Two Years to Eternity

Lullaby

2011-11-09T19:08:00.006-07:00

So many fun adventures, trips and memories have been made since the last post that I want to find time to blog about! But, right now there really is just one very, very special memory standing out above the rest...

My nephew Cannon Lowell Crumpton was born on April 20, 2011. This picture makes me smile and hold back tears simultaneously because it's one of the few times I ever got the privilege of holding this sweet little piece of heaven during his four months of life here on earth.

Really though, I'll cherish these pictures forever. Cannon's entire life, from his first breath to his last, was a miracle. My sister Jasmine recounted his life story best at his funeral and shared it on her blog here. It's impossible for me to make it through that whole post without crying, but at the same time, I love reading it over and over again. I love remembering Cannon and looking forward to the day I get to see him again.

I loved when my sister read from the book, "Oh, the Places You'll Go," by Dr. Seuss. It melted my heart and will FOREVER make me think of Cannon: how special he is, how tough he was to suffer through as much as he did for as long as he did, and how valiant and great the work he has been called to do on the other side must be. I'm posting the entire Seuss story below...yes I loved it THAT much. Every word.

Today is your day.

You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!

You’ll be seeing great sights!

You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.

Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!

Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.

Kid, you’ll move mountains!

So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So…get on your way!

As much of a fighter I know Cannon was, I can't imagine how much he must miss his mommy and daddy. I've honestly never witnessed so much love, patience and gratitude as I did from Jazz and Rod with baby Cannon. I love this picture of my sis and him so much!

I have always loved the song, "Lullaby" by the Dixie Chicks, but now I love it even more because it makes me think of my sister and her precious little baby...and the reality of FOREVER.

Who would have ever guessed that a person could find a hero in a 4 month-old? Without question, I did.

Love you so much little one! Can't wait to see you again :).

One Year Ago Today...

2011-07-10T17:21:00.007-06:00

One year ago today...

This happened:

this happened:

...and this happened:

Four years ago this month...

This happened:

In 3 months...

THIS IS HAPPENING:

For our one year anniversary, Chad surprised me with a whole trip he has planned for us to go back to Hawaii this October!! I can't wait to go back to all the places where we first met!

I love being married to Chad Moody.

Happy One Year Anniversary!!!

Colors, Nephews, Get-a-ways and Angel's Landing

2011-05-04T22:08:00.012-06:00

Life is really only as good as the memories we make...is it not?

Here's to memory-making and taking eight billion pictures to ensure we don't forget the bliss.

Festival of Colors!

When Kara and my nephews came to visit!!

Bowling at Provo Beach Resort with Lando & Shelby

St. George again!!

Last weekend we went to Zion's to hike Angel's Landing! It was awesome!!

Park City for Chad's Bday Weekend!

We're going to AZ next weekend and I'll get to see my new little scrumptious nephew Cannon Crumpton!! Can't wait!!!

Sayonara.

Hello February.

2011-02-08T21:50:00.016-07:00

I'm drawing blanks about what to write about in this blog post, mostly because I'm disappointed that the things I want to blog about, I don't have pictures for! I can't remember the last time I didn't have pictures to document an outing. How will anyone believe that we just got back from a tropical island adventure in Figi? Ok, no...we didn't just get back from Figi. But we did just get back from a weekend trip to Delta, Utah. Population? 3,200.

That's right, I have zero pictures to show for it, but we did go to Delta a couple months ago for the annual pheasant hunt! So, here are some pictures from that!

Shootin' Skeet.

Chad hunting the non-existent pheasants.

We went this weekend with Chad's cousin Brandon and Chelsea to Delta again to visit their Grandma Margie! We took her out to lunch and she told Chad that he needs to get rid of his soul patch. Awesome.

That same Brandon and Chelsea also introduced us to something wonderful about California Pizza Kitchen, that we feel selfish not to share! Turns out you can buy ready-made pizza dough from CPK to-go for $1 each! They have it all rolled out perfectly so all you have to do is take it home and add toppings! It's a fun little date night!

See!!

Chelsea & Brandon

Chad & Winnie!

We did the CPK pizza thing with Chad and Winnie one night when they came over for dinner! I still suck at cooking, so this seemed like a safer bet : ).

JASMINE AND ROD came and stayed with us two weeks ago in our little apartment and it was so much fun!!! Thankfully, she took pics AND video of our tubing adventures and wrote a lovely blog post about the whole trip that you can read here. Yes, I enjoy inserting hyperlinks.

ARIZONA. We graced ourselves with the presence of Arizona not once, but twice between October and December and I DO have a few pics to prove it...Hooray!

Keri & Craig's Wedding!

Andrew & Ali's Wedding!

Other random AZ pics!

I love this picture so much!! My favorite part is the creepy dead face on the TV in the background.

Halloween!

Savvy, Raeg, Meg, and Sis. Duffin were there in spirit!

My nephew, Lennox!!

BJ's for Sterling's B-day!

Back to Utah Life...

