My Love and I

My sister tagged me to do this about Ryan. Now all of you can learn why I love him so much!

1. Where did you meet your husband?

It's a funny story really. We met through mutal friends. I was roommates with Kirsten and she was dating Damon. Ryan and Damon were roommates and had been mission companions. One day I after telling Damon and Kirsten I was done with dating for a while, they had Ryan come over and we met. I thought he was cute and interesting and later he told me he thought I was beautiful. Well Kirsten and Damon set it up so we went on a double date with them to a U of U football game and the rest is history. We are so grateful that Kirsten and Damon helped us. Otherwise we would have taken a little longer to find each other.

2. How long did you date before you got married?

Our wedding date was exactly 3 months after our first date. I guess you know when you know ;)

3. How long have you been married?

We've been married 1 year, almost 13 months.

4. What does he do that surprises you?

He puts up with what I put him through, especially with my hormonal mood swings since I've been pregnant. He also surprises me with flowers and always no matter what makes sure I know he loves me.

5. What is your favorite feature of his?

He's pretty hot if you ask me. I love the way he looks at me, so I guess my favorite would be his eyes. He does have a nice bum though :)

6. What is his best quality?

His desire to take care of me and our family. He works so hard to provide for us and make sure that we have what we need. Also, the way he makes me feel so beautiful and like I'm the only woman in the world.

7. Does he have a nickname for you?

Sweetheart...My Love

8. What is his favorite food?

When we got married he said he had no favorite food, now he tells me it's anything that I fix. As of late he loves the Chicken Cordon Bleu I made recently.

9. What is his favorite sport?

Rugby

10. When and where did you first kiss?

At my house...he just laid one on me. It was cute because he was so nervous.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?

We love to play Mario and compete to see who gets farther (he lets me win though) Also, we love going to the temple together.

12. Do you have any children?

We have a son that's still growing in my belly. He'll be out in May.

13. Does he have any hidden talents?

He can wiggle his ears like Alfalfa on Little Rascals.

14. How old is he?

23

15. Who said I love you first?

He did. I knew I loved him I just was scared to say it.

16. What is his favorite music?

He likes most stuff. He opened my eyes to Bob Marley and I love him for that.

17. What do you admire most about him?

His kindness to people that walk all over him and that always have and his patience. He always strives to be better and he honors his Priesthood.

18. What is his favorite color?

Blue

19. Will he read this?

Eventually. I think he'll read it at work when he's bored sometime.

20. I tag Candace, Molly, Cortney, and anyone else that wants to do it.

Finally an update!

It's been a while since I posted on here. Let's just say life has gotten very busy with my new job and school starting again. Since the last post we found out we're having a cute little boy. He has grown so much since the last ultrasound we had. We were so excited when we saw him. He's an active little boy. He loves to step on his mom's bladder and make me really uncomfortable. Oh the joys of pregnancy. I do love to feel him more though. It's one of my favorite things. One day at work, he started spinning circles in my belly. It was so weird. I tried to describe the feeling to Ryan but I just couldn't think of the best thing to explain. It was like I was getting sick to my stomach and dizzy but all in by belly. He is a lot of fun though. The other day Ryan sang him "Families Can Be Together Forever." It was so cute. I have the best husband. He's so excited to have a son. We've been buying clothes for him off and on since we found out. What we're really excited to get is the crib and car seat and fun things like that. We've found a lot of stuff we like, so one of these days we'll do out and actually buy some of those things. We've picked a few names but I'm not sure what we'll go with. My favorite is Rosten Parker. Ryan's favorite is Corven (we haven't picked out a middle name for that name yet). We really don't want to pick anything until he is born. We'll see him and know, at least we hope.

Just yesterday Ryan got a call that he'll be working the 7-3 shift at his job. We're so excited; we'll actually be able to see each other. Between me going to work in the morning at 7:30 then going to school and him going to work until 11 at night, we really just see each other in passing. We're so happy we'll be able to be a normal couple for a few months and be able to go on dates and go to bed together at night.

We had a great Christmas. It was a lot of fun to just be together. We were supposed to go up to Idaho, but due to bad weather we couldn't go so we were able to spend the four days we had off after Christmas together. On the last day off we celebrated our first anniversary. It's amazing how long it's been. I truly believe we met before we both came to this earth and fell in love and now we're together again. I can't even express how grateful I am for such a wonderful husband. I'm so excited to spend the rest of forever with him and especially raise a family with him.

We hope all of you are doing well and that you're all safe.

