...here's a little update.
Want to know more? Click here or on the "I read Nie Nie" link on the side of my blog.
I cannot tell you what a wonderful bunch of people there are in this world. SOOOO many people have come out to help on this project. The house they are going to live in is just beautiful; but more than that, it has SO much love put into it that you can hardly breathe without feeling overcome by the Spirit and the joy people have brought to this unfortunate circumstance.
Sonna has done a wonderful job coordinating this project. I have learned so much from her and have felt a special friendship forming among many of us who have been working together. I appreciate her willingness to do it because I know that it has taken a deep dedication and a lot of time. She is truly AMAZING! She has done more for me than she will know and I will miss her come next year when she is gone.
To all who have helped: I have sincerely enjoyed working alongside you! Whether 30 minutes or 5 hours, it has been a great joy!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
A bit of thanks...
We had a great Thanksgiving; even though we weren't able to spend it with our extended families! I had to work Wednesday and Friday, so we decided it would be better just to stay in Provo for the day. We have some WONDERFUL family though!~ I won't go into details, but I will just say they are so generous, loving, and thoughtful! I was grateful--and touched-- that they still remembered us even though we couldn't make it down for Thanksgiving! We are VERY excited to go to Vegas for Christmas though!
We didn't really get a chance to do our annual turkey bowl, which happens to be one of my favorite traditions, considering it honors the day/time that Devin asked me on our first date. I was sad about that, but we still had fun hangin with a few couples from the ward. Sonna (Fegert) and Sloan Robison--along with their daughter Ruthie-- and Caroline and Charlie Bagget (and some of Caroline's family and friends) were our company and we had a really good time. I made a ham and my mom's famous/the-most-delicious-you-could-ever-possibly-taste rolls for the event. However, my version of the rolls didn't turn out nearly as splendid....and I can't figure out why because after I put them in a plastic bag over night, they were DEFINITELY as good! When I brought them to the dinner, the tops were a little hard, but now they're soft and fluffy as can be! Sad, but happy, because that means we get to eat them for a while still! They are truly the best! I missed a few of the traditional things my family has for dinner--such as frog-eye salad, grandpa's banana cream pie, and candied yams, etc.--BUT we got a few tastes for foreign: chinese potatoes, which Devin LOVED!!!
All in all, it was a great time! It was so fun to catch up with Sonna and to get to know Carolyn a little better while the guys were outside chasing one another around! We are truly grateful for SOOOOO many things, but especially all of our friends and family who have done so much for us and have taught us all of the important things in life! We love you!
P.S. The picture above is the little girl I nanny. We made her Indian outfit for Thanksgiving out of a paper bag courtesy of Smiths. She went home to color and paint it after, but I thought it was cute and fun! She is an adorable little girl and I am very grateful to nanny her!
Other grate-fulls:
-the GOSPEL
-Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
-one another
-Work
-apartment
-heat
-food
-clothes
-the warm feeling of home
-football
-physical health
-mental health
-emotional health
-tesimonies
-missionaries (especially family currently serving/preparing)
-safety and security
-the bed and blankets (this is my favorite--Devin always sees the big grin that lights my face up whenever I get into bed and my comfy covers at the end of the day)
-football
-other sports we have fun playing
-cars to get us where we need to go
-blogs to keep in touch
-Meghan (this is Devin's)
-our ward
-school/education
-service opportunities and performed
-journals
-pictures
-memories
-Heavenly Father's creations (which Devin likes to remind me is everything--and we truly are grateful for everything, The End.)
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
My newest project
I know it's not even after Thanksgiving yet, BUT....I don't get the privilege of going home to be with our family, SO...I have begun a few little projects. These aren't the best pictures of them, but they have been really fun. Someday, down the road, when we get a Christmas tree, I will hang them with joy and lights and they will shine and be beautiful....I HOPE! :O)
This tree courtesy of Shelise Mayer
I am also planning on making some that display "hope," "love," and "joy;" along with the first letters of our first and last names! They are fun, inexpensive, and will hopefully look great!
