Day Thirteen: Happy Anniversary

First official date - January 13, 2006 - Deer Valley, Utah

Dear Tom,
I hope by now you know how much I love your guts. Cause I do. Like I said in the first post, if I loved you anymore, my heart would explode all over the couch. Ewwww. We don't want that do we? I do want to be best friends forever though.

I've probably made a lot of people nauseous from all the gooey stuff I've shared on our blog the last 13 days, but I don't really care. It's fun to be in love. And I'm glad I'm in love with you. I am so looking forward to the rest of our time together, here on this earth, and for all eternity. You do remember that we signed up for that right? I think you do.

Thanks for being my best friend. I like how we laugh together. It's wicked fun. I like how we plan together. And talk. And watch Psych. And talk about Logan. And think about business ideas. And pretend like we are going to exercise. And visit family. And hang out with friends. And. And. And. The list could go on and on and on. AND on.

So here's to you Thomas Coles Dunford. Happy 4th Anniversary! You are an amazing husband, friend, son, and brother. And I couldn't imagine my life without your cute face.

Love,
Megs (Your wife)

P.S. You posted on our blog! Yay! And what a great first post! Thank you for your kind words. You really are the best. Love you.

A short list:

A clearly non-comprehensive list of the reasons that I love my Better (much much much better) Half, by Thomas:

Megan...

is beautiful. In many ways.
lives her religion.
laughs freely.
treats me like a king.
remembers every joke she has ever heard.
let me have one of her jokes and lets people think it was mine from the first.
believes in having a good time.
is very good at planning things.
can pack all my stuff for a trip and know exactly what I will want later without ever asking me.
has incredible piano playing talent.
sings like an angel.
wants to do cool things with me like build a greenhouse.
knows how to be kind to people, and then is.
can tell what people need.
will be an exceptional mother someday.
has goals and ambition.
recognizes the beauty in flowers and can arrange them to accentuate each blossom's best features.
gets excited about little things.
gets excited about little things. Like actual, literal, mini things. Like cute bugs.
likes Logan, UT as much as I do.
tries to like flyfishing.
values my opinion.
comes from good family.
shares her time with everyone.
has an incredible work ethic.
sometimes comes home with treats.
has befriended all my friends without complaint.
is the favorite with the kids at all family functions.
serves on the board of a nonprofit organization.
remembers important stuff.
has stunningly beautiful hair.
develops her talents and seeks for new ones too.
notices good in the world.
lets me buy the occasional sugar cereal. Maybe more than occasional.
encourages me in everything that I feel is important.

And, to top it all off, Megan had the guts to marry me. Talk about courage.

Day Twelve: Good stock

Today I wanted to do a little shout out for Tom's family. Tom didn't get as awesome as he is on his own. He had a lot of great people to teach and influence him, and I must say, they did a really good job. I'm glad I got to reap the benefits of all their hard work.

His mom and dad are some of the best people I know. Tom's dad is a baker (Hello Dunford Doughnuts! Thank you for my muffin top!) and his mom is an artist. They are kind, loving, funny, patient, and very accepting people. I remember when I first met Tom, and thinking he was super funny (and you are honey, my next point doesn't discount this), but then I met his dad and I realized Tom was using all of his jokes! I thought it was so funny. So Tom definitely got his humor from his dad. I think Tom also inherited his dad's sense of fun. I see Tom's dad play with his grandchildren and hear stories of when Tom was growing up. They were always doing something fun, like hiding magnets at the Planetarium, hiding army guys in the dirt, making time capsules, getting brand new stacks of one dollar bills all bound together. The list goes on. Tom does similar fun stuff now. I love that he has that characteristic.

From his mom, he inherited all things artsy and designy. She has an amazing eye for detail and can make the ordinary, extraordinary. Her home is beautifully decorated. She is an amazing watercolor artist. She loves small and interesting things. She taught Tom how to appreciate art and beautiful things. She also loves nature and that definitely rubbed off on Tom. I love watching Tom and his mom collaborate on projects together. Whether it is removing a wall, hanging a painting, or designing a garden, they can both see and understand the potential of the project. I think that is an amazing talent. I'm glad Tom got that gene. 