Thanksgiving Meal

We had quite the feast for Thanksgiving. It was so much fun. Can you see all of this food!!! It was just for the two of us; three if you count the baby. I'll give you a run down of all the food. We had a giant turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed corn, stuffing, candied yams, homemade rollsm pistachio pudding, cranberries, pretzel salad, and deviled eggs. I started cooking the turkey at 7:30 in the morning and we were eating by noon. It was wonderful. Sadly as excited as I was to eat, I couln't eat a lot of food. About four bites into my big plate of food, I was full. I guess the baby was sitting on my stomach so I couldn't eat as much. It really is a good thing though. I feel like I'm turing into a big blimp so the less I eat the better. So about this dinner. This is the first Thanksgiving dinner I cooked by myself. Last year Missy was with us and she helped me, but this year it was all me. I was so proud when I got done because of what I had done. It sounds dumb, but I felt all grown up after finishing it. I guess I'll be prepared when our little family grows. Now that Thanksgiving is a few days in the past, we're still working on the about ten pounds of turkey we have leftover. We got the turkey for $8 after buying all the other stuff we needed for the meal, so how could we pass it up even if it was gigantic. Since Thanksgiving I've made turkey roll-ups and a turkey casserole. So for any of you needing to get rid of turkey, this recipe is amazing. It's for the turkey roll-ups.

1 roll of cressant rolls (the kind by the butter at walmart..pillbury maybe)

leftover turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and turkey gravy

about 1/2-3/4 cup of cheese

-connect 2 cressant rolls together in a rectangle.

-put a little bit of turkey, a little stuffing, a spoonful of cranberries and about a TBSP of cheese on one side then seal the edges. I baked it at about 350 for 20 minutes. Just watch the dough to see when it's golden brown. Take it out and put turkey gravy on top. It's so good. I don't like the buttery cressant rolls, but if you like that, go for it.

Also, with the leftover mashed potatoes, I combined them with any leftover stuffing and a little oregano and parsley and made patties out of it and cooked them. Serve them also with gravy on top.

This was a really nice, easy meal that got rid of a lot of leftovers. Something a little different and a lot of fun. I usually go crazy with leftovers or any type of food. Ryan is lucky I like the traditional Thanksgiving otherwise he would have got one of my many creations.

The baby is doing well. I think I may have felt it for the first time on Sunday. It was a really weird feeling, so I was pretty excited. I'm starting to show a very little. We were going to take a picture, but forgot so soon I'll have some of my growing belly coming soon. Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and had a blast shopping.

It's a GREAT day!

It has been such an amazing day for us!! We went to the doctor this morning and we heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time. I almost cried! I've been so nervous because I'm not showing and I don't feel anything, so hearing the beat was such a relief. My baby is okay. The little sweetheart seems to be growing great, and we scheduled our ultrasound for next month. In about four weeks I'll be able to tell you all what we're having. I'm like a littl kid waiting to see what Santa Clause brought me on Christmas morning. I think this is so much better. I'm so grateful to be entrusted with one of God's children. What a blessing it is!!

Next great thing...I got a new job!! It's at my old work, but it will be a lot easier the bigger I get, and they're very understanding. I went in to visit old friends from before and was convinced to apply and I did and was hired. It will be stable income compared to my serving job and stable hours. Plus it will definitely be a pay raise. We're trying to save as much money as we can with the baby on the way, so this is such a huge blessing to us. All I can say is thank you Sid.

Also today I was able to talk to one of my favorite mission companions, Erin Barker. She's amazing. We haven't talked in over a year and haven't seen each other in almost two years. Because of this guy Sid that convinced me to apply for the job I got, I was also able to talk to Erin. I told him I must owe him a kidney now because he's been so great today. Hopefully he'll wait until after the baby is born. Again, I'm so blessed to have such great friends.

One last note, I'm so excited for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I'm cooking for just Ryan and myself and can't wait for all of the leftovers. I think leftovers are my favorite part of the whole dinner. Since I was a little girl we have always made these amazing sandwiches with the leftovers that I introduced Ryan to last year. He loves them now to. So for any of you that have never tried them, this is what you do...

Take two pieces of break and put miracle whip on them (mayo if you prefer, but I hate the stuff!)
put turkey, some stuffing, cranberries, pickles, and anything else that looks good on it and enjoy. It will be the most amazing thing you've ever had.

Anyway, I hope all of you enjoy your Thanksgiving and be safe whatever it is you're doing.

I've been tagged!!

8 TV shows I like to watch...

1. The Biggest Loser
2. Law & Order: SVU
3. CSI: Miami
4. The Unit
5. The Office
6. Today Show
7. Rachel Ray
8. Days of Our Lives (I became a days junkie when I was so sick..pathetic I know)


8 Things that happened yesterday...

1. Drove home from Idaho
2. Babysat Oaklynn
3. Ate pancakes with my hubby
4. Studied for a test
5. Worked
6. Went grocery shopping
7. Washed clothes
8. Talked to Kirsten


8 Place I like to eat (no particular order)...

1. Paradise Bakery
2. Meadow Creek Lodge
3. Texas Rhodehouse
4. Sizzler
5. any of the members houses in Houston
6. My house-home cooking is the best
7. Fong's
8. Olive Garden


8 Things I'm looking forward to...

1. My baby being born
2. The big ultrasound next month
3. Spending forever with my husband
4. Being a mommy
5. Finishing school
6. A trip to New York with my hubby (someday)
7. Thanksgiving and eating turkey
8. Feeling good again


8 Things on my wishlist...

1. My baby keeps growing and stays healthy
2. Health for my whole family
3. A date with my hubby
4. To finish school even after the baby
5. Buy a house
6. Live a long, happy, and healthy life with my family around me
7. Be the best mother I can be
8. Go to the temple this week


8 People I tag...

1. Missy
2. Kellie
3. Ashley
4. Cortney
5. Kirsten
6. Jena
7. Julie
8. Megan

I'M SO THANKFUL FOR GREAT FRIENDS

This picture was taken about a year ago on Ryan and my first date. Kirsten and Damon are also married now. They are the couple that introduced us.

