February 1, 2002...

To Joseph in honor of our 7th Anniversary…

7 things I like to call you…
1. Joseph, Joey, Joe, Josephus
2. My Eternal companion
3. The father of my children
4. Husband
5. Backhoe Joe (no one can dig a better hole...no joke)
6. My best friend
7. A fine hunk o’ hiney

7 places we’ve lived since we’ve been married…
1. Lost Creek Apartments in Murray, UT
2. An old house converted into a 4-plex in downtown Salt Lake
3. The huge house on the hill in Bountiful, UT
4. The crazy people’s time share on Main Street in Park City
5. Mark Twain Apartments in Taylorsville, UT
6. Our house on Hudson in Nampa
7. Our current home in Nampa


7 favorite vacations together…
1. Hawaii on our honeymoon
2. Camping in the Uintas with Jake and Geri
3. Anniversary Inn for our birthdays (Romeo & Juliet and Swiss Family Robinson rooms)
4. New York for Adam and Lauri’s wedding
5. Road trip to San Francisco
6. Texas (San Antonio, Houston, McAllen) to visit Brice’s family
7. Washington DC, Virginia Beach, Greensboro to visit Jake’s family and Adam’s family)

7 things we’ve accomplished together…
1. Our Celestial Marriage
2. Bringing 3 beautiful children into the world
3. Learning how to be parents
4. Creating a gospel-centered home
5. Becoming homeowners
6. Your BA from Albertson College (yes, that was both of us)
7. Learning to live and love together even with our imperfections

7 memories together from before we were married…
1. Seeing each other (but not meeting) at that first indoor soccer game
2. The double date with Jake and Geri—Big Judd’s (how romantic), bowling (that’s when you fell in love with me...it’s all in the flick of the wrist!), frisbee in the church parking lot (no, you can’t juggle a frisbee like a soccer ball)
3. “Do you want to dance?” at Jake and Geri’s wedding reception
4. Almost driving into a building when the Beast died and the brakes went out…"Oh *@$^!”
5. Learning to drive stick shift for hours and hours
6. Bringing you a goody bag the morning you were leaving for BYU-I (and the sniper pictures that followed)
7. Our first kiss, in Idaho Falls…
You backing up the car
Me: Did you forget something? (wink wink!)

7 quirky things that made me know you were the one for me…
1. You like flat Sprite just as much as I do
2. I never felt self-conscious eating or even ordering fast food in front of you
3. You’re the only one to successfully teach me to drive a stick-shift
4. You sang out loud to the radio in front of me...without being embarrassed that you can’t sing!
5. Your sarcasm and great sense of humor
6. We both have crazy colored eyes that tend to change colors with what we’re wearing
7. How much you love and respect your mother


7 things I love about you and could never live without… (this was a hard one to keep to only 7)
1. You love to do yard work and considering I’ve never mowed a lawn in my life, this is much appreciated
2. How hard you work for the happiness and well-being of your family
3. The way you play with our children and know the little things that make them happy
4. Your willingness to always help others
5. All of your rippling pectorals and the fact that you love to stay in great shape and flex for me on an almost daily basis
6. That you can always make me laugh
7. Your unconditional love for me

Joseph,

I’m so glad you are mine and I am yours for eternity. You are so good to me and our children and I really couldn't have dreamed of a better best friend than you. I love you with all my heart.
Rachael