happy birthday chris!!

at a ripe old age of 27 years, he's still lookin good. ;)

christopher actually happens to be away on business in west virginia until may 6th. therefore, in order to celebrate, the family had a teeny little party for him last week before he left.  here are some of the highlights:

 choco cake and presents...

mom: "the blue candles are worth ten". 

drinking milk after cake. jeeez....

here's to many more birthdays to come. i love you honey!

survey says.

chris and i attempt a couples survey. thank goodness the US census isn't open to interpretation.

How long have you been together?
-chris: "i don't know, 3 years or something?"
  noel: "no, we didn't even meet until, like, april of 2008. that would make two years."
  chris: "so ok. 2 years then. feels long enough."

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
-chris: "like, two months"
  noel: "more like, six months"
  chris: "no. more like two weeks. should have been two weeks. i knew you wanted me."
  noel: "oh brother."

Who asked who out?
-chris: "that would definitely be me"

Whose siblings do you see the most?
-noel: "mine. there is no contest here"

Do you have any children together?
-noel: "no way, not yet."

What about pets?
-chris: "uuuummmm, we have a lot of plants"
  noel: "no we don't have pets"

Who is the most sensitive?
-chris: "uh.... i think that would be you... although i'm not sure."

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
-chris: "probably the medeterannio if you look at all the times we've ever gone out".
  noel: "are you sure it's not rubios or submarina?"
  chris: "it's becoming more often i guess."

Where is the furthest you have ever traveled as a couple?
-chris: "um... uh... to my parents. probably. that's gotta be it"
  noel: "yeah, that was a lot of miles of travel in a car together"

Who has the worst temper?
-chris: "i'm pretty sure that's you, because i really don't have a temper"
 noel: "ha. don't stereotype me because i'm italian and irish."

Who does the cooking?
-chris: "that would be you"
 noel: "well of course."

Who is more social?
-noel: "not me. so that would mean that you are by default. you little social butterfly you."
 chris: "oh yeah?..... hmm...."

Who is the most stubborn?
-chris: "eh... i think i might be a little bit more stubborn that you"
 noel: "yeah, i suppose you're right"

Who hogs the bed?
-chris: "uhh, that would be me."
 noel: "yup. i absolutely agree."

Who wakes up earlier?
-chris: "me"
 noel: "what?!"
 chris: "what. i do"
 noel: "i don't think so."
 chris: "oh yeah? what time did you get up this morning hm?"
 noel: "this morning? on my only day off? my only day to sleep in?"
 chris: "ok fine. what about yesterday?"
 noel: "i woke up 15 minutes before you did."
 chris: "you did not."
 noel: "as if you would have known. you were still sleeping"
 chris: "whatever."

Where was your first date?
-chris: "uhhh... when was our first date?"
 noel: "i really don't know. when did we really start dating?"
 chris: "i don't know... did we go to panda machi or something? but i don't know if i would call that a date..."
 noel: "how about we go with 'i don't know' on this one then"


Does she get flowers often?
-chris: "haha. you used to!"
 noel: "i know. back before i started dating you. funny how that changed..."
 chris: "what about those flowers over there?" gesturing to the potted orchids on the table
 noel: "whose idea was that?"
 chris: "well, i said they looked nice... well. you got flowers. so there!"

Who eats more?
-chris: "uh, that would definitely be me. that would be weird if the girl ate more. i guess. i mean, kinda..."
 noel: "yeah, well, i would hope it would be the dude. i think there'd be a problem if i started eating more than you do."

Who sings better?
-chris: "that would be you for sure. i don't think there is any doubt about that... except i have beat you like, a few times at that karioke xbox game. don't you forget it!"
 noel: "psh. that stupid xbox game."

Who does the laundry?
-noel: "i would say that i do it 90% of the time."
 chris: "whaaaaat. no, i did laundry last week."
 noel: "oh ok. so... how much would you say you've done it since we got married?"
 chris: "uh....ok fine. well if you get that then i get dishes."
 noel: "ok, so how often would you say you do dishes?"
 chris: "like... 50% of the time"
 noel: "haaa. ok. so apparently that means you do them 'all the time'?"
chris: "yes."

