25 Random Facts About Mark

So I tagged Mark in the 25 random things on Facebook and he said he wouldn't do it so I told him I would help him do it and so drum roll please....
Here are 25 random facts about Mark. (Ahh, the power of persuasion, I think he secretly did want to do it but did not want to appear interested.)

1. I can't believe I'm doing this... (just shows how much I love my wife) (or maybe not- by April)
2. I've never been to a professional basketball game, but would love to go.
3. I've been to 18 foreign countries.
4. I am very lucky to be married to my sweetheart of a wife (Aprillee).
5. I served a mission in Brazil for 2 years.
6. I love mint chocolate chip ice cream.
7. I'm incredible at reading maps.
8. I broke my left leg in an ultralight crash.
9. I enjoy playing ultimate Frisbee
10. I haven't gained more than 10 lbs. in the last 10 years.
11. I love to travel.
12. I like to barbecue.
13. I've ridden on an elephant and a camel.
14. I enjoy reading historical fiction books.
15. Tucanos is my favorite restaurant.
16. I speak 4 languages.
17. I have a masters in Middle East History.
18. I love limes!
19. I enjoy working on my family history.
20. I have 28 nieces and nephews, but no children of my own (although I can't wait to be a dad).
21. I love huckleberry!
22. I enjoy playing "Ticket to Ride" and "Settlers of Catan".
23. I try really had to do romantic things for April.
24. I don't own a microwave (I hope Steve doesn't change this).
25. I can't believe I finished this in 10 minutes (thanks April!).

Seeing as how this is a blog about our lives I just thought he should be included even though he has never posted on here and probably won't any time soon which is fine I just wouldn't want him to feel left out.

25 Random Facts About Aprillee

I have been tagged a couple of times but haven't ever done these because:
A. I think it will take too long
B. I won't be able to come up with any facts

But last night Mark went to go play basketball so I decided to do one and it was so fun and once you start the facts just keep coming. In fact as I was telling Mark about what I wrote, I came up with at least 5 more. It it always fun to read them about other people too. So if you missed it on Facebook here are 25 random facts about me.

1. I cannot stand clutter and have been known to throw away somewhat important papers because they were on the counter too long (sorry Mark)
2. I wish I could dance but I am seriously lacking in rhythm
3. I really do not like Poetry, mostly because I do not understand it try as I may
4. I am married to my very best friend and he is so good to me.
5. I would love to be a secretary again and organize stuff all the time but I can't stand customer service calls, they are so angry!
6. I love school supplies! It's like my favorite aisle in stores, must go back to that organizing thing
7. I decorate for every holiday big or small
8. I appreciate that my parents always made me feel good about myself
9. I can't wait for Mark and I to start our family, any day now would be great!
10. I love rainstorms and cloudy days
11. I know that I get to choose how I react to things and try to always look on the bright side and learn from experiences
12. I love to be outside
13. One thing I try to always do is to ask myself "Put yourself in their shoes" when I am irritated by something
14. I love playing tennis, well rallying why keep score?
15. I do not tan! I have tried (well I have laid out in the sun) and I just sunburn and I hate it when people comment on my lack of a tan, its not my fault! In many other places in the world people wish they had skin as pale as mine
16. I love Daffodils and Gerber Daisies
17. I love to read
18. I want to be closer to my siblings and Mark's family
19. I am incredibly uncompetitive
20. I have a degree in History education but have never taught my own history class even though I have worked in schools the last 3 years and I am okay with that
21. I have never dyed my hair
22. I love to send letters in the mail
23. I want to go on lots more hikes in the mountains
24. I want to be known as a cheerful, trustworthy person
25. I love to travel and handle change pretty darn well.

Frugal dating!

Last night Mark and I went out to dinner and then bowling with some friends for our Friday night date. We had a coupon to this new restaurant here (Cafe Mexi-Cali, not nearly as good as Costa Vida (our favorite restaurant) same type of food but not as fresh) where you buy two drinks and one entreee and then get one entree free so a pretty good deal. Then we went over to the bowling alley and when we got to the desk there was sign that said "We support teachers." We thought well thats nice! So I asked the lady at the desk why they had the sign there and she explained that there was a teacher who coached a junior bowling league so they had become good friends. When you become friends with a teacher (or really any profesion) you are most likely going to hear stories about how much they lke or dislike their school/job. In Greeley's case it is often a dislike, sad... so they were showing their support to teachers, "they've got our backs!" I wonder if it is also because they have to deal with lots of annoying teenagers and students who come in to bowl. So they understand some of the junk that teachers put up with. Anywho, so she asks us if we are teachers and we say we are (Mark and I) and then she asks Lea and Nathaniel if they are and they say no and she said well, tonight you are! So we all got our shoe rentals for free! 4 dollar bowling, sweet! Our scores were not too sweet though. I got an impressive 65 and Mark got a 77. When we came home we went bowling on the Wii and I got 167 about 100 points better and Mark got 217! At least we could redeem ourselves thanks to the Wii!

So last night Mark and I spent $18.50 for dinner and bowling! Not bad at all. I love Friday night dates, or any night dates!

