Funny Question

Like a lot of married couples, we have a few pictures here and there on display from our wedding day.  Pictures to remind us of the love we share, the wonderful memories of a special day and also to remind us how much skinnier we used to be.  Ok, so that's the case for me and not all.  Every now and then we flip through albums to relive the memories and remind ourselves how lucky we are to be married to our best friend.  A pretty special thing if you ask me.
Hunter was looking at a few pictures from mine and Craig's wedding day.  Then he asked me this really funny question, "Mom, do you think that other girls were sad and cried that day because Daddy was marrying you and not them?"  Let's be honest.  The answer is probably yes.  I mean, just take one look at Craig and you will probably be sad too that you didn't get the chance to marry him.  And I'm the lucky one to call him mine for the rest of my life. :)

Why Tennessee?

Every time I told someone that Craig and I would be heading to Tennessee in October, the most popular response I got was, "Why Tennessee?".  Well, why not?  Craig drove through on a band trip once and said it looked gorgeous and that he always wanted to check out the Smoky Mountains.  And I had always heard that Nashville is so much fun with lots to do.  So after googling the areas and a little research we decided that TN would be the perfect place for us to go on a little get-away.  After seeing our pictures, you may just want to go to TN too!

I knew we had made a great choice as soon as we got off the plane in Nashville.  Dierks Bentley even welcomed us to Nashville!  How cool is that?  Ok, so it was just over the loud speaker, but still, I think I can say that he welcomed us.  Him along with Tim McGraw, George Strait and Kellie Pickler.  We got our rental car and it was gross.  Scratches everywhere, stains inside, and I thought it was an ugly car.  So, we decided to complain and got ourselves a Chevy Malibu.  Much nicer!  We hit the road towards Gatlinburg as we would spend most of our time near Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We had rented a cabin for our days there and from the pictures online, it looked cute.  But sometimes pictures can be deceiving.

We were not disappointed when we pulled up to this cute cabin!  It was just as nice as the pictures and totally beat a hotel.  It was completely secluded being surrounded by trees on a slope of a mountain.  It was amazing.  And complete with a full kitchen, living room, washer/dryer, pool table, air hockey table and hot tub on the back deck.  Pretty amazing and the price was right!  We were tired from a day of travel, but also a little hungry, so we headed to downtown Gatlinburg, had some food and walked the strip.  After relaxing in the hot tub, we hit the hay so we were ready for the adventures that awaited us the next day.

The next day we head to the park.  We had seen the mountains in the distance and they were beautiful.  We couldn't wait to head into the park and do a little exploring.  This was at the first spot we pulled off at.  There was a hint of color in the trees and it was breathtaking.  And even the drive was great.  The majority of the time it was like you were in a tunnel of trees and every now and then there would be a clearing with mountains surrounding you.

We drove just a little further into the park and came across a trail to hike.  We grabbed our water, a couple snacks and set off.  The only thing we read on the sign was that it would take 2-3 hours round trip and it was 2 miles up and 2 miles back.  No big deal, right?  Oh no, it was exhausting!  If you are ever at GSMNP, and decided to hike the Chimney Top Trail, make sure you bring plenty of water, some snacks, good shoes and be ready to get your heart pumping, make multiple stops to catch your breath, and feel burning in your calves and thighs.  Seriously.  Apparently we didn't read the sign completely, but once we returned we discovered we had just made a 1,700 foot elevation change and that it was a difficult trail.  We learned that really fast.  A trail that had rocks and tree roots as your steps.  A trail that was super steep.  A trail where you had to climb over rocks in some parts.  But it was totally worth it!  The view at the top was beautiful and there were manys streams and a few small waterfalls along the way.

At the summit of Chimney Top.  We didn't go all the way due to our shoes feeling slippery on the rocks that you had to climb.  And since we wanted to live and see our boys again, we decided why risk it. 

After that, we headed back to the cabin, changed and headed to South Carolina for dinner with my cousin and her husband.  So fun to see them, see where they live and have many laughs with them.  We drove back that evening but could hardly stay awake.  We ended up pulling off at a rest area about an hour away from our cabin and slept for about an hour.  After that, we hit the road and got back around 2 AM.  Talk about a long day!  But lots of fun!  The next day we headed back to the park because we had hardly seen any of it.  We did a lot of driving, hiked part of the Appalachian Trail and went to see Clingman's Dome (the highest point in the park with a great view).  We also saw some elk in a meadow that evening.  The part of the park we explored that day brought us into North Carolina. 