Who is better with the computer?
-noel: "i'll say you're better with the computer honey. i don't really even think there is any comparison"
 chris: "yeah... i'm handy with computers."

Who drives when you are together?
-chris: "it's like, 50/50."
  noel: "yeah, pretty much. who decides who's drivin though?"
  chris: "eehhh... probably me"

Who picks where you go to dinner?
-chris: "....me"
  noel: "mmhm. see how compliant i am, doing everything you feel like doing?"
  chris: "ha. yeah right."

Who is the first one to admit when they are wrong?
-chris: "probably me."
  noel: "really.....? are you sure about that?"
  chris: "ha, yeah. i'm just never wrong so i never have to admit it"

Who wears the pants in the relationship?
-chris: "i think i wear my pants".
 noel: "ok. so what does that mean chris?"
 chris: "pshhhhhh.... oh i don't know it's just a figure of speech. i don't think anyone knows."
 noel: "ah. ok then."

Who eats more sweets?
-chris: "i think you like your sweets."
 noel: "you know, you'd like to lead me to believe that, but i've been watching you lately mister."
 chris: "ha. what're you talkin about."
 noel: "you like your cookies and your chocolate and your donuts at work"
 chris (distracted): "i definitely like my cookies......."

Who cries more?
-chris: "i would... say that's you."
  noel: "ok. you sure it's not you?"
 chris: "no, it's definiely not me"

What's your best day together?
-noel: "probably sunday."
 chris: "psh. it's our only day together".

Favorite TV show to watch together?
-chris: "either dexter or the office"
noel: "well we dont really watch dexter anymore..."
chris: "well that's because you decided you didn't like dexter anymore"
noel: "well... i do... he just... stresses me out..."

What couple would you imagine growing old like?
chris: "like ummm.... wilford brimley. and his wife"
noel: "what! that is the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard you say."
chris: "hahaha! we're going to die of beetus"

"hmmmmm...."

.

oh married life...

the whole blissful month and a half of it. i think we've finally gotten settled down. it's been pretty exciting though... here are some of the highlights:

1. chris and i had time for a "honeymoon" two weeks after we got married... and instead of taking a vacation we ran errands the whole time. since we rarely have days off together we decided to use that time to do the important stuff- the bank, the insurance office, etc- and take a real honeymoon later.

2. chris's dad visited us for valentine's day! he was in town and stopped by to spend the night on the way back home. it was nice to chat and catch up. he even brought chocolates and flowers. :-)

3. chris sprained his ankle three weeks after we got married playing basketball with the boys. the thing swelled up to the size of a healthy puppy. chris was sentenced to "light duty" for three weeks, and spent the majority of that time hobbling around in agony with a pack of ice and sack of ibuprofen to boot. he still hasn't fully healed from his mishap.

4. we got me moved into the apartment! we moved the last of my stuff over on sunday. getting settled in proved more difficult than either of us anticipated, since we were organizing/moving/cleaning in between the times when we were both working and i was at school. chris was a doll enduring the hostile take over of his apartment, and i think he's finally gotten used to the walls without his posters on them.

5. chris got a nasty cold. he is still in the tumultuous throws of it, actually. i have never seen that boy so sick the whole time i've known him. it's been a fantastic opportunity for me to serve my husband, and i think that by doing so my love for him has grown. it just goes to how that service is an exercise of love and compassion. i think the world needs more of it.

this picture was taken shortly after chris injured his ankle:

me: "hey lets take a picture and act like we love eachother"

chris: "ok, but make sure my swollen ankle is in the shot"

me: "seriously...??"

guess what?

we eloped! February 2, 2010 we went and got married at the el cajon county clerk's office. =) we are now officially Mr&Mrs Chirs Staples. we are so happy and excited to start out this new chapter of our life together!

originally we were planning a wedding later on in the year in order to be married in the temple, as chris was just recently baptized. however, we both decided that it was time for us to be married now, instead of waiting those long months out. the temple is still, very much our goal, and we are excited about the prospect of being together forever as a family.

