Wanted: Appreciation for snide comments

TC and I in the summer of 1999.

I'm coming down with something and have a sore throat, so instead of getting up and living a productive life, I spent this morning reading my journal from 1999. A lot happened that year: I had a mid-studies crisis and decided to take a fall semester off from BYU while I sorted my life out, I continued my Spanish studies, I met TC, we began dating, I went back home to California, we got engaged, we got married, and I returned to Provo.

It was really interesting that in my journal, in the time leading up to when I met TC, I wrote about how I felt certain that a big change was coming in my life. I didn't know what.

Once I met him, I wrote about his great qualities, and all the kind things he did and said to me. 

Once we got engaged, I wrote about how much I loved him, and how humbled I felt that a guy as great as him loved me. 

The things I said about him then hold true today, and I think that's so special. He has only gotten better and better as time has gone on, and he's helped me become better. But the most favorite thing I wrote about him is, 

"I never thought I’d meet a guy who appreciates my snide comments and sarcasm, but I have."

And 11 years later this good man still appreciates my snide comments. 

Here are some closing thoughts on this man of mine.

He makes me so happy, happier than I’ve ever been. He’s so sweet and thoughtful and loving and expressive and funny and attentive and sensitive to the needs of others and kind and good with children and passionate and smart and handsome and I could go on and on. I’m still not really sure why he wants to be with me. I’m so flawed, so insensitive, so unkind. But he loves me and that makes me very happy.

5.7 million minutes

This man and I have been bound together in holy matrimony for over 5.7 million minutes, or 11 years, today. Happy anniversary to us!

Jobs

Well, here's the scoop. Remember a while back when TC became the family doctor? Well since then he's been doing a post-doc at the U. This has been a great blessing because he's been able to continue his research, and gain valuable experience.

But it became time to look for a permanent position. So we've been applying to jobs all around the country for months. After months and months of nothing, it all came to a head a few weeks ago. TC was offered a job in DC Metro, and a job in Salt Lake City all within the same week. It was somewhat of an agonizing decision to make: the DC job would offer great benefits, a chance to get to know a new place, being within driving distance to so many wonderful places, a job that would take great pains to make sure that TC was challenged and interested in his work even though it would be behind a desk, the opportunity for TC to watch the military blow stuff up. The SLC job would offer TC a chance to work in a lab doing research (which he enjoys and does well at), a chance to stay in a place we love, the opportunity to continue what he's been working on at the U because of our continued proximity, and possibly the opportunity to blow stuff up himself.

We have felt so blessed to even have a choice. We prayed and fasted and prayed some more, and weighed out the options, and looked at the best and worst of each option, and then finally made a decision: we were going to DC. We started the balls rolling toward moving, notified those on the "need to know" list (like my work), and moved forward. It all moved so quickly until we were stopped.

Abruptly we were stopped in our tracks. It was clear that we had made the wrong decision for us. We had prayed that we would know the right decision to make. Once we made our decision to take the DC job we switched our prayers to asking that if we had made the wrong decision we would know.

And we knew.

So we backtracked and un-notified people, and got the ball rolling for us to stay. And it feels overwhelmingly right. We know that taking the SLC job is the right decision. And that is a wonderful feeling: knowing that we are where we ought to be according to what Heavenly Father has in mind for us.

TC starts his new job in a few weeks and we are just pleased and excited and happy and grateful and blessed.

So that's the wonderful thing that has been happening. It's been stressful, and we've had sleepless nights, but in the end we recognize that this is a wonderful thing to be stressed about.

A hello from TC

He's not available at the moment, but I wanted to take the time to tell you all that he's been thinking and planning what he would say if he posted. And let me tell you, he's got a few great ideas. And I keep telling him that if he were to post, our blogging friends would be so supportive and loving and kind and excited and loving, did I mention loving already?

TC is busy with work. He works in a lab researching stuff. And when he comes home, he researches more stuff. He's pretty researchy like that. And when he's not researching, he's creating things, like this HD antenna:


Technical explanation: It's an antenna that when connected to a TV with an HD tuner hones in on those HD signals and displays them on your TV, just like an HDTV antenna you could buy in the store, except this one is better (in my humble opinion) because TC made it and because it doesn't have that "manufactured with standard materials that have no need for electrical tape" look that the store-bought ones have.

I'm pretty braggy when it comes to TC. I know this. But let's ignore that, fight back the nausea and get back to his antenna. Together we can get through this inflated opinion of TC that I have. Here it is from a different angle.


And right now, TC is presenting his research to a bunch of scientists. And he's away from me, several states away, which only serves to grow my opinion of him. Honestly. It's crazy how that works. Something about absence making the heart grow fonder?

TC in an elevator

...living it up while he's going down. Or up.

Elevators are awkward. I'm awkward. Combine the two and you have super sonic awkwardness. My M.O. in elevators is to find a corner and stand in it, then stare intently at the wall, buttons, the floor number indicator, read any piece of literature on the wall, check my phone, or do anything but look at my elevator mate. That's me: awkward.

TC lives it up. Elevators don't intimidate him. He's not awkward like me. He gets in an elevator and it's like he's arrived at a party where he is the guest of honor. He greets everyone, strikes up a conversation (like the riveting one from the other day about Murphy's Law), makes a joke, finds common ground with the stranger in the elevator... By the time our ride is over, whoever was in the elevator is smiling. They walk in looking like their world is about to end, weary from a long day, exhausted and wanting nothing more than to arrive at their floor and lose themselves in uninterrupted isolation (kind of like how I feel when I enter an elevator). But TC has a way with people that I can only hope to imitate cheaply. Regardless of how exhausted a person is, if they step into an elevator with TC, they WILL end up with a smile on their face. It's a proven scientific fact.

