Talk Thirty To Me

I can't believe that Chris turned the big 3 0 on April 12th! To be honest, I think he's handling it better than most. For one, he's still wearing sweatpants for date night. Second, he spent a good portion of his birthday weekend playing the game "PUBG" with his friends (think Halo but more annoying + weird)... unless those are signs of a midlife crisis and I'm just missing it?! The only thing that I think kind of shook Chris up about being 30 is when I reminded him that I met him when he was 23... which weirdly enough is a time when he wore less sweatpants. I also thought I'd remind him (multiple times) that this is his last birthday with just the two of us celebrating (we are so excited to meet baby girl this month!).

I can't say I blame Chris for handling turning 30 so well... the kid has accomplished quite a bit for himself in his 20's! He served a mission, graduated from BYU, got married to quite a catch ;) earned his Master's, and has continuously climbed higher at work all while managing to go on fun trips and maintain favorite uncle, friend, and husband status! Chris might be one of those rare breeds that just gets better with age... I'll check back in with you when he turns 40.

(sidenote: there is a funny story behind my journey to get those d*mn balloons you see behind Chris' head! Definitely saving it for another post another day. Just know it involves a lot of pregnancy hormones.)

Now in true blogger fashion, I couldn't let his 30th birthday pass by without making a list of 30 things to know + love about Chris Gourley. Okay, and maybe because I feel guilty about not putting all these things on sticky notes for Chris to wake up to on his birthday because I kind of had a 37-weeks-pregnant meltdown the night before Chris' birthday. 

...enjoy! 

1. Biggest pet peeve is when someone won't text back or just say "no."

2. Claims he "managed Grovecrest Elementary's main office for 6 months" in 6th grade and that they never let anyone else do that. 

3. Personality colors are yellow and red - which explains how he can be part manchild + successful manager all at once.

4. Makes THE best Brazilian limeaids + grilled pineapple ever.

5. HATES if there are any holes in his socks.

6. Loves taking baths with bath bombs + bubble bath!

7. Currently into drinking protein shakes every morning.

8. Favorite candy bar is a Reese's FastBreak.

9. Weirdly good at folding towels.

10. Has the best lookin' back pockets... if you know what I mean.

11. Loves voice-to-text.

12. Rarely knows the right lyrics to songs... but sings anyway!

13. Always willing to serve others.

14. Can always spot deer/bucks/turkeys at the most inconvenient times. Usually in the car.

15. Best Pickleball player.

16. Will do borderline sketchy stuff if it means he can get something for free or at a really good deal :)

17. Secretly loves our cat, Lupin! Even if he will never say it out loud. 

18. Hates green beans and doesn't eat corn unless it's still on the cob.

19. Rarely watches a movie more than once.

20. Happiest when with groups of people - very much an extrovert.

21. Has a very specific way of loading the silverware in the dishwasher. 

22. Doesn't like strong smells... you'll never see him set foot in a Lush or Bath and Body Works store.

23. Favorite basketball player of all time is Tim Duncan.

24. Loves getting massages or his back scratched... multiple times a day.

25. Does not respond well at all to negativity or nagging.

26. Convinced that he would be the greatest waiter of all time + dreams of being an adjunct professor. 

27. Is a big penny pincher. 

28. Doesn't like scary movies. 

29. Always willing to put up with me and my crazy emotional self!

30. About to be the best dad in the world so soon!

I LOVE YOU, CHRIS GOURLEY! 

Chris' List

After paying $13 for two medium-sized smoothies at Jamba Juice tonight, Chris is officially adding Jamba to his "list of places he's done with." Jamba also didn't help their cause when they added greek yogurt instead of sherbet to my smoothie, causing Chris to run back into the store and ask them to make a new one for me. I like to think that Chris' gesture was simply for me and my "pregnancy craving", but I'm pretty sure it's because he was not about to have a $5.60 smoothie go to waste. He is a Gourley, after all!  

For similar reasons, these other places are currently on Chris' "list": Swig (Chris is on his own with that one), Chili's, and Firebird Pizza. 

