Try try again!

It has been quiet awhile since I wrote on this site and Rhett even mentioned it to me the other day.  I will try again to keep working on this as I know it will be something great for us to look back at and for Tanessa to read one day.

This week we celebrated our 15th Anniversary.  There are parts of our life together that seems like there is now it has been 15 years and then there are other things that I am like it has only been 15 years.  We have grown in more was then I can count, but it has been for the bet in all ways.

In this post I will talk about how we started our life together as husband and wife, the real part, since the honeymoon doesn't really count.  After we got back from Idaho we went to my parent's house since that was were all the presents were.  We got them loaded into my Dad's truck, since it had a closed camper shell on it, and headed out for Laramie.  We stopped in Lyman to see Rhett's parents and while we were there my Grandpa Bruce called and said that he found us a washer and dryer if we wanted them.  I of coarse said YES!  There were part of a divorce where they had to sell everything in the house and the husband was mad so he was giving things away so his ex-wife couldn't get any more money out of him.  My Grandpa and Mom got them loaded into his purple truck and headed over to Lyman.  We made room in the truck, got them loaded and headed to Laramie.  Rhett's parents got us a bed for our wedding present and my parent's got us a futon for our living room.  Then for my birthday before the wedding my parents got me a nice computer desk.  So we had some furniture.  We went to work to get our little 1 bedroom bomb shelter as Rhett called it.  They were little apartment that had 4 attached together and then had 5 on a street.  The last time we went to Laramie, all these apartments were gone and a great big parking lot was there.  It did make me a little sad.  We were able to take some of the wedding gifts back to Wal-Mart and K-Mart that we didn't need or that we got multiples of to get some money to pay off our honeymoon and get a kitchen table and chairs.  Our friend Brent Butters came over and helped Rhett put the futon together and help move the heavy stuff in.  It was very fun putting our first little home together.  It did take some time to figure out where I wanted everything because I was having too much fun playing house but for real!

The next best thing come after we got things moved in I got to go to the office at the University and change my name on the records and get a new student id that said Kristi Arnell!!!  I was so excited about it.  I was not very excited about the picture on the id because Rhett being Rhett had given me 2 great big hiccies on my neck on either side of my esophagus making it look like I had been strangled.  He thought it was so funny.

Then we went about getting ready for classes and finding jobs so we could pay for our little home and for our college career.

Honeymoon

I will not go into great detail about the honeymoon.  We had a great time.  We stayed in Montpiler for a couple nights, the only bad thing about that was the hot tub was so hot you could not even put your toes into it without saying ouch and pulling them right out.  We then headed to Pocatello to the Black Swann Inn.  We stayed in the cave room one night, and the log cabin two nights.  We did go and have family home evening with Uncle Steve and his family in the park.  We did come home a day early because we had enough and wanted to get to Laramie and start our lives together.

The Reception

After the ceremony all the family came up and congratulated us.  We then went and had pictures taken by many many people.  We never did really hire a photographer, we did ask my cousin Ken Bruce to take the bulk of them, but my brother Brian and Grandpa Hirst also took some great pictures too.  We had a light dinner which I don't remember eating any of it.  Then the reception started.  We had a line, which Rhett and his groomsmen were not happy with at all.  In fact they were trying to figure out how to make a tree out of a keg and sneak it into the church.  Half way through the reception I started to see all the people coming through that they were either laughing or had a very confused look on their face by the time they got to me.  I looked over and asked Rhett what was going on and he said you should hear the stories that his groomsmen were telling everyone.  One time they were all named Earl (or something like that), another was they did not know either Rhett or I and they were just at the truck stop and were the right measurements for the tuxes, they were all rodeo clowns, all brothers, it was really funny to listen too.  I really did not see any harm in it and it did make the time go buy really fast.  I had written a poem to Rhett and had my cousin Taryn read it, the sad thing is that I can't find the poem now.  Grandma and Grandpa Hirst sang L-O-V-E one of my favorite songs.  We thanked everyone for coming, we cut the cake, which Rhett was threatened by my Mom to not smash cake in my face because she didn't want cake on my dress.  Rhett tossed the guarder which Adam caught, and I tossed the bouquet, there was a little bit of a fight, but Sarah won it.  Rhett and I went and got into our regular clothes and we were off to Montpelier, Idaho for the start of our honeymoon.

