MFEO - Part III

We left off with Scott and me diligently magnifying our callings as Young Single Adult representatives; warmly encouraged by my aunt and uncle who were the YSA advisers. We started to have more and more activities. Sometimes as many as 5 a week. People thought we were so righteous,which of course we are. The trouble was, Scott and me could never really talk to each other because we felt like it was our responsibility to make sure everyone else was being included. We had a system down where I would call all the boys to tell them about an activity and Scott would call the girls. It worked. Attendance sky-rocketed.

One memorable activity happened a couple of weeks after Scott was called as a rep. We were going to be watching a movie at Scott's house the same night that I had been asked by neighbor of his to come and talk to them about Italy (they were planning a trip there). So I decided to walk to the couple's house, give my schpeal, and then go to the activity at Scott's place afterwards. Well my gushing about Italy ended sooner than I thought so I had the choice of either sitting on the curb with my photo albums for a half an hour or I could just show up early at Scott's house. I was feeling Italy in my blood so I opted for the aggressive move. Scott seemed surprised but honestly pleased that I was there and after I explained why I was early asked if I would show him my pictures. So for one glorious half an hour the two of us sat on the couch and talked about art and travel; well Scott mostly listened to me as I babbled but it gave way to some nice fantasies. I was so sad when other people started to come. Why do they always have to come to all the activities?!

That same evening I got a phone call from a guy in my Italian class who also happened to be the only other U of U student going on the semester abroad program, which was through BYU. He said that he and a buddy were in Kaysville and were wondering if they could stop by. Thinking that a couple of new boys would hopefully draw the other girls' attention away from Scott I told them to come join us. Scott has since told me how jealous this made him; oh if only I had known. During the movie I tried very hard to send clear messages to Scott that I was not interested in either of these boys by hardly talking to them, except to introduce them to every girl in the room, and by sitting on the floor by myself hoping Scott would join me. Alas, he was stuck on the couch by another girl. I remember who she was and where they were sitting; who's the jealous one now?

And that is sort of how the next month went. Scott and I would plan more and more activities just so we could see each other, completely oblivious to how the other one felt, but never being able to spend enough time with each other. The jealous feelings were mounting. I started having bitter thoughts towards every girl who dared talk to Scott let alone touched him (how dare they give him a high five!!!).

Towards the end of May we met together as a group at my house to roast marshmallows. It was a Wednesday night and Scott had work in the morning but the two of us and one clueless straggler stayed behind after everyone else left until past midnight (bless that straggler but oh did I want him to leave). But it was that same night when I was walking Scott out to his car (any chance to be alone) that he asked me if he could take me to dinner that Saturday. I tell you angels were singing.

P.S. This picture was taken just after we got engaged when Scott's family took us out to eat at Benihana's (I'm a vegetarian).

For the price of a cup of granola

Consider this a post script to the last posting. I realized yesterday that it may not be worth going out for a walk on days that are not so sunny. The story goes as follows: we were running out of granola. The Neuners love their granola and can't imagine life without it. Therefore weather-scoffing Rebekah decides to walk to the grocery store in order to buy needed ingredients for said granola. Her first mistake.

Then she brilliantly decides to lift weights before going and then not to wear warm enough clothing (it was snowing when we woke up) because she will enjoy the sunshine even if it gives her frostbite dangit. When she returns home with precious granola ingredients baby Eve goes down for what Rebekah knows will be a long nap. In another brilliant move by Rebekah, she decides to do some yoga before making the granola. In conclusion, I've been in bed all day trying to recover from yesterday; but don't worry, we have granola.

Enjoying the sunshine even if we get frostbite dangit!

Last week we enjoyed a rarity in our lovely January clad Seattle. For days on end we had blue skies and bright sunshine. Alleluia! Everyday I put Eve in 4 to 5 layers of clothing and we walked everywhere. The post office, Trader Joe's, the park, Trader Joe's again and just around the neighborhood trying to stay in the sun as much as possible. One of our favorite destinations was a swing set in an Arboretum close by. We would swing until Eve got hungry so I'd nurse her there at the park and then we'd swing some more. Of course I would have to thaw our poor frozen child in the bath/sink when we got home but looking at the snow falling this morning I'm so glad we went out as much as we did last week. Hip hip hooray for sunny days!

MFEO - Part II

I remember when Scott came home from his mission quite clearly. As is usual, he spoke in Church that Sunday after he got home. When the meeting was over a lot of people (including all the girls our age) rushed up to the front to congratulate and welcome him home. Not wanting to be "one of the girls" and not knowing him all that well anyway I refused to go up despite my Mother's encouragement. Plus, he was off to BYU and I was living at home while commuting to the U of U. But he came home for the weekend every once and a while (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother's Day) and I couldn't help myself by dressing with particular care on the Sunday's I knew he would be there.