 On the Appalachian Trail.

 Clingman's Dome.

View from the Dome.  Hints of color in the tree tops.

After a day filled with hiking, taking in the sights, we headed back to Gatlinburg for supper.  We were completely exhausted, but walked up and down the strip (as if we hadn't walked enough that day) and headed back to the cabin.  The next day was our last full day in Gatlinburg so we decided to get up early because there was still park of the park we had wanted to see, called Cades Cove.  We had read that Cades Cove is the best place to see wildlife and I told Craig that we couldn't leave until we saw a bear.  I was determined.  Well, lucky for me we did.  We were at a cute little cabin and some people had asked us if we had seen the bears up the trail.  We hadn't gone on that trail, but instantly I knew we had to.  After all, I did come to see a bear, right?  They told us there was a mama bear with her two cubs high in the trees.  They said we would hear them rustling in the tree tops.  So, we meandered our way up the trail and sure enough heard them.  But we couldn't see them.  We waited and waited, looked and looked, but nothing.  The forest was so dense it was hard to figure out exactly what tree they were in.  And was that rustling really from the tree tops?  Or were they now on the ground?  Kind of an uneasy feeling not knowing where exactly the bears were, but knowing you can hear them and that they are close.  But finally, my husband with his great vision spotted them and pointed them out.  They were high in the tree tops and we were only able to spot one cub.  We decided it would be wise to skedaddle since we hadn't seen mama bear yet, and we all know mama would do whatever it would take to keep her cubs safe.  I was satisfied, but was still hoping to get a picture of a bear.  We continued to drive and came across a congested area.  Everybody was out of their cars looking at a bear!  It was nestled in a tree, and kind of hard to pick out.  It looked like a little black blog.  I took a picture, because we were running out of chances.  A few yards up the road though there was a little black bear hanging out in the tree.  I snapped a picture as we drove by.

Isn't it cute??  We continued to drive and drive and did some hiking.  Saw a really neat mill, another bear and finally decided to head out of the park because it was 1:30 and we still hadn't had any lunch.  We thought Cades Cove would be a quick couple hours but somehow turned into somewhere between 4-5 hours.  But it was really neat and we knew we could have seen a lot more if only time allowed it.  After a great lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, we went to Cooter's to get a picture of the General Lee for Hunter, get Hunter a couple souvenirs and played some mini-golf.  Kind of a disappointing course but still had fun.  There were a lot of neat courses, so next time.  We did our touristy shopping, enjoyed some ice cream and then went to the moonshine distillery.  Who could refuse free samples?  It was neat seeing how they made it and fun trying it.  We were able to try 6 different flavors-apple pie, grape, hunch punch, a cherry soaked in white lighting, and 2 white lightnings-one strong one and then an even stronger one (which I couldn't do).  The apple pie was our favorite hands down so we bought some to bring home :)  Yum!  I guess we might just have to have a moonshine party one night so you can try a little sample.

Outside of the distillery, there was an amazing bluegrass band called Monroeville.  They were great and it was fun sitting in a rocking chair listening to music.  We then headed to dinner at the most obnoxious place ever-Dick's.  I thought it was funny, slightly entertaining, but I could tell Craig may have been slightly uncomfortable.  It is a crazy atmosphere and we can definitely say it is a dinner that we will remember.  After enjoying our evening downtown, we headed back to the cabin to pack up so we would be ready to hit the road in the morning.

The next morning we headed to Nashville, TN!  Can I get a yee-haw?  Nashville was amazing.  We checked into our hotel, dropped off our bags and head to the Ryman Auditorium.  For those of you who don't know what the Ryman is, it is the old home of the Grand Ole Opry.  It started out as a church to begin with.  Many stars have performed there over the years.  And we were even able to go up on stage!  Pretty cool feeling knowing you stood in the exact spot as stars such as Elvis, Johnny Cash, June Carter, Dolly Parton.