So, for my work Christmas party we decided to do a "Grinch-themed" party, which meant we needed to recreate Who-ville. After a lovely 6-hour Saturday, I was proud to contribute to this awesome painting! One of the girls at work free hand drew this on an 8.5x11 size paper and then my co-worker Amanda and I went and traced it onto 6'x30' butcher paper. We felt quite accomplished when all was said and done.

Did I mention Ugly Sweater Contest?

Snowbird!!!

^ Park City!! A day to remember...don't ask why. It involves throwing up on the ski hill and...welp, we'll just leave it at that. Ya!

Temple Square!

Fondue Night @ our apt. with Shannen, Spencer, Aubree & Sean!

Oh! One last thing! We also got to go on a little overnight trip to Manti with the Lyons to see our friends Steve & Whitney get married! We stayed at this cute little bed & breakfast that Spencer's uncle owns and it was sweeet! All of the rooms had a theme and were decorated so cute! And, of course my camera died, so the two pictures below do not do the place justice. But, we had lots of fun and the Manti temple is amazing!!!

Congratulations if you made it this far into my boring blog post. Thanks for readin' !!

P.S. Chad says hi.

Summin' Up Our Summer

2010-11-04T20:14:00.001-06:00

We watch the season pull up its own stakes

And catch the last weekend of the last week

Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced

Another sun soaked season fades away...

It's always a bummer when it hits you that summer is drawing to a close...or actually, when you've put off writing a blog post about it til November...and this post has been saved in your drafts since August. Not to mention, the reality that I live in Utah now and I've realized the summer is LONG over thanks to the first winter snow! Chad and I have been SO busy, but we have made sure to have some fun amidst the craziness of school, work and everything else that gets in the way of being able to update this freaking blog.

First things first...WE LOVE OUR HOME!!!!! We love having our own happy little place to come home to! Our landlord doesn't want us to put in any new nail holes in the wall...so I've been having some issues trying to decorate! But...it's coming along I suppose!

Second...we are striving to maintain a balance between being play-a-holics and work-a-holics. Chad's working at a call center in Orem part-time and studies for school so much it has to be unhealthy. But, he's pulling off straight A's so he can get into nursing school and then nurse anesthetist school which is sure making the wifey proud! I often encourage him to invent something awesome like the guy who invented post-it notes or bottled water, so he doesn't have to go to school anymore and can call it good. So far, all he's come up with is getting certified/licensed to conduct online marriage ceremonies via Skype or something. Which isn't as necessarily as ingenius as bottled water, but it's a start. Patent pending. Patent pending.

In September I started working for a local alarm company in Orem called NorthStar Alarm as the new marketing and communications specialist! Just FYI, if you or your hubbies or friends are looking to make bank next summer, look into selling for NorthStar. They offer the highest commission rates and they have the longevity to prove they can and will pay their sales reps residual income...even after they stop working for NorthStar. There's a guy who gets paid over $90,000/year just in residual, passive income. It's hard work during the 4 months you work, but the reps I've talked to say it's so worth it. One of the guys was saying that he jumped around to different summer sales companies for 5 years and has stuck with NorthStar because they pay him exactly what they say they will and they offer residual income. Anyway, let me know if you're interested and I'll get you in touch with one of the sales managers! I'll shut up now.

The president of the company also owns Coneys Frozen Custard, so I help with the PR and marketing for the Orem location and the new American Fork location. There's a grand opening for the second location in AF on Nov. 13th, so I've been pretty busy with getting everything ready for that! But I'm excited to finally see everything starting to come to fruition!

And then there's Chad who's the ultimate save-a-holic. Even if he forgets his lunch, he'll patiently wait until dinner to eat just so he doesn't spend money on food. Then there's me who often forgets to pack a lunch for work on purpose so I can have an excuse to go to Panda Express and get my usual order of a Panda Bowl with Chow Mein and Beijing Beef. Mmm. Yes....I know I suck. Don't judge me.

Honeymoon. Yuba. Camping. St George. Random.

These five categories above will now be briefly overviewed with enough pictures to last you another 4 months or until I stop being so lame and update my blog more frequently!

Disneyland!!!!!!

St. George with the Lyons!!

Drinkin Yerba Mate with Andrea and Lando

Badminton with Aubree and Sean!

1st camping trip! We got hooked up with a giant tent and tons of camping stuff at our wedding, so we were pretty excited to go!

This is the only picture from when Chad and I went to Park City for my 21st b day...I left my camera in the car! We went clubbing at Harry-O's in PC and it was awesome...haha.

Lake Trip to Yuba with Chad's friends!!

Chowing down a giant plate of nachos at some random restaurant on the "STRIP" (haha Jamie, Jazz and Jackie will understand...) in Huntington Beach!

Best part of this picture: the nachos were free.

Las Vegas!!!

On our honeymoon we basically ate McDonalds everyday because we were on a pretty tight budget...but, the reason we are SO happy in the pictures below is because we finally decided to splurge and eat a GOOD dinner on the last night of our honeymoon when we stopped in Vegas for a night!

