Going to the chapel and we're....

...Gonna get married.

Admittedly, I am little late on the Dad-Vegas wedding post. Better late than never, I guess.

I'll post some pictures...but here are a few highlights.

*Getting to spend some time with long distance family. 'Nuff said.
*Spending time with my sister Krystina who lives an ocean away! I miss her.
*Seeing my Dad happier than I have seen him a very long time. Jeri is a good woman.
*Getting to spend some quality time with my husband (Some days I have to carry a picture around of him just so I can remember what he looks like...)
*Eating "dinner" with Mark in a casino cafe at 2:00 am. And having a gay waiter named Elvis. (the irony of having a waiter named Elvis in Vegas was almost too much for me to handle!)
*Going to see Stomp with Mark and Krystina on Friday night. I highly recommend the show!
*Getting to stand up with my Dad as he got married (at 11:30 at night!).
*Leaving Carson Valley for a few days! :)
*Going to the Wax Museum in the Venetian (see Mark with the Rock...)

525,600 minutes...

Mark,

Today is exactly one year from the day that we went on our first date. I don't often sit and think about that day anymore as so much has happened since then. However, today is a day to remember...

I remember being nervous. And I remember wanting to back out. But I also remember this nagging feeling that if I did back out that I would be missing out on something fantastic. My nagging feeling was probably the Holy Spirit. And it was true - had I turned you down I would have missed out on the greatest blessing of my entire life - you.

I remember early in the afternoon waiting for you to call and set up the details of time and place for the evening. I remember the feeling when I saw an unfamiliar number on my phone and knowing it was you. Being scared to pick up but really curious as to what you had to say. I remember our conversation and thinking how nice you were - and that it wasn't that hard to talk to you after all.

I remember sitting at my kitchen table with Sunny and waiting for you to pick us up. Wondering what in the world we were going to have to talk about. Curious as to why you picked me. Wondering if you knew how old I really was. Not knowing if you were going to want to go out with me again after that night. Not believing that it was my life that this was happening to. You rang my doorbell. My life changed forever.

I'll probably always remember what you had on that night. And where we sat in Applebee's. And how nice you were. Probably the nicest guy I had ever met. And such a gentleman! Sunny and I thought you were too good to be true. That no one could be that much of a gentleman. Or that nice.

But it was true. I married the nicest, kindest, most chivalrous man on earth. You are everything you said you were that night and more. I'm so glad you picked me. I'm so glad I said yes.

Happy One Year Anniversary, Mark. I love you.

Jeanne

Another one bites the dust...

Another one down. We are officially down to one goldfish. Just in case you were wondering, that is.

Top 100 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

(in no particular order)

1. He loves God.
2. He loves me.
3. He won't end a telephone conversation without telling me he loves me.
4. He'll cuddle with me.
5. He makes me laugh with his silly jokes.
6. He'll give me his dinner if I like it better.
7. He takes out the trash without me even asking.
8. He gets excited about little things.
9. He loves cartoons.
10. He can talk his way into any ballpark.
11. He can talk his way into just about anywhere.
12. He can talk his way out of a ticket.
13. He is a really good cop.
14. He looks really cute in his blue uniform.
15. He loves to party.
16. He thinks I'm beautiful even when I am not trying to be.
17. He thinks I'm beautiful even when I am trying to be!
18. He will watch movies I want to watch.
19. He'll share a Coldstone ice cream with me when I know he wants his own.
20. He tries really hard to understand my job.
21. He is my biggest fan.
22. He gives the best hugs.
23. He gives the best kisses.
24. He genuinely wants to serve his community.
25. He loves taking care of his family.
26. He's a big kid.
27. He buys super hero t-shirts and looks really good in them.
28. There is not a selfish bone in his body.
29. He thinks mattresses only cost about 500 dollars.
30. Gummi Bears are his favorite candy.
31. He loves and respects his mom.
32. He likes to grill.
33. He loves sports just enough to be really manly about it.
34. He can make me smile and laugh really hard with his french accent.
35. He loves to take care of me when I am sick.
36. He loves to take care of me even when I am not sick.
37. Let's face it. He's hot.
38. He proposed to me at Wrigley Field!
39. My dad loves him.
40. My sister's think he is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
41. He is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
42. He is a smart cookie.
43. He knows lots of information about the weirdest things.
44. He can arrest people!
45. He loves his kids.
46. He loves to play X-box.
47. He'll go shopping with me.
48. He's not afraid to put me in my place.
49. His smile brightens my day.
50. He is a good provider.
51. He is a really hard worker.
52. He has the biggest heart of anyone I know.
53. He is the most generous person I've ever met.
54. His eyes smile.
55. He never gives up.
56. He is tender.
57. He's passionate.
58. He loves to laugh.
59. He understands the importance of carnival food.
60. He loves to learn.
61. He has a humble and teachable spirit.
62. He has big plans for our backyard.
63. He'll watch HGTV with me.
64. He doesn't complain too much when I want to watch the style network...
65. He doesn't steal the covers! :)
66. He buys me flowers.
67. He just wants to make me feel special.
68. He makes me feel more loved that I ever have in my life.
69. He is dedicated to family.
70. He has an adventurous spirit.
71. He can keep a secret.
72. He can plan a good party!
73. He's all about marking special moments.
74. He will buy my favorite candy bar if he sees it.
75. He'll fall asleep on the couch but deny he did till the end.
76. He wasn't afraid to make a scary career move because it was good for us.
77. He is the bravest man I know.
78. Did I mention he was hot??
79. He loves milk (so delicious.)
80. My family is important to him.
81. What I think is important to him.
82. He thinks I am a good singer.
83. He respects me.
84. He respects other people.
85. He will help anyone in need.
86. He'll go out of his way to do it.
87. He teaches me to have more fun.
88. He teaches me to be more generous.
89. He makes life more enjoyable.
90. He knows every lyric and author of every song ever written.
91. He'll go to church an hour and half early just to be with me.
92. He loves baked beans.
93. His expression at our wedding. I'll never forget it.
94. His gentleness.
95. His mischievous side.
96. The way he dances.
97. The way he calls just to tell me he loves me and is thinking of me.
98. The way he holds my hand.
99. The way he gives of himself everyday.
100. I love him for who he is. Not what he can do. Just for who you are, Mark.

