Our Love Story

I'm linking up today with From Mrs. to Mama to answer a few questions about Big Poppa and I and our Love Story!  I had to go digging for pictures because we've been together since before digital pictures (if that tells you how old we are!).

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

We started dating our sophomore year in college, in the spring of 1998! 

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

Big P lived with three guys that were high school buddies and one of my roommates went to high school with them, so we all started hanging out.  In the beginning, I thought he had a crush on one of my roommates, but come to find out he was trying to find ways to get to know me! I was dating someone at the time so I didn't think much about it.  One night, after a long day of hiking and then a few too many shots of cheap tequila margaritas at my apartment, he decided to spill his guts and then he kissed me in my kitchen!  Needless to say, I needed a few days to recover from the tequila and then figure out how to process what had happened.  Went out on our first date a few weeks later to the Olive Garden and to see Great Expectations and we've been together ever since!

3. If married, how long have you been married? 

We were married on November 9, 2002 so this November we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary!

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? 

We had a medium size wedding (about 130 guests) and we were married at the Magnolia Ballroom in downtown Houston, TX.  We absolutely fell in love with the Magnolia Ballroom and it was the perfect setting for our wedding and reception.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another?

We call each other the tradtionals- babe, honey, mommy, daddy but I also call him JD sometimes and he sometimes calls me "Heth" or "tiger" (cute story from our dating days)!

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

He is the hardest working, most motivated person that I know.  He's also the best daddy, husband and best friend that I could have ever asked for. He loves Miss K and I with all his being and puts our needs before his.  We compliment one another in every way and he makes me want to be a better person everyday.  It also doesn't hurt that he's a total hottie!! :)

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

I'll give y'all the condensed version...we graduated from undergrad in August of 2000 and since JD was on scholarship for football, he went straight into grad school.  We moved in together that fall since all of our roommates moved away after graduation and we were going to be in Lubbock for at least another year.  We took our first "real" trip together at the end of August of 2001 to Mexico and I was SURE we were going to get engaged while we were there.  We didn't, and I was so upset. Come to find out, we were suppose to get engaged, but the jeweler that made my ring got the zip code wrong when they sent it to John so it got returned!  Once John figured that out, he had them resend it to the correct address, and while it was en route from Pittsburgh, September 11th happened and it got suspended in the mail!!! Needless to say, JD was an absolute mess.  It finally made it to him on September 18th, and he proposed that night after football practice, in our apartment while I was watching Center Stage!  It wasn't his ideal proposal (or really mine) but it was perfectly us and we still giggle about it today!

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

I've never been a big flowers girl, especially when they're "expected" so I usually get something I've had my eye on, or a trip to the day spa.  He's an excellent gift-giver so I never have to worry!

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

While dinner on the beach would be divine, we are somewhat land-locked in the ATL so these days we are more of a movie, couch and popcorn kinda couple.  We do go out to nice dinners at least once or twice a month, just no beach involved!

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

We waited 7 years after getting married before having Miss K, so we have enjoyed traveling as a couple together.  We are going back to Napa this year for our anniversary, as that is one of our favorite vacations (stateside) that we have taken.  It will be our first real vacation (longer than a weekend) with just the two of us since having Miss K.  We would love to go to Italy, Ireland and Greece and back to a few places in the Caribbean.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

Since Valentine's is on a weekday this year, we're going to dinner that Saturday and may or may not go see a movie afterwards.  We'll probably celebrate with Miss K by doing something fun on the actual day.

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

I'd like to upgrade my iPhone so hopefully that will be what I get! (hint, hint if you're reading this JD!)

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

I am by no means an expert; but for us, respect, unconditional love, understanding and friendship are the things that have kept us going strong for the last 14 years.  I cannot imagine a single day of my life without him.

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Merry Birthday!!

Now that the holidays have come and gone, I can officially say I think that we handled the sharing of Christmas and Miss K's birthday pretty well!  I think we are in agreeance that we will continue to have Miss K's birthday party on or around the 17th (my actual due date) which is still before the holiday travel time.  I will admit though, trying to pull off a birthday party in December after being gone for two weeks over Thanksgiving was difficult.  Probably not the smartest move on my part.  I've also learned that I have a LONG way to come when it comes to the planning/execution of birthday parties.  Hopefully this will all get better in time!

