Not What We Expected...9 Years Later

I originally started this post back in April, the week of our 9 year anniversary (4.19.17)....but all I had written was the title. I realize I've gotten pretty bad at updating the rest of our life besides Phoenix (and now Ryder) lately. And while they are pretty much the forefront of our lives right now, we do have two other pretty freaking cute-albeit super stubborn, sometimes disobedient, and loud-kids.

For example, I've been feeling a lot lately how much we are shifting into another age/phase with Bronx in particular. He totally is already having crushes on girls. It's ridiculous. And I really want to cry about it (well, I really want to cry about a lot of things lately...a lot. haha). I can't blame him though, I mean, he has Kevin and I as his parents (our track history with boyfriends/girlfriends is....ridiculously embarrassing). But he's gotten in the car the past few times from preschool and told me he loves a girl named McKenna. He sits between her and his best friend Ezra, and he and McKenna have "tickle fights"....oh boy. ANYWAYS there's that, and the fact that he's starting to read. I've been horrible about it, but his sweet teacher, Mrs. Doggett sends him home with sight-words, and we've sort of...kind of.....maybe, like looked at them...barely. But I've just been feeling this push inside me that needs to help him more, and so tonight we (with Tinley of course, because she's always our sidekick too) sat down on the couch and sounded out his letters and words. AND THEN HE READ A WHOLE PAGE BY HIMSELF. Kevin and I were so proud. It was a complete OH MY GOSH WE HAVE NOT FAILED AS PARENTS moment. And I was shocked but I loved it. I loved hearing him sound out the words and oh man it was so awesome.

Tinley gets cuter and cuter by the day. I mean I'm not biased or anything because I'm her mom. She's just so full of attitude, which I both adore and loath. Probably my favorite thing about her right now, is that she can dish it right back to Kevin when he is talking to her or telling her what to do. Their conversations are pretty hilarious to overhear and listen to.

I originally started this post, to talk about a synopsis of the past 9.5 years of marriage, and how it hasn't been what all my teenage fantasies were made of (hah!).... but now I just want to talk about this guy below. My main guy. This one who spoils me, helps me not to be a big baby, makes me a better wife and mom, who always works so hard for our family, and who I am so thankful for. 

So you know we moved around a lot. You know we moved back to freezing Rexburg (yes, we do love the cold...or maybe I should say we don't mind it #byebyebugs). What you may not know, is that Kevin decided to go back to school. It was a jaw-dropping moment for me when he texted me-oh yes texted me-this information randomly one afternoon in July of last year. Here are some screen shots of how that initial conversation went:

One thing you've got to understand here, to fully appreciate this, is that Kevin hated BYU-I when we were first married. Like, hate HATED it with a passion. I (who actually had a very good experience with the school and loved it) was always hearing about these stupid professors who gave out hours of religion homework, and math teachers that would have him write a paragraph on some spiritual relation to the the assignment. He actually couldn't stand it so much so, that he transferred to EITC in Idaho Falls to try and finish his degree. But a lot was going on in our life then...aka we desperately needed a change of scenery. And that's about the time we left for Utah with the hopes and plans we would get residency and then start at a new school down there....which of course didn't happen because Kevin enjoyed working for Furniture Row....blah blah you've heard the rest. So throughout the years I learned that I could NOT bring up or talk about school without it being a very sore subject, and one that was shot down constantly.

We moved back up to Rexburg (conveniently into our townhome that we had been renting out while away) because Kevin knew he wasn't going long-term with Big Fish (who he worked for while we lived in Pleasant Grove, which was our transition year/phase after leaving our Kuna house and FR), and because he was hired as a car salesman in Idaho Falls. He has always loved cars, and because he has always talked about owning and running his own dealership, he thought this was a good way to get started: by working for one. Good thing he did because he realized very quickly that he hated it. A lot. He was bored all the time there. Like, bang-your-head-against-a-wall bored. He would get so bored that he would ASK for something to do even. And he usually would end up cleaning the store just to DO something. hahahaha. I'm sorry I shouldn't laugh. He would text me how bored he was, and how much he hated working there, and how he felt so insignificant. Like this was such a waste of his life. It was the lowest low. And yeah, definitely hard and frustrating going from making a great income, to less than nothing.

And then that text happened.

And yes we did end up selling the fun razor and trailer as well as his brand new Subaru STI he had recently bought. This is the longest Kevin has gone without buying a big toy I think. We all know my husband loves his toys (and i can't complain-i love how much fun we have as a family when we've owned them! such fun memories).

I especially liked how he made sure to tell me: "get ready for 12 years of suck" Well said babe. Well said. Except, of course our life hasn't sucked (minus having Phoenix in heaven and Ryder in the NICU, which are completely unrelated to him going back to school) but we are barely dipping our toes in now. Kevin was accepted back to BYUI and started in January of this year. So he's completed 3 so far(Winter, Spring, Summer), finishing up his 4th now(Fall), and he has 2 semesters to go (he'll graduate December of 2018), and is taking the MCAT and applying to med school this upcoming spring 2018. I am insanely proud of him. For the fact that he is taking a HUGE leap of faith in this endeavor. He wants to make a difference and feel proud in what he does. He wasn't getting that with Furniture Row or the dealership or anything else he's done. He was doing medical before, and has always been interested in that field, and he looked into exactly what he thinks he'd like to do for our future. Orthopedic surgery is what he would love to do. We realize it's an insanely long road ahead, and it's not like we are in our early 20s. 

Another huge thing that we took a leap of faith on is our finances with Kevin not working. He worked full-time and did school full-time back then, and this time around he decided he was not going to work AT ALL to be able to fully focus on his classes. And that has made all the difference. We have been so blessed to have made it this far, and are taking it one semester at a time.

I know I keep saying it (sorry not sorry), but I am so proud of him! Kevin has made a 180 degree attitude about the school (and school in general) now. Maybe it's due to his age, or the experiences he's had, or the fact that our family is growing, or most likely all of it. But it makes me happy to see him happy doing this. He truly is a happier guy who is putting so many hours into doing his best to keep his grades ALL As. It's insane I tell you.