RIP Pink Star Smoothies. 

Master Chris!

Chris graduated with his Master's of Public Administration on Friday (August 12th)! Well, technically he graduated back in June, but he walked on Friday and we celebrated! Annnd I got to play paparazzi wife for a while. Any excuse to celebrate my lover dover bobber and go to Outback ;) 

I am so, SO proud of you Chris!!! I got to see first-hand how much hard work + dedication + sacrifice it takes to get a Master's. You never cease to amaze me.

I love you, Chris! Or should I say,  MASTER CHRIS!? ;)

April 12th's...

Confession: I'm a huge what-if?! thinker. Almost to the point of ridiculousness . . .

What if I switched bodies with that random stranger at the store? What if I went back in time and stopped myself from eating Del Taco at midnight all the time? What if I wasn't a health teacher? 

And most recently . . . What if there were no April 12th's?! 

Usually when I have my crazy what-if thoughts, I never really intend on answering them, but when asking myself what if there were no April 12th's I started answering immediately. I know exactly what would happen (or wouldn't happen) . . .

I'd have no reason to make ABTS (Almost Better Than Sex) cake.
I'd also probably never set foot in Cabella's.
I'd never know that I was missing out on fried rice, Hawaiian haystacks, and Outback.
I'd also never know who the Spurs are, or when they are playing.  Actually, I'd just not know anything about basketball.
I'd probably never know how insurance works.
I wouldn't get my car's oil changed as frequently.
I probably wouldn't be as outgoing.
I wouldn't know how to play tennis.
I'd never go fishing or hunting for turks.
I wouldn't have someone to watch Modern Family every night with.

And the worst thing of all.... I wouldn't have my Chris Gourley! Or be able to celebrate the fact that he's been on this earth for 28 years now.

Phew! I'm so glad that my what-if?! thinking is borderline ridiculous and that I'll never truly have to worry about there never being April 12th's, because let's face it, life without Chris Gourley is pretty much incomprehendable + would be pretty dang boring + I really really like BTS cake.

So even though this blogpost is a little late (#wifefail), HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS GOURLEY!!! You are the greatest reason to celebrate April 12th. I'm glad we got to celebrate by going to Outback, surprising you with manly man stuff, and catching you doing yardwork (who does that on their birthday?!). Instead of being sad that you're getting older, think of it as an opportunity to get more birthday spankin's ;)

LOVE YOU x28!!!

Welcome to the world, Chris!

December 8, 2015--a day which will forever be remembered as the day Chris joined the world of smartphones.

 For those of you that know Chris, you know this has been a long time comin'. Seriously, the man had the kind of phone that still had buttons on it... no touch screen... the kind of phone that you had to go and manually delete text messages to free up space. Ha! Pretty sure my mom has nicer phones in the playroom than Chris' Nokia phone... but no worries! Because Chris is all trendy and iPhone-y now... and putting random emojis in text messages + having Siri call me no reason. It's cute. He's cute.

Even though I'm so happy that Chris has finally upgraded to a smartphone, I can't help but be a little sad that Chris no longer has to wait to connect to wifi to play Clash of Clans... like, am I even going to have a husband now?! But I guess I can't be too upset, because now I can celebrate the fact that Chris no longer has to forward pictures to my phone for him to actually be able to see picture messages + I don't have to Google random manly man stuff (fun fact: Chris is a hardcore Googler. Once he gets a question on his mind, he has to Google it. Other fun fact: Shayli hates Googling. Good combo, right?!)!!! Oh, and now I can delete NFL and Fantasy Football League apps off of my phone! It's like this smartphone is a gift for me, too!

Anyway, if you see Chris, congratulate him on upgrading to a phone without buttons! Or just add him on Snapchat... you know, because you CAN. And maybe try to convince him that he should get a Christagram so I can hack his account and make it look like he posts lots of cutesy stuff about his wife? But maybe leave that last part about me out of it... he might think I put you up to it or something.

Congratulations, Chris! Welcome to the world of more time wasted--you're gonna love it!



UPDATE: Chris just asked me what a "Christagram" is!

