3 years, baby!

happy three years to us!

it's hard to believe that it has only been 3 years, and that it has already been three years. oh boy.

who knows where the next three years will take us (hopefully graduate degrees, real jobs, a house, etc), but I'm excited to find out!

marriage is a pretty sweet deal when you're in it with your best friend.

babies. we look like babies.

our life is a TLC show

In the past four days, we have gone to four weddings. Just like the show on TLC. Except in our version there isn't a grand prize honeymoon giveaway at the end.

a backyard garden reception
an eleganty rustic slushie and photobooth celebration
an afternoon garden party
a mountain top, twinkly light, magical evening

I just love weddings and I loved the chances we had to celebrate with family and friends. Andre and I love the chance to reflect on our own wedding day. Happy wedding season!

not so newlyweds

All it takes for a good anniversary is sleeping in, German pancakes, waterslides, Olympics, fancy dinners, and year-old wedding cake. And mini-golf. Of course.

A simple celebration, but we just loved spending the day together. Sitting in a candlelit booth discussing our favorite moments of our first year of marriage was the greatest.

This is what a year in the freezer does to wedding cake. Our little science experiment. And it was still surprisingly tasty!

366 days of loving

Oh my, has it really been a year?

This year has flown by and been better than I could imagine.

Taking a note from my sister's more impressive stats after five years, here is our first year of marriage by the numbers:

We visited 8 states and 1 foreign country

Held 3 church callings between us

Had 2 jobs (one each)

Had 0 children

Bought 1 new car

Completed 34 school credits (and that's all André)

57 late-night dance parties

133 neighborhood walks

366 days of bliss (bonus for leap year!)

...here's to an eternity of more little moments!

from the vaults

I was reading my freshman year journal the other day and came across this gem...        

September 23, 2007 Abby, who had been running up and down the stairwell trying to do her homework, yelled from downstairs that something was wrong with Andre and that we needed to come quick.  Liz and I hopped right down and ran to see what had happened, but Rachel and Whitney stayed on the couch and didn’t seem to realize the direness of the situation.  So we run back down to the lobby and find Andre sprawled out on Adam and Steven’s laps with his eyes closed.  It looked pretty tragic and he was shaking in pain/death, but then I looked at Steven’s face and realized that he was trying really hard not to laugh.  Suddenly Andre said “I’m dying” in a very deathly sounding voice and I was really convinced he was dying, but then he grabs my hand and was like “to go to Homecoming with you!” and he jumps up, totally healthy and everyone laughs.  And I fell for it the entire time!        

Our first date. Crazy to think that in four years we went from this..

to this...

day of love

disclaimer: I don't want to be a braggy, look how great of a wife I am kind of girls, but this needs to be documented. you know, for posterity. You have been warned.

It all started with an invite in our love mailbox. André had LSAT class until late on Tuesday so we opted for a dinner in. I had been planning the menu and was so excited to get cooking when I came home from work.

The place settings. Wedding placemats, name cards, and fancy glasses from the dollar store. classy.

A bouqet for boys. Thanks Pinterest. We have a bet as to how long the candy will last. André is very stingy with his sweets.

Delicious dessert.

Beautiful flowers that André delivered to me at work made the perfect centerpiece. The occasion was also a reason to break out my old prom dress (seriously). André was a champ and put on a tie on his day off work.

Then we cuddled up on the couch with our free Redbox. The only decent-looking movie left to rent was Real Steel. So romantic.

And with that, it was a perfect Valentines Day!

six months

 

  ...I intend to hold you for the longest time

4 pictures for 4 months

It has been four wonderful months since the most perfect day in July. We just got our wedding pictures back and couldn't be happier.

We celebrated with early morning pancakes before work and assembling our new vaccuum tonight.

life is just great.

hey tuesday hey

The perfect Tuesday night date:

Copious amounts of cheap Chinese food, a comfy blanket, the most perfect night at the park, and a cute boy. 

Reading in the park together and free Coldstone are just icing on the cake.

Oh, and congrats to us...we've been married two whole months!

honeymooning.

We had a fabulous honeymoon to Victoria, Canada! I know what you're thinking--you honeymooned in Canada?!? But let me tell you, it was absolutely perfect. We loved being able to relax for a few days and still enjoy some sightseeing, people watching and fabulous food. If these pictures don't convince you to go to Victoria, I don't know what will.

To start, our hotel upgraded our room to a fabulous suite and we were greeted with a personalized note and a plate of chocolate truffles.

We loved walking around downtown, touring the Parliment buildings and acting fancy at the Empress.

 André got in touch with his inner Canadian

  We enjoyed a fabulous trip to the Butchart Gardens at dusk, just as the garden lights were turning on. Paired with the most fabulous fireworks/light show we'd ever seen (like a classy Canadian version of Disneyland), and it was a perfect evening.

We rented bikes and biked along the coast, taking breaks to rock scramble around tide pools and eat a picnic overlooking a bay.

 

...and then we rode off into the sunset on our boat back to Seattle. 

Also, Victoria has some fabulous street performers and buskers who were out in full force for BC Days. Our favorites? Plasterman and the violin playing Darth Vader.

we're kaisers!

We did it! We tied the knot! 

After a most perfect wedding day and honeymoon, we are back in the real world. 

We finally have sheets, hot water and internet.

and are just loving newlywed life.

being married really is the best.

(Here's how we feel about it)