the story of us

I was reading through a list of journal jar questions and came across this:

What convinced you most in your choice of a spouse?

This is a question worth answering, one I want my kids and grandkids to know the answer to.

Wendel and I have known each other for a long time. We knew each other in high school, mostly because we were in the same ward. His family moved to Mesa, Arizona from Zionsville, Indiana his Junior year of high school. I was in Utah at the time but moved back my Junior year / his Senior year. We were only ever acquaintances in high school (this post explains all about that). Picking up from that post, we parted ways that summer of 99, when Wendel was dropping me off from a date and I thought he was going to kiss me. I stepped away and told him I really wanted to serve a mission (which he already knew), I was writing a missionary and I was dating someone else (Wendel and I had only been casually dating - I was casually dating others and one guy I was seeing was getting a bit more serious). He was supportive of my mission, which always impressed me, but I think he figured things wouldn't work out between us. We left on a positive note but with no intention to write to each other while I was gone or try to date in the future. I remember thinking he was such a fun guy and it would be fun to get to know him better and spend more time with him. The timing wasn't right though.

We really stated dating seriously after my mission. While I was on my mission, I worked with a family from Russia. I thought about writing to Wendel, because he served his mission in Russia, but I never did. I received a letter while on my mission from one of our mutual friends, Julie Berky. In her letter, she mentioned Wendel Schultz was engaged. I didn't think much of it, other than I was happy for him, until I got home from my mission.

My mom not only got married and moved to a new town while I was on my mission, but she and her husband moved into my mission president's (old) house! I came home to a new family - two step-brothers and a step-sister and a step-father I had never met. I was working full-time at a bank as an Administrative Assistant (thanks to my step-dad for helping me get the job) and spent my free time working out, sometimes hanging out with girls from my ward or my sister, Lindsey, going to the gym or walking/running in my neighborhood, or reading scriptures and writing in my journal.

I was heartbroken about a boy and trying to move on. Things had not worked out at all with the guy I wrote to for three years (while we both served our missions...seriously thought I was going to marry that guy). There was another guy I had also written while on my mission. Things were pretty serious with him too. He actually proposed to me before I left and I told him no. He wrote to me faithfully and would've married me. I loved him and loved his family but I just didn't feel right about it. He wasn't the best person for me so I told him not to be at the airport when I came home. His mom later told me the day he got that letter from me, he proposed to the girl he had been dating. Even though he was engaged, he still came to my homecoming. It was very uncomfortable for me and I even doubted my decision to break things off with him. I went to his wedding reception and felt like my heart was breaking. It was a difficult time. I had dated a few guys since I'd been home but nothing serious.  One was a guy I had a crush on since 6th grade. I would write my name with his last name all through school and dreamed of marrying him someday. He was visiting Utah and asked me out. We had fun together and he is a great guy. We loved dancing together and picked up right where we left off with that. We even tried to do the long distance thing (he was living in Arizona at the time) but I felt like our communication wasn't very good and it just wasn't happening. There was another guy who turned out to be completely wrong for me in every way and ending that relationship was a very good decision.

I had been home six months and Wendel had crossed my mind a time or two, mostly because my sister (who loved Wendel when we dated before) kept bringing him up. She told me I should email him, almost daily. I told her he was married and she told me to at least tell him congratulations. I finally figured I could at least do that. I sent him an email telling him I heard he got married and congratulating him. He wrote back and told me he was never engaged and didn't know what I was talking about. He said he had tried emailing me at my old email address about once a month from the time he knew I was coming home from my mission. He then asked, "Dinner sometime?" That was in October of 2002. On our first date (for the second time), we talked on the front porch, which led to the living room, until 4:00 am. We hadn't held hands or kissed at this point. We were just talking and laughing and we couldn't get enough. I couldn't remember the last time I smiled so much. I felt so comfortable and happy and couldn't wait to see him again. He was down in Provo, going to school at BYU, and I was living in Centerville at my mom and step-dad's house. He came up a lot and I went down to Provo sometimes too. In December we took a road trip to Arizona together and unbeknown to me, he had a ring with him. It was also on that trip that the roads were closed in Flagstaff due to bad weather and we had to get a hotel...together. We had a rule in that hotel that we would only kiss in the hallway, not in the room, and we slept in separate beds. It worked but I was falling in love with him, which meant all sorts of anxiety flags were going up for me.

