Memory Lane

Mom's Christmas gift to family members

Memory Lane from Heidi Henry on Vimeo.

Cassidy's Christmas Program

Earlier this week we attended Cassidy's 5th Grade Christmas Program. I have a few short videos of songs she sang. If you click on this link you can see the others, but here is one of them.

Nothing Says Thanksgiving Like Kraft Easy Mac

Today, Thanksgiving, we spent the best way we know how....together. Ultimately we'd love to make Thanksgiving our travel holiday. Unfortunately, my work schedule didn't allow us to do so this year. Our hope was to volunteer our time with a local organization. However, after multiple calls to multiple locations, no one ever contacted us. So be it. We did our own thing.

Most times we see holidays as just another day and we don't tend to do anything other than the norm. I started the morning out watching a bit of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (definitely not as good as being there) and then headed out for a run. After that we set out to see if anything was going on in Sandusky. As expected, there was nothing. We ended up in Meijer, grabbing a few odds and ends. Back at home David had his Meijer pre-made breaded chicken breast, chips, and queso, while I settled on Kraft Easy Mac. Nothing says Thanksgiving like Easy Mac, eh? Of course there's always a chance of overeating, but let me tell you this, if you're a vegetarian, it's much easier to keep yourself in check for Thanksgiving. While eating we watched Adventureland.

So that leads us to tonight. We've been decorating for Christmas and jamming to some Christmas classics. I'm not going to lie. As time goes on I no longer do most of the decorating...it's David. And that, I'm thankful for. The kids got to enjoy their Thanksgiving Feast and we enjoyed giving it to them.....


No surprise that Spencer was fed last, but finished first, followed by Lily, then Viking. We didn't know if they'd eat everything, especially the cranberries, but our pups aren't ones to waste any food...so they ate it all and licked their bowls clean.

I'm about to fix a bit of tortellini. We also picked up Red Lobster biscuits last night, so those will accompany our dinner. And to finish we're watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation with the 'rents and some Coldstone Creamery Pie. Although this year's Thanksgiving wasn't adventurous as last year's, we're still thankful to be able to spend the time together.

Twilight Through David

David and I were riding the scooter yesterday. He said, "I have an idea.....We should have someone videotape us on the scooter. You'll hold on tight and I'll move my legs real fast like I'm running. We'll then use software to somehow "remove" the scooter from the scene....and it will look like I'm Edward, running with you on my back." Hilarious. You'll have to have seen Twilight to understand this and like it in order for this to be funny. But it did crack me up. This isn't the first time David has referenced Twilight...not to mention the first time on the scooter. Another time I was told, "You better hold on tight spider monkey....." Oh how I love him so.

I Appreciate You

Yes, I still have kidney stones. Yes, it's been over a month since the symptoms started. Yes, it sucks. Yes, running myself ragged at work doesn't help the situation. But, I'm dealing....Not to mention, I get to come home to this cute face everyday....

Okay, not exactly the same looking face, but still. Yes, that's David and he's only 6 months. Look at all of that hair! Too cute, eh? Whether it's a picture of David or just him, he can bring a smile to my face and for that I'm appreciative. Especially when I have those rough days.

Congratulations Bryce And Monica

We welcomed a new family member to the Roth Clan this weekend. My cousin Bryce was married to a wonderful woman named Monica. Although we were unable to participate in Sunday's brunch we were able to make it to the festivities on Friday and Saturday. As expected everyone had an excellent time. As life moves on our extended families are not able to get together for holidays as we once did. I must be honest, I miss that time together. I'm glad that we still have the ability to see each other every so often for times like these. I'm also thankful that Bryce, Monica, and their families invited us all to join in on the fun.
I took many pictures of their special weekend....here are a few......

If you'd like to see more pictures, click here.
Congratulations Bryce and Monica!

37 Years

Happy Anniversary Mom And Dad.

Click on the "filmstrip" below.....

Not Just Another Day

As I get older I find holidays aren't as "special" as before. It's not that they don't mean anything, it's just like you wake up and think, "meh, it's another day." Friday was my (and mom's) birthday...it was just another day.....or so I thought. The day didn't get exciting until nighttime. We went out to dinner to Marconi's and mom said, "Don't have dessert...I already have something at home." Being a smart ass, I said, "Well, what if I don't want that?" I didn't think it'd be anything special since Sita said she was going to make a cake for Saturday. When we got home, did I get some surprises. First, David had made me a cardboard card. Over the past year we decided not to buy any cards anymore. Cards are nice, but for $4 and a waste of tree, not that nice. Sorry Hallmark, but there will be no more official cards in our home. It was the sweetest card and probably one of the best I've ever received in my life. In addition I had a single pink rose. We are also not flower people....they tend to die within days of purchase so it's just not something we do. So a flower totally caught me off guard. And lastly from David, a juicer. We had been debating the purchase of a juicer and David happened across an excellent and unexpected deal that he couldn't pass up.