His other family members are also wonderful people. His eldest brother is an amazing photographer and even more amazing father. His sister is the most thoughtful, spiritual, and well-balanced person I've ever met. His other brother is a talented designer, entrepreneur, and a serious gamer. Their respective spouses are also amazing! They have engineers, more photographers, and musicians! It really is incredible and slightly intimidating. Oh! And the nieces and nephews? Don't even get me started. Cutest. Kids. On. The. Planet. 

What I'm most grateful for is that Tom was raised in the gospel and has a very strong testimony of it. And I know a large part of that was how he was taught in his home. Again, I'm so happy to be married to Tom and I'm grateful for the influence of his family on Tom and now on me too! 

Sister, Tom, Mom, Nephew - Sun Valley, 2010

Dad, Sister, Mom - Sun Valley, 2010

Dad, Tom, Sister, Mom - Sun Valley, 2010

Dad & Tom - Sun Valley, 2010

Day Eleven: Full of Thought

Sometimes I think Tom and I are the same person, because we are so alike in many ways. Passive. Nerdy. Indecisive. Creative. Tall. Chubby-cheeked. Etc. But there is one quality that Tom has that I am super jealous of - and that is how he thinks about things. I am very much a doer. Give me a project and I'll start right in on it. No thinking. Just hoping. And a lot of the time it works out, but sometimes....not so much. 

Tom, on the other hand, is very thoughtful when he approaches tasks or problems. He is good at thinking about the process and can understand the big picture. When he builds things, he draws it out, measures twice, and considers all the options. It is the same with other questions, like where should we move, what camera should I buy, what movie should I watch? Don't get me wrong, sometimes I get frustrated with how much he thinks about things (because I just want to do), but usually in the end, I'm grateful he's taken the time to really think about something before he does it. 

His thoughtfulness transfers to our relationship too. He is always thinking of me. He always asks if he can go fishing (you really don't have to do that, but I appreciate it), he always takes pictures of butterflies for me, he always watches the romantic comedy (instead of Star Wars), he always compliments my hair do, he always let's me pick the ice cream. I wish I had the same capacity to think like he does. I would be nicer, more loving, and definitely have less incidents of gluing my fingers together during craft time. 

If you haven't guessed yet, I want to be like Tom when I grow up.  

See, told you he takes pictures of butterflies for me. 

Chico, California, 2009

Where is this Tom? I picked this one, cause it looked like you were thinking.

Day Ten: Tom still loves me

Even though I almost forgot to post today.

Sun Valley, October 2010

Be Well Blog

My cute friend Heather has an amazing blog about being well. I've enjoyed reading it and now she has a fun giveaway going on! Go check it out. :)

Day Nine: Factoids

1. Every year Tom reads the Lord of the Rings series
2. Tom served his mission in Mexico City, Mexico North
3. Tom's birthday is on May 28
4. Tom is a really good cook
5. When Tom is trying to get to know someone, he will say "So what's your story?". And he fully expects people to tell him their life story
6. Tom was a cute little kid
7. Tom's favorite song is Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin

Day Eight: Favorite Picture

Zion's National Park, 2006

Day Seven: We all have cracks

Tom was long-boarding with a group of his friends in high school and one of his friends looked down at his board and noticed a crack. Which then caused everyone to evaluate their boards. One person after another mentioned that they also had a crack in their board. Then Tom, being a big believer in summaries, declared "We all have cracks!". Needless to say, this has been a running joke that Tom will never be able to escape. But you can't ever say that Tom is a liar. Cause, it's true...we all have cracks.

Source

Day six: Adventure scale

Tom and I judge how willing we are to do something using our handy Dunford Adventure Scale. See below for the complete scale, in case you would like to implement it for yourself. When we want to do something (fun or not), we ask each other, "Where are you on the adventure scale?" It has been a great way to assess how we feel about doing something. Here are some of the fun adventures we've had together.

