I heart Jason

I never do these tags when I get tagged, but this one was to be about my husband. Given all of the wonderful things he has written about me on our blog, I wanted to answer these questions so everyone else could know how awesome he is too!

1. Where did you meet your husband?
We met in my hometown, McMinnville, OR. At the very same place we had our wedding reception - the Kiser Family residence, in their barn to be exact. We didn't really talk and Jason basically avoided me. As I left the Kiser house that night I told Beccy Kiser I had a crush on him. The next day I cam back over to see him and he still was too scared to talk to me.


2. How long did you date?
We dated on and off because of our circumstances, but we met the last weekend in September of 2006, and were engaged on May 20th of 2007 and married on August 18th 2007. So I guess we "dated" for about 10 or so months before we were married on August 18, 2007. The entire time we dated and were engaged we lived in two different states. Me in Oregon, Jason in Utah.


3. How long have you been married?
We have been married just over 17 months now.

Us on our fist anniversary going out to dinner.

4. What does he do that surprises you?
I really don't like surprises but Jason has managed some really good ones. He buys me flowers on all the appropriate holidays and even randomly when he feels like it. He surprises me all the time with treats and things I love. If he ever goes to the store by himself he always comes back with my favorite ice cream or Coke Classic (I am addicted) or my favorite candy, or even a movie he knows I want to see even if he isn't that excited about watching it.

5. What is your favorite feature of his?
My favorite feature of Jason's is his smile and his laugh. Jason has perfect teeth that I am very envious of and when he smiles it makes me feel so happy. Anyone that knows Jason, knows he has a very distinct and infectious laugh. When he is smiling and laughing it makes you want to smile and laugh right a long with him.


6. What is his best quality?
Jason's best quality is his intelligence. It is his willingness to learn and to grow with me. These things show me everyday how smart he is. He has a lot of knowledge about a lot of things. These smarts have made him a very successful student, a savvy career man, a strong priesthood holder, a patient husband, and an exceptional father. He is a quiet person who gathers information before forming an opinion or making a decision. And he has an incredible memory and a great ability to store information like no one I have ever met. If you have ever played Trivial Pursuit with him than you would know! But it is his unique and great intelligence that have really made him who he is. He is just really smart and what makes him even smarter is that he uses his intelligence to bless himself and everyone around him.


7. Does he have a nick-name for you?
I would say his nick-name for me would be 'babe'.

8. What is his favorite food?
Jason's favorite food would be rice (I am basing this off the fact that he could not live without it). Just plain white sticky short grain rice. On this rice he usually prefers pulled pork, brisket, kung pao chicken, spam and eggs, or chicken katsu.

9.What is his favorite sport?
Jason loves basketball, volleyball would be a close second. But he could not live without playing basketball. He wakes up early every Saturday morning, the only morning he can sleep in, to play basketball at the Church at 7:30 a.m. He is a lover of all sports (excluding soccer) and can regularly be found watching them on t.v.

10.When and where was your first kiss?
Our first kiss was on the first night he had flown into town for the weekend, a couple weeks after we had met originally. It was on McMinnville's most popular "old town" 3rd street at the bottom of the RJ Studios steps. It was perfect!



11.What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?
Our favorite THINGS to do are to eat out, sans children. Go to the movies. Rent a movie. Lay in bed and talk until 3 a.m. We like getting out of the house and doing anything together or as a family. Fairs, museums, landmarks, new restaurants, farmer's markets, picnics, etc . . .

This is Jason in Price, UT when we visited a local landmark stone wall with original indian writings.

12. Do you have children?
Yes, we have one girl named Leah and she is going to be 3 in a few weeks!


13.How old is he?
Jason is 29, which means he will be turning 30 very shortly . . . . . . and I will still be 25, ha! He is aging well. Most people think he is younger than his age. But I love all his new grey hair, I think it is hott!

This is Jason as a baby, SO cute!

14. Who said I love you first?
I honestly don't remember. But I know they were in succession of each other.

15. What is his favortie music?
Jason really likes a lot of styles of music but his favorites would be electronic/emo, punk, rock.

