5 Years Ago

Saturday, July 3, 2004

It was a humid, hot, but sunny, day five years ago today when Rob and I got married. I really don't know where the time has gone. It seems like not so long ago that Rob was knocking at my dorm room door at Penn State, which was probably the first time we met. Rob was coordinating our interest house's IM sports' team and the team was short girl players for a volleyball game one evening. Maybe I felt bad that the team would have to forfeit the game if they didn't have enough girl players or maybe it was because Rob seemed so nice that I decided to help out.

Most interactions that we had together at Penn State involved IM sports or the occasional meeting in the elevator or hallway. We really didn't get to know each other until we were invited to a wedding of college friends the month I graduated. Rob headed over to ask me to dance just as I went into the bathroom...I didn't realize that he was waiting outside for me and I bumped into him as I came out. I couldn't say 'no,' right? He was persistent and patient.

Looking back on that day, I realize that he showed me a lot of the qualities that I love about him today. He was polite, nice, and had a genuine interest and concern for me. He was also funny (in an engineer kind of way) and had that young Tom Cruise-look going on (sorry Rob, I know you hate that). After exchanging emails, we starting "visiting" each other (you might recall that I did not like to call it "dating").

For Rob's first "visit," we went to City Island in Harrisburg to ride the Riverboat, rollerblade, and walk around. He was so easy to talk to and I liked that I could be myself without having to try to do anything fancy to impress him. It was when I visited my friend, Irma, in Mexico when I realized that Rob had the qualities that would make him a great husband. I told Irma that eventually I would be looking for someone who was funny, smart, a hard worker, caring, and put family first. She noticed that I talked about Rob a lot and after talking about a positive quality, I would always say, "Oh, Rob does/is like that." We've come a long way from that first date (I mean, visit)--we've purchased 2 homes and cars, seen many places together, earned a Master's degree and Professional Engineer license, and have become parents. We have been through many transitions, some of them challenging (especially for me), but we go through them with each other---I wouldn't want to change, grow, and learn with any one else. I look forward to many more years and am excited for what's to come.


Here are some of my favorite memories from the past 5 years or so:

• our first dance at Matt and Erin's wedding
• walking to Baskin Robbins for ice cream in the freezing cold
• visiting Pittsburgh together and riding the incline
• playing darts in Rob's apartment
• making dinner in his little mini kitchen
• learning how to drive stick shift from Rob
  
• his thoughtful gifts---giant heart pretzel for Valentine's Day, notes on the counter in the morning
  
• meeting Rob for lunch in the city
• going to baseball and hockey games together
  
• cutting down our Christmas trees
• playing racquetball (to 100...or at least that was Rob's goal)
  
• buying our first (and second) houses
• building our deck
• sitting outside on our deck, and now porch, talking or reading
• Rob drinking a starch water smoothie
• eating in diners
• working around the house together
• doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku in bed
  
• finding out we were going to have a baby, and then actually meeting her
• seeing a nurturing side of each other as a mom or dad
• going to the beach
  

formal night on honeymoon cruise


Bermuda in front of the ship


evidence of Rob's goofiness---he was the smallest guy to participate in the belly flop contest aboard the cruise (that's his splash...notice the size of the other contestants sitting poolside)


Virginia Beach vacation


Rob is known for taking time to carefully select the best card for the occasion. Here's one of my favorite cards that he got to cheer me up when I misplaced my car keys and couldn't get to work.


Here is a card that we laugh about---it was a beautiful Valentine's Day card....from the "mahogany " line (notice the girl on the front)




Happy 5th Anniversary, Rob!
I love you!

No Toys Required

No toys were required at playgroup this morning where there was an abundance of rocks and dirt for the kids to explore in Xander's backyard.

Matthew, Xander, and Ella playing in the rock pit


collecting rocks in the wagon


watching the boys dump the wagon


already has lots of skinned knees and elbows from running around
and is always so dirty at the end of the day

Conversations with Ella

Pinkie Says "Sorry" in Ella's Place

Rob: Ella, say 'sorry' for kicking me.

Ella: No!

R: We don't kick. Say 'sorry' if you want to go play.

E: (holding Pinkie and speaking in a high-pitched voice) Sorry, Dada! . . .
Pinkie said, 'Sorry, Dada.' Now Ella can play!

How to Play Outside with Daddy

J: What did you and Daddy play last night?

E: I hide and Daddy find me.

J: How do you play that game?

E: Ella hid in trees and Dada say, "Ella, are you??" Then Dada find me and
we run fast!

I hold Daddy's hands and he spins.

J: Do you like when Daddy spins?

E: Umm, hmm!! (shaking head, yes) It's fun, I'm dizzy!

Giving Someone Else Time-Out

E: Momma, I take n (playgroup friend) to time out. (taking him by the hand)

J: Why?

E: He spilled Ella's fishy crackers on ground.

Ella Says "NO!"

Rob: Don't throw those rocks, Ella. Keep them in the garden.

R: Ella, Daddy said, "No." (after she continues to throw rocks)

R: (Rob picks her up and moves her away from the rocks).

Ella: Ella says "NO!"

Mommy's Husband

Ella: I ask Daddy, "Can I watch George movie?"

J: You can ask him when he comes home from work.

E: Dada's mommy's friend....Mommy's husband!

(I told her he was my husband a few days ago when we were looking at a wedding photo)

Ella and Mommy

Weekend Update

We had a great weekend at the Gould household. Friday, after cooling off in our neighbors' pool, we played on the porch and watched a heavy thunderstorm roll in.

