Fun Fact Friday: Happy Anniversary! (Hubs is Glad I'm Not A Praying Mantis!)

WHOA wait a minute!

Where have the last 5 years gone?


Travis and I celebrate our 5th anniversary today!

It seems like forever ago, yet just yesterday. That makes zero sense, I know! It was such a wonderful and special day. Hard to believe this was right on the edge of the digital takeoff, so all of our pictures were taken the old fashioned way. Most of them are on my old computer or CD's, but I did pull a few out of Photobucket that I had. Ahhh, nostalgia!




We had a beautiful wedding and one heckuva party. See, in North Dakota when two little communities join forces, it makes for about 500 party animals tearing it up on the dance floor. That's what I love the most about ND...the small commities cannot be beat. So supportive in every sense!



The picture above might deserve a short explanation. My younger brother is on the left side of the pic (with the mic.) He always said that he would sing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" like the dude who was singing at Will Ferrell's wedding in the movie Old School. (Side note: I have an obsession with stupid comedy...Old School, Wedding Crashers, and The Hangover to name a few.) Those of you who have seen that might know that the Old School version wasn't exactly family friendly. :) My brother didn't let me down...shortly after midnight, he and our friend Darren (pictured at right) stole the stage, stole the bride, and rocked the house! One of my favorite memories from the dance! It was hilarious!

5 years has definitely been good to us.


Just kidding! This is what happened after just 2 years of marriage!
Okay so in all reality, that was from a theme party we hosted in June 2007 (pre-Emersyn days). Can you guess the theme? It was White Trash Bash. Notice the detailed home decor, she-stache (my mustache painted in with eyeliner), bruises, mullets, etc. It was a fun time for sure! (Disclaimer: this was all in good fun. No offense intended.) Okay back to topic...

Over the past 5 years, we have definitely been through so many transitions. I was just starting nursing school when we got hitched! We moved to Minnesota, leaving our family/friends behind. That was (and still is!) really hard. Bought our first home, had a baby 9 months after that, switched jobs, and now back in school. It's not always been easy, but it's definitely been worth it. This sweet lil' lady is proof enough that the good times have definitely outshone the hard times!

(This is her very latest..."lotion, mommy!" as I came out of the bathroom while she was eating snack. Then she looked in the mirror and told me she had "ants" on her face. Ahhh, she cracks me UP!)

Okay now speaking of "ants", let's focus on the useless tidbit of trivia for this week and shift to another insect.


The Praying Mantis

I think it's safe to say that certain species of a female praying mantis need counseling. Their approach to "getting it on" involves ripping the head off the male praying mantis. Jeez talk about a little sexual frustration much? While it's a myth that all praying mantis' do this, and while it's a myth that a male praying mantis is unable to copulate with his head attached, it's true that there is one species where the male's head must be removed for copulation to occur.

*That species is called the Mantis religiosa

Crikey! What's so religious about that?!!

And how can headless sex even be possible?? Never fear. The next bit of completely useless information is here! (And quite intriguing!)

*Copulatory movements in mantids are controlled by masses of nerve tissue in the abdomen rather than the brain. Males of some mantid species mate more effectively when decapitated. Why? A nerve center in the male’s head inhibits mating until a female is clasped. If this nerve is removed, such as when the female bites off the male’s head, all control is lost and the result is repeated copulation.

Eeeek. Who ever said it's not true that a male doesn't always think with his brain? HA! And, talk about a controlling female. And I thought I was bad sometimes.

"Honey, I'm home!" What the....!! Yeah, they better be praying after that!

Okay shifting gears...

We leave for a fun filled 8-hour drive to North Dakota tomorrow. We haven't been back since New Years so this visit is long overdue! Remember how I said if I am blogging, it means I'm procrastinating? It's 1:30 in the morning and I have bags to pack, assignments to submit, and laundry to finish. Off to dreamland...

Happy Anniversary Travis! It's been a magical 5 years!

Happy Fathers Day weekend to you all!