...did I mention he's cute?

being married to a grown-up

Since the very beginning of our relationship, I've referred to Chris as a "grown-up." Back when I first met him, he had just graduated college, had a job at Primary Children's Hospital, and was 24--A GROWN-UP, GUYS! And then there was me... living with my parents, working a cush campus job, and just completing my sophomore year of college. ha. I remember being so intimidated by Chris! Like, who is this guy and why does he have his sh*z together?!

Three years later, and I still feel the exact same way. Chris is such a grown-up! A successful one, too. Chris has progressed very quickly during his few years with Intermountain Healthcare, and I'm so, so proud of him! I bring this all up because for the past couple of months, Chris has been going to the Intermountain Healthcare advanced training program--a program you have to be hand-picked to attend! And it's kind of rare for people Chris' age or with Chris' experience (or lack of) to be chosen to go to this training. But it doesn't surprise me one bit that Chris was chosen since he's so hardworking + smart + personable and... everybody just loves Chris! 

I don't even get to be with "work Chris," but I know everything that I just said is true. I saw it with my own eyes tonight at the dinner party that Intermoutain takes all the employees who complete the training to, which is a huge perk to being married to a grown-up because I don't think I've been to a fancier restaurant in my life! We got to go to a place in Salt Lake called Valter's and holy fancy! This Del Taco lovin' couple almost didn't even know what to do! ("Is that my plate or your plate? Why are there so many glasses?!") 

It was so fun getting to see "work Chris" and see all the people he's been with that respect and adore him as well. I love that I married a grown-up who is so driven and hardworking all while being funny and optimistic. That's what makes Chris such a good grown-up. 

Chris, you're kind of a big deal...

and I'm so blessed to have  you teach me how to be a grown-up so that one day I can get my sh*z together like you.

I love you. 

27 Things To Know + Love About Chris

Chris turned 27 today, but really we've celebrated all weekend! Celebrations included dinners, group date + a campfire, lots of back scratches/massages, and time spent with family (+ TWO birthday cakes!). Chris agreed that it was a successful birthday this year.

All Chris wanted to do today was go up to Tidbit and "look for turks" while I scratched his back. 

I think it's safe to say Chris is 27 going on 50, since he really wanted a hose reel for his birthday-ha! Adulthood?! Oh, and please ignore my horrendous wrapping job (it's safe to say that Santa will NEVER wrap presents at our house). Oh, and just to make you think that I'm a really cutesy wife, the Reese's in the water bottle each had a little love note on the bottom for Chris, who actually really ended up liking that gift. 

If you ever want to surround yourself with people that are pumped for your birthday, have the Gourley gang with you! It's hard not to feel loved and special with the Gourley kids around!

Now that I've given you the CliffsNotes on Chris' birthday, I thought it would be fun for you all to get to know Chris--the man behind the blog (ha!)--a little more, so in honor of turning 27, here are 27 things to know + love about Chris Gourley. Enjoy!

1. Chris is the baby of his family.

2. The turning point in Chris' life when he became "cool" was in 3rd grade when he beat Adam Donahoo in an intense game of Speed at recess.

3. His favorite food is pizza. His current favorite is pepperoni, pineapple, and jalapeno (and yes, it's just as gross as it sounds).

4. When Chris was younger, him and his buddies had a lawn mowing business called  "The 3 amigos."

5. Chris' dream vacation is to go fishing in Alaska.

6. He has to have juice or some kind of beverage for breakfast that is not water. "He just can't."

7. When we were first married, and I broke the news that we were out of grocery money for the month and didn't have anything good for dinner, Chris replied with what is now my favorite quote from him to date, "I hate being poor.Do we have any chocolate ice cream left?"

8. Instead of having pets, Chris would rather our kids have trees. He wants them to pick them out and take care of it and take a picture by it every year.

9. One of Chris' pet peeves is when there's holes in his socks, or if they are turned around/not on the right way. 

10. Chris' life motto is work smarter, not harder (which is ironic, since he's one of the hardest working people I know!).

