Levi and Marissa Richins: Our First Blog

2004

Levi and I met in 2003 at Snow College. We began dating about the same time that I received my mission call to the California Santa Rosa Mission. We dated until the end of the school year and parted ways, me planning on my mission and Levi was going to be attending BYU. We continued to write and call one another and six days before my departure to the MTC Levi proposed over the phone. I said yes and scheduled appointments with my Stake President and Bishop. Neither had time to see me until the morning of my farewell talk. They both supported my decision and my bishop said to still give my talk and then he would say a few words after about my decision to stay and get married. Much of my family and friends attending didn't know until the bishop told them. It was a crazy, stressful but fun time for us.

Levi came to my farewell talk and officially proposed afterwards at the gazebo in the Vernal City park that had previously been on top of the old tabernacle. The tabernacle had been remodeled into a temple where we were later married.

Me all ready to give my farewell talk.

Michelle and Sarah came to see my talk and celebrate my engagement.

Levi and Kairi.

Roses Levi brought for me that he had picked from his mother's roses. They smelled amazing!

We were married on August 5, 2004 in the Vernal Utah Temple.

Carter

Ann, Cater and Brooklynn

Brooklynn

Kairi Jo

Levi practice and played a number for me on his trumpet at our open house in Salt Lake.

Cutting the cake.

This is the first place we lived in after we were married. It was a basement apartment in Provo.

I love the looks on our faces. (We didn't know we were taking a picture.)

Several of my roommates were married within the first year we were married. This is Katie and Matt's wedding.

Me and Katie

Dave came to visit us in our in place. These two are good friends.

Our first Christmas together. We couldn't afford a tree but my parents gave us their old one. We decorated it with a popcorn string, candy canes and a few ornaments that I had made in relief society.

Hayley and Ari at their wedding reception.

Levi and his friends did the music for Hayley's reception.

Cutting the cake

A.J.

Jon

Aunt Nadine

Amarissa

Grandpa Glade

2005

Marissa and Levi

Chris is one of Levi's roommates from college and Rene was also friend from Snow. They dated and married about the same time we did and they also lived in Provo so we spent a lot of time with them. We also spent free nights with Steve and Jenny Hunter and their son Nathan. They were also good friends that Levi met at Snow College. We watched movies, played games and had dinners together. It was a lot of fun.

Levi and I love to cook and we started cooking together right from the start of our marriage. For Christmas Levi gave me a cook book with lots of dessert recipes that we tried out together.

This is a strawberry shortcake we made. It was the first time I made homemade whip cream. This was also when we felt that we wanted to move back to Salt Lake. Levi transferred from BYU to U of U. Levi also changed majors from Trumpet Performance to Business. We lived with Levi's Grandpa and Grandma Bigler until their rental unit opened up.

Sheena and I at her wedding reception.

This is me with the ladies I worked with at Leaving Prints. It's a scrapbook company and I worked in the customer service center. It was brutal! My first day they put me at a desk, showed me how to log- in and told me to answer the phone. It was hard but a great learning experience for me.

This is Levi at our new place. It's lovingly called "the cottage." It was a tiny cinder brick building that Levi's great-grandfather Aposhian built on the back of his property with spare parts from his house. It was unique to say the least.

Me in the front room of the cottage. The windows were charming but very old. The curtains in the kitchen would rustle when the wind blew even with the windows closed.

Our bedroom which had a master bath connected. Well, it was actually the only bathroom in the house.

The kitchen and dinning. Behind the kitchen was a small room where the washer and dryer sat.

Off the room with the washer and dryer was a small room that Levi used as his music room.

A lemon meringue pie we made.

Levi loves making homemade pizza and he used a recipe for bread dough that he learned on him mission to Brazil.

Me with a rose Levi bought for me.

Me dressed up in Grandma Richins old sunglasses with hair pieces stuck in my armpits.

Jenna, Ryan and Rachel came for a visit.

In Levi's family it is the responsibility of the previously married cousin to host a bridal shower for the next cousin that gets married. I got to host Hayley and Ari's shower. I did it months after their marriage fortunately they forgave me.

Levi and I both have birthdays in June about a week a part so we have the tradition of celebrating for the whole week. This was our first "birthday week" starting with Levi's birthday on the 14th and ending with mine on the 22nd. I got Levi a Darth Vader mask and everyone tried it on.

Hayley Vader

Left to right: Elaine, Hannah, Ian and Ari

Arnie and A.J.

Elaine Vader

Levi's birthday cake

Birthday orange soda

So Elaine bought this birthday hat that she thought would be fun for everyone to wear on their birthday. Like an idiot I reminded everyone about the birthday hat when it was Arnie's birthday. For years Arnie made sure that my birthday didn't go by with out the hat as well.

