How We Met

Today, Shawn and I have been married 9 years.  I decided to commemorate it by hashing this LONG story out for all ye who do not care.  Linking up with Grace's 'How We Met', here goes:

I want to say that this story is like a perfect romance, or that it is mildly sweet, or shows me as a kind soul, at least.  Instead, I give you one of those horrible stars unaligned tales where you can just bash your head into your hand at the stupidity of the leads.  Additionally, it highlights my jerkiness.  So gear up for what I WISH was 'Ever After' but is really more like, 'As Good As It Gets'.  The ending though?  THAT is where it's at.  Even if I am Jack Nicholson.

So, Shawn and I met Freshmen Year of high school in Art 1.  What did he think of me, or me of him?  I don't think we did think of each other, in any way, at all.

BUUUT, that summer, before sophomore year, we did dance at a few CYO dances and kind of hit it off.  So, he asked me out on a real life date and I was real life excited - this was my first date.  We were not yet driving, so my sister and her friend took us to a movie while they went to a different movie.  Then they took us to a pool party where I very much dreaded the fact that lots of people had eyes on us all night and he was wanting to talk one on one and I was hoping to hang out with friends in a group.  Almost as awkward as my braces.  Almost.  Still, I liked Shawn and was excited about our date.

Shawn never called again and I didn't really dwell on it.  I went to homecoming with a guy I dated for about 2 months in there.

When Sweetheart (the notorious 'girl ask guy dance') rolled around, I thought I might ask Shawn.  I got some courage together and called him.  When I got on the phone I just cut to the chase and asked.  He said, and I quote, "I don't really want to."*  I was a bit upset.  I went on a ski trip that weekend and procured a different date.  I also wrote Shawn off internally, and externally, as I vocally let my friends know how I felt.

*I later got the back story on his 'no'.  Shawn told a mutual friend of ours that he kind of liked me after our date.  That friend knew both of us and said, "She's too bubbly for me."  That was it for Shawn, he just couldn't bear to get with someone who was viewed as - gasp - 'bubbly' by his peer.  He was 16 at the time, so I should have mercy on him.  I also found out his mom heard him turn me down and reamed him after he got off the phone with me.

Fast forward to Senior Year, we ran with the same friends but were not really close ourselves.  I was taking Ceramics and English with Shawn.  During the time he wasn't cutting out of Ceramics early to extend his free hour, Shawn made a chess set and followed me around.  He didn't do it obviously, but it was obvious to me, even though we usually hung out there in a group of about 4 friends.  I started to realize that he liked me.  It was just before the Sweetheart Dance and I knew he wanted to go with me.  I had a feeling that if I didn't ask him, he would break tradition and ask me.

I hadn't forgotten how he'd burned me 2 years earlier.  I had a plan on which I would awkwardly avoid asking and he would ask me and then I would turn him down with the exact words he'd said to me.  Seriously, there was a little bit of a vengeful streak in me.

So the day came:
Shawn:  Do you have a date for the dance?
Me: No.
Shawn: Me neither.  
Me:  (with a last minute inability to perform the vengeful act - mumbled)  Wanna go with me?. .
Shawn:  (way too enthusiastically)  Yeah!

It happened.  We went to the dance together.  We did the awkward zombie slow dancing and we watched a movie after at a friend's house (he held my hand and I was pretty thrilled).  Shawn clearly liked me.  He got me a gift for Valentine's day - a rose and a card - and at some point in there, we were officially dating.

Our first date if you don't count our Sophomore thing.  

As time went on, I wasn't sure I was that into him, and thought I might bring myself to break up with him eventually.

He was a good boyfriend...really good.  For my birthday, he bought me a Creed CD (please don't judge my 18-year-old-self's music taste too harshly, Creed was big then).  He told me to open it up so we could play it in the car.  After I peeled off the wrapper, I found two Creed concert tickets inside the packaging!  Shawn worked at a video game store and used the company sealer to re-wrap the CD with the tickets inside....so cool- and also generous as I'm pretty sure they were expensive tickets.

So I continued to date him feeling so insanely guilty that he was being so nice to me and I wasn't head over heels.  I had several friends go on and on about how great he was and just WISHED that I was really into him.  I was nice and everything, but I just knew that he deserved a lot more for all his efforts.

