Regrettable Moments

As we continue on with a countdown.

Here's a list of some of our regrettable moments (or in other words "silly spats" )throughout the year:

*The Newlywed Game "Too Small" "Just Right" Incident

*The fact that we have had a number of knock-out, drag-down fights

OVER SETTLERS!!!!!!

Learning how to play the two-player version has led to some great newlywed memories and some regrettable...err...actually embarrassing newlywed memories

*The time I jokingly told Zach that he looked like a 'tool' before church and he actually shaved his facial hair--I felt so bad about it that I cried

*The time Zach convinced me we should have McDonalds for dinner (he does that sometimes since we had chicken nuggets on our wedding day before the sealing...he always uses that card to excuse the unhealthy consequences of eating McDonalds--I don't eat McDonalds. My wedding day was the first time in YEARS) and I argued that it wasn't healthy. So he randomly decided to still go and be "healthy" so he brought home a meal and a McFlurry to "split" and I don't share food!

Actually this list is making me rather embarrassed. I just look like a brat. I will tell you Zach had a real place in silly arguments number 1 and 2...he really did. :)

And They Lived Happily Ever After...

At least so far...

One week from today is our one year wedding anniversary!!

WOW!

I seriously can't believe it.

I cried last night when I was talking to Zach about it. It's gone so fast it almost makes me sad. I've loved it so much. Marriage has been VERY good to me. It has FAR exceeded my expectations.

In honor of the anniversary I am posting a week long countdown
because it's fun for me to do.

You will see 6 countdown posts until the big day

1. Favorite Meals

2. Regrettable Moments

3. Favorite Dates

4. Favorite Television Shows

5. Favorite Memories

6. Top Ten Things about Being Married


So to begin the countdown....

Here is a list of our favorite meals:
At home:
*Hot dogs and cheese burgers prepared on the George Foreman
*Mac N' Cheese w/ Cut Up Hot dogs
*Broccoli Chicken Alfredo
*General Tso's Chicken and Steamed Rice--eaten with chopsticks of course
Out:
*Idaho Pizza Co. Pizza-Large Half Hawaiian/Half Pepperoni and Black Olive
PLUS Cheese Twists
*Texas Roadhouse--me chicken critters/Zach rib eye steak
I give Zach one chicken critter and Zach gives me a large bite of his steak

Letters-Letter to my First Love or Crush

I'm skipping the kid one because it is really difficult...
this letter...well let's just say...this letter is a LOT different than I would have imagined at 20.

Dear ____________,
Those who know--you know who he is

I am so grateful for all the memories and experiences we had. We had fun. However, I am eternally grateful that I did not end up with you. I actually feel silly that I was SO heartbroken over you. Have you met my husband? Have you seen how he loves me? That's what I needed all along...I just never knew. Not to say you're not an okay guy...you are an okay guy...but you're not mine. I harbor no love-like feelings nor do I harbor any hateful-feelings. You're happy (I hope and assume) and so am I. Perhaps some day we will run into each other and have an awkward conversation? But it definitely will not be anything like Dan Fogelberg's "Same Old Lang Syne." Thank Goodness! Until then...take care (you always loved that phrase:).

Sincerely,
Sharlee

p.s. I do have to brag that my husband has an incredible head of hair and won't be losing it any time soon and you (I am pretty sure--another of your favorite phrases--)do not!

Answer This....

What is your most treasured memory?
If you know me, you know that there is NO WAY that I can answer that question with just ONE answer.
But it is MY blog. And when you have your own blog you can do whatever you want.
Like answer this question with three answers for each significant period of your life :)
So I'm turning the question into
What are your most treasured memories?