We had another move this year to a house around the block that belongs to Arnie and Elaine. They gave us a great deal on the rent that made it possible to pay for Levi's schooling each year. This is Levi looking handsome in our new front room.

We had Hayley and Ari over to carve pumpkins this year and they turned out great! We have many good memories of spending time with Hayley and Ari. They were renting a house not far from us and we often, watched movies, played games and ate pizza and Wendys with them.

We hosted a Halloween party.

Elvis Levi

Genie Jon

Hayley, Marissa and Stacy

Scott and Stacy

Hayley and Ari

Jen and Clark

Jason

Joel and Jackie

Levi and Marissa

We love spending time at the Richin's home. Levi's family is very relaxed and fun. They like to play games as a family and have dinners and movies. These are pictures of game night.

Canoe

Hayley and Canoe

This was a picture of the first snow fall at our new house. This is the backyard.

2006

We often celebrate birthdays together at the Richin's home. This time it's Hannah's.

Hannah and Tabitha

My family came out for a visit and we all went to the zoo.

Left to Right: Kait, Levi, Marissa, Heidi, Cameron, Ann, Jenna, Terry and Kathy

Front Left to Right: Kairi and Carter

Levi, Marissa and Jenna in the butterfly habitat.

Carter liked watching the baby orangoutang.

Ann and Carter

This elephant statue plays a song and blows mist out of it's trunk.

It surprised Kairi.

Cameron and Carter

Getting off the train

Playing with the water ball.

In April of 2006 we got a dog. She is about a year old and she is a King Charles Caviler Spaniel named Lilly. Her previous owner had moved and couldn't take her and she was kind enough to give her to us.

Lilly is so sweet, loves to snuggle and especially loves Levi.

Easter morning

We took Lilly on a walk and introduced her to Hayley and Ari.

If you can't tell we are really enjoying her.

Levi's new music room in our new home.

My first time bathing Lilly. I'm always surprised how small she is under all that fur.

We have a walnut tree in our backyard that blooms every spring. Levi took a pictures of all the blossoms that fell. So pretty!

Jumping on the trampoline with Kairi Jo on a visit to Vernal.

My parents moved into my Great Grandma Annie's home. It's next door to my Grandpa and Grandma Caldwell's home and the backyard is lined with these beautiful lilac's.

We have been pretty spoiled when we come for a visit because my Dad always BBQ's and we get to use the hot tub.

Brooklynn

My mom and Isaac

Winn Family Pictures

Top Left to Right: Jenna, Cameron, Ann, Isaac, Levi and Marissa

Bottom Left to Right: Heidi, Kairi, Kathy, Brooklynn, Terry, Carter and Kaitlynn

Cameron, Heidi and Kairi

Ann, Carter, Brooklynn and Isaac

Levi and Marissa

In the summer we traveled to St. George to attend Levi's cousin Aapree's wedding. It was nice to visit with family and help out where we could. This is Accalia.

We loved sampling from this treat buffet.

Marissa

Amarissa and Brayden

Hayley and Me

Aapree

Accalia and Andrew

Aapree and Hayley

Our second birthday week. I like to make Levi breakfast on his birthday. One of his favorite foods is bacon.

Opening presents

Hannah and Tabitha

Elaine, A.J. and Arnie

Levi, Hayley and Ari

Lilly loves to sleep next to Levi. I don't blame her! He is easy to love!

We purchased our first car together! It's a Hyndai Elantra and it was the most expensive thing we have ever bought. It was a little nerve racking for me but also exciting! We are just mostly glad to have some reliable transportation!

Lilly sits here and watches Levi come and go from work and school.

New hair cut and new clothes.

In the summer of 2006 Levi went on our first trip together. We drove to San Diego and stayed with my friend Ambrea and her husband Randall. Lilly knew we were leaving and tried to make sure she came too but getting cozy in our duffle bag. She cried very loudly when we left but we knew Levi's family would take good care of her.

We took an afternoon to walk around the San Diego Temple grounds. So beautiful!

Marissa and Levi

We of course went to the beach one day. Levi loves the beach!

Building sand castles

Levi eating a fruit roll up in one bite.

Then we went to Disney Land for a day. It was my first time and it was so fun to be their with Levi!

A Parade.

Beauty and The Beast

Ursula

I loved the animal bushes on It's a Small World After All.

Stuck in toon town prison!

On the way home we stayed in St. George with Accalia and Daren.

I love the red rocks in St. George.

Lilly was so happy to see us! I also love this picture because it shows the beautiful quilt Elaine made for us for our wedding.

Lilly loves to snuggle with us on the Lov Sac. I think she just thinks it's a large dog bed just for her.

Whenever I make the bed and put any pillows or blankets on the floor. I turn around and find Lilly getting cozy.

Levi takes some great pictures of the view from our home.

I love this sunset view.

