1,001 nights of steven and maude

Jason and I do our best to make sure we pray together before one of us falls into bed at night. Or sometimes after we fall into bed at night.

We just can't ever seem to remember whose turn it is.

Finally one night I had a momentary flash of brilliance [a revelation, I'm sure] that we should go by the date. He should take the even days, and she the odd.

[Don't read too much into that last part. That was not part of the revelation. I'm sure.]

"How will we remember?" he asked.

"You're even." she answered smartly. "You're Even Steven."

"So what does that make you?" he replied. For a moment they were quiet.

He smiled. She smiled.

"Odd Maude?" he blurted out with a grin.

She stopped. "Well, I was thinking Scheherazade," she frowned a little at him. "But whatever."

Now we always know whose turn it is to say the prayer.

And he also now knows who Scheherazade is. And that she eventually became... you know... queen.

like a ninja

Happiness is...

...making scrumdiddilyumptious, healthy food for my family.

Especially when the recipe involves some type of fruit
with some type of chocolate.
And especially if I'm the only one who wants to eat it.
Which is what happened with these fantastique chocolate zucchini cupcakes.

Oh... Jase.
You wanted one of those?


oh.




P.S. notice the word zucchini placed between the words chocolate and cupcake.
It's what I like to call stealthy healthy.

p.p.s. yes, i know zucchini is not a fruit, but in this recipe, it totally brings its status up to fruit rankings.

p.p.p.s. really, I did share them with Janie. She loved every bite of the melt in your mouth chocolaty goodness. just as she should.

p.p.p..oh forget it! ... I did offer to share them with Jase, but knowing my deep affection for them, he so graciously allowed me to dine on most of them.
i think that probably makes him the better one in our relationship.
For at least a week, anyway.

once upon a time not so long ago

Jason's half-birthday half birthday cake

***

A woman set out on a hike to a beautiful cave with two granddaughters, ages 9 and 6.

"We were all very excited to begin the hike, and at first we moved rapidly along the paved trail. One-fourth of the way came quickly,
but it took longer to reach the halfway point.
Caroline [the 6-year-old] started to get discouraged. ...
Then it seemed that everything went wrong.
Strong winds came up, and the dust from the winds made it difficult to see.
It was a little scary,
and as if that weren’t enough, we came across a signpost that read,
“Rattlesnake Habitat. Stay on the Trail. Stay Safe.”

Slowly we trudged along, three-fourths of the way to our goal, but we still had the steepest part of the mountain to climb. Tired, scared, and doubting her abilities, Caroline sat down and tearfully declared, “I give up! I can’t go any farther!”

We sat down, and we talked about what we should do.

We made a plan.
We decided to count our steps and see how we felt after 100 steps.

[we] assured Caroline that we would help her.
We were to look for something that made us happy along the way
and share our discoveries.
We even sang some primary songs."

***

Long ago, I stumbled upon a postcard at a close-out sale in a party store.
The card had a nice quote on it, and as I have a little penchant for displaying quotes, I thought I might put it up somewhere one day,
when I was married.

I can't remember the exact words now, or even who said it, but it was something to the effect of how marriage can take the heart out of you one moment and put it right back the next.

I never did put it up.
I guess I didn't need to.
I'm pretty sure it's imprinted on my heart.

This week we celebrated Jason's half-birthday.
[I read about someone who gives his wife a gift on her half-birthday and I thought it sounded like fun.]
And the more I thought about it,
the more I thought about how important the halfway points are in our lives.
[or one-third points or three-fourths points or seven-tenths]
And how I should take more time to
remember
reflect
celebrate
where I have been
or where I am
instead of where I [or we] are not.

So when I am feeling
tired, scared and doubting my abilities
I will
look for something that made us happy along the way
and say
I can go a hundred steps more
and see how it feels.

