Fun in Marriage

It's funny to me that people think that you can't have as much fun once you're married. If you have ever thought that, trust me, you're wrong. Being married to your best friend makes all the difference. Somewhere on the side of my blog, I have a quote that says something like, "Marriage vows are like promising to have sleepovers with your best friend every night." Isn't that the best? Don't you want to be with your best friend forever?

I just read an awesome post by this girl which you should read if you need further encouragement to be spontaneous. After I read her post, it reminded me of our random little excursion last week. The plan was to go camping. I love camping and really, really wanted to go. The weather had other plans though, and naturally it rained the two days we wanted to go. Disappointed, I sat at home waiting for Dalin to return from work and tried my hardest to think of something we could do as an alternative to save the night. 

I searched google for nearby campsites, looking for places that might have some kind of covering or that might have been out of range of the rainstorms. It was not very promising. I browsed Pinterest for a while, looking at different Date Night ideas from several Pinners. Then, on a whim, I researched inexpensive hotel rooms in the area. I was thinking a nice bed and breakfast might be fun (since we have done that while visiting New Hampshire in the past together and loved it) but the only nice one around was more than I wanted to spend. I looked at about ten different inns and hotels, and finally finally found one that was nearby, within our price range, that didn't look gross. I texted Dalin my idea and was shocked when he said, "Yes! Book it!" 

I spent the next hour before Dalin came to pick me up, packing a bag with clothes for both of us, our toiletries, a few snacks (being 30 weeks pregnant, this was a necessity...) and a makeshift dinner with dessert. I didn't tell Dalin because I wanted to surprise him. When he got home, I met him in the car and we took off! It felt so exciting! 

We checked in to the Sleep Inn around 9pm (I could only imagine what the lady checking us in was thinking...) in the pouring rain. We decided to pay an extra $20 to get a jacuzzi in our room, so we ended up paying a little more than $80 with tax. We were assigned room 300 (which is our old apartment number...somehow we always get 300) and were a little more than shocked to find a very, very nice room. The King bed was huge and amazing. The bathroom was big and clean. It was not what we expected for what we paid. We ate my "romantic" homemade dinner at our little table, watched some movies on TV while snuggling on our big bed, enjoyed the wonderful jacuzzi (obviously, we had to make sure it wouldn't be too hot for the baby), and went to bed late. The bed was so big, Dalin and I didn't roll into each other the whole night! It was very soft and comfy and made me want a King bed for our future home really badly. 

Breakfast ended at 9am the next morning, so we got up around 8am to make it down to the little continental breakfast. It was not bad at all and we ended up talking to this cute older couple who noticed I was pregnant. After, we returned to our room and rested and watched TV until 11:30am because we had to check out at noon. 

Driving home, we talked about how much fun that idea was and how we wanted to do things like that more often...like once a month. We calculated that our expenses basically came to be just a little over three hours of work for each of us! Totally worth it. 

Possibly the best part about the trip was that, besides being relaxing and spontaneous, we only had to drive like five minutes to get home. It felt nice not having to go far to feel like we were in a completely different place. 

We will definitely be doing that again! 

Have you ever done something on the spur of the moment with your spouse? 
What was it and would you do it again? 

Day Four: Good Literature

I am grateful for good books. I cannot possibly describe how deep my love for books goes. But in third grade, it was my goal to read every book in my English teacher's classroom. (That included all of the "easy" books, which I still enjoyed reading for the gorgeous art in them, as well as all of the chapter books for advanced students). By the end of the year, I had succeeded.

I love reading so much, that I decided on my major because of it.  Nothing is more important to me than being a mother and raising a family...but I would still like to support my family in some way. Then I considered my primary interests and talents: reading, writing, editing, drawing, painting. I then thought, is there some job out there where I could get paid to read? Yes, I thought. There is. Editing and publishing books was my solution. If I could work for a company that publishes children's or young adult books, I could read things like "Harry Potter" and "The Hunger Games" all the time. And so, for those of you who are curious, that is why I chose to be an English major with a minor in Editing. I love to read. So much.

Thank you, for giving me good books to read. 

"There is no surer foundation than a mutual taste in literature."
~P.G. Wodehouse

“I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.”