Because I still wasn't 21 when we were in Vegas, I always got kicked out of the casinos and couldn't even stand in the bars....so we had to drink this one in our room. Pathetic, I know!

Huntington Beach Pier!!

Au revoir!

Summer is ending but the honeymoon AIN'T!!! HAPPY 1 MONTH ANNIVERSARY!!!

2010-08-10T19:16:00.002-06:00

Well... This is Chad... for the first time!

I just thought I would put in my two cents considering I am the other half of the family! Well, long story short... I love Anais! Isn't she the most amazing person ever? That's a rhetorical question as the answer is clearly YES!!! I would go off and give my version of the whole story, but basically I say "diddo" to the wifeys' entire blog!

Since the wedding we have just enjoyed spending time together! Getting to sleep in on Saturdays together and watching movies in our new apartment! We just had our reception in Utah on the 7th of August and it was awesome! Cold Stone was amazing and it was good to see people that we had not seen for a long time! Im SO not excited for school and I am SO jealous of Anais and her "graduated" status!

Well, sorry this was short but... HAPPY 1 MONTH BABE!!!!

Whoah...We're MARRIED?!

2010-07-22T23:10:00.022-06:00

Well, part of me considered switching over to Wordpress and creating a whole new blog...but I guess I just couldn't part with the old one! It still probably needs some "cutesy-ing" up, but for now it will definitely do. Ok I REALLY don't know where to begin with this post! Well...July 10, 2010 was a pretty big day I suppose. Chad and I got MARRIED and it was AWESOME! Saying marriage is awesome is the understatement of the year. It really is an absolute blast! One of our favorite things about being married is just getting to go home and be together every night! How much did it suck having to drive home late at night, half-asleep wishing we were just married already? A lot. So, we still find sheer excitement in that. Well, we know we've already blown up Facebook with a million wedding pictures, so we will just kind of fill you in with what's going on in our lives...and maybe throw in a few pics : ).

Work:
Chad has been working for T-Mobile at the University Mall in Orem since he came home in May and I love getting texts from friends saying, "Does Chad work at the mall? I'm pretty sure I just saw him!" Haha, he has been working so hard, and I'm happy he gets to keep up his Spanish selling phones to people with the "habla espanol" on his name tag! He also gets to wear an awesome lime green shirt, which I will be sure to showcase in a future post. My husband is such a stud! The picture below you will not only see Chad in action at work in the background, but also...yes, Ashleigh and Ryan DiLello from SYTYCD Season 6!!! YA!!

In June I started working full-time for Qualtrics! I originally applied for a sales position, but ended up with an opportunity to work in the marketing and corporate communications department! I absolutely love working there and the people I work with are awesome! I've been able to keep writing doing weekly posts on the Q-munity blog, too! Yesterday there was a "Perfect-push up" competition for the girls at work before our Friday lunch meeting and by some unforseen miracle...I won and got $200! Haha I was so excited to tell Chad about it! I had told him about the competition the day before and he tried to show me all these motivational videos on YouTube to help me do as many as I could to win...and I literally had zero expectations of winning...I'm still not really sure how I was able to pull off 41 push ups, because I'm pretty sure my max is like ten when I attempt to work out. It's amazing what monetary incentives can do...and that is what I call a great day at work.

School:
Chad will be going to UVU in the fall and although I feel really bad for him because who actually enjoys school??!..... the closer and closer it gets, the more joy I feel about having my B.A.! Don't worry, babe, you can do it!!!

Apartment:
We have been living in B & Corey's apartment in Provo and it has treated us very well! We are so glad that Bridgette and Corey have helped us out and let us take care of their humble abode while they are working in Cali for the summer! We are excited to see them when they get back in a few weeks!! We found a new apartment just a couple blocks away and will be moving in on August 1st!

So many thank you's:
The last weekend in June I went down to AZ for my bachelorette party and bridal shower!! Chelci, Jamie, Jackie and my sister and I went out to eat at Frank and Lupe's and stayed at a sweet hotel in Scottsdale!! It was so much fun!! The Arnett women, my mom and sister Jazz threw a bridal shower for me too! Thanks so much!!!

Chad's Aunt Linda and her daughter Jann voluntarily came over from California to do all the decorating for our wedding reception...and let me tell you, we feel forever indebted to them for all the hard work and time they put into it! They even made it to our sealing!!!
Our families helped SO much too with setting everything up and taking it all down, cleaning up and my mom slaved away in the kitchen for hours along with many others! THANK YOU! We'll post some fam, bridal party and reception pics soon!!

Ok and we LOVED our photographers Ben Christensen, who did our bridals, and Kacey and Karl Reed who took pics of our wedding day, the bridal party, and the whole reception!!! I highly recommend them!!!

Here's a few pics to share!

More to come! Love you all.

It's About Time.

