sweet spot

We are home for the summer, and it has been incredible. Kyle is interning at Granite, and I am teaching at Whatcom Day Academy. Kyle is absolutely loving every day of work, so I guess he really chose the right career. Not only will he enjoy what he does, but he will make good money doing it. The kids that I get the pleasure to spend time with are really adorable and I think laugh lines are just around the corner for me. We are getting so excited to see what the next 6 months hold for us. It feels like life is starting for us. It is both terrifying and amazing. To celebrate being home we went for a walk on "our beach". The memories that place holds for us are so precious.

We Did It.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." If you had told me five years ago that I would one day marry my best friend, and not only graduate college, but be on the Dean's list, I would have told you those things would never happen for me. What lies behind me I will never forget. I will never fix, let go, or understand. What lies before me? Something unimaginably wonderful. What lies in me is more than I ever thought possible. I did it. I did what I never thought I could. I kept going. I am two weeks away from receiving my college diploma. I'm a first generation college student. I wanted to give up so many times. Instead I pushed through and somehow wound up surprising even myself with what I was capable of. 
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
Kyle is a few credits away from being done. Yes, we are walking at the same graduation ceremony. No, it was NOT some special request. He was given the option to walk in Spring or Winter, and chose spring so we could celebrate together with our families. Kyle has come so far since he started college. His GPA has improved tremendously. He may even graduate with honors...he's pretty darn close now. I have seem him defeated and seconds from tossing in the towel. He never did, be proud of that. He isn't a quitter, and when people push him down he just comes back swinging. When people discouraged him or told him he would never make it, it only gave him more fuel, so thank you. Thank you for being a part of his drive to surprise anyone who doubted him. He knew what he wanted to become, and didn't lose sight of that dream. 
Our life looks pretty amazing on paper and in pictures. It isn't always perfect though. We have struggled. We have encouraged each other through the struggles. This has been one crazy and fun adventure together. It isn't easy to go out in the world and try to figure out who you are suppose to be. It's harder when people that are suppose to love you no matter what always expect you to be one way. Harder yet when what they want is always changing. We have been looked at through a magnifying glass, and we are well aware. The comments and rumors don't stop shy of our ears. If you love Kyle then you know I'm part of the package. I'm slow to warm up, but I'm probably not the person you were expecting. Give me a chance. If you love me, then accept Kyle. I'm not stupid, I'm married to him. I know he is flawed, as am I. As are YOU. Accept that and love him because I LOVE him. Stop being so hard on him and give him a chance. We are so happy that we get to experience a happy marriage and graduate together and live this crazy life together. Be happy for us! Have hope for us. 

“I hope your dreams take you... to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known.”

WSU 2012

Thank you to everyone who loved, supported, and believed in us. Your encouragement helped us get to where we are. It has meant so much. 

Love, US.

Mom's Weekend

"But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begins."

Kyle had a house full of women this past weekend. For me it was a nice change, but for Kyle I'm sure it was mostly entertaining. Our mothers, my godmother, Ginger, Kylie, and Peyton all made the long car ride over to spend Mom's weekend with us. In little moments of silence I realize how much I take the family in my life for granted. I know it may sound awful, but sometimes I take people all in…just stare at them from their laugh lines to their wrinkled hands. I get lost in the little details that take me off guard. The little changes that you don't notice because their smile and laughter stayed the same. Then I think to myself "how much longer will I have them?" The thought process of a pessimist. After the thought of loss comes the afterthought of "where's the pause and rewind?" Our memories are the only time machine we may ever have, but mine take me back to so many great moments. Sitting in second grade on the reading carpet waiting for my turn to give Mrs. Callero (my godmother/"aunt") a shoulder massage. She was one clever teacher because we fought over who could massage her each day. Keeping Ginger awake all night because Kylie, Peyton, and I could not stop laughing. Every hair brush and nightgown my mom burned leaning against the fireplace to get warm while we all laughed and my Dad shook his head. And in what seems like the not so distant past, sitting just feet away from the woman who would one day be my mother-in-law thinking how lucky my friend Kyle was to have such a precious mom and family. Somehow I ended up with all of these amazing women in my life. Having them all in the same room was hysterical and I'm fairly certain a decent abs workout. I'm so glad that everyone was able to come and Kyle and I have this weekend to look back on. Life is incredible, but if we let it, is so capable of passing us by.    "It's such a shame to waste time. We always think we have so much of it." Thank you for coming and giving us so many laughs and memories. Love, us 