P.S. I usually DETEST the color purple. I am gradually developing a liking for it...AND I have even chosen to do our tree in purples (for royalty), greens (for lots of things), and whites/clear (for reflection---to bring out the LIGHT). Because, to me, ornaments and Christmas decorations are supposed to symbolize something. I want it to MEAN something to us at that special time of year!
This tree courtesy of Shelise Mayer
I am also planning on making some that display "hope," "love," and "joy;" along with the first letters of our first and last names! They are fun, inexpensive, and will hopefully look great!
P.S. I usually DETEST the color purple. I am gradually developing a liking for it...AND I have even chosen to do our tree in purples (for royalty), greens (for lots of things), and whites/clear (for reflection---to bring out the LIGHT). Because, to me, ornaments and Christmas decorations are supposed to symbolize something. I want it to MEAN something to us at that special time of year!
Family Funnies
#1
This was my own stupid fun. And it's not funny to everyone else, but I caught this picture in the act :O) Sometimes, I am in need of a practical joke...and Devin was the brunt end of this one.
I told him that my mom had called when she hadn't. Stupid? Yes. But I was laughing so hard, I was crying! He called her back and this was his face when he realized she really hadn't called and he had been trying to get to the point all along. In my defense, they BOTH gang up against me from time to time....and my mom loves him more than me. So that is my childishness at it's very peak :O)
P.S. Take a look at his long hair before you read the next one.
#2
(This is ACTUALLY me AFTER the sob fest--and true, it is NOT very flattering of me, but I have to tell the true story...the way it happened; and this is the evidence)
Want to know the in-between?!
I have a thrifty husband and an even tighter budget; SO....when Devin asked me to cut his hair, I resisted it like the plague. :O) I simply don't cut hair, I just don't know how. Period. He prodded and pleaded and gave me facts such as those listed above; so I finally--and I'll admit VERY begrudgingly--consented.
I called me mom for some expert advice, but having never actually done it before, I'm not sure that I ever fully understood what she was trying to explain to me. Wrists facing this way, horizontal papers and the works....it just wasn't working for me. So I started cutting his hair.
I worked and worked....and it got shorter and shorter, but all in all, when I was finished, I wasn't absolutely horrified...just a little terrified. Plus, I left the sides pretty long because I was scared to cut Dev's ear off. I showed him the finished product in the mirror, knew I wouldn't EVER show it to my cosmetologist cousin's, and was almost on my way when Devin decided he wanted the sides just a little bit shorter. What he had paid no regard to, however, was that there was NO GUARD on the buzzers.
He took it to the area right above his sideburns and we got the following result:
And as a comparison, here is the other, non-bald side.
I'm not quite sure if you can see the two bald lines going up his head, but they are there. And just to add a little bit more proof, here is another pic of that side. (Sorry for the pornographic nature of this picture...it demonstrates some of the amount of hair I ended up stealing as well)
Yes, it actually ended up WORSE than I imagined--even after all of the snipping and attempts at blending the dang stuff. Anyway, his first reaction was to get a little upset at me for not telling him that I had taken the guard off to trim the edges....but after like a nanosecond, we thought of the talk given by Elder Wirthlin in General Conference and we busted out laughing uncontrollably. At the same time, I got a good look at Devin, and after all of the perfectionistic emotions flooded over me, I began to cry. AND cry. AND cry. AND cry. I sobbed for a while...and Devin thought it was funny. I managed to whisper "You. look. like. a. monster."
Now here, I must intercede and defend myself. I would never ACTUALLY think my husband looks like a monster. BUT, he had a huge and face defying, blue/purple/bleeding, fat lip and NOW, a big BALD spot on his head--not to mention WAY-shorter-than-I-meant-to-cut-it hair (which I have always been more of a fan of the longer side of hair for him). I felt bad, but I was just so overcome at the moment. Can I just say...he is not a monster, he does not look at a monster, and most importantly he does not ACT like a monster. He is an angel :O)
We had a good time over it, snapped some photos, and have used it as an example in many a lesson since (even though it only happened on Sunday). I also trimmed up the other side to make it look closer to the bald side....and for the first (not REALLY, but let's just say it for his sake) time, Devin let me put some make-up on him to "cover up" the mistake--a handy trick I learned from a good friend in high school when this type of thing happened to him.
