How He & She Became We...

Today marks ten years of being the Mrs to his Mr. 
(and PSA, prepare for some mush)

First up, I should mention that I really wanted to walk down the aisle to Brickhouse...and my mother so rudely nixed that. She is really into being classy. Some people...

Our wedding was awesome, we got married at a bed & breakfast with 300 of our favorite people looking on...oh, and I can't forget the cows. We also had a wedding party of 32 people. 

Yes, you read that correctly

...32 people. 12 Bridesmaids, 12 groomsman, 5 ushers and 3 flowergirls/ring bearer. And while I was completely overwhelmed at first...Looking back, I am not sure I would have changed a thing. I love each of these people and everyone has had a major impact on my life.

    We started our future together that day...

Cannot even believe it!  Sometimes it feels just like yesterday and yet others...it feels like forever ago. We have somehow fit a lifetime of antics into ten years and I cannot even begin to imagine how the next ten...and beyond, will look like.

I am more than blessed to be B.. I have been lucky enough to be the carrier of two amazing names. For the first 24 years of my life, I spent it as a Blanks. I was proud to be the only girl carrying that name on in my family, one day knowing I would take on my husbands, but none the less proud of what it stood for.

My father is an amazing man of integrity and character. And in choosing my husband, I chose someone completely opposite of my father in so many ways...but not the ones that count. Tony(yes, Wiki is a Tony;) encompasses every trait that a woman should look for in a husband. He is caring, he has a work ethic that most people could never even fathom, he treats everyone the same. He is smart. He is simply pretty awesome. If you want any more down low on him, you can read my 35 favorite things about him here.

But before I make you want to vomit...he is a man,ergo...sometimes I could wring his neck;) haha 

So today on our ten year anniversary. Here are my ten of my favorite moments from our life together.

1) The day we first purchased our new home. We had no furniture yet, it was still at our old apartment, but we had a step stool and we ate Wendy's(late night) and had champagne. and just talked about our dreams for the future.

2)The day he got his letter that he got into the masters program at Duke. It was a "we" accomplishment and I was so proud of him. and then watching him graduate two years later.

3)Our night in Chiles Valley and our stay at Rustridge Vineyard. Brunch in tiberon on the water, nights in San Francisco and Napa. Best. Week. Ever.

4) Playing scene it and the time the girls actually won. Tony isn't used to losing. It was a pretty priceless moment. Hey, I hold onto this moment, they are far too rare;)

5) New Years with our friends, we have had so many good ones, from a wedding at the Seaport hotel in Boston, to Jamestown Island in Rhode Island, Miami and the beach to just chilling at our house, combining our two traditions from growing up.

6) His speech at his brother's wedding. Knowing how much he loves his brother and hearing his thoughts and the excitement of a new sister in law.

7) Our trip from Philly to Buffalo for a week of back to back weddings where he surprised me and took  me to an Inn in Vermont for the week in between.

8) nights around the fire with my family and listening to my brother sing and we all just tell stories. Simple country nights at their best

9) Our wedding. Truthfully, it was beyond amazing and I still have people mention to me, over and over...how it was the best one they ever attended. and I know they think this, because on more than one occasion, I have met friends of friends and they have said "oh, the one from the amazing wedding?" Yup...pretty much. All of my favorite people, in one place.

10) Our honeymoon. Although...it was a bit too long. But we were officially "we" and I loved every second. We spent a few days in DC and then a glorious week in Aruba. The weather was perfect, the people were so friendly and the drinks were all buy one get one free and then we headed to NYC for the next week. Just us, taking in one of our favorite places, no schedule...just great shopping, shows and food.

and as a bonus.

11) My grandfather is a huge and I mean huge Cubs fan, my childhood is filled with memories of him in his recliner watching games on WGN. He had seen them play a few times, but never at Wrigley, So for his 80th birthday we surprised him with tickets to a game and spent July 4th weekend in Chicago with my grandparents. Probably one of the most memorable times in my life. And he loved every second, showing my grandparents around. One of the reasons I love him so.

I cannot wait to see what the next ten years hold. 

I made  a video of our life together(cause, hello, why wouldn't I?!) and I chose this song because in my case...it is true. If you know anything at all about my illness or story, then you will understand the meaning behind these words, It is not merely a love song, it speaks volumes to my struggle and the man who stands beside me.