I know we look pretty good on stage.  Star material if you ask me.  But you will not want to hear us sing.  Craig's ok...me, no way!  One guy told me that I beamed when I was on stage.  It was quite the compliment.  I assured him he did not want to hear me perform.  After the Ryman, we found some lunch at a great little BBQ place downtown.  You know it's going to be good when there is still a line at 1:30 in the afternoon.  After that we hit up Broadway and popped in and out of bars listening to some live music.  Then, it was time to head to the Grand Ole Opry for the performance that night.  We had a great time at the Opry and heard some amazing voices.  Some we knew of, others we didn't.  Either way, it was a great show.  Very entertaining and everyone sounded amazing.

After the 2.5 hour performance, we headed back downtown to see the nightlife of Nashville on a Friday night.  We found some food at Margaritaville and heard a great band.  We popped in and out of a few bars, but finally found a band we really liked at Legends.  We spent the rest of our night there enjoying each other and great music. 

As you can tell we had a great time in TN!  Many great memories were made and it was so nice spending some much needed one on one time with the hubby.  It was bittersweet to come home.  I didn't want our time to end, but was ready to come home to two little boys who missed us dearly.  Oh, and we missed them too :)  So, if you're looking for a great vacation spot with lots to do, head to TN!

Tree Kisser

I know you have all heard of a tree-hugger, but have you ever heard of a tree-kisser?  Meet Brody, the tree-kisser.  Because every tree needs a little love.

Five Years

It is so hard to believe that five years have passed since I married my best friend and love of my life.  I guess the old saying is true-time flies when you're having fun.  And also that fact that we have been so busy the past five years.  In a way, it feels as if it was just the other day that my dad was walking me down the aisle towards Craig to give me away and we became one.  We became a family.  But at the same time, I feel like we have been married for years and we know so much about each other.  Things one only knows about a person after being together for a very, very long time.

I am sure people thought we were crazy for getting married.  Yea, we were a little.  I was 19.  He was 21.  We had just had Hunter 7 weeks before our wedding.  I know, a little backwards, but it worked.  But we knew from very on in our relationship that what we had was real.  Sure, we were in high school and still had the rest of our lives ahead of us when we met, but there was just something about us that clicked and as we got to know each other more and more, we knew we didn't want to be apart.  We knew that we were meant to be with one another.  Forever.

What have our first five years of marriage consisted of?  A lot.  We have been blessed with two beautiful boys.  We cannot imagine our lives without them and they really do make our family feel complete. We have purchased our first home.  This was huge for us especially after all of our moves across the country.  In five years, we have moved six times-but really, who's counting?  Even though Craig is still on the road still moving around and isn't here very often, we are so thankful to have a place to call our own.  A place we are proud of.  A place that feels like home and not just a house/apartment.  These are two of our biggest accomplishments.

What do I love about our marriage after five years?  We can still make each other laugh.  I get his dry sense of humor.  He gets my corny sense of humor and sarcasm-not everyone does.  I hope this continues in the years to come.  We can cry together.  I don't have to be afraid of hiding my true feelings.  We have maintained a friendship.  We're not just married, we are each other's best friends.  He is my go-to person when I need to talk to someone.  He is the one I can trust with anything.  We make the most of our time together.  Even though it is so hard having him away for three weeks at a time, it is also a blessing.  It makes us realize what we have and enjoy every minute of time we get together.  And I love that we are more in love than we were five years ago when we said, "I will".  I never thought that I could love him more than I did that day, but each day, I fall deeper in love with him.  God truly made us for each other.

So even though we aren't able to spend our anniversary together (hopefully next year!) and it makes me a little sad, I know that he is thinking of me and I of him and know that I have a man who loves me and our boys and is willing to make the sacrifice to work away on the road in order to provide for our family.  And that makes me happy and proud to call him my husband.  Craig, I love you so much and these have been the best five years of my life.  Sure, they've been a little crazy and we've had our ups and downs, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I can't wait to see what the next 60+ years bring.  Yes, it's possible.  Happy Anniversary, Lover and I can't wait to see you next weekend!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our wedding day: 

 Our first time seeing eachother all dressed up on our wedding day.

 Lighting our Unity Candle

 On our church altar

 Pastor Meyer blessing our marriage.

 Finally married!! 

 Sharing one of our first kisses together.

And who can forget our yummy dessert reception?