Spring Break

We spent the first part of our spring break visiting Shannon, Linds, and Griff in Oregon. It was a long, but beautiful drive. We stopped along the way to put pennies and quarters on a rail road track. I had always done that with my Dad growing up, and I guess just assumed everyone else did too. Kyle had never, so he was quite excited about it. The flu was going through the house when we got there, but we still had a few really fun days with them. Griff has grown into a toddler so fast, and he has the best facial expressions. We drove to the coast on Sunday. Shannon created his own way there of course.

me and griff

uncle kyle

griff

Kyle slept a lot of break once we got home to Bellingham, so I used my time to catch up with two of my best friends, Stephi, and Jaylin. I miss home a lot, but one of the biggest parts I miss about it is spending time with Jaylin! We use to have family nights (myself, Kyle, and Jaylin) once a week. Kyle didn't have much choice because Jaylin was a part of the package of dating me, but he can't deny that he loves his "gooch". We stayed with Eric and Bridget and spent lots of time with baby Cohen. He has gotten huge too!! He smiles and tries to talk non stop. The first night we got home I had about a two hour conversation with him. Definitely not in English, but he totally knew what was up. I met baby Hunter (Stephi and John) and took a few pictures of him. First newborn I have ever seen smile that much. I know, it was probably just gas, but his gas made him SO PRECIOUS. Kyle got to hang out with one of his best friends (Robert) and they went to Glenns. Our schedule always gets a little crazy when we come home because there are so many people we miss and love to see. In the last few days we spent a night with Tammy and Ryan, and then a sunny afternoon with Kate and Nick. My mom was in Oregon watching Griff through the weekend, and my Dad has been working, but we spent as much time with them as we could. We also went to dinner with Kyle's parents and spent some time with his family. It is always so refreshing to spend time with friends and family from home. I always feel like I'm finally catching my breath when I am home. “Always remember to slow down in life; live, breathe, and learn; take a look around you whenever you have time and never forget everything and every person that has a place within your heart.”

kyle and cohen

jaylinagain 

nieces and kady

Thanks for making time for us, Love Us

Hunter Nicholas Murray

I have seven older brothers. I grew up in a big house, with an even bigger yard. I loved being barefoot, climbing in trees, and trying to keep up with the boys. I have been told so many times over the years that God gave me brothers to make me stronger, protect me, or whatever other reason people conjure up in their minds. What many people don't realize is that one of the biggest blessings God gave me growing up was my Stephi Kay. I have known her my entire life, and we have been best friends through everything under the sky. We may not have the same blood coursing through our veins, but in every other sense of the word we grew up as sisters.

I am about nine months older than Stephi, but she always did everything first. She lost her first tooth before me. She had her growth spurts before me. She learned how to ride a bike, pogo stick, and do flips on the trampoline before me. She got the chicken pox (and my mom made her hug my brother Daryn and I but I never got them) before me. She started shaving and got her first bra before me (sorry stephi haha)...she had her first kiss, got married and had a baby before me. Some girls might have been jealous of all these things, and I'm sure a few of them I was upset about when we were younger, but I'm so thankful now. I am the luckiest girl in the world because I have a best friend that will have my back through all of these things. Stephani and John welcomed baby Hunter into the world on February 28, 2012. Now they have a sweet girl, and a handsome boy. I don't know what it is like to be a mom, but I definitely know how to spoil nieces and nephews with love. And I know what it's like to be sitting in the middle of dinner with your best friend on the other end and listen to her newborn baby cry. My life is made up of a million moments. They flash in front of my eyes from time to time. Some make me cry, and some make me feel overwhelmingly happy and blessed. So many of them have been shared with you. You have become a beautiful woman, and an amazing mother.

baby hunter

five.

