TBT: My Sweet Puppy Jo-Jo

When I was growing up we had a yellow lab/chow mix! Haha yes it was a yellow dog with a purple tongue! She was a rescue dog that my wonderful wonderful mother nursed back to health :) Harley Jo was quite the character. She could dig/pull herself out of any restraint you put her in! She was a fighter from day one! (We think she may have been abandoned by an abusive owner) We live out of town on a hill, so she basically considered the entire neighborhood her territory. She would run "the loop" all day long. She was very smart, and never got hit by a car thankfully, but she did suffer from epilepsy most of her life with us. She started having seizures when I was really young. I don't remember when, but I will never forget how terrifying they were to watch. She would shake and make noise, and we all felt so helpless. When she would come out of them, she would be very disoriented, so my parents taught us kids to leave her alone. We would let her wander the house until she realized where she was and felt comfortable again. We gave her medicine twice a day down her throat. It was just something we had to do. I didn't even realize it was a big deal until I got older. Anyways, as time went on her seizures got worse and worse. Finally when we were on vacation, and Harley was boarding at the vet, she suffered from her last seizure. We were so sad to not have said goodbye, but it was peaceful to know that we didn't have to watch her suffer. The vet had become a family friend by that point, so he was very good to her. Harley was my best friend. She was never a cuddly dog. She was actually pretty afraid of just about all humans. She was never dangerous or aggressive, but she liked her space. However, she was my buddy. When I would cry, she would come in my room and lay down. She would let me hug her. I could lay there and cry with her for who knows how long. Eventually I would feel better and get up. She never nuzzled back, but she was always there for me.

After Harley died I immediately started asking for a new dog. My dad always said no. We didn't have time for a dog, we live out of town, and are hardly ever home. My brother and I were both in high school, and then he was gone to college. Sports and school activities kept our family very busy! The family restaurant only added to our crazy schedules. Despite everything working against me, I kept asking! I would look up dogs online constantly, but there was NO WAY my dad would pay for a pet! haha One day a family friend posted some puppies online. They were being sold by a neighbor of hers in Bozeman. I showed them to my parents. My mom was always on my side, but my dad continued to say no. A few day later she posted another picture saying there were still a couple dogs left, and the owner couldn't care for them. They were FREE now! Oh man I begged and begged and begged! In the end, my dad still said no, we don't have time for a dog!

My parents headed to Bozeman sometime soon after. I think it was just a typical grocery and errands trip. Josh needed to ride to Bozeman to get something done with his car. I can't remember all of the details now. Turns out they were going to pick up the puppy! I was at home, completely out of the loop! That night before my parents got home, I went to town to hang out with Josh. We watched a movie and hung out for a while. Usually I would stay pretty late just visiting and whatever, but this night I decided to head home around 9. Josh didn't say anything either way, and I never even thought anything of it. When I walked in the door, my dad was holding the puppy! AHHHHH He was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen! He was so cute just sleeping. I immediately picked him up and snuggled him! It was one of the happiest moments of my life!! I called Josh right after because he knew ALL NIGHT and didn't tell me! For that I was glad, but I also wished he would have sent me home earlier so I could snuggle that little guy :) I started googling names for dogs. Everything sounded kind of weird when I would say it to him. Finally I found Jo-Jo, and when I said it to him he winked at me! It was the cutest little thing, and I knew that was the name for him :) He winks all of the time now, but it was the perfect sign I need to name him! I call him Puppy just as much if not more than Jo-Jo! He is getting to be an old man now, but he will always be Puppy to me :) 

His first toy - and he still plays with it!

Morning nap time :)

Santa suit! Dec. 2011

Shortly after we got him, reality set in that he was actually my parents dog! I stayed up with him the first night, but after that my mom basically trained him :) I did as much as I could while I was home, but she shuttled him around with her all day until he was old enough to stay home alone. He also became my dad's little buddy.

Selfie with my dad! haha

They play together every night, and when he is ready for a nap its usually on my dad's lap. As much as my dad resisted a new dog, he sure does love that little guy! When he is ready for bed at night he wines at my mom until she goes to bed with him. Every morning they sit together while Jo-Jo takes his morning nap and my mom drinks her coffee. Although they have their schedules set, he still loves when I come to visit! He gets so excited he runs circles around the living room until he finally collapses. He also sings! One day my dad and I were watching an episode of House. At the end, House is playing the piano and harmonica. All of the sudden Jo-Jo just started howling! It was the craziest thing! He went from sleeping to howling!! My dad rewound the clip over and over. He sings to it every time he hears it! I wish I had a video to upload, but it is not with me. Some day I will get around to it :) I miss that little guy so much!!! I can't wait to see him in a couple months!!!

