AMVIV

I am such a nice wife.

AMVIV- a Mini Cooper Rally in Las Vegas, NV (think: Sturgis, only for Mini Cooper owners) was happening the last week in March. Nick really wanted to go down with his Dad. The fact that I am 5 months pregnant, have a tireless 20 month old at home AND that the dates were March 25-28 (so, the weekend of my birthday) didn't deter me from giving Nick the "go ahead".

I honestly, wanted Nick to go have fun. And that he'd be near the True Religion Jeans outlet didn't hurt either. Nick caught on to my MANY hints about how much I'd love a new pair of True Religion Jeans, so that I could have some incentive to lose the baby weight postpartum. For my birthday, he presented me with TWO pairs of True Religion Jeans, and I can hardly wait until I fit in to them (some time in the fall- I'm sure).

Nick and his Dad both own Mini Coopers. I think they had a good time caravan-ing down to and around Las Vegas with other Mini owners.

I was a little jealous of the fact that Nick got to enjoy the sun(nier) climate of Vegas, and dinner one night at McCormick and Schmicks. But he works so hard and deserves some time off, so my grudge didn't stick for long.

But I still think I am such a nice wife.

It Takes a Long Time to Grow Young.

I'm through with my "20's", and eagerly looking forward to the next decade. Yes, I celebrated a birthday. The BIG three-oh.

Brooke and Lindsay=Double Trouble. San Diego, CA for my 24th Birthday.

I refer to my early 20's as "the blackout years", with good reason. I was young and dumb- and would love to forget some of the things I did. Every day I hope that my kids turn out smarter than me, and make better decisions than I did. There's nothing I can do about my actions during that time of life, so I do not plan on making a laundry list of regrets.

Instead, I just want to say that I look forward to the upcoming years! I feel good, I look good, I have a wonderful marriage, a wonderful child (soon to have two) and am living the life I always wanted.

Most of my past memorable birthdays happened in my childhood years. My parents did a good job on birthdays. Once you grow up I don't think things are as memorable, or maybe you have kids and you lose brain cells- so you don't remember as much?

The most recent birthday will not only go down in my personal history as the year I turned 30, but also as the birthday when I received a piano! Nick and I are going piano shopping and I cannot wait!

Just a trip down memory lane.... Other birthday year highlights consist of:

3rd Birthday: My Mom took me, Heather, and my cousin Julie to Chuck-E-Cheese. Us three kids shared a straw from 1 drink of soda and Julie ended up giving me and Heather Chicken Pox. Don't worry Julie, I forgive you. But hey! Let's make a playdate for Reagan and your little guy if Reagan comes down with the Chicken Pox, OK? Kidding.

Heather, Julie and Me. Obviously, we are not 3 years old in this picture, but it was the only one I had on hand, of all three of us together.

5th Birthday: I had a party that all of the neighborhood kids came to! I remember that my best friend Melanie gave me a HUGE pack of markers- they were so cool. And I was so cool. Having a party with hip party hats.

R-L: David C., Michael T., Melanie C., Heather I.-sister, Melinda I.-cousin (partial), Tiffany L. (partial), Me. (Kristy T. not shown, but was a guest too).

9th Birthday: My parents planned a surprise party for me, and I really was surprised! I think it was a sleepover? I thought it was so wonderful. Jaime Keddington's gift to me were some Newberry Award winning books. I still remember that one of them was the book: The Wish Giver. We ate Little Caesars pizza and it was so fun.

10th Birthday: My parents took me and a bunch of my friends to lunch at TGI Friday's (this was back when that restaurant was the coolest place to eat. Period). I remember that the servers tied 10 balloons to my pony tail. It made me feel so special. It was probably my most favorite birthday party.

12th Birthday: My parents bought me a Caboodles, and a lot of makeup. I was in pre-teen heaven.

15th Birthday: I got a party at 49th Street Galleria. I invited 4 friends. My Mom dropped us off, and gave me enough money to buy the 5 of us Ultimate Passports and Pizza for lunch. One of the friends ditched me as soon as I bought the Ultimate Passport for her and went off with her other group of friends who "just so happened to be there" at that day and time too (huh? What are the odds?) Ouch.

