The 1st Year Plunge!

One year ago today, I was a ball of nerves - the happiest, most excited nerves - but still a ball of nerves getting ready for that event in your life you hear so much about.  My wedding.  When I took that plunge on June 5, 2010, I had no idea what was in store for us over the next year.  And what a year it has been! When I look back through our pictures (and there are tons ... character flaw!) I can't believe we have done so much in a year, I can't believe it's already been a year, I can't believe it's only been a year and I can't believe we have so many more to look forward to.  

Let's have a Year-End Review:


1.  First and foremost, we got stinking married!!!  I hear and see so much negativity in songs, in movies and in general conversation around me toward marriage ... it almost hurts my feelings when I hear a knock on marriage because I truly enjoy it so much, and hey, I like to think I know good things!  For those of you not married: DON'T listen to the negativity!  Anything can be negative if you make it that way, but if you find that someone who is really committed to making a life together, even when the bad rolls in, marriage can be just like in the movies (the happy-ending ones!).   Marriage isn't the end-all, be-all, but with the right person and the right attitude, it is pretty darn skippy. 

Cheers to being married!

2.  We cooked together (and ate ... a lot!) When I look back through this year's pictures, there are SO many pictures of food ... and you wondered why I started my 2nd blog, hmmm.   For some reason, I think cooking with Thomas is one of the things I love to do most.  He is hilarious in the kitchen!  He thinks if he puts a towel over his shoulder like the pros on TV do, then all his food will come out perfectly.  

It must have been gourmet if it was made with the towel!

Looks like he rubbed off on me!

And he makes a massive mess ... I mean, the child has never heard of "cleaning as you cook."  He LOVES to have music on while he cooks, and more than once we've broken into song and dance with a wooden spoon as a microphone.  Thomas also loves to grill.  I have zero clue when it comes to a grill, so I just sit back and let him work his magic ... and usually the results really are magical.  I have to say, we have eaten well this first year!  

Take a look for yourself at our "Year In Food"!

Boozy Peaches & Cream, Thomas's work

Tilapia Almondine, also Thomas's work

Bar-b-que Nachos ... mmmmmmm, I'm drooling.

Caprese Salad, an all-time summer favorite

Fish-n-Chips, baked with sweet potato 

Greek Salad, Thomas loves this one!

Grilled spicy chicken with stuffed sweet potatoes and salad - all Thomas's doing!

Homemade melt-in-your-mouth pasta

Steak and veggies (that strawberry salad rocks!)

A new love - tuna steaks!

3. We remodeled the house! (and finally got that couch!!) A large portion of this was my doing, but Thomas also got in on the remodeling action when it came to the outside.  There have been many times over the last year when we've cursed this or that in our house - blasted running toilet, stupid leaking roof, decrepit old stove, and where the heck is the second bathroom?? - but then sometimes we sit back and say to each other, "I love this house.  I can't ever imagine not living here."  And it's true ... we have put so much time and love into turning our house into our first home.  It is still a work in progress, but it is ours and it just wouldn't seem right to leave it behind.  

Backyard escape 

Working hard on the walkway to our escape

Our guest bedroom to host friends and family!

The entrance to the patio, where dinner will be served hot off the grill!

One of my biggest accomplishments this year haha! My teal chairs!

Our home ... more changes to come!

4. We bought an airplane!  Well, not all by ourselves but we bought into a partnership, so we share an airplane with some other really cool folks (no pun intended, if you know them)!  It is a pretty amazing thing to be able to hop in a plane and go at a moment's notice ... I really, honestly NEVER imagined that I would be married to someone who could fly us places.  I don't think I even knew it was realistic to be able to do that, but it is, I tell you!  And it's really fun ... and makes for cool pictures!

The plane - Citadel colors, by chance!

Getting ready to take to the skies!

It makes us seem like really cool aunt/uncle to Bowden!

Thomas was so honored and thankful to get to be pilot for his dad!

