Oh, that's how that thing works?!

I have not written on here in a long time. I just want to start off by expressing my thanks to my Father in Heaven for his ability to test me, and then show me the importance of my trials.

My parents divorce was final the day before Dave and I were sealed for time and all Eternity in the Bountiful LDS Temple. I know my wedding day was hard for my mom, but she is a trooper and she played along to the best of her abilities. Dave and I have learned a lot from watching my parents over the last year. It is hard to pin point the time in a marriage when things "start to fall apart". It is defiantly not easy on everyone when someone decides, "they are done". I am not writing this to hurt any one's feelings, but to bring up the importance of communication in a marriage. Once the communication is gone, everything else falls apart. Dave and I have made some very important goals that we are promising each other to abide by through out our eternal marriage.
*The first began on January 25th, 2009 when Dave proposed to me in front of the San Antonio, Texas LDS temple. Not only were we starting things out right by going to the temple, but Dave chose my ring because of the value and reminder my ring has for us. It not only represents the eternal round that our marriage will have, but and the importance of always keeping the communication between Heavenly Father, Dave and I open. You cannot have a successful marriage when one of these three individuals is not an active member in the triangle.
* Dave and I have been striving very hard to have morning and evening couples prayer together. I cannot express the love I have for Dave when he is praying. He has the ability to express his inner most concerns for others and me in the most sensitive way.
*Dave and I made a goal when we were engaged to go to the temple often. We have continued this goal in our marriage. It has been one of the most rewarding things ever! We can defiantly tell when it has been too long since our last visit. Not only are we serving those who could not do the work for themselves while here on the earth, but we are able to spend some very spiritual and personal quality time with each other and our Father in Heaven. Our "Temple Date Nights" are my favorite date nights.
* Every marriage needs encouragement. Dave and I have many things going on in our busy schedules and we don't always get to see each other. When our schedules do collide we are able to catch each other up on what is going on and most important- encourage one another in the goals and ambitions that we each have. Dave is currently in school and also working and I am working full time and trying to keep up with Dave. He is extremely busy and sometimes needs a word of encouragement. I love being the one to give it to him. Those sweet reminders help the love in a marriage grow. He is always there for me when I need a minute to cry on his shoulder because I dropped an egg on the floor or an amazing smelling dinner turns out to just be an amazing smelling dinner.
* Scripture reading is a huge bonus in a marriage. Our Father in Heaven has given us so many tools to straighten marriages. If only people would read, ponder and listen- there would not be any marriages that crumble because of hurt feelings, selfishness, etc.
* The last goal that I have personally implemented in our marriage is; Never say anything which you don't mean, but you say in anger or annoyance. Last month Dave and I were at a family reunion in Morgan. Everyone was having a great time playing and chatting with each other. After dinner on our last night there, Dave and my brother decided to float down the river. They didn't have any way to float down other than life jackets. Dave wanted to test the waters at an area where there was a seemingly small waterfall. To make a long story short; Dave was carried under the current and down falling water; he almost drowned. The most terrifying part of it all is, I witnessed everything and thought my husband was dying. Each time he came up and then disappeared, I thought I had lost him. The feelings of hope and safety were shattered by water. My youngest brother was trying frantically to extend a walking stick to Dave, which my grandpa had thrown into the water to help them. My uncle was holding onto my brother and together they were trying as hard as they could to reach Dave. I know our Father in Heaven was watching over David because the last time he went down something pushed him to the center of the water fall and he was able to float away from the area he was in and walk out- with the help of my uncle.

Marriage is not a topic I take lightly. When you face a loved one leaving for whatever reason you find yourself doing everything in your power to keep that unit together. If you think about it- We each make choices everyday. Some move us forward, toward the goals we have and others pull us down to levels that we cannot even comprehend. In the end: we all have our agency.
From the example of my parents I have been able to reflect on my marriage and how I want it to be now and in the future. I love both of my parents and I accept the result of their decisions. I cannot spend time dwelling on their choices; therefore, I have to move forward with my own. I feel I am on the right path.

3 things about me

THREE NAMES I GO BY
1.Tashina
2.Shina
3.Bumkiss, Weiner, Baby Girl, Sweetie

THREE JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE
1. Dilly Dally's
2. Bountiful Family Healthcare
3. Nanny

THREE PLACES I HAVE LIVED
1.Utah-- Happy Valley
2.Wyoming
3. Utah-- Davis County

THREE TV SHOWS THAT I WATCH
1. CSI
2. The Office
3. Scrubs

THREE PLACES I HAVE BEEN
1. New York
2. Minnesota
3. Texas

THREE PLACES I WANT TO GO
1. Poland
2. Guam
3. Philippines

THREE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS
1. Italian
2. Mexican
3. Chinese

THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO
1. David coming home-- March 26th!
2. Marring the love of my life
3. My first Christmas with David

THREE PETS THAT YOU HAVE OWNED
1. Dog- Shadow
2. Cat- Spaz
3. Dog- Dellah Mae

THREE FAVORITE BANDS/ ARTISTS
1. Coldplay
2. Brandie Carlisle
3. Journey

THREE FAVORITE TEAMS TO WATCH
1. Team Owen
2. Jazz
3. Raptors

THREE FAVORITE DRINKS
1. Milk
2. Water
3. Orange Juice

THREE FAVORITE READS
1. Book of Mormon
2. Count of Monte Cristo
3. Frankenstein

THREE FAVORITE PASTIMES
1. Daddy Daughter Dates
2. High School
3. The care free days of childhood

THREE HEROES
1. My Savior
2 .David
3. My mom and my Bishop Shaffer

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If anyone has any questions about my Texas trip; visit my new blog at:
http://davidandshina.blogspot.com


:)