Luckily, he did not propose to me on that trip. He actually thought he lost the ring and was very worried about it. He didn't tell me he had a ring but said he lost something very important and from the way he was talking, I thought it could be a ring, which freaked me out. We had only been seriously dating for two months! I had always been nervous about marriage; sure, it was fun to think about being married someday but when it came down to it, I was terrified and didn't know how I would ever take that leap of faith with anyone. My parents are divorced and I saw several unhappy marriages to add to my "quiver" of reasons why the thought of marriage gave me an anxiety attack (literally). There was my dad, who told me how difficult marriage is, and bribed me not to get married until I was 24 with the promise of a car if I kept my end of the bargain (which I did...and I never did see that car). He also wanted me to kiss 10 guys before I got married and Wendel just so happened to be #9. Now, my dad was probably just pulling a number out - not being literal but just asking me to date several guys before settling down for the rest of my life. But to a teenage girl who hung on to every word her dad ever told her, I took it very literally. I did not want to repeat his mistakes and if this was his advice and wisdom, I would take it. And I did.

Wendel did propose to me in December of 2002. He knew by this point just how nervous I was about marriage. I knew he had a ring, as he had told me he did, and I had told him I wasn't ready for it yet. He said he was okay with that and we could take it slowly. But one evening in December I was leaving his house in Provo to drive back up to Centerville. He had told me to come back if the roads were bad. The roads ended up being so bad, I could hardly see in front of me. I called him and told him I was coming back to sleep on his couch because the roads weren't safe. When I was in his house for the second time that evening, he started walking toward me in the living room and stumbled a little, saying something was wrong with his knee. I thought he was hurt but then saw him kneeling in front of me, holding a little white box. My heart started racing as he opened it and I saw the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. It was exactly my taste; simple but beautiful. He told me he loved me and asked me if I would be his wife. I didn't answer right away. I was surprised and nervous and excited all at once. I then said yes and threw my arms around him. It felt right to say yes; I never felt that it was wrong. However, it only took a day or two for the anxiety to come back. I took the ring off and told him I couldn't be engaged right now.

It was the way he reacted that convinced me most in my choice of my spouse. 

He was understanding. He was patient. He held me and cried with me. He told me he would wait and work through this with me if this is what I wanted. He paid for me to go to counseling to work through the anxiety. He gave me space. He drove up to Centerville more than once, late and night, when I called him crying and just needed him to be there with me. His heart took a beating during the next two years, as we were engaged a total of three times before actually getting married. At one point, I broke things off entirely and moved to Logan, where I attended Utah State for a semester. I even dated someone else while I was there, and that absolutely broke Wendel's heart. I feel badly about that now but I was scared and needed space. That space and time away from Wendel helped me realize I didn't want to live my life without him. Wendel called and asked me if I would go to dinner with him on Valentine's Day. The guy I was dating also wanted to take me out on Valentine's Day. He had recently told me he loved me and I knew things were getting more serious from his point of view. I knew I had to make a decision. I told this guy I wanted to spend Valentine's Day with Wendel (whom he knew I was engaged to previously). He was completely shocked and hurt, which is understandable. He told me he needed time away from me and I told him I was going to spend some time with Wendel, as I still had feelings for him. Spending time with Wendel again felt so right. I felt like I was coming home. I spent a lot of time on my knees and at the temple, praying and pleading for guidance about Wendel. Over and over again, I felt peace come to my heart and the Spirit wash over me. I knew, without any doubt, it was right and pleasing to my Heavenly Father to marry him. It still scared me to take the leap of faith and I still had a million "what if" questions floating around in my mind. But after that semester in Logan, I told Wendel I wanted to marry him - for real this time - and for the third time, he asked me to be his wife. I told him I wouldn't be able to wear the ring until our wedding day, which I felt would help with the anxiety. He completely understood.