My mom has now informed me that before any more futile attempts at cutting anyone else's hair, my cousin Tara has volunteered to teach me to cut hair for the future.
This was my own stupid fun. And it's not funny to everyone else, but I caught this picture in the act :O) Sometimes, I am in need of a practical joke...and Devin was the brunt end of this one.
I told him that my mom had called when she hadn't. Stupid? Yes. But I was laughing so hard, I was crying! He called her back and this was his face when he realized she really hadn't called and he had been trying to get to the point all along. In my defense, they BOTH gang up against me from time to time....and my mom loves him more than me. So that is my childishness at it's very peak :O)
P.S. Take a look at his long hair before you read the next one.
#2
This is more or less how it started....
And this is how it ended...
(This is ACTUALLY me AFTER the sob fest--and true, it is NOT very flattering of me, but I have to tell the true story...the way it happened; and this is the evidence)
Want to know the in-between?!
I have a thrifty husband and an even tighter budget; SO....when Devin asked me to cut his hair, I resisted it like the plague. :O) I simply don't cut hair, I just don't know how. Period. He prodded and pleaded and gave me facts such as those listed above; so I finally--and I'll admit VERY begrudgingly--consented.
I called me mom for some expert advice, but having never actually done it before, I'm not sure that I ever fully understood what she was trying to explain to me. Wrists facing this way, horizontal papers and the works....it just wasn't working for me. So I started cutting his hair.
I worked and worked....and it got shorter and shorter, but all in all, when I was finished, I wasn't absolutely horrified...just a little terrified. Plus, I left the sides pretty long because I was scared to cut Dev's ear off. I showed him the finished product in the mirror, knew I wouldn't EVER show it to my cosmetologist cousin's, and was almost on my way when Devin decided he wanted the sides just a little bit shorter. What he had paid no regard to, however, was that there was NO GUARD on the buzzers.
He took it to the area right above his sideburns and we got the following result:
And as a comparison, here is the other, non-bald side.
I'm not quite sure if you can see the two bald lines going up his head, but they are there. And just to add a little bit more proof, here is another pic of that side. (Sorry for the pornographic nature of this picture...it demonstrates some of the amount of hair I ended up stealing as well)
Yes, it actually ended up WORSE than I imagined--even after all of the snipping and attempts at blending the dang stuff. Anyway, his first reaction was to get a little upset at me for not telling him that I had taken the guard off to trim the edges....but after like a nanosecond, we thought of the talk given by Elder Wirthlin in General Conference and we busted out laughing uncontrollably. At the same time, I got a good look at Devin, and after all of the perfectionistic emotions flooded over me, I began to cry. AND cry. AND cry. AND cry. I sobbed for a while...and Devin thought it was funny. I managed to whisper "You. look. like. a. monster."
Now here, I must intercede and defend myself. I would never ACTUALLY think my husband looks like a monster. BUT, he had a huge and face defying, blue/purple/bleeding, fat lip and NOW, a big BALD spot on his head--not to mention WAY-shorter-than-I-meant-to-cut-it hair (which I have always been more of a fan of the longer side of hair for him). I felt bad, but I was just so overcome at the moment. Can I just say...he is not a monster, he does not look at a monster, and most importantly he does not ACT like a monster. He is an angel :O)
We had a good time over it, snapped some photos, and have used it as an example in many a lesson since (even though it only happened on Sunday). I also trimmed up the other side to make it look closer to the bald side....and for the first (not REALLY, but let's just say it for his sake) time, Devin let me put some make-up on him to "cover up" the mistake--a handy trick I learned from a good friend in high school when this type of thing happened to him.
My mom has now informed me that before any more futile attempts at cutting anyone else's hair, my cousin Tara has volunteered to teach me to cut hair for the future.
It's been...
...TWO years--as of last Tuesday!!! And we still do a lot of this...
AND this...
