What Can You Accomplish in Ten Years?

In TEN years, my companion and I have (in no particular order):

-earned 4 Bachelor's degrees and 2 Master's degrees for a grand total of about 16 years of higher education. Among those are B.S. Computer Science, B.S. Ed. dfa Biology, B.A. Philosophy focus Religion, B.S. Financial Economics, M. Div., M. Psych. (And more to come!)

-owned numerous freshwater and saltwater fish, probably blown through around $5000 towards our fish hobby in the early years. Among those fish were a clown loach named 'Spot' and a clown fish named 'Dontrelle.' The other names escape me.

-lived in 3 states: NC, CA, ND

-Moved all our belongings 10 times: lived in 4 different apartments, 3 houses, and a mobile home.

-Have owned or currently own 8 vehicles, 2 motorcycles, 1 scooter, and 1 mini-bike

-Conceived, given birth to, fed, changed, bathed, and love 4 children: two boys and two girls

-Worked at Wal-Mart for a combined total of about 12 years in just about every position available.

-Been self-employed for almost 7 years.

-Argued in varying degrees over COUNTLESS things including, but not limited to, postage stamps (our first argument), calling people on the phone, keeping the house clean, working long hours, money, health insurance, moving, family, careers, medical care, food, toilet paper, laundry, sleeping, leisurely activities, grammar, dress code, business, paperwork, TV shows, doctrine, service, cars, discretionary purchases, and clothing.

-Served in the church in Enrichment, Genealogy, Young Men's, Seminary, Relief Society Weekday Meetings, Gospel Doctrine, Gospel Principles, and currently Primary and Elder's Quorum

-Coached two seasons of High School football

-Sold Insurance for 3 different brokers and investments for two different broker-dealers

-Owned (I think) 9 computers

-Oversaw the remodel of an entire house, top to bottom.

-Changed our diet from a typical American meatful 7 days a week to mostly Vegetarian and frequently vegan diet.

-Written 3.25 novels

-Managed several million dollars in client assets

-Never paid more than 8$ for a television

-Baptized 5 people into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who are still active to this day!

-Visited the Temple more times than I can count

-Researched dozens of Family names and taken about 20 to the temple for baptisms

-Made hundreds of friends. Too many to count!

-Seen the deaths of 5 family members.

-Seen the birth of 5 family members!

We've seen a lot, us two. And we're sure to see much more, and I'm glad I get to do it with my eternal companion, my best friend. These 10 have been full of tears and laughter, but overall, joy, experience, growth, progression. And Brad is the only one I have ever wanted to and still want to experience it alongside.