I was giddy from excitement. That's when Mom, Dad, Sita, and Alpa arrived......with an Aunt Tonya Cake? WHAT?! OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY! I was jumping for joy. People know from previous posts that I love me some Aunt Tonya Cake. Aunt Tonya isn't really an Aunt, but our family has been friends for years and she has been known as my Aunt Tonya for years. I used to go over her house and eat spoonfuls or her frosting. I even had "my spoon" over her house. It's not really a spoon, more like a flat ladle. I have been unable to get a cake from her for a couple of years given she is totally booked in the summer months for weddings. Yes, she is that amazing. This year was no different. My mom had decided to not even attempt to call and ask. But she did call and attempt to get a cup of her frosting for me. That's when she found out that Aunt Tonya had already penciled me in last year, for a cake this year. Of course my mom didn't tell me this. So I was surprised when the sweet smell of Aunt Tonya cake entered my house Friday night. I couldn't wait to dig in.
Mom and Dad also surprised me with a new Weedeater. Yes! I've been hand edging my lawn all summer with hedge shears. Needless to say it takes forever and by the time I'm done my hand is cramping. I'm truly thankful for this gift.

We finished the night by heading to Fridays for a Sangria.

Ahhh, what an unexpected excellent day. Thank you Dad, Sita, Alpa, David, and the kids for sharing it with me. And Mom, as always thank you for sharing your birthday with me. Love you.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

As I've grown older I've found I am more and more likely my mother. Scarily like my mother. When I was younger people would say, "You look like your mom...." I'd always cringe. Now, I accept these comments as compliments. I'm thankful to look like my mom and inherit many of her traits. I'm also thankful for the wonderful relationship we have. Growing up she was always my Mother. Now she's not only my Mother, but a best friend.

Thank you for sharing your birthday with me, and thank you for your love mommy. I love you tttttthhhhhhiiiiiiiiissssss much!!!! =)

I Love You Just The Way You Are

Today David and I have been married for 7 years.

Most people don’t know our story…..

We met my freshman year in high school. Being involved in band we had passed by each other the entire summer. In addition, he was a percussionist, as was my sister Andrea. For some reason he started making himself more and more present around me and my friends. None of us thought much of it. As the end of the summer drew near I was having a small get together at my house. Somehow he got my best friend’s number and made a call basically inviting himself over. At that point we all figured he was gunning for my best friend. Little did I know that he was just using her to get information on me. Soon after we began speaking more and started to date. Our first date was to Sports City. Unfortunately he had already promised to take someone else to homecoming. I respected his decision to keep his promise and I went stag. We continued dating through the winter season, until things started to unravel. We found we both wanted different things at the time and were also immature. I broke up with him and kept my distance. We both dated different people and moved on with our lives.

As time continued on we became friends again. We started to hang out more often and once again David made his presence known. Again, little did I know what he had on his mind. I remember my soon to be SIL saying, “David’s such a good guy….” I didn’t think much of it. At one point David passed me a note. Basically it stated his feelings. I carried that note in my coat pocket for months. I remember in the beginning of my junior year, sitting at the OSU Skull Session with Andrea and mom. I started rummaging through my pockets and sure enough there was the note. For some odd reason I let them read it. Both of their reactions were, “Well, what did you say?!” Of course I had never said anything and just let it lie. They said, “You need to give him a chance.” I knew in my heart I need to, but at that time I wasn’t ready for that. Fast forward several months….David and I were hanging out and I brought up the question of, “What if…..” Soon after that evening David made his move. Although I was expecting it, it totally caught me off guard. Was I ready to start into a relationship with him again? I took a few days to digest the thought and finally made my decision that yes, I was ready to take that step.

Recently David’s mom asked me, “When did you know he was the one? That you were going to marry him?” It took me a few moments to think about that. And I must admit that there was never an “aha moment.” Ultimately when I made the choice to start a relationship with him again I knew deep in my heart that that was it. I had given him up once (and think that it was still necessary), however I wasn’t going to let him go again…..ever.

