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A Marvelous Anniversary

Posted on April 13, 2015 by kissmybroccoli

Jason and I had an AMAZING anniversary!

And now I just have to take a second to fan my face, because I’m getting all flushed with this goofy grin on my face! Oh and speaking of, I wish I could give you all HUGE hugs (cuz I’m a hugger) for all the super sweet comments left on my last post. Thank you all so so much! I’ve never in my life been happier than I am right now. 😀

Ok…wooooo…callllllllm thyself. Alright, where was I? Oh yeah, my
anniversarEEEEEEEEEEEy!

First, he surprised me with flowers!

And he did a very good job…gorgeous tulips, a big fluffy hydrangea, and my favorite “special” roses (aka, the ones whose petals are darker at the tips than at the base). But the card is what really got me. He always knows what to say to make my heart do backflips.

Neither one of us really had a plan for the day, but when we found out that the forecasted rains were coming in later than expected, we both knew exactly what we wanted to do. We decided to go back to where it all began…on Ashland City’s Greenway Trail where we went on our first date. But before we decided to tackle the 7+ mile hike, we knew we’d need fuel first!

Jason suggested sushi since it’s relatively light and he surprised me by actually ordering a roll of his own. He usually just tries a bite of mine but says that sushi’s not really his thing. Well, obviously, I’m rubbing off on him because he LOVED his Cowboy roll and didn’t think my Playboy roll was half bad either…a definite #strangebutgood choice. 😉

Cowboy: Teriyaki steak, avocado, cream cheese
Playboy: Spicy tuna, crab, avocado, fried banana

I have to say, Kori has definitely redeemed itself. I’ve been to this restaurant several times over the years but I’ve never been completely happy with my experience (read: the service was always lacking), but it looks like they’ve changed some things. Our waiter was fantastic…as I was sure to tell him in the note I left with my generous tip. The steak was cooked perfectly and both the rolls and our appetizers came out quick.

After we finished eating, we made our way to the trails and over the next two and a half hours, we walked and talked, pointed at flowers, Googled flowers, and of course, I had to stop periodically to ~~pee~~ take pictures. 😉

Fire Pinks, Bluebonnets, Phlox, Columbines and more, but the ones that really stole the show…ANDwere the freakin’ hardest ones to find online were these Shooting Stars. Aren’t they gorgeous?! Move outta the way Daffodils, there’s a new favorite in town!

We also saw this HUGE owl! He may look small since he flew further away while I was fumbling with my phone (ohhhh, love that accidental alliteration), but he had to be at least the size of Atticus! I’m willing to bet he could’ve eaten him. Sorry Sam.

After walking the last couple of miles to the car in the dark because we are both seriously good planners like that, we munched on some bars that we had stashed in the car because we ~~ARE seriously good planners like that~~ know how we get when we get hangry. And the rest of the night was spent cuddling and being incredibly gross in love. I’ll spare you the details. 😉

But just when we thought the anniversary fun was done, we both surprised each other yesterday with little “gifts”…at the same time…without knowing the other was doing anything. Actually, it was kinda creepy. Lol.

A selfie photo stick for me! <-OMG, is this gonna be fun this summer!

And his favorite, chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips for him! 😀

Flowers, sushi, getting a dose of vitamin D while enjoying some good company in B-E-A-utiful weather, cuddles, cookies, and selfies? Maybe I’m not much of a girl, but I thought this was the perfect day, ie, I see a reason to stress yourself out about a day that is supposed to be special just as it is. I loved the simplicity of it all. How it kinda felt like any other day, but we both knew that it was so much more.

One year down, many more to go!

Be sure to check out Healthy Diva Eats for ALL THE MARVELOUS LINKS to help perk up your Monday! Hope you all have a great day!

What would your ideal first date include?

What is your favorite cookie?

Posted in MIMM | Tagged anniversary, flowers, Jason, nature, sushi, trails, walk | 21 Comments

My Year-Long Secret

Posted on April 10, 2015 by kissmybroccoli

There are many reasons to keep a secret.

But most of the time, people keep things to themselves because they feel if they don’t, something negative could happen. In that way, keeping a secret can be a selfish decision, but remember, sometimes it’s good to be selfish. Being a blogger can be tough at times…things change, life is unpredictable, and takes a dramatic turn, especially when it comes to relationships. It can be hard to share because every time you do, you’re forced to relive the hurt. So maybe you become a bit cynical over the years, but eventually, you stop sharing because you start to believe, like really believe, that nothing good ever lasts.

And then one day, all of that changes and you fall in love!

