Husband Tag

1. Where did you meet?
Briant and I meet in our singles branch. We went on a hiking trip with the branch up to Mesa Falls, and we rode in the same car.

2. How long did you date before you got married?
Approx. 1 year and 1 month

3. How long have you been married?
a whole 4 months and 2 weeks

4. What is your favorite feature of his?
I love Briant's smile. Especially when someone makes him laugh.

5. What is your favorite quality of his?Wow! There is way too many here. While we were dating my favorite quality of his was his ability to plan and carry through. If he wants something done he is very good about doing it in a timely matter. He has always known where he is going in life.
But I think my favorite quality now is that he always takes the time and does what he knows is right. He takes time to hug me, talk with me, or even write me a love note when I need it. He is also very good with his callings and priesthood duties.

6. Does he have a nickname for you?
Cutie or Beautiful

7. What is his favorite color?
He says his favorite color is green but he really doesn't obsess over it very much.

8. What is his favorite food?
Oh PIZZA by far. He really could eat it everyday if he was given the opportunity.

9. What is his favorite sport?
To watch, definitely football. You can always find him checking the scores and highlights for each game and watching any games he can. Especially if it is BYU. But let's not talk too much about them, he's a little upset right now. But as for actually playing, Briant is really good at hockey! I think he likes to play street hockey better than ice hockey though.

10. When and where was your first kiss?
The end of July 2007 on his roommate (Matt's) love seat. We had just eaten lunch together after church.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?
We like to play tag around the house. In the summer time we really liked to take evening walks as well. We pretty much like to do anything as a couple as long as we can do it side by side.

12. Do you have any kids?
not yet

13. Does he have a hidden talent?
Wow, this man knows how to help, without being asked. He has always been very good about helping with house work just because he knows it needs so be done. Sometimes I tell him that he is a better wife than I am, because quite frequently he thinks of things that need to be done before I do. He is also a really good spell checker (I hope this turns out okay with out him).
14. How old is he?
He is 25 right now, but he will be 26 on January 8.

15. Who said "I love you" first?
Well we kinda said it at the same time. It was right before he went back to PA to see his family for Christmas. I knew I loved him like a month before hand, but I didn't want to say it first. So after we had our own Christmas together we were hugging and he said he loved me and I followed with the same. So technically he did.
16. What is his favorite type of music?
Ugh. Rap and hip hop. But he really listens to a lot of different types. In fact that's one of the things I really like about him is that he listens to all kinds of music even musicals and ponders what they are about.

17. What do you admire most about him?
Gosh, he just has so many great qualities that I love. I've always admired how proper and polite he is with everyone. He always knows just what to say and how to say it. He is an amazing speaker. I am always impressed with his spiritual thoughts and talks that he gives (he brings the spirit into them so strong, he gives me goosebumps every time). And he is just incredibly smart in so many aspects. He is way smart in school. And extremely talented and hard working for his job. What's not to admire and love about him?!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME 6 QUIRKS

#1 - Someday I want to ride in a hot air balloon and ride an elephant.

#2 - I'm a sucker for a good love story chick flick.

#3 - I have a terrible short term memory, I have to write everything down.

#4 - I really like to give people homemade stuff from the heart, like a croqueted scarf or a personalized card.

#5 - I love to collect quotes!

#6 - I love to reminisce. I like watching 1989 Christmas videos and reading my journal from years ago. I'm sure I've even watched our wedding video more than the average Joe.


Now I tag: Jenna, Holly and Julie, do one or both you pick.

East Coasters Represent!

Every once in a while I check out the Daily Universe, BYU's student newspaper. I was checking it this week to see what was written about the upcoming BYU vs Utah match up a.k.a The Holy War, which I eagerly anticipate this Saturday at 4 pm. Well, I stumbled upon this opinion piece from the November 17th edition. Having lived in California in the heart of the "Sweet Bro" mecca, and on the East Coast, I am now forced to form my own opinion...which is best? Read it, and you decide.

West Coast; Why the West has won

By John Holman

When people think of the West Coast, they think of California. Sure, we may be the third largest state in the United States, as well as one of the top 10 economies in the world, and if we were independent, we would be in the top 35 most populous countries in the world. We take this with pride and joy in our lovely state and this is why we don't have to be so outspoken like Texas, or the East Coast.

But, as some people might remember from their geography classes growing up, the West Coast is so much more than just the amazing California. Do the states Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii ring a bell? It is the combination of these states, along with California, that make the "furious five" of the West Coast so amazing. "Skadoosh."

