Still the One

We can hardly believe it's been 1 whole year since tying the knot, but here we are on April 18th! We've started the tradition of celebrating this occasion with a romantic get-away. The twist...taking turns surprising one another with the destination. Kelly stepped up to the challenge first and scored BIG.

On Friday we kissed Benny Bear goodbye and drove to Berryville, VA where Kelly had booked 2 nights at Smithfield Farm B&B. We spent the afternoon at nearby Veramar Vineyard, sharing a bottle of Chardonnay and marveling at the patio's Blue Ridge Mountains view. That night Kelly surprised me (again!) with dinner at the uber authentic and delicious Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, WV.

On Saturday we drove to Bears Den Lodge on the Appalachian Trail for some hiking and then toured Harpers Ferry about 30 mins away. In the evening Kelly unveiled his piece de resistance, whisking me away to Paris, VA for dinner at The Ashby Inn. Because the restaurant is committed to supporting local farmers, its menu changes daily, and our meals were exquisite!

Following breakfast on Sunday (wish I could eat at Ruth's table EVERY morning) we bid farewell to our hostess and her picturesque farm. We drove to Georgetown for afternoon Mass at Holy Trinity where we celebrated our wedding exactly 1 year ago. We attend every week, but today felt extra special so we snapped a pic. :)

Kelly's anniversary card to me sums up our relationship really well...in addition to spouse, we call each other travel companion, fellow Westie parent, brunch buddy and best friend. We cherish one another and the support of our family and friends, and are looking forward to making memories for many years to come!

Remembering My Great Grandmother

Hello everyone, this is Kelly writing. Today I learned that my great grandmother, Zelma Young, passed away on Friday, February 19th. She was 92 years old and led a long, full life. Katie and I had the opportunity to visit with her last Labor Day in Woodland Park, CO, where she lived with her daughter, my aunt Sharon, and it was a great experience. I remember how she walked outside of her room for the first time in weeks to spend time with us, and to show us all the places she'd been on the U.S. map. She also had a lot of old photographs in her room, and it was amazing to see how young my dad, uncle and grandfather looked in some of them. She even saved a thank you letter that I had sent her from at least 10 years ago, and my aunt Sharon mentioned that she still read it from time to time. It was the first time Katie had met her, and one of the few times I have met her in my life. I'm so glad Katie had the chance to meet my great grandmother before she passed away. I know it meant a lot to Katie too. I didn't know her as well as I may have liked, but I do know she will be missed greatly by her family, and she will be in our prayers. Thank you...

Kelly

Our Valentine

An appropriate 1st message for the new blog...Happy Valentine's Day to all our loved ones! We hope you were able to share time with someone special. ♥ In true fashion, Kelly & I celebrated Saturday by traveling to Baltimore with our friends Justin & Teri for a Belgian Beer Fest at Max's Taphouse in Fells Point.


The night of sparkling conversation, tasty brews & exhilarating speed skating (go Apolo!) took a tragic turn, however, upon Kelly's discovery that his wedding band was MISSING. We've retraced steps, placed the necessary phone calls, posted an ad on Baltimore's Craigslist & of course invoked St. Anthony. We realize this crisis is not uncommon, but heartbreaking nevertheless.

So this year our Valentine to one another is a bit different. While the ring may be gone, the vows we exchanged are forever:

"I promise to be true to you
in good times & in bad,
in sickness & in health.
I will love you & honor you
all the days of my life."

Happy Valentine's Day!