Date 21: Bleu Boheme

To celebrate our 3 Year Wedding Anniversary,

(has it seriously already been three years?)

Jeremiah and I enjoyed a beautiful candlelight dinner

in a little French restaurant in Kensington called Bleu Boheme.

We started out with the Tarte Chaude au Reblochon 

and the Crepe au Homard. 

One word: #yesplease

 

But the highlight BY FAR was the filet mignon, truffle-crushed baby Yukon Gold potatoes,

asparagus and a delicious Bearnaise sauce.

Before I met Jeremiah,

I was one of those "Medium" meat kinda girls

but he has opened my eyes (and tastebuds) 

to the melt-in-your-mouth goodness that is: rare filet.

HOLY YUM!!!

It was just one of those meals where you savor E.V.E.R.Y bite.

(and maybe even moan a bit as you chew...)

And after dinner,

while we were debating whether to stay for dessert

or to head down the road for a nightcap at the Daily Scoop,

our waiter treated us to a tasty chocolate mousse with fresh berries.

A happy anniversary indeed.

And yes, we totally still went to the Daily Scoop.

They have shaved ice. C'mon.

50 First Dates

A couple months ago, I pinned this idea on Pinterest.
Pretty soon after that, I whole punched a deck of cards and threw rings in the holes,
but then the cards sat in my craft room for several weeks.

Last weekend, I saw them sitting there
and realized this would make the perfect book
for one of our 2012 goals
(which I swear I'll talk about soon...)

Jeremiah and I are pretty much born&raised San Diegans.
And because we love this city to itsy bitsy pieces,
we try to NOT take living here for granted.

We love to spend time exploring the city,
enjoying the sites, playing tourists, etc.

So to stretch ourselves a little more,
we decided that this year we'd shoot to experience
new and different things in San Diego.
They could be restaurants, tourist attractions, activities, anything.

Because we also value romance in our marriage,
I had also been looking for a creative way to maintain that giddy romance.
Setting aside one day a week for date night is something we've done for a while,
but we put some extra restrictions on these date nights this year.

You know, things like dressing up, no cell phones,
keeping our un-sexy traits to a minimum (burping, nose picking ;)),
and almost just going back to when we first started dating.
Things like always opening up doors for each other
even though it may be so out-of-the-way-inconvenient that it's silly.

We've had two dates so far and I've absolutely loved them.

Stay tuned if you're interested in finding out
which new things/places we find to do/go.

MarriageCon

Here's the quick & dirty on last month's MarriageCon:

Our sweet friends invited us
to a 2-day Marriage Conference at their church last month.


Dr. David Jeremiah spoke on the importance of Christ,
Commitment and Communication in marriage.

Jennie Jordan spoke about
the Thinker/Feeler personality preferences from Myers-Briggs

And Bill and Pam Farrel shared their hilarious, but oh so true
"men are like waffles and women are like spaghetti" shpeal.

There were games, prizes, worship sessions, discussions, yummy treats..
and well, it made for a quite nice weekend.

I walked away feeling both challenged and encouraged.

Thanks again, McGoverns, for hangin out with us. :)

And yes, I stole your pictures...
thanks for taking them.

Celebrating Us

I was once told that a couples' bedroom

should always only be about them.
Not necessary filled with pictures of their family, friends and kids,
but just a place to celebrate them.
Their memories. Their vows. Their relationship.

We obviously don't have any kids,
but so far, I've held to this advice.

We have pictures from our honeymoon,
sand from our wedding, a painting reminding us of our first kiss,
and a canvas filled with our marriage vows.

Last month, I started on this little craft to celebrate our anniversary.
And I just put the finishing touches on it this weekend...

The clipboards contain just a couple special pictures of us
and the chicken wire frame below
is filled with a handful of tangible memories

{ignore the fact that the quality of these pictures is awful}
Honeymooning in St. Thomas
Walking down the aisle
and a romantic weekend away
The first email Jeremiah sent me.
A movie ticket stub and a balloon from my 18th Birthday celebration.
Cards we've given and sent each other over the years, the first one from November 2004.
A remembrance of our first date {at Starbucks}.
And stationary from the night Jeremiah proposed.


It's so special to be reminded of where we've been together,
what we've been through,
and how faithfully the Lord has made His face to shine upon us.

Dosiversary Celebracion

To celebrate our second wedding anniversary this weekend,

the hubs and I spent a night at the South Coast Winery villasOn our way out to Wine Country,
we stopped for lunch at the Lazy Dog Cafe
where I found the b-e-s-t grilled cheese and tomato soup ever.Then we had a wonderful afternoon getting couple's massages,
relaxing in the jacuzzi, and napping for hours.
So much so that we missed our wine tasting. Oops.
We woke up just in time for dinner
where I had the lobster ravioli
The lobster ravioli, as in one.
and an ice cream sundae for dessertWe enjoyed a mimosa breakfast on the terraceand enjoyed a beautiful stroll around the vineyard
It was absolutely fabulous to get away.
No chores. No errands. No house projects.
Just naps. Massages. Food. and Relaxation.

Despite the yucky {read: windy} weather
and the fact that the resort was slightly disorganized,
it was just the perfect way to celebrate two years.