11. Chris prefers toddlers over newborns.

12. There's only one thing that Chris is high maintenance about, and that is the brand of hot dog he buys. No Bar-S for Chris.

13. Chris was voted "Friendliest Freshman," 

14. You're not going to believe this one, but his farts seriously don't stink. He says it's because he "runs a clean system."

15. His favorite basketball player is Tim Duncan.

16. Chris drove a yellow truck in high school called "The Wiz."

17. His man-crush is Thor (Chris Hemsworth).

18. Chris hates roller coasters, but he loves water parks and water slides.

19. He puts tobasco sauce on anything and everything. 

20. Chris only puts gel in his hair if absolutely necessary. He hates having a sticky forehead. Actually, Chris just hates being sticky period. 

21. He's the favorite uncle on both mine and his side of the family. 

22. Chris hates listening to loud music. It's rare for the volume in his car to go above a 7. 

23. He served his mission in Brazil, and dreams of going back to visit someday. 

24. His drink order at Swig is a 32oz Fruit Loop. 

25. Chris always said his future wife would propose to him... and that I did (after he proposed to me, of course)! 

26. Every single morning when Chris wakes up and starts getting ready, he sings  He Is Risen loud and proud. 

27. Chris HATES being sung to on his birthday (but that didn't stop us this year!) 

I love you, Chris! Thanks for giving me a reason to celebrate every April 12th!

A Tidbit of Love for Chris

After my last post, Chris brought to my attention that I just "go into straight hate mode" when I blog about him. Chris' comment had me like, WHAT!? No! I am all kinds of cutesy about you on the bloggity blog! So then I started reading through some of my older posts, and I came to this conclusion: I'm afraid to be sappy on my blog. Not just about Chris, but about anyone. I noticed that anytime I would start to even become semi-serious or sentimental in a post, I'd have to end with a joke or a silly, off-topic comment. Am I afraid of sounding like a newlywed since I'm not really considered a "newlywed" anymore? Or maybe I'm really just trying to stick with the title of my blog and only keep a "tidbit of love" in my posts? I don't know, but for whatever reason, Chris noticed and it kind of plucked at my heartstrings when he said that.

So Chris, get ready to be sap-slapped so hard, your man-boobs (that I always assure you that you don't have!) are gonna concave after you read this saptastic post filled with reasons why I love you! (...do you guys see my problem now?)

Chris, one of the reasons I love you is because you just work so damn hard (I also love you because you always tell me not to swear, but let's just focus on the whole working hard thing for now...). I love that you work hard at basically anything and everything: your job, school, house projects, making me happy, projects for other people, and most importantly, pickle ball. I love that you're always trying to do better and be better. You're not okay with just being "okay," except maybe when it comes to knowing the correct lyrics to songs on the radio. I know I don't tell you enough, so I'm telling you now: Thank you for working so hard for us! So hard, in fact, that when you come home from work, you pass out on the couch like this:

Also, I love that booty ^^

Another reason I love you is the fact that you just don't give a crap what other people think of you. I'm almost envious of this trait you have because it's something that I struggle with, as you know all too well. So thank you for always reassuring me that I look like "a twig bi-" when I'm not feeling so good about myself. I love that if you are being teased by me or your friends or anyone for that matter, that you don't care and you don't change. You are always Chris and always will be the same Chris I fell in love with, and even when I complain about it, just know that I secretly love that you are a goofy, fanny pack-wearing, basketball-watching, manchild. 

Another thing I love about you is that you are a simple person. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is a good quality (mostly when you can't understand why I want to buy a new outfit or makeup), but for the most part, I really do love this about you. Not a lot of people can say that simple things like fishing, hiking, hunting, working hard on a project, or even just sitting outside and talking make them really happy, but you can. You don't need the newest technology (not even a smart phone!), the trendiest clothes, or any other materialistic thing to make you happy--the way it's supposed to be. I wish I could say the same thing for myself, but for right now I'll just appreciate the fact that you bring that great balance into our relationship ;) 

If you haven't noticed already, every reason I've listed so far for why I love you is a quality that I wish I had. The exact same thing applies to this next reason of why I love you: That you don't take yourself seriously. I mean that in the best way, too. If you did, who would I have to remind me to not take myself so seriously all the time?! My life would be so sad and boring if you didn't possess this quality! I love that you have better things to worry about than just yourself. The world would be so much better with more Chris Gourley's for this reason alone! You are a rare breed, Chris.

