The Fever

Forget swine flu, the pandemic working its way into our household is baby fever. A co-worker recently quipped that she got a 3rd dog to buy some time from her pressuring husband about having a baby. I shared this with Riley and was greeted the next morning with a circled husky ad in the classifieds. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I pressure Roo into anything but I can’t say I’d settle for a 3rd dog right now either…especially after the latest trip to the vet. We seem to pay an awful lot of money to get the dogs groomed in ways that don’t seem to be of much more value than me shaving them myself. One of Roo’s facebook friends remarked that it is faster to teach a puppy to poop that it is a baby.

Our friends’ baby Buxton first crawl was revealed in this week’s blog. We are taking baby steps ourselves. With Roo’s new promotion, its probably best to let her settle into that role for awhile and I am not quite where I want to be in my career to be comfortable enough where she doesn’t have to work at all. All that said, it will happen when it happens, when its meant to happen. For now, we’ll fall back on the old saying starve a cold, feed a fever. I think it is actually the other way around but we’ve got some good eats ahead of us this Memorial Day weekend.

We kicked it off with ballpark dogs at the local minor league baseball affiliate Friday night. Tonight, Roo is making homemade guacamole. Sometime Monday, marinaded pork ribs will be strewn over a bed of hot coals and smoking hickory chips. I picked up a watermelon from the farmer’s market as well as a couple pounds of fresh green peanuts, so sometime in between guac and grilled corn-on-the-cob, boiled peanuts will be had. I can eat boiled peanuts until I am sick to my stomach. I don't think a baby or a dog could ever cure my crave for those delicious summer treats.

Edisto Maycation Highlights

A photo shoot with a tutu clad beach baby.

Building Crab Cities (what happened to sand castles?)

52 lb Bill Fish

Spending time with old friends

Turning off the blackberry and catching up on some reading...

We're already counting down the days until our return to Edisto in July....

The greatest of these is love...

We have spent the better part of the last few days reflecting, recollecting and remembering where we were at "this time last year." Our wedding weekend is filled with special moments, simple laughs, thoughtful tears, and emotions that I truly don't have the words to describe. We are quickly and easily overwhelmed with joy by the vivid memories of how we came together, how we've grown together and how we've loved together. There have been laughs and less than joyful quibbles as we have also learned to live together.

Some say the first year of marriage is the toughest, I say every day of every year of a marriage should be a challenge. It should never be too easy to love and live for Roo. Challenge is a good thing and not the same thing as a struggle. It may not always be easy, it may not always be fun, we make mistakes big and small. But you can never stop learning and loving. We've done plenty of both in the past year.

We all have those defining moments in our lives that we think back to...if it would have broken this way or split that other way, where would we be now. If I could go back and do it all again... As I look back at the past year (and beyond), I've never lived my life wanting to do it over again because I wouldn't want to miss any of the moments, learned any of the lessons, or loved any part of the past year any less than the amazing way it has all unfolded in the early years of our lives together. For all the support, love, lessons and more, we thank the Lord, our family and friends.

As clearly as I can see Riley walking up the aisle or hear Jessica's made of honor speech or taste the rehearsal dinner shrimp and grits, I can feel the faith in our hearts, the hope for another year of countless blessings and love in our home that we share and grow...the greatest of these is love.

And now, time for some year-old cake...

From the Island!!

EJ & I have spent the last two days soaking up the sun on Edisto Island. My bestie Aly Kat and her adorable family are down here as well. Jackson and Nola Zee have definitely given EJ a major case of baby fever.....

Our first anniversary weekend celebration begins tomorrow. We're headed to my hometown after a pit stop at Irvin Vineyards (home of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka) on Wadmalaw Island. We'll then spend Saturday & Sunday at the Oak Manor Inn -- the super cute B&B that was home to our wedding weekend last year. My mom's in charge of taking our top cake tier out of the freezer -- let's hope she remembers.....

EJ's in charge of our first anniversary post so more to come from him on Sunday!

Happy Mother's Day to our Moms!!

We love you both!!

On the road again...

Its been a busy couple weeks since our trip to Chicago. Roo has hit the road again for work and I've maintained the homefront, more so on my own as Jessica has moved home to the parents' place for summer vacation. We will check in with her this weekend as we visit for Mother's Day. I expect and look forward to being put to work in the yard. Roo's dad came up to help us in our yard last month. More travel next week, a quick trip for Riley early on then we head to the beach for a taste of Edisto a couple months prior to our July vacation. Next weekend, we will celebrate our anniversary in the same bed and breakfast that we celebrated the wedding in almost one year ago.