16.What do you admire most about him?
I admire his strength. Jason is one of very few people who can take on enormous challenges and be 100% successfull in accomplishing them. He is not scared of what life brings. He is consistent and determined to follow through with his word. I don't have to motivate him to try something or to complete something. He is strong enough to take care of tough issues and to be there for me when I am facing challenges as well. He takes on change like a champion!
I love you for that J!



17.What is his favorite color?
Green, just like me. We are meant to be.

18. Will he read this?
Yes.


I love my husband, he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. We have a great marriage. Our biggest issue is that we want to be together every moment of every day! I am so grateful for the sacrifices he has made for me and for our family. He provides for us and wants to make our lives happier in every way and he is wonderful at it. He is the love of my life and an amazing blessing that I feel like I just don't deserve. I love you Jason!

Our Christmas Fun

Finally, I have had time to upload our pictures from this December and share them with our blogger buddies and friends. I am sorry it is so late, but our holiday was pretty chaotic. Which means it was really fun too!

Our first dose of Christmas in December was Papa Chong's work Christmas party. We met Rob at his office and then drove to the facility where the festivities were being held. There were lots of games, activities and coloring for the kids but the best part was Santa's visit. He showed up that afternoon to spread some Christmas cheer AND to give gifts. Leah was all too happy to climb into his lap when she knew he had a present for her!

She really enjoyed opening her gift and was really excited to find a wooden letter puzzle (Jason and I had previously given this gift to Rob to take to work earlier in the week, so we knew she would like it).

Leah also thoroughly enjoyed the cupcakes (big surprise)!

Our siblings Chelsea and Chris and their two kids, Mikaela and Pono, came in early Christmas morning. We weren't opening presents until the 26th, since Rainy wasn't coming until late Christmas night so most of Christmas day was spent by the family playing Ohio Cornhole.

The newly reunited cousins and best friends had a lot of fun playing outside and enjoying the 65 degree weather. They loved these candy canes in a neighbor's yard and wanted to take pictures with them.

The next day when the whole family was gathered in the Chong's beautiful home we opened gifts. It was really fun watching Leah open all of the generous presents from grandparents, aunties, uncles, and friends. We all got so many cool things we needed and wanted. Papa and Nana made a delicious breakfast. It was a wonderful morning.

Later in the day Nana got the grand kids together and they decorated a gingerbread house!

December was a great month. Jason has been traveling a lot with work soour Christmas time together with all of the Chong ohana was a real treat. Lots of sweets, lots of gifts, lots of fun, lots of laughs, but most importantly lots of love. We are blessed to have such wonderful family members. We are grateful for the people in our lives who showed us their generosity and kindness this Christmas season. We love you all!

Merry Christmas to all!

And to all a good night! It's just past midnight here, which means it's Christmas morning. Jason, Leah and me just wanted to wish all of our friends, family, and blogger pals a very merry Christmas. We hope you all enjoy celebrating this day and may God bless you all.

Disco Christmas

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

The National Holocaust Museum

I would feel remiss if I didn't mention that Carissa and me had the opportunity to visit the National Holocaust Museum in D.C. last week when some friends offered to watch our daughter for us. Carissa has made it a point that once a month we spend a Saturday going and visiting the sites here in northern Virginia. With so much to see and do we have more to see than Saturdays in a year.

The museum is amazing and anyone who comes to D.C. for a visit needs to make time to go. A lot of time. There are three floors to the permanent exhibit and we spent 4 and 1/2 hours touring it all and we could have spent many more. It's a self guided tour so you can go at your own pace. However, with the nature of the things you see, you are often pausing to reflect or wipe away tears. It is amazing to me in this day and age that someone can be capable of so much hate and inspiring others to do the same. The holocaust was but 65 years ago. And even today there is genocide occurring. The destruction that man is capable of is staggering and sobering.