Hawaii. What else needs to be said? Surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, Motsumoto's Shave Ice, "Jurassic Park," "Lost" and many more things draw millions of people there every year. With each island having a character of its own, it feels like there is even more offered at each location, making it a new experience no matter what island you happen to visit.

Remember, Alaska is the largest state in the U.S. and has the most amazing governor in Sarah Louise Heath Palin, which makes us a major player in foreign policy and experience. Summers thrive there. The students who want a real summer experience, and who haven't sold their souls to Apex, pest control and satellite systems, can become among those who help others enjoy what this state has to offer while making some extra cash. Besides, seeing the sun all year round during business hours is so overrated.

Oregon has some of the best coastline the world has to offer. Its cliffs that rise high above the sea are complimented by the ocean and waves that crash into them. Intel is also based in Oregon. They lead the country in processors which are put in both Windows (Washington) and Macintosh (California). Plus, who can forget the computer game of the 1990s, Oregon Trail! Also, "The Goonies" was filmed in Oregon. "Hey you guys!"

Washington also has much to offer. Bill Gates is a well-known name and his Microsoft company has been one that has changed the world through its computer programs and operating systems. Seattle alone has effected the world through music. The entire world knows about the grunge scene that happened in the early 90s that produced such bands such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden, with more recent bands such as Death Cab For Cutie and Band of Horses making their presence felt throughout the country as well. These bands have influenced bands all over the world and are still heard on the radio today. Seattle also has Ivar's Clam Chowder which is world-famous. Washington also has a rain forest, which is influential to the state and the country's weather system.

To finish, California is influencing the world through different cities. Cupertino is becoming a more familiar city because that is where Apple resides. iPods, iPhones and many other products they produce are taking over the world. Next, whenever you search anything on the Internet, or don't know how to do something or don't know a definition you "Google" it. Google serves you from California. Hollywood, good or bad, has influenced the world for decades. Lastly, who hasn't been hearing about "Prop 8" for the last couple of months? So when you meet someone from California, don't refer to it as Cali, because we don't.

The diverse landscape that the West offers is a major factor in the migration of many people from across the United States. With mountains, deserts, beaches, forests, rivers and the Pacific Ocean, the population is growing all over the West. But don't just take my word for it. As of the 2000 census, Hawaii grew 9.3 percent, Washington grew 21.1 percent, Oregon grew 20.4 percent, California grew 13.8 percent and Alaska grew 14 percent. This tells me that America is saying that the West is where it is at.

Oh, I almost forgot! "Twilight" takes place in Forks, Wash., and was primarily filmed in Oregon.

East Coast; We're no "Sweet-Bro Nation"

By Jeff Nielson

The "sweet-bro" is a genus of male humans that thrives in wealthy and warm areas of the West Coast. They travel in fashion-coordinated packs, often by scooter, and prey on young women whose reasoning has been impaired by hair-dye seepage. The scientific term "sweet-bro" (see also "bro-dawg") is a combination of the only two words necessary for communication within the species.

For most of my life, I was shielded from interaction with sweet-bros. In fact, I truly believed that they were only gimmicky inventions of Hollywood and Hollister. Who in their right mind, I asked myself, would really pop their collar, or wear absurd pink muscle shirts or bleach the tips of their fauxhawk? Imagine my shock when I moved to Provo and learned that not only were sweet-bros real, but many of them had migrated to BYU.

Before you read the rest of this, you need to know something about me: I have never been west of Vegas. Some of you might feel that this disqualifies me as an objective critic of the West Coast, and you are absolutely right. But let's be honest - objectivity is boring. Why else would you only skim the front page of this newspaper before jumping to this section? So today I'm going to give you what we all want: a totally biased, utterly ridiculous opinion that invites equally unintelligent rebuttals. Enjoy.

Let's begin with a few points on grammar. Outside their traditional contexts, the following words don't fly in the East: way, totally, stoked, wicked, rad. We can express ourselves just fine without stooping to the vernacular of Beavis and Butthead. Also, the word "at" has somehow taken on an unnecessary role in the West. "Hey bro, where are my keys are at?" makes no sense. You West Coasters would sound a lot more intelligent if you phrased it this way: "Excuse me, at where are my keys?" Don't you know that a preposition is the last thing to end a sentence with?

We now turn to education in general. If a sweet-bro were to transfer into a school district anywhere on the East Coast, he would be eaten alive. Eastern schools are, without question, much more rigorous than their Western counterparts. For example, the threshold for an A grade in my county has always been a 94 percent, and we don't have the luxury of minuses. On the other hand, getting an A in any class on the West Coast requires only that students can phonetically spell their own names, which is exactly why sweet-bros generally struggle even in the West.