Flying Solo

Ugh. I wish this wasn't true. Who knew that 2+ weeks would fly by so fast? I honestly don't know where time has gone. For the past 2+ weeks, Craig has been home on break. I'm sure you thought something was up since I haven't blogged in what feels like forever. It was wonderful- but tonight, the house seems so lonely. Once again, I have no one to talk to once the boys are down. No one to watch late night TV or a movie with. It stinks. I know he's just a phone call away, but it's not the same. But, at least this time around we have a 5 day stretch of being apart rather than the normal 17. Yes, we really do count down the days. Until then, I'm flying solo. No more sleeping in...which was amazing! Breakfast, lunch and supper are my roles again. I'll be honest, it will be tough to get back in the swing of things. I have slacked so much and Craig has been there to pick it up. Tomorrow I will put on the full stay-at-home-mom armor and be prepared for whatever struggles the day may hold. I will be the rock the boys need me to be. Not necessarily because I want to, but I need to. But I don't have to put it on until tomorrow. Tonight I'm still weak. Wishing he was here. I will not be surprised if I'll crawl into bed and let out a few tears and hug my pillow tight. I'm allowed to. But just tonight. After all, tomorrow the countdown will be four days! Yes, I am counting. :)

Just Because

Today I got a very unexpected, but pleasant call from a florist in town saying she had some flowers that needed to be delivered. Instantly, a big smile stretched across my face. 45 minutes later, she was at my door with my flowers. As soon as she left, I quickly untied the ribbon to see what they looked like. Inside, I found 12 gerber daisies-my favorite flower. Then, I peeked at the note and it read:

"Just Because

I love you a lot.

Craig"

So simple, but so sweet. It was exactly what I needed to brighten up my week after a couple of rough and lonely days. Inside of me, this project has taken a toll on me. But, I try not to let it show. I need to stay strong for the boys and let them know that we can do this, even though it isn't the most ideal situation. But every now and then, my emotions catch up to me and when everything is quiet in the house I will have a minor melt down and wish things could be different. I question whether this is what's best for our family, what's best for our relationship. I cannot tell you how much I look forward to next weekend when Craig is done with it and home for awhile. It is exactly what our family needs right now.

But until then, I have fresh flowers to wake up to. Flowers that remind me that I am loved by my husband, but more importantly, my best friend. Thanks, Craiger! You know exactly what to do to put a smile on my face. :)

Valentine's Day Food

Yesterday I wanted to do something special for the boys. Something that they would think was kind of fun. Something that would show them how much I really do love them. I'm pretty sure Brody didn't notice, but Hunter definitely did.

With each meal, I tried to incorporate hearts of some sort. Let's just say my heart cookie cutters were my friend yesterday. :)

For breakfast, we pulled out our heart waffle maker (a lovely wedding gift) and made homemade buttermilk waffles. Yum!

For lunch we used our cookie cutters and cut the bread into hearts to make heart-shaped grilled cheese. I enjoyed some tomato soup too :)

For supper, we made red heart jello-jigglers. The boys thought this was a lot of fun!

Auntie Melissa brought out Papa Murphy's pizza for supper, but we decided to put our own personal touch on it and cut Hunter's piece into a heart!

I had a lot of fun doing this year for the boys and think it will be something I will keep up in the year. Hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day filled with lots of love!

Life is Precious.

I feel like life is something we take for granted. Something we feel like we deserve. And when do we ever take the time to stop, look around us, and realize how lucky and fortunate we really are. Not too often.
Yesterday I went to a funeral for a 4 month old (son of a friend from elementary school). A little boy who had so much ahead of him. He had just had his 4 month check-up last Tuesday and they told his parents he was healthy. Friday morning he was no longer here on Earth because of SIDS.
I can't imagine the pain his parents are feeling right now, nor do I wish I could. I am sure they have so many questions that will never be answered during our time here on Earth.
While waiting for the service to start, I glanced around the sanctuary seeing if I knew anyone. But, something caught my eye. I watched as his parents said their final good-byes before the funeral director closed his casket in order for the funeral to start. I saw them embrace each other, clinging to the memories they had and the fear of how to face the days and years to come. My heart sank and I could feel a tightness in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. I quickly looked away, but I couldn't help but to cry not only for them, but for all parents who have had to endure such pain. I thought about myself. What would I do without my boys? I have no clue. My life would feel empty. Incomplete. Unfair.
Today is also the one year anniversary that a dear friend of mine lost her mother. Her mom was an amazing person. She literally lit up the room with her smile and laughter whenever she entered. She took the time to get to know me and was a friend to me. I know she is missed daily, but especially today. My heart aches for my friend and her sisters today. I can't imagine not having my mom. We've had our ups and downs, but without her, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be the person I am today. I love my mom with all my heart and feel so blessed to have her here today.
It's sad that it takes such tragedy to make us stop and think of how lucky we really are. I have two boys who are healthy, fun, loving, great personalities and even though there are some days where I feel like I'm living in a zoo and just want to escape for a little bit or scream, I wouldn't change it. I have a husband who loves me unconditionally for who I am through the good and the bad (I sometimes still wonder what he sees in me and question how I got so lucky). Not only is he my husband, but he has become my best friend over the years. Someone I can trust everything with. I have a family who supports me and is there for me through thick and thin. Who will listen to me whenever I need someone to talk to. Who will help with the boys if I need to run an errand or just need a night out with friends. I have friends who choose to like me (yep, I wonder about them too). Friends who allow me to have fun, but let me be serious and have heartfelt conversations. Friends who will listen to me vent about the little things in life that build up over time.
I am so lucky and blessed. Having people in my life who care about me and love me for who I am is the greatest thing I could ever ask for. Life is precious. We take it for granted. But take the time to look around and realize all that you have going for you. Some days it may be hard to see because there are dark days that block it, but if you look really hard, you will find it.