2010-05-29T19:25:00.001-06:00

So....The Missionary is Home.
We are officially engaged as of yesterday, May 28, 2010.
We are more in love than we could ever even attempt to blog about.
More details of the homecoming, engagement and wedding plans to come...but for now...I just want to share with you the euphoric BLISS of life, love and Chad Gary Moody.

To Be Continued...

Bingo.

2010-04-26T01:41:00.000-06:00

“I am not saying you shouldn’t be very careful about something as significant and serious as marriage. … Yes, there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been genuine illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. You can find an apartment. You can win over your mother-in-law. You can sell your harmonica and therein fund one more meal. It’s been done before. Don’t give in. Certainly don’t give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. He wants everyone to be miserable like unto himself. Face your doubts. Master your fears. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence.’ Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you.”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

...I feel like I've been to hell and back this afternoon...so, this quote was everything I needed to read just now. Since this blog is sort of my online, wayy-tooo-public journal, I feel no hesitation in posting this. Wow. Thank you, Elder Holland.

And thanks to my dear friend Bridgette, Chad and I can ATLEAST check finding an apartment off that list. Pheww. May oh May, you can't get here soon enough.

Why I Write.

2010-04-15T01:20:00.000-06:00

"In many ways writing is the act of saying I, of imposing oneself upon other people, of saying listen to me, see it my way, change your mind." --Joan Didion, Why I Write.

I write because I want to move people.
I write because I want to remember the way someone or something made me feel.
I write because I am in love.

My little sister Celine has been wanting to write a song for Chad and me, so I pulled out one of my old notebooks that had a poem I wrote for Chad about a year ago to help her with the words! She wrote the music to the lyrics and she wanted to call it "730 Days."

I write, because Celine sings...and plays the guitar...haha

Coincidentally, it's also Chad's 21st birthday!!! So even though he will have to wait a few weeks to hear the song, I guess I still just wanted to do a special post for him on his b-day! I can't wait to show this to him in 27 days! Yes, I repeat, 27 DAYS.

This one's all for you, babe:

"730 Days" Lyrics

This is the part where I
Look deep into your eyes
And finally see the truth
That this is where I belong
Inside your arms so strong
And dancing close to you
'Cause these 730 days are definitely worth waiting for you

Baby, let's spend an eternity on the dancefloor
Because now forever is what is in store
From summer fling to a promise ring, I'll give you everything
Because you're all I want and more
All I want and more

What words cannot explain
Everytime I hear your name
Baby, it brings me monumental joy
And just 3 years ago
We did not even know
That I would be your girl, you'd be my boy
Now the love we have could never ever ever be destroyed

Baby let's spend an eternity on the dancefloor
Because now forever is what is in store
From a summer fling to a promise ring
I'll give you everything
Because you're all I want and more
All I want and more

One heartbeat, two lives
So meet me on the balcony tonight
Overlooking Waikiki
Where it was just you and me
Well we had it all along and we believed...

That we could spend an eternity on the dancefloor
Because now forever is what is in store
From a summer fling to a promise ring
I'll give you everything
Because you're all I want and more

So now let's spend an eternity on the dancefloor
because now forever is what is in store
from a summer fling to a wedding ring
I'll give you everything
Because you're all I want and more

730 days have passed us by, you say
That now it's time for our eternity
So let's walk hand in hand
Leave footprints in the sand
And let's be everything
that we were meant to be

'Cause this is the night that we could spend together
On top of the world
You and me.

The Last...Transfer!

2010-03-30T23:43:00.000-06:00

This might be the shortest post in the history of anaisloveschad posts, but for good reason.

So, Elder Moody started his LAST TRANSFER of his mission yesterday. Ipso facto...Chad only has SIX WEEKS LEFT TO GO!!

Meet Elder Barrios from Colombia...and....Elder Moody's LAST COMPANION OF HIS MISSION!!!

To that end...

p.s. No that is not an actual picture of me. When I was little I had brown hair and a mullet. True story.

Happy Easter, everyone!

"I guess it's true..."

2010-01-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

As most of you have heard, it is physically impossible to eat a whole spoonful of cinnamon. The first person I ever saw attempt this was one of my best friends Sterling Massey (who comes home in ten days!!!) in like 9th grade and he spent the next 30 minutes gagging over the sink, eyes watering, with his head under the faucet. More recently, I do recall watching Savanna attempt this two summers ago and it was probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Even though anyone who attempts to test this theory will shake hands with Epic Failure, they are sure to provide at least a few minutes of pure entertainment to their surrounding spectators.

Don't try this at home, kids.

Bahaha, my favorite part (besides Chad's beautiful face of course) is the person behind the camera who says, "I guess it's true..." hahaha. priceless.

The current countdown? 3 months and 2 weeks!!! Off and on it hits me, but everyday I get just a little more and more excited that my babers is finally coming home!!! Having a missionary is THE BEST and I have no doubt that when he comes home, things will be even better than they were before! I've never been happier and Chad's never been happier and I think that's a pretty good way of knowing you're on the right track.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is, is...Chad, you are the mint to my chocolate chip ice cream. I'm no good without you.