~C.S. Lewis

"There is something wonderful about a book. We can pick it up. We can heft it. We can read it. We can set it down. We can think of what we have read. It does something for us. We can share great minds, great actions, and great undertakings in the pages of a book."
~Gordon B. Hinckley

"Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again."
~C.S. Lewis

"Good books are as friends, willing to give to us if we are willing to make a little effort."
~Gordon B. Hinckley

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it."
~J.D. Salinger

"If we could follow the slogan that says, 'Turn off the TV and open a good book' we would do something of substance for a future generation."
~Gordon B. Hinckley

"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it."
~James Bryce

"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."

~Anna Quindlen

Just a few books that I love:

The Book of Mormon

Pride & Prejudice

Jane Eyre

Wuthering Heights

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harry Potter (1-7)

The Hunger Games (1-3)

Divergent

Insurgent

The Maze Runner (1-3)

Twilight series (fine, I admit it)

The Host

The Great Gatsby

Warriors Don't Cry

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Three Cups of Tea

Ethan Frome

The Awakening

The Westing Game

A Christmas Carol

This Side of Paradise

House of the Scorpion

Roald Dahl books (too many to name!)

A Series of Unfortunate Events (1-13)

Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites (series)

The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe

Julie of the Wolves (1-3)

Walk Two Moons

Ruby Holler

& many, many more. 

My dream library: 

Cozy and rustic and warm and clean

Or...

This wouldn't be so bad...Beauty and the Beast library (this is from Bachelorette by the way ;)

I like this one, too

Beautiful--love the colors 

If you love to read as much as I do and have a suggestion for a great book, I want to hear about it!

Please, by all means, give me a list of things I need to read...I am craving another series to fall in love with. 

gunnell family home evening

Well, Dalin and I have decided that we need to make FHE (family home evening) a priority in our little home.  And so we have started the tradition of finding an article to share with one another on Monday night.

Yesterday, I started off and shared a portion of a talk given by President Hinckley. It came from my Marriage and Family homework but I had just loved it so much I wanted to share it. The talk is entitled, "Cornerstones of a Happy Home."

Here is our happy household ;)

Here are some of my favorite parts of it:

Equality in Marriage

To men within the sound of my voice, wherever you may be, I say, if you are guilty of demeaning behavior toward your wife, if you are prone to dictate and exercise authority over her, if you are selfish and brutal in your actions in the home, then stop it! Repent! Repent now while you have the opportunity to do so.

~

To you wives who are constantly complaining and see only the dark side of life, and feel that you are unloved and unwanted, look into your own hearts and minds. If there is something wrong, turn about. Put a smile on your faces. Make yourselves attractive. Brighten your outlook. You deny yourselves happiness and court misery if you constantly complain and do nothing to rectify your own faults. Rise above the shrill clamor over rights and prerogatives, and walk in the quiet dignity of a daughter of God.

.....

The trick, my brethren and sisters is to enjoy the journey, traveling hand in hand, in sunshine and storm, as companions who love one another. Anyone can do it with a disciplined effort to live the gospel. Remember, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (Psalm 127:1).

Four Cornerstones

"...I have long felt that happiness in marriage is not so much a matter of romance as it is an anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of one’s companion. That involves a willingness to overlook weaknesses and mistakes."

~

1. Mutual Respect

The first of these I choose to call mutual respect. Each of us is an individual. Each of us is different. There must be respect for those differences, and while it is important and necessary that both the husband and the wife strive to ameliorate those differences, there must be some recognition that they exist and that they are not necessarily undesirable. There must be respect one for another, notwithstanding such differences. In fact, the differences may make the companionship more interesting.

.....

"Husbands must be considerate of their wives, who have the greater responsibility not only of bearing children but of caring for them through childhood, and should help them conserve their health and strength. Married couples should exercise self-control in all of their relationships. They should seek inspiration from the Lord in meeting their marital challenges and rearing their children according to the teachings of the gospel.”

~

Husbands, wives, respect one another. Live worthy of the respect of one another. Cultivate that kind of respect which expresses itself in kindness, forbearance, patience, forgiveness, true affection, without officiousness and without show of authority.