Because when I look back at
what we did
where we have been
what we came through
it kinda makes me think,
not of primary songs,
but of Bon Jovi
whoa-oh! we're halfway there!

and also that, like little Caroline, we definitely have help.

whoa-oh! livin' on a prayer!

[happy half-birthday jase. i'm pretty sure we're halfway to
*figuring each other out.
*having a regular meal rotation of foods we both like
*you getting an iPhone [gotta have hope, right?]
*you driving slower and me driving faster
*learning how to get to... anywhere... on time.
*and pretty much just being Barbie and Ken.
but really, isn't being George and Martha way more fun?]


P.S. not halfway on: number of kids.
massages that I'm going to need.
or, come to think of it, on reading the Scarlet Pimpernel together...


can you find us?
[we're only halfway there!]

The story of the hike can be found here.

perfect shot: couples edition

So...
they may not be
compositionally correct,
breathtaking,
eye-catching,
or even
clear,

but these are some of my very favorite photos of us.

*an engagement photo*
-we are in love-
[can you tell?]
and the scar on his cheek is showing.
i have a little thing for that scar.
i just do.

second apartment.
second year of marriage.
water spots on the photo.
and happiness.

at disneyland with my family
jason's first trip with them.
one of my brothers took the picture when we weren't looking.
yes, upside down.

same trip
walking on the beach
i think everyone else was building a sand castle
it was cold and windy
and i was being kind of a crab
but someone snapped a picture anyway

during a company trip
we were late to the pirate dinner luau.
most everyone was already gone
so we looted and pillaged the place
went back to our room,
took a few shots [the picture kind!],
and probably ordered room service.

taking a walk
[i love walks]
in the Fall
[i love the fall]
holding hands
[you get the idea.]

Dollar Dates: his, hers and happy endings

We watched a lot of movies when we were dating.
I was a happy little head-over-heels sweetheart, agreeable to most anything my adored might choose.
And that was mostly because a movie night meant there would be snuggling.
And who really gets into a movie when there is snuggling?
[well... Jason kind of does.]

[Except for the time when we went to see Lord of the Rings with his family. He kept moving in for a kiss or two, even during the action scenes.
*fine with me*
but his youngest brother - and the rest of the family! - was sitting on my other side and that was a little awkward.]

A few years later, my *high* heels touched down and ... sank. I became a bit of a stick in the mud about what I will surrender my minutes to. I usually want classics [as in my classics--my tried and true favorites] And Jason wants the new releases.
And we can hardly ever agree on one movie before it's way, way way past our bedtime!
So Jason usually just watches them on his own later, and my faves are saved for girl's weekends and loans to bored bedridden invalids.

But there is still snuggling to be done! I say!

And so, at last, we have designed his and hers movie nights.

One night monthly for me to choose the entertainment, and one night for Jason to hit the Redbox.

And one night for a Disney flick. Because we love them. We quote them. We collect them. And they sit and collect dust until Bailee comes over and we take them out of their packages for her to watch.

Of course . . . we also have them memorized.
Which is good, because who can really get into a movie when there is snuggling?...
[and the like]
[!]
[!!]
[!!!]

And Disney always was good for happy endings...

Dollar Dates: This is only a test.

Remember that game they play at bridal showers with the bubble gum and the questions? The one where your friends grill you for info about your future hubby, and then present you with a piece of gum to chew when you don't give the answer he gave?

Of course you remember it.
Because your jaw gets an ache just thinking about it.

That little test was the inspiration for our Friday night.

Since a penny is generally what a thought is said to go for, it seemed a perfect discount date to share some thoughts about each other by way of a pop quiz. Winner takes all [meaning, winner gets to choose the entertainment for the rest of the night.]

But no gum.
[Yes, I had a bad experience the first time.]

