Emma

Scott mentioned Emma in his post, so for those of you who do not know Emma, I thought I should explain.

Emma is the dog from Hell. She is a two year old Boxer/Boston Terrier Mix (FYI, this is the recipe for a dog from Hell). She's 40 lbs of pure muscle. She's stubborn, destructive, and has far too much energy for my little condo.

I knew when I decided to get a dog that there would be expenses involved. Food, vet bills, toys, treats, etc. Below is a list of the unexpected expenses I have encountered in the last 2 years:

8 pairs of sunglasses

2 pairs of prescription glasses (about $150 each)

6 pairs of earphones for the iPod

4 bed pillows

2 feather throw pillows for the couch (see picture above)

2 bathroom rugs

7 or 8 bras

2 pairs of shoes

1 sofa cover

1 soft down throw

2 shirts

2 plastic chairs for the balcony (and their cushions)

several plants

A pair of my mom's shoes

Mom's gardening pad

4 leashes

1 broom

1 snow shovel

New carpet throughout the condo

Several tubes of lipstick

4 combs

1 curling iron (she chewed the cord and I electrocuted myself)

3 of my nephew's basketballs/baseballs/tennis balls, etc.

countless dog beds.

Now, you're probably thinking, "Why isn't the dog supervised??" She is. The damage would be 10 times worse if she weren't.

Thankfully, she's outgrown most of the destructive behavior. I'm not sure Scott would marry me if she hadn't. In an effort to bond, Scott took Emmy back to obedience school (her second round.)

On the plus side, she's the most affectionate dog you'll ever meet. She's a snuggler. She's gentle with kids, tolerant of ear-pinching and tail-pulling. She's protective of me. And protective of the kids (won't let them swim alone.) And every time Scott walks in the door, she does what we call "The Daddy Dance". Her bum starts wiggling, she picks up her leash, and she "dances" on her back legs. She knows she's not supposed to jump on him, so she just prances around with her front legs in the air. She loves other dogs, cats, and strangely, pigs.

Emma just needs a yard and lots of exercise. I'm as excited for her to have a yard as I am for myself. And my darling Scott is unbelievably tolerant.

Three Months and Counting...

Today marks the three month mark in the countdown to our blessed wedding. While we have most of the big items out of the way; there are still lots of things to do. We spent most of this last weekend house hunting. Now, that we've sold our condos. Though my deal is not quite finalized yet, but its on the way. There sure are a lot of homes on the market. The key is finding something we both like, in our price range and in the right location. Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it. Well, so far we haven't found the one house that meets all our needs quite yet. We're both hopeful it will happen soon. Everything we've wanted to have happen has just fallen into place; so I don't see why this should be any different.

On the baby front..Rebecca is almost through the first trimester which is great. She's had a rough time with morning sickness and I know she will be glad when that finally subsided and she can feel more like herself again.

More house hunting this week...we'll let you know when we find something.

My Side of the Story...

Hello friends and family. I thought it might be nice if you finally heard a little from me concerning how Rebecca and I not only got together, but how our relationship has developed. Let me first say that I had gotten to a point in my dating life where I was utilizing the on-line dating scene for the last several years. I was on Match.com and had done E-Harmony as well. I'd meet a lot of very nice women; some I dated for awhile, but nothing long term. Most of my long term relationship had come in other ways and looking back shouldn't have been as long as they ended up being. Prior to meeting Rebecca I had come out of a very rough and heartbreaking relationship; but, I was determined to "get back out there" because I certainly wasn't getting any younger and there was a definite void in my life. A woman I dated a couple of times mentioned a singles web site I'd never heard of www.plentyoffish.com Unlike many of the other sites it was free; so I joined up, put up a profile and listed what I was looking for in a partner. Thou and behold Rebecca's profile popped up. She had some very attractive pictures posted and seemed to be looking for a lot of the same things in a relationship that I was looking for. So, I emailed her. We exchanged emails for several weeks and then I didn't hear from her. After awhile I figured she wasn't interested any longer. Rebecca had gotten a bit tired of the dating game and was taking a break. Once she got back to her emails, she saw one from me and decided to finally respond. Lucky Me.

By this time, I had begun dating another woman. I didn't think it was really going to go anywhere and while I enjoyed spending time with her; was still looking. After a few weeks of more emails we finally had a couple of phone calls. I remember one call I caught Rebecca out with her sister Sarah at TGI Friday's having dessert one night. Eventually, we had our first meeting at Fiddler's Elbow for lunch right after Thanksgiving, 2007. I was immediately impressed with her. She was attractive, bright, easy to talk to. We had several things in common including baseball among other things. It was a very enjoyable time and I could have stayed there talking to her all day. She even bought lunch which was nice and unexpected. I think she knew she wanted to see my again as well.