The people that helped us.
Brian - took video and pictures for us, which after 14 almost 15 years we have never seen the video...lol
Jodi & Taylor - sat at the book, well Jodi did Grandpa Atkinson took Taylor who was a month old and showed her off to everyone that would look
Jeff and Jen - they were in charge of music, I guess after we left they started quiet the kareoke contest
Aunts on both sides helped decorate the church, clean up, and get the plates ready in the kitchen
Taryn, Sarah, and Rachel where in charge of opening presents and writing down who they were from

And the last story about our reception, the groomsmen disappeared between the pictures and reception, when they came back they told us to come into a side room, the handed us a box, we opened it up and found they had been to the ADULT store and bought some things for us.  We thought it was funny but didn't know what to do with the box. Somehow Rhett's Grandma's got a hold of it and they took turns holding it and showing it off to anyone that would look.  We did get back at Rhett's brother Trent when him and Dawn got married, but we did not get anyone else back, I guess we will have to work on that.

Wedding

Well after what seemed like forever August 21, 1998 came and I was very excited.  First thing that morning we went to the church to help set up the cake.  The cake was huge and absolutely beautiful.  While we were setting it up, the cake designers grandson was playing basket ball and the ball got away from him and it hit the cake.  Well after we got a closer look it just hit the goblets that were holding the layers up.  But it was all good, we had enough to still make it work and still be amazing.  The cake designer and my Mother were not very happy, but I remained calm.  My Mom and I then went home and to my Mom's dismay I cut my brother Jeff's hair.  She asked how I could be so calm.  I said because you are worrying about everything so I don't have too.  I got showered and went to the church for my Aunt to do my hair and make-up.  So after my hair and make-up was done I started to get dressed and my cousin/maid of honor Darcey helped me put my slip on, and she also tried to make sure I look skinny because she really pulled hard.  So then my Mom helped me get my dress on.  She then told me that Rhett and his groom men where not at the church yet.  She then asked if I was nervous, but once again I said nope.  I said if all the groomsmen where here and not Rhett I would be, but I knew he would show up.  Which minutes later he did, and about came into the room where I was getting ready.  Thanks Jen for making sure he didn't!  After I was dressed and we were waiting for all the boys to get ready.  Evidently they had a good game of golf going on in Kemmerer and they left like 20 minutes before the wedding and still made it almost on time.  My Grandma Hirst came in and she gave me something old for me to have.  It was a handkerchief that Great Grandma McKinnon had given to her on a special day in her life.  I was grateful for it, but then my Grandma stuck in my bra.  I was really shocked, that she would do that.  So then we all got lined up and my cousin Sarah started to sing and away we went.  We had 4 groomsmen, Trent Arnell, best man, Brent Butters, Ben Negus, and Justin Watkins.  We also had 4 bridesmaids, Darcey Stocking, Carrie Robinson, Koskell Bruce, and Rikki Bruce.  We had a ring carrier, Keisha, and we had her in a little tux.  We also had 2 flower girls, Michelle and Emily Berlin.  My Dad walked me down the isle and I think he was afraid to look at me as to not cry.  He asked if I was sure and I said more than anything.  A close family friend, Craig Lester, married us and made us promise to get sealed a year later.  It was a very good and short ceremony followed by a very long kiss, in which Grandma Hirst made a comment that everyone heard.

