Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

So, I already posted today. But I am really excited to do this next post...

...and I'm super bored waiting for a certain someone to get off work...

...so I'm going to go ahead and post it anyways. :)

Someone who INSPIRES me.

In this case, there are two someones. And they just happened to be married. 

And they just happen to be part of my family. 

 

Photo by: Tiny Bird Photography

Please meet my brother and sister in law:

Zach and Catherine Christensen

I love these two with all of my heart, and they truly inspire me.

Zach and Catherine have been married for almost seven years, and every time I see them, 

they are just as in love as ever.

Zach is my oldest brother. 10 years older than me. And as he says it, we are the most similar out of all 7 of our siblings. That's funny to me because when he graduated from high school, and went off on a two year mission to Thailand, I was 9. That's 3rd Grade. And when he came home I was 11, and he went straight off to school in College Station, TX. I don't remember much about our time at home together. Well, except that I was hung upside down above the toilet on several occasions, and even above the washing machine a time or two. I even remember him being chased around the house by my mother at the age of 19. Oh dear. But I don't remember much else.

And yet, I miss him and his beautiful wife more than anything. 

The biggest reason they inspire me is this sweet example:

blog post by Catherine.

I'm pretty sure their blog is private, so I'll insert a few quotes here. Hope that's ok, Cat. :)

"Do you ever have those days where you just feel like "You know what? I'm doing everything I can do, the rest is out of my hands"?

Life has been sort of like that lately but that's not the emphasis of this post. It's really about the fact that I am grateful to have a husband that helps me feel like I can rest in the assurance that we're doing everything we can do and can leave the rest up to the Lord. I don't think of myself as especially "preachy" so I apologize if this post comes off that way. I have my beliefs and I love them and I appreciate that I married a man that does too. I love that I have a husband who will stop, as he's on his way out the door in the morning, so we can kneel down and say a prayer together and that will lie in bed with me at night to read scriptures and say another. I love watching him shave and dress up for church on Sundays, looking so handsome and prepared to go someplace special. I love that on payday, the first check he writes is tithing, without a grumble or begrudging it. It's so special to me, knowing that my children will see him putting such import on faith and responsibility. Knowing that the man I chose to lead my family is strong enough to not care what the world thinks or that these days you're considered a loon if you use the word "God", "blessings", "sin" or "righteous" in daily conversation. When life gets a bit hard, like it has been of late, I am so glad that I married this wonderful man who helps me be able to say "we're doing everything we can do so we know that God will take care of the rest" and really and truly know that it's so.

On a different note, he also has an exceptionally cute butt."

So, I took the whole thing. Sorry. It was too good to cut short.

Another reason they inspire me, is this:

 

another blog post by Catherine.

Why I Love Bedtime. . .

"I was thinking the other day about some of the things I love about Husband and starting laughing when I realized how many of them center around bedtime. Just some little things he does that make me smile and will help you to know him better.

When I fall asleep on the couch (about every other evening) he carries me to bed and only grunts just a very little.

When I was ALMOST asleep on Monday after a 7 mile run I heard him come into our room, give me a kiss and then he rubbed my legs for a minute, even though he thought I was sleeping.

A few months ago I was going to bed and sometimes I get grumpy if I'm real tired so I demanded that if he was not coming to bed with me he had to lie down and sing to me till I fell asleep. Of course he did 'cause 1) he's sweet and 2) he knows better than to argue with me when I'm tired. He sang the traditional "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and a few other favorites and then, just as I'm drifting off, I hear him whisper "I feel pretty, oh so pretty. . ." I woke up laughing. :) A song I love from West Side Story, that he also loves thanks to Adam Sandler and Anger Management. :)

Lastly, my favorite part of any day is when we go to bed and I lie there in the crook of his arm and we just talk. We tell about our days, what we had thought about, life, etc. All our best discussions happen between going to bed and sleeping. I look forward to it every night.

See why I insist on saying I'm a lucky girl whenever I talk about him." 

Seriously? How stinking CUTE is that!?

Is it weird to say that I hope to marry somebody like my brother, Zach? And that I hope to be a loving, grateful wife like my sister in law, Catherine?

Luckily, at the rate I'm going, it's a possibility.

Zach and Catherine are two of my most favorite people in the world. They are both kind and loving, and extremely protective of me. They are so helpful, and hardworking, and everything I can only dream to be. They have been a huge support to me, through everything. And it's been a hard road, but they made it so much easier just by believing in me, and letting me know of their love for me. I am grateful for them and their prayers on my behalf, and their texts reminding me that they love me. I miss them dearly and hope that I can see them soon. :)

Tiny Bird Photography

Here's to you guys! I love you!