a walk down memory lane...

1. Where/How did you meet? Nathan and I met at College in '98 - but we didn't hang out at all. We had different friends, but similar acquaintances. In '03 we would each lunch together occasionally with other people...but it wasn't until that summer that we actually started hanging out while I was the Head Counselor at High Point Camp.

2. How long have you known each other? 10 years.

3. How long after you met did you start dating? We started hanging out in July '03 and began dating Oct.1st 2003

4. How long did you date before you were engaged? 3 months.

5. How long was your engagement? (technically - it was 2 months...we had to get married at a JP in March b/c of immigration, but lived "unmarried" until our wedding day in June.)

6. How long have you been married? 4 years.

7. What is your anniversary? Technically - March 26th, 2004 - Celebrated - June 18th, 2004

8. How many people came to your wedding reception? There were over 400 people at our wedding - it was an open reception - so I am guessing around that many, or maybe less.

9. What kind of cake did you serve? We actually had a fake cake! It was just a decoration at my reception b/c Nathan is allergic to sugar. So the cake that we actually cut and fed each other was a little carrot cake that nate's mom made for him.

10. Where was your wedding? At High Point Baptist Chapel

11. What did you serve for your meal? We had Hot Hors D'oeuvres, vegetable and fruit trays, swans made out of cantaloupe and hollowed out to serve the dip. cheese, crackers, chicken fingers... we had a kids table with heart shaped pb&J sandwiches, pretzels, mms, goldfish etc...a punch fountain and a coffee and tea bar.

12. How many people were in your wedding party? 8 Bridesmaids, 8 groomsmen, 3 flower girls, 3 ring bearers, 4 ushers - 26 total

13. Are you still friends with them all? most of them...atleast touch base a few times a year. We all live so far away from each other - so there's no one in the area that we are ab;e to hang out with.

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? No - i don't think so anyway.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day? Having my grandpa walk me down the aisle.

16. Any funny moments? - when we exchanged rings and i had to put the ring on his finger and he had written in pen on his ring finger an "R" as a reminder of what finger i was supposed to put it on! :)

Also, at our rehearsal, when we were practising the unity candle, Pastor Paul was giving instructions and (we had our backs to the audience) and nathan was grabbing my butt in front of my pastor, my MOM, his family - everyone!!! He just kept grabbing and grabbing me. We were mic'd and i didn't want to say outloud "stop grabbing my hindparts..." and then (i think) my mom or someone yelled "one more night nathan - relax son!" I was pretty embarrassed - but it was VERY funny!!

17. Any big disasters? Nope! The BEST DAY EVER!!

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? Pink Shell Resort in Fort Myers Florida

19. How long were you gone? a week

20.iF YOU COULD GET MARRIED AGAIN - IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD CHANGE? A/C in the reception room, Monogrammed runner, pedicure and french manicure that day and sparklers! :) It was the best day! A dream!

21. Greatest strength as a couple? resolving conflicts quickly and talking things out.
Knowing what the other person is thinking...

22. Greatest challenge as a couple? making time to go out on dates together.

23. What did you dance your first dance to? Well, our song is "At Last" by Etta James but since we were at our church, there was no dancing. We had a string band (50's style) that played all of our tunes. When our sing came on, the photographer actually grabbed me a spun me a round a couple of times! :P

24. Describe your wedding dress: It was white, had a lot of pearl beading on the top - you know what's funny, i think i'm gonna run upstairs and look b/c i don't really remember it! :) I had a long train though and my veil was my favorite part!! It was cathedral length and had a thick band of white satin outlining the bottom of it.

25. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? We had tons of different kinds...bells of ireland, roses (fuschia, white, pink) green pom pom daisies, alstremyria, hypernicum berries, hydrangeas - lots! :)

26. Are your wedding bands engraved? Nope

27. How old were you when you got married? I was 25 and nate was 26



This was a fun little survey to take! Why don't you take it and let us know about your special day! It was fun to think over the details from 4 years ago! you can click here for a few pictures i posted 4 yrs. ago

gramma's visit.

My mom was able to come and see us for a week in June around Father's Day. It was so great to see her, and really great for her to see the boys!

Pictures

Jackson was moved to a "big boy bed" after climbing out of his crib...argh!! He did great with the new bed. We just told him that this was his new bed and Owen would have his crib - that he should not get out of his bed, or mommy would have a "devotional thought" with him - and voila! He's done great!!

