Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving this year is a first for us ... both as a married couple and as I experience the effects of newly divorced parents with one now living in another state. So we're going to Chicago and we're bring my sister along with us. Looks like the weather will be decent (for Chicago in November) and we're excited to see the city and Dad's new diggs out there.

We'll be doing the traditional Thanksgiving dinner and seeing the city, but other than that - really no plans. I hope to have a restful trip so that I can return to work refreshed and ready to hit up busy season! Richard NEEDS the break from school. We're not even bringing our computers so there will be minimal temptation for either of us to work :)

A little list of things I'm thankful for this year:
-Richard
-Getting all our wedding photos (it took a long time, but I just ordered an album)
-The love of family and friends
-My new computer (LOVE IT)
-The house ... even though it comes with an evil HOA
-Good books that let my mind escape to an alternate world

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Snow!

This is my backyard and the front of my house today after 26 inches of snow! I can't remember the last time that we got this much snow so early in the season.

Richard woke up early yesterday (and for him that's HUGE) to shovel the driveway for me so I could get to work on time. Then we both did 2 shifts of shoveling this morning and then again this morning. I opted to make today a work from home day! But Rich had to go to class.

Love the beauty of the snow!

My Husband ... The Farmer

Quick shout out to my husband ... his hard work out in our garden all summer long, we now have over 225 tomatoes! and 12 Green Peppers!

Richard worked tirelessly out in the garden, watering, providing vitamins, and singing lullabyes (.. well maybe not). He loves to garden and we are totally reaping the rewards. I wish I had been thinking and taken a picture of him and his garden before we harvested. The tomato plants were over 6.5 feet all and eventually due to being top heavy all fell over. With the cold nights last wewek and more expected this week, we decided to harvest over the weekend.

Did you know that to help tomatoes which are not ripe to ripen, you're supposed to wrap in newspaper and put them in a cool, dark area??? Really! When Richard told me this, I had to call BS - they're plants and plants need the sun, right? Nope - I was wrong. But then again I was raised in a house full of black thumbs.... my Nana can grow anything, but sadly that wasn't passed to Mom and well Dad hates all things dirty, including dirt for gardening. So no gardening happened at my house.

Last night, Richard shared with me a favorite treat of his from childhood - Fried Green Tomatoes. No, not the movie - the actual frying of non-ripe tomatoes. Yummy!

Recent Reflections

In the last week, I feel as though many people have asked us "how's married life?" Well its good - but it is really no different. If anything, we spend less time together than we did before we were married. Not because we don't want to be around eachother, but because we are more secure in us. We get to hang-out together often - and I love it! Our schedules don't always allow us to get to see the "best" of the other, but I love what we do get.

I love kissing a still sleeping Richard every morning before I leave for work, getting home first and starting dinner or doing something around the house, kissing him goodnight as he watches the game or reads his textbook. I used to love going to bed in the darkness of my bedroom, but now, I almost need the light on - cuz I know he'll come to bed and turn it off. I know that he'll check that the door is closed and locked and for some reason, that makes me feel safe.

So looking back on our 2.5 months of marriage - I know that I long for our marriage to be one that honors eachother and the values we share together. I think we're doing that well now and I pray that we continue to do so.

Rich starts school this week to get his master's degree. I'm so proud of him for starting the jounrey, but we both know that we have years of classes, projects, and finals ahead of him. While I can't speak for him, I think we're both standing at the base of this mountain wondering what it will bring. We know that it can be done, but it's a long climb, especially with one class at a time. He will have to put in the hard work required to pass while working full time. I can't do the work for him, but I find myself wondering how I can ease some of the pressure/work/stress that comes from taking this on. How can I support him the most in this new stage of our live together?

Oppsites Really do Attract

Point in case: He LOVES thunder storms and I strongly dislike them... thunder scares me. It always has and always will.... especially when I'm home alone at night! I sometimes wonder how I married a man who absolutely loves thunderstorms and lightning and rain and hail and tornadoes!

But really I look at us and I true think opposites attract each other - without even knowing it. Subconsciously, they are what we're not as thus make a good partner in life.