Childhood
*Memories with my grandma. Eating cream of mushroom soup at the table after kindergarten. Talking to her about my day in the talking chair. Getting ice cream and Oreos at Shady Acres and making our own shakes. Those memories make my heart warm, really they do. They made me. They made my life rich.
*Memories with my mom. Chinese food and naps on Friday afternoons. Singing in the shower. Vacations. That feeling of being loved and adored so much. My mom has a gift for that, really.
*Memories with Shane. Witch. Christmas Eves. "I'm over here...oops!" Marrying him to Melissa from across the street. Playing office, store, and so sadly-McDonald's. Trying to escape nap time together.

High School
*Misty. I Am Sam. That Jessica Beal movie we quoted and now I cannot remember the name. Sammishness.
*Mr. Fout
*Graduation Night and the Graduation Party that followed.

Summer After High School
*Streaking and naked Chinese fire drills.
*My first summer at the Y...I met Sarah and Jonnie that summer. (Technically I already knew Jonnie but we became friends that summer).
I'm only doing two because I need ONE more for my college years

College
*Our very first apartment EVER. Singing "Angie." Angie telling us we needed a plant. Dan. The confessional in the bath tub. The excessive eating. The video taping. Sting. Skipping class. Watching a TON of MTV with Misty. We had a TV schedule we lived by. Nearly failing biology. Walking across campus at BSU.
*My first love and first broken heart. Healing it through Monday stops at Smokey Mountain where Jonnie would serve me chocolate milk and listen to me cry and cry about my broken heart. It's a horrible memory but it also made me. I also deepened a really incredible friendship.
*Classes...Learning and laughing. Rushmi's class with Misty. Going to Misty's Tuesday night class with her. American Literature. Child Psychology.Psycho Linguistics. Math Methods. Math 25 :) :) :) Ed Tech with Jonnie. I loved my classes at Boise State. L.O.V.E.D them. I learned. I got fired up. I loved learning.
*Summers...floating the river with Misty. Playing at the Y with my kids, Sarah, Jonnie, and Cody. Losing weight. Tanning. Loving every single minute.

After Graduation
*Getting my first official teaching job. The day I accepted it and the day I saw my name on the door.
*Shane leaving for his mission
*Losing my grandma (I suppose I don't treasure that memory, but it's another one of those memories. I still ache over that day..over that whole experience.) It will stick with me forever.

Zach
*The moment I firs met him. I will treasure that moment. I wanted him. I remember seeing him for the first time. That's such an incredibly special memory.
*Getting chicken nuggets before heading into the temple on our wedding day. That's a memory I'll keep forever.
*Our first year-Mac and Cheese, falling in love with the George Foreman, Burn Notice, Mal, Idaho Pizza Company, cuddling to sleep every single night, laughing, going on walks. I hope to never forget the feeling of this first year. The feeling of wanting to get home now! The feeling of being out at the store or somewhere other than home and realizing that we get to go home together. That's an incredible feeling. Every time I find myself so lucky. Our home became our home instantly, but I am still not completely "used to" the fact that he gets to come home with me. I feel like we're just married every time and that makes me happy :)

Your turn:

What are your most treasured memories?
Answer any way you'd like :)
Just answer..please!

True Love

Let me tell you about true love.

I have learned lots of things about it..through my husband of course.

He's the expert at displaying real unconditional love.

It's pretty amazing.
And since this blog is another form of a journal for me.

I want to keep this memory.

This display (among thousands) of unconditional love.

Tonight I was trying to make scalloped potatoes from scratch.

I was cutting my potatoes a little too quickly and I cut my finger.

This cut would not be considered a large cut by any means, but a cut is a cut in my book.

I panicked. I nearly passed out. Zach wasn't home at this point so nobody but Mal was there to witness my bravery.

Later this evening I got something IN my cut.

It burned.

It hurt.

It made me faint...yet again.

I actually called for Zach to come and do something about it.

Yes, I was being THAT much of a baby. (I have reasons why I get faint and nauseous but if I share them with you it will make me faint and nauseous all over again).

So, I call and Zach comes.

He washes my cut with soap and water.

He puts Neosporin on the band aid.

He bandages my hand.

