How to be the Best Husband Ever in 7 Easy Steps

1. Don't complain when your wife is sick with the first death cold of the year and keeps you up all night with her coughing, sneezing, blowing her nose, and just being altogether disgusting.

2. While your wife is gone to Parent Teacher Conference until all hours of the night (9:00 feels so late now that I'm old and boring) pick up the house and make sure it is sparkling when she arrives home exhausted.

3. Take your wife on a date and don't even laugh (too much) about the fact that she talked too much at Parent Teacher Conference and now has lost her voice and can't speak above a faint whisper.

4. While on the date, let your wife order the dish you were eyeing and pick something else. Oh, and make sure you order the Spinach and Artichoke dip too.

5. Always, Always, ALWAYS, remember to grab ice cream at the end of the date. And don't even stop at Walmart before heading home even though you really want to.

6. After telling your wife 10,000 times that you can't help her with the yard work the next day because you are just too dadgum busy, surprise her the next morning by removing the flat tire from her car, pulling up all the plants in the garden and loading them in the back of your pickup, and retrieving the lawn mower for her to use later that day...all before 8:00 in the morning. (I seriously got a little teary eyed when I saw he had taken care of the garden for me.)

7. Come home after working all day and before going to a big long church meeting help your wife finish mowing the lawn and cleaning the garage.

Yeah, Kolton was kind of the MVP of our house this week.

Oh my stars, I love that man.

So....Many....Potatoes.....

So this year for the Monteview Ward Reunion that was also a Pioneer Day Celebration that was also called a Community Get Together- Kolton was in charge of cooking the dutch oven potatoes. 

Now Kolton has only made dutch oven potatoes once before. 

That was on our second date, and it did not go well. 

After over two hours of cooking and adding briquettes, he gave up and our potatoes were crunchy as could be. 

So understandably, he was a bit nervous for the daunting task of making dutch oven potatoes for 200 people at the ward reunion. 

He decided we needed to practice to prepare for the big day. 

On Monday we planned dinner with my family because it was also Brody's birthday. Tylee had her friend Kelsey staying with us and we spent the day attempting to wash my Grandma's windows and swimming in the pool. 

That night we got together and started cooking the potatoes. 

 Unfortunately, this potato cooking experience went much like the last one and after two hours of cooking we decided to give it up, split some leftovers, and try it again the next night. 

The Tuesday night attempt was much more successful. This was probably due in large part to the fact that we used a camp chef. The potatoes really were delicious and we were able to get a feel for what needed to be done for the party the next day. 

Kolton and I spent a few hours prepping for the feast. We had to pick up dutch ovens and camp chefs from some nice people and then set them up and get started cooking. I helped for a bit until I got replaced by more willing men. 

While Kolton was busy slaving over the cooking fire I was able to spend some quality time with this sweet thing and his momma.

The dinner was delicious and the potatoes were a hit. After that, Kolton was able to relax a little bit and was even goaded into joining the pie eating contest. 

Getting his game face on. 

 He lost terribly, but it was still fun to see him get some pie in the face. And that was that!

he did it!

The moment we have been waiting for has finally come and gone.

Kolton graduated!

It was a beautiful day.

I just have to brag about him a little since he would never brag about himself.

Kolton has worked so hard in his schooling. Pretty sure he hasn't got anything below an A- since the second grade. When we were first married (since we've been married for so long...) I came to resent his diligence toward his schoolwork. I had a relatively easy semester and he had one of his hardest. in between Organic Chemistry, Physics, and other classes he was always locked in the back room of our apartment doing homework.

I was always rarin' to do some fun stuff since we were finally together after lots of long distance stuff, but he just always had homework!

This is not to say we never did anything fun, he just spent a LOT of time in that back room at his desk

and many more hours on campus study, study, studying for hours and hours. While he always did well, he definitely worked hard for it.

I always tease him about how worried he gets about his grades and certain assignments. There were so many times he would come home from the testing center extremely put out because he was just sure he had failed his test.

Sure enough, he never did and usually ended up as the top scorer. That big nerd! He was always the student that everyone else groans at when the teacher announces there will be no curving because someone got 100%.

Anyway, all of this work and studying and solitude and stressing finally paid off this weekend when my dear kolton had

not one,

not two,

but THREE asterisks by his name in the graduation program.

He graduated suma cum laude and was in the top 1% of his class.

Wow.

My dad was so proud of him. Everyone that he's seen since then, he's had to tell them about the three asterisks thing.

I was a proud little wifey as well (and mostly relieved that I don't have to deal with his stressed-outed-ness anymore).

kolton and jordan were great russian and other subject study buddies.

the gang. it was so fun that most of them got to graduate together!

Right after receiving his diploma. I wanted to get the "perfect picture" here, but of course you know how that goes. my camera shut off as soon as they called his name, so this is as good as i got. ah well...

the hansen gang...minus teagan

with the in-laws. this is probably the only time my dad let go of his program all night.

us.

and my death grip on the diploma.

oh happy day!



the day of looove

I always hated Valentine's Day.

Always.

In elementary school my mom would buy me these tacky valentine's and I had to carefully choose which valentine fit for which person and make sure I didn't send anything too lovey dovey to a boy in my class, because that would just be embarrassing! Then I would write "from: Jayci" til I couldn't even spell my name right anymore.

This hate affair became much more pronounced in high school when I never had a valentine.

obviously

And then I started dating Kolton.