We have a little jar a dear friend gave us while we were dating. It is called "The Couples Jar" and has all kinds of questions [on pink, folded strips of paper] you and your true love can answer together. We each pulled out ten questions. I declared that we had to answer the questions for each other [meaning I had to write down what I thought Jason would say and vice versa--to make up for not using the gum and all]. We wrote our answers down, then read the questions out loud to the other person. That person gave their answer and the writer had to confess theirs. Two points were awarded if the answers were identical, one if the answer was feasible (yeah, you're right, that probably really is my favorite thing about the house, and so forth.)

Of course, it's not important to say who won.
It is, however, important to say here that
Jason was a very good sport.

Even during Disney Scene It [2nd. edition].

Who knows?
Maybe next time we will try it with the gum.

That's love.

We outgrew our mix tape.
Well, CD, really.
The one that has Honeymoon CD written on it with a sharpie.

During our anniversary getaway last weekend we brought it along for old times sake. It just wasn't the same. It wasn't about us anymore. Those songs will always bring back sweet memories, but not the same feelings. We've moved on to a bigger, better play list now--with songs that are funny, songs that are deep, songs that were just a part of our life for whatever reason. It certainly makes for a much more interesting compilation than those old songs, especially the ones so soaked in romance that no one really knows what they are talking about anyway.

So, on the official day of our anniversary, I bring you one of our favorite titles. This one always makes us laugh, and we know exactly what it is talking about.

That's Love
from Brad Paisley's Part II album

There ain't a woman in the world
That wants to hear the word Yes
When she asks you if you think that she looks chubby
in that dress

And if she cooks all day
You better eat it with a smile
It doesn't matter if it tastes just like bad gravy
on a Goodyear tire

All right, so you bend the truth
That's something that you'll have to get used to
'Cause that's love
You'll see
We all commit a little bit of perjury
Oh but that's no crime if you ask me
That's love

You're starin' at a burnt steak
You bite the bullet
and you clean your plate
And you go on and on about how great it was
That's not a lie - that's love

Well it's the very same thing she does for you
When she doesn't bring up the fifteen pounds
That you need to lose
And every time she runs her fingers through your hair
And she says she kind of likes the way
There's not as much of it there

All right so she bends the truth
That's somethin' that you have to get used to
'Cause that's love
You'll see
We all commit a little bit of perjury
Oh but that's no crime if you ask me
That's love

You're bummin out so she says
"There's somethin' kinda sexy 'bout a bald head
Oh and honey, it'll make you look twice as tough"
That's not a lie - that's love

All right, so you bend the truth
That's somethin' that you're both gonna do
That's love
You'll see
We all commit a little bit of perjury
You say "I like it when your mama comes to visit us"
That's not a lie
That's not a lie - that's love

And to my sweetheart,

You always tell me I look good on my bad-hair days. And you never say I smell bad after I've been cleaning the entire day. And you never seem to have noticed when I have something in my teeth or when I have cried my make-up all down my face (even when I wish you would have.) And you humor me when I laugh at Taylor Swift with T-Pain.

You've taught me so much, especially patience. And that you can learn quite a bit just by having the TV on for hours at a time (like what the top 100 music videos of the eighties were and how to cook a suckling pig). And that "Good Housekeeping cleaning" (sprucing up just enough to make it look like a room you might see in the magazine, never mind the smell coming from... somewhere) is good enough for some days. You are the best at doing the dishes. You are such a quick-thinking driver. Your Rock Band skills never disappoint. And I'm flattered that you like my soft-scrambled eggs so much.

That's not a lie. That's love.



And how's this for love: Jason received a box of Reese's Puffs from me, with a promise that I will not complain if he eats them all.