Two down.

My littel family won four goldfish at the carnival on Sunday. Two have already died. I do not have high expectations for the life expectancy of the other two.

Home Improvements...

My home decorating itch has started. It must be scratched. And scratch it I have.

The last three days I have been painting the largest wall in our living room a really beautiful red color. The official name is "Hawaiian Cinder." But that is just fancy talk for deep, rich red. I finished up my touch-up's this evening...and it looks pretty good if I do say so myself. We have one more wall to paint - but I need to borrow a really tall ladder. So I'll have to get to that later.

We also know have curtains in the living room. Hard to believe, I know. I think they look really fantastic...but then I did pick them out. My opinion might be biased.

I'm going to give my deliciously red wall a few days to cure before I start nailing stuff the walls. Besides, I want to think long and hard about what I want to go on the wall. I was wholly unsatisfied with what I previously had going on on that wall...The only thing I am sure of is that pretty much none of what was there before is going to reappear on that wall.

I'm really quite glad that my life has slowed down a smidge to where I have a little room in my brain to start thinking about really setting up shop here at home. I think it will help my state of mind, too. When I have a really beautiful space to come home to the world just seems a little nicer.

You should come over and see the improvements some time. I think you'll like 'em!

defining moments

The title of my blog. Defining moments. Few of the incidents I right about are actually that. But not so today.

Last night I had the privilege of seeing my husband sworn in as a Police Officer of the City of South Lake Tahoe. A defining moment. It marks the beginning of his official transition from Deputy Sheriff to Police Officer. I am really proud of him.

What made the event even more special was that I got to pin his badge on him.

I love you, Officer Hounsell.

I had a weird moment this morning. I was helping my husband study for his California POST exam and I had this strange sensation of missing studying. I flashed back to a class I took in college - History and Literature of Music - by far the class that required the most studying of any that I took in my four years there. I made some kick-butt study guides for the tests in that class. I can vividly recall sitting on the floor in my door room with three or four other girls drilling the study guide over and over. I really don't mind that kind of studying. I actually kind of miss it, truth be told.

I'm in an awkward kind of place right now. Not bad. Just awkward. Transitional, really. Our schedule at home is anything but settled and there has been a lot of change lately. I am sure that this all contributes to my feelings of awkwardness. But I have to wonder if part of it is not a failure on my part to feed my mind and my soul. I am a learner. I always have been. The last long while I have been in "get it done" mode. There has been precious little time to just learn something new. To stretch my mind some. Granted, I must take some blame for this. I have had a thousand excuses. Work. Wedding. Family. Sleep.

I have a list of hundred things I would love to learn. Or classes I would love to take. Here's a sampling...

1. I've always wanted to take violin lessons.
2. I'd love to take a photography class.
3. I love American History. I'd enjoy taking an American History class from a good teacher.
4. I should really take up voice lessons again.
5. I would love to take a creative writing class. Who knows...maybe I have a story in me.
6. I would DIE if I could take ballroom dancing.
7. Taking an English Literature class would be fun too.
8. Piano lessons would be great...

