Hey Gumby, Wanna Dance?

So on Sunday was my husband’s birthday. I knew I needed to do a post, but what to do? My super awesome friend Christine provided the perfect tag. Thanks Christine!

1) Where did you meet your husband?
At a Singles’ Dance neither one of us wanted to go to. Does anyone really WANT to go to those? I was actually meeting someone else there and Tony was so doped up on Nyquil for a bad cough that I could have been Gumby and he would have still asked me to dance.

2) How long did you date before getting married?
We met on September 1^st 1995 and were married March 21^st 1996. Can you say quick engagement?? Hey, what can I say…after he met me he couldn’t function until I was his.

3) How long have you been married?
Almost 13 years

4) What does he do that surprises you?
The way he still looks at me surprises me. Like it’s the first time he’s seen me all over again. He writes me the most beautiful poetry.

5) What is your favorite feature of his?
His eyes are forest green and I just love his nose. I know that sounds funny, but it’s just an excellent feature…really I am quite a fan!

6) What is his best quality?
His honesty and integrity. He does the right thing all the time, even when it’s hard.

7) Does he have a nickname for you?
He calls me Beautiful or Clara.

8) What is his favorite food?
Meat with a side of Meat with a little Meat for dessert.

9) What is his favorite sport?
Football. Super bowl Sunday with his beloved Steelers playing may be a religious experience for him.

Watch this: Hey Tony, the Steelers’ suck!

Just kidding, they are so cool…really, I just can’t watch them enough. Please let’s watch another Steelers’ game…please…

10) When did you first kiss?
On our fifth date after I hit him upside the head in the Salt Lake Temple’s visitors center. (Want to hear that story?) I’m never one to rush things, but after five dates, come on! I laid my forehead against his because I am SO not forward or anything and waited for him to kiss me.

11) What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?
Travel. We would get away anytime if we could. We love to talk about anything and watch movies, play games, and write. We go to our writer’s group every other Saturday together and it’s a highlight for us both.

12) Do you have any children?2 and I’m pretty sure they belong to us. Wait is that a Cheez-it box next to them? Yep, they’re ours!!

13) Does he have any hidden talents?
Him singing 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' is quite entertaining. Also, he's a great actor.

14) How old is he?
37

15) What is his favorite music?
Classic Rock. He’s a music lover. Everything from the Beatles to Pink Floyd to the Blues. Tony has music in his soul. He can’t seem to do any household chore without it…hmmm…

16) What do you admire about him?
His ability to have a positive attitude even when it seems like the world is crashing around him. He has such a powerful belief in the gospel. His testimony is stellar and affects everything he does. He is an awesome teacher and will explain things and answer questions in a way that I could never conceive of so that others understand.

17) What is his favorite color?
Blue

18) Will he read this?
Oh yah. I so appreciate how much he reads my blog and how supportive he is of it.

19) Who said "I love you" first?
He wanted to wait until I did I think. He alluded to it, but wanted to make sure I was feeling the same way.

Happy Birthday sweetheart. We’ve had an amazing adventure and some really, really, tough times. Through it all, I choose you again and again. Thanks for asking me to dance…

Fairly Funny Friday

Back in the day (circa 1996), Tony and I ventured East to the land of forest green, rolling hills, and crowded highways. He had gotten an internship with a certain love song singing, Kennedy canoodling senator. We had one car,a 1990 Honda CRX which carried everything we owned: 7 CDs, a bag of Doritos, and a dream, my friends. Oh, and we had love, which was great because we had to live on that. Money just wasn’t an option.

Senator CD signing at a mall near you paid a stipend of $600 a month. Now I know, in 1996 everything cost a little less. So it was really like $650 a month now- we should have been living like royalty! Nevertheless, we were really greedy and wanted food and gas, so I got two jobs to keep us afloat.

One of those jobs was teaching preschool, and after a couple of weeks I told the director that I was LDS (an acronym for Latter Day Saint as in Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for those of you who may be less familiar with the term.) She looked shocked and told me that was amazing! She promoted me to supervisor and I received a raise and I conducted the staff meetings and wrote some curriculum and she constantly complimented me and praised my efforts!

Wow, this laying out my religion thing was awesome! I would totally have to “share” the gospel more often. Finally, after a few months of this, the one other Mormon who worked there took me aside. “Rachel, when you told her you were LDS, she thought you meant LD…Learning Disabled.

OH.CRAP.

Sue's got a Very Funny Friday carnival going on so check it out. Thanks to B. for the Fairly Funny Friday idea. I know it's been over two weeks since my last post (that's like 114 years in blog world...my bad)

Electricity

As I sat with my little boy the other evening, I was folding socks. He was poring over the 2009 Road Atlas. I asked him how everything was going.
"Mom, I'm not a magnet."
I stopped folding and looked at him.
He said, "Let me explain it to you scientifically. Some people are magnets." He began to draw me a diagram. "Think of people as pieces of metal and they are always attracted to the magnets. I am like lightening. I am the electricity that is on the outside. I can be attracted to the magnets, but none of the metal is attracted to me."
We talked about the importance of electricity and if he wished he was a magnet. He shook his head no, but said he just wished sometimes the kids wanted to follow him during the games on the playground. I told him that electricity and magnets need each other. He said, "Mom, those are electromagnets and that is a completely different subject."

His 8th birthday is Sunday. I need him to know that although he may not be leading the games on the playground, his influence on others is profound. He disarms adults, is a kind and loyal friend, and the younger children love to play with him because he's inclusive and inventive.

Yes Conner, you are lightening. You light up the sky and make people stop and often watch in wonder. There is nothing I could ever do in this life that is more worthwhile than be you and your sister's mom. Happy Birthday son. Your future awaits... And can we have that conversation soon about electromagnets, cuz I totally don't get what they are.

That Was Soooooo 2008

Saying to the surgeon before gallbladder surgery, "I just don't want to eat crap anymore."

(See in 2009 no one would knowingly ingest that...ewww)


Going to the inlaws house and saying,"So how's married life treating you?" (Because that's literally the only thing you can think of to say) Them responding, "We're divorced."

(In 2009 one just wouldn't speak at all)


Being short and hanging up because you think the person on the phone is a telemarketer. Actually, it's someone your husband works with.

(In 2009 one would GO OUT OF THEIR WAY to avoid answering the phone if they didn't recognize the #)


Saying to someone YOU KNOW at the park, "Oh are these your grandchildren?"
Them saying, "No" and staring at you really hard because their oldest child just got married and they couldn't possibly be old enough to have grandkids and they are beautiful and talented and sweet!!

(In 2009 there would just be no words for this...the person should just stay home and not be allowed out.ever.again.)


Spilling an entire glass of ice water in your LAP at a restaurant with your friends on what seems like the coldest night of the year, and almost doing it again when your glass is refilled. Using your dear friend's baby's diaper to soak up the water for the next 3 hours.

(In 2009 one would learn proper etiquette on a girl's night out and would try to make sure the water was aimed toward their top half at the very least)


So here's to 2009- keep your mouth shut and your hands in your lap and you too can improve this next year. Here's to one day of no f aux pas or lack of social graces. There's only 364 more to go. D'oh!!