last week.

the busiest week of all time happened to be last week- what with finals (thank goodness this semester is finally over) and birthdays and shopping and wrapping and work. but despite all that chris and i were able to tear ourselves away to give blood... you know, spreading that holiday cheer. the san diego blood bank is a pretty cool place to be at- the staff is friendly, and it's a pretty positive atmosphere. this was actually the first time after a year that i was able to give- i had been deferred for twelve months because of a scaler poke accident at work... since that counts as an "accidental needle stick" i had to wait a year to make sure i didn't have something like AIDS or hepatitis C or whatever. needless to say- i'm clean and healthy, and able to give blood again. which is exciting, because i love giving blood, and now i can go every 8 weeks again like i used to.

a little history: giving blood was actually one of the first things chris and i did together, back when we hardly knew eachother. i had known that chris was scared of needles, and so i thought it would be funny to invite him to my appointment to give blood (mean? yes i know. what a way to set the stage for our relationship). chris accompanied me, gave blood, and survived; and so it has been a tradition for us ever since to donate together.

anyway, giving blood is always easier for chris than it is for me... even though i like it much more than he does. i happen to be cursed with tiny veins- and i always get the same response every time the nurses tighten the cuff and feel around for them: "wow... did you drink enough fluids today??" to which i always respond "yeeees, i havent been making trips to the bathroom every 15 minutes for the past 24 hours for no reason". and then they do the poke and pray, and half the time they have to wiggle the needle around in order to get it wedged in the vein right, because not only are my veins tiny, but they roll too. poor nurses. i'm a flebotomist's nightmare.

chris, on the other hand, has veins the size of pipes in super mario. watching the needle just glide right into his big, bulging veins while i'm still hosting a stick-fest at my arm is rather humiliating. and not only does he start off easy, but he can fill up the bag in about five minutes too... it takes me twice as long! i guess some people just have natural talent.

after we gave blood this last time chris was "tired" and i was downright woozy... since this was the case we went and saw lights on pepper drive- we drove of course. these were the only pictures i could muster the strength to snap:

my personal favorite (of course).

jack & sally with zero, decorating a tree. coolest ever.

... and chris trying to mimic the sadistic expression on this pumpkin's face. he gets points for effort.

the holiday season.

so chris and i took our first road trip to prescott arizona to have thanksgiving with his parents. a grand total of 15 hours in the car together, and we both still like eachother.... marriage is going to be a peice of cake! the roads between california and arizona are riddled with oddities, which was a great source of entertainment for the both of us. chris has a hard time sitting for more than a couple hours at a time, so the trip was a little harder for him than it was for me.

before we left prescott, the saturday after thanksgiving.

christmastime is rapidly approaching.... and as chris likes to say, "you can't have CHRIStmas without CHRIS!" (sacreligious? yes. but he thinks he is sooo funny). chris and i are looking forward to spending another christmas together. chris went back to the day shift the beginning of october, so we are able to spend a little bit more time together than we did this summer, when he was working swings. this has also allowed him to get all of his christmas shopping done early, but i, in the midst of finals and projects, have yet to complete mine. only two more weeks left til christmas!

story of the week

so let's just be honest here. pretty much most- if not all- of the blogging here is going to be done by noel. and since it's kind of an awkward undertaking to talk about one's self in the third person, any first person referencing can pretty much be assumed to be coming from noel, unless otherwise specified. that being said here is the story of the week:


so naturally i am busy planning a wedding; and like any polite bride, i like to keep my groom updated with ideas and involved in some decision making. recently, while discussing some wedding plans, chris decided (suddenly) to change the subject to planning work-out regements for me when i'm pregnant with his first kid. the idea ellicited instant and adamant rejection from myself. apparently he got a big kick out of it, as he collapsed on the floor laughing (one of chris's favorite hobbies: cracking himself up). i have been given explicit permission to blog the event- i think he's quite pleased with himself. i told him he'd better stick to planning weddings from here on out, or there will be no babies for him.