But Dawn, Brennan and Sam and I all had fun. I think Dawn and I rode the Gravitron 30+ times that day?

I'm the Mom now (which still seems strange to me, some days). But I can only hope to endeavor to make Reagan's birthdays as enjoyable, exciting and memorable as mine were.

For this birthday (and, now that I can finally eat again). Thanks to my Wonderful Mom for making me my most favorite dinner. Nothing says "Birthday Celebration" like my Mom's amazing cooking (when she throws her usual healthy ideas out the window and cooks things with real butter, of course).

Thanks to Nick for treating me to a night out. I will always enjoy date night with my main man!

Thanks to my in-laws for taking me to dinner! And to everyone else who did something nice or conveyed birthday wishes to me. Happy Birthday to me!

The Madness!

It goes without saying that yesterday was probably one of the most exciting & interesting days in the history of March Madness Basketball. Prior to marrying Nick I would have never blogged about basketball. But after being exposed to Nick's passion for Duke basketball for the past five years some of it has rubbed off. March Madness is Nick's favorite Holiday.

As I have learned, people either love Duke, or hate it. We're Duke lovers (and no, Haley I don't think Duke has connections to the mafia. If that were the case we'd know Coach K as "Peach Lipinski" and JJ Redick would have been "Jackie the Lackey" or some nonsense like that). They are just consistently that good because of strategic coaching and talented players.

Duke isn't the only team we cheer for. We also love our BYU Cougars and UW Huskies. So, yesterday was like an awesome bi-fecta in our house (and it goes without saying that Duke will do well tonight). I won't whine if some of the teams lose their next games, in fact it's to be expected. But I thought the latest events were worth mentioning.

I know each of these teams have "haters", but I think the negative comments just come because of sour grapes *cough- Tar Heel and Ute Fans-cough*. North Carolina fans: take heart, maybe they will come out on top in the NIT.

85% Sure.

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Although, it looks like the "Luck O' the Irish" isn't with the Scott's (my maiden name is: Imlay, and it's of Scottish derivative).


Anyway, Nick and I went in for my Dr. Appt. today and the little one seems to be set on being a girl. During the ultrasound my baby kept crossing HER legs (at least she is a lady), but when my doctor could catch a good glimpse she said she was pretty sure it's a girl. Although, we'll know for 100% when we go in next month for the big Measurement ultrasound.
The best news was that she looks healthy, all of my blood tests have come back showing she is healthy and she is a little "wiggler" (just like Reagan). Of course it was and has been aggravating when your unborn baby decides she wants to dance in the middle of the night, but it is also good for my piece of mind (ie- letting me know that she is OK in there).

I am happy that Reagan will be getting a little sister. And I am happy to be having another baby coming to our home. I was going through the Rubbermaid Bins that I separated Reagan's baby clothes in to, a few weeks ago and I had forgotten about some of the cute clothes we had. Not to mention a lot of the outfits that still have tags on them, because Reagan outgrew them before she could wear them! It got me excited at the prospect of having another girl. And even though I have a good existing wardrobe for this kid, you had better believe I am still going out to shop for some new things for her! And I am chomping at the bit to design a fun bedroom for my new little girlie (that probably won't be for another few years down the road, the nursery's yellow safari motif will work just fine for a newborn).

Speaking of decorating... this last week I got around to putting the finishing touches on Reagan's big-girl bedroom (the one we will be moving her in to in a few months). Nick put up wall ledges for me, and I put Butterfly stickers on the walls. It looks adorable!


And FINALLY: Is everyone else as stoked for March Madness as we are? We've proudly got the Duke University flag flying in front of our house. Go BLUE DEVILS!

The Good, The Bad, and the Downright Ugly!