Leaving the sweet-bros to nurse their wounds (probably with copious amounts of Axe), we move on to a much more important topic: Massachusetts. Besides being home to several prestigious universities, Massachusetts cannot be spelled by anyone living west of the Mississippi, making it the undisputed intellectual capital of America. And of course there are the Boston sports teams. Rather than explain this in detail, I'll just rattle off a few names: Garnett, Youkilis, Brady, Pierce, Papelbon, Moss, Ortiz, Belichick, the Green Monster, that Kenyan guy who always wins marathons. If you West Coast readers did not just wet your pants in fear, you either don't know sports or you think Boston is a neighborhood in LA.

Massachusetts is great - it beats the entire West Coast by itself. But we still need to acknowledge many of the East's finest contributions. Like most great things, Southern hospitality was born in Virginia. Baseball and football were born in New Jersey. Barbecue was born in the Carolinas; Coca-Cola in Georgia; toilet paper (and just a few other things) in New York. Our nation's freedom was born in Pennsylvania and defended along the eastern seaboard. And we can't forget Maryland. Baltimore alone has given us "The Star Spangled Banner," world-class sea food, Edgar Allen Poe, Cal Ripken Jr. (my childhood hero), Michael Phelps and, of course, "Hairspray." Not even California could beat the East to making a movie in which Christopher Walken dances with a woman played by John Travolta.

I grew up 12 miles west of Washington, D.C. I love the beautiful seasons, the rich history, and the diverse cultures of my area. But sometimes I think I should give California a shot. After all, there must be some reason the sweet-bros stay "where they're at."

Tribute to Grandma

My Grandma is a very special person to me because in fact she is the only Grandma that I've ever known. I was privileged to grow up just around the corner from her, so as you can imagine she was a very big part of my life.

Grandma and Grandpa had a beautiful farm that they managed for many years and we were always allowed to help. When we would go over, all my brothers would go help Grandpa with the chores, but I was kind of little back then, so I couldn't really help much (except when Grandpa would let me gather eggs and watch him milk the cow). I usually spent my time with Grandma.

I’ve learned so much from her.

Grandma used to spend hours in the garden. She had a very big green thumb. Her flowers were beautiful and there were always so many. Her vegetable garden always had good food and she loved sharing it with us. It didn’t matter how hot it was in the summer, you could always find Grandma spending some of her day working in the garden to make it look the best she could.

Grandma grew up in the Great Depression. She didn’t waste anything if she could help it. She had this quote on her fridge that she lived by,

“Eat it up, wear it out.
Make it do, or do without.”

Grandma taught me not to waste anything if I could help it.

My Grandma taught me to like tomatoes. I never used to like them at all. One day when my brother and I were mowing her lawn, my Grandma came over from the garden with a handful of tomatoes (she did this often, always eager to share). As I passed by on their riding lawn mower she handed me a couple. I really didn’t like them but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. So I popped them in my mouth, and you know, I can remember liking them ever since.

After my Grandpa died, my Grandma and I became a lot closer. Our family lived the closest so we would always go get her and bring her to our house for dinner. We always had good times with her. I would always tell her that I loved her, and she would tell me she loved me too, to which I would always reply, “I love you more.” She would just chuckle and say, “Oh you think so, huh?”

Soon, the time came when we would go and spend the night with Grandma in case she needed assistance with anything. My aunt would come and stay with her a few nights a week and then my mom and I would trade off the other nights. My grandma taught me a lot about patience in those days.

After some time, my mom and her family decided it was time to put Grandma into an assisted living home. A few years after she had been living there I moved out of my parent’s home and I lived a lot closer to her. I decided that I wanted to go see her more often. That summer I went to see her every Thursday after work. Grandma couldn’t say a lot to us in those days and sometimes I wasn’t sure if she remembered who I was. She had her good days and her bad days but everyday I went to see her was defiantly worth it. I would share stories with her of my daily life, and the stories she had told me about herself growing up. Sometimes she didn’t say anything but other times she would give me a nod or a chuckle. One time I winked at her, and she winked back. She would always wave at me before I would leave. And one day before I left I told her I loved her, and she said to me, “I love you more.”

Sometimes friends and family would wonder out loud to me why my Grandma was still around, and what assignments she still had in this life. But I figured this out a few months ago. Even though Grandma couldn’t say much to me those times I went to see her, she still taught me a lot. Grandma taught me what Charity really is. Charity is loving and doing, and not expecting anything in return.

My Grandma passed away this last Tuesday. I went to see her the day before and spent a couple hours with her. She opened her eyes the widest she had opened them in a week, and she squeezed my hand for an hour or so. Before I left I hugged her and told her I loved her.

