Friday, March 21, 2008

Surprise, Surprise


I know this may be really shocking for you all but it really is me (Shelley) making my first post. I've been tagged by three different people and decided maybe people really do want me to write something on the blog. I am so sorry if this is a disappointment next to all of Ryan's creativity but I'm afraid that is not what you're going to get with me.

Tag #1
A. The rules of this game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the question about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, and then leaves a comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog to get the directions.
Questions:
10 yrs ago:
5 Things on my list of things to do today:
Things I would do if I suddenly was a Billionaire:
3 of my bad habits:
Places I have lived:
Jobs I have had:
Things most people don't know about me:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My answers:

10 yrs ago: High school graduation was just around the corner. I'm pretty sure I had already received my scholarship to NAU for the Fall. I actually think this was the week that I was in the Arizona Junior Miss Pageant! It was so much fun!!!

5 things on my to-do list today:-
1) Go to Costco.
2) Do laundry.
3) Get Caiden's baseball team treats ready for tomorrow.
4) Make my bed. (is it bad that it's that low on the list?)
5) Attempt to stay on top of Londyn's potty's training. (I think I'm feeling good enough today - so far she's in undies.)

Things I would do if I suddenly was a Billionaire: Pay off our AZ house (I'm so tired of that headache), buy some fun family toys (boat, quads, etc.), get a housecleaner. (I'll stop there, clearly I could spend the rest of the day thinking of ways I'd like to spend endless money.)

3 of my bad habits:
1) I don't always clean up the kitchen right after I make something.
2) Not keeping up on the laundry. (I know it has been more than a week since I did a load so you know it's bad.)
3) Lots of time when I know I've got to go somewhere I'll do Londyn's hair but then I'm lazy and just put a hat on Camden.

Places I have lived:
1) Kearns, Utah.
2) Dayton, New Jersey.
3) Murray, Utah.
4) Gilbert, Arizona.
5) El Mirage, Arizona.
6) Surprise, Arizona.
7) and Corona, California.

Jobs I have had:
1) hostess at Carabba's.
2) "Shaved Ice Technician" at Bahama Bucks.
3) I used to put those metal strips in the books at the NAU library so that the detectors would go off if someone hadn't checked out the books. (pretty exciting!)
4) Front desk assistant for the corporate office of a gas station.
5) care provider for an AM/PM school program.

Things most poeple don't know about me: You know I must be too open because I'm not coming up with anything that I think people wouldn't already know. Maybe that just makes me boring! :)
Now I tag : Jillian, Melissa, Niki, Kyra, and Kirsti!

Tag #2
Where did you meet your husband?
In my apartment at NAU. I had been looking forward all day to meeting my best friend/roommate, Rachael's, cousin.

What was the first thing he said to you?
I wish I could remember that. I just know that from the pictures Rach took of that day that both of us look pretty happy.

When was your first date?
Date - that's a big word... you know basically from that weekend he came to our apartment I think I went home to Gilbert nearly every weekend thereafter. We were just always together. I suppose there really should be a first date that stands out but sadly one is not coming to me.

When was your first kiss?
I think it was 2 weeks after we met. I remember it being quite nice.

Long/Short courtship/engagement?
Ryan and I dated from October of 1998 to February of 1999. We were engaged for about 4 1/2 months after that.

When did you get married?
June 26, 1999

Where was your honeymoon?
This is where it's pretty sad. Our honeymoon was basically the drive from Utah back to Arizona. Our first night was in the Armstrong Mansion in Salt Lake where the room was themed June Bride. Our second night was in St. George at a really nice Best Western, the Abbey Inn (seriously I recommend it). Then it was back to Gilbert.

We really do have plans to take a trip together sometime - just Ryan and I. It'll be Hawaii! We've talked about it forever.

I am tagging Kim, Heather, Katie B., and Katie G.

Tag #3
What is your husband's name?
Ryan

How long have you been together?
We'll have been married 9 years this June.

How long did you date?
It was 4 months before he proposed.

Who eats more?
I wish I could say for sure Ryan. Unfortanetly he's got all this control and says things like, "I'm satisfied" or "If I'm not hungry I'm not going to eat more." I try to stay even with him but it doesn't always work out.

Who said "I love you" first?
Ryan did but I remember wanting to say it so bad before he left to go home to Utah for New Year's. I so wanted him to know but somehow I had it in my head that he should say it first so I waited till he got home. Then he said it.

Who is taller?
Ryan

Who has more speeding tickets?
Ryan

Who is smarter?
Ryan's pretty smart. He always amazed me how well in did in college. He had an awesome GPA at ASU. I probably looked smarter on paper if you compared our grades growing up but I think I have to give smarter to him.

Who is more sensitive?
Well if you're going on currently it is me. I've got those Prego hormones. But if you are going all around it might come out to be Ryan. He's got a nice sensitive side. I think having kids is bringing me more to the sensitive side than I thought was possible for me.

When there is a fight, who usually wins?
I'm pretty happy to say that both Ryan and I agree that we don't really ever fight. I know there are times when there are little disagreements but we get through them pretty quick and I don't know that there is really a "win".