The good: It only took 10 months and 2 days for us to get our New Home Buyer Credit! And we got our 2009 Tax Return too! I thought, for sure, that there had to be some mistake when I saw the amount we were getting on our Federal Tax Return; but after double-checking and spending a few nights worrying I realized that the government just went seriously overboard on tax credits this year and we were reaping the benefits. The tax return was direct deposited in to our account and we weren't audited, yay!
I know I am totally biased but my kid is BRILLIANT! Reagan can identify more than half of the letters in the alphabet already. She speaks in (short) sentences, and is starting to learn her colors! My only real worry (besides how to get the temper tantrums under control) is the disappearance of several of my Sharpie markers (I am positive Reagan has hidden them somewhere, and they are going to reappear with a vengeance someday) and the appearance of Rocks in the house. Reagan brings rocks inside all of the time, and I find them everywhere!
Other good news: Nick is doing well at his job with Walgreen's. And I cannot RAVE enough about the benefits of checking the Bargain Divas Blog (again, button/link is on the left hand side of my blog) on a daily basis. I feel almost guilty about all of the free stuff and amazing deals I have been snagging!


The Bad: I swear, that since the beginning of December not a day has passed that someone in our house hasn't been sick. Reagan has had the croup- TWICE, two ear infections, and numerous colds (that she and I seem to pass back and forth). All of us took a turn with the throw-up flu. But from what I read on other blogs... we are not the only household to be suffering from continuous sickness. I can only hope that spring is around the corner, and that the cold/flu season is coming to a close.

Also, we had to learn a $45 lesson this week. We were in need of a new laptop, and so we decided to purchase a Dell. When it arrived Nick was so happy to have a computer with speed, but I completely hated the Dell laptop. The ergonomics were terrible. I don't think I am technical retard, but I swear; that computer had me thinking four-letter-words when I was using it "why can't I get this P.O.S. to do what I want?!". Fortunately, my friend Spencer (who has saved us MANY times when it comes to computer problems) did yet another favor for us, and resurrected our dead laptop. We are sending the Dell back (it will cost us $45 in a re-stocking fee); and poor Nick will have to deal with the S-L-O-W laptop that we have for a while longer.


The Ugliest of the Redheaded Stepchildren: I don't tend to use my blog as a soapbox (for the most part, anyway). To vent, yes. But I try to refrain from posting my strong personal opinions. This will be a combo of venting and personal opinion. Some of you already know the "fun times" we have been experiencing for the past 3+ months with Nick's former employer. But for those of you who don't; let me just say that it will be a cold day in Hell before I ever step foot in an Associated Food Stores Grocery again.

Associated Food Stores purchased Albertson's/Savon back in November, and that is where the nightmare began. Communication by the new employer was nil. They cut employee benefits, and the health insurance choices were less than enticing. All of this, I could deal with. I know a lot of people are going through similar situations with their current employers because of the economy. The lack of communication killed me! No one on the AFS side contacted us to let us know that the 3 year employment contract Nick signed with Albertson's would not be honored by AFS.

Were things at their worst when three pay periods went by without us getting a paycheck, and it was during the pay-periods right before Christmas- to boot? Nope. Were things at their worst when it took us numerous phone calls to AFS trying to convince them that Nick had not been an employee for over TEN WEEKS (no one every bothered to initiate or process Nick's resignation paperwork)? Nope. Were things at their worst when they retro-actively cancelled our Health Insurance, but failed to send me the COBRA paperwork (Health Ins. is sort of a necessity at our house, considering that we have a pregnant lady and an Toddler that need to visit the doctor regularly. I think at one point I had over $7500 in doctors bills piling up on my counter!)? Nope. Were things at their worst when I was forced to contact the Federal Government offices in San Francisco, in charge of COBRA and file a complaint, because AFS employees had no desire to answer our phone calls in regard to COBRA, and they were not in compliance with the law (they have 41 days to send COBRA paperwork to you, and it took them nearly 70 days to get us ours!). Nope, still not the worst. Were things at their worst when I finally spoke to the AFS employee in charge of COBRA and she had the audacity to insult my husband (I don't know about you, but it is ten times worse to have people say unflattering things about someone you love, than to say something awful about you.) She was so unprofessional. But, Nope- this wasn't the worst. Although, I had been pushed WAY past my limit.
Were things at their worst when I personally tracked down the phone number for the President of Associated Food Stores and put a call in to him. I unloaded all of my complaints. Too bad he came off as genuinely concerned, but in reality was only paying me "lip-service", and pawned me off on someone else. Yes. That was probably the worst point of this whole ordeal. That, and the fact that the last few paragraphs have only been the abridged version of what happened.
To say that I have NO love for AFS in an understatement.
All of my friends and family that reside outside the state of UT are already doing me a favor, because they won't be shopping at an Associated Food Store (AFS is a UT-based and operated company only).
For my part, as I have already said, I won't be patronizing any AFS establishment EVER again. In my opinion, AFS's are inferior to any other Grocery store in UT (yes, even WalMart. And for me, that is saying ALOT)- and their pharmacies are even more so.
I can't say that I will "cut off" anyone I know that shops at an AFS (the other day my own MOTHER mentioned that she went to Bowman's, and all I could do was cringe), but I would urge people to think twice before they spend their money at an AFS establishment. Also, please don't tell me if you do shop there- it would only get me riled up. Honestly though, who really wants to shop at a place that employs incompetent, rude people? Not me.

