10 weeks to 10 years

in 10 weeks, mason & i will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary. so much has happened and i find myself(often) staring at this man i married sooooo long ago:)while many thoughts come to mind and memories that we've shared. i've been looking back at what it was that made me fall in love with him and i thought i'd share some of these thoughts and memories with you. i know, how did you get so lucky?:) well, before mason and i even started dating(after missions when i actually liked him), we went on dates-meaning, he asked me(because he liked me) and i said yes(i so didn't like him) and i didn't want to be rude. for those of you who don't know, mason is a poet. he writes all kinds of poems and he has written many for me through the years...surprisingly, i've kept all of them! (i guess this is proof that maybe, deep, way deep down inside, i did like him)and he's written me several letters during his college, mission years. so, i thought i'd share some of these with you so you too can come to know the man that took my heart away forever.

entry #1 date: february 1996

dear melina,
i know you're the one who really wants to hug me. but don't worry i'll be back and you can worship the ground i walk on once again...
thank you for finally writing to me now i am only praying the lord breaks your legs. if you send more letters your chances of working onto my after mission dating list will get better. anyway, write punk...
even christine & lauraine write to me. you are just not being righteous enough...

i know, i know...how can i not fall in love with a man who has such a way with words?!:)

2

this month on the 9th we celebrated 2years of being in our beautiful house! so, what have we done with the place you ask??? well, not much really, besides living in it and enjoying the space, a place to call our own...home. i love our yellow beautiful haven and although we may be outgrowing it real soon with the arrival of our 5th child in june, we still love it and consider it a blessing to have such a place to call ours. we have grand plans for our home, like...

*fixing back fence so, you guessed it...we can get a dog!(nani's constant wish)
*put up a front fence(white picket preferrably-my constant wish)
*paint living room, hall,kitchen/dining area, mese's room,both bathrooms,& my room
*plant tree in front yard with some flowers-gardenia, they smell sooo good.
*extend patio in back, and build awning of some sort
*build a stage(so, as mason likes to say-the kids can entertain us on those long summer nights)
*and of course, have lots of grand galas, parties, get togethers with our friends and family. it wouldn't be a patterson home without them!:)

thanks to everyone who has helped us in some way or another, with our home. and thank you for coming to see us, sitting with us, eating with us, laughing with us, crying with us, we love you all and are always glad to have you in our home. our door is always open.

35 & thriving?

yes. thursday i celebrated my 35th birthday. it was a lovely day and i had many many many calls, texts, and shouts outs via facebook-thank you to all who wished me well on my birthday! i have to admit, when i really started to think about turning 35(i did this the day before my bday) i started to get anxious, then sad, then depressed. i know-i don't make any sense and so here is where i blame it on the pregancy...again. my sweet husband told me i'm just being silly and i have so much to look forward to this year(as i pluck out the gray hairs i see on my head that happen to stick out like a sore thumb). but, i've made a decision. i AM going to look ahead with optimism. i AM going to do some things differently, better. i AM going to breathe a little more and relax. yes, my husband(and i'm so positive that my children would agree)that i need to RELAX and let things happen. this is hard for me. so, i guess what i'm saying is, i want to THRIVE and live life like i have the best life. because in reality, my life is pretty darn good!:)i have much to be grateful for and for that, i should be glad for another birthday, right? i AM.