perfectly concealed by clinique's "surprise" lip color

A year ago today, I was wandering about, helping Molly and other members of the wedding party with make-up, running errands, and fending off excited questions about the night before. As in:

"So, what happened last night?!"
"Where did you and Rob disappear to?!"
"You look tired - how late were you up?!"

I daintily observed that a lady never kisses and tells, so I could assure them that Rob was a very good kisser. He was the consummate gentleman, going about his business of videoing the wedding prep like a pro, discreetly winking at me and eventually getting my phone number. I wondered aloud all day about the ink on my lip, where it had come from since I don't chew pens, why it wasn't rubbing off, and when I finally took a good long look at it, I realized that it was a bruise.

As in, my lips were so out of practice due to my unfortunate and prolonged chastity that the smallest peck left a bruise. BECAUSE THAT'S ALL WE DID. Pecked. Once. It was very sweet. Prim, even.

However, in my horror at having a bruise on my lip for all the world to see (and I honestly didn't put it together until JUST before the wedding itself), I cornered Rob and told him in no uncertain terms that if (I SAID IF, MISTER!) we ever pecked again, he had to be very careful because I was such a fragile flower.

As soon as he realized that I was only partly serious and that he had left an impression, in a way, I discovered that he has a rather devilish grin... I also discovered that my color of lipstick is rather appropriately named.

i got a little link-happy

Saturday was the anniversary of Rob officially hitting on me. Today is the anniversary of our first kiss-slash-make-out-session.

Both were very satisfying.

Also, Monday is Molly & J.R.'s first anniversary. Way to go you two... and thanks again!

spanish verb tenses are tough, but they've got nothing on that pesky english

to forego (third-person singular simple present foregoes, present participle foregoing, simple past forewent, past participle foregone)

• To precede, to go before.

Rob and I have had a difficult time remembering all these tenses, and we evidently like using the word "forego."

A: In the interest of time and the stuff I had to get done today, we foregoed Blake's nap.
R: What?
A: (shaking head and laughing) That's not right.

*****
R: When we're in Spokane, what if we foregoo the... (trailing off)
A: What?
R: (shaking head and laughing) That's not right.

*****
I should note that these conversations were weeks apart and that we are clearly having lots of fun together. At least, I think it's clear.

that's what he said

B: What's that?
A: Sausage.
B: Shaushage.
A: Sausage.
B: Shaushage.
A: Sausage.
B: Shaushage. (giggles) ... huh. That's cute. I'm cute.
A: You ARE.
B: No. I'm not cute. I'm handsome.

*****
B: I'm gonna have a Hot Charlie motorcycle when I grow up.
R: You mean a Harley?
B: No, I mean a Hot Charlie.

*****
B: Mom, next time I should marry you so I can stay with you and Dad.
A: When would you be leaving?
B: When I would have to go live with Reese and Matt and be their family.
A: You don't have to leave us to be their family!
B: Well, when I go to Spokane then. I will come back and marry you that time so I can be with you and Dad forever. Cuz then I can play the Wii Fit.

*****
B: I love you, Mom.
A: I love you too.
B: You're beautiful.
A: You're handsome.
B: No, I say 'You're beautiful,' and you say 'Thanks.'
A: Thanks.
B: (whispered) You're welcome.

*****
A: How many brothers and sisters are you going to have?
B: Sixty-nine.
A: WHAT?! Are you trying to kill me?
B: I love sixty-nine. I'm going to have tons and tons because that's fun.

(He thought sixty-nine was a number he made up, but he knew it was very many. Hard to let him down to around two, especially since I think he's hoping for OLDER brothers/sisters.)

i want a house with a yard, but then i'd have to mow the damn thing

A year ago today, I met my husband. We've been married about four and a half months already, so I guess you could say that we move a little quickly.

Okay, okay: we've been at Mach 3 almost from the moment we clapped peepers on each other.