~

2. The Soft Answer

I pass now to the second cornerstone. For want of a better name I call it the soft answer.

The writer of Proverbs long ago declared, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

.....

It seems to me that communication is essentially a matter of talking with one another. Let that talk be quiet for quiet talk is the language of love. It is the language of peace. It is the language of God. It is when we raise our voices that tiny mole hills of difference become mountains of conflict.

.....

There is need for much discipline in marriage, not of one’s companion but of one’s self. Husbands, wives, remember, “He [or she] that is slow to anger is better than the mighty” (Proverbs 16:32). Cultivate the art of the soft answer. It will bless your homes, it will bless your lives, it will bless your companionships, it will bless your children.

~

3. Financial Honesty

Cornerstone number three is financial honesty. I am satisfied that money is the root of more trouble in marriage than all other causes combined. 

.....

Those who live honestly with God are more likely to live honestly with one another and their associates. Further, as they budget for their tithes and offerings they will cultivate a discipline in the handling of their resources.

~

4. Family Prayer

The final cornerstone on which to build your home is family prayer. I know of no other practice that will have so salutary an effect upon your lives as will the practice of kneeling together in prayer. The very words, Our Father in Heaven, have a tremendous effect. You cannot speak them with sincerity and with recognition without having some feeling of accountability to God. The little storms that

seem to afflict every marriage become of small consequence while kneeling before the Lord and addressing him as a suppliant son and daughter.

~

Your daily conversations with him will bring peace into your hearts and a joy into your lives that can come from no other source. Your companionship will sweeten through the years. Your love will strengthen. Your appreciation one for another will grow.

Obviously I had a hard time cutting things out. 

After me, Dalin shared a talk he had chosen entitled, "Have I Ever Told You...?" by Mark E. Martinsen. 

It speaks of sharing stories with your children to instill in them a sense of heritage. I loved the portion that Dalin shared with me. I think this is a terrific tradition in the making. I know that I love hearing the stories that my family holds dear--particularly those that teach lessons and truth. 

If you want to read the article Dalin shared with me, you can find it here!

We read our chapter in the Book of Mormon afterward, and sang a song together. 

(I'll be the first to say that neither of us sing that well and so Dalin chose for us to sing "White Christmas" and we sang the entire thing). 

This is my favorite version of the song--I am in love with the classic Christmas songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJSUT8Inl14

Cute FHE job board--Dalin and I have one given to us from his mom--
this isn't it, but someday I will post a picture!

I loved the Spirit that brought to our home. It made me feel so happy. I thought, "We are doing this. We did it." We had our first Family Home Evening in a while and intend to make it a habit in our lives. 

I am grateful to have a supportive husband who can be so insightful. I love him lots! 

What do you do for FHE?  Do you have any fun ideas?

Pinterest Pages I Must NOT Forget About

This pinterest page is all about fun art projects and activities to do with kids of all ages. LOVE the ideas here! I want to do them all now!
http://pinterest.com/jenny_gilmore/kids/

Pretty things to try! 
http://pinterest.com/ashli8/ooo-snap/

Yes, I'm married, which gives me even more of a reason to LOVE weddings! Here is a very sweet and happy blog with wedding ideas some of which I would love to use for a friend or daughter!
http://pinterest.com/kaylissa/for-the-love-of-happily-ever-after/

Cute engagements pics! And cute ideas for regular couples pictures!
http://pinterest.com/kaylissa/for-the-love-of-engagement-photography/

Craft ideas...I'll take those...
http://pinterest.com/kaylissa/for-the-love-of-doing-it-myself/

Oh so cute ideas! 
http://pinterest.com/shivvycharv/nifty-thrifty/


Which are your favorites?? 
Or do you, like me, love them all? <3 

eleven cosas

eleven things about olivia & dalin

1. I love learning to make things! Whether it is sewing, knitting, painting, carving, folding, gluing, making collages, cooking, baking, etc., I just love being able to do these things myself. Particularly things that I can display or use within my home. Maybe I should note that I am barely proficient at sewing and at knitting (among other things) for now, but I intend to master these when I'm a stay-at-home mom and--presumably--have the time.