Good-Night, Sleep-Tight.

How sweet is this?

I realized that it was taking Craig a long time to come out of Hunter's room after putting him to bed tonight. Like 30 minutes! I figured Hunter was having a hard time falling asleep and just wanted his daddy to cuddle. But, to my surprise, as I quietly walked into the room, both of them had fallen asleep and I couldn't resist snapping this picture before waking Craig up to tell him to go to bed.

It's the Little Things that Matter.

After a rough night of sleep, make that hardly any sleep (I had a lot on my mind) I had a feeling today wouldn't start out too well. I'd be tired, crabby, etc. But, after my shower this morning, I checked my email and to my surprise had an email from Craig:

"Good Morning!

Just wanted to say I love you, I love you, I loooove youuuuu!"

This simple email put a smile on my face, brought back great memories of our first date (we went to the movie Elf where this wonderful quote comes from...and Hunter will run around the house saying it) and made me realize how lucky I am to have him in my life! I love emails...even the little ones because sometimes they're the ones that matter the most to me.

A Thanksgiving to Remember

Well, as I said before, we hosted our first Thanksgiving ever. I was a little worried, didn't know what to expect, didn't know how to make a turkey or dressing but, it went amazing! Our first turkey was a success and so delicious. I'm serious. Everyone said so...and I even tried it myself. And, it wasn't just a little turkey...we decided to go big or go home and made a 24 pound turkey!!! That's right! It was the biggest one I could find at the grocery store. And thank goodness we did because we ended up having 24 guests at our house ranging from 6 months-well...I won't give that age away :)

Craig carving the turkey.

It was a great time to see aunts, uncles, and cousins that I don't get to see everyday. We are lucky to see eachother once a year. My dad comes from a family with 9 children, so it is hard to get a big group of us all together now that we're spread out across the country. Well, world once I think about it. I had one cousin travel from Colorado and another who surprised all of us, including her parents and siblings, and came from Israel!!! So amazing to see them again!

We had a great time with many laughs, sharing stories-some new some old, great food and great company. I will never forget this Thanksgiving and am so thankful to have such an amazing family who support me and love me for who I am. Thank you to all of you who came and made this day possible!
When I was putting Hunter down to bed Thanksgiving night, I asked him if he had fun. He told me he did. I asked him what he thought of my cousins (it has been about 3 years since he has seen most of them). He told me, "Mom, they're really nice, but they're really wild!" Haha! I think he said it perfectly! But that is a good thing. When we are together, we know how to have fun and the room is always filled with laughter. And saying good-bye is always hard. We never know when we'll all be together again. It seems as if all of our lives are so busy now. But we fully take advantage of the MN good-bye, and nobody walks out of the house without 3 hugs from everyone. It has taken Craig awhile to get used to this...well, he might not be yet, but he's learning. At least he knows to expect it now. Oh! And we always try to take a cousin picture. But good luck trying to get all of us looking decent in a picture. We're too busy laughing and talking. Oh well, we have fun doing it! And this is proof:

Considering how many of us there were, this is pretty good!

"Serious" picture.

"Crazy" picture. I think this one sums us up pretty well.