Back After So Long!

   Hello again readers! I believe I left off with Matt and myself moving in to our adorable apartment in Brigham City! We moved in January of 2012. Moving in the winter time SUCKS! We were very blessed though to have help from our families! In this post I am going to highlight our family members so you can get to know them a little more. My family consists of two separate entities, my Mom's family and my Dads family.

    My parents  married when they were young. They loved each other very much, as most newlyweds do, however, they found out later that it wasn't meant to be. They divorced when I was three years old, just a toddler. I was young enough that I didn't understand when their marriage ended. I am actually glad it happened that way. I have always felt they were meant to make me, love each other for a time, then move on. Divorce is a heartbreaking thing, but if two people can make it work, it can mean bringing double the love into your child's life. It has actually made me a stronger person knowing that my parents can still love me without being with each other. I think a lot of children from split homes struggle with that, but I have to say, it hasn't been too much of an issue in my life.
     My mother remarried Doug Olsen on July 7, 2007, the year I graduated high school. It was great to be a teen and to be a witness at both of my parents weddings. I feel very lucky to have been there for those moments. Doug, or as I call him, Pa -or as others call him- Grizzly has been with my mom since I was eight years old. He was a strict father figure in my household but I wouldn't have had it any other way. He is a very intelligent, strong man inside and out and I'm so proud to call him my step father. He is always looking out for my mom and myself, and he is often heard saying "My girls deserve the best." He has three sons from previous marriages who are now my step-brothers; Dustin, Nate, and Nick. My dad married his sweetheart, Ricki, on June 20, 2008. My dad has been through the ringer with women and I am so glad he has found one who can "put up with his shit". Ricki is a very understanding, FUN, and loving person. I could talk to her about anything and she always makes me feel better about any situation at hand. I am proud to call her my step mom as well. She has two girls from a previous marriage; Nevada and Sierra.
      Matt's family consists of his Dad -also coincidentally named Doug- his mother, Cheryl, and his siblings; Marilyn, Benjamin, and Deborah. Matts father passed away when Matt was eighteen. I've never met his dad, but I have seen pictures and heard stories and it seems Matt takes after him a lot. So of course, I love him very much. Matt's mother is one of the most genuinely sweet people I have ever met. She also has the best hugs. I swear her hugs fix everything!

       Our families are who have made us who we are today, and we are so grateful that family is such a huge part of our lives. There have been new additions to the family recently, but I will save that for another post. Someday I hope to get caught up to where we actually are in life, happily married since July 2013!