We have decided that because Miss K is blessed to share her birthday with Jesus that we are going to start the tradition at Casa de D that Santa will bring three presents, just like baby Jesus got.  That way we can keep ourselves in check since we have both Christmas and birthday not only in same month, but the same day!!  From the pictures, it looks like there are a lot more presents, but those are all the presents Miss K got from family, Santa, mommy and daddy, etc for Christmas.  I still haven't decided if I want to let her open her birthday presents from us on Christmas Day or just keep her birthday celebration (presents included) a completely separate event.  Thoughts?

It was nice to be in our own home for the holidays.  I did miss having family around, but it really was nice to have a low key holiday.  We went to the 4 o'clock Mass on Christmas Eve and then Big Poppa's aunt and her husband came over for prime rib, mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. UH-MAZING!  We made sure we had everything ready for the next morning and I then we decided to open our gifts from one another.  I really like doing this and we agreed this was something we would do going forward.  My big gift was my Mac Air that I got in November  since my old laptop took a dive a bit early!  Of course, Big Poppa wrapped the box without my knowing so I officially got to unwrap it at Christmas!

I also got a case of my wine (LOVEEEEE), a new Texas Tech flag to hang for football season, and a sign that I think is so cool! (my mom tipped him off on that one)

Big Poppa didn't do too shabby either! This is the first year he's given me ideas throughout the year of some things he wanted, but he tried to tell me not to get him anything because he had just bought a fire pit for our screened in porch.  I didn't listen to him and got him a few of the things he wanted!  He got a new North Face fleece, a new "bang around" watch, a new pair of slippers, and a Kuerig.  He also got the new war game for PS3 that he wanted and the two newest seasons of Family Guy and a renewal for Garden & Gun in his stocking.  

Miss K had fun opening all her presents and really wanted to open each gift and play with it before moving on to the next one!  One of her favorite toys so far is a bouncy horse from Imaginarium.  She is absolutely hilarious on it!! She calls it a donkey which I can kinda see where she gets that from, but nonetheless she loves it!  She also got a few more Melissa and Doug toys which now means we probably own all the M&D toys out there.  You can see from the picture below that she made out like a bandit!

I am so glad that we survived "Merry Birthday 2011" and I know that our checking account will appreciate some relief!! 

The Funk

I am still here. I promise.  We have had a case of the funk running rampant through Casa de D with yours truly bearing the brunt of it.  I have seriously been house bound and in my PJs for 5 days and counting.  I'm working diligently (as can be) on a Christmas recap and Miss K's two year stats.  These will come after I finish Lysoling us out of house and home.  I hope.

Happy Birthday, Miss K!!

I can't believe that this cutie is already 2! Time is going by so fast.  It's been so much fun celebrating her birthday the past two weeks and her understanding that she shares her birthday with baby Jesus!  She's been walking around the house saying "Happy Birfday Baby Jesus and me" all morning.  SO sweet!  We celebrated with her birthday party on December 17, my actual due date.  I think for the time being, we will continue that tradition so we are able to celebrate before everyone starts traveling.  Miss K has pretty much been obsessed with Olivia (or "Ollio" as Miss K calls her) since last spring so I only thought it would be fitting to throw her an Olivia bash!  Given that this time last year we had snow, plus the thought of having a bunch of toddlers running through the house, AND the fact that the house was already decorated for Christmas, I decided to have her party at our local Gymboree Play and Music.  We took classes there from about 10 months until this last summer, so I already knew what the general gist would be.  It was great to go in, set up, play, eat and leave without finding icing or crumbs in crevices for months to follow!  The only real down side was it wasn't as "cutesy" as I would have liked it, but it was the perfect party for Miss K!!  We go for our two year checkup January 4th, so I'm going to wait and do a stats post until then.  Here are some pictures that my sister took of the bash.  My friend E also took pictures, but I haven't gotten those yet.  There are a bazillion pictures, but these are some of the cute ones!

New York Trip, Part 2

After we left the 9/11 Memorial, it was such a gorgeous day that we decided to "walk" our way back to midtown.  In theory, it was a great idea but in reality, not-so-much.  While Big Poppa was in jeans and tennis shoes, I was trying to not look the role of mommy and dressed in a cute sweater, leggings and boots.  Not thinking that we were going to walk our tushes off that day, I didn't choose my socks very carefully and ended up wearing a pair that rubbed my baby toes in the wrong spot.  (And yes, I whined the entire day)

Not a single cloud in the sky!