5. We saw the Blue Angels! This gets it's own little shout-out because Thomas was SOOOOO excited ... and I have to admit, they were amazing! 

Angels in action

Blue Angels

Us with the Blue Angels

6. We traveled all over!  I will admit that my only reservation about getting married and "settling down" was being stuck in one place.  I have a major fear of having to stay in one place all the time.  But I married this guy who loves to travel!  And we made a pact that we would travel together as much as we could, and try to at least make it out of the country once a year.  All I can say is, I hope all the other years measure up to the first!  We have been VERY lucky to get to do so much traveling, and have been even more lucky to have friends who like to let us tag along when they travel!

St. Lucia - HONEYMOON!!

With The Foulkes, who are so kind to let us go with them so many cool places

Bahamas ... this one ranks high on the places we went this year!

Canada - I never thought I would visit!

Loved this picture from Canada, a truly beautiful place!

Lakeland, FL - our first Sun-N-Fun camping airshow

Philadelphia - loved it!

Seaside, amazing beach, for a wedding!

7.  We spent lots of time with family! We love our families because they are awesome.  We had some dilemmas because it is easy to take Thomas's family for granted and prioritize time with them because they live just a stone's throw away.  And it is hard to prioritize time with my family because they aren't close and it takes lots of planning to see them.  But we tried to get in lots of time with both families, and we especially valued the sweet time with Roger and are thankful to forever have memories with him as a hugely important part of our first year of marriage. 

Knight family beach trip

After Easter brunch

Grandaddy's 80th

Visiting Grandmother and Grandaddy

Visiting Granny and Jimmy

Birthday visit to Illinois!

With long-lost cousins Jack and Cam

Learning from his dad

Pool time with cousins

Giggling with my sweet boys

Whitaker Family Reunion

With Major and Lilla, with our bunny hats

Crazy Simmons Christmas

8.  And, the last thing we did during our 1st year of marriage was SKYDIVING!!!  On Saturday, Thomas flew us up to a restaurant in S. Atlanta where we went on our first solo plane ride together to have lunch.  And after I had scarfed down my delicious burger and sweet potato fries (while he had barely eaten half of his), he informed me that he was taking me skydiving for our anniversary!  AAAAAHHHH ... so WHY did you let me eat all that food if I might just throw it back up jumping out of a plane???

It was actually awesome!!! I was scared to death at first, but it turned out to be exhilarating and I am so glad I have done it!   We went tandem (so a professional was strapped to my back... whew!) and Thomas was the first person to jump out.  They let me push him (lightly), but then I screamed when I saw him fall .... that was weird and kind of freaked me out.  So, then it was my turn.  I was told to squat with my toes over the edge of the open door to the plane (never thought I'd be told to do that!).  We started rocking and suddenly, I was falling!  It came so unexpectedly that I seriously thought, "Why did he just push me out like that? Why did you do that to me?"  But then came the rush  - of adrenaline and of chilly air making my cheeks flap - and I couldn't believe I was falling 120 mph toward the ground from 14,000 feet in the air.  It didn't give you that sensation in your stomach of falling, it was more like you were lying flat and tons of air was just rushing past you.  But it was really tough to breath because it was cold and that air was just flying!  Then, when Rich, my professional lifesaver, pulled the chute, my legs flung down and it got silent and we just floated around looking at the sun starting to go down.  That was my favorite part - the freefall was cool, don't get me wrong - but, aaah, the peacefulness of that quiet float down.  I could do THAT again!

So now, on to the pictures ... we got videos too and if I was really cool, I'd figure out how to post that!

Pre-jump lunch. I'm still so innocent!

My feelings on the matter at hand

Our lineup

Showing off how I managed to get here ... all by this ring!

Afterward with our certificates ... so proud!

In the plane, wishing I had worn a diaper!

Getting ready to get pushed out

Free falling ... oh geez

The big parachute yank

aaaand TOUCHDOWN!

We are still happily married!

And I'm loving Rich for keeping me safe!