug them more than they bug you. So, get over yourselves.

"Relationships can be messy and inconvenient, but those are the best parts."

I guess all I'm saying is, just stop finding the perfect person to love, and start loving the person you have found. 

And if you don't have anyone right now, keep this in mind when you are finally with someone.

Remember, soulmates are made- not born.

Love ya sweet angel faces. Make good choices. :)

How To Deal With A Heartbreak

Here is a question that is commonly asked: How do I deal with a heartbreak?

Here is an example of a situation.

You have broken up with the person you love. After two months of space you decided you wanted her back. You go out and eat at a restaurant and you are so sure you are going to get her back, only to find out she is already engaged to someone else. Now you are torn into pieces. The amount of pain is extremely over the top. Your life stops because you just possibly can't go on without the woman of your dreams.

First of all, let me just say this. IT IS OKAY TO FEEL PAIN. That means you are a normal human being with normal feelings. Don't deny it. Learn to be friends with your own sorrow. Break ups are good. Eventually, you will find out that they are good. It's not the end of the world yet.

Over the years of dealing with my own heartbreaks, I have learned this.

There are two kinds of people who deal with a heartbreak. 

The first person is the one who just stops his life from moving forward because he can't continue without his soulmate. He says his life is meaningless because she's THE ONLY one for him and can't go on now that she's with somebody else. This type of person is not the person YOU wanna be. You will be miserable if you do. It will give you the tendency to close your heart to anyone, making it even harder for you to be happier. Instead of actually dealing with your heartbreak, you are just adding another heartbreak to your heartbreak. 

You wanna be the second type of person who deals with a heartbreak.

The second person is the one who says, "You know, I am really hurt and disappointed that I thought she was my soulmate, but turned out not to be. But that's okay because now I can move on and find somebody who can be." 

Now that is the right kind of pain to deal with. You admit that you are hurt, but you also admit that you must NEVER stay hurt. 

Let's talk about soulmates for a moment.

I never believed in soulmates, but I also believe in soulmates. 

An article I read a few days ago described exactly what I have been meaning to describe soulmates as all these years, but never found the right words to say. This article took the very words I have always wanted to express the idea on, and it says,

"Soulmates are made, not born." 

If you break that down, what that really means is that what makes a relationship amazing is "more of a commitment than perfection." You choose your soulmate. Andrew is my soulmate because I chose to be committed to him. Yes, we met at an unexpected place at an unexpected time, yet we also believed we were meant to meet at that exact moment. But were we meant to be something else after we met had we not put in effort to it? Were we meant to be where we are now had we not sacrificed and waited to be where we are now?

My point is, we all meet people every day and we may feel a connection with them, but if we don't do anything about it, we might have just missed our soulmates.

Next time you find yourself in the middle of a heartbreak, be the second person. Don't deny it. Feel it, be okay with it, and if she's not the soulmate she turned out to be, then you know someone else can be. 

A heartbreak sounds really painful, but trust me it won't be that bad after all. Somewhere between hurting and moving on, you will have that moment where your brain just clicks and you tell yourself that it had to happen because you're actually better off now. It always does.

Good news is, you can love again. And the next time you do, you will love and be loved even more. :)

Why Men Lose Interest In You

So, today, I want to talk about what makes a man lose interest in you.

First of all, men and women are biologically built differently. Yada yada yada. We all know that already. But guys, when you say that women are so complicated, do you really think that you're not? Because really, women as we are, all we know is what we are, therefore, men to us are complicated, too.

Anyway, I will have another blog on Understanding Men. Ask Andrew, I am a pro at understanding him. Haha. No, but for real though. I will explain it in another blog.

So, let's get down to business.

WHY DO MEN PULL AWAY?

First, like I said on my previous blog post, men fall in love differently than women fall in love. Women know sooner than men will know. You ladies out there need to chill. I know you like him so much and you just want him to want you. You want him to stick around. You want him to commit to you. You want to be exclusive. But that's NOT going to happen right away, girls. Men are lazy. They want to slow down. They do not want to rush, so, DO NOT rush the relationship or he will pull away.