And consider yourself "Thanked" by me, if you do chose to pick up your groceries and prescriptions elsewhere :)

What we have been up to otherwise.

While I have spent a week on my "lovefest-posts" real life has continued. Although, I was able to indulge in the romance for a little longer, while Nick and I officially celebrated our anniversary.

Nick had to work every day this weekend, but we managed to fit some "alone time" in. However, there was also some not-so-alone time. On Friday (the actual day of our anniversary) I made Nick the most amazing Peanut Butter & Banana Cupcakes. Nick came home from work with roses for me.


We decided to do a low-key dinner and went to BC Chicken and Ribs. This meal marked the biggest temper-tantrum Reagan has ever thrown. Thanks for making it so memorable, Reagan (total sarcasm). I made the mistake of giving Nick a quarter, so that Reagan could get some M&M's out of the candy machine, while we waited for our meal. She ate all of the M&M's and when I told her that she couldn't have any more she threw herself on the floor and proceeded to scream like we were torturing her. Nick picked her up in an attempt to calm her down. Instead, she started picking up the food off of Nick's plate and throwing it on the ground. A very embarrassed and patience-free Mommy got to-go boxes and we left the restaurant as quickly as possible.
The tantrum pretty much went on for the rest of the night. The tiniest thing would set her off. We put her in "time-out" in her crib for 3 minute increments, but they didn't seem to do much of anything. Argh! I thought we wouldn't have to deal with the terrible-two's until Reagan was, say, 2 years old? Do any seasoned parents out there have suggestions?

Needless to say, I was terrified at the thought of leaving a little monster overnight with my Brother and his wife. But the next day Reagan was back to acting like her normal self, and ended up being very well behaved for Brian and Jenny (sigh of relief!). Nick got home from work on Saturday afternoon and we started our anniversary activities by eating at Bambara. I LOVE this restaurant! We stayed overnight at the Grand America Hotel which is lovely. We rented The Blindside which was a great movie. And we had Sunday brunch at the Garden Cafe in the Grand America. Perfection at it's utmost.

Earlier in the week.... We met Heather & her boys at the park. It was freezing cold. We tried to feed the ducks, but they must have been well-fed already because they weren't too interested in the bread we brought.


Reagan had a phenomenal time on the slide. She only needed assistance a few times, and then she turned in to a pro and was able to get up and go down completely by herself. Nick and I realized we need to invest in a swingset for our backyard; sooner, rather than later.


One of the days Heather came over for lunch. Lance is the person Reagan most enjoys playing with. When Heather was going to leave we were looking for Lance. He seemed to have completely disappeared in a matter of seconds. Heather called his name, and we heard a laugh from the Animal Barn/Tent. The kid had managed to squeeze himself inside!


The only way to describe handsome baby Grant is to say that he is a "mover and a shaker". The kid was more mobile at 6 months than Reagan was at 10 months. I'm totally biased, but I think I have the cutest nephews imaginable!


Last week, on Thursday; we had a terrific Rainstorm. Nick took Reagan outside to get the mail. When they hadn't come back for several minutes I looked out the window and discovered that Reagan was running back and forth in the overflowing gutters. And having the time of her life! The water was not warm, by any means. Reagan LOVES water. Nick and I both agree that since she was born in Seattle (a landlocked city with water on both sides, and a place famous for copious amounts of rain) water is in her blood. Anyway, Reagan would have stayed outside in the rain all night, if she had her way. By the time Nick managed to drag her back in to the house (once again a temper-tantrum ensued) Reagan was soaked to the bone! But all she wanted to do was go back outside in to the cold and wet! Of course we didn't let her. It is just amazing to me that she has such a love for water. And we have such a love for her (temper-tantrums and all!).