After a quick lunch at Cosi, we resumed our walking and shopping and just enjoying the city with no plans!  We stopped in an Irish pub to warm up, have a late afternoon pint and just chit chat.  It's great when you go into an Irish pub and the bartender is...Irish!  We got a big kick out of that!  By the time we left, the sun was starting to set and it was only 4:30! It's crazy, but it seems like this year it's getting darker so much earlier than normal so we decided to start narrowing down our dinner choices.  We both agreed that we wanted some good, straight up Chinese food and found Chin Chin, a gem of a restaurant not far from our hotel.  Let me tell you, Big Poppa is a bit of a food snob and a self-proclaimed foodie, and this meal was his favorite of the entire trip.  I was shocked when he said that, but didn't disagree! We were lucky that it was around six when we went in and we were able to get in without reservations.  By the time we left, it was insane busy!

Chin Chin, a must eat if you like Chinese food!!

Sunday morning we slept in a little later than we wanted and had to make a decision to either go catch part of the ING New York City Marathon or skip breakfast and eat an early lunch at Mario Batali's Eataly.  Big Poppa and I are big fans of Mario Batali restaurants with The Spotted Pig being one of our favorites!! Last year, Eataly had just opened the weekend before we were in NYC so when we were there it was literally shoulder-to-shoulder people and the wait to eat in all of the areas was over 2 hours.  We chose to make our way over to Eataly and we were lucky enough to get there just as they were opening up the restaurants to serve and were seated immediately. What a difference a year makes!  We ate at the pasta/pizza restaurant and shared a fresh mozzarella and salami platter and a 3-in-1 pizza that had margherita, calzone and verona pizza toppings.  Delish.

I wasn't thrilled to have my pic taken, can you tell?!

While we were at Eataly, I called my mom on one of my nine thousand check in calls of the weekend and when I asked her how Miss K was she said that she could tell Miss K was missing us.  From the moment she woke up that morning, mom said she was asking where we were.  That about broke my heart.  Especially since as far as Miss K is concerned, "Maga" is the best thing since sliced bread!!
After lunch we hit up our usual NYC stores and made a HAUL at Filine's Basement, Nordstrom Rack, Fishs Eddy (and about a gazillion others) and then finally, drum roll.....The Frye flagship store in SoHo. Holy boots, batman!  That store is the coolest place, and the fact that it is the ONLY brick and mortar Frye store made it that much cooler! I had been debating back and forth between the Melissa and Paige boots; but knew I wanted to try on the extended calf in the Melissa since I have such athletic humongo calves before making a decision.  They both fit great, but after chatting with the sales person and trying both pair on numerous times, I decided on the Paige tall riding boot in black.

I big, pink, puffy heart them and was trying to think of a way to squeeze get a second pair of boots while we were there.  Big Poppa kept asking why I didn't get new brown boots instead, but I have a pair of Miz Mooz Kent Riding boot in cognac from Nordstroms that I've had for a few years and I'm hoping to get through until next fall with them.  They've been worn hard, but are a great boot for the price.  Another reason why I didn't get the Melissa.  They're almost identical.
We got back from our shopping adventures with enough time to shower get ready for dinner at Tao. I was excited to go eat there, but even more excited to wear the new dress I got to wear to dinner!  (it doesn't take much!!)

New York and Company!

The food was really good, but the atmosphere made the meal!  It was a lot of fun.  Afterwards, Big Poppa wanted to go to a wine bar in Rockefeller Center, but when we got there, they were closed!?  So we settled on sharing a Sprinkles cupcake and called it a night! (Crumbs was better)
We had a great trip, I really do think it's essential to be able to go away as a couple and not be mommy and daddy for a few days but I know we were both excited to see this pumpkin when we got home!

New York Anniversary Trip, Part 1

I'm a bit behind on posts, but last week Big Poppa and I celebrated our 9th anniversary! In what's becoming a yearly tradition, we went back to New York to celebrate our last year of being married in single digits :)
My mom came into town Thursday night, and we left on the first flight out Friday morning! While it hurt a bit to wake up that early and get to the airport, it gave us the full day to spend in NYC which was nice.  After we arrived at LaGuardia, we went ahead to our hotel and dropped our bags so we could go and play before our room was ready.  This year we stayed at the Marriott East Side on 49th Street. It was a super nice hotel and the location was perfect!

