My love story

It's strange to me that so many people who know me and know my husband don't know how we met or even how he proposed. So since we just passed our five year wedding anniversary and we are coming up on our 8 year dating anniversary I thought what better time then the present.

To first figure us out you have to know a little of how we were before we met. Hammy (my husband) dated quite a bit and had even been engaged once before he met me but he had been single for a while before we met. I on the other hand had always sworn I would never marry and pretty much just figured I'd spend my life surrounded by my family and my many guy friends. I had plenty of opportunity to date and was pretty constantly teased about being "too picky" or "heartless" or "emotionally detached" and to tell you the truth I probably was at least a little bit. I didn't care what guy liked me unless they were Nick Carter I wasn't interested. Most of that however is because I have always been fiercely independent and I always wanted to fall in love with who I was before I felt I could truly love and be loved. 

So around 3 months before I met Hammy I had decided to dip my toe in the water of the dating pool. Well that resulted in a very misguided moment or two with one of my guy friends and then me meeting a guy who I was very attracted to physically but after about a month of dating I found out that he had a girlfriend. I wasn't heartbroken because I was never very attached to him. He broke up with his girlfriend and we dated off and on until I met my Hammy.  See the guy before my husband didn't treat me very well and to be honest I didn't treat him great either. we just weren't meant to be. But since he had initially met online and I had given him a chance, then on November 20th 2006. when my now husband messaged me online I was open to meeting him because he seemed sweet and really he couldn't be much worse then the last guy. 

So he picked me up at my house and took me to a movie. It was a James Bond movie and I'm not really a 007 kind of girl but it was fun none the less. Then after the movie we grabbed a meal at Wendys and chatted. To be honest he was super shy really quiet and hard to get to open up. Then when he finally did start talking it was all about how many times he had been in car accidents. Not the best topic for the girl who he still has to drive home and who had been in 5 accidents in 3 years all of which I was a passenger. Oy it appeared to not be going well. But he took me home as I was leaving for my job in Salem that night he asked for a hug and  my number and that was that. I thought well not the best but not the worst date ever.

First adorable thing he did was to call me from the bottom of our hill just to make sure I hadn't given him a fake number. Then within the next couple of days he went to the Beavers/Ducks Civil War game. Which is huge in my world as I am and always will be a lifelong beavers fan. I was so jealous that he had tickets. But I stayed home and watched the game. That was an amazing game. Super close and if I remember correctly it was ended by a blocked field goal attempt right at the end. Now at the time I lived in Corvallis which is Beaver Nation. So the fans rushed the field and I said wow Luke is so lucky to be there right now. then 2 seconds later the phone rang and it was him just calling me while rushing the field to make sure i had seen it. That was the second point in his favor. It was so sweet that at such an amazing time he thought of me and wished I could have been there to see it!

Then for a while he went down to his mothers house which was about a 2-3 hour drive away. We talked on the phone or online everyday. and he was so sweet. So when he came back we went on our second date. This was the clincher for both of us. It was a great date. We saw another movie and then we took a nice long walk around town talking. We eventually came upon some carolers and it was snowing so we stopped to dance. I couldn't quit looking at his amazing blue eyes. He was already so sweet and treated me like a queen. We both think that's the day we started to fall for each other.

So after a little while of dating and hearing all of the stories about how scared he was to introduce me to his mom because she hadn't been a fan of any of his exes. It was time to meet his mom. I was so nervous which I think is normal but it didn't help that he kept saying oh I hope she likes you and it would do a lot for my mom and my relationship if you to got along. (Thanks for the pressure Luke) But we had dinner with her and she was and is still to this day one of the most amazing people I've ever met. She's one of those super humans who is amazing at everything and not at all boastful about it. Then that night she called him to tell him how much she liked me! I kept thinking everything is so perfect how can it be going so well for me. I mean this was my first try at a real relationship. Nobody knocks it out of the park on the first try.

