The Husband Tag

Thanks for the tag, Lexi! This picture is a result of me trying to take a picture of Mark and me, holding the camera out and not knowing where to aim. None of them turned out. This is the only one in which I didn't have a strange look on my face and I didn't cut one of us off at the eyebrows. Maybe I like it best because you can't really see me at all.

1. What is his name? Mark Merrill Calder

2. How long have you been married? Almost 9 years

3. How long did you date? We dated for three months, got engaged and were married after nine months of engagement (one year total).

4. Who eats more? It depends on what kind of food we are talking about. Mark eats more in general, but when it comes to ice cream and sweets I think I might be able to take him!

5. Who said I love you first? I would like to say that he did, but I can't remember exactly. If he said it first, I am sure I said it right back. It didn't take long to fall in love with him!

6. Who sings better? Mark has a great singing voice and a good sense of pitch. We both love to sing, especially together. I have taken private lessons and sung with my family my whole life and Mark has sung in many choirs. We have dreams of singing together as a family...but, alas we are not the Von Trapps.

7. Who is taller? Mark is definitely taller, but when I put on a tall pair of heels, we are almost even. I am pretty tall (5'10") and the other day one of Carston's friends looked up at me and said: "You are even taller than my mom. How old are you?" It made me smile. Thank goodness Mark is taller than I. I like that I can feel small next to him!

8. Whose temper is worse? We both have our moments. Luckily, we usually have these moments at different times, so when I have had it, he keeps things calm and I do the same for him when he is at the end of his rope. That is the beauty of marriage!

9. Who does the laundry? I do! However, he is the miracle man when it comes to stain removal, so I refer to his expertise when I just can't get a stain out. He'll help me fold laundry when I get overwhelmed, but he complains because I sometimes refold some of the things he has folded. I am trying not to do that!

10. Who does the dishes? I do most of the dishes at our house. But when he is home, Mark always helps and sometimes just does them by himself. We really work as a team. One of us deals with the kids while the other cleans up, or we clean up together if the children allow. A funny side note is that I also tend to rearrange the dishwasher after he's put dishes in. He has learned to just throw things in there, with a mischievous smile, knowing they will be reorganized by the next time he opens the dishwasher anyway.

11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you are facing the bed, Mark does. Really the side of the bed issue is always solved by which side of the bed is nearest to the door. I always sleep on that side, so I can quickly get up to nurse a baby, deal with sick kids or calm them after nightmares. Mark helps with that when he can, but I feel uncomfortable being away from the door.

12. Who does the cooking? We both do, but to be honest, Mark is the experimenting gourmet at our house. He enjoys cooking and likes to try new recipes. I can only think of how much I am going to have to clean up afterwards while I cook. When it comes to desserts, I am generally the chef. Although, Mark makes delicious ice cream and he has perfected brownies! Yes, he is a dream come true!

13. Who is more stubborn? We are both stubborn, but I would say that he is even more stubborn than I. (Who knows if this is actually true, since he would probably say that I am.)

14. Who proposed? His dad did for him while we were with his family for Christmas Eve. Don't worry, it is a family tradition! He got on his knee and asked me right afterwards.

15. Who is most likely to admit that they are wrong? Me, but that is because I am wrong more often. I think I might be slightly more emotional than Mark:)

16. Who's parents do you see the most? That is a toss up. We probably see them about the same. My parents are serving as mission presidents in Tulsa, Oklahoma, so we can't visit both families at the same time anymore. We try to spend equal time in Oklahoma and Utah. It is difficult to get either place with five kids.

17. Who pays the bills? We take out loans and I pay the bills when they arrive. I like to get them paid right away!

18. Who wears the pants? We both wear the pants in the relationship. We are in charge of different things and just try to help each other. Mark kindly tells our kids that I am the boss at our house.

19. Why do you love your husband? He is handsome, fun, intelligent, kind, friendly, honest and innately good...(I could go on and on.) He makes me laugh all of the time. He encourages me to develop my talents and give my best effort. He builds me up and has faith in my abilities. He is my best friend and I always want to be around him. He is a perfect match for me and that becomes more obvious the longer we are married!

20. Who are three other people you are going to tag? Catherine, Lara & Marcelle. Have fun!