I've Never Kept Up With ANYTHING For A Whole Decade

The longest I've kept up with an exercise program was the C25K and it lasted 5 weeks. 

The longest I've kept up with a diet was Weight Watchers and it lasted 3.5 months.  

I've only kept a child alive and healthy for two years so far.

The longest I've ever kept a car is 4 years. 

Those pesky cats are skating on thin ice at 9 years. (Well, Tuna is skating on thin ice. Reese shouldn't be lumped in the same category as Tuna.)

But John. John I've had in my life for a DECADE. It's so hard to believe because I remember those first few months like they were yesterday. 

It was Christmas Eve 2003. In typical John fashion, he decided he would come over for Christmas morning at my family's home at the last second. Like, 3pm on Christmas Eve last second. I called to tell my mom that he had decided to come and she panicked thinking she was going to have to wrap cans of soup from the pantry as his gift. Lucky for her I worked at the mall and was still there that afternoon, so I quickly ran around and picked up a Carolina Tarheels toboggan (a winter hat for you crazy northerners) and a CD - I think it was The Offspring, which, ew, no idea why that was what I picked up at one of those ancient music stores that used to exist in the mall. Christmas was saved and the new boyfriend of only a month or so was coming to Christmas for the very first time. He brought a gift for me as well - the typical "I don't really know you well just yet so here's a basket of lotions from Bath and Body Works". 

He's never missed a Christmas since. Don't get me wrong; just as anyone else we had our fair share of ups and downs, but luckily we made it through. He did break up with me once for a total of about 2 hours. Just enough for me to cry my eyes out and call my parents while they were vacationing in the mountains only to call them back 2 hours later and say he changed his mind. Are we sensing a theme?

Although he has changed his mind over a million things (he's going to hate me for saying that! He lives in mind-changing-denial.) I'm most thankful that he's never changed his mind about me (except for those 2 hours, but we choose to forget about that). I'm lucky. He's so so good to me and Charley. We don't exchange love letters or gifts and we didn't write our own vows at our wedding or even have a first dance. At parties or social gatherings, you can typically find us away from each other catching up with others we see less often. Our love is just understood and that's just the way I like it. It's very comforting to not have to constantly seek out reassurance that we're still good. 

And when I do get the occasional sweet remark it makes it all the more special. From just the other day:

John: Buying this house is the third best decision I've ever made.
Me: Third? What was second?
John: Having Charley.
Me: And the first? (knowing the answer but just wanting to hear it to be sure it wasn't like 'choosing to go on that ski trip next year')
John: Marrying you.

I then very sweetly replied that I can't pick between him and Charley for first and second, but he told me that without him there would be no Charley so it's an understood first/second. Okay. I'll take it. Aren't I just the sweetest?

It was four years ago today that we got married. 

We're good. 

I love him.

A Monumental Anniversary

For our first anniversary, John and I wanted to take a weekend trip somewhere close-ish and somewhere that neither of us had ever been. Ultimately, we decided on Washington, DC after discovering that a Cirque du Soleil show was going to be playing there on our anniversary weekend. And if you remember my 101 list, you will know that this little trip then knocks off at least two items:

• 11. Take a trip for our anniversary.
• 14. See a show by Cirque de Soleil.

It could possibly even work for #12 - Visit a state I've never been to before, but, DC isn't in a state and even though we flew into Baltimore I don't think it should count. But, if it gets down to May 2013 and this item has yet to be marked off, then I may come back and change my mind. Besides, the Amtrak/MARC station in Baltimore was just beautiful and I can't imagine that Maryland has too much more to offer, right?

We flew in early Friday morning and only had one thing on the agenda that day: Ovo by Cirque du Soleil at 4:00 p.m. Which, was a good thing because even though the show was only right outside of DC, it took a long time and a lot of energy to get there. But we did enjoy the scenery along the way through Old Town in Alexandria, VA, over the Potomac River, and finally through National Harbor, Maryland. To put it short, we did all of this in order to get from our hotel to the show -

In text:

Walk .4 miles to Metro, Take Metro 8 stops south, (Option here to take shuttle to river or to walk - we chose to walk since we wanted to stop for lunch) walk 1.1 miles to the river, take water taxi across the Potomac, and finally walk the last 1.3 miles to the show. & then to get back - you get the idea.

And in pictures:

And stupid me did not wear my tennis shoes because I thought there would be more shuttling and less walking so my feet were pretty upset with me. I didn't wear heels, but I did wear some flats with minimal support. Boo.

That was Friday in a nutshell. Ovo was Omazing, in case you were wondering. I don't think there are any bad Cirque shows, though.

So Saturday was our day to do the things that you have to do in Washington, DC just because you are there. Such as monuments and museums and such. I was worried that we'd both be bored with this, because it's just not our cup of tea but we gave it a good shot anyways. We saw the main monuments, attempted a museum and called it a day. We didn't want to make our anniversary weekend too much like a field trip - and museums and monuments are not at the top of our fun list.

But we have the pictures to prove we attempted it, and then went back to the hotel for a nap, a swim in the indoor pool and then some time in the hot tub to soothe our aching feet.

With an early flight Sunday morning, we spent the rest of the night by grabbing dinner at a local pub, and then watching the baseball game to finish up the night.

Hopefully we will be able to keep up this tradition of visiting a new place with each year's anniversary. And next time, it'll be even more great if I remember to pack my flat iron and hairbrush!

Happy Anniversary

John,

In just one year of marriage we have been:

• a "classy" couple at a bar in our wedding attire
• an all-inclusive resort loving couple
• a two-car couple, once again, after 4+ years as a one-car couple
• a 'let's decorate the Christmas tree together' couple
• an 'oops - we are having a baby' couple
• a 'YAY we are going to be parents' couple
• a disappointed 'getting over a miscarriage' couple
• a 'let's have more just us time and less friend time' couple
• a three computer couple
• a two computer couple + some extra cash
• a three computer couple - some extra cash
• an IKEA loving couple
• a DSLR camera loving couple - okay, yeah, that's just me
• a 'first time tent-camping together' couple
• a 'let's take a trip together instead of give presents for our anniversary' couple*
• and, a sickening 'I love you even more each day' couple

That is a lot of changes for just one year of marriage. But we roll with the changes like champs. I mean, we have been together for 7 years already and the changes are pretty evident:

 

And even though only one of those years really count, I'm glad we had a good, solid base to start with.

If you wanted to follow the anniversary gift rules and get/give paper gifts this year, feel free to print this out. My gift to you! You did finally find the missing printer cord, after all.

Anyways, here's to our first year, and many more to come...

I love you, Tuppy.

Love always,
Tuppy

*details will come soon!