Happy Anniversary!

Nick and I have been "Team Scheurer" for five years today!
We were married on March 5, 2005 in the Bountiful, UT LDS Temple.


The morning of our wedding, I arrived with my parents. Nick's parent's were already there. But where was Nick? The next 10 minutes were an eternity! Granted, I arrived early. But was I the only excited/anticipating person here?! How dare Nick be on time, rather than early for his wedding!


And the next thing I knew... we were married!


We went outside to take pictures. It was so wonderful to be surrounded by our supportive families!


Nick and I didn't have a formal reception. My own opinion is that Mormon receptions are pretty boring. I didn't see the sense in having one. Also, the fact that my Dad had been putting the thought in to my head (since I was a little girl) that I didn't need a reception helped contribute to this decision. I don't regret it for a second. Not having a formal reception was the second smartest thing I have ever done. The first: marrying Nick.


Sidenote: Prior to getting married my Dad would throw out the funniest ideas for receptions. Some of them included: getting married in the winter, and having a snow-cone bar. You could just give people a snow-cone cup, have them scoop up some of the outside snow, and then pour some syrup on it. That would have been cost effective.
For Heather's wedding he suggested that we make different "stations" at spots in the Cul-De-Sac where my parent's now live, and we could have a "drive-thru" reception. People could drive their cars to the first station and sign the guest book (through their car window). Then they could drive a little farther in to the circle and drop off a gift. At the next station they could be handed a piece of cake. And finally, they could wave and send warm wishes to the married couple that is standing at the end of the drive. I think the reason this is so funny is because it is really what like typical Mormon receptions are like, minus the cars.


No wedding day is complete without some sort of drama.
Nick and I were blissfully having our pictures taken while the rest of our family had an hour to kill before the luncheon.
Nick's parents and my parents decided to go to the Country Inn and Suites where the luncheon was going to be held ahead of everyone else to make sure that things were set up.
When they arrived the employees at the Country Inn and Suites were surprised to see them! Apparently, the event planner at the Country Inn and Suites had parted ways with the company the day before. The parting had not been friendly, and to spite the company the former event planner had deleted her entire event calendar. So, the Country Inn and Suites had no idea about what events they had coming up! They had nothing. Lucky me, I got to be the first "casualty".


Famous Dave's was catering our wedding. The caterer's showed up at the same time our parents did. Everyone was so wonderful. They all wanted to make sure that my wedding day went well. From what I hear, everyone pitched in putting up the tables and arranging the banquet room. The linens for the tables had been laundered, but some of them had not bleached or ironed. They put them on the tables and then Nick's Mom strategically seated Nick's Aunt's at spots where there were stains on the linens, so that no one would notice! :)
Country Inn and Suites was supposed to take care of the beverages at the event, but since they didn't know we were coming they had not purchased the soda's. The AMAZING employees at Famous Dave's stepped in and wrangled up some water pitchers. They served ice water, and it wasn't even part of their job.


Nick and I arrived after all of our family and close friends. When we entered the hotel the manager met us. She gave me a dozen long stem roses, and gave us two bottles of sparking cider. She then proceeded to tell us that we could have the honeymoon suite in the Hotel that night, for free, if we wanted it.
Nick and I knew nothing of the mishap with the event calendar. So, we were a bit puzzled at the managers behavior. I just thought they were being really nice to a newly married couple.
We didn't accept the free room, because Nick had already booked the wedding package at the Little America for that night.
We went through the entire lunch without having a clue that anything had gone amiss. It wasn't until afterward that Nick's Mom told us what had happened.
It was all wonderful. From the food: (you can't beat Famous Dave's BBQ! And my sister made all of the cupcakes for dessert. Red velvet, with white chocolate roses on the top!), to the ambiance made pleasant by being surrounded by people who genuinely cared about us and wanted us to be happy. My Mom used one of her many talents to make my day special and hand-crafted all of the flower arrangements at my wedding. She made the boutonnieres that the Groom and immediate family members wore, and she made my bouquet (picture above). It was ideal!