I could go on and on with more reasons as to why I love you, like that you always share your food with me and that you're so good with kids and that you cuddle me in the mornings and that you play Clash of Clans (just kidding! even the sappiest bone in my body would never let me admit that), but I know I don't need to, because even though I know this post probably could have been a little more serious, I know that wouldn't be like us--because WE are not serious (okay, you're not serious), and the cutesy, "serious" moments we do have together, don't need to be shared in the blog world. But I do hope that you appreciated this ultra sappy, newlywed-worthy blog post in your honor.

Because, well, I love your guts (figurative guts! you're a twig bi- with six pack abs! duh!) Chris Gourley! Even if I'm not always the best at showing it on the bliggity blog. 

xx

p.s. holy moly there's a lot of 'i love you's' in this post! if that ain't sappy, I don't know what is...

brace yourself

The season is almost upon us.

And no, I'm not talking about the Fall season.

I'm talking about the season I always seem to forget about until it's too late...

The season of date nights spent on opposite ends of the couch.

The season of unnecessary screaming at the TV.

The season of Sports Center being the only channel we get.

The season of "Hold on babe, there's only 5 minutes left" (which really means 20 minutes).

The season of when I'm not sure if I'm really a Cougar fan or not.

The season of Chris constantly checking his phone.

The season of sitting on freezing, uncomfortable bleachers pretending like I know what's going on. 

The season of Facebook status updates complaining about guys I don't know.

And probably the worst thing of all.....

The season of Fantasy Football Leagues.

Yes, the football season is almost upon us.

AKA: The season of Chris being as giddy as a little school girl.

- - - - - - - - 

Stay strong lady friends, stay strong.

My Sister Wife

I would just like all of you to know that I'm not the jealous type. Okay, that was a lie. If you know me, I am completely the jealous type. Especially when it comes to easily tussled hair, thigh gaps, vacations, and those blessed individuals who sing well, but if there's one sure thing to ignite my jealousy, it's Chris spending time with someone else. Yes, it's just as awful as it sounds, but it's the truth. I LOVE TOO MUCH--sue me.

My jealousy of "Chris time" has slightly improved, though. I'd like to thank all of my sister wives for that. If you don't know what I mean, I'm referring to all the things I have had to learn to share Chris with--Clash of Clans, NBA playoffs, and Turkey Hunting. There is one sister wife I haven't mentioned though, and that's probably because she's the one I forget about until it's too late because she only shows up for a couple months out of the year. I've developed a love-hate relationship with her. Mostly hate. Here's why:

-She is very demanding. Chris has had to be with her every single day this week.

-She makes Chris late for dinner.

-She's all Chris talks about lately.

-She returns Chris all sweaty and dirty.

-She stresses Chris out sometimes.

-She keeps giving Chris more jobs to do.

-Sometimes Chris isn't enough for her, and she needs another guy there (usually Chris' friend Scott) to satisfy her.

-She interrupts our Fridates.

-She never comes to my house.


Yes, sprinkler jobs are the worst kind of sister wife. But I can't hate her too much since she makes Chris happy (most of the time) and helps pay the bills (and by bills I really mean our Disneyland savings fund). Plus, I can see where's she's coming from with wanting to be with Chris all the time.... Chris is the best and hardest working husband ever, so I'll cut her some slack.......this year.

The good news is that sprinkler job's turn is almost up. Then I'll be able to go back to just focusing on my hate-hate relationship with Clash of Clans...

Are you convinced yet that I would make the greatest sister wife ever?!

Chris' Day!

