The First Five Years

This month Corey and I had our 5th Anniversary.

If we only had one word to describe our life together to this point it would be:

UNCERTAINTY-and-CHANGE

(What?!? The hyphens make it one word. Corey's an English Major don't doubt us on this.)

Since we have not been blogging all this time, and we don't have a continuous record of these first five years, we thought now would be a good chance to write down a brief history.

I normally am the voice of our blog, but Corey joins me this afternoon as we recall these details.

Ya'll ready for this?

Here's the nitty gritty of 5 moves, 12 job changes, 2 kids, 5 majors, 11 callings and a partridge in a pear tree:

• March 19, 2004: Corey and Ashlee sealed in the Mount Timpanogos Temple, start out life in downtown Salt Lake living at the Victoria House Apartments. Corey works at Kinkos, Ashlee at Convergys.
• June 2004: SURPRISE!!! Ashlee is pregnant!
• December 2004: Ashlee quits Convergys to become an on-site property manager for Concept Property Management. We move to Holladay to manage the Morning Star Apartments.
• March 17, 2005: Saint Patricks Day, and Jack is born. (not necessarily in order of importance)
• March 19th, 2005: One year anniversary. We celebrate by bringing Jack home from the hospital.
• April 23, 2005: Ashlee's Mom passes away.
• June (?) 2005: We move back to Victoria House for Ashlee to manage.
• November 2005: Corey quits Kinkos due to hostile work environment. Works at Feature Films for Families for two days, quits then packs trucks for Overstock.com from November to January 2006.
• January 2006: Corey starts working at Fidelity Investments. And we enjoy 8 months of blissful togetherness as a family (Corey not in school, studying for securities liscencing exams... totally in love with our ward... spiritual highs... financial ease... BLISS. Come to find out it was the calm before the storm)
• September 2006: Corey's headache begins (a history just of this one headache would be overwhelming so we'll just say when in started and ended)
• January 2007: Corey forced to quit Fidelity due to headache, begins janitorial work for the church at the Conference Center.
• August 2006: We move to Arbor Lane Apartments in Millcreek for Ashlee to manage. Ashlee able to contribute more to our financial situation.
• March 2007: Corey's headache finally ends, but he continues to suffer from smaller versions.
• May 2007: Ashlee quits managing apartments to become a full time stay-at-home mommy and we move to Murray and live at the Murray Place Apartments.
• May 2007: Corey starts work at ETrade Financial.
• June 2007: Corey's headache returns with a vengence, wants to quit ETrade but holds on until Aly is born for insurance purposes.
• July 24, 2007: Alaster Morgan is born.
• August 2007: Corey mournfully goes back to Kinkos.
• August 2007: Ashlee goes back to work managing from off site the Apple Honey Apartments.
• February 2008: We move from apartment #57 downstairs to apartment #46 for Ashlee to start managing Murray Place Apartments. Corey accepts promotion at Kinkos and changes locations from Bountiful to South Salt Lake.

Having recounted the major changes in our vocations and living arrangements we proceed to Corey's academic changes (just since we've been married mind you) He has taken courses in and began pursuing a course of study in the following majors:

First: Psychology
Second: Computer Science
Third: History (with the intent of going to Law School); and also started the courses for becoming a Seminary Teacher
Fourth: Economics (that didn't last long)
Finally: English!!! We have a winner!

We thought it also of note to list the various callings we have held:

In our Victoria House ward (the first time) We started out by co-teaching a primary class with just one regular attendee: Miss Martika Heath. Corey then moves to Sunbeams and I remain with Martika.
At Morning Star: Corey teaches primary: 11 year old boys (worst calling ever!)Ashlee is called to the Activities Committee about a week before we move
At Victoria House the Second go around: Ashlee becomes Co-Compassionate Service Leader and Corey starts out as Young Men's First Counselor and then becomes Ward Clerk (Favorite Calling of all time) For both of us this was a period of great growth and opportunity for service that we will always cherish.
Arbor Lane: Corey has no calling. Ashlee Enrichment Co-Chair.
Murray Place: Ashlee called as Young Women's First Counselor (I've never cried so hard in a Sacrament Meeting as the day I got released) Corey called as Elders Quorum Instructor. Then we were both released to become the Nursery Leaders where we currently are still serving.

We started by saying that the first five years have been characterized by uncertainty and change. Still, somehow things have always worked out, and along with all the stress there has also been a lot of joy, fun, and growth as a couple. We had fun recounting our history and are sad that for length-of-post purposes it couldn't include more of our feelings and the process of how we got from one place to another, but at least we hit the major highlights.

We look forward to the next five and hope that some of the stability that we have been praying for in the past five years will come to pass. If not, oh well. As long as we have each other it will all be okay.