We had a great time! We miss you gramma!

Happy 4th...on the 7th!

I still have more pics to post, but these will have to suffice for now...

Nathan took me and the boys to Atlantic City for the day. We had a great time playing on the beach, in the water and walking along the water and on the Boardwalk. We went to a water show that was FREE in the new Shops at Caesar's in AC. It was a great day!

Enjoy the pics.

Just a little card...

Our friends are expecting their first child in Dec. and I thought i would throw together this little card for them. The colors turned out a bit funny on here, but you get the idea! What sorts of crafty things do you like to do?

No More whining!!

This is something i am VERY excited to get into!! We are dealing with the "whinies" and i must day there is nothing that wears me down easier than listening to jackson talk to me in a high pitched "mommy, i need juuuuice!!" AHHH!!!

So, i am at a convention with nathan this weekend helping him at his booth and i saw a booth behind us for "Preparing the Way Ministries". I love Ginger Plowman's books.






I have throughly enjoyed "Don't make be count to 3!" and am looking forward to implementing her "Wise words for moms".

All of this to say, today i got to meet Ginger Plowman! I was able to talk to her for a long time about how i have been using her books and what i am learning. I mentioned that i have been dealing now with whining. I saw that she had a "kit" on her table called "No more whining!" and i asked her about it. I am sooo excited about this. I told her that i had never seen it before and she said that it is 2 months old. Anyway, it comes with a guide for parents and then there is a story that you read to your child about a boy named Will who whines and his mom gives him a watch that is a timer. When he whines he has to push the timer on his watch (that is 3 minutes) and when the timer goes off, he can try to ask his mom again properly before he gets whatever it is that he is asking for. You give your child the same watch that Will has and they are able to learn the same way as they have heard in the story. I have been reading through the Parent's book and i am encouraged and excited to try it.

So, here goes!! I'll keep you all posted.
Here's to a whine-less rohrer home! :)

Check this out!!

So, tonight i gave myself a well needed french manicure. however, i didn't realize how close to bedtime it was and was a little disappointed at the fact that all of my hard work would get smeared and wrecked in bed. So i had nate check online for me about at home quick nail drying techniques. I had heard about putting your fingers in ice water, but this one was GREAT!

Paint your nails...spray lightly with cooking spray (PAM)... and voila! Nails that are set and ready to go! It really worked! Thought i'd share this time saving little tidbit!

I also found this cute little video on youtube...i am off to carry on with my glamorous life! :)

random and a question at the end...hang in there!

ok, i have a lot to catch up on.

if there is anyone who reads this anymore...

We have been doing great and enjoying all of the wonderful weather. About a month ago i was a painting machine! I re-painted all of my patio furniture. I was given to us but it was rusty in spots. so i put a fresh new coat of spray paint on all of it and it looks like new. I also found a great deal on new patio cushions so it looks like a new set.


I have been taking pics for weeks with the intention of blogging about them...we'll see if dial up lets me get them up. If you don't see them...i gave up! :)

Owen is 9 months old now and crawling up a storm! He loves to pull himself up to stand. He is a joyful baby and i am so blessed to have such a great little guy.

Jackson seems so have turned a corner from the hard 5 or 6 months we had to a very pleasant and obedient little guy. He still has his moments, but seems to have grasped the concept (for now) of "yes, mommy!" or "ok, mom!" That has been sweet nectar to my soul!

i have admittedly been sucked into facebook and find my blogging time has been spent over there. i do feel as though it's been a good break. I am able to connect with lots of people in a night and i love that. i still read all of my blogs in my google reader each night, but by the time i am done i am too exhausted to write in my own! :) So, here's to better blogging days ahead.

My mom comes this weekend and will be here for the week. I am looking forward to having her here. Jackson has been saying "gramma's coming!". My grandparents bought jackson a radio flyer trike back in Apr. when i went home. I knew my mom was coming this summer, so i left the bike there. I told jackson that gramma was bringing his bike and he said "ya!" as if that was what he should say and then continued playing. The other day i asked jackson who was coming to see him and he said " my bike!" My mom will love to hear that!