Mm, I could be a professional celebrator.

5.31

Happy Dosiversary, my love!

There isn't anyone I'd rather eat Chipotle with,
do laundry with, empty the dishwasher with, pay bills with,
or grocery shop for.

:-)

Busy Season: Open and Honest

This is our first true "busy season" together.

(For those who don't know: that's CPA speak for "Hell on Earth")

We dated for four and a half years before getting married.
During that time, we were both in school
and of course ran into trials and times of stress.
We had homework, tests, work, wedding planning and roommates.
The whole shabang.

We've also shared in our first year of marriage together,
where "they" (whoever "they" is) always say
you learn to live together, you argue over things like money
and you hopefully come out better on the other side.

Sure, there were some things to get used to
but I'd say the first year of marriage
was pretty much blissdom.

None of that compares to Busy Season.

(Yes, this Busy Season gets bold capital letters, for sure.)

Jeremiah's been working crazy hours.
I never really know if/when he'll be home for dinner.
He drives all over the county.
And once he's finally home,
he catches up on work during most nights and weekends.
He's exhausted.

To put it frankly,
it blows.But now that we're half way through Busy Season,
we're finally starting to get a grasp on how to handle it
and how to protect our marriage during it.

I thought I'd share,
you know, in case any of your husbands
decide to be CPAs or the like.

---

1. Pray for each other.
For strength. For wisdom. For rest.
And to remember where our true worth is found.

2. Set aside time to spend time together.
Most weeks, we only have one or two nights a week.
It may not be all the time we're used to, but it's something.
It's all we have to give right now. And that's okay. Make it a priority.

3. Wife, respect your husband and make life easier for him.
Don't call him a "work-a-holic." It hurts his feelings.
Have dinner ready for him, whenever he comes home.
And wash the dishes even though its normally his job.
Clear your schedule. You may want to play with friends
or line up fun things for the nights and weekends,
but he works towards deadlines all day.
He just wants to kick his feet up and relax - no timetables.

4. Husband, make the wife feel loved
Jeremiah's done this lately by sharing his Starbucks breakfast with me,
By patiently telling me what I missed
when I fell asleep in the middle of the movie
By praying for me when my Monday morning starts off rocky
By cuddling up to watch girly shows with me
even though he absolutely hates them
By playing games with me after a long day at work
By reading me like a good book and making me feel known.

5. Forgive
Because we will make mistakes
We will get on each others' nerves
and we will say things that are not very patient,
or kind, or loving, or life-giving.

[source]

Digging up the Past

Jeremiah and I each have a box

filled with sappy odds and ends we've given each other over the years.
This weekend I went through those old keepsakes
looking for a couple things I'd like to use in an upcoming craft project

I spent two hours on Saturday night digging through
movie ticket stubs, valentine's cards, poems,
Christmas cards, pictures, encouraging notes,
love letters written in Spanish, email print outs, etc.

The mister actually saved far more than I had known (cute!)
and I found tons of stuff I didn't even remember making.

As I re-read the notes that Jeremiah and I had written to each other,
I cried like a baby.

Partly because I remembered that young, giddy love.
Partly because that love has grown and deepened.
And yet still remains giddy.
Partly because my dreams have become reality.

But mostly because,
they all point to the very Truth that:

God is so faithful.

Amen.

Mr. and Mrs. Gary Peterson

Jeremiah's beautiful cousin Teresa
married Mr. Peterson a couple weeks ago.
and it was a beautiful Springtime celebration!

The ceremony took place in Balboa Park
in a little chapel across from the Museum of ManHer girlfriends looked gorgeousBut of course, she was the star of the showExchanging vowsGary kissing his brideThe reception was absolutely lovely, too.
It was held at Scripps Seaside Forum in La JollaThe view at sunset was just stunningAnd what's a party without my goofy in-laws
G&T - Thank you for allowing us to celebrate with you.
Such a fun-loving couple, and a wedding just the same.
From the looks of Facebook,
it seems your really enjoying your honeymoon in Thailand.
Can't wait to see more pictures!!

Like Grass, Envy or Cash Money

Happy St. Patrick's Day, my [cyber] friends!

You'd think that marrying into an Irish last name
would automatically make me fall in love
with St. Patrick's Day or something.

You'd think I'd wear a green dress
and paint my nails green.
You'd think I'd make green eggs & ham
or at least a pretty green dessert.But no.
Not this year.
This year, I'm kind of a party-pooper.

Maybe we'll go over to the pub and grab a green beer.

But probably not. :)

[Source]

Little Letters: To my Beloved

On this mid-week morning,
a few short letters to my beloved...

Dear Jeremiah,
I love the way you stretch like Air Jordan in the morning.
You're a superstar.

Dear Best Friend,
Thank you for watching pathetic shows like the Bachelor with me.
I especially like when you make fun of the windy windy cape,
the black crow on Chantal's shoulder
and lines like "I think you're a great person, too."

Dear Sweet Husband,
You got out of bed to fart the other night.
That's romance, baby.