And when I'm in an elevator with TC I end up with a smile on my face too. It's a gift of his.

A scientist's cake

This is TC, the family scientist, with a cake that he made. It was made with love, a pinch of happiness and devil's food cake.

The longer I'm married to TC, the more I realize that his quirks and idiosyncrasies which I find so endearing are a product of him having a scientist's mind. I won't embarrass him by blabbing about his particular quirks, but suffice it to say that some tasks have a preferred method of execution that can usually be derived mathematically (which explains why I often struggle to complete those tasks using the preferred method of execution).

So I watched TC make a cake, and everything he did was so precise. He weighed each cake pan to ensure that each had the same amount of batter before baking it. (To be fair, I encouraged it because quite frankly I was curious.) When he was putting whipping cream on top of the first layer, he was deliberate in where he put each dab. The peaches were cut to the same width within millimeters of accuracy.


And just look at how neatly the peaches are arranged.

I love my scientist dearly. Observing him complete everyday tasks like it is a laboratory experiment makes my heart swell with love and joy. It's amazing what love can do.

If I were sappy.

If I were sappy I would write on my blog about how much I love and adore TC. But I'm not, so I won't say how my heart still skips a beat when I see him from afar. And I won't say that when he hugs me it makes my insides feel ticklish and happy. I won't mention how he makes me laugh so hard I snort, and he doesn't even judge me for it.

If I were more of a syrupy sweet type of gal I would tell everybody about how handsome I think he is, and how much I love seeing him dressed in his Sunday best, with French cuffs and handkerchief and all, so much so that I've tried to invent opportunities to dress up. I would also mention how well he takes care of me, laughs at my stupid jokes and doesn't think I'm a bad person when I thrash around violently, sometimes inflicting minor injuries when I'm being tickled.

But since I'm not that kind of girl I won't tell you all that he is my dream come true, that he meets all the criteria on the list I wrote as a 16 year old of qualities my future husband MUST have. I also won't mention how on that list is the following "He will think I'm the best thing since peanut better," and how when we were dating, TC randomly said to me that he thinks I'm the best thing since peanut butter, and how my insides felt so warm and fuzzy.

And I suppose I won't say anything about how when I look at him I can see the man he is and the man is meant to be, and I'm always humbled at all the wonderful things he has done and will do in his life. I won't say how amazed I am that someone as wonderful as he is loves me as much as he does.

So I guess I won't say any of that. I'll just keep it all to myself, since I'm not sappy.

My Superhero

The Compensator is my superhero. He has super human intelligence, the power to sense the slightest human suffering (name that show and get 50 points), is strong, can fix anything and keeps me safe. He can fly; he once flew 800 miles just to comfort me. He is willing to stand for justice. He goes the extra mile. He is my superhero in no uncertain terms. I'm a lucky gal to have the Compensator on my team.

Pachanga! Celebration for TC.

On Saturday the 13th, we had a Defense Passing Party (DPP) for TC. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the people who came to celebrate with us. We had people from our ward come, friends who came from far away, and family who came from far away too. It was great to have so many people we care about in one place.

Since I was busy hosting I didn't have a chance to shoot many photos. Here are two that turned out.


TC with friends Nick and Mike playing the Wii. Mike was nice enough to bring a TV and his Wii so we all could enjoy playing games.




TC brought down his PS3 so we could play off-road racing games, and Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Encore. This picture is of Matias racing an ATV. Note his crossed legs.

Introducing... The Family Doctor

On Friday TC had his defense, where he presented the research he has completed in the last few years to the public and to his committee of professors, and he passed! This means, that he is now The Compensator, PhD. How exciting is that?

For the past four years he's worked his tail off, and in that time he received his masters of science, and now PhD. What a stinking smart, hard working, wonderful man. So when you see him, if you feel so inclined, remind him that he's a doctor now. And if you want to hold off on the "what comes next?" questions, we won't be offended. We're still floating on the "he's done with school" bubble. In a week or so, after we complete our obligatory and celebratory partying hard, we can come back down to earth and face the reality that finishing school means job hunting.

Congratulations TC!

Graduation!

So yesterday was the big day for The Compensator. He got all gussied up in his cap and gown (which I maintain he looked hot in), and received his nifty diploma cover. Here are some photos that chronicle the event.



Here are TC and his colleagues walking into the auditorium. The sea of black and red was astounding.



TC and his classmate Nick. They worked in the same basement lab (which was dark and dank, according to some sources). There were some good times, and then some other times. The only two males on their research team, they had to stick together.



TC and Gordis after the ceremony with our nephew Matias. He's cute isn't he? I am displaying TC's diploma cover, which was the prized gift of the day.



TC with his sisters and nephew (left to right: Julieta, TC, Matias, Rosalia and Victoria).



TC and brother-in-law Noel. And of course, once TC and Matias met up, they were inseparable.



Mom and Dad came too. And, just to be completely festive, they wore red. Go Utah!



Here's the lovely Julie. What a gorgeous girl.



We went to Tucanos to celebrate the occasion. Once our waitress (center) found out that we were celebrating TC's graduation, they brought him a complimentary dessert and sang "Happy Birthday" to him in Portuguese. It's the thought that counts.



TC and Vicky get close for a photo. Any resemblance?



This is Matias once he saw the complimentary dessert that the happy graduate got. He was so excited to see the mounds of whipped cream and chocolate syrup



Kaye Lani and Kylie playing pat-a-cake. Kylie is having a great time!



Carter actually posed for me, after I took twelve silly photos of him first.