Right before their apartment burned down.

Not really.

true art.

Elder Frost & Elder Moody!

Tropical Storm Jimmy. He's having way too much fun.

I will categorize these last two pics and the final video as "Only Chad..." or "He Would."

: )

"Everyone calls you amazing, I just call you mine."

An even bigger deal.

2009-12-08T00:04:00.000-07:00

So I told my sister Jasmine, "Hey guess what! I finally updated my blog!"

To which she replied, "Let me guess, it's about Chad."

What else would I update this thing about?!

I've become so predictable...but in this case, I'm quite okay with it.

So, I was thinking about the words I miss you...it's almost like saying "I love you" just in the way that it is an overused phrase, thereby lessening its meaning tremendously for most. But not really. I mean, I miss lots of things. I miss things about elementary school, junior high, and high school. I miss building forts in the palm trees with Jamie, trying to keep pet rollie-pollie/potato bugs in a jar in my garage, that first taste of freedom having a driver's license, the thrill of sneaking out of my house and climbing through windows, the risk of getting into trouble, but knowing it will be worth every second. Nowadays, I can't even remember the last time I stayed out past 11 p.m. That is not a joke. But regardless, my point is that I honestly don't feel like I'm missing out on anything by waiting for Chad. I like knowing that if we can make it through this, we can make it through anything.

I will say that he has given me a whole new perspective on what it really means to miss someone.

Lucky for me, I don't have to miss him for too much longer...

Yep, that's the official document, my friends!!!!! Chad will be released May 13th, which also coincides with the day of my graduation from good ol ASU!! So, since he will be flying from Argentina, if his flight doesn't go into Salt Lake City until May 14th I will most likely be headed straight to Sky Harbor right after ASU's Commencement.

Reality is starting to set in....5 months and one week from today I get to see this fine specimen:

Good heavens, I love this boy.

Kind of a big deal...

2009-11-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

mmm...November 7th, 2009. Felt like Christmas. Can you guess why?

I'll give you a hint....

Elder Moody + Argentina + 6 more months = SLC airport!!!

ok. that wasn't a very good equation...but you get the picture! The last time I saw Chad was pretty much right in this very spot! It was April 21, 2008 and I was lucky enough to get a good kiss & hug goodbye from him as opposed to the classic "handshake"! (I was headed back home to Arizona and he still had another two weeks until he had to report to the MTC. ) These next 6 months are going to FLY, and I couldn't be happier with how everything has worked out for us!

Really, truly, I am so blessed.

I love my missionary!

I know, I know...6 months still probably seems like a loooong time to most of you.

But, when you haven't seen the love of your life in EIGHTEEN MONTHS, trust me, it's nothing!

A quick story:

A couple weeks ago Chad and his companion were on their way home to their area in Bragado, Argentina with two other elders on a double decker bus like this one:

aaand it crashed into a small car, swerved out of the way to avoid hitting a huge semi-truck, and went onto two wheels into a ditch on the side of the road.

Thanks to some serious divine intervention, there were no fatalities. But, that's still pretty crazy!

Anyway, can you believe it's already November? I can't. But I'm definitely not complaining!

Well, in conclusion, I would like to share this little quote with you that I came accross the other day. Sylvester Stalone said it...random...but it's a good one, nonetheless.

"I learned the real meaning of love. Love is absolute loyalty. People fade, looks fade, but loyalty never fades. You can depend so much on certain people, you can set your watch by them. And that's love, even if it doesn't seem very exciting."

Amen, Rocky Balboa.

All you need is love.

2009-10-10T00:32:00.000-06:00

Question.

What is it that compels you to wake up and get out of bed every morning?

Is it work? School? Money? Or is your morning breath so bad, you can't wait another second to get up and brush your teeth? Mine always is. Sorry, Chad.

Well, whatever the reason is, we all do it. We all find a reason every single day to get up, get out of bed and face a brand new day.

Here is mine:

Don't worry, in less than 7 months Chad and I will be taking a picture similar to this...haha

Elder Dalin Petersen and the missionary...Chad is sportin' his Bahama Bucks t-shirt...woo!! He loves Mesa...haha

This picture combines the greasiest-looking pizza I have ever seen with the hottest man alive.

I hope he ate that entire thing by himself. I'd be so proud.

a UTAH license plate...in Argentina???!

Sorry but I can't get over how cute he is! Let it be known that I love this man and I am jealous of whomever he is on the phone with in this picture...haha

Sweet bruise, sad story...Chad was playing soccer and messed messed his foot up!

Elder Mills & Elder Moody in front of the Buenos Aires Temple. Love this picture!

Arts & Crafts?

Ha, I love his facial expression.

I totally went to school with and worked with Elder Lane (front right) at Lou Coopey Photography! True story.

Told ya he still loves me! haha just kidding...but not really.

Always have to end with the best one...

