Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Cold Stone and a Kitchen Mixer


So what do Cold Stone and a mixer have to do with each other?  Let me explain...

Colby made Valentine's Day a wonderful night for me.  Knowing that crowds and expensive menus would not win my heart, Colby cooked the best meal for me on Valentine's day, not allowing me into the kitchen to help at all.  He made a green salad, bacon-wrapped steak medallions, baked potato and grilled pineapple. The steak was honestly the best I think I have ever had.  He had me leave the kitchen while he was "preparing dessert."  I could hear him mixing something up with the beaters and creating all sorts of noise in the kitchen.  We had just gotten a new car that day, so he asked if I would go for a drive with him while we let our food settle before dessert.  Our drive took us to Cold Stone, my favorite, where he really showed he knew me as he pulled out a gift card we had received earlier.  After all, what's the sense in paying cash if we have a gift card. :)  When I asked about the noise in the kitchen, he got a huge grin and was happy to know he had confused me.  He didn't want me to figure out our dessert surprise, so was pretending to make me dessert by letting the beaters run and hitting pans together.  Oh Colby, you are adorable.  I love that we are perfect for each other, even through all our quirky and imperfect ways.  Thanks for being my Valentine!

xoxo

{ps, doesn't he look good in an apron}


Saturday, February 12, 2011

LOVE

Love through the eyes of children...

I got this in an email and thought they were all so cute.

"When  my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails  anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his  hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8   

"When  someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know  that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4   


"Love  is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go  out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5   


"Love  is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4   


"Love  is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving  it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7  
 

"If  you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you  hate,"
Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this  planet)   


"Love  is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7   (hello. could this be any cuter? This one is my favorite.  Absolutely adorable.)


"Love  is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age  5   


"I  know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has  to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4   


"You  really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you  should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8    
 

Happy Valentines Season.



If you are reading this, more than likely I love you!  Thanks for being you and for having a special role in my life.  

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Now this is what I call a Snow Day




Unlike our last snow day, snowfall today has broken the all-time snow record for this area.  When typical yearly averages of snow are 6'', we got 18-20'' in the first 4 hours.  This is more of what I would expect of a snow day. Pretty sure we couldn't drive anywhere even if we wanted to.  Now that the snow has stopped, the official reading for our town was 23''.  Our yard was 17'' after setting for several hours.  Crazy.


Precious little guy

Isn't he beautiful.  I think so.


katieheinerphotography.blogspot.com


Thursday, February 3, 2011

Funeral procession/See ya when you're done

Colby and I left work together today to attend the funeral of a sweet lady from our ward. It was a beautiful service; a little different than I am used to, but very heartfelt and beautiful. I always leave funerals wishing I had known many of the things about that person before they were gone and I was sitting in their funeral.

Anyway, the funeral was in a small funeral home and Colby and I were on the aisle seats of the back row of the "friends side." At the end of the service the funeral director came up to me, crouched down and whispered what at first I thought were directions to go sit with the family. I was very confused and thought maybe she had thought we were family and since we snuck in at the last minute didn't take our correct seat and thought we would want to be with the family when they walked out. Nice gesture of her to do, only we aren't family...

She must have noticed my bewildered look as she repeated her directions and motioned for me to head to the front down the aisle to the family, then out. I was confused still but could sense her urgency to get me going. I figured they were just organizing an exit for everyone and taking us out the long way by way of the front to the back door as to not cause a traffic jam. I stood up and realized I really had no idea what was going on and that I was the only one walking up the aisle and people were beginning to turn and look at me. Luckily the funeral director nudged Colby to follow. I made eye contact with bishop who gave me the look of "what are you doing" and asked quietly if I was to head out to the left or right.
He didn't know.
Neither did I.
I chose left because I recalled the director mentioning family and they were all on the left. As I was walking past, it dawned on me that they were sending us out this way such that we could offer our condolences to the family. Yeah, I'm a little slow. Unfortunately, I was so flustered and didn't know who was family or not and felt all eyes on me on this small, quiet room that all I got out was a muttered, "I'm so sorry for your loss." Great. Of all times to get flustered? now? really? Great. I am almost positive it came out quite insincere.

Well instead of letting this eat at me all afternoon, I instead participated in a good laughing session with Colby in the car as we discussed how utterly awkward that was. Turns out he was just as confused as I was as was the guest leaving third in line. We have only been to funerals where the pallbearers and casket leave first, followed by family then guests. For all those attending our funeral in the very far future, just know you won't be faced with this same traumatic experience. Also know you will never see us in the back row of a funeral again.

At the risk of making this long post longer, I must share funny story numero two of the day.  As we returned back to work we both needed to rush to the restroom.  {Guzzling a water bottle while rushing to eat lunch before the funeral and walking in at 1:01 to a 1:00 funeral do wonders to a small bladder.} As Colby turned to go into the men's restroom I said, ok, see ya...when you're done.  He replied, okay, see ya then.  Because the walls in bathrooms as walmart home office are thin, I could hear a toilet flush in the men's room and hurried to wash my hands and make it out to meet him.  When I walked out, he wasn't out yet.  So I waited. And waited. And waited.  Now I was trying to figure out what was taking him so long.  He is usually pretty vocal about his, well, business, if its bad, and hadn't said anything prior to going in.  Odd.  But okay.  He must be taking longer than usual, I though.  The door slowly opened and I expected to see Colby. Nope.  A man headed into the restroom shortly.  A few minutes later, the same man came out.  No Colby.  I was getting impatient and wondering what the supplier in the supplier room across the hall were thinking of me, hanging out by the trashcans and bathroom. It had probably been 5 minutes and I was worrying--I was almost ready to have someone go in and check to see if Colby had fallen in, but then I realized that is being way to paranoid of a wife.  Instead I called his cell.  Here is our convo.

c:hello?
k: colby, where. are. you.?
c: i just logged back into my computer.  I'm at my desk.
k:oh my gosh. what? {laughing...} are you serious?
c:yeah. why? where are you.
{pause}
k: I'm standing outside the bathroom, waiting for you.
c: oh my gosh. no way.
k: yeah. really.
. . .
Five minutes of my life--wasted.

Apparently when I said see you when you're done he took it as when you're done with work.  I meant it as done in the restroom.  Simple misunderstanding.  Good laugh. Glad I didn't barge into the men's restroom to make sure my husband hadn't been sucked down the pipes.

Looks like Colby and Katie have had their first "Merrill and Kalle" day.  (Something only my side of the family will understand...Uncle and Aunt with similar stories x 100 all too often) Hopefully its the last.