He got expelled from PetSmart
halfway through his haircut!
Poor guy looks terrible!

That's better! 

TBT - Our First Prom Together (2009)

Yesterday I wrote about getting together with Josh. We joke the his "pick up line" was "So how was prom?" Although he refused to go with me my sophomore year of high school... we were obviously still together the next year for his senior, my junior prom. The day before District Basketball tournament in our last practice, I tore my ACL & meniscus! It was terrible! That meant that I would be on crutches and in a brace for Prom!

 I took that as an opportunity to wear a mermaid style dress that year :) I knew I wouldn't be able to dance, so why not pick a dress that would be hard to dance in anyways right?? I had always loved the style but knew I wouldn't be able to dance very easily in one. Also, it gave me motivation to work extra hard on my physical therapy so I would be able to walk down the staircase for the Grand March. I wasn't supposed to bear any weight until a week or so after, but my doctor and physical therapist agreed that I was building muscle well. They made me promise to keep my brace locked so I couldn't bend my knee at all, and I agreed to use my crutches immediately after for another week. The staircase has two entrances on either side, they come together at the first landing to create one wide staircase. Typically for the Grand March, 8th grade boys escort the girl to the landing where they meet their date to walk down the second part. However, I had to agree to use Josh and the rail as my crutches. The announcer and the audience had no idea what was going on. He announced Mr. Josh van Leeuwen escorting ...and at that point Josh ran down his staircase and back up to my side where he began helping me walk on my "new" leg for the first time in months! ... escorting Janae' Hermanson.

It took me a while to make it down, I was very nervous, but the crowd clapped for me :) It was a really big deal for me to be able to walk down without my crutches! At the dance, I basically sat at one of the tables and watched everyone. I was just happy to be there :) We did dance for one slow dance, but we couldn't move. We just swayed back and forth :) Since I had to have my crutches all night, my dad came up with the idea to wrap them in pink athletic wrap!

Dad & Uncle Rocky
wrapping my crutches!

 It was great!! Thanks to my aunt and uncle - Ann & Rocky for helping out, letting us girls get ready at their house, and for taking all of the fun pictures!

We had dinner at the Gusher together

Boys will be boys...

My handsome man!

Briggs & Danielle,
Josh & I,
Grant & Lexi

Lexi & I

Kendra & I

TBT - Our Proposal

I don't ever do Throw Back Thursday (TBT) on Facebook, so I thought I would try it out on the blog! How fun would it be to write an old post every Thursday?? We'll see how it goes! Today I am going to cheat a little :) I wrote about our proposal within days so I could post it on our website. I am SO glad I did! I already forgot some of the little stuff, and I probably wouldn't write it anything like this today! Every time I read it I get butterflies all over again :) I am going to copy and paste it here (it is the italicized section), but I will add a few photos and other memories too :) 

Josh and I had discussed that it was really important for both of us that he ask my dad's permission for my hand in marriage. I had no idea when or how he might ask him, but I knew he would be a man about it :) I remember talking to my mom about marrying Josh one time, and my dad asked me when we were going to get engaged. I said, "I don't know. You tell me. You will know before I do!" That was as far as my knowledge of our engagement went. I would bug Josh from time to time, but he was much more level headed and relaxed about our impending future :) When the time came for Josh to ask my dad, I totally knew it was happening. We were all at my house for Thanksgiving break. My dad and brother had been hunting off and on, but since Josh and I had Utah licenses we couldn't hunt. I kept telling my dad that Josh wanted to go hunting with him even though he couldn't shoot anything. My dad just brushed it off because it isn't too high on his priority list anymore. Finally Josh says, "Robbie, do you want to go for a drive?" (His voice was shaking and he sounded SO nervous!) I was behind the couch, so I couldn't see Josh's face when he said it. I immediately knew what he meant! Josh finishes by saying, "To look for elk." My dad says yeah lets leave around X o'clock. Josh says ok I will be ready. I looked up at both of my parents, but neither one seemed suspicious of any behavior. I decided I was totally reading into it, and I needed to just relax. (I was marriage hungry for quite some time already :) 