Saturday was an all things Chris day. Even though it didn't start out like I had in mind, with my pinterest-worthy vision that involved me managing to run 10 miles before Chris had even woke up and have perfect birthday cake waffles with sprinkles on them and an avalanche of balloons fall on him as soon as he opened our bedroom door, it still worked out. Luckily for me, Chris was just fine settling for a bowl of Cinnamon Toasters and going turkey hunting while I was on my run. But hey, it's the thought that counts.... right?

Having no real plans for Chris' birthday besides dinner was sort of glamorous, though. As soon as Chris got home from hunting, we went to Firehouse Subs. The cashier there must have subconsciously known it was Chris' birthday because he ended up giving us Chris' sandwich for free instead of a free bag of chips and a drink like our coupon said. We just thought of it as another birthday present for Chris (judge us).

After lunch Chris decided to go get a massage while I stayed home and made his "Better Than Twenty Sex" Birthday cake (And yes, I already used that joke on Instagram...but that joke was brilliant people, BRILLIANT!). After his massage, we went to Gunnies to find him a holster for his gun, and then came home and watched 5 episodes of How I Met Your Mother while we waited for our dinner reservations--it was bliss. 

To top it all off we met our friends at Outback and ate way too much food. Then we came back to our house to top that off with some cake and Nintendo 64--Chris was in heaven. It was a successful day and I'm so happy that Chris enjoyed it all. That's one of the great things about Chris--he is happy with anything that you give him (even new clothes for his birthday present! ha). 

Clash of Clans... every wife's nightmare.

Raise your hand if you think Chris looks good with a baby...

I love you, Chris Gourley! 26 has never looked so good. Let the countdown to 30 begin.... ;)

Throwback Thursday

We took these pictures at Thanksgiving Point's Rose Festival on June 21, 2012--the day that I fell in love with Chris and didn't even know it (exactly one week later, we said "I love you" but that's a different story for a different day). I remember looking at the picture of us and being a little bummed out--two (non-intentional...I think?) photo-bombers, my purse put in one of the most awkward places I could have put it, and the fact that I still hadn't mastered the "skinny arm pose."

But looking at it now, I can see how giddy and infatuated we were with each other (still are! no past tense over here!). I remember walking around the gardens hand-in-hand and kissing whenever we got the chance. Yeah, we were one of those couples. Sorry not sorry. But in all seriousness, I remember just having this overwhelmingly peaceful feeling that whole night. It just felt...right. 

That night ended up being one of our most romantic/memorable dates ever, and what I consider to be one of the most important dates we ever went on. You see, me and Chris had decided to "take a break" that week  and agreed to not call or text each other while I figured out my situation with "my missionary" (we barely made it over a day before we caved. ha!). I'm so so grateful that night happened, because I honestly don't know if we would have ended up together without it. Plus, how can a girl say no to walking around a garden with thousands of roses AND watching Tangled outside in front of a waterfall?! ;)

....is anybody still here reading? This turned out a little more sentimental than I intended it to be, but that's what happens when you're waiting for lives on Candy Crush and you venture deep into the archives of your phone pictures...

why you should listen to your wife

Chris calls it "nagging," and I call it "helping." I'll let you decide what term is more appropriate.

Whether it's "helping" Chris to scrape his dishes before he puts them in the dishwasher, or "helping" him acknowledge the poor carhop at Sonic that brings us our 1/2 priced shakes (an embarrassing amount of  two or more times a week), I am constantly finding ways to "help" him ;)

One thing I have been "helping" him with ever since we got married is using his blinkers. Up until this past Saturday night, Chris didn't believe me when I would say, "You need to signal! People HATE people that don't signal!" But then on our way home from a movie Saturday night, Chris rolled through a right turn at an intersection + didn't signal (double whammy!). Within seconds, there were red and blue lights flashing behind us. Sh*z! 

The officer walked up to my side of the car and signaled for me to roll down the window. I'm sure I was making my this-is-completely-my-husband's-fault-please-don't-get-mad-at-me face, because he ended up being really nice. The conversation went a little something like this:

policeman: Hey, is there a reason why you didn't stop or signal at that light back there?
Chris: Ohh... I didn't signal? I could've sworn I signaled! My wife is always on me about signalling.
policeman: (laughing) Well, she's gonna need to get on you a bit more, because you didn't signal or make a complete stop. I'm going to need to see your license and registration please...

