Wearing Your Religion on Your Army Jeep

Gathering art for the fall issue. . .

Timp Top

In honor of Niels' day of birth, we hiked from 7 to midnight so he could turn 22 on a mountain . . .

. . . and so Spencer had an excuse to wear his favorite knife. I told him he could wear it at home, but he loves a real reason to parade around in it.


Best part was hiking behind waterfalls. Worst, Chaco blisters.

He didn't wake up any more mature. Still playing with his iPhone.


Sarah and I chose sleep over summit, so the two boys took in the view alone.

Yes, that is a TON of snow for August.

Lake Powell Naps

The LOVE Myacht was a very sleepy boat this year.

We sent Brynne off to sea on a turtle.


Niels put in three hours holding this one while she slept. He is subsequently the only aunt/uncle who she's requested by name since. Guess he earned that:


Niels and Jage striking the same pose:


More unflattering nap shots:

The rest of the Lake Powell recap includes, as always, the stationary, close-range waterfight. This entertainment knows no time limit.:


JJ was spotted in the boat more than usual—and with a smile!



Jenn showed the wake who was boss, in and out of it:


I spent time with my favorite girl:


And I got to hang with who I like to call The Pepper. This girl packs a lot of personality. We'll all miss her British-accent "ello!" She also randomly started saying nein for no. And this girl is fearless. She's not one to smile for the camera (at least not my camera). I can respect that.


We established that Gaylen's still got it:



And Boxer, who was nearly invalid a week prior, really perked up now that he's living on a steady diet of cookies and cheese. He's always been a dessert dog.


Things I wish I had pictures of from the trip but do not:

-Jace's cankle (sprained in his fireman fitness test the day before the trip started). Thing was fatter than a house.

-My manicure from my 4-year-old nephew; the sparkles are fading fast.

-That gargantuan full moon that made you feel like you were sleeping under the fluorescent lights of a grocery store.

-Madison water skiing. All JJ's human-toboggan talk scared her out of it.

-Breckon, after years of tears, loving the motor boat. Knew he'd come around!

-The water skiing pyramid involving Jenn, Holly, and myself. We're not quite ready to unveil it yet.

-Holly clearing the wake, as Niels would say, like a boss.


I'm going to leave things off with my favorite picture, ever, shared by Holly:

A Boy and His Dog

Polly was the only dog I knew that liked to jump on the trampoline. She also had a feline snuggle buddy. Spencer built her dog house. He is dead allergic to dogs, and he still kissed her. She is one missed puppy.

*After posting this, your favorite math whiz and mine wanted to retitle it Polygon.

4 Years and Counting!

Brittany and I were sealed for time and all eternity on August 9, 2007. Thus tomorrow marks the 4th anniversary of the blessed day. It is therefore altogether fitting and proper at a time like this to look back on our time together and reflect.

(Remark: I'm about to recount our love story and this may get a little bit sappy, you have been warned.)


Although we had spoken to each other previously, Britty and I were formally introduced on Tuesday April 11, 2006 sneaking into the Little America swimming pool, as it were. (Several years later a jolly fat Peruvian man named Tito, on hearing that we had met in a swimming pool, would remark that this was a good way to meet a wife, "no pretenses" he said.) We were with a mutual friend and we struck up a conversation in the pool. I was immediately attracted to this cute, fun, spontaneous girl and was very much interested in seeing her again. At the end of the night I came just short of begging her to come to a ward bowling activity the following night. She showed. That night we flirted unabashedly with each other forcing the other ward members around us to suppress their collective gag reflex. What started out as little bowling night turned into midnight croquet and a long talk under the moonlight sitting in the limbs of a romantic old tree in the park next to Pioneer Cemetery.

From that moment on we were inseparable. I quickly realized that I had very little time to make an impression on her as she was heading out to New York City for an internship on May 1st. For the next two and a half weeks we spent every second we could with each other. Within three days we had our first kiss under the year-round mistletoe of the bachelor pad I was living in. The night following our first kiss Brittany had a date with a guy from the ward that she had agreed to a week earlier before we'd even met. In a twist of fate he took her out to the very restaurant where I was working as a server. I made it my business to keep an eye on her and wink at her when he wasn't looking. Needless to say when the date was over a few hours later she called me to see if I could come over.

It is amazing looking back on it how many adventures we fit into such a short period of time before she left. There was learning to longboard, sneaking into all sorts of places, a trip to Boise, midnight croquet, midnight pool, Easter with the Aionos, late night walks, ice skating, food fights, Ninja Turtles, Taco Bell, Hatch's Chocolates, staying up all night studying for my finals together, sitting in our favorite tree, singing AC/DC and Don Mclean at the top of our lungs, wandering around temple square and reading scriptures together, to name a few.