My cousin Angie and I fight similar cereal battles. To read her funny post about this, go here

Christmas in September

Last Christmas Jason's parents presented us with a certificate for a sweet little getaway
(complimentary grandkid-sitting included)

We used it to celebrate our own
happy holiday
(our six-year anniversary)


There's a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy


A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight
The Johnson Mill B & B in Midway


Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse


There'll be much mistletoeing and hearts will be glowing


Here we were nestled, all snug in our bed


Our cheeks were nice and rosy and comfy cozy were we


Ring-a-ling, hear them sing


O'er the fields we go, laughing all the way
(it's grand just holding your hand)


Walking in a woodsy wonderland



These things are the wonderful things
we remember all through our lives

May our days be merry and bright

A Monday Memory: How We Met

The older I get, the more I am wishing I could know what my parents were like at my age. The older they get, the more I nag them to write their personal history (now go do it, you guys!) But then, that probably sounds pretty hypocritical, since I haven't even started writing my own.

Enter my blog.

Each week my blog will now feature a

*Monday Memory*

and
*bing*
personal history
in one easy step

Since this month we are celebrating our 6th anniversary, I will share the story of the night that Jase and I met.

December 2002

We met on a blind date. People are always surprised to hear that, but it was never a big surprise to us. Both our parents met on blind dates (though, to be truthful, Sue took a sneak peek!)

Our mutual friend Marc Hardy set us up. He and Jason served in the same mission (though never side by side) and then later ended up in the same computer science class at BYU. I knew Marc through one of my roommates at Ricks College (she and Marc wrote during his mission). I later found out that she had a mission picture from Marc that had Jason in it so chances are I saw him even before we met (does that count as sneaking a peek?). Jason and Marc had decided to help each other find cute girls to date. Jason never lived up to his end of the bargain, however, Marc was rewarded handsomely (or should I say beautifully) not long afterwards.

November 16, 2002. Jason and Marc drove together to pick me up and Jason called me when they were almost to my house. I could hear Marc's voice in the background. "Marc says we will be there in about 2.6 minutes," Jason informed me, and I could tell that he was smiling. I had to smile, too. Marc had recently acquired a fancy new watch which he was quite proud of and quite proficient with (down to the .6 minute, mind you). I could tell we had both experienced this firsthand, and before I hung up we laughed as I told Jason how much I appreciated the accuracy.

Meeting your blind date is a funny feeling. Friends try to give you an idea of what your date will look like, but it's always going to be different than what you imagine. I imagined Jason taller. I also imagined dark brown hair for some reason. Even without taller and darker, he was still tall, dark and handsome. And he had nice pants.

On the way to Marc's apartment Jason was talking to his mom on the phone about how to cook the lasagna they would be serving. Suddenly we came upon some road construction that made driving tricky and Jason unexpectedly passed the phone to me. Jason's mom proceeded to give me the instructions for baking the lasagna. I was suddenly feeling a little pressure as I realized that if the lasagna didn't turn out right, it would be MY fault! And it was his mom's famous lasagna. Double pressure.

We sat and waited for the lasagna to cook and talked as the other couples arrived. I remember that we talked smoothies (I worked at Jamba Juice at the time and Jason was a veteran of Zuka Juice) and that we disagreed on how to butter the French bread. Jake and Sariah, the married couple with us that night, quizzed me about what "color" I was (from the Color Code). When I told them I was "a white," they shot knowing glances at Jason, casually mentioning how they were pretty sure whites were supposed to be very compatible with blues (as that is what Jason is). Meanwhile, I kept checking the lasagna and to my dismay it just did not look done. I was getting worried. Maybe it was supposed to look like that? I was relieved when we finally figured out that something was wrong with Marc's oven. We ended up waiting forever for it to cook. I was so hungry I didn't even care that I took seconds on the first date. And then we had Marc's famous cheesecake.

After dinner we played Cranium, which neither of us was very good at (and besides, playing with married people automatically makes it unfair odds). I got to see that Jason wasn't afraid to be silly and funny. We both hated the game and still do, but it served it's purpose.