But he just kept getting more wonderful. We started a tradition where once a week we got Dutch Bros coffee and went to bible study together. Which was important for me because I wanted God to be a part of our relationship. We spent new years together. Everything was great. I eventually met the rest of his family. and  we were an item. Then one day while holding hands he kept playing with my ring finger on my left hand and I asked what he was doing. He said just thinking about the day that I get to put a ring there. Now mind you I have a horrible fear of commitment and we had been dating 3 months. I said yeah but I'm a tad freaked out by commitment. He said Okay I'll just ask you everyday until the answer becomes a yes! and that he did. For 9 months until our one year dating anniversary he said at least once a day< "hey will you marry me?" and the answer slowly morphed from maybe someday, to yeah probably eventually, to yes someday I will. So on our one year anniversary he said you keep saying yes eventually well doesn't that mean yes? I said yeah I guess it does. So exactly one year after we met we got engaged.

His main hurdles were. my Mom, My brothers and My Gramps. He passed those tests with flying colors. He's a bit of a geek so my older brother likes him. He likes to put in a hard days work so my little brother likes him and my mom just loved the way he treats me and his beautiful eyes and lips. When I finally took him to Salem to meet my Gramps I was super nervous about if Gramps would like him. Then not long after we left I got a call from my aunt saying that Gramps wouldn't quit talking about how much he liked him and that he looked at me like I was the most valuable thing on earth. So he passed the Gramps test too! My aunts and cousins were quick to adjust. They're main comment has been that he just feels like one of the family.

I made him wait a long time to get married. Not because of doubts but more because I had never thought of my own wedding before and I needed a lot of help planning from those who had (My Mom, Aunts, and Best Friend!) But we made it!! We had a beautiful beach wedding over 5 years ago. It's so strange because some days it feels like we haven't been

married that long and others it feels like it's been forever. IN a good way of course like I just can't imagine my life without him. So that it the quicky version of my love story. I hope I didn't leave anything out! BYE!

But we're where the chick and the duck live.

Big points if you know where I got the title of this blog from. So because I'm spoiled (can't help it blame my family) My husband got me chicks and ducks. So here's how it all started. I saw an ad on craigslist for 2 adult male Muscovy ducks. In case you don't know that is my favorite breed of duck because they are so sweet they are super quiet because they don't quack they mostly just hiss and wag their tails. Anyway the lady who had them wanted a home for them where they wouldn't be eaten. (Muscovy's are typically raised for meat) So I of course don't eat duck and love them as friends not food. So we began corresponding and making plans. Then she said she had a friend with an adult female Muscovy duck who needed a home. I said sure of course we have 400 acres a river and tons of streams it's like ducky paradise out here. Then she asked if I wanted ducklings and I said sure I'll take a couple of babies. and it spiraled. We now have 9 babies and 3 adults. (I have a very patient husband.) So we brought them home introduced them to the dogs and cats who are all miraculously in love with them. The cats continue to hunt everything else while protecting the ducks! Sasha our lab mix is madly in love with ducks! So we successfully have many little feathered friends.

Now as most people know we are cattle farmers so unfortunately we frequent feed stores. Me being the princess that I am I have very little interest in feed stores. My husband tries desperately to get me to buy some boots and camo. Silly boy. So he always makes me go with because he is holding out hope that some day I'll become less princess and more cowgirl. (Not gonna happen) So we went in to get cattle wormer and there right by the door were six containers of little tiny chicks. OMG. Now another thing you should know is I have a huge fear of chickens. I have never been a bird person unless they are aquatic birds. But really who hates chicks? I mean they are living cotton balls. So I fell in love but they only had meat chicks which we were told run the risk of getting so big they break their own legs if kept longer then 8 weeks. So it looked like I would yet again admire but not be able to leave with a chick. Just when all hope was almost lost the lady said but I'm getting in a bunch of Layers tomorrow. So if you want chickens for eggs come back tomorrow. My poor husband he can't say no to me and he loves farm fresh eggs so what could he do?