Seriously.

This guy is unreal.

He didn't brush me off.

He didn't get annoyed with me and my dramatic antics.

He took care of me.

I love being married so much it's ridiculous.

Being married rocks...but there is no comparison to being married to Zach.

He is one in a million!

Things That Make Me Smile

Pardon the strange border...this came from Shane's phone When I have days like yesterday.

I open my phone to text my best friend.

And then I browse my texts to delete them (because remember more than 100 drive me crazy)

I was at 160 yesterday.

I've been busy. I haven't had the time to delete texts.

Anyway.
I come across these texts from my brother:

"Hey Myles is writing a paper about using rhetorical strategies in writing. Do you have any idea what that is?"

"Ok. Thank you. He told me to ask you cuz you know this stuff."

"U R trying to piss me off! And it's not working because I love u."

"Ya that's funny but you would think that if you liked him so much you would be able to spell his last name right. It's FAVRE but it's pronounced Farve."

This was the text that goes with the one above it. Sometimes I like to pretend I know sports and text my brother--the man who knows sports better than anyone else...H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S.

"The Beets."

In response to my text where I asked him what the name of the band that Doug loved (from the TV show) was. Zach and I were randomly having a conversation about Doug. :)

"Shane's stupider than I am but dad thinks he can walk on water?!?"

I got that text IMMEDIATELY after I made that statement. I was at my parents' house and Shane was supposed to be sleeping. I heard my phone go off and I told everyone that it would be Shane. I was laughing before I even read the text.

"happy birthday u FAT LITTLE PIG!"

Capitalization left as-is

"Whoops, 4:30 but since I said that you really should come at 4:39. LOL I think it would be funny."

When he accidentally texted me the wrong time for dinner :)

"hahahahahahaha. Hey remember when we were in Jackpot and I was up in the window and I pointed the remote at you and u were by the car n u ducked down?!!! Hahahahahaha."

"OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so damn funny!!! hahahahaha u were so scared hahahahaha the way you looked and then ducked hahahahaha oh man, I can't stop laughing."

"Wagon Toe!"

'"First thing dad says when mom was getting her leftovers was "oh my word, she's gonna need 2 find a ride home!"

These texts make me smile. A LOT. Sometimes they make me laugh, really hard.

Mostly they make me so grateful for my brother. I freaking LOVE him! He is the best.
I am so grateful for our friendship.

A lot of these won't make sense to anyone.

Maybe some people who know my family.

They are beautiful though.

We are brother and sister.

And we're still friends.

From My Mom

My mom wrote Zach a birthday list, too.
I thought I would share because she honestly did a better job than I did.
I think.
OK THIS IS ALSO FOR ZACH AS I DON'T HAVE MY OWN BLOG,
BUT I WOULD LIKE HIM TO READ AS WELL:

1. He loves Shar's Family and treats us like his own.

2. He, as Shar, stated is very good to my dad. He is like he has been his grandson his whole life.

3. He IS very intelligent. Quite impressive the things he knows about computers, history, science, religion and Sharlee :)

4. He will do anything for you. anytime if you need him. anytime means 11.30 to fix my dad's tv.
an evening after work to mow my lawn. work forever to fix Shane's laptop

5. He laughs at Shane even when Sharlee thinks he is gross.

6. He gets excited about stupid things you do for him.. makes you want to do more things for him.

7. He is very good at the things he does. He built an excellent fence for their back yard.

8. He brings Sharlee hot chocolate when he visits her at school.

9. He plays like a child with Cara's Kids. Goes to Roaring Springs with them Kids love him

10. He is not easily upset by messes in life. ie. Car problems house problems, problems with work issues.

11. He is fun loving and likes to do new things.

12. He will watch movies with you that he probably doesn't like.

13. He will stop by and watch Bachelor with Shar and I and he joins me in criticism at the expense of Shar's wrath upon both of us.