I was in Billings for Molly's wedding. I was the "non-matron" of honor, and both she and J.R. had been needling me for weeks about hooking me up with the only single guy they could think of that was invited: the video guy. J.R. had gone to school with him at Moody, and it wasn't clear whether that was a pro or a con. At one point, Molly confided that while they were having fun teasing, she honestly wasn't trying to throw me at video guy's head because she loved me too much to pull that crap. She assured me that while she thought we'd get along great and be good friends and laugh a lot, she was pretty confident that he wasn't my type.

I must admit, it was good to be let off the hook. Feeling even the slightest pressure about dating anyone was extremely uncomfortable to me, and all I could figure was that God would have to make happen what I couldn't see happening: meeting someone who wasn't threatened by the fact that I was a widow with a child. Thankfully, I'd gotten my braces off in July, so that particular hurdle was done.

Imaginary conversation between me and the random fellow who unwittingly approached me before July:
RF: Hey... so, what's your story?
A: I'm a widow with braces and a baby. The line starts HERE. (pointing at my feet)

When I first met Rob, I was at a dinner held at the home of the soon-to-be in-laws, holding my own by swearing roundly during a few story-telling times. I like to tell stories. I like to punctuate my stories with well-timed cursing that (I like to think) makes them funnier. My mother thinks I might have Tourette's, but she might just be giving me the benefit of the doubt. The first impression I had when he pulled up?

That man has a large head. I wonder why he's wearing a "CANADA" shirt and driving such a tiny car (it was a Miata).

Then a strange thing happened when I was formally introduced: I got shy. A second strange thing happened as Molly and I left: J.R. put his arm around me protectively while we were chatting with Rob, and I let him (strange because I'm more likely to punch him like a brother).

And the strangest thing of all? Well, he's in the next room on the computer, but I'll get to that later.

family time in many-sticks

The family drove to Plentywood (go ahead, make your jokes) in mid-August for a Morstad-family reunion of sorts. The Teipe family came out with all three kids, and that is an event worthy of hours of driving.

We had a great time, really fantastic. Other than the drive, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Both Rob and I were a teensy bit nervous for him, spending time with his wife's late husband's family. When I put it that way, who doesn't think "party!"?

The Morstads welcomed him so cheerfully and gladly - made him feel truly welcome and at ease, and made me realize anew what an amazing family I married into. They have some of the biggest hearts I've ever seen, and it was an enormous blessing. I had a moment or two of sadness, remembering and missing Blake terribly in the location where I knew a wholly different side of him. Thankfully, the moments were brief, though Rob was sensitive to my heart the whole weekend.

We rode a combine, swam in the pool, built towers of Legos, had a great bonfire, and enjoyed the company immensely. Blake borrowed a life jacket in order to jump off the diving board and declared himself a good swimmer, despite his arms forced awkwardly away from his body due to the size of the PFD. He showed so little fear at the diving board that I got nervous. He's not nearly proficient enough in staying afloat to be so bold!

On the way up, I got a call from my mom letting me know that Reese's water had broken, a full three weeks early. I was the one who was going to stay with the twins so that she and Matt could head to the hospital. Oops! Thankfully, Mom was able to make it well in time, and we got back to a new nephew, Sawyer Eames. He is delightful, and Reese mentioned more than a few times how easy it was to have just the one. I didn't have the heart to remind her that she still had twin two-year-olds at home... I'm sure she was all too aware!

Plentywood pics: I'm sorry for the quality, but these were swiped off Facebook and edited, and nothing digital holds up well to that kind of tinkering.

Rob & Addie

Grammie Freda, Joe and Rachel, Patsy, Erin, Steve, Dan, Nancy, Addie, Blake, Rob

Rachel & Joe

Dan & Ernie

Ben

Blake & Chris

Jack

unusually political for me

I'm sick of the emotional rhetoric being thrown around by those vehemently against the government's health care/insurance/cost reform (including the man who cluelessly said "Keep your government out of my Medicare!"). I am sick of being made to feel that our president's endorsement is enough to make me embrace a confusing and flawed 1000-page bill.