So how and why did we get married so young? Fast-forward 2 years. We were already engaged and it was inevitable that we were going to get married. True, we hadn’t planned to make it official for another 2 years or so. In a nutshell, David was to get honorably discharged from the military due to health issues and I received a call saying that all of our planning (moving to Columbus, putting a bid on a house, etc) was going to halt because he wasn’t getting out. What?! (Come to find out a year or so later that the paperwork never left his superior’s desk…another LONG story for another day). So we were at a crossroads. What were we going to do? There was no way we wanted to continue our long distance relationship. Once again, we knew we were going to get married, so it was only natural to take the next step.

Of course there were individuals that were out there that disagreed with our choice. Included in that group were my parents. I remember walking downstairs after getting off the phone with David to tell them, “Guess what? We’re getting married.” Unfortunately it wasn’t the most enjoyable experience. In the end they supported our decision and said, “Well, if you’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right…..dress, wedding, and all, even if it is small.” I’m appreciative of my parents support. Then and now I do understand where they were originally coming from. I’ve seen failed young marriages. Add on that, failed military marriages. There’s no doubt that we had the numbers stacked against of. I knew in my heart we were different, but there was no way to portray that. Every young couple thinks they’re different and states that they are…that they’re ready and mature enough to get married. We were thankful for the bridal shower that my aunts threw for us, but I could only imagine what my extended family thought. I think the lack of recognition of our actual wedding from several extended family members gave us the hint of what they thought. But we didn’t let that affect us. Once again, we knew in our hearts where we were and where we were going.

We had a very small wedding, but something that was special to us. Soon after we made the move to New Orleans and made a life for ourselves.

Fast-forward again, 7 years. How have we made it? I don’t think there’s a straight answer to this question. I do know that we’ve evolved as individuals and as a couple. Thankfully our evolution has been together and not on different wavelengths. As with before, our relationship is still different than many couples out there. I’m not saying that it is better or worse than others’, but that difference works for us. We’ve never had a full-blown fight/argument and also find that most times we’re content just being in each other’s presence. No words needed…whether it be on a run, in the car, or just hanging at home. David’s the yin to my yang, as I am to his.

Happy 7th Anniversary David.

Proud Of The Boy

David received notification today that he passed his Boilers Licensing Examination.....meaning he can apply for a boilers license. I'm very proud of him! It's a huge weight off of his shoulders and a relief to both of us. He plans on staying with the school system, but we hope this opens doors for more opportunities. Way to go Boy!

Soak City Sun And Fun

Today started out as a gloomy day, but the weather soon took a turn for the better and the sun came out. We were able to take a ride on the scooter to meet up with Michelle and the kids at Soak City. I took some pictures. As always, check out Flickr account for more.

Day O' Fun With Cassidy

David and I took advantage of the beautiful day to get out an about. We also got Cassidy to join in on the fun. We started with lunch at McDonalds, jammed in The Skate (my car) to some tunes that Cassidy said were "all of my favorites!" (Who knew I was so cool??) I can't believe that girl....she's got a set of lungs and knows lyrics to every song. Not to mention she's been to more concerts than I can count (Any song that came on she said, "I went and saw them.....")

After eating and jamming out we headed out for some fun in the sun at Soak City.
After enjoying the GORGEOUS weather (I think it was the first actual summery weather we had this year) we went into Cedar Point. I don't handle the rides as well as I once did, but it's nice to have someone to go on the round n' round rides with.....we hit MaxAir, Troika, and Chaos. We didn't even make a mark on Cedar Point, but we all had a blast. We'll have plenty of time this summer to cover more ground.

Cassidy has always wanted to play the Guessing Game so we allowed her to do so. They guessed her at 95 lbs and she weighed in at 90 lbs....she won! She was thrilled and was able to choose a prize...a turtle she named Waddles.

After Soak City and Cedar Point we went to the 'rents house to meet Elwood and to chill, then went to Chet And Matt's for some much needed grub. Yum!

It was a great day and I think everyone had a great time. We're all looking forward to the run Saturday. I'm also looking forward to spending more time with Cassidy this summer.

Want to see more pictures of our day? Check out this link.

One Check Or Two?

Not exactly sure how to respond to this.....

David and I out to eat and the waiter/waitress says, "Will this be one check or two?"

What??

Do we look too young to be married?

Do we look like we're dating?

Or do we look like brother and sister??

Either way, it's scary.

Trade In

When looking at David and myself, I'd consider us in the category of decently healthy. We try our best to try to live healthy lives. We take vitamins, limit toxins if possible, exercise....got to admit I love some junk food, but still, for the most part I think we do pretty darn well. With that being said, for some reason once David and I hit our 20's and our bodies started to fall apart. What's the deal?