We started seeing one another on a regular basis, getting to know each other. I think we were both taking things slow. The other woman I had been seeing fell by the wayside. In December at a dinner at the Melting Pot in Salt Lake I told Rebecca I would like to just date her exclusively to see where this relationship might go. She wasn't quite ready to do that just yet. Dating can be like a full time job and I just wanted to spend time with here to see how things might go. Now, I also have to tell you that Rebecca has dated a number of guys named Scott over the years, so remembering my name wasn't too hard for her. I soon got to met Emma and the cats. Emma and I are continuing to learn about one another and I look forward to getting her a yard to run around and play in.

As Rebecca has written already it was March, 2008 before a Matchbox 20 concert that we started to express our feelings for one another. We were both being cautious and I was getting concerned that if she didn't have feelings for me I needed to get out of the relationship before I got hurt again. It was just after her birthday in April, 2008 that we finally said "I Love You" to one another. It has been a whirlwind since then. We started looking at wedding rings a month later and it seemed the most natural thing to do - once I got over the sticker shock!! I think my parents were quite shocked when I told them we were looking at wedding rings and they realized this was a serious relationship. I love my parents dearly, but I think they had just about given up on me ever getting married and having a finally. It just took me a long time to find the right person to be with.

I proposed in July while we were vacationing on the Oregon Coast. There was a beach right outside where we were staying and at sunset the first night there I popped the question. I don't think I could have waited any longer. What seemed like a long time to plan a wedding is not so long now because the 19th of this month marks the three month mark. Rebecca has sold her condo and mine is on its way. We're looking to buy a house and will likely be moving sometime next month. It seems like everything is falling into place for us. We have all of the big wedding plans out of the way;but, there's still plenty to do. I'm still amazed how easy our relationship has gone. Someone told me "when's its right, its just right". I've waited to long time and I now have found the love of my life. I get choked up just thinking about how much I love Rebecca. I never knew life could be so wonderful until I met her. Many people I know have commented to me that I'm just smiling all time. It's because of Rebecca's love and having her in my life. I am so excited to spend my life with her. If Emma and I can grow to love one another then all is right with the world. Now, there doesn't seem to any time to waste. 2009 will find us buying a house, getting married and having our first child; what a year this is going to be. We look forward to having you share many of these life experiences with us.

Moving

It looks like we might have both sold our condos this week! I think all my papers are signed, and Scott is looking at a couple different offers right now. What a relief!

But, now I have to be out in four weeks. It's time to house-hunt! Thankfully this is such a good time to buy! We're amazed by how much house we can get in this market. Plenty of room for us, the dog, the cats, and a kid or two! A spare room for visiting family and friends. A yard for Emma the Dog. It will be an adjustment to have to take care of our own yard now, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm not sure Scott is as excited about that part.
Gotta run! Time to start packing!
We'll keep you posted on how the search comes along!

The next step

I think I mentioned that Scott and I don't take things slowly. We knew we wanted to start a family soon after the wedding. I'd been visiting the doctor to make sure there weren't any problems. I didn't want to get married, then spend a year or two trying.

Well, there was a problem. After tracking my temperature for several months, it looked like I wasn't ovulating. I met with my Dr. (whom I adore) and he gave me a prescription for a mild fertility drug. I figured that we'd get married, fill the prescription, and start our family.

I went home, told Scott the news, feeling a little blue, but knowing we had plenty of options ahead of us. Scott, the optimist, urged me not to get ahead of myself. There was no real reason to think we'd have any problem having kids. Science can work miracles these days, right? Apparently, so can desire... We made a baby!!!!! Probably that same week we were told I wasn't ovulating! Okay, so it's a little sooner than we'd planned, but so what? We're thrilled, and terrified, and overwhelmed, and excited!

The due date is August 4!

Our story

I thought this might be a nice way to keep our family and friends updated on our busy lives!
Scott and I don't do anything slowly, apparently. We've waited our whole lives for each other, and now we don't want to waste any more time!

We met in 2007. Sometime during Thanksgiving weekend, we had our first date at Fiddler's Elbow. He was wearing a dark orange shirt, and I thought it looked nice. I'm not sure what his first impression was of me, but I guess it was good enough to ask for a second date! We dated slowly through the holidays, not making any sort of commitment, seeing each other maybe once a week. I knew he liked me, but I was nervous. I think it wasn't until March, before the Matchbox Twenty concert, that I finally confessed that I was falling for him.

After that, our relationship was a whirlwind. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to start looking at rings and planning a wedding. Scott officially proposed to me while we were in Oregon in July. A fairytale proposal, on the beach at sunset. I felt like the luckiest woman in the world. I knew that everything I had been through in the past led me to this moment, this gift.

So, the whirlwind continues. Next thing I knew, we were putting our condos on the market, meeting his parents, booking wedding vendors, taking engagement pictures, and hitting every garage sale and thrift shop in town for candle holders and vases.

The wedding is April 19, 2009. Just 3 months away now. It will be a small ceremony with just close family and friends. I get emotional just thinking of our special day. I am grateful for every moment that we share.