Year One

Saturday, August 20, 2011 Dylan and I celebrated our First Anniversary! I can't believe it has been a year already. I feel like we have been together for so much longer, but I also feel like we just started! Everyone says the first year is the hardest, and maybe when we look back on this in a few years we will feel that way, but it sure hasn't felt like it! This has by far been the best year of my life. Dylan is so precious to me. He really is my best friend and knows me better than anyone else. This year has shown us lots of trials in terms of school and moving and other such things, but having Dylan be with me through all this has made these trials a joy. He has helped me grow into a better person. He alone can calm me down when I am a complete stress case! I have learned how to manage myself better and not take certain things so seriously. I have never felt so happy as I do being with Dylan and knowing we were married and sealed together for eternity. Thank you Dylan. I love you.

Okay, I got the gushy stuff out. Now about our day! Even though it was our anniversary, Dylan still had to work. Luckily just one job today! I decided I would go with him. So we woke up at 5:00am and hit the road for North Powder. We spent the morning together changing the irrigation hand line in the farming fields. Dylan made it look so easy! Each span is 40 feet long. Once you drain them of the water they aren't that heavy, but boy are they tricky to manage! Dylan has big hands and long fingers and lots of experience so he had no problem balancing those pipes. Me on the other hand, with my pudgy little fingers, could not for the life of me keep those things balanced! I couldn't keep the sprinkler head on top. I couldn't keep one end off the ground and of course once that hit then I over compensate and the other side hits and then all the sudden I'm trying to manage a 40 ft metal teeter-totter and I can't even walk in a straight line. I finally sort of got the hang of it a little, but I had to stay 2 spans ahead of Dylan to not be in the way! He could easily manage 2 spans in the time I got 1, and then he would come help me hook mine up. It's tough work! (note: I have pictures, they are just on my phone and I haven't figured out how to get them to the computer yet!)

After 2 hours of changing pipe and watching the sunrise, we made our way into Haines. Dylan LOVES huckleberry pie so I was determined to get some for him! We went into the mountains with Tom and Glenda, Glenda's parents, and Carly and Shem and their family. We picked the wild mountain huckleberries and even found a large patch of wild strawberries! They are tiny, but boy do those things pack a punch! So much flavor! After spending the rest of the morning and into the afternoon picking we had enough for two pies (yet to be made. I'll post when they actually get baked :). Dylan and I headed back to La Grande to clean up.

Dylan surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers! Lilies, dahlias, daisies, and another type I don't know the name. I loved them! We then dressed up a little and headed out to Foley Station for dinner. And what a delicious dinner it was! We had a nice calamari appetizer while waiting for Dylan's steak and my shrimp and scallop alfredo. We finished it up with some silk chocolate truffle and key lime pie. We will need to make another trip to Foley Station!

It was such a fun day and I was so grateful to get to spend the whole day with Dylan. I look forward to the many more years we have together!