I'd like to believe I'm pretty healthy, physically that is. Mentally, well, we won't go there. But then that kidney stone popped up. I've felt fine since my surgery. I'm also anxiously awaiting my followup appointment this Wednesday. Any insight into the cause will be greatly appreciated. I think what it will come down to is not staying hydrated. But I'm already not too keen on urinating once an hour....add fluids to that and things aren't too pretty. Hopefully (knock on wood) I won't have any health issues in the near future.

As for David, he started falling apart much sooner than me and has a list that goes on and on..... depression, acid reflux, sleep disorder, carpal tunnel, torn ACL, and then some. I'd like to thank the Marine Corps for his accelerated decline. Thankfully after his enlistment things started to get better. In addition, we both started to take better care of ourselves after his enlistment. It is true, no one can force you into a lifestyle....it's all up to you.

Adding to this list, he's battled pain for the past years. It's hard for him to describe. It's a generalized constant pain. He's tried many things and finally gave in to allowing his mom to perform a massage on him. During the massage they were talking and a light bulb went off in their heads. David's mom has fibromyalgia, so does his sister.....could David have it too? His mom provided a book on the subject. It put into words what David's trying to describe for so long. He then pursued further information through our family doctor. Before diagnosing he went through a thorough workup. Everything turned up fine. So, according to the doctor, there's no definitive diagnosis for fibromyalgia, however, everything David states lines up with it. Although it's a relief to have an answer, it's still unsettling. This disease can be very frustrating and debilitating. In addition, we can't help but wonder if the Marine Corps misdiagnosed him years ago when he started to have the problems....meaning although he pursued diagnosis and treatment, his symptoms persisted with no relief. He is now on treatment in hopes of curbing the symptoms.

So here we are at the ages of 25 and 27 with health problems. In the scheme of things, it could be much worse. However, never did we think that at these ages would we have these problems. In addition, we never expected to have have bills totalling more than $3000 (in only 4 months) because of them (we're VERY thankful for insurance and also that we no longer have and HSA account....whew!) But it is what it is. Life will go on. And if anything, it will drive us to continue to be active in hopes of preventing future problems. If that doesn't work, we may just have to do what my mom and dad used to say.......we'll trade each other in for new models.

Lucky

When you have moms like us, how can't you think you're the luckiest person in the world? Hugs and love to our Mamas. Love you.

8 Years Ago Today

8 years ago today David left for boot camp. He was entering the world of the unknown. We had no idea what the next year, let alone the next 8 years, held for us. I think we would both agree that his time in the Marine Corps was hell, but made him into the man he is today. It's been a roller coaster ride and I can't believe that chapter of our lives is coming to an official end. After today David will no longer be enlisted in the Marine Corps. He completed his contract by serving 4 years active duty and 4 years ready reserve. I'm proud of my Marine and can't wait to see what the next 8 years hold. It's never a dull moment with us, so this should be interesting.

The Amazing Evolution Of David

As most of you know from previous posts David has had some big physical changes over the past year. Through our running, working out, and watching what we're eating he's at his healthiest lowest weight ever, 165 lbs. The previous lowest was 169 lbs during boot camp, while he was literally being starved. Of course we've noticed the obvious changes with having to purchase new clothes including everything from jeans to skivvies. But you seem to overlook the picture as a whole because we see each other everyday. However, mom brought to our attention that she was looking through our Flickr pictures, both old and new, and was amazed at David's transformation. So much so that she didn't even recognize him at one point. It sounded crazy but we decided to take a look ourselves. Holy crap! We couldn't believe it. It truly amazed us. Wow. I just had to do some before and after pictures:




We were at our heaviest when we lived in Michigan. David at 270 lbs and me at 140 lbs. We don't even have pictures of ourselves during that time. Thank God.

When we got married I weighed 115 lbs, so obviously I had put on a few pounds myself through the past several years. I never considered myself huge but my weight was at a constant increase, moving in a direction I didn't want to go. Thankfully I caught it when I did and it's now in check.

I think it's pretty safe to say that David and I are out of our running funk, where we don't want to get up in the morning. It will never be easy but it's getting better and the pictures sealed the deal knowing it's what we have to do to stay where we're at. Don't get me wrong it's hard, but definitely worth the payoff.

Make A Wish

Make A Wish
Originally uploaded by heidihvt

Happy Birthday Mom!

Don't mess with a crazy woman

Don't mess with a crazy woman
Originally uploaded by buckeyefan58.

Yep, that's right.