We went to Senior Prom together, which was a blast.  We went on tons of dates and all the time I thought, "It is going to be hard to break up with this guy since he is so nice."  Summer was coming, I was going off to nanny in Missouri.  College was coming, he would be at K-State, I would be at Emporia State, so I thought that we would naturally break up as we drifted apart.

Prom. Forehead jewelry filed under "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

God plays funny tricks on me and sometime at the beginning of summer, this mindset of mine changed.  About one week before I left to nanny in Missouri, I realized how really perfect Shawn was.  Not just with my brain, but with my heart.  (Cheesy, I know, but how else do I say that I REALLY started to like him too when I already liked him, ya know?)

So, now that I was head over heels, I left for six weeks in small town Missouri chasing kids with my bad cell phone coverage.  AIM was our best friend.  He also drove to visit me once and we went to World's of Fun with a mutual friend.

A visit home during my time off from Nanny-ing.

When we got back to Wichita, we were privileged to attend World Youth Day, but with different groups.  Several times on the trip, he found me.  I remember one time we were at a huge field for outdoor Mass the next day with the Pope.  I was asleep on the ground in the heat, and I felt Shawn nudging my head with his feet and woke up to see him standing in the grass.

I took this photo.  No zoom-but I did get on a friend's shoulders to get up high.
I was that close to JPII.  So amazing.

Crazy Aussies and their blow-up platupi.

Then we came home, packed for college, and started our own adventures.  I had so much fun Freshman year and so did he.

My roommate and I with our boyfriends during their ESU visit.

We both made great friends in college.  I was loving the freedom and excitement that comes with all classic college experiences.  I really ate up the independence and freedom, the trips, the planning for myself, and doing my own thing.

Notre Damne trip.

Rocky Mountain Trip to see a friend.

Of course, though, while I had friends, freedom, and fun, I didn't have Shawn with me all the time.  I'm embarrassed to say how even though I saw him about 2 weekends a month, at least, I cried when we would split to go our own ways.   'Now me' looks back on that with serious shame.  Clearly, I was a pansy.

We both spent the summer of our Freshmen year at home.  We spent almost every day together to the tune of "Wouldn't It Be Nice?".  So marriage came up in conversation, but we were 19 so I didn't know how soon Shawn thought that we should marry.  I wanted no fancy ring because I dislike wearing finger jewelry and hate spending big money on bling.  Shawn said he had plans to ask me to marry him, but it was not something I expected to happen immediately.  I figured that someday we would marry and I had no problem taking our time about it.

Chi Rho semiformal

I was still doing the college thing at Emporia while Shawn did his thing in Manhattan.  He had a Manhattan radio show that I listened to online each week.

One night, I had promised my friends I would go out with them after Shawn's radio show, but was planning to flake on them to focus on Math homework.  My friend Renee called and guilted me into going, saying Math homework could wait until later.  I gave in to some girl time out.

This is the fun part of the story, and I will let 19 year old me tell it like I did Livejournal style back in the day:

"Sunday night, I listened to Shawn's radio show online from 6-7pm...from my computer here. Then I got a call from some of my girlfriends, inviting me to go out with them. I accepted the invitation, and soon they had come to pick me up. We went to get drinks at Sonic. Then, since the weather was nice, Renee suggested we go to Peter Pan Park to take a walk. This was late in the evening. When we got to Peter Pan Park, the girls insisted I get out of the car. I was scared, because it was late and dark...and the park had a monument across the water that looked like a cemetery. Finally, they convinced me to get out of the car. I walked down this path covered in roses, rose petals, and candles, towards this stone kiosk lit in front of the water. Shawn stepped out, dressed like a prince, and handed me three roses. He said, "Hello Princess, would you like to dance?"
Then, "When You Wish Upon A Star" began to play. Then we danced. When the song was over he got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. Of, course, I said yes. I didn't cry, I was excited."

After the proposal.

As you can tell, my writing hasn't improved much since then.  But you get the drift.  It was one of those storybook elaborate proposals, tailored to a Disney girl with a flare for dramatics.