Ohh Chad...he must have known this picture would make me want him even more. But I will say, the snot rocket one in my 2nd blog post still takes the cake!

So, there you have it. Chad Moody is my reason. My motivation and determination to take hold of every opportunity and rich blessing that life has in store. Chad is my best friend and he is the reason I wake up every morning feeling like I can take on the world.

It seems there is a neverending struggle to define what love really is. Trust me, I don't plan on attempting to put an end to that struggle. But I will attempt to tell you what I think love is.

First and foremost, love is God and God is love.
God's love is infinitely pure and endless for every human soul. When we have found someone we love and view as perfect, despite all his or her imperfections, we have found true love.

During general conference Pres. Utchdorf said, "The closer we approach God, the more profoundly we experience love."

Love is not claiming to be waiting for a missionary. Truth be told, this means absolutely nothing to people. Love is not just sitting around for two years, twiddling your thumbs and waiting for your dream man to come home from his mission, sweep you off your feet all over again and marry you when he gets home. No, love is really working hard for what you want, really being faithful, and KNOWING that the boy you fell in love with on a beach in Hawaii, the boy you have been told by friends and family is likely to want nothing to do with you by the time he gets home, the boy who has already grown and changed immensely from serving a mission in Argentina the past 17 months, the boy who has never taken you for granted, the boy who still treats you like a princess thousands of miles away, the boy who gave you a promise ring promising himself to you as much as you did to him, is literally going to come home and marry you within two months after he gets home from his mission. Bam. Said and done. How can a girl be so sure? Because he has given you his heart, completely, in exchange for yours. Forever.

Love is sounding like a complete idiot in a feeble, amateur attempt to define it.

Love is when you're not afraid of looking, sounding, or being perceived as a fool.

Love is knowing what you have when you have someone who ALWAYS knows what they have when they have you.

Love is fighting for someone who has always fought for you.

Love is sitting in your car in the Bahama Bucks parking lot making a tape for your missionary on your birthday.

Love is cheesy to the max, and at the same time, so undeniably captivating and profound.

Love is wishing everyone could feel even just a fragment of the love you feel so lucky to have.

Love is Chad Gary Moody and Anais Genevieve Durney.

Chad and Anais love is...a force to be reckoned with.
It's head-spinning, persevering, selfless, fearless, timeless, metaphysical, ridiculous, blissful, forgiving, eternal, grounded, indescribable, unconditional, unfeigned, passionate, ever-growing, and INFALLIBLE.

Chad & Anais' love story?

It can't be beat.

Poetry is good for the soul.

2009-09-28T18:00:00.000-06:00

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

Oh no, it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come:

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

William Shakespeare

Sonnet 116

So let us melt, and make no noise,
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move ;
'Twere profanation of our joys
To tell the laity our love.
Moving of th' earth brings harms and fears ;
Men reckon what it did, and meant ;
But trepidation of the spheres,
Though greater far, is innocent.
Dull sublunary lovers' love
—Whose soul is sense—cannot admit
Of absence, 'cause it doth remove
The thing which elemented it.
But we by a love so much refined,
That ourselves know not what it is,
Inter-assurèd of the mind,
Care less, eyes, lips and hands to miss.
Our two souls therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to aery thinness beat.
If they be two, they are two so
As stiff twin compasses are two ;
Thy soul, the fix'd foot, makes no show
To move, but doth, if th' other do.
And though it in the centre sit,
Yet, when the other far doth roam,
It leans, and hearkens after it,
And grows erect, as that comes home.
Such wilt thou be to me, who must,
Like th' other foot, obliquely run ;
Thy firmness makes my circle just,
And makes me end where I begun.
John Donne

Sometimes, other people just say it so much better. Chad Moody I love you. The end.

Hau`oli la ho`omana`o.

2009-07-20T01:36:00.000-06:00

Today is mine and Chad's 2 year anniversary! We count it from our first kiss on this very balcony, in fact, overlooking Waikiki! Haha...all I remember is we were slow dancing out on the balcony to a Rascal Flats song we were listening to on my ipod with one earbud each! And then he spun me around and kissed me! And then I saw Savanna peeping through the glass sliding door behind us...bahaha I love my friends! Anywho, I can't tell you how much this man has changed my whole view and outlook on life, love, and what's worth fighting for. We have both grown and changed SO much, but without question we have grown together and fallen more truly in love since the day we met. Just for fun, I decided to post some pics from that dream-of-a-week when we met in Hawaii!

Bahaha...Chad and Savvy...I love this picture!

Just waiting for the bus stop in Waikiki!

Ok, really? How much more ridiculously good-looking can he be?

My beautiful friends...oh and there's Chad trying to ruin our picture! haha, wow.

The boys... ...and the girls!

Eating dinner at Cholo's for Savanna's B-day!

Last day there! Can't wait to go back...July 2010!!!

So, even though you won't see this for another 9.5 months Elder Moody, I just want to tell you Happy Anniversary and I love you!!!!! I can't believe it's been TWO YEARS since I met you in Hawaii, and let's be honest you've had me in the palm of your hand ever since.