Tom & I at the Garden of Eden (in Idaho) - Level 8

Tom & I at Memory Grove. Before we were married. This was the day
we were taking my family's pictures. Obviously Tom wasn't
officially part of the family yet, we weren't even engaged, but my Mom bought
him a black shirt - just in case he wanted to be in the picture! I guess she approved!
Anyway, I didn't tell him (until later) that my mom had done that because
I wasn't sure how adventurous he was feeling, you know, joining the
family and all. Turns out he was feeling like a Level 10 when he asked me to marry him!

St. George, January 2007, on our honeymoon - Level 8 or 9

One of our first big adventures, moving into our first apartment.
It was an adventure trying to fit all our stuff in that tiny place. - Level 4 or 5

But we eventually did it - Level 4 or 5

Our Europe trip - May 2007 - Level 10

Tom in Italy, May 2007 - Level 10

Eiffel Tower, May 2007 - Level 10

Owning our own businesses has been an adventure! We both get to help each other.
I sometimes help pour concrete and Tom gets roped into making corsages all the time!
Once when I was out of town, Tom had to make this bouquet all on his own! Looks
good, huh? I should consider actually paying him. - Level 10

Bryce Canyon, 2010 - Level 8 or 9

Doug & Tom - San Fran - May 2010 - Level 9 or 10

Sun Valley, 2010 - Level 9 or 10

Dunford Adventure Scale

1 - Let's stay home and watch 10 episodes of Monk straight in a row. And wish we had ice cream.

2 - Let's stay home and watch 3 episodes of Psych. Go get ice cream. Then eat some during the next 2 episodes.

3 - Let's go to a dollar flick at 7:00 p.m.

4 - Let's go to a dollar flick at 10:30 p.m. and order popcorn. And think about getting one of those giant, nasty pickles.

5 - Let's go play games with our friends/family.

6 - Let's make dinner (something new) and play games with our friends/family.

7 - Let's drive up the canyon and eat at Wendy's.

8 - Let's drive up to Logan for the day and eat at Angie's or Iron Gate or Callaway's or Cafe Sabor.

9 - Let's drive to Logan and camp in the canyon. And of course eat at all our favorite restaraunts.

10 - Let's drive to St. George and back. Right now. Get your toothbrush. 

The scale is relative. The examples above are for a typical day or week. Sometimes, driving to St. George and back is just the beginning. But no matter the scale, it's nice to know I've got someone like Tom to have all these adventures with. Actually it's pretty rad.

Day Five: Tom's joke

I remember every joke I've ever heard. It's a gift...and a curse. I wish I could keep information about science,literature, or politics in my brain, but nothing sticks. Except jokes. Tom on the other hand has room* for only one joke and sometimes I have to remind him to tell it. So here it is for your reading pleasure - try not to steal it though, like I said, this is the only one he's got.

Darth Vader says to Luke Skywalker: I know what you are getting for Christmas
Luke says: How do you know that?
Darth Vader says: I felt your presents.

Source

*Because of all the other stuff he knows, see previous posts.

Day Four: 10 Favorites

1. Psych - my friend Erin introduced us to this show, and we seriously can't get enough of it. We find ourselves quoting it constantly and have hooked our friends and family on it. We highly recommend it. So don't be exactly half of a nine-pound Black Forest Ham and go watch it. (That was a quote).

2. Monk - just thought I'd add this one too, since we are on the TV topic. Every season of Monk is on Netflix (another one of our favorites) and on instant play. 

3. Frosted lemon ginger cookies - if we could eat these all day, and not get chubbier than we already are, we probably would. They create the most delightful flavor combination on the planet. I thought I had the recipe with me, but of course I don't. If you want it, I'll email it to you. 

4. Birding - I talk about watching birds a lot on this blog and that's because it is one of our favorite things to do. If you needed me to explain. 

5. Get Fuzzy - This comic takes a little bit of getting used to, but once you understand the characters, it will have you rolling on the floor. 

6. Logan, Utah - Or Zion. Or Land of Milk and Honey. Or Paradise. We want to live there. Forever. 

7. Breakfast - Best (and I hear most important) meal of the day. One of the first questions Tom asked me was "How do you feel about breakfast?". I passed the test when I said, it was my favorite. His favorite is French toast and I like scrambled eggs. 

8. Crafts - Tom won't like that I'm calling his construction/woodworking projects, crafts, but it's easier to say. We both like to make and build stuff. 