We didn't have a lot of time to celebrate our anniversary on Tuesday because both of us work and Dev has school, but we did have a chance to go out to dinner--courtesy of Stephanie Fugal (for whom I nanny). She provided us a gift certificate to Macaroni Grill. The atmosphere there is very romantic. In keeping with that theme, Dev and I drew pictures of one another on the tabletop. Here is what we came up with...guess who's who. (Sorry they're kinda hard to see...the light was not conducive to taking pictures...even with the flash)
The waiter took this one of us.
And these were just at home before we went to dinner. Because of our small budget, we decided not to get anything for one another for this anniversary, but Dev still got me a flower and wrote me a beautiful card. Thanks sweetie bum!
We also played an intramural basketball game that night after dinner....we lost, but we won the game Thursday; so we are still in the tournament! Wahoo! It has been surprisingly fun on this co-ed team with our family and friends (Tyler and Tashina King, Alex and Christy Wilcox, and Danielle Boyle)!!!
Halloweeny
Our Halloween art. We made it a Devil and then a boy with a cap on. It was just fun to do!
For our actual celebration, we went on a double date with a couple in our ward. We went on a spooky Halloween "cruise." It was along the Provo river and wasn't scary in the least, which was a blast! :O) They told a really cute Halloween story as we floated down the river. I guess they also have it all beautifully lit for Christmas, so we are definitely going back!
After the cruise, we went back to our apartment and watched The Eye. It was a fun night in all and we had a great time with the Hatches!!!!
For our actual celebration, we went on a double date with a couple in our ward. We went on a spooky Halloween "cruise." It was along the Provo river and wasn't scary in the least, which was a blast! :O) They told a really cute Halloween story as we floated down the river. I guess they also have it all beautifully lit for Christmas, so we are definitely going back!
After the cruise, we went back to our apartment and watched The Eye. It was a fun night in all and we had a great time with the Hatches!!!!
Our latest Injuries
Dev's fat lip and my scraped knee (which pictures do no justice for either). They both hurt. I got a trip to my feet running full speed and Devin got a head to the lip . Poor guy and poor me :O) ha ha...actually, mine is completely healed at this point but Devin's is only getting worse.
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Niv
Otherwise known as "the salmon." Always a head higher than anyone else (except when they're pulling him down) jumping for the ball and arched just like a salmon during a salmon run.
Soccer champion, basketball star, football dreamer...HE is my hubby!
...when his heart is in Brazil where he spent his 2 year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is his second home and he dreams about it often. (Which is why we are going to Tucanos--keep your fingers crossed--for his birthday dinner tonight.)
Growing up, Devin loved to spend his time in the outskirts of the forest behind his house. He would play in the creek, fishing for crawdads and jumping off "cliffs."
Growing still, Devin regularly gets an itch to climb the mountains behind our home,
searching for animals, seeing the view, or just sitting to ponder. This happens most often when we are not involved in the football season, which--by the way-- he consistently counts down to every year during the off season.
All of this makes him sound like a sports maniac, but really, he is much more than that. Devin has an uncanny ability to make me feel secure and have peace when he is holding me in his arms.
He is patient and calm; and definitely able to wait things out in God's timing rather than that which normal human nature allows. He speaks softly and rarely, but when he DOES speak, it is more important than anything anyone else has to say. He is profound and simple...and just the most humble man you will ever know (except with sports, because he knows he is DANG good :O) at them!)
Devin is changeable and meek. He is molded by what God wants him to do and He will listen and change and become better each day. He regularly speaks with the Lord and ponders about what He has in store for him. He is a great leader in our family.
Not only is he a leader, he is also an equal partner. I will just tell you, he does the dishes EVERY SINGLE DAY in our home and never hesitates to lend me a hand with any other housework that we have. He also doesn't hesitate to take on a nurturing role and is a great comforter.
Devin is turning 25 today and I want him to know that he is everything to me. I love him so much and it grows exponentially each and every day. I love my husband. He is a wonderful man; so to my pookie:
Have a wonderful birthday and may the next 25 years be even happier, even merrier, even
brighter, and even more fulfilling as we go along hand-in-hand. You are A perfect...
Soccer champion, basketball star, football dreamer...HE is my hubby!
