Now that my crazy semester is over, I can finally start this blog up again. Yay! Here are some things that Michael and I have been up to over the past few months (in chronological order, of course):
1. Valentine's Day & The Mink: Michael and I spent a typical Valentine's Day together... by snowshoeing and tracking of course! It was a an absolutely gorgeous, clear winter day with plenty of snow on the ground for tracking. We came across a set of tracks at Bigelow Hollow State Park that neither of us had seen before. As we veered off the trail to follow them, we tried to guess what they could be. Originally, we thought it was some sort of weasel. But when we looked in the guide book, we knew that couldn't be right. A few minutes later, a mink ran out from behind a tree and darted into a den of some sort. Casual, right? Later, we had a delicious V-Day dinner of rosemary-garlic steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus.
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| Mink tracks |
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| The den?! |
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| The best Valentine's Day dinner ever! |
2. My 21st Birthday!: Michael and I went to the Cadillac Ranch in Southington to celebrate my 21st. I have always wanted to go there and try my hand at square dancing (they have beginners lessons on Saturday nights). Unfortunately, when we were about an hour away, a huge snowstorm hit CT. When we finally arrived at Southington and checked into a nearby hotel, the snow kept on falling with no sign of letting up. Of course, that didn't stop me from slipping on my cowgirl boots and heading over to "the ranch" with Michael. The bar was nearly empty when we got there. The staff informed us that the dance instructor probably wasn't going to make it that night due to the snow. I was bummed, but Michael and I still had a fun time at the bar. We played a really terrible game of pool, watched experienced people square dance, ate delicious bar food, and I also had my first legal drink (a blue moon of course). For my birthday Michael gave me an amazing handmade leather flask. It is almost too beautiful to use! Overall, my birthday was great. It was a little more relaxed than I was expecting since we weren't able to go square dancing, but at least I got to spend the night drinking with my best friend.
4. The Dress: That's right folks... I chose "the dress!!!" While I can't say too much about it because I want Michael to be completely surprised (in my own little fantasy world, he will start to cry as soon as he sees me walking down the aisle), I will say that it is absolutely breathtaking, timeless, and elegant all at the same time. I did not think that I would go to for this certain style at all, but as soon as I tried it on, I knew it was the one. I think that's why it's so important for brides to be open minded while dress shopping, and to listen to the salon personal. Most of them actually know what they're talking about! I bought my dress at The Plumed Serpent in Westport. The owner of the salon made my experience truly amazing. I would highly recommend this store to any future brides.
5. Assateague Island: Well, while the Island itself was absolutely AMAZING, this trip definitely didn't go as planned. I have actually always wanted to go here to see the wild ponies that inhibit the island, and also because it's a great birding spot. Incredibly enough, Michael and I saw the wild horses grazing on marsh grass as soon as we pulled up to the island! I was really excited about the prospects of the trip. There was almost no one on the island, and we were able to backpack into a really remote sheltered area along the bay where we set up camp. Unfortunately, Michael ended up coming down with an awful sinus infection nearly as soon as we got onto the island! This was the first time I had really seen Michael sick, and boy was it a nightmare for both of us! Apparently, Michael is a huge helpless baby (sorry honey, no offense) when it comes to being sick. Even though I tried to comfort him as best I could, he was miserable. We ended up having to leave a few days early so Michael could recover. As we were backpacking along the beach to return to our car and go home, I noticed two birds swimming along the surf that I had never seen before. I looked at Michael and said, "Oh my God, I'm pretty sure those are surf scoters." When I took a closer look through my binoculars, I knew I was right. If you've never seen a surf scoter before, google them, they're really weird and ugly looking) To this day, seeing those surf scoters for the first time was still the best part of the trip. Michael and I hope to go back there and explore the island more... and hopefully this time he won't get sick!