"Palm trees, ocean breeze

Toes beneath the sand

The sun is high in the blue sky

and I'm holding your hand..."

(...just part of the song chad wrote for me on his ukelele! He's pretty much the cutest man alive.)

My Hawaiian lingo quiz for Chad made possible by Google:

a.) Hau`oli la Ho'omana'o = Happy Anniversary.

b.) Aloha No Au Ia 'Oe = I truly love you.

c.) E hoomau maua kealoha = May our love last forever.

d.) all of the above.

That's all for now. Adios amigos!!

Still alive, still in love...with Chad.

2009-05-31T19:51:00.000-06:00

Dear friends, we have made it passed the year mark. The half-way point is old news. It's the dawn of the my 2nd and FINAL summer I have to spend without the Chadster and this makes me happier than you could possibly comprehend.

Still haven't missed a single week of writing/emailing each other.
Still LOVE each other.
Still waiting faithfully...we're talking Aimee Gurr faithfully, other boys don't exist faithfully, engaged faithfully... what more can I say? He's a keeper.
Still putting stickers on my lovely countdown sticker chart EVERY day that Chad got me before he left.
Still need to shed some unwanted poundage before Chad gets home. (But that's another story)
Still fall into a daze when some dude wearing Acqua DiGio walks by me, because it makes me think of Chad.
Still haven't taken this promise ring off of my finger. (Except for when I went to Lake Powell last summer with Chad's fam and kept getting scared it was going to fall off for some reason)
Still motivated as ever to work hard and have my bachelor's degree in hand by next Spring when Chad gets home.
Still 100% sure that Chad Moody is the one.
Still preparing to be sealed to him for time and all eternity in the temple.
Still always celebrating the "20th" of every month.
Still rip open every letter I get in the mail from Chad like it's the first.
Still convinced that Chad is the most amazing man alive.
Still haven't convinced most of you that this is NOT bogus...I've never been more sure about anything in my life.
Still wake up everyday and he is the first thing on my mind.
Still get butterflies as if he were sitting right next to me.
Still somehow have a voicemail saved from last July when Chad called me from the airport when he left to Argentina that I listen to all the time.

Still have a playlist on my iPod dedicated solely to songs that remind me of him.
Still know he loves me.
Still, he is everything I need.

But there is one thing that is no longer a "still," one thing that seems to consistently change...which would be...how much I love him. I haven't even physically seen Chad with my two little brown eyes in nearly 13 months, yet I feel closer to and more in love with him and his big blue eyes through ways that the 5 physical senses could not possibly detect better than my heart can. If this all sounds like gibberish or over-the-top, that's okay. It just emphasizes my point that there are literally no words. Call me a lousy journalist, but this is one never-ending story that is void of words remotely sufficient enough to explain the insurmountable love we share. And it keeps growing stronger every day. I'd say that's more than enough reason for me to stick around and do everything I can to not let this one get away.

What more can I say, I'm ridiculously in love. And I don't care who knows it.

Ready for some new pics from the missionary? Enjoy.

Awww I love this pic of him!! Why is he so cute?!

Chad and his comp. Elder Mills from Mesa, AZ!

haha I'm guessing this was in LaFerrere...

Evidence that he's working hard : )....he's look pretty happy that Gary and Sherry sent him some new shoes!

Chad and Elder Steve Frost...he loves Mesa people! haha

As a special treat, and after five hours of trying to upload this video...here's Chad playing his own little rendition of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Grab some tissues Sherry Ann, you know this makes us cry every time we watch it : )

Meet Elder Moody.

2009-02-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

All right, you knew this was coming!! So, for Christmas Chad sent me and his family a cd of all the pictures on his camera card from his mission up through December! I've been dying to throw some of these up on a post since I got them, but there's just so many that I love it was hard to narrow it down! But, you people have got to see how much of a stud this little missionary is! Yesterday, he hit his 9 month mark! Woo hoo! I love this boy! So, without further adue....here are some of my favorites of the pics I've gotten from Chad!

Apparently, I've been replaced with beef empanadas.

Buenos Aires Temple...haha gotta love his little pose...

Chad's first area: Moron, Argentina. I appreciate this picture.

hahaha...

Look at Chad's big cute smile!! He wrote me a letter about the guy in the middle, said he started talking to him on the street and had to take a pic with him...haha

I think all boys are pyros at heart...ha and I probably just love this pic 'cuz he's wearing the shirt I sent him from Lake Powell...don't worry I bought myself a matching one too!

This one just never fails to get a laugh out of me...haha what a goof!

This is one of Chad's investigators that he baptized! She was deathly afraid of water and her whole baptism story was awesome!

Chad's companion, Elder Petersen (on the left), actually went to BYU Hawaii the semester after Chad went! Oddly enough, they hung out with the same people over there including my little friend Trenton Read! Small world!

Don't want to make you lose your appetite, but if you look closely, you can see the mouse's internal organs oozing out.