Devin Lee Romney was born--a VERY happy baby-- in Orem, Utah to Karen Sue
and Kevin Dean Romney.
He moved to Texas when he was 3 years and became a cowboy forever. His heart has been, and always will be, there. Except...
and Kevin Dean Romney.
He moved to Texas when he was 3 years and became a cowboy forever. His heart has been, and always will be, there. Except...
...when his heart is in Brazil where he spent his 2 year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is his second home and he dreams about it often. (Which is why we are going to Tucanos--keep your fingers crossed--for his birthday dinner tonight.)
Growing up, Devin loved to spend his time in the outskirts of the forest behind his house. He would play in the creek, fishing for crawdads and jumping off "cliffs."
Growing still, Devin regularly gets an itch to climb the mountains behind our home,
searching for animals, seeing the view, or just sitting to ponder. This happens most often when we are not involved in the football season, which--by the way-- he consistently counts down to every year during the off season.All of this makes him sound like a sports maniac, but really, he is much more than that. Devin has an uncanny ability to make me feel secure and have peace when he is holding me in his arms.
He is patient and calm; and definitely able to wait things out in God's timing rather than that which normal human nature allows. He speaks softly and rarely, but when he DOES speak, it is more important than anything anyone else has to say. He is profound and simple...and just the most humble man you will ever know (except with sports, because he knows he is DANG good :O) at them!)Devin is changeable and meek. He is molded by what God wants him to do and He will listen and change and become better each day. He regularly speaks with the Lord and ponders about what He has in store for him. He is a great leader in our family.
Not only is he a leader, he is also an equal partner. I will just tell you, he does the dishes EVERY SINGLE DAY in our home and never hesitates to lend me a hand with any other housework that we have. He also doesn't hesitate to take on a nurturing role and is a great comforter.
Devin is turning 25 today and I want him to know that he is everything to me. I love him so much and it grows exponentially each and every day. I love my husband. He is a wonderful man; so to my pookie:
Have a wonderful birthday and may the next 25 years be even happier, even merrier, even
brighter, and even more fulfilling as we go along hand-in-hand. You are A perfect...
With 25 kisses, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Kids, wonderful kids!
Oh, how I love children!~ (Let's be honest, I'm a kid myself) But really, children are simply to die for. I will illustrate this with THE CUTEST THING that happened to me at work yesterday!
It was just after closing time and I was doing a few transactions to finish up for the night. There was a couple meeting with the banker who's little boy was getting a little antsy...I guess it's something about how children don't like to sit still while it takes the banker an hour to open an account for his/her parents. So, they let him down. I'm sure they figured it was okay because there wasn't anyone else there in the building who could pick him up and take him away. Little do they know that I have a basic obsession with little toddlers and could play with them all day long! I said "hi" with a big smile and he just BOLTED toward me. He couldn't walk, but man could he crawl-even with his hands full!
I didn't think it would be a good idea to pick him up, since I was a perfect stranger to them and some people don't really like it when you pick up their children. Instead, I played with him and his car on the ground. I would 'zoom' the car really fast and he would go after it, bring it back, and we would repeat. Anyway, I sensed his parents looking at him like they wanted him to come back, so i decided to get up and say goodbye and go back to the work I was supposed to be doing. He then proceeded to make a pouty-face, go up on his knees, and reach up to me with those longing arms and eyes that capture me so easily. I hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help it because of his adorable face, so I snatched him up! I decided I would just bring him back to his parents, but then, he wrapped his little arms around me into a HUGE bear hug and would NOT let go! :O) I grinned the biggest grin, entirely melted INTO his arms, and had a major desire to have one of those for everyday. He hugged me there for about 5 minutes--somewhat hesitant parents and all--and then I had to let him go. It pretty much made my ENTIRE year!
It was just after closing time and I was doing a few transactions to finish up for the night. There was a couple meeting with the banker who's little boy was getting a little antsy...I guess it's something about how children don't like to sit still while it takes the banker an hour to open an account for his/her parents. So, they let him down. I'm sure they figured it was okay because there wasn't anyone else there in the building who could pick him up and take him away. Little do they know that I have a basic obsession with little toddlers and could play with them all day long! I said "hi" with a big smile and he just BOLTED toward me. He couldn't walk, but man could he crawl-even with his hands full!