Second, you probably should NOT talk about how many babies you want to have with him on your first few weeks together or how you should get married in the morning, OR HE WILL PULL AWAY. When you are in a new relationship, see where things go. Do NOT text him and be like, "Omg I know we just started dating, but I am sooo into you and I see my future with you and my feelings are so strong for you." He may not feel the same way just yet, because again, he's lazy. He wants to take it slow. Who knows the dude might want to really get to know you well enough first. You are just going to scare the crap out of that poor guy. Trust me, there's a time for that later in your relationship. 

Third, NEVER ASSUME. Men's brains are complicated, like ours. But unlike us, they cannot read our subtle hints. They just can't. Plain and simple. They cannot. So, say what you want to say. BE BLUNT, or he will get tired of playing your guessing games and will eventually get tired of you, too. 

Fourth, you should probably do the old fashion way of having men make the first move. It takes men twice as much time as we do to figure out how they really feel about us. The moment you express strong emotional connection for him AND he did not, he will question the whole scenario and then he will back off. He will think that he led you on so much into thinking that you are at the same emotional level, when in fact, he is not there yet. That will cause him to pull away. So, my advice to you is just wait until he expresses his feelings to you first. 

Fifth, do NOT throw yourself onto him. Men want the chase. They want to be able to say, "Dude, she was worth it." They want to earn you. Earn your trust, your love, your heart. Throwing yourself onto him without giving him the chance to even put a little effort to chase you will make him pull away. He will think, "Man, this is boring. I'm not even doing anything. Imma peace out. Laterrrrr!"

Sixth, "You cannot rush something you want to last for a long time." Just be patient, because sometimes guys can be as complicated as we are. lol. They need space, too. Do not suffocate them with too much emotions. That's not their thing. Speak their language and stop whining. Do not always want to hang out 24/7. Make time for yourself and give him time for himself. Don't be controlling. If you can go out with your girls to get your nails done, let him go out with his bromances to play pools or go fishing or something. Compliment him and then reject him. Do not compliment him too much. It will make his head big. Do not also always reject him because he will get tired. Balance it. 

I know it's complicated. I told ya, women aren't the only ones who are complicated, men are too.

I Still Haven't Given It Up

This is like a touchy subject for me since it makes me awkward. Believe it or not it took me 21 years and a few months to finally say the word. I have to be blunt now. I am a grown woman. I got this! lol. This is not to gross you out. This is me trying to explain my values.

Some of you have a different say on this topic, which is cool, because we are all subject to our own opinions, and I still love you for the person that you are.

Nobody would believe me and Andrew when we say we haven't had sex and will NEVER have sex until we are married.

I remember him telling me one day, something like, "Soooo, I talked to my friends and when I told them that kissing was as far as we ever went on being physical, they didn't believe me. I told them we've never had sex."

Also, most of the people close to me have been dropping comments on how they think we are doing "the do." My friends in high school used to call me "Virgin Mary." When people ask me if I am, I would be hesitant to say that I am, because I was scared of being judged and being bullied for being so "weird."

At that point, I was almost embarrassed of myself for being so weird. 

Today, I am proud of the woman I have become because of the decision I have made...to stay weird. 

If Andrew and I were doing it, I wouldn't deny it. But, since we are NOT doing it and people think we are, I am also not denying it.

You know why nobody believes us? Because society is so messed up. Because everyone is doing it, therefore, we must be doing it, too. But guess what guys? People like us still exist. As hard as that to believe, we do.

We are those people. We believe that saving such precious gift from God until we are married is the most amazing thing we could do for ourselves.

It's not just about religion either. This is a personal choice we have made. More than anything, it's something that I value with all my heart.

I am not judging anyone here. I don't disrespect anyone just because they do things against what I value. We all have our free agency, the gift to willingly choose what we want for ourselves. This post is for myself and for those girls out there who are more like me. You are not alone. Be proud of what still have. You are worth more than a jewel. 

This post is also for those that for so many years have been telling me I will get pregnant soon.

No, guys. I won't. Not until after I sign that marriage contract.

Yes, temptations have been so hard growing up and there have been times where I felt like I should just give it up since it's acceptable now anyway.

Wrong. It was never acceptable to me. I have known that because for 21 years I have done my best to save the best part of me for the man who deserves all of me. I couldn't just afford to give it up to all the men who proclaimed their love for me.