9. Photography - We are both amateurs, but will buy a camera. One day. Here's Tom's Flickr account. 

10. Frozen treats - Tom loves Slurpees (I can't stand those though, they taste like frozen death). I love Moose Tracks ice cream. 

Day Three: Always hungry

Tom is always hungry. And I'm not talking about his hunger for sugar cereals, cilantro-lime infested salsas, or fine sandwiches. I'm talking about his hunger for knowledge - or maybe I should have said thirst for knowledge? However, that doesn't work for my opening line, now does it? Moving on.

Tom is always learning something new. One day, not long ago, he said "I want to smoke some meat". I said, "that's nice, maybe one day we should", and the next thing I knew he had drawn up plans and watched 10 YouTube videos on how to build his own smoker. And the best part was he actually built one (with his business partner, Doug)! And made his own YouTube video! And we smoked some meats!

Tom and the smoker, Coles Family Cabin, November 2010
Barbecue Smoker Video

Whether it's Star Wars, bird identification, native grasses, or concrete, Tom has a hunger for learning it and I love it. It makes life more exciting. It makes me want to search a little deeper and next time I want to build a rotating thread dispenser, I'll just learn how to do it and make it happen. 'Cause that's what Tom would do.

Day two: Not just a coat rack

One of the funny memories I have of Tom was when he took me to meet his brother and sister-in-law for the first time. He said he was so nervous. I'm not sure why, I should have been the nervous one. Maybe he was worried they wouldn't like me? He did tell me to keep the puns at a minimum .... hmmmm...maybe I should have taken a hint.*

Anyway, he was nervous and I had recently shared a clever little quip with him that went like this: after doing something remarkably smart, I pointed to my head and said "it's not just a hat rack". He thought that was pretty great and while we were with his family, he shared something profound (maybe about birds or concrete) with the group and then proceeded to use my joke. But instead of hat rack, he slipped and said "it's not just a coat rack".

We about died from laughter. Thought that would be the funniest thing I would ever hear**. So ever since then, when we do something real SMRT, we point to our heads and say "it's not just a coat rack". And it's true, honey...your head isn't just a coat rack...it's good for lots of other things!

Meg, Tom, Mike, and Liz in Bear Lake (our first meeting)

*Just kidding, he didn't really say that. I bet when he firsts reads this, he will say "Hey! That's not true!" and I'll say "I know, I just needed something funny to say right there" and he'll just shake his head.


**You did top this one when you introduced yourself to my family and said "Hi, nice to meet you! I'm Megan's wife". But that's another story.

13 days of Megan & Thomas

In 13 days, Tom and I will celebrate our fourth year of wedded bliss. We were sealed on January 13, 2007, one of the coldest days ever (17 was the high). But, despite the cold, it was such a happy day. In fact, I didn't think I could be happier. However, I've been proven wrong. Every day since has been pretty amazing and sometimes I think my heart is just going to explode from all the liking going on. Seriously, like it would explode and get guts on the sofa. It's not pretty.

I tell a lot of people about how great Tom is, and usually the news doesn't fall on deaf ears. People already know he's cool. He's just one of those people. I mostly just like to remind them, you know, to brag. So in honor of our approaching anniversary, I would like to brag about share one thought, story, memory, joke, etc. about Tom each day (and honey? If I forget a day, let's still be married).

Day One: Fishy
Tom could fish all day. Every day. He's good at it too and has waders, flies, fancy boots, and a rod (not a pole). He's in a different world I think, when he fishes. I've been with him quite a few times (more when we were dating, sorry babe) and it is really fun to watch him. He knows where the fish are swimming, he knows what they are eating, he knows how to not freak out and jerk his pole rod when a fish bites (again, I'm sorry I lost all those flies). It's pretty neat. But it's not just that he can catch a fish, it's that he is aware of his surroundings and loves them. He can see every fish in the river, he can hear every bird, he notices every shift in the light, he wants to paint every mountain. As I've gotten to know Tom, I've found myself looking around and noticing more. And I have to say, this world is a beautiful place. I'm glad I found myself a pair of Tom-colored glasses.

Sun Valley 2010