I spent ten days of our engagement in Australia, with my favorite mission companion (which was previously planned before we got engaged for the third time). This helped with my anxiety, to not be there planning the wedding. Wendel emailed me pictures of the invitations and other things and I gave my input. I came home a couple of weeks before our wedding. I had received several blessings from my step-dad, Dave, about Wendel. In one, he had told me when I walked through the doors of the temple on my wedding day, all of the anxiety I felt would wash away and I would feel complete peace about marrying Wendel. I wanted to believe this and held onto it fiercely. I was terrified I would be like the girl on "Runaway Bride" and run out of the temple crying. But as I exercised my faith, that blessing came to pass. I walked into the Bountiful, Utah temple on June 16, 2004 and saw Wendel standing there, smiling at me. I felt every bit of anxiety leave me and felt the Spirit wash over me. I felt joy and excitement and knew it was right to be there at that time, marrying Wendel Schultz. I knew there was no one I would rather solve a problem with and I knew he would be by my side no matter what.

2010 recap

This past year was one of the most difficult years of my life but also one of the most amazing years of my life. Here's a quick recap of 2010 in the form of a questionnaire I found online:

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before? Gave birth to a child.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I honestly can't remember what my New Year's resolutions were other than to go to graduate school, which I did. Yes, I am in the process of making resolutions for this year. I haven't solidified them yet but I'm working on a short, meaningful list that won't be too overwhelming. 
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Other than me, I had several friends give birth this year.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Wendel's grandmother died in June. We went to Arizona for her funeral. Though it was sad to see her go, the funeral was a beautiful tribute to her life.
5. What countries did you visit? None
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010? A MSW degree
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? March 2nd, the day Oliver was born. Being a mother is incredible. 
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Making it through the quarter right after Oliver was born - passing my Biology class and getting an A in my Research class - both of which were incredibly difficult, especially while adjusting to motherhood, dealing with nursing issues, hives, shingles, post-postpartum depression, and lack of sleep. Having made it through that, I feel like I can make it through almost anything.
9. What was your biggest failure? No big regrets
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing serious
11. What was the best thing you bought? It is a toss up between our baby monitor, our glider, and our minivan (which we have yet to pick up but we did purchase it in 2010).
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Oliver's, of course. We love celebrating each of his milestones.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Political leaders - elections depress me with all of the lying candidates do about each other.
14. Where did most of your money go? Graduate school
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The birth of our son

16. What song will always remind you of 2010? Little Sack of Sugar by Elizabeth Mitchell
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier. Oliver has brought so much happiness to us.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter but it's worth it.
c) richer or poorer? Richer, both with money and with blessings.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? My family history (scrapbooking, journaling, blogging, etc.). Prioritizing family and school leaves little time for much else. I'm okay with it but I'm pretty excited to get back to it when I'm done with school.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Nothing. No regrets.
20. How did you spend Christmas? With my family in a condo in Deer Valley, Utah. It was perfect.
21. Did you fall in love in 2010? Yes, with my sweet son. 
22. What was your favorite TV program? Parenthood
23. What was the best book you read? The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins (I actually haven't read the third book yet...no time but I can't wait to read it).
24. What was your greatest musical discovery? Mumford & Sons is pretty cool and I really like Dustin Kensrue's Christmas album.
25. What did you want and get? A baby
26. What did you want and not get? To be done with school
27. What was your favorite film of this year? I didn't see any amazing movies. Sad, but true. I didn't see many movies at all, so that's not saying much.
28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 31. Wendel got me a treadmill (two actually - one for each of us so we can work out at the same time). My mom was in town so I got to go out for Thai food with my mom, brother, Wendel, and Oliver.
29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Not having to take Biology.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? Hmm. Lacking.
31. What kept you sane? Wendel.
32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? None of them really.
33. What political issue stirred you the most? Health Care was a big one. 
34. Who did you miss? My family.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010: To sacrifice is to make something sacred
36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: "'Cause when push comes to shove you find what you're made of, you might bend till you break 'cause it's all you can take, on your knees you look up, decide you've had enough, you get mad, you get strong, wipe your hands, shake it off, then you stand, yeah, you stand" - Rascal Flats [It was a rough year but we made it through and we're stronger for it. My schooling experiences have really brought us together and I'm so grateful for that. They have given us numerous opportunities to serve each other, have in-depth discussions, unite in prayer and fasting, and appreciate the sacredness of the struggles and accomplishments.] 

I'm looking forward to 2011. There are so many great things to look forward to. I will be done with classes in June! Oliver turns one in March. I will only have a part-time internship after June - no job and no classes. Amazing! It's going to be a great year.