14. He loves his parents and his siblings.

15. He honors his church callings.

16. He will apologize and admit if he thinks he is wrong

17.He is Funny

18. He teases Todd.

19. He is a GOOD guy.

20. He loves to play Board Games and he is competitive as hell.
21. He loves to read National Geographic and Smithsonian. I only know 2 people like that.

22. He LOVES my Daughter

23. He is GOOD .. Good hearted Good tempered, Good spirited

24. He is working on improving his life every day. I am proud of him
and he is my son in law. If I were his parents I would want to hug myself for raising him :)

25. He will eat any food I make without EVER saying anything about it. This is a gift as every meal for 30 years I have had a comment on something about it every meal!

26. He likes to wear crummy shirts that Shar can't stand. I feel this is common ground for us.

27. He is kind to me and my family
and very kind to Sharlee. He prays with her, he is raising a puppy with her, building a life with her.

28. Our whole extended family like him, Grandparents Uncles, Aunts like Shar stated "Everyone Likes Zach". there are many reasons for that . it is a good gift to be a person like that.

29. I love him and wish him a happy birthday and the BEST YEAR ever.

P.S. We had a FABULOUS weekend!

P.P.S. Isn't Mal the cutest!?!?
Seriously. We love him so freaking much. He is ADORABLE!

Happy Birthday Zach!

This guy is 29 today:

So...in complete Sharlee fashion, here are 29 things to love about Zach:

1.He can do the voices of a plethora of Disney characters and isn't the least bit shy about it

2.He will give me a back/shoulder rub ANYTIME I ask. Seriously. And he is GOOD. He's the only way I can get rid of headaches.

3.He is insanely intelligent

4.He is humble

5. He loves teaching primary

6.He volunteers in my classroom on his day off

7. He makes the BEST grilled cheese you've ever had--I promise

8.He is so good to our grandparents (his and mine)

9. He's laid back

10. He's more patient than any one person should be with me

11. He understands sports...he can hold a conversation about them like any respectable man...but I don't "lose" him to football season or anything of the like

12. I can wake him up at anytime of the night/morning and ask him to cuddle me and he will...in a cute way, too (might I add)

13. He never leaves my side of the bed...he always sleeps close by me

14. He laughs easily

15. He's a blast to watch a funny movie with

16. He cares (or at least pretends to) about Army Wives

17. He has the correct opinions on public education (as they are in alignment with mine)

18. He has a sense of direction that is out of this world--he's like a walking compass

19. He is good with our money...better than I am at least

20. He's INCREDIBLY handsome
21. It takes him at least an hour to do anything...he is a perfectionist (sometimes this is not so easy to love....like literally he takes forever to make TOAST for crying out loud)

22. He gets excited about very little things

(I think he will like my little birthday gifts: The Yoohoo and Dark Choc. Reeses Cups I packed in his lunch and the warm banana bread I send him off to work with. More than the big gifts: a plethora of random items).

23. He has a deep voice and it is rather sexy when he sings...(my personal favorites are when he sings Josh Turner "Long Black Train" or Disturbed "Down with the Sickness")

24. He loves to read

25. He loves history

26. He retains information--sucks it up like a sponge

27. He doesn't worry about things

28.He helps with the housework...without needing to be asked

29. As so many people have put it to me, "Everyone loves Zach!"

There really isn't anyone I know who doesn't love him. He is so easy to get along with and he has a grand assortment of likeable qualities.

So

Zach,

Happy Birthday!

I love you!
I am proud to call myself your wife.

I hope year 29 beats quite a few of the others! :)

Love,

Me

Answer This

What do you do on Sundays?

I love Sundays. They are my very favorite day of the week.

Our Sundays look a little like this:

We wake up.
Always a little late.

We get ready for church.

Church at 9 a.m.

Do you know that I love going to church?

After church we come home and have something small to eat.

Although sometimes I have meetings after church

We talk about church.

Zach talks about his primary class.

I talk about Young Women.