Everyone then gathered in the living room and the others requested that Jason break out the guitar. He serenaded us and kept glancing at me every few lines (which was very cute). He sang a funny song he wrote on his mission about not getting any letters, "Stuck here in El Salvador" put to the tune of Green Day's "Time of Your Life." The guitar was my favorite part of the night (guys who play guitar and sing are a little weakness of mine--they must have known). Then Marc, surely wanting me to be duly impressed with the date he had set me up on, suggested: "Let's make up a song about Meg." (really meaning, Jason, make up a song about Meg.)

Jason laughed nervously and quickly replied with a smile, "Uh... well... uh... we'll save that for next time, okay, Meg?"

Jake pointed at Jason. "That was smooth. Way to get a second date, man."

When the night was over, I had this great feeling. I knew that even if nothing happened romantically between me and Jason, we would be still be good friends. There were none of the games and expectations that usually accompany first dates. That was a wonderfully welcome first. Actually, it was the best first ever.

Dollar Dates: The Premiere

Our dating life needs help.

And so
I have taken matters into my own hands and instituted...

***Dollar Date$***

The goal: TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING... (Hmm, when I put that in all caps like that it makes me look a little bit desperate)

Before little Jane-a-belle landed we were great about hoarding our Friday nights for *us*
It was our wedding advice to everyone--
have a date night no matter what!

Then we let it slip. And we miss it.

SO
each forthcoming week we will take turns coming up with dates to do
*on the cheap*
as Jason puts it
(and sometimes with a baby in tow)

*Creativity required.

Here are the first ones we (meaning I - your turn next, Jase) have come up with:


This one had to be Janie-friendly, and boy was it a hit!

We went in search of books from our childhood to read to each other. Since the library closes early on Fridays (lame), we went to good old Barnes and Noble, conveniently open late on weekends.

To say Janie loves books is an understatement. She would let us look at books with her all day. I am not kidding, exaggerating or joking in any way.

So when we walked into the children's book section and started seeing all her favorite books she was ecstatic! She was literally almost jumping out of my arms to get to the books. She does this little thing where she breathes really fast and really loud when she's excited. She could hardly wait for us to finish one before she saw another one she wanted to look at.









Somehow we managed to distract Janie long enough for each of us to find a book that we remembered enjoying way back when.


Our picks, books we loved as kids:

I think we both found ourselves asking
"Why exactly did I like this book again?"

[Isn't it funny how most of the time the things you loved as a kid are never quite as good when you're a grown-up?]

We did buy a copy of *The Scarlet Pimpernel* to read together (we are intrigued since seeing the play, though it won't be quite the same without the captivating musical interludes.)


The next week's Dollar Date kept us in for:

The Secret of Monkey Island

If you don't remember this game, I feel bad for you.
If your dad didn't play this game with you and your siblings, I feel even worse for you.
But there is hope.

A few months ago it was re-released for Xbox and has been redone with voices and better graphics.

So, to start off our night of swashbuckling and adventure we enjoyed a meal of red herring (okay it was salmon, but we pretended) and gruel (basil-pesto mashed potatoes).

Then we hit the Scumm Bar for some of my eats-through-the-mug grog (key lime shakes) with whipped cream on top, of course.





Once Jane was in bed, we set out on our adventure. This is another one of those things that isn't quite as cool as when we were kids. I'm convinced that my sister and I were just in it for the fledgling romance between Guybrush Threepwood and the Governor Elaine Marley. And because our dad played it with us, which was totally cool because he could figure things out that we couldn't. And then if we figured things out that he couldn't that was even cooler.

Jason used the cheat codes online quite a bit and I half-pretended like I wanted to figure it out on our own. Then I started to fall asleep on the couch. We still hadn't rescued the Governor when Jason decided that our swashbuckling, grog-swilling adventure would have to continue another time.

What a polite little date he is. Marriage material, that one.




As they say on Melee Island,
You fight like a dairy farmer!

*Pick me up same time next week, baby!*

Pillow{Case} Talk

One of my favorite things in this whole world

Laying in bed with Jase



talking



laughing



and *ALWAYS ALWAYS* some silliness



EYE love you, babY!