Everyone, meet Jason. No mystery. No code names. Just my best friend. My match. Annnnnnd the reason why I’ve been MIA from the blog so much lately. Although I hate to be “that girl” who abandons all her friends when she starts dating a boy, I just can’t seem to help it. And this isn’t about the novelty of the relationship because today…

We’re celebrating our ONE YEAR anniversary! 😀

It’s been an amazing year and at times SO hard not to share it with you guys, but honestly, I really wasn’t sure about things in the beginning. Like they were too good to be true. Like I kept waiting for the moment I “knew” was inevitable…the moment where the silver lining in my cloud unraveled.

But, that didn’t happen.

We’ve actually known each other for a very long time yet if you’d told me years ago that I would fall for this man and that I’d love him so much it hurts, I’d have looked at you like you were crazy. But I should’ve known. He’s always been there for me. At the risk of sounding unbearably sappy, the love we share is like no other I’ve experienced. Neither one of us is chasing the other. There is no competition. No jealousy. We talk about our wants, our needs, and our feelings and it’s like…well, like, I’ve finally found a man who speaks my language.

I can honestly say that I’ve never been happier in all my life.

Me & Jason Collage

It’s not because of him but because of how he makes me feel…about myself. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t feel the love he has for me. Whether we’re walking at the park, taking Nashville by storm, or stuck at home because of the snow, we always seem to have fun.

Also? He looks damn good in a tux! 😉

But that’s not all…nope, that’s only HALF of it. I dropped a few clues over the last year regarding the two of us. Mainly, I’d just sneak in little “blessings” in my currently posts, or undeniably giddy selfies, but over the last couple of months, I’ve mentioned a couple of things that I figured I’d eventually have to explain…

Bowling

The summer I disappeared? The weekly trips to visit “family” I’ve never mentioned before? The plethora of Christmas presents. And Spring break? Just WHO do those
tiny four little feet belong to? 😯

Only to the two cutest little girls I know! Everyone, this is Brooklyn and Alexis…aka, Brookie and Lexie. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know these cuties over the last year and ended up falling in love with them just as quickly as I did with their daddy. They are spunky and smart and silly and whenever we’re with them, there’s always an adventure.

This has been my life for the last year and will be for many years to come. These three have brightened my days, changed my perspective, and added so much love to my life. And I don’t for a second regret sharing my little secrets because I know that I am truly blessed…that life is full of surprises…and that good things DO last!

So, was that sappy enough for ya? 😉

Posted in Personal | Tagged anniversary, family, Jason, love, selfie | 48 Comments

Spring Break Shenanigans!

Posted on April 6, 2015 by kissmybroccoli

Happy day after Easter, my little chickadees!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend…whether you’re into all that religion stuff or not. The weather around here has been absolutely incredible, except for the last few frosty mornings…where I may or may not have forgotten to turn my heat back on. Yeah, I’m still working at getting the feeling back in all my fingers. So please, forgive me for any spelling errowerrs. 😉

I swear this past week went by faster than a squirrel on Peeps! But when you cram a month’s worth of activities into five short days, I guess you can’t expect anything less. As much as I need a day to recuperate now that it’s all over, the laughs shared, the adventures had, and the memories created made it all worth it!

Yep, last week was filled with some pretty MARVELOUS things…

Like crystal blue skies with fluffy white clouds and temperatures in the mid seventies (Fahrenheit…that would be around the twenties in Celsius).

Like a tour through the new pet store spent harassing the salt water fishies and gawking at the hamster that stuffed THREE food pellets in his mouth at one time.

Like stumbling over a baby broccoli!!

Like some super quick/super EASY dinner of fish tacos after a long and tiring day.

Like sitting out on the patio for hours after roasting hot dogs for dinner listening to music and cracking jokes.

Like following up that dinner with copious amounts of chocolate via s’mores of all shapes and sizes.

Like an incredible day at the lake picnicking, boating, fishing, and stalking baby turtles.

Like getting together with family and grilling ALL THE THINGS!

Like waking up to hilarious April Fools jokes.

Like late afternoon park walks that end with beautiful sunsets.

Like finally getting around to ordering The Elvis Wich at Which Wich and then dying and going to sweet and salty heaven.

Like making the most out of the ONE rainy day and by bowling enough games to make give yourself a Hulk arm.

Like dyeing Easter eggs for the first time in twenty years…and not even hiding the fact that you’re absolutely giddy over it.

Like having too much fun flipping some super cute Easter pancakes…which just HAD to have sprinkles because…duh.

And like basically having this huge make-my-cheeks-hurt grin plastered on my face. Never mind the fact that midway through the week I got the worst case of hayfever I’ve ever had in my life (still recovering). Never mind that I got a sunburn at the lake because I ONLY remember to put sunscreen on my shoulders. Never mind that I “lost” my debit card, canceled it, and then found it in my pocket hours later. And never mind that I didn’t manage to get more than four consecutive hours of sleep every night.Because I’d still do it ALL again in a heart beat!

What shenanigans did you find yourself a part of last week?

Does your family have any Easter traditions?