1. Dalin declared that he likes science more than he used to. He said it's because he has to take so many lame science classes and he is starting to like learning about biology stuff and how things work. Pretty lucky since he is studying to become a dentist ;)

2. I love camping, fishing, kayaking, canoing, the woods, and stuff like that so much that I sometimes wish I lived in an obscure cabin in Alaska or Vermont or some place where we could just live off the land. The only trouble with this scenario that I can see, is that I would only enjoy it if I had a nice warm shower and working toilet. I think those would have to be deal-breakers.

2. Dalin wants to be a dentist because he thinks that teeth are interesting and he likes smiley little kids. He also wants to have a business that can be successful and make enough money so that we can have a big family.

3. I just think beagles and dachshunds are the cutest dogs there are. Dachshunds because my parents have one named Butterscotch (Buddy), and beagles because of Snoopy. I love that dog!

3. Dalin wants to get a husky someday. He likes them because "they have nice fur, they're nice, and they look like wolves." Haha, that's what he said.

4. After seeing all of the darling little girls that many of the couples in my ward have, I am starting to think I would not mind having daughters so much...some of those baby girls are so precious. So now I am not sure what family dynamics I would like. I suppose I'll be happy with whatever I get :)

4. Dalin is baby crazy. He loves little babies, especially with chubby cheeks. He cannot wait to be a daddy, and frankly, I can't wait to be a mom! :)

5. My dream car is an aqua convertible. This wish came from the time my mom and I rented a white one in Florida. I also would like one of those really nice trucks that has four doors. Like the one my father-in-law has :) 

5. Dalin's dream car is a green lamborghini gallardo. It's my brother Donovan's favorite, too.

6. Dalin and I will have known each other for a year on April 3rd. That is so strange to me because I sincerely feel like we've been best friends forever. 

6. Dalin's favorite book is Harry Potter. More than me, he says. Lie.

7. I LOVE roller coasters. Sooooo much. I love the adrenaline rush and I love the speed and I love everyone else thinking they're going to die. They don't scare me that much. 


7. Dalin would like to be a dentist someday...but he still has forever left in school...he already said this, but apparently it is imperative. He also enjoys playing tennis and golf. :)

8. Dalin and I are exactly the same. I swear. We disagree a lot, but it's more in a kidding way than anything. He says the exact phrasing of what I am thinking at least three times every day. I always regret not having said it first to prove that it really was what I was thinking.

8. Olivia is hott........(me: :] he is cute)

9. If I could be any animal, I would be a fox or a wolf. Mostly because they are fast and can be tamed and live in groups. I would not like being alone.


9. Dalin would be a rhinoceros because they're big and fast and strong. :]

10. I always had this feeling I would marry a tall man with dark hair, blue eyes, and lives in the west. I really did. And my parents always knew I would marry a dentist...weird.


10. Dalin is legally blind. His prescription is -8.00. He and I both want laser eye surgery. Soon.

11. I am on my 26th journal. Yup. I haven't missed a day (technically) since I was 13. Seven years of teenage drama. I have to admit the only portion of any worth has occurred within the last year...hint hint ;)

11. His top choices for our future children's names, include: Devon, Cove, Carter, and a lot of other black basketball player names. I cannot tell you our top picks though...there's the risk they might get stolen.

Blogger's questions:

1.  What are three words you would use to describe yourself?

me: silly, kind, impatient.

dalin: genius...expert on everything...humble.
jk, those were mine. his would be honest, hardworking, and thoughtful. i could not agree more ;)

2.  What is one piece of advice you would give to other ladies or guys your age?

don't get divorced for no reason! you can't give up so easily! if you're going to get divorced after a freaking year--or even after ten for that matter--don't bother getting married. huge pet peeve. marriage is important.

dalin's would be go on a mission.

3.  What is your favorite beauty product?

haha, if i could only pick one thing, (besides chapstick) i'd have to take mascara. my eyelashes are short and straight. i love anything from clinique.

ha, dalin says his clearasil. his "make-up."

4.  What is one food that you cannot stand?

i cannot stand whoppers, chocolate-covered raisins, or tootsie rolls.

p.s. these are dalin's favorite candies.

dalin cannot stand soda. which is a lie since he drinks Inca Kola which has a ton of caffeine. but he really doesn't drink much soda.