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6. The "New" Ring: I made the tricky decision to change out the stone of my engagement ring. While I was IN LOVE with the ring's beautiful branching design of the ring itself, I did not really feel that the thick, clunky stone on top really went with the delicate feel of the ring. Now, I know what you're thinking, "Wow, what an ungrateful, selfish bitch." Trust me, I felt weird about bringing it up to Michael too. But the truth is that Michael and I never really discussed what type of engagement ring would best for me. Most couples actually pick out a ring together, or the brides discusses exactly what style of ring she would like best. Since Michael's proposal was a complete surprise (which was AWESOME), we never really got the chance to have "the ring" discussion. So, while it may have been a little bitchy, I am happy that I decided to change it. When I brought it up to Michael, he was a little hesitant at first. But once we received the ring back with the new rounded stone in place, he was just as happy with the new style as I am. I am absolutely in love with my ring, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Thank you Michael for making my dreams come true :)
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7. Dalice Elizabeth Winery: How do I describe this place? A small, homey cottage/shack in Preston, CT filled with amazing food, great wine, and the friendliest, most welcoming drunk people you will ever meet. I bought Michael a wine and chocolate tasting for two to this place on Valentine's Day, and we didn't have time to go until one sunny weekend in April. They first served us with a plate of chocolates and various homemade wines to try. Michael and I usually prefer dry red wine over white, but the white wine at this place was to die for. And so were the people! Michael and I sat next to a couple who had just recently gotten married. The girl looked over at us and asked if we were engaged. When I said yes, she proceeded to tell me about how lucky I was, and how much she missed planning for her wedding. The look on her husband's face was priceless! They were super nice though, and I really enjoyed talking to another bride who had already gone through the wedding process. Throughout the whole time Michael and I were there, one of the girls who worked at the winery played guitar and singing songs by Zac Brown Band and other great artists. By the end of the night after we were all pretty buzzed, we were played cards against humanity with the owner and the staff, even though the winery had officially closed for the evening. Michael actually ended up winning the game. Overall, it was an amazing time (although I spent WAY too much $$$ on wine), and I hope we can go back soon!
8. Michael's 23rd Surprise Birthday!: Michael's friend, Chris, and I decided that Michael should have a surprise party this year, since turning 23 is pretty boring. We had the whole thing planned down to a T. Chris invited about 20 people, and about 12-15 people actually showed up which was the perfect size. Elise, one of my bridesmaids, even came down from Boston! What I thought was really cool, however, is that I secretly asked Mike's best friends, Adrian and Kyle to come up to surprise Mike. For weeks he had been talking about how much he missed them, and I knew he would be elated to see them. When the party had started and Mike finally walked into Chris's apartment (late of course), we all yelled "SURPRISE" and the look on his face was priceless. Overall, the party was a great success, and I am really happy that Mike's birthday went over so well.
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| My brilliant photoshop creation for "Mike's Surprise Party" Facebook page. And yes, that picture of Michael with spiked hair is real. |
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Michael's actual birthday, before the surprise party. Even though I was busy with finals, I still found time to make him his very own, disgustingly chocolate cake:
9. My Graduation Ceremony: What a yawn! I really only went to this because it was Mother's Day and my Mom was dying to see me walk. Here's my advice to all of you who attend a HUGE school like UConn: don't go to your ceremony!! Unless of course you have a ton of school spirit or a cool speaker, I really don't think it's worth the wasted hours. Everyone says I'll be glad that I went in twenty years or so, and who knows, maybe I will. Luckily, I sat next to my friend Steph from RUF so at least I had someone to talk to during the ceremony. Afterwards, Michael and I went out to dinner with David and my Mom and the Bonefish Grill (obviously, I got their key lime pie). Here are some photos my Dad took from the ceremony:
Just for the record, I also want to point out that these past few months have been somewhat rocky for Michael and I. As I stated above, the craziness of this past semester really drove me into the ground. I was constantly stressed and overwhelmed with the amount of work that seemed to keep piling up no matter what I did. My mental and emotional exhaustion only lead to my lack of motivation to keep up with very difficult courses (i.e. physics/genetics). My stress definitely (and obviously) lead to tension between us. Luckily, I am truly blessed to have such an incredibly patient man. While I am sure that there were times Michael wanted to just walk away, he never did. He always stayed. And I think that's what love and marriage is really all about. It's about never giving up, no matter what hardship is thrown your way. Now that I am done with school and allowing myself to be happy again, our relationship is pretty much back to our ole' carefree romance. With that being said however, I know that this will not be the first or the last time that we go through a "downhill" time in our relationship. I know there will be times in our marriage when this situation is reversed, and I will have to be the one to help keep Michael together as he struggles with a personal issue of his own. But we both know that we will always find our way back to each other, no matter what. As 1 Corinthians points out, "love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things / Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13: 7-8).
Except for the fact that we are moving to New Jersey for a year or two to allow Michael to pay his debt, I am not really sure what our next chapter will be like. Michael and I have been together for a year now. In that time, we met, created the closest bond of friendship I have ever experienced, fell in love, got engaged, and started planning our life together. We have experienced good times, and hard times. We may be young, but our loves continues to mature and grow stronger as the days roll on.
Here we were, almost exactly 1 year ago:
And I simply cannot wait to see where life decides takes us next :)