And my Valentine's Day significantly improved.

The first time we were valentines, I gave him a book on tape with my strict instructions that he could only listen to it if he was driving to Provo.

He gave me a blanket he made. 

Yes, you read that right. 

With the help of his sister and mom he got fabric and tied together a fleece blanket for me. He'd just been down to Provo where I had complained about not having a blanket. So he made me one. (what a guy!)

And he also gave me a handmade card that said on the outside...

"Jayc, I just wanted to let you know that my heart...."

and on the inside it said 

"Beats for you!" and taped inside was an EKG that he had done in class. 

I got a kick out of this and thought what a witty/thoughtful boyfriend/special friend/neighbor/possible future husband I had. 

And then I got married.

And decided Valentine's Day is actually pretty alright. (is that cliche, or what?)

Last year we both went all out.

I spent a couple full days in town searching for the perfect backpack to give to Kolton (his old one was hanging on by a few threads) and the card that would sum up exactly how I felt about him. (in a witty way, of course)

(P.S. I got in trouble for spending too much on the backpack and it went right back to the store once Kolton saw the receipt, and traded in for something significantly cheaper. Whoops!)

Kolton got me a beautiful little houseplant that had the prettiest pink flowers, and a cute little pink/purple Valentine's Day outfit. I don't know that he thought of it as a valentine's outfit when he pointed to the mannequin and told the sales girl "I want that one" but that's how I think of it.

This year we chilled out a bit.

I guess that's what happens when you're no longer in newlywedded bliss and can think straight again.

After Kolton left this morning for class, I found a bamboo plant (love this houseplant tradition!) a card, and a Zero candy bar. In the card, Kolton wrote about how he didn't notice the flowers attached to the bamboo plant were fake until after he had bought it, and that he bought the candy bar because he thought it was my favorite (I have never actually had a Zero candy bar in my life). I got a kick out of all of this and enjoyed eating my breakfast while reading the directions on how to take care of the deceiving non-flowering bamboo plant.

Kolton got a little vibrating back massager with not even a card or candy bar because I'm super lame and sick and try to avoid shopping at all costs. 

aAd that was our day! We're planning on a hot date sometime this weekend to officially celebrate our looove for each other. 

Can't wait! 

P.S. Kolton's card also had hand-drawn movie tickets with the promise we could go to The Vow (again, so cliche!) whenever I wanted......but only one time. I sure like that kid.

a story

once upon a time, boy was working hard.

like really hard.

like so hard that he didn't have time to come home for lunch and his clothes were filthy dirty and shmelly by the time he got home at night.

(girl didn't love doing that laundry so much)

so girl decided to do something nice for  boy and make his most favorite dinner of all time. she spent the whole afternoon preparing and even made a pie.

(girl didn't even know that she could make a pie)

boy told her about the time he would make it home from work and girl carefully planned around the schedule and had everything to go right on time.

(that was a miracle in itself.)

 the chicken was bubbling in the oven,

the rolls were perfectly browned, piping hot, and just waiting to be slathered with butter.

the potatoes were mashed up and fluffy (also slathered in butter)

but boy was nowhere to be found.

so girl covered everything up and tried to keep it warm because she just knew boy would be home any minute.

two hours later, boy walked in the door.

girl was a little frustrated because she'd spent all the time preparing the meal so it would be ready right on time, and now the gravy had congealed.

and girl hates it when the gravy congeals.

so girl tried to mask her frustration because she knew that she really shouldn't be frustrated.

boy had been working hard.

she could tell.

he was certainly dirty, and his clothes had to be thrown straight in the washer because they were so shmelly.

but still.

the gravy had congealed!

but girl swallowed her frustration and just looked at boy.

boy looked at the kitchen spread with his favorite meal that was now cold.

then he looked at girl.

straight in the eye.

he got a serious look on his face and then he said.

"I'm sorry."

and then girl looked back at him.

straight in the eye.

got a serious look on her face and then said.

"It's okay."

because it really was okay.

and because girl really loves sincere apologies.

(and she kinda likes boy too.)

so girl made up two plates, stuck them in the microwave, and guess what?

they were good as new. (or as they had been two hours previous)

even the congealed gravy.

after dinner, girl dished up pie.

boy took one bite and his whole face lit up.

(he didn't know girl could make pie either!)

and they lived happily ever after.

reason #758 why i love my husband

i don't know how to rotate the picture. sorry!

He left me this note.

Translation:

"Pancake batter in the fridge! Love ya! Have a good day. See ya aroung 5:30.

Yes, I meant to say "aroung" {his excuse is that a D is a G in Russian}

I loved it.

Since I've been sick I've been guzzling Nyquil at night and that stuff seriously knocks me out.

And he is SILENT when he leaves in the morning. I really don't even hear him in my 15% alcohol induced state.

But now he's sick, and it's my turn to leave pancake batter in the fridge for him.

I love marriage.

reason 219 why i love my husband

He untangles my necklaces for me. And doesn't even complain {too much} about it.

Seriously. My necklaces are always in a big wadded tangly mess. There are three possible reasons for this:

a) I don't have a jewelry box

b) (see a) As a result, my necklaces are placed in a little woven basket that is currently overflowing.

c) (see b) Disclaimer-they might not exactly be "placed" in the said basket. More like.....tossed.

So until this little problem gets solved, Kolton will have to keep untangling my snarled mess. Poor guy.