But I am also tired of the apathy of the American public at large, including my own. The attitude of "I've-got-mine-so-screw-you" is not acceptable. Arguing that the Constitution doesn't include health care isn't helpful. Leaving those less fortunate to suffer and die under either crippling illness or crippling debt is unconscionable. Continuing to penalize those unfortunate enough to have an illness manifest during a period without insurance has to stop. We're allowing health insurance companies to discriminate against the sick.

I am not sure if I approve of a bill I've not read. What I do know is that the compassion we need in order to carefully and wisely reconsider the status quo is sadly lacking. I'm tired of seeing rants from well-meaning friends on Facebook. I fear for my brother-in-law and his family - as someone unfortunate enough to suffer a collapse a mere week short of qualifying for health insurance, he and my sister are all but condemned to declare medical bankruptcy. Federal law requires that he be given care in an emergency, but that is not reassuring enough when he is only TWENTY-SIX and evidently forever barred from getting insurance to cover the very condition he needs coverage for.

The current system is broken. I am not sure that federalized care is the answer, but clearly, insurance companies as they stand now appear more concerned with their bottom line than they are with providing customer service that truly serves the customer. Chances are very good that someone you know is struggling with this issue: how to pay for care that's not covered. Now? NOW can you show some compassion to your fellow man?

This is more a rant than a "this is how we solve this" post, but I did find this, this, and this helpful in framing my current mindset of "I don't know what to do, but I'd rather err on the side of grace."

cheerful porn soundtrack

Getting a call at 6:30 in the morning has "emergency" written all over it, despite the happy ring I now dance to EVERY TIME I get a phone call.

Except the ones that come in at 6:30. Then I just panic and try to answer it as quickly as possible. When the person on the other end is an endlessly perky coworker who thinks that 8:30 in Florida equals 10:30 in Montana, I can relax.

Of course, now I hate him for being in Florida without me, not for calling for a non-emergency at 6:30 am.

Thoughtless cad.

charming

• Our freshly scrubbed floors; I might not mop often, so when I DO, I go all out
  
• Serving in the church nursery when Mason, Smith, AND Kale were there
  
• The promising look of a ton of green cherry tomatoes, if summer would just hang on
  
• Stepping on the Wii Fit and hearing "Great!"
• Getting to see a bunch of the Morstad side of our family and be reminded how lovely they are
  
• Being so bored on Saturday that I read an Agatha Christie novel (they both did it!), exercised, and otherwise "got a lot done," which is my litmus for a good day
• Finding a starter set of Legos for Blake after we gave his Duplos to the twins
• Finally finding a light bulb that fits Rob's beloved lava lamp
• Blake's cheerfulness at being a pirate, albeit a blind one until his glasses arrive
  
• Getting a new phone with an engaging ringtone that sounds like a really upbeat and fun porn soundtrack
• Discovering that Mom chose the same ringtone for her new phone
  

annoying

• Carpeted bathrooms
• Single-ply toilet paper
  
• Idiotic drivers now that school's almost begun (I got behind a Californian the other day whom I wanted to ram repeatedly while yelling "GO HOME!" as he ignored all the basic traffic laws that presumably also exist in the sunnier clime to which he's accustomed... but it would required me to get off my cell phone. All I can hope is that the Bozeman winter will hand him his heinie on a frosty silver platter.)
• Stepping on the Wii Fit and hearing "Oh!"
• Spending summer behind the windshield and still not getting everywhere we wanted to be
• Rob's Saturday work schedule
• My Norwegian pancakes not tasting like the Cousin's Family Restaurant's version
• Summer being almost conspicuously absent for three months as falls creeps in
• Eye patches and glasses and all the work that involves for Blakester (more in a different post)