There were some very difficult images to view. Seeing helpless children being killed because of a deformity, a handicap of some sort, or because of their religion was almost too much to bear. There was a corridor lined with piles of shoes, thousands of them that really affected Carissa. She asked me with tears in her eyes if they were all real. Solemnly, I nodded. She quickly passed through to the next exhibit. In another display they had a small cloth brooch that a father and his two daughters had purchased from another person by trading their meager meal rations for a few days so that they could give their mother and his wife a small birthday gift. The sacrifice when they themselves were starving to death made my eyes well up.

The atrocities of the holocaust should never be forgotten. Let us never extinguish the flame that still burns in memory of those countless dead. Let us never stand idle and let this same thing happen again.

New York, New York!

On Friday last week I learned that I was going to have to make a quick unexpected business trip to Manhattan for a few days before Thanksgiving. I was none too pleased to learn of this last minute and expressed this to my boss who suggested I take the girls up to the city with me. So I called Carissa and she jumped at the opportunity, renewing library books and canceling doctors appointments to clear her schedule. We left Sunday afternoon after teaching our primary class and made great time up to NYC. We settled into the company apartment in Times Square and then I threw Leah onto my shoulders and we walked about in the cold autumn night.

Leah loved the lights. She couldn't get enough of the M&M's store and all the flashing lights. She would laugh and point to the horses drawing carriages behind them. Really it was sensory overload for her and she ate it all up despite the sub-freezing temperatures. We escaped the cold for a while by slipping into some stores including the Toys "R" Us store that features a large Ferris wheel. Leah loved all of the toys and the displays. Though she wasn't too fond of the giant animatronic T-Rex from Jurassic Park. We also stopped by Rockefeller Plaza to see the Christmas tree. All of the scaffolding was up around it for them to hang the ornaments and decorate. However, they had already placed the Swaroski crystal star at the top.

I went to work early each morning but returned in the early afternoon to take the girls out for the rest of the day. On Monday afternoon we headed a few blocks north on foot and strolled through Central Park. We made our way over to the zoo first. Leah loved the zoo. The sea lions are the main attraction and they and trainers put on a show every couple of hours. One advantage to the cool weather was that all the animals were out and you could see them. This was much better than our experience at the National Zoo a few years ago on a 100+ degree day with nearly 100% humidity. Leah laughed and said hello and bye-bye to every animal. I think she needs to be a veterinarian. Next up we walked to the Tavern on the Green, the Carousel, and then the Bow Bridge because it was featured in Carissa's favorite movie. At this point we were exhausted but we kept walking down to FAO Schwartz. Leah wasn't too happy we had to leave. I think it was more a combination of the cold, the walking, sleep deprivation, and hunger. So we grabbed some dinner at Maxie's.

Here Leah is patiently waiting for her dessert:

Here she is with her dessert:



Here's Leah happy as a bug and willing to smile nicely for the camera because she has her dessert:

On our last full day in the city we decided to head south. We took the subway down to the south end of the island and hopped on the Staten Island Ferry. Leah fell asleep on the way so I held her while Carissa was able to take pictures of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty as we passed by. Leah woke up by the time we got to Staten Island so we did a turnabout and got right back on but stayed out on the rear deck. Leah loved the water and the seagulls chasing the ferry. We then walked north into the Financial District, past the Bull statue, Wall Street, the NYSE, and finally stopped at Ground Zero. It's a giant construction pit as they are beginning construction on the Freedom Tower. Tower 7 to the north has already been rebuilt and my company installed the EMI shields there. We're working on a design for the Freedom Tower now. We boarded the subway again and headed back to Times Square. I was tired and exhausted from all of the walking. I had been up at 5:45am to walk to work every morning and it was starting to catch up to me. Needless to say I was grumpy and took it out on my girls. We got some oven baked pizza and I bought them some Kinder chocolate to make ammends.

Wednesday after work we headed home without any incident or traffic. I was shocked that the traffic was so light on the eve of Thanksgiving. I guess the economy had a lot of people staying home this year. It was so nice to have my girls there with me. I get so bored in the city by myself. I am already dreading the week I'll be spending away from them again when I head back up this evening. But it was a wonderful little vacation for our little family. As nice as it was, there is still no place like home.