10th Anniversary
We had an amazing time this past week. It was sort of a whirlwind East Coast roadtrip and was exactly what we needed. I can’t believe it’s been ten years since Kristin and I got married. It’s been too long since we have been alone for this amount of time.
We left Monday morning and drove to Raleigh to meet up with the Renstroms. The next day we drove to Washington DC and hung out there for the rest of the day. The next morning we drove up to New York and stayed there for two nights. I don’t know if I’ve ever walked so much in four days, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Here’s a couple of my favorite pictures. My camera is in the shop so these are all from my phone.
Ten Years In New York
August 5th Kristin and I will have been married ten years. What? Where did ten years go? Anyway, next week we’re taking a roundabout trip to New York to celebrate. Now, when I say roundabout, that means we are driving but we’re working our way there through North Carolina and Washington DC. Kristin has never been to any of these places and we’ve been working on this trip for a while. My parents have been awesome enough to come out and stay with the boys so we’ll have a little time to just take it in. Then for our actual anniversary day, we’ll be in New York. We’re still not sure of the details of what we are going to do there, but does it really matter?
So this next week we are tourists. I absolutely can’t wait to be with just Kristin for a couple days. For eight of these ten years we’ve had kids and not taken more than a couple hours to get away on a date. After eight years, I think we’ve earned it.
So what’s the absolute ‘must do’ stuff on the way to or in New York. I’ve been there a few times and we’ll do some of the tourist-y stuff, but anyone have any recommendations?
Happy Birthday Kristin
A few weeks back Kristin and I took these cheesy ‘high school senior picture’ photos because we’re funny like that. How amazing did this one turn out?! Anyway, today this amazing girl turns 29. Now, what I’ve done is hijacked her blog with a picture of a cupcake, which is both funny and sentimental. It’s funny because she’s got an unclear disdain for the ‘cupcake movement’ that has taken place over the past few years, and it’s sentimental because that is the place where you people can go wish her a very happy birthday.
Happy birthday to the most amazing woman I know and my best friend. I’ve been blessed to have known you this long, and can’t wait for the rest of our lives.
Monthly Fests
So, back in the day, when Kristin and I lived in California and before kids we started a monthly tradition at our house loosely based off of Oktoberfest. Except it was monthly. If I remember correctly it was the second Tuesday of every month. Although I could be completely making that part up. Anyway. If it was January it was ‘Januaryfest’, February, ‘Februaryfest, March, Marchfest… You get the idea. Basically all it was, was a time for our friends to come over and hang out. We’d barbeque some food, and hang out. You know, a monthly excuse to hang out with people.
Well, since we’ve moved out here we haven’t really had a chance to do it. We haven’t had the time. Or really the group of people wanting to do it with us. But here we are. I’m wanting to start up this thing again. The low-key hang out at our house with food and friends appropriately named after each month.
I’m not sure if we’ll have time to fit in a Junefest, but I’ve got my sights on Julyfest. Now, I don’t know details yet, and Kristin and I haven’t even really talked about it all that much, but I think it’d be fun. Who’s in?
Mother’s Day Getaway
I had a lame Mother’s Day planned. Donuts in bed, then hanging out at the house for a few hours and hitting up the Olive Garden for an early dinner. Then getting the kids in bed and watching a movie or something. Pretty sorry eh? That was until Kristin mentioned that she didn’t really want to go to a busy restaraunt and it would be more fun to go somewhere. We knew that Fall Creek Falls wasn’t that far away, but for some reason we had never been there. After a short conversation about it, bam, instant awesome Mother’s Day plan.
Two and a half hours in the car. A short lunch at Quiznos and we found ourselves in this amazing national park with all sorts of hiking trails and cliffs and other dangerous things to play around. Kristin and I don’t have many pictures of just the two of us so we made Blue take some. This was one of the only ones that wasn’t foccused on something else. I realized later that it looks like we are sort of floating in front of the falls, but that’s because there’s a rock there.
Dang, I get distracted when I write.
Anyway, we hiked around for a good three hours or so. The boys ran literally everywhere they possibly could like those super hyper little dogs on the end of leashes that have to stay as far as they possibly can away from you yet still being restrained back by something. You know the ones. Somehow we managed to make it out of there with no broken bones and nobody floating down a river. We all had an amazing time. Way better than Olive Garden for sure. And I’m pretty sure Kristin and I got the classic, self taken, married person Facebook profile pic. Check it out.
In Walmart’s Across The Country
I bought all four of these yesterday. Hopefully Walmart had more in the back or something because it was the only four on the shelf.
Krisitn has always been super creative and talented so when we started talking about her painting a heart for the new MercyMe record, I knew she’d knock it out of the park. And check it out. She did. And here’s the thing. She will try to pawn this off and say that I had something to do with the design of the packaging for the ‘All Of Creation’ single that’s currently on iTunes and exclusively in Walmart’s across the country, but not true. See, I actually had nothing to do with this packaging at all. This was completely ‘label chosen’ and ‘label designed’. What that means is that my wife is awesome and so is her heart painting skills. Enough so that it’s the entire cover of the single. I told you she was awesome.
So here’s the deal. This thing is only at ‘Select Walmart’s’ and I have no idea what that means, but if you haven’t already, you need to track these things down and buy them…. lots of them. What that also means is that in our house is that Kristin is an awesome painter and now her art is everywhere. And I think that’s pretty cool. I’m proud of her and think she did a great job and I love the fact that she can’t put any of the credit on anyone else.
I See The Hill
So I’m not technically ‘Over The Hill’, but I can see it. Today marks the day where I am officially closer to 40 than I am to 20. The ‘hill’ is in sight and it’s not that far off. Thanks for all the Twitter / Facebook wishes. You people are nice.
Also, a quick side note, because today is also the national holiday of loving people and giving chocolate. Kristin and I have a tradition of delaying Valentine’s Day until the next weekend when restaurants are emptier and babysitters are more available. But on that Valentine’s Day note, I will have you know that there really is no more perfect woman than Kristin, so I apologize to all you folks out there that think you’ve found ‘the perfect person’. You haven’t, because I did.
Happy Birthday Kristin
Today is Kristin’s Birthday and I’ve hijacked her blog and turned it into a Happy Birthday wishing party over there. So here we go. Head over to Kristin’s Blog and wish her a very happy birthday.
Three Jee Es
Yep, I did it. Now, I had the first generation iPhone. You know, the one with the metal back and no 3G-ness. Well, yesterday Mr. FedEx dropped off my Father’s Day present from Kristin and the boys and I immediately started in on setting it up. It’s not all organized or set up perfectly yet, but it’s getting close.
What’s cool about this whole upgrade thing is that now Kristin can have my old one and let’s face it; What’s not cool about a two iPhone family? Was that the proper use of the semicolon? Anyway. I’m still reading about all the new features, and honestly I’m just glad that I have a phone that doesn’t take thirty seconds to decide to unlock occasionally.
So a big fat, ‘my wife is awesome’ thank you to Kristin and my boys for my new distraction that I can also use for work. So I know a bunch of you out there already have the new iPhone, so what’s your favorite thing so far?