I share any new information I get at church with him.

He pretends to care. Which I love him for VERY much.

We take a Sunday nap with Mal on the floor next to our bed.

It is PURE bliss.

We go to my parents house.

It's Zach, Me, Dad, Mom, Shane, Grandpa, and sometimes Kylie

My mom feeds us.

Zach makes fun of my dad.

My brother and I make fun of both of our parents.

I laugh a lot.

We have a family spiritual message.

We pray together.

Sometimes we play games.

Zach and I come home and go for a walk.

We watch a movie or play Settlers.

Could you ask for a day better than that?

It is truly a day of rest.

It is a day that is different than any other day of the week.

I love Sundays.

We get started early.

We are truly spiritually fed and uplifted.

We spend time with family.

We spend time with each other.

Sundays are the best.

What do you do on Sundays?

If I Could I Would

Some people (My brother for starters) call me hardcore.
I'm too much to take.
Too Mormon.
Which does offend me. Until I realized I'm NOT hardcore into Mormon culture. I am hardcore in doing what is right.
People can call it what they want. I know that I am divinely inspired...combine that with my extremely passionate personality and you get, I guess, someone who is "hardcore."
Here's the deal: I don't do the "I would if I could mentality." It truly makes me sick.
This whole, "I would drink if my church didn't teach me the Word of Wisdom."
"If my church would let me." "If my wife would let me" 'If my mom would let me"
GROW UP!
Nobody is making you do anything.
I for one, have a firm understanding of most of the commandments we've been given.
I believe them with all of my heart.
I have no desire to live outside the commandments. I just don't.
I know better.
My life is blessed because I do.
What do these people think? That their lives are just randomly blessed?
I think not. We are blessed when we do what we are supposed to do.
WHEN WE DO WHAT IS RIGHT!
I love my life. There is truly NOTHING that I feel that I am "kept" from doing.
I believe in the standards that I live.
I know they are the right way.
I have no desire to live any other way.
So people can think what they want of me.
I am comfortable that I am standing in the right place...and I am promised that if I do.
I won't be moved.

p.s. This is not a blog for my brother. He loves me A LOT and I know that. I just used him as an example so as to make my point to others who don't love me even a little.

p.p.s. Allison, did this post make you smile, too!? :)

Gift Giving Arrogance

I just read a blog post that was rather arrogant. I won't liknk to it. No need.

Basically she praised her own original gift ideas.
Who does that?

She also said that you should never give a practical gift.

Let me tell you something...if you want to be a person who truly gives praiseworthy gifts,

you will give a practical gift in a thoughtful way.

Or you will give the exact PERFECT amount of practical gifts vs. thoughtful gifts.

Not many people can do this.

I for one only know one person.

It is not me.

It is my mom.

So let's take this chick off her high horse and talk about gifts that my mom gives.

*Crocheted afghans (usually white) to bless your baby in. Practical/Thoughtful, yes?

*A gift card to Sonic to celebrate the start of summer. Summer equals hot..which means ice cold drinks. Plus, PLUS, her daughter LOVES Sonic drinks (Practical/Thoughtful).

*A subscription to Sports Illustrated for her son (he may pay for that himself which makes it a practical gift but the beauty is he doesn't have to=thoughtful)

*A new razor, body wash, and lotion for me at the end of summer. Something about my tan legs and such...LOVE MY MOM (razors and body washes are VERY practical yet somehow this gift was so cute of her)
*New Boots for my birthday (I love boots. I have to have a pair. I was going to spend my birthday money on them. Practical. However, I now can buy what I want with my birthday money and not what I need=wasn't that THOUGHTFUL of my mom?)

*Clean bed sheets and clean pjs to sleep in when you get your heart broken. Thoughtful.

*A Cocoa-Motion for Christmas. Definitely both practical and thoughtful. I don't have to spend the time in the morning making hot cocoa...I have a machine that does it--and better than I can--for me.It was espcecially nice because I hadn't heard of one before and I found it to be the most amazing gift ever.

