2 Years

Husband and I just celebrated our 2-year anniversary recently. And now I’m wondering if someone changed the calendar on us because wasn’t our wedding just a week ago? People shared their advice about marriage with us before our wedding. I don’t remember all of it, but I know most of it was about “marriage being hard work” and “you have to work at it.” (With all the talk about work, I wasn’t sure if I was entering into matrimony or a manual labor camp!) The biggest surprise about marriage for me was just how much fun it could be. Husband and I laugh at least five times a day together. And whether we are traveling to someplace fun or just eating a quiet dinner at home, we always seem to have a ball. Lucky for me, I married my best friend, someone that I love and respect so much. I think that makes all the difference. Who knew that “work” could be so much fun?

Our 1.2 Seconds of Fame

(Alternately titled: How We Became Best Friends with Jay Leno)

Husband and I love to watch Jay Leno. So, I couldn’t have visited L.A. without at least trying to see the Tonight Show.

I knew our chances were slim. We hadn’t requested the tickets in advance, and we knew that demand was high because it’s Jay Leno’s last few weeks on the Tonight Show.

But I was hopeful anyway. I dragged Husband out of bed at 7AM (sorry again, Husband!), so we could make it to the studio by 8AM when the office opened to give away the remaining tickets. We ended up getting stand-by tickets, which the lady said would give us a “50-50 chance” of seeing the show.

We returned that afternoon, waiting for an hour in a long line. There, I annoyed Husband with the exact same questions every few minutes: “Do you think we’ll get in??” or “Do you think our chances are increasing or decreasing??”

I was ready to give a sob story to the workers there about how far we traveled and how much we wanted to see the show. I would have even used the military card (“But we’re military! Please!”), which I realize is desperate and sad.

But, to our surprise, they ushered us into the studio right before the show started. We couldn’t believe we were getting in, and I was happy to take what I assumed would be our seats in the back row. Except that our seats were in the second row!* They had been roped off, apparently saved for VIPs that didn’t show up.

I had an enormous grin on my face the entire time. We even got to shake hands** with him before the monologue, and my parents saw us later on TV! (By the way, if it had occurred to me that I might actually be visible on TV, I might have toned down my grin a notch so I didn’t look like a total crazy grinning idiot.)

The show itself was awesome, and we laughed loudly because it truly was funny. We didn’t even need the “applause” sign.

The whole experience was incredibly fun and entertaining, and I’m happy to give the minute-by-minute account to anyone that will listen. But first, I try to say in my best casual tone, “Oh, you didn’t hear that we were on Jay Leno?”

*Note: If you hear me tell the story in person, I will say that our seats were in the front row. It’s only because I get really excited when I tell the story, and I can no longer be held accountable for precise facts.

**Note: Again, if I tell the story in person, I will say that Jay Leno shook my hand because it makes for a better story than “he reached his hand in my general direction.” Husband, however, did actually get to touch his hand. I’m jealous.

Memorial Day

We had a great time on our trip! As soon as my brain catches up to this time zone, I'll write more about the details. And today I am thankful for all those that serve, especially those that have given their lives for our freedom. Happy Memorial Day!

And we're off...

...again! I’m not sure how we got lucky enough to take another fun trip in such a short time, but I’m going to pack my suitcase before the vacation police find us and tell us we have to stay home. We’re heading to a friend’s wedding in Arizona, and then we’ll visit family in California. The wedding should be fun – it’s for a friend of Husband’s – but truthfully, I’m more excited to see family. And we just got a GPS (we've named her Betty) that we’ll bring with us. I’ve already grown attached to her calm voice that assures me we can get just about anywhere…with maybe a recalculation or two. Now if only she could tell me what I should pack…

Ladies' Week

What do you get when you spend a week with your mom and grandma? You: do lots of sight-seeing and picture-taking. eat at a fancy restaurant with a great view of the city. [Side note: After seeing this man at the restaurant, I now know the #1 job I would be terrified to have!] visit some historical sites. walk around the gorgeous botanical gardens. make Husband’s day by surprising him with take-out from his favorite restaurant in the city. have a good excuse to play tourist in your own town. impress your grandma that you can actually cook. watch no less than 3 chick flick movies. inadvertently inspire Husband to choose studying over said chick flicks. watch Dancing with the Stars and discuss who should win (Shawn! or Melissa!). give them a tour of the base. look through recipe books together. shop! turn the TV to the Food Network and HGTV. eat ice cream. tell stories. laugh. teach your grandma how to work her brand new digital camera. sit in church on Mother’s Day and realize how lucky you are to spend it with your mom and grandma. And finally…. You miss them like crazy after they leave.

Girls' Trip

I’m so excited because in a few hours, I’ll be heading to a nearby city to spend a few days with my mom and grandma! I’m overjoyed that we can all be together and have some girl time. We have a lot of things planned. My first stop is to pick them up at the airport. They think I’m picking them up curbside, but I’m actually going to be waiting inside for them. And I thought it would be fun to make a sign with their names on it, as if I were a fancy limo driver waiting for them. (The “Ma” on the sign is for my grandma. I’ve always called her that.) Oh, and although I said it’s a girls’ trip, we might have one male tagging along: Greeney. I hope everyone has a great week!

Hawaii Memories

It was just about a year ago that Husband and I went to Hawaii. We went for the baptism of our friends’ son. But, for the record, I think any reason is a good reason to go to Hawaii!

Although we’ve been lucky enough to go on some great vacations together, Hawaii just might be our favorite. It has everything: beautiful scenery, gorgeous flowers, tasty food, lots to do, and the warm air with the cool breeze.

Specifically, I loved:

- seeing our friends and being part of the baptism.

- eating sushi, especially at the restaurant where you can pick any sushi you want off of the moving conveyor belt (!) in front of your table.

- shopping at the swap meet – in a huge stadium - for bargain souvenirs.

- eating pineapple that is so fresh and sweet that it tastes like candy.

- swimming with the dolphins! I wanted to do this for so long, and it was worth the (cough, cough) expensive price. I know I will be talking about it for years to come. (By the way, it was at the sealife park that I think is the one featured in the movie “50 First Dates.”)

- finding the set of the TV show Lost! (And, of course, taking lots of pictures and then blogging about it.)

- hanging out on the beach.

- eating at a delicious Asian restaurant that our military friend said was his favorite when he was stationed in Hawaii.

- seeing the huge turtles on the beach.

- malasadas, the hot donuts that became our obsession.

- going to a luau and watching the fire show.

- exploring the island and gawking at the beautiful scenery.

Is it possible to be jealous of your past self? If so, I’m envious of the girl that was just getting ready to go on this trip last year!