Lilly gets herself in trouble while I'm away at work so be set up this fence.

I don't think she likes it. What do you think?

Our first Christmas with Lilly. She loves the blanket under the tree.

She doesn't understand why we would fill up the blanket with boxes.

Christmas morning

I drew this copy of a Snoopy comic for my Dad for his birthday this year. I did it because it reminded me of my parents Beagle. I also love to work on creative projects.

2007

In 2007 my cousin and very good friend Tim was married in the Salt Lake Temple to his sweetheart Heather.

Me and Lilly

Levi and I in the backyard of his parents home under the weeping willow.

Funny Faces

Arnie and Elaine

Ari, Hayley and Carson

Left to Right: Ari, Hayley, Carson, A.J., Hannah, Ian, Tabitha, Marissa and Levi

Front: Arnie and Elaine

Levi and siblings from oldest to youngest.

Levi and I trying out Arnie and Elaine's new scooter.

Birthday week again! I may have over done it on the Birthday breakfast with a whole plate of bacon and two toaster strudels. But not to worry! It looks like Lilly would be happy to help.

Opening presents.

Tabitha and Arnie

A.J., Elaine and Hannah

Blowing out the candles.

Isn't he handsome!

Our kitchen

Lilly in our backyard.

Another beautiful sunset!

Whenever Jon comes over he and Levi have to jam!

Terry and Kathy

Cameron, Heidi, Kairi and Kesslynn

Levi and Marissa

This sweet Brooklynn likes Levi and will sit by him and visit.

We hosted a Halloween Party this year. It's a great way to see friends that we haven't seen in a while! I love A.J.'s costume.

Igor Marissa

I'm not sure what we decided this costume would be called but we like it!

Ghostbuster Jon.

Levi and Jon

Clark and Jen

Tabitha

Tabitha and Owen. Owen is Scott and Stacy's first baby and the first to be born from our group of friends. We were all excited to have him come!

It wouldn't be a party if Jon and Levi didn't play some music!

Scott and Owen

Stacy

Nacho Clark

I take Lilly on a walk every day when I come home from work. But this day it started to snow on us.

Snow always clumps onto the hair on Lilly's feet. She looks like she has shoes made of snow.

Isaac got a hold of our camera and took some sweet selfies.

Arnie and Elaine gave us this grill for Christmas. We love it!

Levi and Lilly resting on the Love Sac.

Christmas time again

Me and my sweetheart!

2008

Ambrea is my good friend from High School. She lives in California and I love when she has a minute to stop by for a visit! This is her with her son Brigham and pregnant with her second.

This is actually the start of our blog. I went in and added more later but I liked this entry that Levi wrote and wanted to keep it the same:

Hello everybody. This is our first 'blog' ever and I'm excited to see where this goes. As many of you know Marissa and I are pregnant (well, Marissa is pregnant, I'm just supporting by eating as much bacon as possible). We are having a boy and he is due September 14th. If anybody has any good baby names we would love to hear them: levi.richins@gmail.com.

The first time you can really see my baby bump.

Hayley and Ari moved to New Mexico and they had us over for a visit. All of us except Levi got a nasty stomach flu that put us out of commission for a fe days but we still had lots of fun!

We went to an aquarium. It was amazing!

Ari and Carson

I liked the tank of Jelly Fish.

The sharks were pretty cool too!

With the aquarium there was a beautiful garden you could tour.

Sitting on a toad stool.

Levi and Hayley in the oversized garden.

Hayley, Ari and Carson

Levi in the bamboo.

There was also a green house with more beautiful plants.

I liked this orange tree. We can't grow them in Utah.

A train track.

When Levi and Hayley were younger their parents bought them CD players for Christmas. Arnie and Elaine didn't know what kind of music they would like so they bought them their favorites so Levi and Hayley grew up loving Simon and Garfunkle, Neil Young and Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond came to Salt Lake to do a concert in 2008. Levi, me, Hayley, Ari and Tabitha all got tickets, made shirts with Neil's face on them and went to the concert together.

Arnie bought this old tractor and spent time rebuilding it for fun. There is one very similar on the property my parents own.

Because Hayley, Ari and Carson live far away when they get to come for a visit we try to do something fun as a family. This time it was a piñata.

Ari and Carson

Arnie and Tabitha

Ari, A.J. and Ian

Marissa and Hayley

Hayley trying to break the piñata.

Ian

Levi

Arnie took the last turn and broke it.

Hannah, Tabitha, Levi, Marissa and A.J.

Hayley, Ari and Carson

Elaine has a collection of musical toys and this is all of us, led by Levi playing a song with these tubes.

Elaine and Carson

Our good friend's Jen and Clark invited us and Scott, Stacy and Jon to go with them to a condo Jen's parents own in St. George for the weekend. It was so nice to relax and spend time with friends.