*My mom will clean your house before you bring your baby home from the hospital.

*She will buy you shoes when your dog chewed yours up.

*She will buy you shoes just because.

My mom gives THE BEST gifts. THE BEST. There is no competition.

What's more?

My mom does not know this about herself. She most certaily wouldn't brag on the gifts she's given...and absolutely wouldn't create a blog post entitled to it. Doesn't that take away from the thoughtful element of the gift? When you brag about it later?

It does in my mind.

2 Years Ago...

2 Years Ago Today:

I was at home. Where I was living..with my mom and dad.

My brother was on a mission.

I was teaching fifth grade...my first year.

I was loving the single life. I had a group of single girls/guys that I hung out with on a regular basis...game nights once a week at minimum.

I was home grading papers in pajamas no makeup and hair undone.

It was the Sunday of Conference Weekend.

Jen called and invited me to an impromptu game night.

I "got ready" but not by much, I knew these guys...right?

Wrong. Enter Zach.

He came with the new convert I just met last week, Jake.

We "meet" or so I think.

I assess Zach's attractiveness.

I confirm that he is indeed VERY VERY good looking.

Text best friend to tell her that there is a hot new guy that needs to ask me out.

I also am torn, he does not look "Mormon"

Then I hear this beautiful sentence, "On my mission..."

Begin flirting.

He hates BYU and doesn't care that I play poker...YESSSSS!

Continue flirting.

Zach gets a phone call from someone asking who was at the game night

Zach begins naming EVERYONE in the room except for me

He stops at me...doesn't know my name.

I hear him say my name really long and drawn out.

I am devastated. DEVASTATED! I was so sure we were flirting...

***If we rewind we learn that new convert boy from church last Sunday (Jake) had his eyes on me. Zach didn't catch my name or else he wouldn't have flirted with me as much as he did. Also the reason that he drew my name out in such a strange way.

***In addition: I was a Ward Missionary at that time and I was on an all-time spiritual high. I was also going to marry one of the missionaries I was working with, Elder Holloman. Don't judge--he was older AND amazing. Come to find out. Elder Holloman taught Jake at Zach's house. Jake called Elder Holloman when he saw me at church that first Sunday and told him he had his eyes on me. Elder Holloman apparently replied, "We LOVE Sharlee!" (Do you like how I emphasized love for myself :)) Anyway. So Elder Holloman had called me to see if Jake could watch conference with me and my friends?!? Elder Holloman, the man I was supposed to marry, was trying to hook me up with the new convert. The new convert led me to meeting Zach. Crazy. I know.

2 Years Ago Today...My Life Changed Forever

1 Year Ago Today:

I am living back at home with my parents after living on my very own for a good ten months :)

My brother is still serving a mission.

I am loving couple hood.

I am not loving planning a wedding.

I am teaching 4th grade.

I have a ring on my finger.

I know now what it's like to kiss a man.

I know that love is as wonderful as I always hoped.

I will be married in one month and one day.

We have keys to our house.

We will spend this weekend cleaning our house and moving my stuff in.

I can't sleep at night. I can't wait to marry Zach. I am so worried something will happen to him.

I just need to be sealed to him.

Today:

I live in our home.

My brother is home.

I am teaching 4th grade.

I am sealed to my husband.

I am loving married life.

I find that marriage is so much better than I had ever imagined.

I know that you can truly love someone more and more every single day.

I know that it does not suck to wake up with someone in the morning. Which is something I feared for quite some time.

I am waiting for my husband to come through the door.

We have a dog.

We have a home.

We have traditions.

We have memories.

Life is beautiful.

I just need to say that life can change in an instant. For good or for bad. I am so grateful Zach changed mine. The more I look back on our meeting and our beginning...it is truly magical. How I love love. How I love how beautiful life is. How I love my Heavenly Father for blessing me so abundantly.