2 years ago today

A few weeks ago my friend Dawna posted about the anniversary of her engagement to her husband, and since mine was so close, it got me thinking about it as well. January 29, 2007 is also another quite important day to remember because that's the day my best friend Lindsay had her little boy Beckett. So I'm pretty sure I won't ever forget this day. Here's our story:

Nick and I met in September 2006 just 16 days after I got home from my mission. I'd planned a 5 day trip to come up to Edmonton to visit some old roomates and just have fun after getting home. I met Nick at a party the second day I was here, and we hit it off right away. I remember thinking he was so cute, and he ended up giving me a ride home that night. We sat outside in his truck and talked for like an hour and a half he was so easy to talk to. He asked me out on a date two days later, and I ended up extending my trip a few more days. By the end of the next weekend, we'd hung out every day, and we kissed on my last night here ;) He was the first (and only) boy I kissed after my mission, and the only boy I dated. The rest is history.

On one of our first dates

When I came home from my mission I hadn't decided yet what I wanted to do with my future. I'd thought of moving back up to Edmonton to work as a Dental Assistant,but I was leaning towards doing something totally different, and I was going to head down to LDS Business College in Salt Lake and take Interior Design. After a couple weeks trying to decide what to do, Nick came down to Cardston to visit for a weekend and I was convinced. I figured I might as well take a leap of faith and see if the relationship would go anywhere. So I packed up and moved up to Edmonton at the end of October.

I guess you could say ours was a whirlwind romance because of how fast it all happened, because within three weeks of my moving to Edmonton, Nick was talking serious. Yes, he a boy, brought it all up first. He asked me nonchalontly where I saw myself in the spring, say April. I was all flushed, and didn't want to be the first one to actually say serious things like engagement, we hadn't even said, "I love you" yet. But after a few minutes I said, "I don't know, maybe engaged?". And like it was no big deal (I'm telling you this guy had no fear) he said, " Oh really, I thought more like we'd be married by then." I was pretty happy, because it was nice to know straightforward, how he felt. The next month or so we danced around not actually saying " I love you" but tiptoeing around the subject. I guess we were both scared to be first, though I don't really know why, since we'd already had that talk about marriage back in November.

Nick and I at the end of November 2006

December 27, 2006 Nick was down visiting me during Christmas break, and we'd been invited to Blair & Kassidy Watkins' wedding. I'd never been to a wedding in the temple, so that was a great experience for me to be sitting there by Nick holding his hand in the serenity of the temple. I remember feeling how right everything felt and being excited for it to happen for us. That night after the reception we were driving in a snowstorm out to Glenwood to visit friends, and we got talking about how great the day had been. About how wonderful it had felt to be sitting in the temple together, and then, he told me for the first time that he loved me. I'm such a cheeseball, but that was such a great moment for me. I really felt content with life, and with my love for him. We came back after Christmas break and did some ring shopping, and then it was a little waiting game for me.

Nick and I at Blair & Kassidy's wedding reception

I obviously knew the proposal was coming soon because we'd picked out a ring I liked, and it had to get sized to fit me. Nick did trick me though and told me it was supposed to be finished a few days later than it was. On January 29, 2007 we both had taken the day off of work so we could go sit in line to get a passport. This was right when they'd changed the policy of having to have a passport to fly to the US, so it was madness. We got up at 3:30am, and were in line before 4:30 - and we weren't even close to the front! Some people had been there all night! Anyways, we ended up being there until 2:30pm so needless to say when we left we were TIRED! We got back to Nick's parent's house, and there was a note on the door for me with a clue. They led me around the house to other little clues, a big boquet of roses, and then to a little box. In Nick's room with us in our sweats and hoodies, tired from being up so early, Nick got down on his knee and asked me to be his wife. :) Since it was the middle of the day and everyone we knew was pretty much still at work, we didn't even call anyone. It was like it was only our special news just for a few hours. We ate a quick lunch and then had a 4 hour nap! When I woke up, we called family and friends and told everyone the good news.

Freshly Engaged!

I can't believe it's already been 2 years since we got engaged! Time has been flying by so quickly, and I have loved every minute of it, the good with the bad, the happy and the sad. Nick is an amazing husband and I love him so much. He is truly my best friend, and I am so grateful to have him in my life and to know that we can be together forever. I can't wait to add to our family, and to experience all that life has to offer us together.

Our wedding day April 7, 2007 (Two months and one week after being engaged)

Me

I just finished reading my friend Christal's blog and she'd posted 25 things about herself. I always love reading posts like that, so I figured I'd do one for myself. Besides, Nick's gone to hockey right now for the next couple hours and I don't have too much else to do :) So whether you already know these things about me or not here goes....sorry it's ginormous!