We just passed the date that marked five years of being together. As some of you are aware God had amazing plans for our lives to come together long before we acknowledged that. We made a lot of memories together in the few years leading up to dating. There were days we brought out smiles in each other when no one else could have, and days when we laughed until our sides about split. We were there for each other in moments of silence too. Neither of us knew what exactly we would become. If I had a bad day at school or something was going on, Kyle would go for a drive with me to find puppies or something that would make me happy. When he had bad days I would sit with him or do my best to get his mind off of things. I am not really sure why either of us ever cared in the first place. I'm not sure what it was that brought us together. Our track coach in high school always laughed at us and teased us about our "relationship". We never liked each other at the same time though. We also never officially dated anyone else. I guess a good sign that we liked each other would have been the fact that we got ticked whenever one of us talked about someone we liked. I chalked it up to high school and him being a dumb boy. We started going to church together on Sundays and often had lunch after with friends, and sometimes just us. I thought for sure he liked my friend and that was why he was always hanging out with us. Somewhere during that seven months leading up to us dating Kyle started coming in to see me at work. I worked at Cafe Caffe at the time. Looking back, and even at the time, it was one of the best jobs I've ever had. I laughed every shift, and worked with the most amazing group of young women (including the owner, Carole). I'm sure Kyle would have figured out eventually that I liked him, but I like to think Carole played a key role. I know it took a while for Kyle to cook up the courage to ask me out. Before I could admit to myself that I really liked Kyle Aamot, Carole lit the fire for us. She held up this little sign while I had my back turned to her because I was talking with Kyle. His face turned bright red and when I realized what she was doing mine I'm sure turned even redder! So, thank you mama hen for giving us the push that sent us on this amazing adventure.

carole's sign 2007

Love, US

It's Sunday

 Kyle and I use to go on Sunday adventures almost every week. The past two semesters have left us exhausted and drained though. We finally were able to get out of the house today and just go. (This was after Kyle locked the keys in the car while it was running and had to wedge open the door and unlock it with a wire hanger.) We drove through the country and out passed the WSU wildlife reserve and Kamiak Butte. Kyle was determined to find a raccoon and then force me to make him a coonskin cap. GROSS. Obviously this was not going to happen, but I just smiled and laughed it off. We pulled up to the edge of an old abandoned property. There was a house and a few barns and sheds. We hiked along a creek to the house and Kyle went right on in. He found paw prints on the walls and was positive raccoon's had made this house their new home. He climbed over some wood piles and went further back and I stayed frozen by the front door. It kind of looked like a scene from an awful horror movie. The whole time I was just waiting for some creepy man to jump out with a chain saw. Next we went into the barn. There was long jagged saw pieces hanging everywhere and old machinery. Did not help my jitters! Kyle went out of the barn and I thought he went into the shed. I moved quickly over to the shed calling his name because at this point I was getting goosebumps. He wasn't answering. I kept calling his name and started to go into the shed. I stopped because I thought maybe he was hiding inside waiting to scare me. I called out that it wasn't funny anymore and peaked inside. He wasn't in there. After losing it, tearing up, getting flashbacks of criminal minds episodes, and yelling his name several more times I found him. Wandering behind the shed with Taylor happy as could be. He asked me what was wrong with a smile. Rude. 
 I was more than happy to get out of there and head home. It was a short adventure, but it was still nice to go on one after such a long time of being loaded down with school work. 

old house

kyle disappearing by the shed

creepy saw thing