While the police officer is doing whatever police officers do in their car, Chris is going off justifying his actions. "There's way worse things going on than people not using their blinkers!" "Do they have a certain quota they need to pull people over for?!" "I really can't get another ticket after last month." etc. It was actually kind of funny. It took all the willpower I had to not burst out and say I TOLD YOU SO!

Finally the officer came back and to both of our relief, he let Chris off with a warning. Then he looked at me and said something along the lines of  "I hope he starts listening to you," to which I replied, "I know. Hopefully this helps!" Then the officer gave a little chuckle and sent us on our way.

As the policeman was walking back to his car, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe he has a wife that "helps" him too, and maybe that was the reason he let Chris off with a warning, because he knows that dealing with your wife is a whole lot worse than a policeman...

I think it's safe to say that it'll be a while before I need to "help" Chris about signaling with his blinkers.

my manchild

One of the first things I noticed about Chris when we were dating was how good he was with kids. Amazing, actually. Like, so amazing that all my nieces and nephews liked him better than me after only one day of knowing him + causing me to question my child-handling skills (back when I assumed that I had those special skills). But now, I understand why he is so great with kids--he's one himself.

Yes. A taller, hairier, slightly more inappropriate, 25-year-old version of a kid. A manchild, if you will.

His manchild-like behavior includes:

+ Taking more than one mint at Cafe Rio. And by more than one, I mean like 2 handfuls more. Do the outraged stares from Cafe Rio employees and fellow customers get to Chris? Of course not! Manchildren are fearless. Fearless of embarrasing their wives, that is.

+ Teasing me. Just because it's something to do. I pray that our future children do not pick up on this trait of Chris', or Chris just might become the favorite parent. Teasing includes tickling, wrestling, poking, 

+ Needing his juice! Chris will not have any other form of beverage with his breakfast. In all of my 9 months of marriage with him, I have yet to see him drink anything other than Tang, or Crystal Light with his breakfast. I'm not complaining though. I'm all in favor for slapping those extra cals on at breakfast!

+ His "I need a back scratch" routine. This routine can occur anywhere from 2-6 times a day. The routine? 1.give a side glance 2. hunch back over 3. shoulder shimmy. Sometimes, he'll even throw in what I can only assume is supposed to sound like whining puppy noises, but hey, it works.

+ Getting a free pack of smarties from the treasure chest at the grocery store. Every.time. Sometimes when I go to the store by myself I'll even grab one for him just so I can see his face light up when I give it to him.

+ Most recently, buying a kite. Not just any kite, but a Power Ranger kite! I never knew a kite could make someone so giddy. The best part? He even bought it with some of his "allowance."

When I watched Chris fly the kite with our nephew yesterday, I realized that even though I sometimes complain about Chris acting childish, those behaviors are also the very things I love about him. He has all the best qualities that a child has--funny, adventurous, silly, enjoys the little things, care-free, can get along with anyone, etc. Whereas I am like a child in the worst ways, like throwing a fit if I'm not fed, cranky if you wake me up, and pouting if I don't get my way (other than that, I promise I'm a pleasant person to be around). 

I guess what I'm trying to say is....

The next time Chris takes handfuls of Cafe Rio mints, I'll be a little slower to shake my head/roll my eyes ;)

How to Scare a Shayli.

Day 6: What am I afraid of? 

A better question might be what am I NOT afraid of?

Just ask this guy right here. He could probably tell you that I'm afraid of failure, heights, snakes, walkers, drowning, and just about anything else. But I'm not sure if he could tell you my greatest fear though...

losing him.

Guys, I am terrified of Chris dying. Like... I-haven't-heard-from-him-in-a-few-hours-so-he-must-be-dead-terrified. Needy much? I know, I know... newlywed syndrome? But really, it's my biggest fear, and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that it is out of my control. It's terrifying to think that he could be gone at any given moment, and there's nothing I can do about it. It's hard enough having him commute to Salt Lake every day. Our poor future children...I wonder if I'll ever let them leave the house?