I went shopping the other day and found some AMAZING deals!! I went to a store we have here called "Tuesday Morning". it's a store that's a hodge podge of housewares, and decorative items at discount prices. Anyway, i don't normally like to go in there with the kids b/c i do more stressing about them touching and breaking things than i do getting to actually look for deals - but when i saw the signs for 50% off of already clearanced items, i HAD to go in. Well, right away i saw these awesome lanterns that i figured i couldn't afford. I looked anyway and they were $44.50 (yup, that's right in my price range...NOT!) even at 50% off of that i wasn't impressed. But, i saw all of this chicken scratch all over the tag, so i investigated and saw that it said b/c the glass was missing it was $5. !!!LOL So, 50% off of $5 i could do! THEN!! i found its twin who was also missing the glass - so i got two awesome lanterns for my newly renovated patio for (do do do dooooooooooooo) $5!!!!

Then i went to our discount grocery store on a random shopping outing. (here is the side story first.... we have had these rings that are impossible to keep clean in our toilet. some sort of water issue. Anyway, i was at this discount store and found a KABOOM toilet self cleaning system for $2.50 (instead of $8 at walmart) and a replacement cartridge for $1 ($6.97 for replacement at walmart).)They ended up working amazingly and my toilet looks so great!!

So anyway, i was at this store last week and walked by the cleaning aisle and saw the replacements. I walked over and they were $.50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So i bought 8! (i'll let you do the math!!)

ok, one last thing if you're still hanging in there...

do you go on vacation? i know i am not alone out there as far as not having tons of extra funds to just run away on a summer vacation - so what do you all do? Do you go on a vaca every year, with family? on your own? where do you go? do you save all year? any ideas or tips??

Please forgive my laziness...

I am working on an update post - but i would like to share these pics with you all until my update epistle is complete.

(as a lame excuse, {kelly} nathan has been in houston and we ended up traveling the weekend i told you i would post. so this is my first REAL opportunity to post and i am too exhausted.)


just click on these to see pics of Jackson's failed attempt at applying my make up and his 2nd birthday party! ( i am working on the post!)

haircut etc...

Let me start by saying that uploading pics to blogger is the most annoying experience! why is there not a more efficient way to put pics on here and then have them be in the order i want?? grrr.... ok, i digress....

on to the backwards update! :)



This is a pic of $50 worth of Easter trinkets for the boys for next year...i got it for 75% off! Yup...that's $12~ Happy Easter to us! Wahoo!!
This is one of my favorite finds...a chicken that winds up and lays gumball eggs while it walks! :)
These eggs are filled with sticky bugs, bouncy balls, key chains (for their cars of course:) and the other pack is filled with those little pills that you stick on water and they blow up into little animals! (i can't wait to use those! :)
These are my favorite find!! I got these for 2.50 down from $10 at Target!
Not pictured are a basketball basket like the ones above (i am sure we'll have another boy someday! :) (not an announcement - sheesh)
a glow in the dark with flashlights easter egg hunt pack!!

My brother Ryan is coming to visit us this Thursday until monday and then i am flying with the boys and ryan home to Canada until the 12th. I am excited for Ryan to come - so we made a countdown poster and every morning Jackson tears off a basketball (since we love basketball and so does Ryan!) until Ryan gets here... well, i guess you all know how countdown charts work! LOL

On to the haircut pics that were supposed to be first...

i hate taking pics of myself!


Pay no attention to the stuff all over the floor! :)
we bought a "Trailer" for the boys to ride while we ride bikes! This is jackson's first ride in it with nathan....ps - nathan is going so fast it made the motorcycle blurry! April fool's! :)

ok, that's all. :)

ONE OF A KIND...SURPRISE, SURPRISE!

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

updates and such...

I just had the best date night with nate. nothing exciting - but it was spontaneous and a special time for us to go out. we went out with the boys and they were no prob. it's actually fun sometimes to have the boys around around on dates. they are such a great, natural part of life and although we throughly enjoy being alone together, it's great to be able to take them out with us, too.

we went to ruby tuesday's and had the salad bar and split the southwestern egg roll app. then we took a stroll around the mall for a little post date exercise and headed home by 7pm! :) what a different but great life we have now with a family!

jackson is saying a lot of new things and strings of words. today he came out with "awesome" and last night said "see ya" to nana and papa!

i am currently sitting on the couch watching american idol and listening to my baby owen spontaneously giggling for the last 10 min. he hasn't stopped! (i hope he's not having a nervous breakdown! LOL)

our couches came today! that was really exciting! we still have a while before we will be using them - but atleast they are finally here!! I can't remember if i shared the blessing of our couches but the prices you will see were what we were saving for them - but NOT what we thankfully ended up paying. I saw an ad in the paper for a local mom and pop furniture store that had our furniture on the front. it was cheaper than R&F so i called and she informed me that they had a fire next door and they actually had our furniture on sale for 40%! SAWEEET!! So, we went and long story short - it's in our basement and we got the Sofa and Loveseat for their price of the couch! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

we had a wonderful easter sunday service at church. this year they did a service that focus on Christ's suffering for us with excerpts from the Passion. It was a great service and a great reminder of all that Christ did on my behalf!

i wish i had time to write all about it, but i HAVE to clean!!

nighty night!

easter pics

click here for easter pics!

