Bunko & Oscar's

Thursday night I hosted Bunko at my house. I absolutely love this group of women I have gotten to know through Bunko. We are such a great range of ages, kids, professions... everything! We were able to take a trip down to St. George a few weeks ago, and I really was able to bond with these wonderful ladies.
We all have different backgrounds and live different ways... but we are similar in so many areas. It was positive and uplifting to learn about each of our lives. One of the best things that has come from joining this group is the closeness I've gained with 3 women who live in my neighborhood. These are people I've lived next to for 5 years and never had conversations with. We've had mutual friends, but never been able to connect. Driving down to St. George and back gave us plenty of time to get to know each other.
It was a great uplifting weekend. These were women who didn't pretend that life was perfect, but we all love our families and our husbands.I learned about what one woman in particular... and the things she has endured over the passed year. She is so strong and it just doesn't seem fair that her family has been faced with the health struggles they have.
I also learned "yet again" about stupid gossip and how things get twisted and manipulated. I want to kick myself, because I think I learn something only to get in a situation in the middle of "he said, she said" But, luckily it worked out quickly.
So I was able to host these wonderful 12 women at my house Thursday! The theme was "what we would have gotten OURSELVES for Valentine's Day"
It was a ton of fun! I served Taco Soup, Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Rolls... and for dessert I made choco dipped strawberries, red velvet cake, and we drank sparkling cider from champagne glasses. It was good times.
I also started Body for Life this week. It's just a nutrition and exercise program to build muscle. I did really great... had great workouts 6 days of the past 7 days... and had kept in my nutrition goals. I'm ready for a change. I've hit that 'wall' and need to make some serious adjustments to my life. I feel like I'm getting to a place where I'm happy with relationships, I feel good spiritually... I just need to get my physical goals in line.
I've made changes this past year with relationships. Again, I had to take a step back and distance myself from some people. It's always hard, because they are people I love... but seem to hurt me. As much as I wish my family could all just accept each other and get along, that seems impossible sometimes. I don't know how the future will turn out, I pray that things can mend, and people can stop comparing and competing... but I'm learning how to cope and handle things.
I'm doing my best to reach out and have the relationships that are healthy for me. I'm making strides and putting myself out there. Everyone has things happen that change them, help them grow up, etc. And although I'd never wish for someone to have hard times... I pray that growing and changing can help soften hearts. I have found great strength in my relationships with in-laws and new friends.
Anyway...
Sunday I'm having an Academy Awards Party. This is something I have wanted to do for many years. It's difficult though... because it's on a Sunday. It's hard to find babysitting on Sunday's, and there are also wonderful people who wouldn't participate in a party on Sunday. (Like the 'tiptoe' subject of a Superbowl Party, or recreational activities on Sunday's) Those situations are always awkward... and instead of getting easier as time goes on, they seem to get harder.
I just made a random guest list of people who I thought #1 would be fine with a Sunday Party #2 would get into the glitz and glam of dressing up (and yes... Mike thinks I'm crazy!)and #3 would be chill and fun to hang out with. I invited a few couples from my neighborhood, a few friends we had from previous places we lived, a few from HS and my Sis and her Hubby. So dang excited! As always I've gone over board... red carpet, celebrity limo parking signs, sparkly and shiny stuff. Too fun!

La-La-Love Day!

In lieu of the big LOVE day on Tuesday, I thought I'd give a summary of Mike and I. So this is a brief summary of our story...

We met on April 3, 1998... in a campground at the end of Canyonlands National Park near Moab UT. Looking back, I've decided that camping is a great way to meet someone! You are stinky, dirty, wearing clothes for comfort, sporting the 'natural' look and at your most vulnerable state. It only gets better from camping!
It sounds like a joke, but I saved Mike's life. Literally, he almost fell off a cliff and would have been seriously injured or died. We were hiking and he grabbed my foot and climbed to safety. I've always said that after that he was obligated to marry me!
I came back to work that next Monday and announced that I had "met the man I was going to marry"! I was laughed at, but I knew that the spark we had was seriously strong.
Our first date was two weeks later, and that was that! I did my best to play it cool... I didn't want him to think I liked him that much. He said "I love you" and I said it back. He met my family and I met his. We were engaged May 21st.
We have been married now for 13 years... 14 this August. So YES! We met on April 3rd and were married on Aug 11th. It was a super fast whirlwind of love. I laugh about the fact that he could have been a serial killer... but thankfully he isn't. (or at least I don't think he is) It was that instant feeling of being soul mates. I felt like in some ways we had always known each other!
We struggled through 3 years of Mike's schooling. I was working to put him through school until 2000 when we welcomed our first addition. We had become our own little family.
Mike worked so hard... taking 12-16 credit hours and working 35 hours a week. We hardly saw each other. I have a notebook of almost 2 years of notes... I would write down what we did that day, tell him what I made for dinner and instructions on heating it up. He would flip the page and write back to me.(It didn't matter what I made... he would always say that dinner was delicious. Looking back at some of the things I made, I think he deserves and 'great husband' award for never complaining about anything.) He would come home after we were asleep and he'd be gone before we woke up in the morning. That notebook is now one of my most valued items. It's an entire notebook of love notes and expressions of the emotions we had at that stage in life.
We had a sweet surprise addition to our family in June 2001. I was ready for some help with the little ones... and he was ready to make up for the three years of not sleeping.
For Mike's graduation we celebrated with a week alone, a trip to the Eastern Caribbean. Two weeks after he graduated I started Cosmetology School. It was two years of night school... again we were living parallel lives, only crossing paths a day or two a week. I would drop the kids off at my Mom's house an hour before he got off work and picked them up.
The travel bug had bit us, and we started taking a trip together every 8 to 10 months. It was important for us to have that alone time together. With all the stress that came with our busy life... a week alone helped to remind us how much we love each other, and how important it is to make our marriage the top priority in our life.
I finished school and had two more little ones right in a row. Somehow I turned around and we were a family of six! And although life didn't really slow down... we were able to eat dinner together, see more of each other, and enjoy life.



When it comes to Valentine's... we are both very practical about spending time and money. I would rather travel somewhere or spend time together than have jewelry or nice gift items. In my opinion... flowers are beautiful, but they never last as long as I wish they would. Spending time together is my favorite part of Valentine's Day... or any holiday.
When we spend time away, it seems to take about one full day to get past our day-to-day routine. I get out all the info and struggles about the kids, the house and my work... and he gets out all his stuff about work. Then with all that out of the way, we remember why we like each other... and why we fell in love.
I feel like I love Mike more every year. That's not to say we haven't had our fair share of struggles... especially in the early years, just trying to make it through week-to-week.
I think that we often look at our life and make investments for our financial future and for our children's future. What we can forget is that investing the time, energy, and even money in our relationship is the best way to secure our life. Because, I know that with Mike, we can take on whatever lies in our future. With a strong friendship, trust, and love... we will get through the hard times and make the most of the good times.
Happy Valentine's!