Andrew and I laid out our standards on the table. Who cares if it was awkward, it was necessary. I literally told him specifically what we can do and what we can't do. He made me decide all of it and respected all of it-until this day.

We have been together for a year and a half and you best believe me when I say we have not had sex. Ever. Not even once. Not even close. Sex is not a declaration of love. Not in all things. Not when you're only lonely or drunk or just bored or because you are so in love that all you see are the colors of the rainbow. It's given to us to make life, not to go around and have too much fun and then dump girls because you're pretty much done.

Some people say Andrew and I don't love each other and don't even know what love is to begin with because we haven't done anything yet. Haha. Really now guys? Our relationship was NEVER built nor made or based on sex. We've both gone 20 and 21 years of our lives without it. Pretty sure we can still live without it now -until we decide to get married. Love is not just physical pleasure to make you feel good about yourself. If that's your definition of love, then you'll never find it. 

Andrew and I know what love really is, because we've never depended on sex just to obtain it. We never used it as a tool to bring happiness in our relationship. We have been happy no matter what.

A man who respects you enough and never walks away from you just because you won't sleep with him, IS A MAN WORTH KEEPING.

According to Cracking the man code, how men fall in love is so different from how women fall in love. Women usually know they are in love sooner than men know.  It's because women have a strong emotional side while men have a strong sexual side. Yep, we all know that already. It's how men are wired up. It's their sex drive. But, there is only one word that allows a man to fall in love faster, and that is when women say, "No."

Most guys would try to hook up with you and when you say no, he will say, "most girls say no the first time." And then he will try to hook up with you again. When you say no, he will say, "eh, most girls will say no the second time." So he will try to hook up again.

No matter how many times he tries to hook up with you, if you don't give it up, men will come to a conclusion. Most of them do. They are going to say, "Hmmm, I am not getting any action. So, the only reason why I am going to hang out with her is because I really like her. I have an emotional connection with her. She's a cool chick." At that point men travel from their sexual point to their emotional point. Let's be honest, guys, for some men that is a really hard thing to do. They have 20% more testosterone in their bodies than women have. Leaving their comfort zones to connect with you emotionally to figure out how they REALLY feel about you is a big deal. A BIG DEAL. Remember that girls.

If you want a man to truly sincerely fall in love with you, say no and don't give it up just yet. Let him come to the conclusion and figure out how he really feels about you. If he genuinely loves you, he will love you no matter what. I know that because I have been blessed with that man in my life.

Stating what you want is the sexiest thing you can do. It's that four letter word, "WANT." I WANT. I want commitment before I will sleep with you. I want monogamy before I will sleep with you. I want marriage before I will sleep with you. No matter what that contract is that you want before you give it up, make sure you communicate that to him... standing vertically, FULLY CLOTHED.

Don't be scared to tell a man what you want, because you will never scare a man who doesn't want a commitment. Take that from me.

Rediscovering

Since Andrew came home from his mission almost 3 months ago I have received tons of messages asking me when we are sealing the deal. It's kind of an awkward question that is hard for us to answer. At least for now. Yes, we have talked about getting married and we know what we want, but we also don't want to rush into it. 

He was gone for a while. He changed. I changed. We were two different people when we were reunited again- but we still loved each other, and we still do.

I read a post from an MG who got her boy back and she(most of the MG's getting their RM's back after 2 years,) had imagined a fairy tale homecoming and was kinda disappointed when reality hit her. It's an adjusting process that doesn't take a day to accomplish.

Lara Becar, an MG who is now married to her sweet RM, wrote, "No matter how effectively and consistently you communicated through letters and emails, you WILL need to get to know him again... It's easy to say the right things when you can write it over and over again. Communication is very different in real life. It's quick and impulsive and your true self is spilling out. Not that you don't love who he has become, but he is different. Very different. And you are different. If you want a relationship to work, you have to build a new one. You can't have the one you had before. It won't work because you are not those people anymore. You have to rediscover each other. You have to fall in love again. Not that love left, but that love changed, and your relationship has to change with it."

This is the truth. 

I imagined seeing Andrew again and having it to be perfect. And it was.

But it can't be perfect every day, right?

Things will get hard if not harder, but it also doesn't mean that it won't get better.

