Friend Withdrawals

There are a couple things about married life that I'm still trying to adjust to. As for living with HeRoos-no problem. He is actually a very good roommate and is even willing to mop the floors AND clean the toilets (if I ask very nicely). It's great having a roommate with benefits. wink wink

The difficult transition for me has been trying to make new friends way out west. I have lived with roommates for the past twelve years and am used to always having friends around and people to do things with. I loved meeting friends for dinner, walking at the park or just hanging out and talking.

Now that HeRoos and I are married and live at the edge of the earth, I feel like my social life has done a complete flip-flop. I still keep in touch with friends but we don't see each other nearly as often and it takes a lot more effort when we do.

Saturday night was a perfect example. Due to my friend withdrawals, we thought it would be nice to see a movie with some friends so I got on the phone and started calling around (most of my friends who live in SLC are single). Call after call, it was the same thing-they already had plans (hot date, dinner, party, etc.). I realized that as much as I hated going to parties as a single person, it was nice to have a party to go to.

This entry really has no point except to say that married people need friends too.

Highlights & Lowlights of 2007

2007 has been an unforgettable year in so many ways...

April 13th We got hitched!

June 16th Horse Back riding accident

July Found out BabyRoos was cookin' in the oven

August 19th HeRoos took his last final at the University of Utah (for now)

October 1st SheRoos returned to work, part-time, as an ESL teacher/Teacher Specialist

December 1-8 Cruise to the Mexican Riviera

In the meantime we've been preparing ourselves for parenthood, spending time with our families & friends and enjoying married life. This year has been full of ups and downs but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I feel so fortunate to have great people in my life. Friends who I haven't seen in months or even years have a special place in my heart. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

SheRoos

Pizza Making Party!

HeRoos and I love to get together with friends. We had a great time at our Pizza Making Party! We did some research and had some trial runs to find just the right recipes for dough and sauces. HeRoos discovered a tasty marina sauce and California Pizza Kitchen's dough online.

Our friends brought various toppings and everyone made a personal pan pizza. I made my favorite, a barbecue chicken pizza (like CPK's), and it was delicious. There were so many options to choose from. Good food, good friends...does it get any better than this?!

Congratulations HeRoos!

This entry is a little delayed but it was an exciting event that deserves to be blogged. I told HeRoos that when I saw proof of his graduation we would celebrate. His diploma arrived earlier this year from the University of Utah in Computer Engineering. Even though he has been working for the same company for the past 8 years, it was still a BIG accomplishment for him to say good bye to the ever lingering university life (at least for now).

I planned a surprise get away to celebrate. I told him to pack warm clothes and pick up a scary movie at Blockbuster (I rarely, rarely watch scary movies so this was a big treat to him). As HeRoos drove, I gave directions and we arrived at the Beaver Creek Lodge up Logan Canyon.

M fear was conquered as I got "back on the horse," and we went for ride. As we were exploring the beautiful country side, snow flakes started gently falling from the sky. It was so peaceful being in nature with the man I love.

That night we watched Poltergeist. HeRoos saw it when he was young and the feelings of fear were still associated with it. This was my first time and I had a difficult time taking it serious because of how old the movie was. I couldn't help but giggle when I sensed he was feeling scared. I had to leave to visit the ladies room and he started following behind me. When I teased him, he went back to the TV room but put it on pause until I returned (he said he didn't want me to miss anything-yea right.) The next morning, we woke up to snow covering the ground.

We took the long way home. The drive was absolutely beautiful and we were alone on the dirt roads for the majority of the trip. We took our time and stopped to admire the changing leaves and breathe in the fresh air. The weekend adventure was just what we needed.

-SheRoos

Miss Itchy I

When I was in kindergarten, I was "Miss Itchy I" for the school alphabet program. Little did we know that the paint used on my body would have a hard time coming off and really make me itch! I feel like Miss Itchy I again but this time it's not going away in two days!

My body has been crawling for the past few days. I've been on the verge of going CRAZY! I wasn't sure if I was itching from the change in weather or if it was the soap I started using. Whatever it was...I wanted it to STOP.

HeRoos and I were at the OBGYN on Wednesday and my first question/complaint for Dr. Chambers was my skin condition. I described the symptoms and she said, "I hope it's not what I think it is." I proceeded to lift up my pant legs to show her the rash covering my legs and she said, "Yes, you have PUPPP (Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy). " We now know what has been causing the horrible itch all over my body. It usually occurs in the third trimester and goes away within a few days of delivering the baby.

Unfortunately, I'm only in my second trimester (20 weeks) and have 20 more weeks to go with this annoying rash. I have been taking oatmeal baths, using tubes of itch cream, and taking Benadryl. The good news is that it doesn't affect the baby. Besides the rash, I am feeling so much better. Food is mostly staying down and I feel well enough to do my share around the house. We even bought baby furniture and a stroller for Baby Roos (BR). When it arrives and is set up, we'll post pictures of it. We're getting excited for BR to join our family.

I'm IT!