My friends, who had a hand in it from the beginning, took photos, and convinced us to celebrate at a bar and blow off Math homework for the night.  The professor liked me and now I knew I was too excited to do homework anyways, so I figured I could lean on the crutch of a new engagement and get by on a good reputation previously.  (Which worked, by the way.)

I came home to Wichita for the Spring Semester and Shawn left KSU as well.

As wedding planning progressed, I prayed to God that I was doing the right thing, and was not getting an answer I could hear.  Shawn, was fully confident that he was and was well aware of what God wanted for him.  I reasoned that while I wasn't getting an obvious response from God, Shawn was, and if he was called to be with me, then I couldn't be doing the wrong thing.

About one week before the wedding I second guessed myself, fearing commitment, or just the fact that I was so young.  I determined after a discussion with a mentor, that dating Shawn forever was not going to be an option, and I would have to take the next step eventually(if I wanted to keep him, and I did).  Later in the day, I was snacking on these silly 'morals for kids' fortune cookies my mom bought on sale, when I found a fortune that read, "If you do not take off the training wheels, you may never learn to ride the bike."  God was giving me the sign I had long waited for.  That tiny fortune is around here somewhere, it makes its appearance from time to time, but I cannot locate it just now.

So, on August 13th, 2004, 9 years ago today, through the grace of God, I made the best decision of my life and married one amazing husband.  He hasn't disappointed.

Came home one day to this on my coffee table.

Medical Frequent Flyer Miles

You know how after you buy 5 ice cream cones (or whatever), you fill up your card and get one free?  We need one of those for Dominic's getaway of choice.  

Dominic has an affinity for curtain lined sterile environments.  I also think he hates money.

When Dom was 2 months old, he had liquid sounding lungs and my always happy baby spent a night crying off and on.  A morning trip to Immediate Care told us that this was no little cold.  An ambulance chartered one low O2 sat. baby and one high strung and scared momma about one block over to a hospital where we spent a few days watching our baby get suctioned and tested and treated.  Our first visit to the ER with a kid.

He was a happy bugger.

At 2 years, Dominic stayed with Dad while I ventured to Florida with Solomon.  I received a text about a fall from the ladder and 'rock lodged in his head' which was probably a slight exaggeration, because no stitches were needed.  Stamp 2 on the ER Rewards card.  

At 3 years, Dominic most likely dumped a 50 count bottle of why-aren't-they-childproofed Pepcid into the toilet, after tasting 1 or 2 and deciding they were yucky.  Most likely.  So we had him professionally monitored for a few hours before going home with our third 'stamp'.

On July 3rd a mrsa incident meant more ER fun for Dominic.  At least it was a legitimate reason to get another stamp.

Last week, I was cutting the boys' hair in the backyard, when Dominic spotted some mushrooms in the grass and asked, "Can I eat them?"  I responded with a clearly too challenging, "NO!  Don't eat mushrooms, they are poison."  Moments later, as I finished Sol's cut, a triumphant Dominic proclaimed, "I ate them!"  Should have seen that coming from Mr. Test-The-Limits-for-Attention.  The rest is as you'd expect:  Google, Poison Control, mushrooms in a bag, hooligans to the car, and we're off to Dominic's favorite home away from home.

These guys, right here.

He had to drink flavored charcoal ('yucky' Dom noted) and sit on the luxury white bedding under surveillance for a few hours.

After charcoal.  Not Oreos.

And we made clay things to pass the time.  

We made a claymation movie too- (I clearly missed my calling.)    

When Shawn arrived at the ER to meet us, he asked, "Do you guys have a Rewards Program?"

Stamp #5.  Next one should be free.  
Almost makes me want to tell Dom not to jump off the top bunk.

Shawn's Date

Shawn is on a date today with another woman.  I would be jealous, if it weren't for the fact that it is with the lady photographed here:

My Grandma

 They actually do this date once a year.  

My husband has a huge garden in our backyard, and we get a few tomatoes.  (Sol may be hanging over the sink eating three five  seriously 6!? right now.)

My grandma is one of the last living fans of the county extension office events, and she is up to date on all the exciting*(very generous use of the word) programs they offer such as canning and gardening classes.