All my love,
Wifey

The Birthday Boy

I love him to pieces. I do. I do. I doooo.
Being married to him has been both the greatest joy
and the greatest challenge I have ever experienced.

And I am SO excited to celebrate another year with him.

Happy 27th Birthday, my sweet darling.

You're handsome. You're loving. You're generous.
You're hard-working. You're intelligent.
You're so much fun.

I love you.

A Glimpse of the Kingdom

A simple call
a casual invite
and yet it made my entire day

My good friend, Stacy
remembered I spend most weeknights alone
while Jeremiah's busy at clients' during busy season.

So she invited me to join her and her husband
for dinner, shaved ice and a video sermon on marriage last night.

I cried the entire drive home.

What a sacred treasure it so feel known
to be shown genuine hospitality,
and to be allowed to share in such a rich relationship.

Such a beautiful privilege it is
to taste and see
the Kingdom.

V-day, baby!

Since the Lover's holiday

is only ten days after my birthday
and about two and a half weeks before Jeremiah's,
we tend to lay pretty low for Valentine's Day.
No big extravagant dinners or weekends away for us.

This year, we celebrated with a Sunday date day.
We went to church,
enjoyed lunch at Elephant Bar,
went on a hike at Torrey Pines State Park,walked along the beach,took an afternoon nap,
enjoyed a romantic dinner at home,
opened little gifts,washed each others' feet,
and enjoyed a living room after party
complete with Resee's s'mores,fresh Farmers's Market flowers from the hubs,and a movie by candlelight.

It was the perfect Sunday together...
worshiping God, enjoying creation,
and humbling ourselves.

Much Needed.

Especially given the kind of night we had the day before.
Let's just say we each had to ask for
an extra helping of forgiveness
after the way we treated each other.

How are you celebrating Valentine's Day?

The Mirror

Marriage is hard.

I think I could have stopped the post there,
got a few 'Amens!'
or deterred the pie-in-the-sky lovebirds from ever reading this blog again
and moved on with my morning tea.

But what fun would that be?
And let's be honest, I want people to read my blog
(and find something more hopeful)

Seriously though.
Marriage is hard.

It's holding a mirror up to your face.
Your haven't-showered-in-days,
zit-filled, pre-pubescent,
wear-all-your-emotions-on-your-sleeve face.

Constantly.

And having to deal with it.

It's one long, hard look
at your far too messy, dirty wrench of a heart.

And if I look hard enough,
past the beautifully clean and graceful surface,
I see my colossal mess of a heart
A heart full of Selfishness.
A heart where Pride has made her home.
And where Envy isn't far behind,
nestling her ugly head into the deep dark crevices.

When I take a deep look at who I am, who I really am
I'm disgusted.

Envy. Pride. Lust. Selfishness. Anger. Hatred. Shame.

What a beautiful and awfully painful
privilege it is to be married to someone
who refuses to put that mirror down.

Even when I beg and plead
Or kick and scream.

For if he did,
that mess would not get dealt with.
And I'd become more and more comfortable
living in filth.

Thank you, darling.

And thank You, Mighty God,
that you are both strong enough
and loving enough
to clean up this disaster
piece by piece
and make it beautiful.

For it matters not what I make of myself,
but what You've done for me.

Soul Mates

People think a soul mate is your perfect match,

and that's what everyone wants.
But a true soul mate is a mirror,
the person who shows you everything that is holding you back,
the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.
--Unknown

6 years ago yesterday,
I went on a first date with a boy.

Starbucks + Christmas Shopping + Dinner

It didn't take me long
to realize we're soul mates.

(our first picture together, January 2005)

Thankful for: Jeremiah

Today, and always,

I'm thankful for: Jeremiah

He's loved me since I was 17.
He's inspired me, encouraged me, challenged me, provided for me.
He's shown me devotion, loyalty and generosity.
He's taught me how to love.

I am so thankful to have a husband that loves the Lord.
A husband that takes care of his family.
A husband who wants to make his wife happy.

What an absolute blessing to be married to this handsome little fella.

I love you, my dear!

A Simple Call

My husband called at noon
just to say hello
and my heart fluttered
like a giddy school girl.

Come home soon, my darling.
Come home soon.

Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Smith

Admiral Kidd's Club has got to be

one of my favorite wedding venues in San Diego.
It has such a gorgeous view of the marina and the skyline.
I about lose it every time we go to a wedding there.

The Fallbrook gang waiting for the ceremony to start
Note: Mama Sarette looks S-M-O-K-I-N!Waiting for his brideAnd here she comes...I just loved their vows.They were handwritten and honest.
She promised to nag, make him pick up his dirty clothes,
like him most of the time, but to love him always.The PrayersAnd that kiss!For the first time,
Mr. and Mrs. SmithDuring the cocktail hour,
the sky was fiercely beautiful.
PS: Anyone who serves cheese at their wedding
earns like fifty points in my book!McLeods + GroomCake smashing after dinnerPhoto BoothDancing the night awayDuring the reception,I just had to sneak out
and grab another picture of the bay.
Breath-taking.And of course it just wouldn't be Jake's wedding,
if he didn't have his shirt off!Congratulations, you two love birds!
We're so excited you're finally hitched!!