[Photos taken by Kali Lu Photography] 

is this my new reality?

For the sake of one last post in the year 2010, I am finally posting something. Does anyone else feel like the older you get, the busier the holidays are and the more difficult they are to enjoy? The days and weeks fly by and I am left feeling rushed and out of breath with everything that I am trying to keep up with. Sometimes I miss the days when Christmas seemed like forever away, and I would look forward to the advent each day leading up to it. Such simpler times. Now I am constantly saying, "It can't be December already...not our party already...not time to do Christmas shopping already...send out cards? What? Already?!?" And then it is suddenly here and gone and the very high-speed countdown begins for next year. I sometimes wonder if I will ever enjoy it again. Maybe once I'm done with school? Or is this my new reality?

In conclusion, time goes by too fast when you're a grown-up. Make it slow down please!

my 20s

Today is my last day of my 20s. To commemorate, I will list 20 things I loved about my 20s:

1. Marrying Wendel
2. Serving a mission
3. Going to the temple for the first time
4. Touring the United States, including all of the church history sites
5. Living in Idaho, Utah, Australia, Arizona and Washington
6. Owning a home for the first (and second) time
7. Graduating from college (with both Associates and Bachelors degrees)
8. Having my work published
9. Becoming passionate about photography
10. Developing a love for cooking
11. Finally discovering what I am passionate about going to school for
12. Falling in love
13. Working and volunteering for organizations that change people's lives for the better
14. Learning how to rely on Wendel and Heavenly Father when faced with trials
15. Making amazing friends
16. Being introduced to Indian, Thai and Mediterranean food and loving all of them
17. Keeping a gratitude journal and realizing how it blesses my life
18. Starting a blog
19. Developing a love for thrift stores and garage sales
20. Having "our boys" (cats) be a part of our family

Here's to another decade of good memories.

back in the summer of 99'

I was in Utah for the summer, home from Ricks College.

But first, let me back up a little.

My mom moved to Utah from Arizona with my siblings and me when my parents divorced in 1994. It was devastating for me, having to leave all of my friends and go to my first year of high school in a new school. I was not happy about it. After giving it a (torturous) year, I moved back to Arizona and lived with my dad and step-mom for my junior and senior years of high school. That's when I met Wendel. His family had moved into our ward the year we had moved out. We also attended the same high school. We never went on a single date or even hung out but I thought he was funny and he claims to have thought I was cute. He did sign my yearbook.



He left on his mission after my junior year. Since we were in the same ward, I was at his farewell. After, he was passing out little cards with his MTC address on them and telling people to write him. I was all about supporting missionaries and tried to write at least one letter to most of the guys in our ward for support, so I took a card and sent off a letter. He wrote back and we ended up writing about once every two or three months while he was in Russia for two years. [This was not romantically-intentioned at all for either of us. He had a girlfriend who was writing him and I was dating someone else. Really.]

Fast forward to the summer of 1999, the summer we went on our first date. Wendel's family had moved to Utah while he was on his mission and I was there staying with my mom until school started up again. We pretty much knew no one else, so it made sense to "hang out" together when he came home. We dated that summer and had a blast.


We weren't dating exclusively by any means but we had a great time. Our first date was Lagoon (an amusement park in Utah for those who don't know). After, we stopped by my house for a few minutes before going to dinner and Wendel invited my family to join us (my mom and brother and sister). We went out for Chineese, he paid and they were sold. He made us laugh the whole time. He told the waiter that it was my birthday (even though it wasn't) and they brought out a fruit swan for me. It was pretty cool.

We also went hiking with my sister, he made me Russian food, we went bungee jumping, out to dinner (including to Olive Garden, where he taught me the art of "fat-dogging"), to temple square, up to Ensign Peak (don't worry, we didn't kiss for another three years), and probably many other places I don't remember right now. He even hunted down a text book for me that I needed for a tour I was going on back east with Ricks and couldn't find anywhere. And he paid for it.

Of course, we didn't get married for another five years but that's another story.

I'm just feeling a little nostalgic with it being 10 years since that summer.

Man, I feel old.

rachel

Surprise, Rach. This post is about you! Hope you're reading.