 I don't want to expound on this too much, since most of you are probably already rolling your eyes at this post thinking, "just another mushy, newlywed post," which it probably is, but at least I tried? ha. 

Anyway,  Chris isn't allowed to die until I'm dead.

The end.

Quarter Of A Century!

Chris is officially 25 today! 

And yes, he's matured beautifully this past year. He hardly farts anymore, rarely shoves his stinky socks in my face, and doesn't talk about going poo anymore. 

Wait, no. He still does all that. 

In all honesty, I don't think Chris will ever fully grow up.

And you know what?

I pray he doesn't--I love that man-child of mine.

Happy Birthday, babe! 

Quarter of a century has never looked so good.

xoxoxo

Gone Turkey Huntin'

Ah.... I just love conference weekend.

What's could be better than  being spiritually uplifted in the comfort of your own home, in pajamas, while stuffing your face with food? Probably nothing. Oh, and on top of all that... two days without wearing a bra = heaven on earth.

After the last session of conference, Chris suggested that we go on a drive. Here's how the conversation went down:

Chris: (whisper) Hey babe, we should go on a drive and look for turkeys today.

Me: Okay. But I am NOT hiking for turkeys.

Chris: Okay, okay. We'll just go on a drive up the canyon and look for them.

Me: (sigh) Alright, let's go then.

After 15 minutes or so driving up the canyon...

Chris decides he needs to get out of the car to spot some turkeys. So I just wait.

Then he actually spotted a turkey! "C'mon, Shay! Hurry!"

I've never seen Chris so excited. Seriously, I never knew turkeys could bring so much joy to someone. I do have to admit, it was pretty cool. Even I got a little excited.

 Eventually that little bit of excitement led me to agreeing to hike up the mountain in search for turkeys. You know, the thing I said I was NOT going to do today. I'm sure Chris knew I would give in. That sneaky little devil.

Great hiking attire, right? Oh, the things I do because of you, Chris.

We actually did end up finding the turkeys, but it was just a quick, few seconds of them running through all the trees-totally worth it. 

I think my favorite part was Chris' excitement when he spotted all the turkey poo.

"Oh babe, we're close. That's really fresh!"

I think it's safe to say that I'm ready for some more turkey huntin' adventures. Minus the whole hiking in my pajamas thing.

Mischief Managed

The sexiest thing Chris has ever said to me: "Babe, let's watch all the Harry Potter movies." 

A close second would probably be, "I made you some pancakes."

*sigh* 

I love that muggle.

Anyway, last night was the end of our HP movie marathon that we embarked upon about 8 weeks ago, and I can't help but diagnose myself with a tidbit of PPD (post-potter depression). For those of you who don't know what PPD is, it has been defined as, 

"The feeling that a chunk of your heart was just ripped out after having finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, knowing that you will never again feel the anticipation, the excitement, the pre-release hype that ever accompanies a Harry Potter book or movie release." 

This is not the first occurrence of post-potter depression in my life, it actually occurs quite often. I feel like it's even worse this time though, because it was so much fun watching all of the movies with Chris, who is new to the wizarding world, that I just am not ready to have it end.

I'm going to miss answering his questions, telling him things that weren't put in the movies, listening to him try to predict what's going to happen next, his reaction to Hedwig, Dobby, and Dumbledore's deaths, and mostly, his reaction to when he found out Snape was actually a good guy.

Fortunately for me, Chris has developed what we like to call his "Dobby voice," where he speaks in a high-pitched, almost squeal and begins every sentence with "Dobby." 

For example, "Dobby loves Shayli."

Don't tell Chris I told you that :)

I can only hope that someday I will talk him into actually reading the books, because everyone knows that the book is always better than the movie. 

But for now, I will just enjoy the Dobby voice, Chris' complaints about how the first Dumbledore is better than the new one, and the fact I got Chris to sit and watch 19 hours worth of Harry Potter.

Mischief Managed.