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago

1) Attending Southern Utah University
2) Living with my relatives in Cedar City
3) Waiting for my mission call
4) Fighting acne (thank goodness for Proactiv)
5) Driving my car "Freedom" (no a/c but the heater was great)

5 Things on my to do list today

1) Get ready before 1 pm. I have the day off and I can't wait to read New Moon (sequel to Twilight)
2) Grocery shopping (yuck! maybe I'll wait for HeRoos to go with me)
3) Finish sewing a baby quilt-it is the first quilt I've ever made. Hopefully BabyRoos will like it
4) Make banana bread
5) OR do absolutely nothing productive, it's my day off!

5 Songs I know the lyric to:
1) Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)
2) I Am a Child of God (Hymn)
3) You've Gotta Fight for your Right (Beastie Boys)
4) The Rose (Bette Midler)
5) I know most choruses but mouth "watermelon" to the rest of the words

5 Things I would do with a million dollars

1) Buy a home surrounded by a lot of land and a lake/pond
2) Buy a cabin for family and relatives to share
3) Vacation to Italy, Greece, Spain, Australia, Japan, etc. etc.
4)I think the money may be gone by now but in case it isn't... new car
5) Save for future college funds

5 Things I will never wear again:
1) Never say never... I didn't think I would ever wear big hoop earrings again but I did Saturday
2) A different color Converse hightop shoe on each foot
3) puff paint on t-shirts
4) big bows in my hair
5) Dr. Marten shoes with a dress (I did this for 18 months as a missionary!)

5 Favorite Toys

1) Kitchen Aid mixer (thanks for those wedding gift cards)
2) Text messaging so I can flirt with my husband
3) Digital camera
4) Laptop
5) jewelry

5 People I'm Tagging

1) HeRoos
2) Monica J
3) Rookie Dad
4) N. Fuderburk
5) NYManzanita
and anyone else who would like to share!

The Other Question?

by HeRoos

So the question is Girl or Boy? That is the question my mother-in-law was dying to know. Unfortunately she and my father-in-law were out of town and we (ok I) didn’t want to tell them over the phone. We wanted to try to come up with something somewhat creative since this is our first child and when we announce children number two, three, four, five, and six they will be like, yawn (j/k). Plus my mother-in-law is similar to my wife in that they hate waiting for a surprise when they know one is coming so I get a descent amount of pleasure teasing them. We had a week before they got back from their trip so of course we procrastinated until we were driving up to see them and the gang from the HalHouse. We were in a time crunch so the best we came up with was to buy about 300 small pieces of blue and pink candy. The idea was to make them count each piece and whatever color there was more of would tell them what we were having.

The problem is that it is hard to count 300 pieces of candy while your driving, especially when being one off can throw off the whole thing. So after the 5th time of counting and getting a different number each time, along with getting a little nauseous from SheRoos' driving (another subject for later) we decided to just throw them all together and we added some extra candies of the wrong color to mess with their heads. So we watched them take the time to count out all the candy and when they announced that they had finished with what they thought was the answer we broke it to them that we had really gotten tired of counting so having them take the time to count was really just for our amusement and that the real answer was that we are having a…

BOY. So we will be having a little Ricky running around the house in March...well I guess at that point he will just be crying, drooling, sleeping, and waking mommy (and only mommy) up in the middle of the night for a feeding. So we of course are way excited! SheRoos loves baby clothes and now she can finally buy some for her own baby. Now I just need to convince SheRoos that her sewing room, that she likes to decorate, is a much better place for a baby room then my conveniently located office across from our bedroom!

Way to Go Sam's Club

I have a shout out for Sam's Club produce. They have the absolute best fruit around. Check out the size of those grapes! I return on a weekly basis just to buy fruit.

I almost had a breakdown when I ventured into Sam's on Saturday and I couldn't see the red seedless grapes. After taking deep breaths, I looked around a little more and Boom, the stars were lined up for me. As soon as I got into my car, I started popping them into my watering mouth (I did think about the dirty hands that picked them but I decided I didn't care enough to wait).

My other favorite's are Gala and Fuji apples, only if they are crisp! If they are even slightly mushy, the entire bag goes into the trash. Apples are a little trickier to get just right since I can't take a bite out of the apple while at Sam's. I do test the grapes.

Mmmm, I just had the thought of a caramel apple. That sounds so good right now. Halloween brings out all sorts of cravings; caramel popcorn, candy corns, apple cider, candy, chili...you get the idea.

Quick update

HeRoos and I had great intentions to keep our blog updated. We agreed to take turns blogging. As you can see from our entries, HeRoos is a little behind. He has been a very busy man.

Here are a few updates some of you have been inquiring about:

* I returned to work October 1st after a long recovery. I am teaching part time as a "Teacher Specialist." It's nice to be around people again and wear clothes that don't consist of pajamas. My energy is still not where I want it to be but with all that my body went through and is going through, I'm doing just fine.

