Nine years

Today marks Thomas and my nine year anniversary.  Well, our nine year dating anniversary.  Yep, NINE years ago today we were talking on the phone around midnight when we started asking each other what we should tell people when they ask us, "Are you guys dating or what?"  See Thomas and I had been friends for many, many years before we started dating... ok here's our story.

Thomas and I met up at Flaming Pine Youth Camp when we were about 13 and 14 years old.  We only saw each other for two weeks out of the whole year.  We never really talked to each other much, but we were in the same friends group so you hear about each other from time to time. 

When I was 17 or so I found out that Thomas liked me (I didn't like him because my eyes were set on someone else... anyway).  Over the next couple of years it would end up where he would like me, but I didn't like him and I would like him, but then he didn't like me. 

Then the summer after my freshman year of college we started talking.  I didn't want to go back to the school I had attended and didn't know what to do.  So I prayed everyday that whole summer for God to show me where he wanted me to go.  I prayed that he would bring someone into my life that would help me with this decision and guess who he brought?  Yep, you guessed it... Thomas!  The first day I arrived at camp Thomas came up to me and started talking to me about college and said that I should go to York (the college that he was attending).  For the rest of the summer we talked a lot.  On the last day that I would be at camp Thomas came up to me and handed me a letter.  In it he said how much he wanted me to come to York because he wanted to get to know me better and hang out.  Believe me, by this time I was floating and falling for this guy.

Two weeks later I was driving to York and one week later we were on the phone saying, "I guess we can tell people we're dating."  A month later we were sitting at a park talking about what we wanted in life and I fell in love.  (that's where we both knew we were going to get married)  And now 9 years later I'm sitting in a house with our two boys and one dog and he is on a bus filled with 60+ students heading to the Mall of America and Valleyfair.  Aaahhh, so romantic... not even in the same area.  Wait!  We're not even in the SAME STATE.

Happy nine years, Thomas.  I love you SO much.  You're my best friend, my support, my love, my favorite.  Thank you for being a great husband and father.  Thank you for the last nine years and the many more to come.  Ride steel venom for me. 

* The song that is playing is "our" song.

If you give a mom a muffin

If You Give a Mom a Muffin

by Kathy Fictorie

If you give a mom a muffin,

She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She'll pour herself some.

The coffee will get spilled by her three-year-old.

She'll wipe it up.

 Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do some laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

She'll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper for tonight.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

 She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things to Make with a Pound of Hamburger.)

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.

She will look for her checkbook.

The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.

She'll smell something funny.

She'll change the two-year-old.

While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring. (Of course!)

Her five-year-old will answer it and hang up.

She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee on Friday.

Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.

She will pour herself some.

And chances are,

If she has a cup of coffee,

Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

I thought this was so cute and true.  This is what happens to me every day.  I'm always going from one thing to the next.  I've been trying to change that because I notice that Garrison has a hard time staying focused on one thing too.  I'm not sure if it's because he sees me going from one thing to the next or his age, but whatever it is I don't want him to continue this pattern or myself for that matter.  I'm learning and trying to teach both of us to slow down and focus on one thing.  It's going to be a long process... I think it runs through our blood. 

videos

Shane came over last night and fixed our computer.  Now I'm able to see our videos again.  Here are a few videos I took of the boys a couple of weeks ago.

This free picture slideshow customized with Smilebox

She's really gone

Today I said good bye to an old friend. A wonderful companion, a trusted confidant and a reliable pal.  I was hoping this day would never come, but she's gone... really gone. 

What's not gone, and never will be, are the memories.  The first time we met, the first time I failed, the ups and downs, the frustrations and the people.  Oh how many people have shared in our friendship, from all my walks of life. 

We first met right before I turned sixteen.  I was so excited.  My parents had found her and told me all about her.  What she was like, where she was from and how soon we'd meet.  It was love at first sight. 

She's been with me through so much.  She was there when the drivers ed trainer told me I failed my first drivers test.  She was reliable all the way home as I cried and cried and yelled and freaked my mom out.  She was also there when I went back a month later to take my test again and passed. 

She was with me as I gave rides to my brother and sisters, drove to my jobs, hung out with my friends and went on dates.  She was always there and ready at a moments notice.

How many times had I cried with her, prayed with her, got mad at her, hated her, but it didn't matter.  She was my friend.

We've been on trips together.  She carried me through to California, Michigan, Oklahoma and Nebraska.  She was with me as I went to camp, friends houses, colleges, interviews, dates, doctors appointments, jobs, family gatherings.  She was there when I got into my first accident.

She's carried many important people in my life and always had their safety in mind. 

She's heard me answer a hundred times the question "Why does one seat belt automatically slide and the other one doesn't?"  She's heard my mom tell me "The only drug that is allowed inside is Midol."

She was with me through the years of me wanting to be cool.  I'd sit with my seat leaned back a little, music turned up and one hand on the steering wheel.  She never made fun of me or laughed at me.  She just went with the flow.

She was there when I got engaged.  She brought along the light so that I could see my ring in the dark December night.  She always knew what I needed.

She was there for me when I needed to carry very precious cargo around (babies).  I always felt safe with her.

She was never fast or showy.  She never made people jealous or envious and that was ok.  She was my friend.

As I watch them carry her away I think of all the memories and how she'll always hold a special place in my heart.  As I watch her fade away and wipe away the tears I think of all the others that she will now touch.  How many others she'll get to share her gifts with.  Good bye old friend.  Thanks for the memories.   

Tall Ships and mini golf

Thomas' brother, Nate, his wife, Kathy and their three boys, Brody, Andrew and Elliot came for a visit this past Thursday and Friday.  They came up to watch the Tall Ships come in and spend some time with us.  (Check out these pictures of Canal Park over the weekend.  Canal Park is where the Tall Ships were.  There was an estimated 120,000 people that came to watch the ships come in.  We were going to brave the mess with Nate and Kathy, but decided against it after hearing how many people would be down there.  One radio station, that was set up in Canal Park, said that a car in front of their booth had only moved 1/2 block in 45 minutes.  Yuck!)  We're glad Nate, Kathy and the boys had a good time.  Maybe next year we'll brave it with them... maybe.

Before Nate and Kathy left on Friday we went over to Barkers Island where the boys played on the playground and had a fun game of mini golf.  None of us had ever played mini golf at this course before.  (Thomas and I were going to one time for a date, but I got sick and ruined those plans.)  Nate, Brody, Andrew and Garrison were the only ones who actually golfed.  Thomas spent most of his time teaching Garrison how to hit the golf ball with his club and not pick the golf ball up and throw it.  Aahh, the life of a two year old.

They all had a really nice time.  Nate and Brody were even able to score a few holes-in-one. 

We're really glad that Nate, Kathy and the boys were able to come up for a visit.  We had a really fun time and I know Garrison and Josiah enjoyed playing with their cousins.

From Left to right: Brody, Nate, Andrew, Josiah, Garrison and Thomas 

Garrison does not seem interested in anything Thomas is trying to teach him.

At least he's not using his hands.

I love this picture.  Look at Garrison's golf stance.  He looks like he's got some bowling moves and not golf ones.

Garrison is a little scared in this one.  I think he might be thinking the ball is coming back for him.  (Do you see the green ball?)

This hole was more of a hurdle than just one.  You can barely see it, but looked at Andrew and Josiah.  I didn't notice until I put them on the computer that Andrew is talking to Josiah.  So cute!

Nate with two of his boys, Brody and Andrew.

The 6th little Bush baby just chillin'.