One such event offered is an annual Tomato Day complete with educational tips on tomatoes, canning, and competitions for best tomatoes of many varieties.  This is their date.  Shawn takes her to breakfast at joints with names like "Fat Ernie's".  Then they are off to the Farmer's market for all kinds of shenanigans.  Shawn is the youngest man there by a good 35 years.

So, this year, my Grandma has mentioned some 3000 times that there is a competition for tomatoes and she thinks Shawn's tomatoes have a shot.  (Shawn did not feel this way.)  I coaxed him into humoring my Grandma's competitive nature and bringing a few plates to enter.

I just got a call, he won 2nd prize for his Baby Roma Tomatoes, so he is the proud owner of a $10 Farmer's Market Gift Certificate!  He wanted to know what we wanted and I directed him to locate the nearest Mennonite baked goods because I think we are good on fresh veggies for a bit.

It seems my Grandma bought him a strawberry rhubarb pie.  Those two whipper snappers - living it up like they are a mere 65!  (Which for one of them is impressive - I won't say which one.)

I'm sure in his acceptance speech, he thanked his own Grandpa for the green thumb.  (Tuck in a few prayers for his Grandpa Earl if you see this.)

Sunday Best

Linking up with Fine Linen and Purple and Plane Pretty.

Today, I cantored at Mass so just me, no kids.  Which means, no need to wear nursing clothes.  To celebrate, I veered from the typical noncolor scheme and wore a fun coral dress.  The length is a bit iffy after an unfortunate washer trip.  I wore it with the jean jacket some of the day and the cardigan some.  It has a cut out in the back which is super cute but not cool for church.

dress without sweater on vacation

Dress:  Francesca's Collection
Shoes:  Target (my favorite ever pair of shoes)
Necklace:  gift from a friend
Cardigan:  Gap from 2002ish, I think
Jacket:  Old Navy
Earrings:  gift from my mom, a pop of teal

All of you are inspiring me to do more separates.  Here is an outfit I wore earlier this week:

Last night, Shawn and I found ourselves with just 1 kid since Grandma took the big boys swimming.  We rallied our Bonefish Gift Cards and I ate the Mussels Josephine - so good.

Shawn says foodies don't take photos of food at chain restaurants.
I am not a foodie, and these are awesome.  

My dates.

Happy Sunday!

My Backyard Farm

When it comes to things I love about my house, ranking in at numero uno is my backyard.  I'm not typically an outdoorsy person, but my kids are, and having a large fenced in space with treehouse, grass, and garden for them to roam is ideal.

The best is the garden in the summer.  It is really Shawn's garden, I just do the occasional weed and I love to pick the tomatoes when they ripen.

Shawn with his delicious hobby.

So today, after Shawn brought in the squash and zucchini, the kids and I grabbed a basket (I thought that was more whimsical than the usual bowl) and went hunting.

Solly loved time in 'the maze'.  Dommy did the majority of the spotting and picking.  A great lesson in self sufficiency and the gift in nature.  It seems like they might understand the Gospels better with just a little understanding of growing food.

Shawn already got a ton of cucumbers and made pickles. 

Using our garden potatoes, squash, basil, and some goat cheese I got on sale, I have plans to make this amazing looking dish.  I'll let you know if it is as great as I think it will be.

Days like today, I feel like the farm girl I unrealistically think I would want to be, if I didn't have an affinity for laziness and high heels.

What We're Reading

Linking up with Housewifespice

I am reading:

Both are for book clubs.

The Privilege of Being a Woman is starting out a little slow for a girl who doesn't really feel that oppressed as a woman.  The first few chapters set the groundwork for what may be an interesting read, but I hope it is also a moving and informative read.  I'm not just gaining tons of useful information through the beginning, but I feel it will get there.  The beginning lays out all the times women have been degraded and put second to men, I think to create a little empathy for a misguided feminist movement, but I feel it lingers on it too much.  But in different hands, this would be informative and moving, I would think.

I Capture the Castle is one I have read before - 2 times - so I am really just re-skimming it to freshen up for book club.  The fact that I have read it 2 times puts it in a category with 3 other books:  The Giver, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Harry, the Dirty Dog.  (Okay, there were only 2 legit books, I've read a handful of children's books over and over again.)  What I'm saying is, this is a good book.  It is NOT a Hunger Games can't stop turning pages due to suspense type book.  It is more of a quirky, interesting, romantically located, well written, and believable book.  So go out and enjoy it!