5 years ago today, January 22, 2004

Today is the 5 year anniversary of our first kiss! It is such a good story I decided to post it on our blog. 5 years ago today, on a cold night in Rexburg, Idaho Mark and Aprillee kissed for the first time...

Mark and I had been dating since November 2003 and had not kissed on the lips yet. When school started up again in January we made a deal that we would cook dinner for each other one night a week. I believe I cooked for Mark on Wednesdays and he cooked for me on Thursdays. This particular Thursday night I walked over to Mark's apartment only to be greeted at the stairs by his former roommate Chris. Chris was in a suit and walked over to me and opened the door to his car for me and drove me over (as my chauffeur) to his and his wife's apartment. We walked upstairs to their apartment and there was Mark! Chris and Michele left with knowing smiles and Mark and I were alone in their apartment which was highly frowned upon at the time at BYU Idaho. There was a candle-lit dinner set up and Mark turned on some love songs and brought out a delicious dinner of Chicken Tetrazzini. Now this dinner was not served on any ordinary plates but it was served on the dishes from the picnic basket that Mark's sister Kristi gave to Mark as a Christmas present. She figured he could use it up in Rexburg. (This basket will be featured again this coming April.) So we ate dinner and danced to a few songs and then Mark said he would be right back. He went into the bedroom (I did not!!) and brought out a beautiful boquet of flowers. My favorite flowers are daffodils. They are really not that easy to come by and Mark drove down to Rigby to find some. (Rigby is like 15 minutes away so not too far but still the extra effort!) There were daffodils and one red rose. I was so excited to see the flowers and then Mark pointed to one and said "what's in here?" I looked down into it and there was a wrapper. I pulled it out and saw that it was a Hershey kiss wrapper and inside the wrapper was a little note that said, "Where is the Kiss?" (Mark said that the note was my cue in case I forgot to ask.) So I smiled and looked up at Mark expectantly and we kissed! It was so sweet. After we cleaned up dinner and probably kissed again... we drove over to the store, good old Broulims, and bought ice cream for our roommates. At BYU-Idaho it was tradition to give your roommates M&M's when you held hands with someone and ice cream when you kissed someone for the first time. Mark also bought me a bag of Hershey kisses that had a note taped on them that said "redeemable at any time."

THE basket!

Here is the scrapbook page I made for the occasion. (I scanned it with out new printer/scanner/copier that we got for 35$! Such a deal!) If you click on it it will enlarge. The page has the flowers, ice cream and bag of kisses with the note that Mark gave me and us!



January 22, 2009! Not too much has changed. This time there was a yellow rose with daffodoils instead of red and a cute little book about kisses, no hershey kisses this time.

Mark is such a sweetheart! I am so lucky to have such a thoughtful husband. I love romantic gestures and feel so loved when Mark does them. I think he has gotten me flowers every year on January 22 specifically. He is an amazing husband and makes me so happy! Thanks for all the great kisses Markus!

Ice Skating

Lea and Aprillee
(our camera battery was pretty much dead so most of the pictures were really blurry)

Last night Mark and I were trying to think of something fun to do. We were talking about a couple of people we could call and have over and then our good friends Lea and Nathaniel called and invited us to go ice skating. Last week Mark and I got a Greeley Happenings newsletter in the mail that mentioned that there was "Sweetheart Ice Skating" on Valentines day and I said to Mark that we should invite Lea and Nathaniel to come with us that night. So when they called last night and invited us to go we thought it was really funny.

On the rink (notice the little girl behind us?)

Mark and I had never been ice skating together before and I had not gone since my BYU Idaho days so 5 years or so (there were not many ice skating opportunities in Egypt, go figure?) and Mark didn't even know the last time he ice skated so we were not the most graceful couple out there. But we had a lot of fun. There were some really good skaters with cool outfits and everything. I always get really nervous when someone skates by me really fast, especially if they are going backwards too! Which leads to my next thought: I was doing really well and then on my last skate around the rink I biffed it so hard!! This guy skated by me at like lightning speed (backwards too) and totally scared me. I have always had this fear of ice skating and falling. I am not afraid of falling, it totally happens but of falling and then someone skating over my fingers with their razor sharp ice skates. (I know... paranoid) The rink had not been smoothed over in a long time so good speed plus ruts in the ice are not a great combination. It hurt so much and I have quite the bruise on my knee. I fell right in front of Lea and Nathaniel and they said that they could see my skate get logged into a rut and it just stopped me short! It reminded us a lot of the toe pick scenes in Cutting Edge, "Toe Pick!" But I am not discouraged and we will go again for sure. (Mark needs the practice! hehehe)

Nathaniel and Lea

Here is a shout out to Lea and Nathaniel! We have so much fun with them. They are our favorite people to hang out with in Greeley. (Bethany you just have never been here but this summer, watch out!!) We can always call each other up and they are ready to go play. We went to the corn maze with them and haunted houses. We looked at Christmas lights and have gone out to eat or had each other over lots. Unfortuanely they are moving to Nebraska in March. We will miss them a lot. But until then we will have lots of fun.