Anyway - perhaps you can relate. Are you a learner? Do you get in a funk when you get in "do" mode instead of "learn" mode?

By the way - I got a 98% in my History and Literature of Music class... :)

Easy Bake Oven...

Ok. I didn't have an Easy Bake Oven as a kid. But my sister did. Fun for a child...but to quote Monica from Friends, "It is unrealistic to expect a child to wait an hour for a lightbulb to cook brownies!" How true.

I don't really enjoy cooking all that much. Maybe I would if I had more time - but after a long day cooking is really the LAST thing I want to think about. Usually anyway.

Every once in a while I will get in the mood to bake. For some reason, baking and cooking are two different things in my mind. Separate categories. Maybe that's because baking will most often end with a delicious pie or cake or cookie to eat. MMMmmmm.

Last night I got the opportunity to bake some cookies for a co-worker who helped me out yesterday way above and beyond what he had too. And I got to use one of my new toys...

Oooooo.....aaahhhh..... That's right. My generous Aunt and Uncle gave Mark and I a Kitchenaid Mixer for a wedding present. Making cookies has never been so easy. My arm didn't get weary at all because I wasn't the one doing the mixing.

I highly recommend this appliance if you can get your hands on one!

He loves me...

There are many reasons why I know my husband loves me very much. But tonight he demonstrated it in a very cool way...

We were at dinner at a fairly nice establishment and we both ordered different steaks. When they came, we tasted what the other had ordered. I made the passing comment that I liked his better - and he switched steaks with me (and that is a big deal if you knew how much Mark likes steak...).

Ah, such love.

I love my husband.

"The Devil, the originator of sorrowful anxieties and restless troubles, flees before the sound of music almost much as before the Word of God."

-Martin Luther

The Fleecing of America!!

Can you believe that it cost Mark and me 69 dollars to get our marriage license?? I mean really! For a little piece of paper. The ink better be pure gold. That's all I have to say.

I've decided that the hidden costs of getting married are: 1) postage 2) your marriage license

Yeah. I'm annoyed.

A guilty pleasure...

Mark has gotten me addicted to the show "Dog the Bounty Hunter." I have no idea why I like it because I do not normally enjoy shows of this nature. But for one reason or another the show has peaked my interest.

On related story...My sister Krystina lives in Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Mark asked her one time if she had ever seen Dog (his business also being on Oahu). She replies, "No, I've never seen him - but we go to the same tattoo place."

Only from my sister Krystina would you get such a response. You have to love her. :)

Outdoor Fun

One of my "resolutions" (if you can call it that) is to spend more time outside doing fun outdoor type activities. It's just plain wrong that I live in this beautiful area and never to go to Tahoe or Topaz or any of the other magnificent spots available to me.

So I have been getting ready. Every summer around July I decide I want a beach umbrella. But you can't buy them in July...sold out. So I have already bought two. One for Mark and I and one for the boys. I am also stocking up on beach toys. Buckets, shovels, sand molds, balls - that sort of thing. One of the gifts I got at my wedding shower was an igloo ice chest. Perfect for the all day beach excursion! I want my family to have nice memories of the summers that we spent outdoors. And we have already started, folks. This last week we took a picnic lunch to Lake Topaz. Definately not nearly as nice a lake as Tahoe...but Topaz is only 10 minutes from our house and they allow dogs. It's still water...and it is still pretty nice. I only had two hours - so we couldn't spend the day there. But the time we did have was really nice. Here are some pictures!

Rubber ducky, you're the one...

Mark got called into work the other night - so I got Lance and Tyler ready for bed. Who knew bathtime could be so much fun?

He's so cute.

That's right...my adorable fiance now has a blog. Check him out here.

Kids say...

The darndest things.

Like at dinner the other night.

My mom and her husband Rusty had come over for dinner and Tyler (who is six) had just come from T-ball practice. They had apparently also had a scrimmage that night so he was in his full uniform...

Dinner was past ready when they got home so instead of having him change we just all sat down to eat. We get about five minutes into the meal and he yells out, "Ah, can't I go take my cup off?"

Not ever having had to wear that particular piece of athletic equipment I have no idea if they are comfortable or not. But judging from Tyler's disdain over having to wear it at dinner...I'm going to guess not.

We're going...

On a honeymoon!! It's a long, long story of how we got here...but the short story is that our friends Henry and Cindy (Incidentally it is Henry that is marrying us) gave us a week of their time share for our wedding present! So we will be spending a glorious week at a resort in Scottsdale, AZ. I just love them.

In case you were wondering...

Only 44 days until the wedding!