Shawn is reading:

He loves the Ender's Game books and wants me to read them too.  Should I?  Anyone?

Sol is reading:
A bunch of Dear Dragon books he checked out at the library.

I think they are stupid, and well below his reading level, but he likes them.  They are also great books for sight word recognition, as they repeat lots of words like "come" and "hear".  As a reading teacher, I can say they are not great phonics books.

Dom just read:

Grandma read it to him.  Then, he saw a web in his firetruck toy in the backyard and said, "Look, mom, a web, a beautiful web."  Eric Carle is my hero, he and Mr. Rogers know where it's at.
I am also reading him a bunch of boring easy-readers and paraphrasing non-fiction books about flight, transportation, and planes to him.  I'm yawning, he's all over it.

Wilson just enjoyed looking at a board book version of this:

His newborn tastes are impeccable.  This book is hilarious.  And bright, and fun to read.  And rhyming, and super.  Which is why Sol just had to pick it up and read it to him.  It is riddled with gems like, "Hello Jack, Hello Jake, Shake hands, Shake hands, Shake, Shake Shake."

Go check out the others - get inspired to read for you and read to your kids, so so important.

Alaska, Emergency Room, and other fun

Shawn went to Alaska for an impromptu work trip last week from Sunday to Wednesday.  I am proud of my big girl self for only spending one night at my sister's and trying to 'tough it out' here at home at nights.

jealous?  I was. 

 

Wednesday night, we went swimming at a pool at Nana's neighbor's house.  It was too cold for me to get in, but some little ones had a great time.

Beautiful pool!

Dominic, before the impending doom soon to befall him

After our swim, Dom convinced Nana that he needed to spend the night there.  I proceeded to undress him and help him into PJs when Nana noticed a bug bite on his upper thigh.  It was red in the middle, swollen, and red around it for a good 3 inches.  Dominic said a spider bit him, but we got in the phone to page the doctor.  I've done that a thousand times for all sorts of stuff, but this return time was the fastest I've ever had.  After further examination and describing it to him, the Dr. said, "I'm worried it's mrsa, take him in now, you don't want to wait."

Shawn and I packed up the kids.  Dom was devastated that his newly negotiated sleepover was to be replaced with the ER and possible shots.  Nana was able to offer the consolation of a new toy she had bought for him - a plane from the movie Planes that is coming out.  (Get excited mothers of boys everywhere.)

Shawn took the baby, Sol, and I home.  I proceeded to google 'mrsa' for the next long 2 hours while a curious 6 year old kept asking, "What's mrsa?" to which I replied, "Go to bed."

Shawn called and it was mrsa.  He itched a mosquito bite and it got infected.  They sedated him to drain it.  Even sedated with localized pain meds, Dom apparently teared up and whimpered as they dug out the wound.  They also packed it, which is filling the hole with something gauzy.

He came slowly out of sedation singing, and thought his ER bed was a boat.  The doctors were cracking up at him, and said that Shawn should be recording.  If Shawn was the owner of a smart phone, you can bet he'd have been a great "David after Dentist" type video.

They sent him home with pain meds, antibiotics, and the aftermath of the sedation.  The poor kid was just a mess when he got home.  I asked if he sang at the doctor's, and he said, "Only when I was on the boat."  Then he got up to potty and toppled over.  He looked down at his legs and cried, "Why are there 2 band aids?"  (One they gave him while he was sedated.)

He woke up crying in the night, we gave him some pain meds, and he fell back asleep.  He woke up limping in the morning but otherwise normal.  Our follow-up appointment today was okay, but we aren't done with it yet, we go in again Monday.


I made some sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies to take to my Aunt Anne's party for the 4th.

Solly and Dad at the party.  Poor infected Dom went to Nana's instead.

Linking up with Clan Donaldson:

Freedom:  having children-as many as we like-and bringing them up in the faith

After Anne's, we went to Nana's for a fireworks show.

at Nana's - Sol's new t-shirts fit me too, so I'm sporting his more Americana print

When Sol saw the cookies I made for the 4th he read them and said, "America!  I love America!"  

So do I.