25 March 2016

2016 will be a love story with an excess of tacos

Now that we are engaged, i thought i would tell you a little more about Mr B. Of course, from my blog you already know that he is handsome, has outrageously curly hair, chases waterfalls, cross country skis and loves the outdoors--but that's about it. Without further ado: Meet Mr B


That handsome face was born right here in Sugar City, Idaho almost exactly 6 months before me. He lived in Idaho most of his life. Served a mission in Seattle. Graduated with his undergrad from BYU-Idaho in Mechanical Engineering the SAME DAY that i graduated with my BA. At BYU Provo he received his Masters in Mechanical Engineering, as well as his MBA. During his graduate work he traveled around Europe studying product development in various other countries. After finishing school he moved back to Rexburg, bought a town home, and began work as an Administrative Employee working in the Online Learning Program for BYU-Idaho where he does research and development (and occasionally picks up an engineering or business class to teach).

But those are just his credentials. And, although they are rather impressive, that's not who he is.

If i could use one word to describe Mr B, it would be meticulous. On our first date, we made sugar cookies at his beautiful (especially for a single guy's!) home. When we arrived, all of the ingredients were sitting on the counter, in a straight line, in the order that they needed to be added. The necessary measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowls, pans, spatulas and even hot pads were out and ready. The mixer was sitting on the counter and plugged in (seriously?!). i asked him later if he was nervous or something. Nope. That's just the kind of guy that he is. The meticulousness filters through everything he does: each word is carefully thought out. The day and evenings are scheduled. He is thorough in his calling (EQ president). Trips, hikes, activities, meals, presents, running schedules and routes--everything is precise and calculated and researched. i love the organization. AND i love running in, throwing in a bit of spontaneity and seeing him get a silly grin on his face when he says "Ok...let's do it!"

Mr. B is the kind of guy that notices the clouds, the stars, the full moon, the colors in the sky, the snow sparkling, birds sitting on power lines, or flowers peeking through cracks in the sidewalk. Then he points it out to me, or tells me to look outside if we aren't together, or sends me a picture of whatever he has noticed because "I thought it would make you happy."  He savors every bite of dessert--i've never seen anyone appreciate good food so much. He does not like to spend money. There are more landscape pictures on his phone than of people and it doesn't occur to him very often to put us in the picture.

He has never seen "Napoleon Dynamite" (and claims he never will). He only chews his gum for about 2 minutes and then it "looses it's flavor."  He does not like beets, taking out the trash or wet willies.  He is an organized hoarder--keeping all of his school assignments and text books, but in neat, cataloged boxes. He gets upset when he doesn't win, but tries to pretend like he doesn't care.

He eats the same breakfast every weekday morning: shredded wheat with honey, a protein shake and half of a grapefruit. He dances with me. Sometimes with music. Sometimes with no music. Foxtrot, waltz, cha cha, two step or just holding me close and swaying. There are more Disney movies on his shelf than anything else. There is rarely music playing in his car. He is deliciously ticklish.

Mr B is not a reader (but he has at least read all the "Harry Potter" books). He runs because i run. And because he can eat more food. He makes his bed every morning. If i go out of town, he follows the weather in the city i'm visiting. (He also visits Belle and send me pictures to show me she is alive and happy).

Saturday morning snuggles
Often, when he knows that i have a long run, i receive a text with a specific route all lined out for me, complete with water stops, and sometimes even a weather report. Once, i was even out of town and the route came with an email describing the trail, how long it would take for me to drive from the house i was staying to the start of the trail, information on where to park (complete with maps) and a link to a webpage about the trail showing where there were bathrooms. He does all this without asking.

i have walked into his house to find him on his hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom floor (::swoon::). He sings every part in every hymn beautifully (but he doesn't know "Bohemian Rhapsody" at all). He is an abysmal texter. He only gets his haircut every 5-7 months. He is the best on the grill that i have met in a long time. When his nephews and niece come to visit, they get to have a sleepover at their Uncle's house--i think he enjoys it as much or more than they do.

When i have had a bad day he says "What can i do for you? Do you need something from me or do you need to be alone?" At the end of the day, he asks if i need him to pray for anything specific to help me. He agrees with me that tacos are delectable (although i'm not convinced that he appreciates them even half as much as i do...especially when he pokes fun at my Taco Bell addiction).

Mr B does not complete me. But he sure does compliment me; we compliment each other. i help him be silly; he scolds me if i swear. If i build a fort in the living room and he will crawl in after me. When he hikes up a mountain, i will be right behind him. i will want to go star gazing and he will fill the car with blankets and find the perfect location. If i run a marathon, he is at the finish line with chocolate milk. When i notice someone is struggling, he thinks of cookies and we bake them and deliver them together. At dinner time, when he suggests tacos, i say "You know what i like!"

When i'm scared, he holds me tight. When he is scared, i say, "We can do this!"

He truly is a healthy addition to my life. And that's my Mr B.

Hey you!
Title Credit: hb

13 March 2016

Faithfulness

On Saturday the 20th of February, Mr. B and i went on a winter adventure! In the summertime, we spent many days hiking and driving through Yellowstone National Park. Neither of us had ever been in the winter. To celebrate his birthday, we decided to take a snowmobiling tour from West Yellowstone up to Old Faithful and back.


One of the things i loved about being up in the park in the winter is that the roads are closed, which cuts down on the amount of people there. The only vehicle traffic is snow mobiles and snow coaches. Although we did have to share the road with some other traffic:

Baby bison! So cute!

i absolutely loved going through the park behind Mr B. i could enjoy the view. We saw an eagle, bison, elk, swans, and geese.


Along the road we stopped at Firehole Falls, an overlook or two and a couple of geyser basins. Everything was more dramatic all covered in snow and then still steaming. The sun was out and i was in awe at the beauty of it all. i especially enjoyed the mudpots and there was one geyser going off close to the walkway that (because of the cold) was letting off steam to the extent that we could barely see far enough ahead of us to walk.



When we got to the Old Faithful Inn, we had two hours to spend there. All of the other snow mobilers ran off to the lodge to eat at the cafe. It was cold and windy outside, so i understood them. But that's not OUR style. We went on a three mile hike up to see Morning Glory pool (quite a feat in snow boots!) Along the way, we were lucky enough to see a couple of other impressive geysers going off. 


But the best part? It happened at Old Faithful.

We found a spot back around the geyser where we could sit on the walkway and watch it erupt.We weren't as close, but there weren't a bunch of people either. Plus, it was a great spot for our little picnic.

We started talking about Old Faithful. Mr B pointed out how it wasn't the biggest geyser in the park, yet it was iconic of Yellowstone. This is because of how predictable it is. They can't nail it down to the minute, but it is consistently erupting within 20 mins of the predicted time. No matter what else happens in Yellowstone, you know that you will be able to see Old Faithful go off. What a fitting name for it.

Old Faithful
Then Mr B said, "That's what I want to be for you, Jennifer. I may not be the grandest or the showiest person. I may not be always right on point. But I will always be consistent. Something you can depend on and count on. Faithful. I want to always be there for you."

i thought it was the sweetest thing ever and got quite a bit choked up. But i was still clueless. So when he got down on one knee, it still took me a moment to register what was happening.

And then he asked me to marry him.

In front of Old Faithful
i honestly don't even remember if i ever even said 'yes.' i was so surprised and excited and overwhelmed and  happy. So so happy.

So here we are, planning a wedding and planning for our life together. And i love this man. i choose to love him everyday. And he chooses everyday to love me.