Happy Mothers Day, Amanda

When I asked Amanda what she wanted for Mother’s Day, her first response was a sappy Facebook post. That’s not really up my alley, so she suggested a sappy blogpost for her blog. Now that I can do. (Don’t worry, we also got her flowers and a new iPhone.)

As long as I can remember, my Dad always told me the two most important decisions you will ever make are, 1. to serve a full-time LDS mission, and 2. who you marry – He couldn’t have been more right. 

After I returned from my mission – as all young “RM’s” do – I was looking for my future wife. One of the reasons a mission is so imperative is that it gives young men some level of eternal perspective. That means I wasn’t just looking for the hottest girl I could find – I was looking for someone to be an equal partner with and who would be raising my children. Who I married would have direct impact on my success and the success of our future children. Amanda being the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen was just a bonus. 

I have a long list of why Amanda is perfect for me, but since this is Mother’s Day I’ll stick to the topic at hand (Maybe I’ll write part two with all the reasons she’s perfect for me for our Anniversary.)

1. I never have to worry or wonder what our children are being taught. I mean this from a religious perspective. Amanda knows the doctrine of our church. I know that our kids are being taught correct principles that they will use for the rest of their lives.  

2. Amanda is that rare combination of looks and brains. For those of you who may not know, she has a Master’s Degree in Math with an emphasis inStatistics. I may be the lawyer in the family – but she is definitely the brains of our family. That’s why it’s no surprise that our three year old is already reading small words and can do simple math. She is constantly reading to our kids and teaching them new things.

3. Our kids’ childhood experience and making memories is a top priority for Amanda. She is constantly taking Logan and Reagan on adventures that expand their horizons. When I see dragging screaming children for miles, she sees fun and learning. 

4. Amanda makes me a better father. This could be a blogpost in itself. She reminds me to be patient. She reminds me of the limited time I have with them. She reminds me that I’m an example for them. Although sometimes I confuse all that reminding with nagging, it definitely makes me a better father and my time with Logan and Reagan more rewarding. 

5. Our children have a chance at being tall and good-looking because of her. 

6. Finally, raising kids is HARD! I couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone other than my best friend, Amanda. 

I know I’m missing a lot of things, but I wanted to share with the world a quick taste of why Logan, Reagan, and I are the luckiest people in the world for having Amanda in our lives. 

I love you, Amanda! Happy Mother’s Day!