As I look back on it I daresay there never were two people who were more in love or more smitten with each other in the history of the world than we were at that time. I recall vividly the aforementioned trip to Boise to see my best friend Paul back from his mission. In the car on the way there Brittany fell asleep in the front seat, I sat there quietly contemplating and looking at this beautiful angel sleeping serenely whom I had only known for just ten short days. At this time I had sort of a premonition and the strongest feelings of love and tenderness towards this sweet girl and I said out loud, “Brittany, I am in love with you. I know that seems crazy after having known you such a short time, but I really do, I love you.” She went on sleeping and didn’t hear my crazy declaration and it wasn’t until much later that I told her about that night. The final day before Brittany was to leave for New York we spent the entire day together from sun up to midnight. At some point during the day we were on Temple Square and we threw coins into the fountains there each making a wish. I also recall standing on a little footbridge in Memory Grove telling each other that we were in fact “infatuated” with each other. That night as I drove away from her house I cried harder than I think I'd ever cried before in my life, afraid that the time and distance of her being away might cause me to lose the love of my life.

Brittany did go to New York and I was able to fly out and visit her for a weekend. I remember how much we laughed together and how much fun we had longboarding through central park and having other adventures. When Britt got back later that summer I was able to visit her in Colorado and go to Lake Powell with her and her family. While at Lake Powell we climbed to the top of the biggest rocky hill nearby and had a long talk as the sun set over the desert. It was at this time that we revealed to each other that our respective wishes in the fountains on Temple Square had been to spend the rest of lives together.


When Brittany returned to Provo that fall we stopped seeing each other for a while as Brittany had to work through some lingering feelings she still had for a previous serious boyfriend and I was acting immature (I still am). During this time I remember feeling very lonely and listening to a lot of sad music and missing her. It is lost to me now what brought this about but somehow or other we decided to meet back up one night. I remember that we met at a bookstore and sat in the children’s section looking at the books and remembering how much fun we had together. Even though we had only stopped dating a little over a month previous it felt like coming home to something very comfortable and natural, like putting on your favorite pair of jeans after a long bout with corduroy pants perhaps. A week later we started dating again and our relationship started to become more serious.

On March 21^st of 2007 I drove Brittany up Provo canyon to a spot that was special to us and I got down on a knee and asked her to be my wife and she accepted. At the time Brittany had been accepted to the program Teach For America and marrying me meant that she would at least have to put this ambition on hold if not give it up entirely. Although this was difficult for her to do as it had long been an ambition of hers, I have never forgotten that sacrifice she made for me. Things tend to have a way of working out for the best though and within a month of becoming engaged Britt was offered a full-time position on the staff at BYU Magazine as an associate editor. She graduated from BYU and started her new big job. A few months later on August 9, 2007 we were married in the Denver, Colorado temple. The temple ceremony was very special and I remember tearing up as I looked across the altar at Brittany that day. In all honesty I don't think there ever was a more beautiful bride on this earth than Brittany looked as we came out of the temple holding hands that day. The reception that night was beautiful and we had such a great time dancing. We had a really fun honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico where it was just one adventure after another for a week.

Upon returning to Provo we moved our things into the little basement at 1343 North 300 West to start our life together in the "hobbit closet". In the ensuing four years we have continued to grow and learn together. Brittany has been my "sugar momma", putting me through school and always encouraging me try new things and take different approaches to things. I remember her fearlessly encouraging me to take an unpaid position at the University Venture Fund even though I already had a paying job because she thought it would be good for me. In all honesty if I ever amount to anything in this world it will largely be attributable to her constant encouragement and support. I would be lying if I said things have always been easy and idyllic over the course of our marriage but in working through difficult things together we have both grown and matured.


As I look back over these four years I am struck at how many really fun experiences and adventures we have gotten to share together. I also am so grateful for the many friends we have made and become close to and share many fond memories with.

We have had the chance to see many places together including: New York, Mexico, Southern California, Chicago, Yosemite, San Francisco, Montana, the Uintas, Portland, Peru, the Tetons, Costa Rica, Washington D.C., trips to Lake Powell, and camping trips Idaho. Yes, in the course of four short years we have taken a dance class together, had a couple bowling teams (Go Sharks!), coached little league soccer together, gone on many motorcycle rides, hiked mountains, attended plays and sporting events and ballets and the symphony and concerts.

More than just the things we have done together are the feelings that have deepened over time. Whereas when I first met you, Britt, I fell in love with a cute, fun and spontaneous girl, now I am still in love with you for the caring, compassionate, patient, determined, ambitious, passionate, articulate, intelligent, witty, and gorgeous woman that you are. Here’s to 60 more years with my "pritty little Britty". I love you gal, you mean the world to me. Happy anniversary!