I didn't think it would be a good idea to pick him up, since I was a perfect stranger to them and some people don't really like it when you pick up their children. Instead, I played with him and his car on the ground. I would 'zoom' the car really fast and he would go after it, bring it back, and we would repeat. Anyway, I sensed his parents looking at him like they wanted him to come back, so i decided to get up and say goodbye and go back to the work I was supposed to be doing. He then proceeded to make a pouty-face, go up on his knees, and reach up to me with those longing arms and eyes that capture me so easily. I hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help it because of his adorable face, so I snatched him up! I decided I would just bring him back to his parents, but then, he wrapped his little arms around me into a HUGE bear hug and would NOT let go! :O) I grinned the biggest grin, entirely melted INTO his arms, and had a major desire to have one of those for everyday. He hugged me there for about 5 minutes--somewhat hesitant parents and all--and then I had to let him go. It pretty much made my ENTIRE year!
Friday, October 17, 2008
A Couple of Animals
A few weeks ago, Dev and I went to the zoo for our date "night." It was the first time I had ever really been to a zoo; so it was a great experience....especially because I went with Devin--who has a truly inspiring love for so called "wild" animals such as these (and those ACTUALLY in the wild).
Here Dev is admiring the spider monkey--definitely one of my favs! This guy swings from it's tail like it's a third arm.
I have ALWAYS wanted to see a giraffe! They are AMAZING creatures!
Me and the zebras
Dev and the black bear. Would you believe that Dev has followed one of these in the wild for 30 minutes! He loves to live on the edge.
And this is Dev's favorite animal of all time. One of his lifelong dreams/goals is to see a Cougar in the wild.
He was trying to touch the turkey
Elephants are AWESOME! This one was right up in our faces! We could literally feel him breathing on us! I loved it!
Devin makin his scary ape face! I don't like to look at that face...
There is a kangaroo! We took this picture for Trevor, my brother, who is on a mission. He has taken SEVERAL pictures with wild kangaroos in Australia--where he is serving a mission--and so I will send him this one. I am not nearly as close as he gets to the kangaroos there. He gets to hug them...I had to stand in front of a fence.
Super close!
Devin is happy.
It was definitely a great date for us to go on! We really loved it and love spending time together seeing all of God's creations!
On another note, our ward volleyball team got third place among roughly 15 teams! That is great; especially considering we didn't win a single season game! It was truly incredible how we were able to come together as a team and EVERY SINGLE PERSON improved dramatically! We had a blast and I really was able to grow closer to ward members and create a stronger friendship! Thanks for everyone who was on the team!
Here Dev is admiring the spider monkey--definitely one of my favs! This guy swings from it's tail like it's a third arm.
I have ALWAYS wanted to see a giraffe! They are AMAZING creatures!
Me and the zebras
Dev and the black bear. Would you believe that Dev has followed one of these in the wild for 30 minutes! He loves to live on the edge.
And this is Dev's favorite animal of all time. One of his lifelong dreams/goals is to see a Cougar in the wild.
He was trying to touch the turkey
Elephants are AWESOME! This one was right up in our faces! We could literally feel him breathing on us! I loved it!
Devin makin his scary ape face! I don't like to look at that face...
There is a kangaroo! We took this picture for Trevor, my brother, who is on a mission. He has taken SEVERAL pictures with wild kangaroos in Australia--where he is serving a mission--and so I will send him this one. I am not nearly as close as he gets to the kangaroos there. He gets to hug them...I had to stand in front of a fence.
Super close!
Devin is happy.
It was definitely a great date for us to go on! We really loved it and love spending time together seeing all of God's creations!
On another note, our ward volleyball team got third place among roughly 15 teams! That is great; especially considering we didn't win a single season game! It was truly incredible how we were able to come together as a team and EVERY SINGLE PERSON improved dramatically! We had a blast and I really was able to grow closer to ward members and create a stronger friendship! Thanks for everyone who was on the team!
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