Our First New Year's Eve

10 years ago tonight marks the first time R and I went out. Our history together is quite funny, looking back. When I got back from France, an old roommate asked me if I wanted to share an apartment again. R lived in an apartment on the same floor just kitty-corner to mine. I had acquired a stalker who I couldn't seem to shake and who claimed R and him were great friends. So thinking that R was in the same vein as this guy, I avoided him. The first time we spoke to each other, I walked away mid-conversation once R brought up that other guy. So for a few weeks/months I tried not to be ambushed and forced into talking to R again. I was more embarrassed than anything around him--because of the whole walking away from him while he's talking and because I thought he was like that stalker-guy and because I thought he thought that I LIKED that stalker-guy. Then came New Year's Eve.

I got back to my apartment on New Year's Eve Day. Originally, I had plans to go out with some friends from home.....but they abruptly changed their plans to go some where I didn't really care to go to. My roommie was there and we were hanging out in our living room wondering what we would do when a guy from downstairs came along saying that he's trying to get a group together to go up to SLC for New Year's Eve. His 2 sisters were visiting and he was trying to find others to come along. My roommate and I agreed, then I found out R was going to be part of the group. Yikes....and I had done so good on avoiding him.

So, the 6 of us drive up to SLC through all the fog. I remember it was hard to see the road as we drove up. They had fireworks that no one could see because of the fog: Instead, the fog just changed colors. We took some pictures, and EVERYONE of them R would put his finger in my ear! Weird-o!

 

 

So both pictures we have from that night I'm making a crazy face because who would think that a guy you barely know would stick his finger in your ear? During a group picture? Apparently, R would. (He still does that to our boys. Hilarious to me since it's not me this time around.)

We all had so much fun that we all kept getting together every night after that until classes started up again. Then, a couple days later R called me up and asked me out.

10 years later, we've been married 9-1/2 years, have 3 kids, and a mortgage. Oh, and I still have the coat.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas all! We have had a great morning and a smooth drive to R's dad's house in So. Nevada. Thank you to everyone who helped make our Christmas possible. The kids have had a great time....R and I, too.

A Festivus Miracle!

This morning R was a wonderful hubby and got up with MK who wakes up at 7:50am like clockwork. He brought her into bed with us, and she snuggled with him for about 15-20 minutes before I realized she was there. I then got up and did the morning routine with the kids getting them breakfast and ready for our day. Then C and S proceeded to do what all kids do this time of year when school is out, candy is in abundance, and excitement is in the air: They drove me absolutely insane! (i.e. fighting, whining, complaining, arguing, etc.) Finally, I had had enough. I sent C to their room and S to sit on the couch. I went into the bedroom to get a sweater so we can go deliver some Holiday Cheer (not sure where I was going to get some Cheer since I was in short supply.) R looked up at me when I came into the room, and I said "I'm done." I put on my sweater and realized something was in the pocket. I reached inside and pulled out 5 peppermint patties. Now, you have to understand that peppermint patties are my absolute favorite--I can eat them all day, everyday without end, forever and ever, amen. I looked at R and asked him if he had done that. "No," he said. "It's a Festivus Miracle!" I laughed: It was a Festivus Miracle. I ate my peppermint patties and went out to hug my kids. We bundled up and went out to deliver some Holiday Cheer....that and the SandArt Brownies we made for them.

Unexpected Visitor

So a crazy thing happened last night. The kids were all in bed, I was laying in bed reading a book waiting for R to finish up his work in his study when all the sudden someone started to pound (not knock politely, but pound frantically) on our door. At first, I thought it was just some neighborhood kids pulling a prank. But the pounding soon became very frantic accompanied by a woman screaming as if someone was chasing her. I tried to find some clothes to put on, while I heard R cautiously open the door. A woman was on our door step sobbing that she needed help, needed a fire extinguisher, because the car she was towing was on fire--in the middle of the street right in front of our house!

R quickly handed her our fire extinguisher, told her to keep away from the car (who knows if and when the fire would hit the gas tank) and that he was calling 911 right then. By then, I was dressed and grabbed my coat and shoes. I did my best to keep the driver from getting too close to the car and out of the snow. She was in shock and couldn't stop crying. The police came and blocked off the street and we waited for the fire department. It seemed like forever until the firefighters showed up, but in retrospect it was pretty darn quick--especially for a volunteer fire department. We stood on our driveway and watched the firefighters put out this car fire. R got some great pictures.

While we were outside, we noticed we were the first "on the scene" with the driver. A lot of neighbors came out of their homes to watch. But I realized that this woman chose our house because it was around 11:30 pm, and we were the only home with lights still on. I was glad that we could help her.

The kids slept through everything even though MK woke up during the pounding.

So, here's what we found outside our door.

Here are the firefighters.

This a really cool one R got.

And when it was all said and done.

David Lanz Concert

Last night R and I went to see David Lanz at a local Performing Arts Center. R bought tickets back in August as a birthday present for me. It was an amazing concert! It was held at a pretty small venue, so there wasn't a bad seat in the house. It was such a contrast between your typical rock-n-roll concert and this concert. His music is so mellow and relaxing....so there wasn't any dancing in the aisles. He played some of my favorite pieces of his, several Christmas pieces, and a medley of several songs. He told a few stories about how his favorites came to be.

The crazy thing was before the performance, the General Manager of the Center came out on stage to say they had some "important announcements." He proceeded a small bit thanking all those who donated. He announced that they were celebrating because the center is finally all paid for....then they threw confetti from the rafters and lit fireworks on stage.....of a small auditorium. It was so smokey! Just about everyone in the audience was coughing. They had to take a small break before David Lanz came on stage for people to leave the auditorium and get fresh air and for the HVAC to clear out the smoke, which it didn't really do but blow it all over the place. Poor R is getting over a cold and this wasn't the best thing for his lungs. Poor planning on the managements part--several people complaining during the intermission.

Besides the poor air conditions, we really enjoyed the concert. The kids got to spend the evening with one of their favorite babysitters, and we got to go out on a date.