Some of our opposites:
-He's tall (6'4") - I'm short (5'4")
-He's got dark brown hair - I'm a blond
-He's from the city - I'm from the suburbs
-He loves science - me accounting (okay we could argue both are math related)
-He's a dog person - I'm a cat person, but we'll get a dog one day
-He runs OUTSIDE during a thunderstorm - me, well I'd be under-the-bed if I wouldn't get made fun of for the rest of my life
-I'm uber organized and clean, he's not quite as much (but I'm like OCD)

and my current favorite: Sometimes I want/need change - Rich hates all change

When we moved in -
Rich - "Are you sure this is where you want the couches?"
Me - "yes!"

And last week:
"So I think I want to move the couches around..."

Yep, that's me. I like to re-arrange furniture every now and then. Especially when I move into a new place. You have to feel it out to see if it "feels right." So, right now, it doesn't feel right.

We haven't yet moved the couches :)

Honeymoon!!

(note: this was supposed to be posted mid July... and when I went to change the date, it pushed it back to 2008 -- YIKES)

Was fabulous!

Richard and I made a deal about a year ago, that whenever we got married, I would plan the wedding and he would plan the honeymoon.... and that the honeymoon would be a surprise. So on June 11, we were married and it was everything that I've always wanted. I felt gorgeous, Richard was extremely good looking in the tux (I wasn't sure about the black shirt with white tie ... but it was awesome) and we had a blast. We got to see friends (went to fast) and got to swing dance ( I didn't keep my frame well but we had fun), really it was perfect. From the feedback we've received everyone also had a great time ... but people always tell you that. Then that night we got hooked up at a local hotel, the Omni... with Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.

The next morning, we did what any new married couple would do.... went home and mowed the lawn! I know romantic, right? But it needed to be done before we left and we always do it together. It also gave us (read Richard) time to finish packing and prepping for the honeymoon.



SAT AM - we go to the airport and I find out we're going to Tampa, FL. I'm thinking, really Tampa? Why Tampa of all the places for a surprise honeymoon. But I keep my thoughts to myself cuz who knows what Richard has planned...

We arrive in Tampa, get on a shuttle bus and head downtown to our hotel. During the shuttle ride the driver is asking all kinds of questions and I learn that no, we're not in town to go on a cruise, while we are here for the beaches we're staying just about as far away from them as we could get and we didn't rent a car ... interesting honey!

So we go to a nice dinner that night since it is our honeymoon and all... there Richard breaks down and tells me that we are in deed GOING ON A CRUISE!!!! And not just any cruise, but a Western Caribbean 7 day Cruise to Grand Cayman, Belize, and Isla Roatan, Honduras! Couldn't have been a better place for our honeymoon.

We just got on the boat and thy handed us drinks!

Cruising around on the boat, checking things out

We spent much time sitting in these chairs, reading, napping and laughing

Dancing in the club :)

Port #1 - Grand Cayman Island

We went snorkeling here ... look how clear it is.

Port #2 - Belize

Sharing a Coke over lunch

Mayan Ruins of Belize

Port #3 - Roatan Island - Honduras

Our favorite!

Swimming with Dolphins

Kisses

More Dolphin kisses

The best beach EVER!

Last day on the boat

Every night at dinner our steward would make a towel animal, but on the last night we got a heart. He must have figured out we were honeymooning.

My favorite animal of the trip was the monkey - he was awesome!

Florida Aquarium - We spent our last day here until we had to go to the airport. It was an amazing honeymoon! Way to go Rich!

We're Back!

I've started to write a post detailing our honeymoon - but I've been doing it in my free time at work and I don't have any of the pictures here. I've also decided that posts without pictures are boring, so you'll have to wait for the honeymoon detail :)


We've officially been married for 20 days!!

Our wedding was everything that I could have dreamed and then some. We had a blast! I felt gorgeous and knew by the way Richard first looked at me that he agreed. Richard looked amazing in his tux. Almost everything went according plan with some minor changes, of which, I barely took note of. I married my best friend! Who cares about anything else? I don't have the

(at our reception)

wedding pics yet but thankfully Kath took some awesome shots (and shared them via FB), so I'll leave you with some of them until I post honeymoon details (like how I'm not giving anything away). If you have pics from the wedding, I really want to see them.

(Yep, he dipped me!)

(Officially Mr & Mrs)