25+ Things About Little Old Me
(purple is my favorite color, has been since I was eleven)

0 - I love Nick. This goes without having to even be numbered...


1 - As most women love shoes, I do too. But I feel the same way about watches and purses too! :)


2 - I am a neat freak, slightly OCD about it (and I embrace it). I can't go to bed with the house a mess without feeling anxious about getting it cleaned up. Nick doesn't understand.....

3 - I love wearing fun makeup, especially eyeshadows, and in highschool I used to always match my eyeshadow to the shirt I was wearing. ALWAYS.

(Now days, I love MAC!)

4 - I love peacoats, especially if they have big buttons. Okay, I just have a thing for buttons :)

5 - I LOVE flowers. Mixed boquets... not so much. Flowers of all one kind... definitely. (And it could pretty much be ANY kind of flowers, I just like the look of them being the same kind.)

6 - I am a hopeless romantic, a major cheeseball, and I keep hoping my husband will become one too someday.

7 - I am a loyal friend. Many of whom I've known since elementary and junior high.

(This picture was taken this past summer, but if it doesn't look like a flashback to grade 6, then I don't know what would! Love you Linds.)

8 - I sang in choir from grade 2 - grade 11. And I loved it. I love singing alto, and I love all the wonderful friends and memories I have from choir.

9 - Because of choir I have been to: London-England, France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Niagara Falls & Toronto-Ontario, Quebec, New Bruinswick, Prince Edward Island, New York, Maine and many places in Alberta for various competitions and festivals.

-I have also lived in Madagascar, South Africa and Botswana. Visited many provinces and states: British Columbia, Manitoba, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC and of course Montana! I want to go many more places, and have a huge to do list for travelling! Most anticipated: Venice, Italy and New York City!

(With Jaimee and Brittney on one of our last days in Madagascar)

10 - I hate cats, but I like kittens. I hate animal hair (and I think I'm slightly allergic though I've never been diagnosed).

11 - My color of choice for any and all vehicles would be black. Cars, trucks, SUVs, though I have never owned a black vehicle.

12 - I wish I had no debt, and I understand why the Prophet counsels us to not have any that is not absolutely necessary. It stresses me out.

13 - I love photography, and I have since junior high. I was devastated when I lost my first camera - I'm sure I cried. Not for the lost camera, but for the lost captured moments. I want to develop a talent in photography.

14 - I have always wanted to learn to play the violin.

(This is one of my mission companions, Kunz)

15 - I wish I would have listened to my mother and not quit piano in elementary school!

16 - I want to have a big, close family. At least 4 kids, if the Lord would bless us with them.

17 - I am a crybaby, and can be triggered to tears at the drop of a hat. And not in the way from my feelings getting hurt, but it the ways from hearing music, watching movies, a commercial, or hearing about other things that other people are going through. I guess I'm just sensitive.

18 - I use too many punctuation marks, especially commas and exclamation points!

19 - I talk to my Mom every single weekday, for at least 10-20 minutes. She is one of my very best friends. People say we look alike :)

20 - I love pizza, asparagus, lettuce wraps, olive garden salads (& breadsticks), and chocolate!

21 - I loved highschool and growing up in a small LDS town.

(These are my three best friends from Highschool: Lindsay, me, Brandi and Vinnie)

22 - If I blowdry and straighten my hair, I have to leave it down. It seems like a waste to just pull it back in a ponytail or even half-back. Consequently I leave my hair down 95% of the time.

23 - Regardless of church time, I usually make us late. Almost every single week. But I'm rarely late for my 8am meeting that occurs three hours before church. Why is that?

24 - I have truly come to love the game of hockey (I was exposed to it as a child since my Dad and brother played, but since marrying a hockey fanatic I have graduated to a whole new level of knowledge.) I am a devout Oilers fan! Go Sam Gagner!

25 - I am seriously arachnophobic. I DETEST spiders. So creepy......

26 - I have never been in an accident, or pulled over by the police. HA. HA. Yeah right!!!

27 - I love everything about weddings. The dresses, the flowers, the decorations..... I honestly think I would LOVE to be a wedding planner.

(Me trying to find my wedding dress February 2007)

28 - I love to be creative, if I don't feel like I need to be doing something else at that time. I love scrapbooking, decorating, etc. I would also love to be an Interior Designer someday.

29 - I have one A-MAZ-ING family, and a fabulous group of friends(who live here, there, and everywhere). Thanks for everything that you do for me. I truly am grateful to have so many wonderful people in my life.