This is why I tell some girls who are waiting that they have to go out there and live their lives. To enjoy every day. To learn new things and acquire new habits and improve talents. Get a job, get an education, magnify your callings, help the YSA for a fund raising, travel and volunteer to teach, go to dances and balls. Put yourselves out there and do your best to mature a little every day. 

That boy who left will come home to be a better person. You wouldn't want him to come home to the same you. He will want to come home to the woman he hoped you to become, just like the man you always hoped he would become. 

Some homecomings are perfect and never have to deal with the whole "Wow we are so different now. I am not sure anymore if this will work out." 

It's pretty normal. I say it's a phase most MG's go through after the homecoming, including myself.

Marriage is such a big word. We know the importance of it. It is a big responsibility and the most beautiful thing I could ever imagine to be blessed with for the rest of my life and the life to come.

One day. It will come, but right now we just want to build a new relationship. The one we never got to build before. We want to rediscover ourselves, to get to know each other again, and to fall in love again.

I really appreciate everyone loving our relationship and wanting to see us together forever. You guys rock and we love you! But no pressure people, no pressure. ;)

TOGETHER AGAIN :)

Here is the link to the video of our reunion...


CLICK HERE-----> ANNE AND ANDREW TOGETHER AGAIN!

THAT AIRPORT HUG THOUGH. :) First hug in a long time. NEVER FELT SO GOOD! He flew in to see me. :)

AND THEN WE HAD OUR VERY FIRST MEAL TOGETHER AT IN N OUT. Our favorite :)

AND THEN HE MET MY PARENTS.

WE MOVED TO CALIFORNIA TOGETHER, being an hour away from each other is better than 4 states away.

WE CLEANED HIS GRANDMA'S CAR.

HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO SKATE. again. HE TAUGHT ME BEFORE HIS MISSION BUT YA THAT DIDN'T WORK

WE WENT ON A DOUBLE DATE WITH KAT AND DANIEL, WHO ARE GETTING MARRIED IN 2 Days! She also waited for Daniel who served in England. Yay for MG's and our RM's :)

ARCADE DATES. KIDS AGAIN :)

HE DID MY MAKE-UP ;) It went... good. hahaha.

HE TOOK ME TO JOLLIBEE, MY FAVORITE FILIPINO FASTFOOD HERE IN CALI.

ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND I WOULD TAKE A BUS AND 2 TRAINS FOR 2.5 HOURS JUST TO VISIT HIM FOR THE WEEKEND. 

AND WE WOULD LAUGH TOGETHER

AND BE AWKWARD.

AND THEN WE WOULD TAKE HIS GRANDMA'S DOGS FOR A WALK

THEN HE TOOK ME TO MINI GOLFING. I KINDA WON AND HE KINDA CAN'T ACCEPT IT. ;)

HE WOULD MAKE ME A SANDWICH FOR BRUNCH. BEST BLT EVER!

CELEBRATED FATHER'S DAY WITH HIS FAMILY. PLAYING WITH HIS NEPHEWS AND NIECE

THEN HE WOULD TAKE ME FOR A WALK IN THE PARK

AND I WOULD KISS/SMELL HIS ARMPIT BECAUSE THEY SMELL LIKE HEAVEN!!

AND HE STILL HOLDS MY HAND. AND WOULD MAKE FACES. Haaaa

WE'D GO TO CHURCH TOGETHER

AND WENT TO THE TEMPLE. FOR THE FIRST TIME HE WAS THE ONE WHO BAPTIZED ME. HE IS PERFECT!

AND SO... YA, IT'S BEEN A MONTH NOW SINCE WE WERE REUNITED... AND WE ARE STILL KINDA IN LOVE. A LOTTLE. Kinda like A LITTLE but A LOT:)

ONCE AN MG, ALWAYS AN MG! :)

What's easy won't last. What lasts won't come easy

10 days people! 10 days and I will be reunited with my long lost boyfriend. 

Our story is not very common. Although there are a lot of girls who waited, our story is a bit in a fast forward version. Nonetheless, it has been worth it.

I know a lot of people doubted me because of what happened to my past relationship, and there's exactly a reason why that sentence deserves to be in the past tense. I have learned and grown from it. I am grateful for every heartbreak I had experienced because without it I would not have stumbled across the best man in the world. Andrew has been worth every tear, every letter sent, and every day spent apart.

