A Sunday Evening

Let's all take a minute to escape reality. Press play, it helps to ease the Monday blues.

Forget about Monday, right now we're on a Sunday drive together - speeding down an old country road. Windows open, a warm Southern wind in our hair, The Rolling Stones booming from the car stereo.

This is precisely where Jake and I found ourselves yesterday. After a weekend of hard work, we stole a moment to drift off into Sunday bliss.

 

 In a state as beautiful as ours, gems like this are around every corner. I grabbed my camera and crouched on the side of the road, hoping to snap a few photos while there was still daylight.

 

 For a moment, I was lost there - in that field of yellow - taken aback by the beauty of those majestic animals. Horses will forever remind me of my hometown, just outside of Saratoga Springs, New York, where warm weather signaled the start of track season.

Eventually, I was snapped back into reality... Time to get home and finish some last minute chores before the weekend was over (waah!). 

I can't help but feel grateful on this Monday morning, that Sunday evenings exist.

The Things that Keep Us Up at Night

So much is weighing on my mind lately. I wake up in the middle of the night - fists and jaw tightly clenched. This is when I visualize my happy place. A moment in time when everything was in its right place.

I find myself in Hawaii at dusk on the beach with my brand new husband. Sunburns radiating heat, snarly salty hair from a day of swimming in the ocean. Stomachs full from gorging ourselves on shrimp tacos and shaved ice. We sit perched on a stone wall watching the sun set over surfers trying to catch a last wave before nightfall. 

So much uncertainty stretched out before us.

I go there in my mind from time to time. I imagine us returning someday. Wrinkled hands holding each others' in an old familiar way. Laughing to ourselves about all of the worrying that we did. 

How funny, we thought that we could control the things that kept us up at night.

An Explanation

You may have noticed that I've been a little scarce around this place. I'm not going to pile on the excuses, please just know that I have missed sharing myself here.

I've made a conscious effort to maintain this blog as a positive outlet, and not just one more task to add to the list. Some things have come up that may require my posting to be less frequent - but I promise to stop in whenever life permits.

Today, I will be playing nurse to Penelope. She is getting spayed this morning, poor girl. I have to be honest, my stomach is in knots just thinking about her.

If praying is your thing, please send one up for Miss Penny.

First Anniversary

Jake and I celebrated our first anniversary at a nearby winery. I packed a special picnic to enjoy together after wine tasting.

Sitting beneath a tree in the warm North Carolina sun, we talked about the highs and lows of our first year of marriage. Both of us agreed on the things that we want to work on changing together. We imagined where we would be in our lives for our fifth, tenth and fiftieth wedding anniversaries. 

If life ends up looking at all like we imagined, we are in for one incredible journey together.

Stepping Out

Photo by Rhonda Danner Photography

Today, Jake and I are celebrating our first wedding anniversary somewhere special. I plan to share all about it here soon.

In the meantime, head on over to The Scribble Pad by clicking here. I am excited to be guest posting over there today. In case you missed it, I am retelling my epic trip home from Europe for Shannon's travel series.

Thank you for all of your sweet words yesterday!

Open Letters on Marriage

Something that I've realized since entering the blogging world, sharing only the surface of our marriage does not do justice to either of us. In honor of our first wedding anniversary I'd like to share some thoughts on marriage. I've geared these thoughts toward both single and married readers.

Dear single readers,

Our wedding day was only one out of the past 366 days that we have spent as husband and wife (leap year). 1/366 - is a pretty small fraction. I say this because I have found that many of us put too much time into dreaming about the wedding, rather than preparing for the marriage.

Avoid the race to get married at all costs. I promise you this, if you rush into marriage, or end up living with someone that you aren't actually compatible with, you will feel far more alone than you ever could imagine as a single person. Some of the things that life threw at Jake and I during our first year of marriage would have left us in pieces if we didn't fully trust and unconditionally love one another.

On the outside looking in, it is easy to imagine that things are perfect for us married people. It isn't. But if you're lucky - it is rewarding.

Dear married readers,

Don't be so hard on yourself. You are not alone if you have cried yourself to sleep once or twice during your first year of marriage. It is normal if the sound of your spouse's chewing makes you want to jump out of a second story window. Do you ever feel guilt for not being the perfect partner? Me too.

Let's all try to avoid the comparison trap, kapeesh? I read a quote recently that resonated with me,

Photo By Rhonda Danner Quote by Stevin Futrick

Social media and blogs are often used as a place to share our highs. Pictures when we look our best, stories of our lavish vacations, Instagrams of the best meal we have eaten in months. While these snippets are fun to share, they do not make up the majority of our lives. The truth: I have dishes piled up in my sink and the floor of my closet is completely covered with dirty laundry.

Something valuable that I learned during our first year of marriage is to take the time to celebrate one another. As adults, it is rare that others will pat you on the back, even when you may really deserve it. Be the person who gives your spouse credit where it is due.

That being said, I have to give a shout out to my husband for everything he has done during our first year to make our marriage work...

Dear Jake,

You wash more than your fair share of dishes. When I get down on myself, you remind me of who I am. You acknowledge the fact that I am the best car dancer in the history of the world. You build me up even when I may not deserve it. I am so grateful for your endless supply of patience. We made it through the dreaded first year! Happy anniversary.









P.S. I am guest blogging today over at Great Expectations! Check it out by clicking here.

Avocado Pesto Fettuccine

I have been drooling on my keyboard at the multitude of avocado pasta recipes flooding the Internet lately. But, it wasn't until I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, A Cozy Kitchen, that I rushed to make my own.

This dish combines everything that is wonderful about Pesto and Avocado. The sauce is light, yet creamy, with a bright summery finish. Best of all, it is easy to make!

Ingredients:
1 package fettucccine
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 Lemons (zest and juice from both)
3 Cloves of garlic
1 Tsp sea salt
2 Tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I added this for some spice - but it is not necessary)
4 Tbsp olive oil
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
2 avocados (using ripe quality hass avocados makes a major difference)

 Instructions (serves 4):
1. Boil fettuccine in salted water. Cool until al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta water and strain.
2. In a food processor or blender combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest and juice, seasoning (salt, pepper and red pepper flakes). Blend ingredients until well combined.
3. Slowly add olive oil while food processor is running.
4. Add avocado and blend until mixture is smooth. Now it is time to taste, season accordingly - I added extra lemon, salt and red pepper flakes. I also used the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce out a bit since it was too thick.
5. In a large bowl, toss fettuccine with sauce until well coated.


Enjoy!