This is what i am dealing with....

These picture may make you chuckle b/c it's not happening to you. This is what i have been dealing with for the last few months. This is my son's alter ego "jackal". Literally. Tonight we were at the mall doing some innocent easter outfit shopping.
A few days ago i bought one of those little monkey leashes so that we could learn to walk with me when we go out. Used it twice - he did great, so we decided since the mall wasn't busy tonight we would break it out again and let him try again. So, we talked to him about not touching anything in the store b/c it didn't belong to us...seemed to work. No trauma...UNTIL he started touching things that didn't belong to him. I warned him that if he didn't stop disobeying mommy that he would have to get back into the stroller. He looked right at me and touched something, so i scooped him up and walked towards the stroller. I explained to him why he was getting into the stroller and then it began.

KICKING, SCREAMING, RED-FACED ANGER, MORE SCREAMING, ARCHING HIS BACK, LOUDER SCREAMING.

It took both nathan and i to force him into the stroller while onlookers probably thought we were beating him to death.

Great. Now we have to leave. So, we take our screaming son through the mall so everyone can gawk at us like we are horrible parents raising a horrible child desperately wishing our car was parked in the hallway. We got to the car, "devotional thoughts" were administered to the proper nether regions and the screaming continued. 45 min. @#$%^& (let that stand as frustration marks for any of you thinking i have taken up profanity.)

I thought consistent, thoughtful discipline yielded an obedient child? (this is not to say i haven't had my moments.)

Now, it's 4:06am. I have been up with a miserable Jackson for 3.5 hrs.

If this continues, you may want to check out my auction on Ebay for a near 2 yr. old.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Christina, we just finished eating this one and it was yummy and fast!

White Bean Chicken Chili

40 oz jar Great Northern Beans
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Cut up and cooked
16 oz jar of salsa
8 oz pkg. montery jack cheese shredded
8 oz. pkg. jalapeno cheese shredded

Add ingredients to a stockpot, heat over low heat until cheeses melt.
Stir in up to one cup of water for desired consistency (i used None.)
Heat until warmed through.

Took 20 min!! LOL (included cutting up and cooking my own chicken.)

Another yummy supper!

We have had Beautiful weather here lately in the 40's and 50's (even a sneaky 60 last week). But, last night, I just felt like soup for supper. I don't make soup a lot - mostly b/c it doesn't fill up my nate for very long. :) Anyway, i found this recipe for a Chicken Tortellini Soup - it was crazy easy and fast! Even better the second day!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

2 boxes of chicken broth (7cups)
1 can (14oz) sliced stewed tomatoes
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach - thawed
1/2 c. grated parm. cheese
1/2 tsp. salt.
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pkg. (9oz) cheese tortellini
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken (i used a rotisserie chicken for an even faster supper and cut it up - but this would be a great left over recipe.)

Dump all ingredients except for chicken and tortellini into a pot - bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med. Add the chicken and tortellini and cook until tortellini is cooked (about 10 min.) Sprinkle with Parm . Cheese!

Enjoy! I know some of you are still in the midst of winter! This is a yummy filling soup!

pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes














snuggle bunny!

what's wrong with this picture??

the baby is using the spoon!

his first time in the swing outside



















uh, a little privacy please??



















momma!!



















"de-o-dah". such a hygenically minded lad.

jackson dropped his brand new sippy cup into the creek :(














Guess who went fishing for it...














Guess who fell in the creek and got soaked? BUT got the cup!!!!

he fit ight into the toy basket...barely! :)

kissing a pic pf daddy when he was away in Greenville















Hanging out after nap time together



















Their first bath together

Watching Bob the Builder after a bath




Playing "Hide" in the hamper


















Peek a boo momma

Drew a pic of Nate while he was away and Jackson kept wanting to kiss it!

Finally!!

Playing together -Owen's king of the hill!

just a swingin'