I think this was Chad's first baptism!

Chad and Marcos : )

Proud of him for chugging out of the bottle and for sporting what seems to be the classic missionary comb-over!

This is an oldie from the MTC. Who knew missionaries could have this much fun on 4th of July in the MTC.

Hottie on the front left. What a STUD! haha
In front of the Provo Temple...just glowing like a little angel! haha

Well, there you have it! If you can't tell, I'm kind of obsessed with this little missionary of mine! haha and 2 years ago, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about shamelessy exposing a school-girlish craze over any guy, but I guess it just goes to show how incredibly amazing Chad Moody must be to make me be this ridiculous for all the world to see. And by all the world I mean the five people who actually know I even have this blog. But still, that's saying a lot! Haha, if you would like to send chad a little letter go to dearelder.com/elderchadmoody! It's free, and he's a missionary so...mail from anyone, anywhere is like manna from the heavens.

Last but not least, the final fave....brace yourselves!

What a classic Chad picture. Sorry ladies, he's all mine. Snot rockets and all. : )

Who says summer flings can't last forever?

2008-12-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

Blog-Stalking. We're all equally guilty of it...so don't think for a second that you are an exception to this form of borderline creepiness. Just kidding! But really, to begin with I guess I will start off by explaining the reasoning behind my decision to join the blogspot blackhole!

July 17, 2007-I thought I had this whole life and love thing pretty much all figured out. Little did I know, I really didn't have a clue.

July 18, 2007-enter Chad Moody, small town boy from Elk Ridge, Utah dancing shirtless to "Walk it Out" at a bonfire on a secluded beach near Turtle Bay in Hawaii. Introduced to this 18-year-old heart throb by my dollface friends who were friends with Chad at BYU Hawaii that summer, Savanna, Bridgette, and Kalli, blowing my entire savings account on a senior trip to visit them in Hawaii with Jamie and Megan for a week, was the most unregrettable decision I have ever made.

We stayed out talking-yes, literally talking-until 3 or 4 in the morning at this attempted campout on the beach, until everyone was sick of being rained on and went our separate ways. Until the next day, that is! haha I would love to bore you even more with the day by day breakdown of the week we spent together in hawaii, but one of the highlights was probably our first kiss! It was on a balcony overlooking Waikiki! It was and always will be THE most memorable first kiss of my life! It was perfect! He was perfect! but ooh wait, I was going home to Arizona in 4 days, and he was living in hawaii, going back home to Utah, school at BYU, and preparing to go on a mission. I can remember thinking when we were saying goodbye to everyone that I would honestly have done anything to stay! My biggest regrets became things that prevented me from getting to be with Chad! Not applying to BYU-Provo, not having enough money saved to have gone to BYU-Hawaii that summer even though I was accepted and planned to room with Bridgette! Just so many things! It honestly just felt like one of those lame EFY experiences where you meet some of the most amazing people, or the most amazing guy and you're just saddened by the blatant truth that you will most likely never see that person again in your life.

Lucky for me, I didn't have to forget about him. And I don't think I could have if I tried. Somehow, someway we pulled it off. LONG DISTANCE. Living proof that it is possible, people! In all honesty, while every relationship is different, I know that couples who can survive long distance situations and are faithful and completely honest with each other, fortify some of the strongest relationships by becoming best friends. Only being able to see each other once or twice a month, if that, wasn't easy, but it made us appreciate each other and know we were both in it for the long run.

One of the hardest things for me, was the fact that so many people, friends and family, didn't take me seriously, especially because I was always (hate to admit it) the kind of person who cared way too much what other people thought of me and other people's advice and opinions were seemingly better than my own. I have always been a people-pleaser, because in truth, I was indecisive, and it made me happy to do whatever made other people happy. So, I guess the turning point in my life was deciding for myself that I wasn't just "in love with IDEA of a never-ending summer fling with some boy I met in Hawaii." People who still think that's the case with me now waiting 100% faithfully for Chad while he is on his mission in Argentina are kidding themselves! I'm not in love with the "idea" of chad and me getting married in the Laie Temple where we met after he gets home, I'm not in love with the "idea" of being with my best friend forever, or the "idea" of proving to everyone that I can wait and not fall for or kiss one other boy for the next 18 months. To put it simply, what I am is completely head-over-heels truly purely in love with Chad Moody. When I see the temple, all I see is Chad. Call us stupid, crazy, ridiculous, whatever seems most fitting, but we are married at heart. I can't wait for Chad to take me to the temple! He makes me the happiest little school girl on the planet and he may be all the way in Argentina, but he makes me fall in love with him all over again every single day without fail. I may only be 19, but I consider myself lucky to have already found the one I want to be with for FOREVER. And knowing he loves me the same in return is the single most amazing, beautiful feeling I have ever known. I never ever believed in the possibility of knowing exactly how you will feel about someone or something in the future, but I guess all it took was one person to change that. Chad and Anais for eternity? That's "reality."