As the semester was wrapping up in April (2005) Scott was planning on going to Seattle to sell home security systems and I was all signed up to go to Italy for the fall semester and then to be a volunteer for the Winter Olympics in Torino. I was even considering going early to teach English for the summer as some of my fellow classmates were doing. But I never felt very good about that so I was planning on continuing to live at home and working to save up monies for the upcoming Italian adventure. I had my airplane ticket (one-way mind you) and had already paid the initial fee. Scott signed the contract for the home securities job and immediately afterwards felt so strongly that it was the wrong thing to do that he got out of it and decided to move home for the summer and spend some time with the fam while working and saving some money. Both of us were looking forward to a dating-free summer; Scott had had some frustrating relationships at BYU and heck, I was going to Italy!

So Scott moves home one week before the U of U semester ends and me being the Young Single Adult leader decided that it was my duty to call and invite him to the Family Home Evening Activity that night. I would never have had the courage to call him had it not been for the excuse of "it's my Church calling." Scott, who had been sitting around playing the guitar wondering what he was going to do all summer, was excited and showed up in his red car. I of course happened to be wearing my cutest jeans and felt that it was my Church-bound duty to be extra friendly to the new guy. It turns out that only one other person showed up for the activity so, as I had a paper due the next day, we canceled FHE for the night. But initial contact (read "flirting") had been made.

The next week my finals were over and I was able to dedicate more time and energy to my suddenly demanding calling. The next week I texted Scott (texting was less nerve-wracking than calling) and some others to see if they wanted to go on a bike ride. However nobody but Scott and me could do it so...I remember it so clearly. He said, in his text of course, that they had a couple of old bikes in the garage that he could resurrect (I thought he was so funny, still do actually). So I show up, coincidentally in the same pair of jeans, to find him working on a couple of old purple Huffies. Soon we were off and we talked and talked. We asked each other all kinds of questions like what books we liked and what we wanted to do with our lives. It was great! I was surprised at how relaxed I was considering I was alone with 15-year-old crush Scott Neuner but I didn't even crash!

When we got back to Scott's house he asked me if I wanted to go get slurppies. Overjoyed to think he wanted to spend even more time with me I said that was a great idea so off we went in his red car. Scott bought the slurppies (he said I could get the bigger size if I wanted to) making it an official date. We then drove to a park by our houses and sat at a picnic table slurpping our slurppies and talking until it was dark. That Sunday he was called (by my Dad the Bishop mind you) to be the other Young Single Adult leader. I was excited to say the least but knew that we couldn't go on any more dates because we were now in a calling together and that would just be too weird. But we could have lots of planning meetings!

MFEO - Part I

I was 15 years old and in the height of my jock-ness. My family had lived in our house since I was 5 and when a big subdivision went in blocking our view of the Lake we were maybe a little bit disgruntled. Serves me right as Scott's family happened to be one of the first families. It was easy to recognize that Scott was by far the cutest guy in the ward*. I therefore proceeded to "by chance" ride my horse in the field behind his house for oh, a few months. That is until I realized that all the other girls in the ward had a crush on him as well. So I moved on and started our sophomore year running, literally. I played basketball and ran track and Scott was playing the trumpet in the Marching Band and Jazz Band. Needless to say, the two groups didn't mix much. Of course we still had Sunday School, mutual and Youth Conferences together but neither of us ever remember talking to each other other than a friendly "hi" in the halls. This continued all the way through high school. Scott remembers coming to our house for Church activities and interviews with my Dad (our Bishop at the time). I remember Scott playing the National Anthem at one of our basketball games but that's about it.

A year after we graduated we met up again, at the post office of all places. But it remains the earliest memory for both of us of any kind of interaction between us. In fact the memory is quite clear considering how common place it seemed at the time. I was mailing a box to Washington D.C. where I was moving to for the semester. Scott was preparing to go on a mission to Venezuela. The upshot of the conversation was "I think your a great person and am sure you will do amazing things. Good luck with your life!" Little did we know . . .

*An LDS Ward is a congregation of about 250 people. The Bishop is the lay leader of that congregation.

Since when have they been called "berries"?

Every week I pull out the ole' wheat grinder and make whole-wheat bread. Now that I can't mooch off my parent's food storage I order my wheat from a local natural foods store. I order 50 lbs every three months or so. Whenever I go to pick up my wheat (which they call wheat berries) I'm always asked what I use it for. "Wheat grass?" was the question I got this time. I guess Seattlites don't grind their own wheat much but apparently, no surprise, growing one's own wheat grass is a common practice.

The Dough