    1 year and 2 months worth of letters

I have been one of those skeptical people who never believed a Long Distance Relationship could work- until it happened to me. 

Realistically, Andrew and I have been apart for a year. 8 months of those our only communication was through a paper and a pen. No phone calls, skypes, FaceTimes, and text messages. We were only able to email once a week and wrote handwritten letters once a week. That was it. When he was sick I had to go 7 days of sleepless nights anticipating to know if he is well. Most of you know he came home early and was medically released for good. He was very sick. Throughout his mission he has had doctor's appointments. I could not count how many. His doctor's appointments didn't stop when he came home. They found out a few weeks after being home that he needed surgery. 

                before surgery

                after surgery

Two days after his surgery I woke up to a text from him. He had already booked his flight to come see me. I was half asleep reading it but I literally jumped out of my bed. BEST GOOD MORNING TEXT OF MY LIFE!

Even if it was the whole two years, there would have been no difference at all. I would have been still here like I am now.

I am so proud of the work he has done and the person he is today. He was, is, and always will be the best missionary I will ever know. If there was one person whose life he touched and converted as a missionary, she would have to be me. 

Guys, I am in love with a man who loves the Lord more than anything. His faith, not knowing what life has in store for him but trusting the Lord with it, was what made him 100 x more attractive. His testimony strengthened mine. Even knowing his situation and how hard it was, he went out there because it was the right thing. I will never get tired of saying this over and over again. What a trooper! I could not be more proud of all that he has accomplished. And because he loved the Lord first, he learned how to love me better. 

HE. IS. PERFECT.

Distance is a mess- but a mess I am glad I made.

Distance taught me how to love harder than any other couple should. It taught me how to love myself and how to be independent and be my own person. To do the things I enjoy and to love things that are important to me. It taught me how to be patient. It taught me how to grow up. It taught me to go out, live my life, enjoy it, and make the most of it. It taught me how to be happy for what I have while working for what I want. It taught me that even when I have met so many amazing people along the way, it was only him who I wanted to be with ultimately. It taught me that love really does travel the distance. That not all Long Distance Relationships fail. That sometimes it works, too. 

There is no way I would have made it without Andrew. He wanted this as bad as I wanted it.

Yes, I am the girl who waited. 

I waited, but never wasted my life sitting around "just waiting" until he came home to me. I went out to dances, went to school, went to speed dating, got a job, magnified callings, went to the temple, participated in The Footprints of Africa Foundation, worked with the missionaries, finished reading the BOM, went to the beach and lived the mermaid life, watched all the movies out in the theater, surprised roommates on their birthdays, moved to Arizona, and wrote friends on a mission. I lived. I grew as a person without him by my side and I was okay. I was never afraid to be alone. I was happy building my future trusting that one day he will be a part of it. 

Now that he is home, not even a single regret. We grew in the gospel together- not a part. AND THAT HAS BEEN THE BEST PART.

Truly, "when couples love God first, they love each other better."

I am grateful to have the fullness of the gospel, to know it, and to live it. 

I cannot wait for what the Lord has in store for us.

Andrew,

I cannot wait to kiss the crap outta you in 10 days!

I guess I'll see you then. 

What If...

Me: What if you wake up one day and find out I lost my memory and can no longer speak english? What would you do?

Andrew: First, I will show you all our pictures together. And then tell you Mahal Keeta. And then learn Tagalog.

Nawwww! ❤️

Money Talk

Talking about how we should budget our money so we can pay for school.

Me: Just promise me we will not argue on money. Unless it's a valid reason, like me spending it on drugs. Or something like that.

Andrew: As long as we are okay with what we are each buying and how much we are using to buy it, we will be good. We just have to negotiate on where it goes. 

Me: I am pretty impulsive, I admit, but I also admit that I haven't been spending for 6 months now. Do you know how hard that is?

Andrew: I can be an impulsive buyer, too. We just need self control and understanding of what is more important to spend our money on. Like school. Wow that sucks. Lol but that's okay. Think of it this way, if you REALLY want something but you can't have it, I'll just squeeze you and kiss you until you forget about it. 

Problem solved! Best idea ever! You're a genius, Andrew.  :)