norcal vacation-ing: day 2

tuesday of our little getaway was the 27th, which just so happens to be our monthiversary. i can't believe it's already been 10 months, and how quickly a year is coming up on us. i remember everything like it was yesterday, and i'm truly only falling in love with T more and more every day - a deeper, truer, unending kind of love. we started the morning at caffe santoro, a little coffeeshop just 10 minutes away from my house, owned by my high school friend's dad. the owner is part of the church just up the street, and there is such a sense of community and small-town-ness in the caffe. i absolutely love that about home. we spent some time in the Word together, took pictures, and just absolutely relaxed. i love love LOVE coffeeshop mornings!

one of my favorite things about up north is how much space there is. space for giant oak trees, big back yards, and vast skies. i love that we have to work outside to maintain what's ours - whether that's chopping down trees, splitting wood, shoveling manure, cleaning the barn, trimming the hedges, or mowing the lawn, the space forces us to be outside. and it's beautiful. at home we have a little (powerful) woodstove, so every winter we need to be prepared with plenty of wood. from moving it, to splitting logs twice my size, stacking it, and then chopping it for kindling, i know wood. and i love it. at the same time though, i am super thankful that there's another guy around now to help out with things like that. what a blessing. and i love T's willing and helpful heart, especially to help my mom with whatever she needs. i am so thankful for their relationship. he's simply an extension of our family, and he is so loved by all of them.

beautiful mama

yes please.

on tuesday night, we had dinner with my best friend's family. her fiance is currently visiting as well, and it was such a joy having all of us around the dinner table, laughing, talking, and catching up. so much change is happening this year (they're getting married next month!), but i am looking forward to every bit of it. her family is my second family, and i'm so grateful for their friendship over the years. les' fiance wes and T bonded over immature guy things, but seeing them get along brought joy to both les and i...so much joy that we left the table and their gross conversation to have some grown-up girl speak in the living room ;] i wish i had photos of that night, but the time just got away from me! and i was enjoying every bit of it too much to whip out my camera...

but truly, by tuesday, i felt like i was home again. and you know what's funny? i could see us living a life like that. away from the city, in a smaller town, close to those we love, spending time with others. wouldn't it be magical...

8 months & old people

yesterday was the 27th - a truly special date. it was 8 months ago that the boy swept me up to a mountaintop, asked me to be his girl, and kissed me for the first time. 8 months later, i'm still sure that saying 'yes' was the absolute best thing i ever did.

t & i aren't necessarily huge 'monthiversary' people. but yesterday, was truly memorable.

the last month hasn't been the easiest. i've learned so much, been challenged in so many ways, and have epically failed at being a good girlfriend every once in a while. love is tough stuff sometimes, you know? but it is SO rewarding. every day, i pray that the Lord will show me what it means to be a Godly woman, and eventually, a Godly wife. that might sound a little fast to some of you, but i firmly believe that you won't become that Godly wife the minute you say 'i do.' it's a process, one you can start right now, even if you're not in relationship. those characteristics take a long time to develop, after lots of testing, failing, and trying again. i'm pretty sure that even when i do say my 'i dos,' i still won't be all there, but maybe i'll be a little bit closer. this past month has proven to me that God is faithful, even in our relationships. like i said earlier, my story is undoubtedly a God-scripted one, and without Him, i wouldn't be as blessed as i am. love is a gift, one that needs to be cherished every single day. i'm so thankful for HIS patience with me and so thankful for T's unconditional love as well. our life isn't a fairytale; we're thrown curveballs all the time, but i wouldn't trade it for anything, because our love? it's perfect to me.

conveniently, this month the 27th fell on the same day as the Pursuit's Halloween Party, and it was hilarious. T has the incredible gift of being silly, and his old man act won us in n out gift cards - can you say dinner date? ;] but besides the pumpkin carving and the hilarious costumes, last night, i was also unexpectedly wooed & cherished in a BIG way...

in the middle of the party, old man T threw his walker aside, sprinted down to his car, and came back bearing a box in his hand and asking for the mic. oh dear. he grabbed his walker, toddled up to the front of the room, called me up to his side, and thoroughly embarrassed me by announcing our monthiversary to everyone and handing me a box and a card. i did not see it coming. but his big and sweet romantic gesture left me on cloud 9 for the rest of the night. i love cards, and i love practical gifts, like season 2 of modern family. holla.

all that mushy-gushy business to say, it was a happiest of 8 months, i'm officially the luckiest girl, and i will love this man even when we are wrinkly, decrepit, and old. definitely.

fondue-ing

once upon a time, a girl & a boy celebrated 7 months of happy 'togetherness.' though t & i aren't religious 'celebrate every month' kind of people, this month, i wanted to do something for him. unfortunately, life happened and our plans didn't quite work out (raincheck rock climbing!), and so i spur of the moment thought of the fondue dipping set that's been sitting in my kitchen cupboard for ages - chocolate covered marshallows? how could you go wrong?!

i was pouring over foodgawker all day trying to find the simplest fondue recipe, and this is what i found - & it worked:

6 oz. baking chocolate (or chocolate chips - semi-sweet/dark/your choice)

1/4 whipping cream

place both ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds / stir / continue heating at 15 second intervals, stirring after every interval. all together, it shouldn't take you longer than 2 or 3 minutes until the chocolate is creamy and smooth - just keep stirring!

we invited over some of our dearest 'couple' friends jesse & kelly (an incredible artist - check her out!), and enjoyed a night in. luscious chocolate, marshmallows, strawberries, graham crackers, and cheesecake awaited us.

JUST as i had finished taking pictures of our scrumptious spread, BANG! i turned around, and there lay the bowl in perfect halves and chocolate everywhere:

instantly, we all started laughing, and quickly dug in before the chocolate oozed all over the table. and so our classy affair turned into quite the mess - oh, but it was memorable.


more importantly, i now need a new fondue set.

the end.