* After hours and hours of hard manual labor, we have a backyard with grass! HeRoos is so smart and can tackle tough projects (like sprinkling systems and granite tile counter tops). With the help of family and neighbors on Saturday, we have SOD.

* As for being pregnant, let's just say that we may have only one biological child. I'm already trying to prepare HeRoos for the possibility of adopting the rest of our family. I'm so jealous of women who never get sick and love being pregnant. Many of my favorite meals have been left on the sides of roads and in bathroom toilets. I am thrilled to be a mom and will be happy to meet the little guy/girl when he/she gets here.

* We found out yesterday the sex of the baby but HeRoos wants to torture my parents and make them wait until they return from their trip to Texas. Any guesses? You have a 50% chance of being correct!

There's a quick update. Life is good.

SheRoos

Sags and Dots

One thing that I can say has been constant in my life is having great friends. As many of you know, once you're my friend, you're stuck for life! This doesn't mean that I keep in touch with my friends on a regular basis but I treasure them forever.

"Dots" and I have been best of friends since 5th grade. I remember our first meeting in the JT Stevens Elementary library in Texas. We were the new kids. She was dressed in pepto-bismal pink from head to toe with her hair in tight curls and a big pink bow to top off the outfit. I don't recall my own outfit but I'm sure it consisted of a baggy t-shirt and my naturally curly hair in the "wet look." I'm guessing that is why she gave me the nickname "Sags."

If Dots wasn't being challenged enough in school, she would take on extra work to do at home. I did everything I could to avoid homework in any form. She was a disciplined dancer from a young age and a girl scout! I carried around a skateboard pretending that I could ride it and the only thing I knew about girl scouts is that they had good cookies.

Over the years, we've grown in different ways and learned life's lessons through different experiences but we've never grown apart. I moved to Utah before my junior year of high school and we haven't gone a year without seeing each other. We are just as different now (20 years later) as we were when we first met.

Dots is a flight attendant and was able to take a trip to SLC last Wednesday. During her short lay over, we were able to catch up, eat, have a Mary Kay spa day, eat again, and then say our good byes. Being with a good friend is so recharging for the soul.

Lunch at Ruth's diner

Dots putting her skills to use as a Mary Kay rep. (If you need anything, she's your woman and I can give you her info.)
Dinner at Tuscany with Dots, Me, and HeRoos (who is taking the picture)

The BIG question

(just before the accident)

After the congratulations have been said, a question immediately comes up..."Did you get pregnant before or after the accident?" We have come up with a response, "Good Question," and we're sticking to it (so quit asking Mom)! Some of you may be wondering what accident we're referring to.

While at a family reunion in Prestion, Idaho, I went horseback riding with my uncle, mom, and cousin. The horse I was riding decided it was done packing around a person on the narrow, steep trail and tried bucking me off. I reacted without thinking and grabbed on to the reins, holding on for dear life. The horse fell on top of me and rolled around trying to get all four hooves back on the ground.

As my uncle rode his horse down the mountain for help, I asked for what my mom thought was my dying request-them to sing my favorite church hymn, I Am A Child Of God. Even in my broken state, I was completely aware of the lack of musical talent that seems to run in our family blood (no offense Mom & Colby). I thought if I joked about it, it might be my last words so I closed my eyes and bit my tongue and felt comfort in their cracking and nervous voices.

HeRoos and my cousin, who is a nurse, arrived on a four wheeler within minutes of getting the news. The rest of the relatives followed offering their help (including clothing off their own backs). When the search and rescue team finally arrived, huffing and puffing, they put me on a stretcher and carried me down the mountain to the ambulance. As I lay awake on the stretcher, I could see the trees and clouds above me and I imagined myself floating down a stream in a raft. It was surreal.

After many x-rays and doses of morphine at the Franklin County Medical Center, we found out how severe the damage was. My right collarbone was broken, some of the vertebrate in my back were chipped and cracked, and the ligaments in right knee were torn. PAIN is an understatement. I remember praying, pleading for death, anything but the pain.

It has been three months and I'm glad I'm not dead. In fact, I'm feeling much better and I'm so lucky to have such great people in my life. Thanks to all of you who have sent letters, called, helped and prayed for us. HeRoos and my mom have also scored major points in heaven. HeRoos has proved to be everything and more I ever hoped for in a husband. I am the luckiest person in the world.

(just after the accident)

-SheRoos

Oops!

We wanted our first blog to be a success so we decided to create some big news. Well, as the title implies, we didn't really create "it" for the purpose of a blog. Baby Roos will be arriving in March! You're shocked? Well, you can imagine our reaction when we watched the two pink lines appear on the home pregnancy test (I believe SheRoos' first words were "oh s#%@!", and HeRoos, like all men, was just happy "they" knew how to swim). Let's just put it this way to spare you T.M.I. (too much information): this baby is a miracle and we will happily welcome "it" to our family.

Oh and for those of you doing the math right now, we'll help you with the time line...started dating in August, engaged in December, married in April, and the baby was conceived 2 months, 3 days, 6 hours, and 23 minutes after that :)