I was writing in my gratitude journal tonight (which I haven't done since October...good thing I have 90-Day Goals to keep me on track) and as I flipped through the pages, browsing through past entries, I found this picture tucked in the back. W took it in 2002. We were in Jackson Hole, WY, staying in Nedra Roney's amazing cabin (she is the founder of Nuskin, and one of W's friends had a connection). W and I were dating at the time, and he invited me to join him and his friends to spend a weekend at her cabin. I brought Rachel and my brother, Levi, along with me. Good times.

Rachel and I have been friends for eight years. She was my one of my mission companions. The transfer that brought us together was so much needed for me, just because I had experienced many trials and difficult companionships in previous areas on my mission, and she was such a breath of fresh air. We got along so well, she helped me lose weight, and we had fun together. (I actually think the way I eat now was strongly influenced by her, for which I am very grateful.) People thought we were sisters all the time. We served together for 7 1/2 months in Toronto, NSW, Australia, and I'm so grateful that we did. After our missions, we both attended school at Utah State in Logan. We later went back to Australia together right before W and I got married. She was one of my bridesmaids, and flew to Utah from Colorado for my wedding. I haven't seen her since 2004, but we still keep in touch. She is a great friend and I'm lucky to know her. Just wanted to get those thoughts down that came flooding back when I saw this picture. Love ya Rach!

P.S. You didn't think I would end without sharing some good old mission pictures, did you? Don't hate me.

the memory game

I have seen a few people do this and have been meaning to post it here on my blog.

.................................................................

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! If we're only blogging friends, write about a post that is the most memorable for you.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you.

..................................................................

I have lots of stuff to post about...will be back soon with some fun pictures to share.

a trip down memory lane

Ashlee posted some pictures of her old prom and homecoming dresses on her blog a few days ago and challenged us to do the same. I thought it would be fun to share some of my dresses...instead, I think embarrassing is more appropriate.

Apparently I was really into velvet dresses with matching velvet shoes. Wow.


I can't believe my dress was so short.

I loved that burgundy dress above. And Ashlee, I too had a white prom dress.

This actually has a story behind it. While I was on the "day date" portion of the whole prom experience, my step mom (whom I was living with at the time) decided to be nice and iron my dress for me so it would be all ready when I got home. However, my dress was velvet (surprising, I know) and I guess she left the iron on a little too long and actually burned a whole right through the dress.

She didn't know what to do so she went to the mall and bought a bunch of dresses. When I came home from my date, they were all hanging in the kitchen. The only problem...the size on the tag of my ruined dress was actually not my real size - it was sized incorrectly. Since my step mom went off of that size, all of the dresses she bought were too big. I only had a couple of hours until my date would be back to pick me up for our dinner reservation, and I still had to shower and do my hair. I ended up going with my dad and step mom to the mall, frantically searching for a dress. I couldn't find anything modest except for this white one. While it wasn't my favorite dress ever, I didn't have much of a choice. So now you know the story of my white prom dress. (And to fill you in on the ending - my date came just as I got out of the shower so my hair was still wet...I had to pull it back and get ready super fast and we were still late to dinner. It was still a fun night though.)
Then there's this dress I wore to Homecoming. I really don't know what I was thinking, but I remember getting this at a fancy boutique in Minnesota and thought it was beautiful. It bothered me at the dance that it was so low, and it still does when I look at the pictures (apparently it didn't when I tried it on at the boutique?)

Then there was this one.

Did anyone else have a group this big? It's crazy how many people are in this picture. We all went to the day activity and dance together. You can't see my dress, but it was dark green velvet and long (velvet again - seriously?)

And here are a couple more from my Ricks College days.


Wow, that was a trip down memory lane. Now that I think about it, I really don't know what happened to my old formal dresses. Maybe they're still at my mom's house? I have no idea. It's probably for the best.
ETA: One more I forgot about. I actually borrowed this one from my roomate and I'd have to say it was my favorite of all of them.