I was a lot little sad that we didn't get to stay at The Ritz-Carlton, but when we booked our trip, we weren't sure if we would have enough points to stay the full weekend and by the time we realized we would, they were booked. Oh well, the upside is that we still have mucho points left over so that means more mini-cations for mommy and daddy!!!
We ended up not seeing a show, as we weren't able to score tickets to The Book of Mormon because they are completely sold out through February.  Like completely meaning no luck through our AMEX card concierge, TKTS booth, nada.  But boy did we make up for it with some shopping and eating!!  (Let's just say I was up 2 lbs at my WW weigh in that next week! BUT, I am back down 3.5 lbs since then so it's ok!!)  Friday night we had reservations at Macelleria, an Italian steakhouse in the Meatpacking District.

Big Poppa and I shared some fresh mozzarella and a cannelli bean and tuscan sausage appetizer, and a Porterhouse steak and brussel sprouts for dinner.  The food was good, but I think the atmosphere was my favorite!  We opted not to have dessert at the restaurant, but instead headed to Crumbs for a cupcake...yum!

  

Saturday morning we woke up and headed down to the Financial District.  We had tickets to the 9/11 Memorial but Big Poppa wanted to go see the hoopla that is Occupy Wall Street before our trip to the memorial.  I get their point, and the message they are "trying" to convey but all it looked like was a bunch of smelly, filthy tents and people that hadn't showered in a LONG time.  If I didn't know any better, I would have thought there was maybe a Woodstock revival going on, not a protest over Corporate America!  Case in point below. Agree??

Y'all-  the 9/11 Memorial.  Was absolutely. breath. taking.  So serene and peaceful in a place that just ten years ago was, in my eyes, location to the most horrific act of violence and hate ever.  It broke my heart to see a couple doing a rub on one of the names on the fountain.  I don't think I've ever felt so much sadness and pride in one place before.  If you are ever in NYC, this is a MUST do.  Big Poppa and I were in NYC in the summer of '04 when they were still digging and removing rubble that seemed like it would take forever to clear.  Even last year when we were there, I remember thinking there was no way that it was going to be finished in time for the 10th anniversary.  But it's finished and it's beautiful.  There's also a small museum/gift shop that has donated items and stories from survivors and loved ones.  Tears galore, folks.

And the tree that was damaged in the blasts but dug up, replanted, and nursed by the city worker? Alive and another testament to the strength of our great country.

Not only was the memorial breath-taking, my company on this trip wasn't too hard on the eyes, either!!

Happy Anniversary, in numbers!

I can't believe that Big Poppa and I just celebrated our 9th anniversary!  What a wild and wonderful nine years it has been.  In doing something similar to what AP did at I Love You More Than Carrots, I though it would be neat to celebrate our anniversary in numbers!


9- Wonderful years since saying "I Do" on November 9, 2002.  Never in my wildest dreams on that day would I have ever thought that I could have loved you any more than I did at that very moment.  Boy, was I wrong!


8- Fabulous vacations we have been on since then: Cayman Islands, Florida Keys, Puerto Rico, Niagara Falls, Napa Valley, Puerto Vallarta, Chicago, and NYC.


7- Total moves we have made together! What's crazy is three of those were all within the same apartment complex!!


6- Awesome trips to the OBX! I love that we have made this one of our family traditions and look forward to it every year!


5- Fun, crazy and football-filled years spent together at Texas Tech before we got married.  This is also the same number of degrees we have between the two of us!


4- States that we have been residents of in the past nine years: Texas, Florida, North Carolina and now Georgia.  At least you know better to keep me in the South! (I would FREEZE if we lived anywhere else!!)


3- The number of Emergency Room trips we've had with you attempting to cut your fingers/hand off! 


2- Beautiful homes that we have been lucky to call ours.  Homes where we have made irreplaceable memories and homes that we have filled with love, laughter and the occasional tears.


1- Absolutely perfect and beautiful combination of the two of us and our love.  The two of you are the loves of my life and the reason I breathe.




Big Poppa,


Thank you for choosing me to love and spend the rest of your life with.  I have been so blessed these past nine years of being your wife and I look forward to many more. I am so proud of the man you are and couldn't ask for a more perfect partner to walk hand in hand through this crazy life with.  I love you with all my being and thank God for you everyday.


                                              Love,
                                                   H

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.”

                                                                      - Winnie the Pooh