I later found out how that drive went! They didn't see any animals, but Josh wouldn't have seen them anyways. He was so nervous! He was fidgety and quite the ENTIRE drive! He kept telling himself, "OK say it now." Finally when they were driving up the 1 mile long dirt road to my house Josh finally says, "Robbie..can I..ask..for your..for Janae'..for your blessing..and Janae's hand……. My dad finally started to giggle and said, "Josh, I would be honored to have you marry my daughter!" Josh just said, "OK, thank you." Josh had this big speech planned out. He was going to say all of these nice things, and be so calm. I guess true love really does rattle the spirit :) My dad later said that he thought Josh was so nervous he might pass out. He knew the entire drive that something was up. He could hardly contain his own laughter, but he knew this was Josh's moment to do as he pleased. Josh doesn't even remember saying anything. He was so glad my dad finally said yes! I wouldn't have wanted the conversation between my dad and Josh to go any differently. It fit both of their personalities so well, and it brings a big smile to my face every time I think about it =D

For those of you who know us well, it will come as no surprise that coffee was involved! We have been dating for nearly 5 years, and we have habitually recognized our monthly "anniversary" date the entire time (May 4th, 2008).  

So, the story begins...

Josh asked me to go out to a fancy dinner for an early "anniversary" date. We love to get all dressed up and act all lovey dovey anyways, so it was perfect :) We went to Elements, a nice restaurant here in Logan.  We had our meal, and decided to order dessert. Josh got up to use the restroom, but he walked towards the kitchen instead :) I had a feeling something special was coming, but I would never have guessed what he had up his sleeve! When he returned he told me he found the waitress to order our dessert and coffee (this was really special since we are usually too cheap to order drinks when we go out!). When the waitress returned, she set down the most amazing chocolate raspberry cheesecake we had ever seen! I was peeking over the tray, and there was no ring on top! I was so disappointed. However, the best was yet to come. She set Josh's coffee down, and then mine. His spoon was on his plate, and my spoon was in my coffee. That is when he got down on one knee :) I pulled the spoon out of my coffee to see "Will you marry me?" engraved, and my ring was hanging on it!!! Josh grabbed my hand, told me he loved me, and asked me to marry him! I started crying and immediately said yes! We hugged, ate our cheesecake, and tried to decide how to tell our parents!

(They all live in different places!) 

In all our giddy, I managed to forget the spoon on the table! We were blocks away, and I panicked. I was too embarrassed to go back in and admit my mistake, so my handsome man gladly stepped up :) 

That is where all the joy, happiness, and crazy whirlwind of spreading the news began :) That is our story, and I wouldn't change it for the world! 

I told Josh I really wanted to tell my parents in person so I could see their reaction. There was NO WAY I was going to wait till they came to Logan in a week 

(I was convinced this would be when Josh would pop the question - I was wrong! He insisted on surprising me…without an audience! He said he was way too nervous to do it with family around hehe)

We decided Skype would just have to do. We raced back to my apartment and got my computer all ready. (Giggling included! :) I called my mom to tell her to turn on her computer…. They were in Bozeman!!!!! I said ok well drive safe and I will just talk to you when you get home. (I was so calm she had no idea I was even calling to tell her anything.) 

NOOOO how could I possibly wait 2 hours to tell my mom I was marrying the love of my life?? So I said ok Josh how about we text a picture to her and then she will call back and I can just talk to her? It was better than waiting 2 hours, but I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't see her face. We took a picture of the spoon with the ring on it, text it to her, and waited…and waited… and waited. I felt like it was taking FOREVER to send!! I knew they would be entering the canyon soon and would lose cell service. I called back right away and said tell dad to pull over right now. I said I have to send you a picture of what I found in my drink tonight, and you will never believe it. I made it sound really gross. (My parents own a restaurant, so it is our "family tradition" to critique every place we go.) 

My mom says ok its not coming through. I said well let's hang up and maybe it will work then. So we did. The waiting begins again! I swear it had only been 2 seconds when the phone rings :) I answer and here my mom screaming OH MY GOD! AHHHH!! Janae' what is this!!! I can't believe it! The half laughing/half crying/half screaming/half whatever other emotion you can hear over the phone continued for some time :) I was so happy I couldn't even breath! My cheeks were hurting from smiling, my hands were tired from squeezing Josh, I can't even describe the joy that was running through my veins! At this point my mom finally turns to my dad to see his reaction, and he was calm and collected :) He was just smiling and so happy that my mom and I were having that moment together! My mom was mad to find out that he already knew it was coming, but then she understood how much better the surprise was :) 

After we got off the phone with my parents, we got in the car to drive to Brigham City. Josh's dad and stepmom live there, and we were so glad to be able to tell some of our parents in person :) We called them to make sure they would still be awake (it was already after 8pm). We told them we missed them and wanted to come over for a visit. As we were driving we called all of the other people we wanted to tell before putting it on Facebook. That was the quickest drive to BC we have ever had! After we told Gary and Raylene, they took pictures of us. I am so glad they did! Now I can remember what we looked like that night :)