(The whole Schow clan August 2008)

So keep in touch everyone, and if you're reading this, comment! Love you!

An Update

Well, this is pretty much what my past 48 hours have consisted of. Reading, watching movies and sleeping. Nick has been a great care taker and I've barely had to do anything for myself. He's such a great husband :)

I had my laparoscopy on Thursday around 2pm and everything went well. I had never been under general anaesthetic before, so that was definitely an interesting experience for me. The anaesthesiologist told me when he was going to give me the different medications through the IV, and it was a really wierd feeling to suddenly feel dizzy, then get really really sleepy. Though I did make it to the count of 12 before I dozed off. Next thing I know it's 2 1/2 hours later and I'd been in recovery for a half an hour. I guess my doctor had come in and talked to me for a minute and even shown me some pictures from the scope, but I don't really remember it. I was still pretty hazy then. At this point I don't know much about what they saw but they did say that my right ovary isn't formed normally (it was quite interesting for them to see....gee thanks) and that's where the pain is coming from. The explanation was pretty vague though. I go in to get my sutures removed in a few days and my doctor will explain everything at that point and let me know what needs to be done. So now it's just more waiting.

The two incisions are quite small, but they are pretty sore and have some bruising. But the worst part has been from the leftover carbon dioxide that they filled my abdomen with. They get rid of most of it, but it's common for your chest and shoulders to feel quite sore due to remainder in there. The pressure on my ribs and shoulders felt like I was in a car accident and had whip lash, it even hurt to breathe! But today was a lot better than yesterday so I'm hoping by tomorrow, that that part of it will have gone away totally. They also intubated me to help me breathe while I was asleep, so my throat has been really sore from the tube. It feels like I constantly need to cough, that there's a scratch just stuck in my throat. But all in all, I'm feeling better each day, and there's really not much to complain about. Thanks everyone for your comments and for thinking of me :)

Right before the surgery. I wonder why I looked so happy? Maybe because of the sweet hospital gown and robe I'm wearing? I know, I'm so stylish.

After the surgery, when I was still a little hazy from the anaesthetic. Looking a little rough....

Surgery...in 2 days

Surgery sounds like a scary word, but when it's only a day surgery and they aren't really operating on something it's not so scary. I hope. I think mostly I'm trying to not let myself get nervous about it. So, I'm going to try to make a really long story short and spare you all the history and boring details.

I'm going to be a little candid about my personal situation, I hope no one minds or feels like I'm giving Too Much Info. For about the past three years, sporadically, I've been having abdominal/back pain. It's like the stabbing sort of feeling you get when you run really hard and long, and suddenly get a cramp and have to stop and keel over for a minute or two. The past year my sporadic pains have turned into a consistent monthly event, lasting hours and never on a predictable basis. At the very beginning of all this, an ultrasound showed that I had a couple small cysts on my ovaries, but medication got rid of them, and every followup appointment has shown no return of them. Since the pain has not gone away (and can be INTENSE) I've been to the doctor quite a few times. I've had blood tests, ultrasounds and many a time felt like an idiot when the doctor told me nothing is wrong. On one hand, I feel like I'm a wuss and need to just buck up and deal with the pain that could be due to something simple like ovulation. On the other hand, why the heck am I having crazy pains all the time?! I don't want to be a big pill popper, but sometimes, it's the only thing I can do to get through the day. Robax Platinum has become a close friend of mine. Obviously there is something wrong.

I'm not doing a very good job at making this a short story am I?... ANYWAYS after quite a few frustrating months I asked to be referred to a specialist to get another opinion. I met with a great doctor, and he wants to do a laparoscopy to see what or if there's anything going on. So on Thursday I am heading to the hospital to have my first remembered hospital experience (since my only other one was when I was really little). I have to be put under general anaesthetic, then they'll make two small incisions in my abdomen and fill my stomach with carbon dioxide. They'll put a tiny tube/camera in there, and just take a look. Unless they happen to find something like endometriosis, and then they would laser remove some of the scar tissue if that's the problem. Interesting, huh? So most likely not much of a surgery, but I do get "put under", do get cut with a scalpel, and do come home with a few stitches.

So expect another post with me complaining about how it hurts to move my stomach over the next few days. Well, I probably won't be complaining because I'm glad this is happening. I'm glad to finally be taking a step to figure out what these stabbing pains are. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck :)

This is my experience from the lab on Monday. The lady couldn't find a vein after stabbing me three times in the left arm, so she switched to the right arm. I have sweet bruises now, awesome.