75 QUESTIONS YOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER BEEN ASKED BEFORE

1. First thing you wash in the shower? My Hair
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Pink
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? DEFINATLY!!!!!!!
4.Do you plan outfits? Yeah, I set them out the night before.
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Excellent!!!!
6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red? a Christmas decoration... still out... yep
7. Do you say aim or a-i-m? nope
8. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? It had to do with David and it was wonderful!
9. Did you meet anybody new today? I meet new people everyday! That's the glorious thing about working in a doctors office!
10. What are you craving right now? My man.
11. Do you floss? Every night!
12. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Lumpia!!!! My Favorite Filipino Dish!
13. When was the last time you talked on aim?Never
14. Are you emotional?Yes, I can be very emotional.
15. Would you dance to the taco song? haha sure
16. Have you ever counted to 1,000??No... I have a short attention span
17. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?Both
18. Do you like your hair? Sometimes. It is so thin that sometimes I am tempted to shave it and buy a wig
19. Do you like yourself? I love myself:)
20. Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes, LeAnn Rimes
21. Do you like cottage cheese?Espcially with Doritos!
22. What are you listening to right now? The sounds of a doctors office
23. How many countries have you visited? just he one.
24. Are your parents strict? at times, but I am an adult now and I make my own decisions... they let me do my own thing
25. Would you go sky diving?YES!
26. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? probably not. the man annoys the crap out of me.
27. Would you throw potatoes at him? If it was in the mashed form
28. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?nope.
29. Have you ever been in a castle? Yes
30. Do you rent movies often? I Love renting movies!
31. Who sits in behind you in your math class? some girl I don't know
32. Have you made a prank phone call? :0) Yep
33. Do you own a gun? no!!
34. Can you count backwards from 74? yes.
35. Who are you going to be with tonight? My math book
36. Brown or white eggs? both
37. Do you own something from Hot Topic?no
38. Ever been on a train? YES
39. Like the person your dating? I am not only dating him-- I AM GOING TO MARRY HIM! I not only like him-- I LOVE HIM SO MUCH THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN CAN HEAR THE SONG IN MY HEART!!!
40. Do you have a cell-phone? Don't know where I would be without it.
41. Are you too forgiving? Sometimes
42. Do you use chap stick? YES!
43. What is your best friend doing tomorrow? He is working.. getting off work at 1400 and then talking to me on the phone at 2100. ( I am trying to get this military time thing down)
44. Can you use chop sticks? Yes-- Thanks to my amazing Fiance and his Filipino family!
45. Ever have cream puffs? oh I LOVE THEM!
46. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? yes-- It is a trippy movie
47. What was the last question you asked? I don't remember.
48. What was the last CD you bought? "Tea for two Love songs"
49. Boys or girls? Definatly boys! Girls are too dramatic!
50. What is your bus number for school? 634... I think. it has been a LONG time!
51. Is your hair curly? Only when I spend hours on it
52. Last time you cried? Yesterday....
53. Ever walked into a wall? Um... yeah...
54. Do looks matter? Yes-- but I am more attracted to personalities
55. Have you ever bought anything from Pac Sun? yes!
56. Have you ever slapped someone? No... Not on purpose at least
57. Favorite time of the year? spring and fall
58. Favorite color?Lime green
59. Are you sarcastic?sometimes
60. Do you have any tattoos? Nope-- I will never have one!
61. The last person you held hands with? David :)
62. Do you sleep with the TV on? Sometimes. Usually I have to have it completely silent though.
63. Where was your default picture taken at? ???? WHAT?????
64. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? No- it takes too much energy
65. Do you like your life right now? I love my life!
66. How often do you talk on the phone? not a lot, but when I do it is for a long time!
67. What is your favorite animal? Dog!
68. What was the most recent thing you bought? a Valentines card for david:)
69. Do you have good vision? no....
70. Can you hula hoop? Yes!
71. Could you ever forgive a cheater?Yes if they are truly repentant... it takes a lot though....
72. Do you have a job? yes
73. Can you handle the truth? yes :)
74. What are you wearing? gray slacks, orange shirt and a white jacket
75. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes

My bragging moment

I leave tomorrow night at 12:50 AM for Texas.

I cannot explain how excited I am to see David!! He has given great updates in each of his letters and I cannot wait to meet all of the guys he is working with! He was given a promotion (in a way) his first or second week of BMT. He is the epitome of what a zone leader would be in an LDS mission. He is over a flight of guys and has to make sure they are doing everything they need to, to pass the tests. He has found this tast difficult, but worth while. He has learned MANY great qualities and has grown a lot from being a leader and example.

He has had the opportunity to attend a church service held on Sundays by a missionary couple on the base. He has brought many of his flight members to the service and many have asked him questions about the church and why he gets to wear special boxers. :)
He is a great example to these men and I am so proud of him!

Although he is in a stressful environment, his letters are full of positive things that he is learning from being at Basic training.

Before he left for Basic, I gave him a pocket sized Book of Mormon for him to read. (I bought one for myself and we call it our "Marriage Handbook") He reads from it every night before going to bed and relates the gospel teachings that he learns in his letters to me. He is such a spiritual giant and I have learned so much from him by reading his annotations (as he calls it :))

I cannot wait to support him at his graduation and spend time with him this weekend! There are so many things I want to say to him that I cannot write in letters or say in our short 15 minute converstions, via phone, once a week.

Once graduation is over, he's off to Mississippi for Tech school, but:

March 23rd is a day to mark- The day my latter day Nephi returns home to Utah.

The love of my life!

Dave and I posing before working out at WSU

99 Things

Highlight the things that you have done!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo-- in my car- does that count?
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant...
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class-- KICKBOXING
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating?- my dad has and I watched...
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life-- im sure we all have and don't even know it
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person-- I will next month!
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee