An Exceptional Fifth Wedded Anniversary

Oh my dear friends, time flies! My husband and I have celebrated five years of being an old married couple. And I just love it!

This getting - bigger - by - the - day momma decided simple was where it was at! No gifts was the plan, just get cleaned up {after a day of working on the nursery!!} and enjoy ourselves on an adult night out!

 We had an exquisite meal at one of our favorite restaurants {you know, the ones we'd love to go to weekly, but just can't afford to eat like that all the time - both for our waist lines and our wallets} and then went to the movies.

The movies. We realized that movies will probably be our date of choice in the upcoming young parenthood season. Because, we really like to splurge and go to the movies once in awhile and taking a little one won't be part of that plan.

We just can't get over how lucky we are to have the life we are living and are about to share it with one more special person! Happy anniversary to my love! I can't wait for all the nights in and our first days/months as a family of three. Until then, we should try and go out for "mock-tails" and the movies at least one more time.


Hope you all are starting a most fantastic week!

An Exceptional Fourth Wedded Anniversary

over the weekend my husband and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary! 

on friday we drove to bloomington, indiana for a visit! 

just relaxing... a few treats, some shopping, a couple of breweries and an art museum. the kind of weekend where nothing needs to be planned out - but a lady can wear a dress if she likes!

{some of our favorites from the weekend}

FARM Bloomington - serious brunch on saturday morning. 

the walk thru Indiana University's campus was BEAUTIFUL!

SOMA Coffeehouse was a nice quiet stop for us to grab drinks after a long walk thru campus 

{and not over-the-top-sweet beverages either}

a wine tasting at Oliver Winery - they have the cutest little pond + picnic area. 

we had the best burgers + fries at Upland Brewing Co.

we sampled several great brews at Function Brewing

we hit up Hopscotch Coffee on our way out of town for cold brews to go. 

i was so thankful for the time to just hang out with my favorite guy - hand in hand strolling thru the bloomington entertainment and arts district {BEAD}.  i'm a lucky mrs. for sure. 

all the happiest anniversary wishes to you, dear j. you are tops on my list and i'm ready to start up our fifth wedded year! xo ;)

some of the links in this post take you to the shops + businesses that we enjoyed over our visit - just simply sharing the love. if you'd like to read about our past anniversaries click away for our first, second, and third. 

being mindful of your marriage

good morning friends,

i've been spending some time feeling grateful for my relationship and friendship with my husband.  i guess that i am now ready to have a conversation about marriage here on the blog. i haven't discussed much about the specific importance of keeping your marriage high on your list of priorities before. i guess never felt i was far enough along in my marriage to speak out. but then i realized that i've been with my husband for ten years. that is fair length of time. we are very fortunate to have found each other and have done a good job of continuing our friendship over the years. and for those of you more seasoned wives + husbands out there, well, please continue this conversation in the comments...

i believe that being mindful of your marriage is an important part of daily life. keeping a strong line of communication, friendship and reminding each other of that dedication you have is vital to the growth and continuing happiness of you both as a couple. i am sure this looks different for most couples. it might mean that in order to grow together a couple should actually take the time to eat dinner together. or maybe a couple will find that they need an opportunity to spend an afternoon stepping away from all of the typical responsibilities. maybe it means you suspend a vacation in order to do a specific project together. i guess i feel that it all comes down to communication. communicating what each person needs and what the relationship needs.

let's proceed with a few reminders - it is always good to have a few reminders...

it is important to:
+ notice the good stuff
+ put forth the effort when you can
+ be forgiving
+ do something that isn't about you
+ put away your technology
+ speak up when you need to
+ reread those old love letters

and now, indulge me for a second with these two more elaborate notes:
+ wear your special token once and again
something i love is that my husband wears his wedding ring daily. i know several couples that one of the biggest issues they struggle with is whether or not the mate wears their wedding ring. now, maybe this isn't your thing, but if you have special tokens that your significant other gave you they will love seeing you wear it on a random wednesday or on your next big date night out.
+ be appreciative
say 'thank you' once in awhile. your partner works hard to care for you, and whether or not you feel that they are obligated to do so it is good to notice their efforts or return an effort. yes, we all need to help out but it shouldn't go unnoticed how much work it can be to take care of the people in your daily life.








i suppose that is all for today... oh, this month is our wedding anniversary! maybe i'll have a thing or two more to say in the name of love after we celebrate our fourth wedded year! :)

** the photos in this post were taken on our wedding day by Life in Balance Photography - who we loved working with + would recommend over and over again! **

An Exceptional Third Wedding Anniversary

Last week we had a lovely celebration of our third wedding anniversary. Things have been busy this summer so we felt it was especially important to take some time for ourselves to celebrate. {Which of course meant lots of good food.} We took some photos by our favorite hiking trail and tree then ran out of town!

We had a super wonderful dinner {excuse us while we eat five courses... yikes!} and stayed the night in an adorable bed and breakfast. 

The next day we visited the Findlay Market in Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Museum Center. We are huge market fans, so we were excited to find out all the fun the Findlay Market schedules for beer tastings and music on Saturdays. Also, the Cincinnati Museum Center was so large we didn't get to see everything! We are planning to go back to visit them both again sometime soon. 

Happy Third Wedding Anniversary to my best everything. 

There is no one else I'd rather take care of when they are sick ;) 

I'm in love with each year that passes and all of our adventures we share.

Here's to many more to come. Xo!

An Exceptional 2nd Anniversary

I know sometimes I get pretty mushy about my relationship with my main guy. But in today's world {with all that is thrown our way} it is important to give notice to those strong relationships. So, I am grateful to be able to gush once in awhile...


This week we had our second wedding anniversary. It was simple and perfect. Dinner, sweets, and conversation. I love spending time with my husband, especially on a night where we can celebrate ourselves as a couple.

We went to dinner at one of our favorite date night locations. While at the restaurant there was a couple {a few tables over} celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. They were giggles and kisses, wines and good foods, sweet fancy coffees and photographs. They were having a wonderful night together and it made us happy to see them in their anniversary glory. Their presence was an inspiration to many others in the restaurant, I just know it. To think of all they might have experienced together in the past twenty-five years - wow.


Oh, and I can't forget the "mush"...

Mr. & Mrs. 25th still had smiles on their faces and held hands when they left the building. Maybe in twenty-three years we will see them again for our 25th wedding anniversary dinner.

2013 Summer Road Trip

A mid-summer trip to just get out of town. Away from responsibility. To just do what we do. 

That was all my husband and I wanted out of our vacation this year: go somewhere, eat good food, see some sights, and laugh.

A few weeks ago we took a road trip with loads of stops and hours of being together in the car. We had minimal planned activities, and mostly just went where Lady Luck took us. And it was just perfect.


We planned a stop in Niagara Falls, NY. Just for camping and visiting the Falls {once at night, and once in the day light}.

We happened upon an art walk featuring community member art pieces, drinks and appetizers on a cute little patio, and a coffee roaster in Utica, NY.

We drove through the Adirondack Mountains and had a lovely day visiting Lake George. 

There was a great time had while camping in Burlington, VT. So much good food, shopping, sight seeing, beer tasting at the Magic Hat Brewery Tour. And a stop at The Vermont Pub & Brewery.

A tour and some ice cream eating was very much on the schedule from day one of planning this vacation. Who could pass up visiting the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Vermont?

Let's see, we hiked around the Quechee Gorge, ate mussels at the Portsmouth Brew Pub, and hit up bar for a late night bite in Bangor, Maine.

We loved camping in Acadia National Park and spending time in Bar Harbor and Portland.

We rounded out the trip by heading to Boston for Independence Day. An afternoon baseball game in "America's Most Beloved Ballpark", beers and dinner on the set bar of Cheers, then fireworks on the Charles River. Pretty American I'd say :)

It was a wonderful get away. Full of so much fun... with these photos serving tribute to the major highlights.  So happy we were able to spend a little time away from home just enjoying ourselves.

My Favorite Fool

I'm enjoying April 1st with my favorite fool of all time!

Hope you're with some of your favorite fools as well.

Have a happy start to April :)

Simple Family Journaling: Our Monthly Love Notes

After the turn of the new year, I noticed lots of journaling ideas floating around on blogs that I adore. I think that many families want to find an easy way to hold on to newly made memories. Some of the ideas I've read about are easy, some take a bit more time. I thought I'd tell about the idea that we had late last year and have continued into 2013. It is easy enough for us, and maybe it will be easy to add {with personal touches, I'm sure} into the daily/weekly/monthly lives of others.

We call it our 'Love Notes' board. They aren't the "love notes" with beautiful handwriting that you might read over and over again while your favorite person is away on a work trip. They are more like 'happy thoughts' and events that happen during our month.

We chose to use a big chalkboard that was actually the program from our wedding. I love that this was our board's first official love note and I like that it now has a special purpose in our home.

photo taken by Life in Balance Photography

During the month we add notes about exciting days, events, or little tidbits that we want to remember. On the first day of the new month we photograph the board and then wipe it clean. The plan is to include board photos in a 2013 photo review that I'm attempting to create this year. I'm sure that these little notes will make it a bit easier to remember what some of our photos are and trigger some memories when we read our lists over again months and years later.

So there you have it. Our simple way of large group journaling {sometimes visitors enjoy adding onto our board as well}. It helps when your husband has gorgeous penmanship skills. {and I'm talking mad skills... the pretty writing is all his}

10 Years

Sometimes I just can't believe how fast time has flown. It is the beginning of September 2012. Where did the summer go? I am already sweeping leaves off our back porch and trying to save as many summer goodies as I can for the upcoming winter. But I do love the start of fall. One thing about this time of year is that it always makes me want to tell one of my favorite stories. The story of "how we met". (side note, our friends tell us to make a romantic short story out of this so if you go stealing my plot I expect some recognition, financial payment, or at least props in your dedication section)

My story consists of a few important ideas: it was the fall that I moved out of my parents' home -  Freshmen Move in at college, and meeting my soulmate... can you believe that all of these things can happen at once? Well they can, and is yet additional support of the statement "I am a lucky girl".

September 2002 I met my (future) husband in a dorm room of a friend from high school (I actually only knew three people at my new school so I was up for making friends). I came over to see his dorm and meet his two "random" roommates. I wouldn't call it love at first sight, but it was easy to see that I wouldn't have any trouble becoming friends with these guys.

The night continued, several random kids from all over the state of Ohio sitting around chatting amongst slightly unpacked containers and one quietly strummed guitar. (Isn't it always the guy with the guitar? *swoon*) We definitely sang some Dave Mathews and we all promised to hang out again more during our fall classes.

Flash forward a bit, and years passed with being the best of buds with my favorite fella. You know the friend in college that you always go to eat with or cook dinner at each other's apartments. You somehow end up running into them at the perfect time to invite them along to just about anything. (Late night snack runs, 45 minute drives to the nearest mall, walks to the library) We had met each other's families and visited hometowns because of various crazy schemes or similar interests. It's the friend that you never think to date - until you know that there is no other option.

So after three years of just being friends we realized that sometimes friends decide to not be friends anymore, which for us was a bit of an awkward start of dating. It was the best decision we've ever made.

Well, making the guitar he was playing on the first night we met the actual guest book at our wedding... that may have been the best decision we've ever made.

Engagement Photo taken by Life in Balance Photography

An Exceptional First Anniversary

At the end of July we had our first wedding anniversary! It was awesome. A day that will be special for years to come. We decided that if a first anniversary is on a Monday then a two part date is in order :) A couple cannot fit everything into one night after work hours!

Last Sunday we went to brunch at one of our favorite restaurants - the same restaurant where we hosted our rehearsal dinner just last year and then to a movie.

 

Monday we ate our year old cake - surprisingly very good for having been frozen for an entire year! We hiked the same trail that we hiked on our wedding day (for our "first look" and photos before the ceremony). It was fun to hike it together instead of meeting each other in the middle. After our hike we had a lovely dinner at another favorite restaurant in our little town.

One of my goals for our first anniversary was to figure out a way to document the day that we will value as a couple for years to come. Let me just say, I love documenting life. I was a scrap-booker during my teens and then as I became a teacher I found that charting student growth should be much more than just tests and final scores. I have kept portfolios displaying work and images of children to see their many aspects of growth during one school year. I also try to incorporate the idea of documentation into useful items or representations in other places of our lives, such as our home or special traditions in our family.We decided that taking a photograph each year would be a wonderful way to remember how much we've grown together each year and would be a vital part of our documentation piece. This is why I decided to create "anniversary bunting". On Monday, I trimmed and sewed little flags and left spaces for a photo from our upcoming anniversaries too (We already added a wedding photo to the beginning of the bunting and took several photos on Monday during our evening to add for our first year's celebration). It is a work in progress, sort of like a sweet little timeline to see how we age over the many upcoming anniversaries we are to celebrate. I cannot wait to choose a photo to print and add to our anniversary bunting to represent our first year of marriage!

Making bunting for our anniversary timeline

Family Ties: Aunt & Uncle

Auntie in the hospital with the little man

I know I've said this before but... I am one lucky lady. I am blessed with the role of being an "aunt".

Currently my husband and I have a six year old niece and a five year old niece who love to imagine. We tell stories (typically of the "Princess Pirate Ninja" variety which entertains both the niece and uncle involved), play with plastic horses, make up songs, and we've been known to randomly be sucked under the ocean for an adventure. No joke. There we are just playing a game, watching a movie, or reading a story and all of a sudden the entire room fills with water. You would not believe what we see during this phenomenon - but most often our behavior makes the entire family either laugh aloud or shrug their shoulders. I am crazy about these girls.

Then there are the twins - our youngest niece and first nephew. Sweet babies. Only months old. I cannot put into words how much they make me smile. Every blink and smile makes me remember when our older nieces were just tiny too. I cannot wait to hear their little voices. I want to teach them all sorts of songs to sing and hum. I love to see my husband "be dudes" with that tiny man, and hold the littlest lady of our family close in his arms.

The aunt and uncle responsibilities are jobs that my husband and I take seriously. We want to be with our nieces and nephew whenever we can. We love to see them, talk to them, hold them, and be just plain crazy together. They are some of the many reasons we travel so often to see family all around the state.

We are so excited because this week our oldest niece is here for a visit! Maybe I'll have a few fun photos to share after her time here. She had promised her mom that us girls would "party all day while Uncle Joe has to go to work"!

Back when our oldest niece was a little one

Wedded Bliss: Planning an Exceptional One Year Anniversary

Our one year wedding anniversary is quickly approaching. I am one of those calendar crazed sentimental people who just love little countdowns and remembering special days each and every year (what about monthly you ask?? even better). Birthdays, anniversaries, any series of "firsts"... I cannot get enough of it.

Lately I've been doing a lot of remembering of how I spent the beginning of last summer: finishing wedding plans, meeting with the caterer, tracking down dinner requests, assuring our parents that less really is more. It was great fun and I loved having the intimate wedding of my dreams while marrying the man of my dreams all at the same time.

Our "First Look" while hiking our favorite trail in the local glen prior to our wedding ceremony.
Photo taken by: Life in Balance Photography

So of course I want our first wedding anniversary to be something else that we can cherish. I want to have something that can become a tradition. I want something that is a remembrance of what our day was like one year ago. It is not that I want each anniversary to be the same, but I'd love to have one simple custom that we just always do. Oh, and I want to document it.

As I've begun thinking about our plans I have found that it is interesting (to me) to consider how married couples spend anniversaries. Talking about the past year, planning the upcoming year, reviewing a wedding video or some favorite photos, considering what they have learned about their "better half" and of course on the first anniversary eating the saved wedding cake (which lucky for us our caterer is in walking distance of our home - my husband has a sweet tooth that just won't quit, so a half-frozen, 365 day old cake may not due when he is expecting some supreme anniversary treat). I think that all of these ideas could easily fit into our special little evening, even the cake as we did gingerly tuck it away in our freezer last summer... possibly the most traditional thing we did for our entire wedding. I guess I wouldn't use the word "traditional" to describe our wedding or us for that matter. We like having traditions, but they are typically ones we start ourselves. Hopefully we'll be starting one or two new traditions at the end of next month when we celebrate our first wedding anniversary.