Who does the laundry?
On the more regular basis me. Ryan has been putting in his time though. That's probably mostly to blame because he's been without work clothes a few times in the last couple months with me being sick.

Who does the dishes?
Ryan is always willing to rinse off plates and cups and things. Guaranteed I am the one who washes the stuff that isn't supposed to go in the dishwasher. He doesn't "like" to do that.

Who sleeps on the right?
If we are laying down that would be me.

Who pays the bills?
I do.

Who mows the lawn?
Definitely Ryan.

Who cooks dinner?
In normal, not pregnant life, usually me. Ryan does like to cook though.

Who drives when you are together?
Ryan

Who is more stubborn?
That's a tossup!

Who kissed whom first?
I'm sure Ryan is the one that made the move but I know I was ready!

Who proposed?
Ryan proposed at the Gilbert Junior Miss Pageant. I had to go back as a returning Junior Miss to award the girls their scholarships. Ryan had made arrangments with the director to have his name be pulled from the raffle. He ended up on stage. Ty Detmer was the M.C. that night. Ty said he could pick from the 3 returning Junior Miss to take one on a date. Ryan pointed to me. Ty handed him a rose and sent him out on stage and told him that Ryan better ask me himself. Thats when I was shocked to see him get down on his knee and confess that he wanted to be with me forever and he asked me to marry him. Pretty awesome!

Who has more siblings?
Ryan. He's got 2 brothers and 2 sisters.


Okay Jill - Can you believe that I really did it? I can hardly believe it myself.

I tag Jaime - You can do it when you have a free minute - I realize that might be when you're in Idaho.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Righting Ryan (or trying to)


Letter From the Editor --
Anonymous said...
{ I have been blog surfing lately for baby names and found your site b/c we have son's with the same names, Camden & Caiden. You have a beautiful family, I am sure you feel blessed, and it sounds like you are an amazing Mommy!! I was very saddened however at the snide comments about "Ryan" who I am guessing is your hubby. Would you want to be spoken/written about the way you've written about him? No human deserves that, even if they deserve it, b/c we all are imperfect. I encourage you to read a great book by Dr. Emmerson Eggrichs (sp?) called "Love & Respect". I am guessing you loved your husband enough to marry him, and it looks like he is a good provider, loves his family, and loves you enough to stay. SO many women don't have that stability. Count your blessings... your relationship to each other is crucial to your children's well being now and future. God Bless You!

3/2/08 7:01 AM }

Dear Anonymous,
Thank you so much for your care and concern for our relationship as a husband and wife. It's nice to know that there are others out there that feel just as strongly about families as we do.
But I must let you know that my wife has yet to post on our blog. Yes, it's true, this is all the work of her husband. So even though I'm contsantly being 'snide' when I write, it is about myself. Some people out there might wonder why I have such a low self-esteem, and feel a need to put myself down all the time (probably to make myself feel better about me....If that analogy can be applied to a case like this), but I don't even let it bother me! Better people have said worse about me than I could ever say about myself, so I just tend to ignore me.
To my dear wife, I must apologize. There have been few times in our (almost) 9 year marriage that I have made her cry, but this happened to be one of them. Just the thought of someone out there "thinking that (she's) some witchy wife who hates her husband" was too much for a pregnant woman to bear.
Shelley, I will defend your honor!
I now proclaim to the world that my wife married down! (sorry mom) And despite my best efforts to convince her of her error, she continues to love and honor me at levels that would make a storybook romance burn its pages in shame.
Shelley I love you and can only hope to show the kind of love to you that you give to our whole family on a constant basis.
Let's take a moment to analyze the areas of concern to help other bloggers avoid the same mistakes....
1 - "You have a beautiful family, I am sure you feel blessed, and it sounds like you are an amazing Mommy!!" -- Well thank you! but I'm the Daddy. (don't worry about it... because I lack a similar vocal structure to Barry White, I've been called ma'am on the phone plenty of times)
2 - You're dead on! I wouldn't want to be spoken/written about the way that I've written about me. No human deserves that, and even if I do, I am after all, imperfect.
3 - "I encourage you to read a great book by Dr. Emmerson Eggrichs (sp?) called "Love & Respect"." -- Can I get a hold of a copy that he's written in third person???
4 - "God Bless You!" -- Yes he does!
To my friend Anonymous, Thank you. You've helped me to see the error of my ways (like that's hard, right?) and I'm torn between the realization that I may never be able to post again...., or offending so many more of our loyal readers through my beligerant and derogitory attacks on that helpless victim.... me. (*sniff*)
In the future I will do my due dillegence as a blogger and research out the true character of a person behind the facade that is the outer layer of my onion.
In closing my dear anonymous, do not misunderstand my comments, I do not intend to make fun or humiliate anyone (except myself) with my response, it's just that I don't want to sleep on the couch. Something that I must say I am proud to have achieved a score of zero times thus far in life. And if you have any suggestions for baby names, we welcome both male and female suggestions.
Your BFF - Ryan.