So we agreed we would get 4 female chicks the following day. So we went in and he walked to the back to use the restroom and I just stood there falling in love and pondering which ones to get. Oh the options. So I told the lady I would take 2 Banded Rock chicks and 2 Rhode Island Reds. that was that I grabbed my 50lb bag of feed and I was ready to go as soon as hubby came out of the bathroom. But then I had to wait too long and four just didn't feel like the right number and I have O.C.D. so I'm weird about numbers. I mean who gets four chicks? You get three or five not four. and I certainly wasn't putting one back I mean imagine the life story of that chick. I was on my way to Chicken and Duck paradise but then this heartless women decided she didn't want me because four wasn't a magical enough number. I can't play the villain in any chickens story. So we had to get one more and the Jersey Giants are so cute and their card said nothing but good things about them so........ Oh crap here comes hubby ummmm think think think. So the pouty lip came out I gave him a big hug like he had been at war instead of in the mens room. and in my sweetest voice I said Hammy..... I got 2 Rhody's and 2 Banded Rocks but the Jersey Giants are so cute. My husband hadn't caught on yet and said so switch some out. Oh silly boy he hadn't thought through the poor chicken life story. So I said but can't I get just one of the Jersey's? He said how many chickens do I have to buy before we leave here? I said just five! and grinned and ran to pick out my newest feathered friend.

So that is how, "Hey honey, can I have 2 ducks again" turned into, "Thanks so much for my 17 feathered friends!" They truly are a blessing and the chicks remind me everyday of God's glory watching their instincts tell them how to survive and groom and knock on their giant aquarium in between chirps to try to tell me to hold them. It's so amazing how they just know how to be their perfect little selves! I wish we were all so lucky! So prepare to be bombarded with adorable pics and stories! and if you have time pray and thank God for all the little creatures in life and then maybe throw in a prayer for my husband's sanity! <3

Trying new things

So I am a city girl. In my family I am the princess. I love comfort. I LOVE the internet and books on my phone. I love sitting at home and watching Dance Moms. So last Wednesday I took a huge step for me. I went camping 5 hours from home in the desert. I did this because I have been with my wonderful husband for almost 7 years. In this time I have been asked every year to go with him to the spot where his family fishes every year. However they always go memorial weekend which just so happens to be my birthday weekend most of the time. So being the pampered city girl princess that I am I have passed on the opportunity every time. Last year I planned to go I got time off from work and then my father had a heart attack and a quintuple bypass surgery. So I stayed home. Well this year I agreed to go for their second trip in the year. Which was September 18th. I was excited but also a little nervous about rattlesnakes and also how my asthma and allergies would be. Everyone said that my asthma may be worse at the higher altitude but my allergies should be better since there is much less plant life. So we went. I was so excited I made sure to pack my inhalers and epi pen and all the things I might need. I didn't however bring my CPAP machine. So we got to the spot and it was so different from any place I had ever been to. But so beautiful. I had my seizure dog and she was by my side the whole time. I was loving it. We fished and although I kept getting fish stealing my bait and never landing one. I had so much fun. My husbands aunts gave me tips and even let me reel in some that they hooked. I was so glad I let go of my fears and went. I ended up being there 3 days instead of 5 because of the fact that my throat swelled about half way shut, my nose never stopped bleeding because of the altitude, I couldn't sleep without my CPAP. But to spite all that and having to leave early, I had so much fun. I saw so many new sights. I spent some wonderful quality time with my husbands aunts. I got the dog out of the house and taking the lab mix by water was a very good thing. In short almost everything I worried about going wrong did. But I wouldn't change a second of it! I will always be open to trying new things and I'm hoping to go back next year but I'll bring my CPAP and allergy meds! Have fun and just say yes sometimes. You never know what wonderful things could happen!