Everyone was so generous to us. We were blessed to start our married life the way we did. One of my parent's gifts to us were two tickets anywhere in the continental U.S. to use for our honeymoon. My Uncle Scott and Aunt Vickie gave us the gift of staying at their beach-front condo in San Diego as a wedding gift. Nick and I waited to go on our honeymoon. We got married the first weekend in March, but went to San Diego in May (when the weather was a little warmer).
How wonderful it is to have a companion like Nick.


Five years down. Eternity to go.

Uncontrolable Laughter

Nick and I had been "joined at the hip" during every one of our free moments for the past 4+ months (starting in July 2004). We had talked about getting married. And I had an inkling that he was in the process of procuring a ring. We never went ring shopping together. I gave Nick an idea of the type of ring I wanted, and then I trusted that he would get something beautiful. He did.


On a very rainy day in November I went to work, like usual. I was working for Zions Bank at the Broadway building in downtown Salt Lake City.
After my lunch hour I got a call from Nick saying that he wanted to take me to a nice dinner at Bambara that night.
And BOOM- I KNEW that Nick was going to propose that night. I went in to over-drive. I called and booked an appointment at the salon across the street to get a blow-out (because no girl in her right mind wants to be proposed to without having her hair look fabulous!). And purchased a new blouse at Macy's.


I met up with Nick, and he told me that he had bad news. He said that he had gone to pick up the ring and that the jewelers had messed up on it; so it wouldn't be done for another week.
To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
Nick suggested that we still keep our reservation at Bambara. I told him that I didn't see the point, since we had nothing to celebrate?. He said that it would make me feel better if we went to dinner there. He was right too, the duck at Bambara would make anyone feel better. Delicious!
So, we went to dinner. The whole entire time I was still holding out a little hope that maybe Nick might still propose.
But dinner passed rather uneventfully.
The walk back to the car.... Still nothing.
When we got to the car Nick said that he had picked up some treats (from the now defunct, and my former favorite bakery) Bakers D' Normandie. And asked if I wanted to go somewhere to eat the dessert. I suggested that we just go back to his house. But Nick said that he didn't feel like going home, and that we could just take a drive and find somewhere to park and eat them.


Once again, my hopes got up and I was CERTAIN that the ring was in the pastry box along with the treats from Bakers D'Normandie!
I was full of anticipation on the drive . Nick drove us to a spot that overlooks the entire Salt Lake Valley. Oh yeah, he was totally going to propose.
He slowly opened the pastry box, AND..... NOTHING! Just desserts!
My excited feeling was completely deflated. I realized that the jeweler really had messed up on the ring and that I was going to have to wait an eternity (or at least another week) to get proposed to. At that point I started raving about the incompetence of the jeweler. Did they know that they ruined my life?!
Nick tried to console me, and made attempts to stem the four-letter-words that were spewing from my mouth in regard to "those morons that worked at the jewelry store".


We finished the pastries. (Why, oh why??? did Bakers D'Normandie have to go out of business?)
Nick went to start his car so that we could leave, but his car wouldn't start. This didn't raise any "red flags" for me, because earlier in the week his car had been having trouble. Nick got out of the car and lifted the hood to take a look.
I was sitting in the car trying to keep my body warm, and my freshly done hair out of the damp. Nick said. "Brooke can you come out here and help me?"
I thought, "What do I know about cars? How can I help him?".

I got out of the car and joined Nick. He gave me a rundown of the problem and he said, "Well, I guess there is only one thing left to do".
I was thinking, "OK, I'll go get my cell phone so that we can call for help". I started to turn around to get back int he car, but the glint of a diamond reflecting off of the headlights and Nick down on one knee caught my attention REAL fast!
I faced Nick and he asked me to marry him!

Here was the moment I had been dreaming of, and all I could do was burst in to laughter! I couldn't believe that Nick had managed to keep up the ruse all night. He had done such a good job of fooling me. I was so full of emotion, and it just came out in the form of laughter.