I love this picture that Rob took of Ella!


"Look at me!"

Saturday we cleaned and prepared food, and then went to the playground until Ella's nap time. Our friends, Kara and Matt, and their daughter, Jenna, came to visit in the evening. Kara and I have been friends since elementary school and this was the first time that we got to meet Jenna in person. We had a good time catching up with them and seeing Jenna---she is so smiley and cute! Ella was kind enough to share her toys with "Baby Jenna" and liked making sure she was okay.

Rob and Jenna
(she was interested in his beard)


Kara and cuddling Jenna


Ella showing Jenna how to turn the music on the jumper
She said, "Right here...Ella help Jenna turn music on."
Jenna just smiled and kept on bouncing even more!


Thankfully, Ella was a good girl when Jenna was using her jumper (sharing is hard when you're a toddler)!
But, as soon as Jenna got out, Ella immediately told us it was her turn and she climbed in herself and was very happy eating her Sun Chip there.


Kara and Jenna


Ella and Jenna relaxing together


Kara, me, Ella


Rob making Jenna laugh really hard!

After church on Sunday, we headed to Pennypack Park to go hiking. Ella enjoyed looking for sticks, running after Rob on the paved trail, and waving and saying 'hi' to all of the dogs that passed us. We let her play in the creek when we got to the waterfalls and she loved stomping through the rocks and water. Rob showed her how to skip a stone, so she spent some time throwing stones and watching them splash. We spent the rest of the day (other than Ella's nap and our lawn cutting), just playing outside in the nice (finally non-rainy) weather.

waiting to leave for church
(watching Curious George)

throwing sticks into the creek from the bridge to see which ones would float


Rob and Ella in the woods


Ella loved climbing on the rocks like Buck
It was hard for Rob to keep a hold of her because she wanted to do it herself.


view of the woods


little waterfalls


Ella looking for stones in the creek


throwing stones


wow--this tree is huge!

Cleaning

I have been trying not to worry that the house gets dusty or that there are crumbs on the floor, but today I reached my limit! I cleaned both bathrooms and worked on dusting and vacuuming the living room and dining room. Ella, who apparently does her best cleaning naked, helped by taking care of the tv (so she can watch George better) and dusting the floor and her room with a paper towel. She also took Rob's clean towels from the dryer into his bathroom (and put them in a neat heap next to the shower).

Now, off to play outside!

Wordless Wednesday

Ella trying to mimic me by wearing my headband

Dada's Day Fun!

Yesterday, we started Dada's Day with church. As the priest was finishing the prayer for all of the standing dads, Ella yelled out, "Yea, Dada!" and clapped for him. She also sang very loudly, although her version of every song sounded more like this, "la, la, la, Jesus...la, la, ah, Jesus!"

We spent the rest of the day (mostly cool and cloudy until late afternoon), doing what Rob wanted to do--hang out around the house, play with Ella, read magazines on the porch, go to the playground, and work on/ride his bike. Here are some (okay...a lot of) pictures that I captured from the day:

daddy and daughter cuddling before church


Ella trying to push the car down the driveway
(notice her gymnastics' leg in the air)


watching Ella play with Rob


I left Rob and Ella inside and when I came back in 2 minutes later...
she had her shirt off and water was all over the floor. He told me she asked him to put water in her tea pots (guess he didn't realize that we usually just pretend when we're inside).

In this picture she was showing Rob where to clean up the water that she poured out the tea pot.
She said, "Dada, get paper towel? Clean up Ella's mess on floor."


Ella taunting Rob with the hose
"I spray Dada with hose?!"


She got him--he was soaked!
She was laughing the entire time.


She showed no mercy, and by the look on Rob's face, the water was pretty cold!


laughing when Rob found her...
they were playing hide-and-seek around the bushes


"I caught you!"


Ella was bending down to hide behind one of the bushes. She instructed Rob,
(in case he didn't remember how to play),
"Dada--hide in trees, then Ella call, 'Dada, are you??' "


Ella 'driving' Daddy's car. She loves to sit in the front seat and push the radio buttons. I was told to sit in the back seat.


Learning how all of the buttons work and about the gear shift
(only 14 more years until she'll be doing it herself)

Happy Fathers' Day, Dad!

Dear Dad,

Happy Fathers' Day! Thank you for always being there for me. You are such a good role model for working hard, caring for your family, and giving 100 percent. I am so glad that I can call you anytime and that you are there to give me advice and encouragement. Here are some of my favorite memories of you:

• waiting for you at the old school to meet you after work when you'd arrive on your bike
• meeting you for lunch at Central Penn
• watching you shave with shaving cream
  
• shoveling snow
• cutting lawns
• riding bikes on the Sunday Morning Sociable and the coming home to eat cheese danishes
• your collection of bikes along the stairway ledge in our old house...now replaced with your collection of real canoes in the yard
  
• sitting in the chair next to the fireplace and talking to you
• going to Penn State games
• going with you to your San Francisco conference and to Muir Woods
• waiting for you to finish eating all-you-can-eat crabs at Crabbers' Cove
• going on walks along the water at the beach
• saving interesting newspaper articles for each other

I love you very much, Dad!

Love, girlie

January 20, 1980
meeting for the first time


unknown time and place
may be how my camera obsession started


around 1986
Paulette and Jerry's vow renewal


1988
first communion

September, 1998
freshman dorm room at PSU