5. Where would your dream vacation be?

my dream vacation...probably ireland or scotland. i have wanted to go to those places foreverrrr. my great great grandmother is directly from ireland and i just really want to see it.

dalin's dream vacation is a cruise to the bahamas. he only says that because we watched Into the Blue last night. heehee. he also said "or jamaica. or mostly italy." hmm.

6.  Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

well my husband beats them both...but i have two. joseph gordon-levitt (arthur from inception) and josh charles (knox in dead poets society). i think that their characters are very polite, sensitive, and brave. and they both exhibit high, well-mannered decorum. technically i only like their characters though...because otherwise i know nothing about joseph or josh.

Joseph Gorden-Levitt (Arthur in Inception) 

Josh Charles (Knox Overstreet from Dead Poets Society)

And the studliest of all....Dalin Brent Gunnell (my cutie husband)

I can't even talk about Dalin's man crush...I'll just show you:

Yes. His is Eugene Fitzherbert. I'll admit he is funny and handsome and nice at the end of Tangled...but that's it.

7.  Who is your celebrity lady crush?

well, if i had to pick, i would probably say blake lively. not only because i love her name, but her hair and skin are so gorgeous. amanda seyfried is also gorgeous and her singing voice is so beautiful. loved her in mamma mia and in letters to juliet.

Blake Lively. She is so cute and her hair is pretty.

Amanda Seyfried. Dalin disagrees with me...but I think she is very pretty.

dalin says I am his celebrity lady crush :) (he had to say that). but in reality he would say jessica alba. barf. 

Jessica Alba. She is really pretty, so I take back the barf from before.

8.  What is your favorite milkshake?

i love frappes (same thing?) and always eat my ice cream in milk anyway...but i love chocolate almond and mint chocolate chip best. i like basically every flavor though. 

dalin loves mint chocolate. he likes DQ blizzards better though apparently. 

9.  What is your favorite blog link-up?

well, the only ones i actually read are my friends' megan wernig and elisabeth gringeri. so theirs.

dalin doesn't know any. so ours. 

10.  If you could have a super power what would it be and why?

i used to want to fly more than anything, but thinking about it more carefully, i'd rather be able to apparate. then i would not have to drive to work, i could go to ireland and scotland and all the other places i want to, and i could apparate into the sky...which isn't the same as flying but that's a sacrifice i'd be willing to make. 

dalin would want to be invisible. he said then you could sneak on whatever jet you want. obviously my way is more honest...just kidding, but seriously. 

11.  What is one thing that you wish that you could buy for yourself? 

a home in portsmouth, new hampshire. near the ocean. for my husband and our future children. 

dalin would buy "probably a house in idaho to live in." (me: hahhahahhahaa.) he read my answer first.

a couple of facts

• dalin brent gunnell was born in oregon. his family moved to arizona for a few years before making their final move to the boise, idaho area. they lived in a few different towns (nampa, boise) and currently reside in caldwell, idaho. dalin is a student at brigham young university and plans on entering into dentistry. he served a mission in san diego, california where he taught the gospel in spanish. his parents are brent and jeneale, and he has three sisters: cassie (19), shaina (17), and jensen (8). they have a dog named cricket. dalin loves: olivia, reading, tennis, golf, watching football and basketball, watching baseball, and basically any sport. he works really hard and makes olivia incredibly happy. dalin loves olivia with every fiber of his being, and wants to spend every second of eternity with her. 

• olivia o'rissa (searle) gunnell has lived in little old gilford, new hampshire for all twenty years of her life. she attends brigham young university-idaho in rexburg, idaho, where she is studying professional writing in order to become an editor. she is minoring in spanish and would like to teach her children someday. her parents are keith and linda searle, and she has two brothers: payson (19) and donovan (12). they have a dachshund named buddy. olivia loves dalin*, reading, drawing, painting, camping, hiking, fishing, tennis, frisbee, and any other outdoor activities. she loves the ocean and would like to live by it someday. olivia is so thankful to have dalin in her life. he is a terrific example to her and brings her a tremendous amount of joy. and for the record, she loves dalin best. 

*she loves him most.