Christmas 2008 continued

With our first real Christmas Tree!

On the 28th we drove down to Cardston to spend a few days with my family. My mom hosted a dinner for all the Schow relatives and it was great to get together and visit with everyone. We hadn't been down south for over 2 months, so I was missing everyone! It was nice to be able to sit around and relax, read, sleep in and watch movies. Aunt Cindy had us all over one day for homeade soup and buns, and my mom hosted another dinner; steak! So I can definitely concur that I was never lacking in the amazing meal department. It was also a lot of fun to spend some time with my sister and her kids (Shane we sure missed your family!). I think my niece and nephew get cuter every day, I sure loved snuggling with them.

One of my favorite moments of the trip: reading and snuggling cute, sleeping Levi

Levi looks a little unsure....who is this guy?

My mom teaching Dani how to play (not pound) the piano

Grandma Betty getting right in there cutting the turkey

Jill modelling my new boots (looking good Jill.....)

Nick and I drove in to Lethbridge for New Years Eve with Tom and Ashley and met up with Paige and Jeremy for dinner and a movie. It was so good to spend time with them, we sure miss seeing them on a regular basis! I didn't get any pictures of that night, I don't know why I didn't think about it. We did have to cut out early that night though, since there was blowing snow causing whiteouts on the highway back to Cardston. A little scary at a few points along the way, but we did make it home safely. Nick got together with some guys and played hockey at the Cardston ice rink, and I also saw Twilight for the second time, a fun girls night with Jill, Ash and Abbey. Like I said, lots of fun.

The girls

Tom and Nick watching hockey together. (this is what they looked like two nights in a row, you'd think they were afraid of eachother or something... haha)

At the end of 2008, Happy New Year!

Nick and I came back up to Edmonton on the 2nd of January, I was getting a little antsy to get home and get some stuff done before going back to work on Monday. I'm sure glad we came home when we did, because not only did the roads get worse after we got home, but I got sick the next day and have been ever since. Nick and I cleaned up the house and got all the Christmas stuff put away the night we got home so I was glad to have it done when I woke up with a cold. Seriously, how can one nose be so runny?!? Sorry if that grosses you out, but I'm so tired of blowing my nose, I just want to feel better! Anyways, after two ginormous posts and a bazillion pictures, I'm signing out. Happy New Year!

Just thought I'd end with this sweet little whip cream face from New Years Day

Christmas 2008

A cute homeade reindeer someone made for me!

Well it's come and gone just like that, and I can say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas break. I had almost 2 weeks off from work and it was a blast (though it flew by too fast, as most vacations do). This was mine and Nick's first year together with his family, and we had a really good time. Unfortunately his mom (a nurse) had to work Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day, so we didn't get to spend as much time with her as we would have liked :( We'll have to figure out a better schedule rotation so that doesn't happen again. Christmas Eve was spent at Nick's Grandma and Grandpa Famulak's house with all the extended family, a turkey, gift exchange and way too much food to snack on. We came back to Nick's parent's house in the evening and opened our Christmas Eve pjs ( a tradition I'm bringing from my family to theirs), then closed off the evening watching Home Alone. That's a personal tradition of mine, I absolutely LOVE that movie! Christmas morning Nick and I were at our house, so we got up early (7am) and opened our presents for eachother. We both spoiled eachother too much and are quite excited about our new Nixon watches (that we both didn't know the other was getting). Nick also got me a new purple Ipod, and I love it! I scored a pair of purple high heels, some boots, gift cards, a framed picture and a few other things (by the way that wasn't all from Nick). Not that I'm bragging....I'm just excited!

Grandma Mena and Grandpa Ed (G&G Famulak)

Eating dinner with the Famulaks Christmas Eve (lookin good Nick...)

The other end of the table...(no one but Bryan and Janet are looking though....)

At Nick's parent's house on Christmas Eve

Infront of our tree on Christmas morning in our new pjs

Nick with his stocking

My new watch

Nick's Dad and his new golf bag

Nick's mom opening her present from us

Bryan scoring some graphic novels (AKA comics)

On the 27th we got together with Nick's mom's side of the family, the Gagnons, and had another great day. We had our second turkey dinner, played cards, and some other games, and stayed up way too late! I don't think we made it home until like 1 am. So thank you to all our hosts and for all the wonderful meals, it was great to spend Christmas together here in Edmonton/Sherwood Park.

Traditional Christmas Day hockey with the Gagnons

With Jaylin, Kyla and Andrea. I love these little cuties!

Mike and Alysha

Nick and I at the Gagnon dinner

We had such a great Christmas this year, hope everyone else did too!