She was 89 years old and she lived a great life. I am so grateful for my Grandma and the great example she was to me. I hope that I can live up to that example and I want to do what she taught me because she was such a great person. I know that she is happy now, because she is with Grandpa. She loves him so much.

Grandma had a horse drawn hearse to the cemetery (the same as Grandpa). They asked my Aunt to ride along with the driver, and he let her drive the last mile. The field behind them in this picture is the field my Grandparents farmed when they lived in Lincoln.

All of my brothers were pallbearers, along with my cousins. Many of us wore red instead of black, because red was her favorite color.

I love my Grandma so much, and I am sad I can't spend anymore time with her. But I know I will see her again and that God has made it possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ for us to be with her forever. God be with you, Grandma, till we meet again.

Work? Hardly...it's Melaween!

Every year, my company becomes the coolest company ever. Why? Because Frank loves Halloween, and we have the biggest Halloween bash in Corporate America! No joke. If you could only see the kind of preparation that goes into this. Each department picks a theme and then goes all out to decorate their part of the building. Then the families of the employees can come through and trick or treat. The costumes and department decorations are just awesome.

Our Marketing department chose a jungle theme, and in one day we transformed it into the freakin' Amazon rainforest! We made vines, flowers, palm trees, animals, birds and even had pools of water. Take a look at the pics of the entrance to our room and our Mayan temple!

Because we were doing a jungle theme, this opened up a bunch of possibilities for costumes. See if you can guess what I am.

That's right...a Colombian drug lord, complete with long hair and a pony tail, dark shades, a tan coat, a little bit of chest hair, and a case of "the goods." My buddy was dressed like a FARC member or one of those guys that protects the underground drug labs.

This is a picture of the whole group. Everyone looks good...from Gilligan to the crazy witch doctor. Some of the other themes were High School Musical, Disco, Wild West, Peter Pan, Redneck Riviera, and Star Wars...yes, the I.T. guys are so predictable.

Halloween time is here again!

This is one of the funnest times of the year. In fact, it is Briant's favorite holiday! It's always fun to dress up and go to a lot of different parties and get togethers. This past weekend one of Briant's coworkers invited us over for a party. I was a hockey player (my jersey even says 'GILES' on the back!), and Briant was, of course, Lil Jon. We had so much fun!
The next night we got together with my family to carve pumpkins. This has been a Baldwin family tradition now for several years. Here is a view of all our finished work. Dad always does one that's, well.... just normal for dad. One of its eyes are always sideways (some years there are three eyes), & Mom always does a traditional jack-o-lantern. Mahon and Cindy's are the ones on the left. I told Mahon his handwriting is dramatically improved when he carves in pumpkins. Chris and Chantelle used the patterns from a book. Cheaters. Just kidding, they were really cool!

I always do a scary pumpkin. I think they're more dramatic.
-Pause for dramatic ooo's and aahhh's-

Here's Briant's. His actually has three sides. My camera was being finicky and I didn't get the Mercedes sign and the 'Y' Mountain.

Bet you didn't see this coming!

One thing that my dad taught me was to develop the ability to anticipate things, especially as they relate to a relationship with my wife. For example, anticipate that the dishes need to be done before they pile up and my wife has to do them. Anticipate that the floor needs to be vacuumed because guests are coming over so I should do it before my wife does. Anticipate that the garbage needs to be taken out before my wife has to to do it. So you see the point is to anticipate things that need to be done before your wife looks like she's upset and when you ask her why all she says is, "No, everything is fine," but then you really know she is concerned/upset/stressed out about something.

Well, I think I'm pretty good at anticipating things around the house, but one area that I am trying to improve on is anticipating when my wife needs a hug, or a kiss, or me to listen to her, or me to snuggle with her, or me to simply tell her that I love her.

So, while my wife is working at Great Harvest this morning, which I really appreciate as she continues to work to save money for me to go back to school one day and get my MBA, I thought I'd do something to surprise her; write on our blog and tell her how much I love her!

I must be the luckiest guy in the world to have such a wonderful wife. She means the absolute world to me, and I would do anything for her. I love her fun, positive, and upbeat attitude about life. It's contagious. I love her for her huge heart and how much she cares for me and others. She makes me laugh and smile, and I love being with her. She is beautiful in every way. Love you!

Tagged....... Again!

This is my sixth picture in my sixth folder.

Reliving happy memories!!!! Isn't my husband so cute? I love it when he is smiles like this!
Now I tag Mom, Cindy, and Katie!