How I went from Atkinson to Arnell

Like I said before Rhett and I met in February, well that is when I started to notice him and he noticed me.  Rhett and my brother Jeff were Home Teaching partners in their singles ward in Laramie.  So they became pretty good friends.  They have a lot in common, so Jeff had Rhett over at his house quiet a bit.  Well I lived in the dorm and I LOVE to bake so I would go over to Jeff's apartment once a month to bake something and it never failed Rhett was always there.  Then one weekend in February I was sitting with my Mom in Cheyenne at Regional wrestling and in walks Jeff and Rhett.  I leaned over to my Mom and said, "I think Jeff is trying to set me up with that guy, I think his name is RJ."  Well Rhett ended up sitting by me and I found out his name was Rhett and we talked quiet a bit, although if you ask Rhett he won't remember because he was sick and was on some strong medicine.  The next weekend was State Wrestling in Casper, and I went because I was meeting my parents there and then they were taking me home to get my gallbladder out.  And who happens to be there, but Rhett.  So we talked a lot more and I even told him that I wanted to get married, but couldn't find the right guy.  So I headed back to Evanston to have surgery and Rhett headed back to Laramie to work for the week we were on Spring Break.  Rhett has later admitted to me that he kept thinking about sending me flowers, or even coming to see me, but was too scared on if I really liked him as much as he liked me.  When I got back to Laramie I found him and went to his apartment.  We started talking alot and he finally got up the courage one night to ask me out on a date.  When he asked he just asked what I was doing that day, so I told him I had classes and then I had to go and cut Jeff's hair.  He said well then never mind.  I had to tell him that I would be done by 4:00pm so I was free the rest of the night.  He finally got the courage back up and asked me if I wanted to go to the basketball game with him.  We would go with Jeff and his finance Jen.  So our first date was a double date with Jeff and Jen.  The main think I can remember about the date was that I was sooo excited because it was the first time my swelling in my stomach had gone down enough that I could actually wear pants instead of sweats.  After that date it was pretty clear to me that I was going to marry this guy.  After a couple days we went to my dorm room and was watching Cinderella with the Christmas lights on (yup they were still up, but we were freshman in college) and Rhett leaned in to kiss me.  That was our first kiss, before that Rhett was a gentleman and would only kiss me on the check or forehead.  I remember on April 1st, we called both our parents and told them we were engaged, little did any of us know that by the end of the month it would come true.  On the day we got engaged, Rhett picked me up and said we were going to Cheyenne to do some shopping.  He took me to the jewlrey store and let me pick out my ring.  He said that I would be wearing that for a really long time so he wanted to make sure that I loved it.  We went and had lunch, then he took me back to Laramie.  He said he wouldn't let me have the ring until he officially asked me and he wasn't going to tell me when that was.  Well as soon as we got into Laramie we headed to a beautiful park, he got down on one knee and asked me.  I of coarse said yes.  We then headed to his apartment to call our parents.  I still remember how heart broken my Mother was when we told her we were not going to be getting married in the temple.  Rhett's Mom was the same.  I also remember her asking his brother Trent what he thought of me and he said, "I don't like her Mom."  I hope after 13 years that has changed.  We then went into his bedroom and looked at the calendar.  We knew that Jeff and Jen were getting married in May so that was out, and my first niece was going to be born in July, and that we wanted to get married before school started again so we picked August and then picked a date we thought was good, the 21st.  When it came time to pick out my wedding dress I remember I didn't know what I wanted.  I have never been a very girlie girl so I thought I would just go and see what they had.  Well my Mom talked me into trying on this dress with layers of ruffles at the bottom, a very long train, and heart cut out in the back, and very puffy sleeves.  When I put it on I absoletly fell in love with it and i knew it was my dress.  And it even met the requirement of Rhett, and that was it had to have a big bow on the butt.  Next post, The Wedding!

Growing up

Here is a little bit about my childhood.  I am the youngest child of 3 and the only girl.  I have 2 older brothers Brian and Jeff.  I personally think my parents are the absolutely the best parents in the entire world.  They have always been there for me and are even more there for me now that I am married and have my own family.  They are the best Grandparents to my little girl.  It makes my heart melt everytime I see them together, or here my parents tell stories about Tanessa.  I grew up in Wyoming, in the same town until I went to college.  We did have 3 houses, but that was just because we did have one burn down when I was 15.  My parents made sure that we all had everything we needed and just about everything we wanted too.  Both sets of my Grandparents lived in the same town as us along with alot of my Uncles, Aunts, and cousins.  In fact the majority of my friends were cousins and still are.  My brothers are typical brothers, they picked on me and teased me, but they also stood up for me.  In fact for about 7 years Rhett and I lived about 2 blocks away from Jeff and his family and it was really hard to leave them when we moved to Utah.  I consider my childhood to be a very blessed and privileged.  I started to play the piano when I was 5 and love to still play.  I even teach 2 students right now and am trying to figure out how to get my piano from Wyoming to my house in Utah so I can start teaching more.  I consider myself athletic (well use to be when I was in shape and not over weight).  I played soccer, volleyball, basketball, and ran the sprints in Track.  I also played the clarinet all through middle school and 2 years in high school.  School come to easy to me until I got to college and that is probably why I never finished.  I graduate in 1997 and then went to college at the University of Wyoming.  My freshman year I had a roommate from Scottsbluff, Nebraska.  We got along great.  I did have to have my wisdom teeth out over Christmas break and then my gallbladder out over Spring Break.  I met Rhett in February of 1998 and we were engaged on April 30, 1998 and then married on August 21, 1998.  And here I stop for today, I will pick up on the newlywed years and college life later!

Here we go!

I have decided to start a separate blog to just journal my thoughts and feelings.  I have been having a hard time lately with everything so I have been trying and praying on ways to fix my absolutely bad attitude and one way that keeps coming to me is that I need to start writing things down.  And since I am on the computer so much and my wonderful husband bought us a new laptop it is easier for me to type then write.  It is also easier to type while crying then it is to cry and write.  If no one every reads this blog then that is fine too, but it is here for me to vent and to write down what is going on in my life.  I am not a happy person right now, but hopefully with a lot of work and a lot of prayer and study I can change that and become the Mother, Wife, Daughter, and Friend I need to be.