And here is one from before the dance. Another roomate, April, is doing my hair.

a fun little tag

My friend Jaimie tagged me a while ago and I've been meaning to get to it. I think this is a really fun one. I use this blog for a type of journal as well as a way to keep in touch with friends, and I think this entry will be fun to look back on.
What were you doing 10 years ago?In May of 1998 I was eighteen years old. I had just come back home to AZ from Minnesota, where I had been nannying for nine months. I was sad to leave but also so happy to be back with my friends - we hung out all hours of the night and I slept in until at least 11 every day until I eventually got a job at a doctor's office. My two best friends told me about a month before that they were both engaged (within days of each other). I was pretty crazy about a boy I had previously been "just friends" with and he pretty much consumed my thoughts day and night. One of my best guy friends actually got set apart for his mission ten years ago from tonight and I was there to watch (I've been consulting my journal - I didn't just know that off the top of my head). I was looking forward to starting my first college classes at the nearby community college. Spending time on the Arizona Temple grounds was a big part of my life. Basically, ten years ago my life revolved around my friends (most of them being guys). It was relatively care-free and very happy.
What were you doing five years ago? May of 2003...I was engaged to W. I was feeling marriage anxiety (many of you who read this know that I had a lot of anxiety about marriage, not W, and that I had to work through that before I could get married. This was part of that difficult time). Five years ago from today Elizabeth Smart was found. I was living in Utah, working in SLC, and this was huge news there.
What were you doing five months ago?
December 2007...not too much has changed since then. Still going to school, but further along in my program.
5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Go to aerobics
2. Set up a Dr. appointment for W for his foot.
3. Prep for class presentation.
4. Straighten up the house.
5. Call newspaper and change to Sunday paper only.
5 snacks I enjoy:

1. avocado on toast with lemon pepper and a little salt.
2. chocolate covered granola bars
3. popcorn
4. salad (especially with avocado in it and Light House Bleu Cheese Dressing)
5. sugar snap peas
5 things I would do if i became a billionaire:
1. Donate a lot of money to various charities. Seriously, I think we have a lot of our priorities mixed up in our country and I really want to help to change that.
2. Give some to a certain friend of mine who is struggling through school as a single mom.
3. Take W to Australia and have him take me to Russia.
4. Go to Ireland (this has been a dream of mine for many years).
5. Pay off our houses.
5 bad habits:
1. Going to bed late, getting up late.
2. Spending a lot of time on the computer.
3. Running late.
4. Letting my scrapbook room fall apart while I'm in school.
5. I have a difficult time saying no to people, which has caused a lot of stress in my life.
5 places I've lived:
1. Blacksburg, VA
2. SLC, UT
3. Sydney, NSW, Australia
4. Rexburg, ID
5. Minneapolis, MN
5 things people don't know about me:
At least some of you know some of this, but I'll type it out anyway.
1. I have 64 journals.
2. I almost died in a plane crash when my mom was five months pregnant with me.
3. My first kiss was when I was 15.
4. W and I were engaged three times on account of my aforementioned marriage anxiety.
5. I have attended seven different colleges/universities and I am still working on my Bachelor's degree. Sad, but true. (Moral of the story - don't play the transfer game if at all possible.)
5 people I am tagging:
1. Crystal
2. Mamie
3. Marci
4. Lindsey
5. Krystell

PS Andrea, I would love, love, love to read your take on this on your blog but I know you are super busy with moving. If you have a minute, indulge me.

australia layout

Here's the page I made the other night about things I miss about Australia / my mission. It is super simple - mostly a journal entry. It was fun to scrapbook again. (Click on the picture to see it better.)

Also, I have some new recipes on my recipe blog. Check them out here.

i'm still not a fan of gutting pumpkins...

1986(ish)

2004



I didn't like it so much in 1986(ish) or 2004, and I don't like it so much now. In fact, that pumpkin I carved in 2004 was the last one I've carved.

We are taking part in the "trunk-or-treat" at our church parking lot this year with our friends, Crystal and Tyler. Then we'll probably watch 24 while answering the door every few minutes to pass out candy. (24 really sucks you in...it's pretty intense. We're still only on season 1 but I can see how this show can take over your life.) I really can't believe how fast time is going. It's pretty crazy that the quarter is more than half way over for me, and that Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

Happy Halloween!

leg art

And since I'm taking a little trip down memory lane, I came across this picture today and had to post it. We five girls had toilet papered Allen Kenney's house one night, during which we were caught, the police were called (by a neighbor), we had to put our hands up on a wall, and Allen and his mother came out to greet us. Ahh, the good old days. Afterwards, we had a sleepover at Heidi's house and apparently thought it would be really cool to do this to our legs. (I wonder what our parents thought? I have no recollection of that part for some reason.)

To be fourteen again...