Yesterday had to be one of my favorite Sundays ever, minus a few from the mission. Kirsten and Damon took Ryan and I to Stake Conference (luckily Kirsten told us it was Stake Conference cause we had no idea). I got to hold their baby Oaklynn and play with the little doll. She's adorable. After we got done at church, Kirsten and Damon came over for lunch/dinner with us. It was so much fun. I don't know how the lamb was that I made, but we really did have a great time. A little history on Kirsten and Damon and us. Damon and Ryan were mission companions a few years ago, then roommates after they both were off their missions when Ryan moved back from England. Kirsten and I were roommates when her and Damon started dating, then about four months later they introduced Ryan, and the rest is history. They are such great friends, and it's nice because it's not one of those forced friendships. We were all kind of friends in a different ways before any of us got married. Also, we're neighbors! After lunch, we all just kind of chatted, watched a movie, and then the height of Ryan's night, Ryan and Damon played video games. I don't usually let Ryan play when I'm around because I hate the stupid machine, but I had Kirsten and little Oaklynn here to help entertain me, so it was fun for all of us I hope. I'm so thankful for friends like Kirsten and Damon. They're the kind of friends you hope you always have. We all just kind of do our own things but at the same time we can come together occasionally and have fun. I really appreciate Kirsten and her help. She recently had Oaklynn, so it's nice to have her here to ask questions about the whole pregnancy thing. It's good for Ryan to have Damon around too. He can ask Damon any questions about being a dad. I truely believe that God puts people in our lives to help us be better and so learn from each other. I just hope that we're as good for Kirsten and Damon as they are for us.

Baby News: Everything with the baby seems to be going well. I've had a cold for a few weeks and last week was the worst. I think everything is magnified when you're pregnant because I've never complained so much in my life as I did last week. I'm now feeling a lot better. This week I start my second trimester; apparently the honeymoon stage of the pregnancy. We'll see. I'm still waiting for the reality to set in that I'm pregnant. It's hard to explain how I feel, which I'm sure those of you who have been pregnant can understand. I know I've been sick and I know I've seen the baby on the ultrasound and see the heartbeat, but I don't think it will become a reality until I really have a belly. Right now I feel like the weight gain is because I haven't been able to exercise for sometime. But happily I report that I jogged this morning. It felt so good. I don't go as far, as long or as fast as I did before but just that little was nice. As soon as you can actually tell that I'm pregnant, I'll post pictures, until then I'll just tell you all about it.

We saw our Baby

We went to the doctor again this week, hoping to hear the heartbeat of this little rascal inside of me, but no such luck. As I began to panic, my doctor said she would give me an ultrasound just to make sure everything was okay, and here it is. If you look close at the black spot in the middle, you'll see a little grey area, that's Baby Wood. We were able to see the heartbeat as well as the baby. It was such a relief to know the little thing is okay. I've had some cramping so I've been kind of worried about our baby, but the doc assured me everything is fine. I know they make plenty of books about pregnancy, but I've decided when women are born, they should come with a manual of life, so they can know and understand all the things that will come, especially pregnancy. I guess when I get to Heaven, I'll be talking to God about that.

Poor Ryan during this whole pregnancy, he puts up with a lot. I'm not exactly the friendliest person on earth anymore. For some reason my hormones are are driving me mad; literally. My poor husband doesn't have a clue when I might get upset or sick. Hopefully it will level off at some point so I'm not so mean. Lucky for me I have a wonderful husband, even if he feels like he's living with a grizzly bear. He takes such good care of me. I've never seen anyone worry about someone like he worries about me. It's so cute. On top of being grouchy, I'm exhausted. I guess that comes with all this. I've been told, my body is running at the pace of a marathon runner 24/7, that would make anyone tired. Because I'm tired I don't clean and I only cook occasionally. Someone please tell me this is normal. Or at least give Ryan some reassureance.

Enough about all that, some more exciting news in our lives, I've decided to start scrapbooking. This was a sudden decision today, so Ryan and I went out on an adventure to find all the fun stuff we could for me to scrapbook. We had a lot of fun. HobbyLobby is an amazing place to catch sales. We got a whole lot of stuff for a little price. Now I just have to start. I think I'm going to start with our wedding and how we met. We were really good at taking pictures at the beginning and not so much anymore. I admire all of you that take pictures of everything. That really is the way to do it.

One last note, it's election day on Tuesday night. Everyone get out and vote. Make your voice heard, no matter who you're voting for, your opinion matters. We're having an election night party. Pizza, drinks and watching the election results coming in. Exciting I know, but I love it and so does Ryan. I guess we were made for each other.