This was the song we had our first dance to. Still love it to this day. Maybe we should dance to it this weekend while we're living it up in Jekyll Island and St Simons...perhaps not. I will just drink cocktails instead. and probably eat.
in other words...Like pretty much my usual schedule.

This ten years has been a ride. Sometimes bumpy, but marriage is hard work. Stick with it and you will be rewarded in ways you never thought possible. Everything  that  is worth anything, requires diligence. Anyone who paints marriage as perfect and all roses is full of it,  that isn't reality, the tough times are where you learn the most and they make the really good days that much more enjoyable.

I still have the story of us and marriage myths to write up, Service didn't cooperate with me this week, but I promise to have them up soon. Here are a few of our ten year photos:) He found a coral blazer to match our coral/mint theme. and I love it;)

Linking up with

Whitney

The Chronicles of Us

Today I am excited to be linking for Valentine's Day Link Up. Here are the questions and my ramblings that hopefully amuse you on this day of loooooovveee;)

                                  

1.) How did you meet your significant other?

Haha he will want me to say "through mutual friends", which, to an extent is true, but it was through a random prank call( I will elaborate in a bit, to take myself off of your "she's crazy radar";)

2.) What/where was your first date?

after our second conversation that lasted 7 and 1/2 hours, we set up a meeting. I lived in Carolina, he in Boston.  He came to visit his friend(you know, the one who "introduced" us) and we had a whole weekend of going around the town and discovering different Raleigh & Durham. The memory of saying "You've never eaten at a Chic Fil A?!!!!" and completely horrified, I rectified that rather quickly. Like immediately.

3.) What's your best relationship advice?

Always have their back in public situations. If you differ on something, wait till you're home to air your discrepancies, no one likes being disrespected by their SO.

                        

4.) What is your most embarrassing moment in front of your SO?

I obviously love concocting different cocktails and visiting various wineries, and we all know I HEART me some bourbon. But I am not a particularly "big" drinker. Just not a fan of drunkeness. There was that one time though, my friend kept filling my wine glass(and I was slightly distracted) and he had to work super late that night for a project and apparently when I over drink, I like to take baths. and my hubs walked in on me conked out in the bath, shriveled up like a prune in frigid water. embuurrrsssiinngg.

5.) What most attracts you to your SO?

Physically...his smile, I love his lips;) his height, he is 6;5 and his voice. hello, see question one. telephone remember?  haha

He is the smartest man I have ever met and he has such character and manners. Sorry, but I grew up in the South and that whole adage about Southern boys and their manners...I've never met a one that compares. and I love my South.

6.) If a movie was made about your SO, what actor/superhero

would play their part?

Funny that Superhero is part of the equation, no questions asked...Dean Cain.

I said I would elaborate on number one. I was 22 and working with a baseball team and one of the guys kept insisting I should "meet" his friend. I had just gotten out of a few less than stellar relationships, I was specific that I didn't want to really date anyone, much less an athlete and he assured me that he was great. I kept holding off and one night we were hanging out and he came up with the idea to prank call him( hello, people I was young;) He gave me a back story that he had met some girl the weekend before and they were going on a date soon, just call and pretend to be her. (cell phones were not big then) Yes, far fetched. if someone told me this story now  I would be incredulous. haha Anyways, I did and he had this voice, it was just wow(and to this day, we do not ever meet new people or go out to eat that it is not mentioned or later someone references my hubs as the one with "the voice") we talked back and forth for about 20 minutes when he finally qui "Ok, this has been fun, but seriously, who is this? I know you're not her because she was from England...and you sound like you're from Alabama"

after the most mortifying pause of my life, I explained and apologized. He was fun about it and just laughed. A few days later, the team was out of town and I was bored and just thinking that I liked his voice and thought he was so nice. I called him at 9:30 that night. I just remember saying " hey, I am the girl you talked to the other night" and him being like "yea, kinda hard to forget" we started talking about everything under the sun, and all I can really recall is this next sentiment " Holy Crap, it's 5:15 in the morning, I have to get up for work in an hour"

It has been 12 years since that phone call and June will ring in 10 years of me being his Mrs.

So, I suppose no matter how foolish it may seem now, I think it was a pretty fulling conversation. Just sayin"