Nick exaggerates (in his dramatic fashion) his version of what happened and says that I left him on his knee waiting for an answer for a good 20 minutes.
After my " laughing fit" subsided I managed to give Nick a sincere "yes" in response to his question. I was thrilled at the prospect of being his wife.
What a memorable proposal story! Thank you, to my wonderful husband for making the moment one that was entertaining and romantic at the same time!

Next up.... Our Wedding Day!

This is dedicated to the one I love.

In the past Nick has given me grief about writing posts focusing on people other than those in our immediate family (ie- my sister, my blogging friends).

So, in recognition of our upcoming five years of marriage I thought I'd write about "our story".

Nick and I first met (??? or at least, became aware of each other) in Mr. Beazer's Algebra class at Brockbank Jr. High School.

At Cyprus High School Nick and I had the same "circle of friends". Of the dances we went to, 90% of the time we were in the same group, although we never went to a dance (or on a date, for that matter) together. Nick was super-brilliant (I think he was one of the 4 people at our high school that passed the AP history test. However, I held my own on the AP English tests- I think Jill was the only one who scored higher than me). Anyway, Nick was smart, but his smarts weren't always directed toward good intentions. Nick was totally mischievous, but because he was so smart he always got away with his pranks. There are too many to list.

Throughout High School Nick always ranked in the "Top Ten People" I had a crush on (yes, Top Ten People lists, or TTP's were real things. Everyone had the list, and if memory serves me correctly: Nick is the one who started this fad?).

Senior year, I distinctly remember that Nick said the following things to me: #1 he would always tell me that I was the "meanest of the nice people." & #2 that "I would be the first person married out of our group of friends".

The 1st prediction may still be true? I'd like to think that Nick has mellowed me a bit. The latter.... Well, he was WAAAAY off. I still laugh when I think about what Nick's reaction would have been at 17, if someone would have told him that he was going to marry me! Nick and I were pretty much the last ones from our group of friends to get married.

FF a few years. Nick went on an LDS mission to Ecuador. I graduated with my bachelor's degree.

Those of us, from High School, that weren't yet married in our early 20's would still get together on the weekends to hang out. I always made sure that Nick was invited. By this point, Nick had every intention of attending Pharmacy School. In my book, Nick was Mr. Perfect.

I distinctly remember talking to one of our girl friends that Nick wanted to date, and thinking she was crazy because she wasn't interested in him. I listed off all of Nick's amazing qualities to her. I had thought it through, and I knew that Nick was a catch. Thank goodness the girl never agreed with me!

I also recall one evening when I was on the phone with Jill, and I told her that I would do anything to date Nick Scheurer. This incident happened a year before Nick and I ever even started dating.

Also, there was the time that I had a boyfriend. My friend Charise and I were going to go see a movie- of course I called Nick to come along too. Charise cancelled at the last minute. When I told my bf that I was going to a movie alone with Nick he wasn't too happy and didn't want me to go. I was hoping that something would happen with Nick, so I broke up with the guy over the phone on the way to the movie. Much to my disappointment nothing happened with Nick that time. Oh well, guess I didn't like the ex-bf that much anyway. Obviously.

My 25th birthday was looming... My attitude was such that I figured since I wasn't married I might as well do something else with my life, so I started an MBA program.

One Saturday night, right before the semester started I had settled down to watch a new DVD I had just purchased. I didn't want to watch it alone and I remember my exact thought. "I am going to call Nick to see if he wants to come up to watch this movie with me. But if he says no, this is the last attempt I am going to make with him". I called his house, and was told that he was still at work, and wouldn't be home for 2 hours.

I watched 13 Going on 30 by myself. At the end of the movie, I realized Nick would be home from work, so I called his house again. He totally shocked me, by agreeing to come up and watch the movie! We watched 13 Going on 30 again, and I pretended like it was my first viewing.

To this day, I don't know what possessed Nick to say yes to my invitation, but I am so glad he did.

After that night we were with each other constantly. I still tease Nick that it took him 5 dates to kiss me! That was July 2004.

MBA school only lasted one semester, for me. ha ha. My priority shifted DRAMATICALLY. School no longer received all of my attention.

Four months later, in November 2004... Nick and I had decided that we were the "ones for each other".

Next up... our funny/romantic/endearing engagement story.