No, No, 'No-Shave!'

Me: "You're shaving?! On a Friday morning?"

Bobby: "Yeah, I'm doing it for you."

Me: (puzzled look)

Bobby: "It's almost November, and you know what that means!"

Me: (thinking, "Ugh...yes, I do. 'No-Shave November'.") 

        "Ugh...no! I thought you'd forget about that."

Bobby: "Well, that just shows how ignorant you are. I invented it...why would I forget about it?!"

He's got me there.

Looks like I'm in for another scratchy November. Oh, well. I'll just enjoy his smooth, ever so handsome face for the next two days and try to embrace this "tradition" of his...part of what makes Bobby, Bobby! 

And, I do so love the man.

Sure, it's funny...when it's fake!

One Incredible Weekend: Part III

I'm still riding the high that was this past weekend. (Seriously, it was that great.) I think the past two posts have exhaustively covered the highlights of the trip. But, reflecting on the entire experience, I can't help but think about four elements of the weekend that helped make it so special.

The People :: We met and were surrounded by some really neat people throughout the weekend. Our  friends from the airport, yes, but also: the flight attendant who shook the hand of an elderly man wearing a Marines cap and thanked him ever so genuinely for his service...the man seated next to me on the plane who was ever so friendly and bantered with me throughout the flight...and, the dozen or so people at the airports that commented on our Mizzou gear and were excited about the big win. There are a lot of nice people in the world...and it makes all the difference!

The Time with Family :: This was the first "family" trip that we've taken together since Bobby has been a part of the picture...and it was absolutely wonderful. (True, my dear sister couldn't make the trip and that was a huge bummer. It would have been even better if she'd been around.) But, really, Bobby fits in so well with all of us, and is most certainly a dearly loved member of our family. It was really nice spending precious time with extended family, but also wonderful to be able to spend so much (quality) time together with my parents. It made me really excited for family vacations to come, with husbands and little ones along. This new chapter of family life is a fun one, and I'm looking forward to all of us going on more adventures together!

The Joy of Being a MIZZOU Alumni :: I am very proud to be a Mizzou alum, and never more so than I was on Saturday. It was a blast to cheer on the football team in a huge game (vs. OU!), and feel the pride of being a Tiger! (We don't always get to be cheering for the winning team as Missouri sports fans...but I think we could get used to it.) We danced to "Eye of the Tiger" and watched the score on Bobby's phone at the wedding, gave high-fives with every touchdown back at the hotel, and responded with a couple of "Z-O-U"'s to well-wishers at the airport. Wearing an MU sweatshirt in Virginia and Georgia suggests "I'm not from around here" (in a cool sort of way)...and that's kind of fun! I felt like a rockstar at the airport, really, sporting my Mizzou gear. (I know, I know...operative phrase being "felt like".) Oh, and don't you know it made Bobby's day when the flight attendant asked if he was "ON THE MIZZOU FOOTBALL TEAM" when we boarded the plane?! That's how spirited (and athletic) he looked! (I was proud of him...he said "no".) Anyway, there are a lot of Tiger fans out there, and it was fun representing the Zou away from home.

The Benefit of A Long Weekend Getaway :: Bobby and I have been fortunate enough to take two tropical, weeklong vacations...which, don't get me wrong, were amazing trips. A week in a tropical paradise is, well, amazing! But, this trip was such a nice reminder that taking a long weekend getaway can be completely refreshing, too!  (For someone who lives in the landlocked Midwest, seeing the ocean always does a body good!) Sure, when you pay for a costly flight, it makes sense to stay at your destination for a while. But, when that isn't feasible, just a couple of days away from the "every day" can really boost one's spirit and go a long way in reminding you that there is a lot of world out there to be explored...and that you can choose to be grateful for the little corner of it that you enjoy every day.

And so concludes what unexpectedly became a three-part narrative of one incredible weekend.

That it was.

One Incredible Weekend: Part II

Now, where were we? Oh, yes.... So, we got to Newport News, VA, rented a car, parted ways with our new friends, and drove 50-ish minutes to the hotel. The four of us had a lovely dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, Bobby and I spent some time in the jacuzzi, and then we called it a night. No other major happenings to report.

But, then Saturday came. Ah, Saturday. I'm pretty sure I woke up with a smile on my face. "It's WEDDING DAY, it's Mizzou GAME DAY...does it get any better?!" I was pumped.

I decided that you don't get THAT close to the coast and NOT go to the beach, so it was critical to me to find time in the day to make that outing happen! So, around 9:00 a.m., after a quick cup of coffee, my parents and Bobby and I got in the car and drove to the nearest beach, 30 minutes or so away. I am so, so very glad we took the time to do that. It was a GORGEOUS morning, and the beach was absolutely beautiful. (Perfect day for a wedding!) I don't think I could ever get tired of having sand under my feet and feeling waves tickle my toes. Being able to experience that is such a fun thing, and it made for a really memorable way to start the day. We walked around and Mom took some photos, and it was just enough time for us all to feel really refreshed. I'm glad we got to share all that together.

We got back to the hotel just in time for Bobby to catch a little bit of ESPN'S College GameDay from Mizzou, so he was a happy camper. (Seriously, of all weekends for there to be so much sports action! If we could've been in two places at once.... Bobby was definitely a trooper, participating in all the day's festivities, knowing there was a big game on. I owe him one!) A little lunch, a little visiting with the rest of the family, and it was time to start getting ready for the main event!

Kelsey and Jared's wedding was wonderful, and so very "them". The dress, the flowers, the music, the couple...it was all beautiful! (Not that I would have expected anything less! You'd think she was an event planner or something.) I know there were so many details that went into making it a special day for the two of them and for their guests, and it was all the more joyful knowing that Kelsey and Jared had waited so long for their big day and that they are such a great match. It was a pleasure to finally meet Jared (you know, Kelsey's new husband!) and it was so great to be able to celebrate with them. Congratulations, you two!

We ate (a lot), we danced (to "Eye of the Tiger", appropriately enough), we watched the MU score on Bobby's phone (while we danced)...and Bobby and I had a great time catching up with family and enjoying each other.

After the happy new couple left, we headed back to the hotel. The beautiful thing about our being on the East Coast was being able to catch almost the entire second half of the game, since it started at 7:00 p.m. CST! So, we all sat in the lobby and watched Mizzou pull off an amazing win over Oklahoma, thus ending a wonderful day in perfect fashion. (M-I-Z!!!)

One more post to come, with a few final thoughts about the weekend. Reflection is a good thing.

One Incredible Weekend: Part I

You know those days that are so great that you just don't want them to end?! This past Saturday was most certainly one of those days for me. Actually, the entire weekend was pretty stinkin' great.

Bobby and I got to spend Thursday evening with Morgan and Brandon (who were in St. Louis for a wedding this weekend), complete with dinner, apple pie, and board game fun. It's always a blast with those two, and I'm so looking forward to many, many more fun evenings together once we're living in the same city. (Although, I will miss having them as overnight guests. But, Morgan says we can still have slumber parties. And, I'm going to hold her to that.) Their visit was a great way to get the weekend started, and I'm so glad they made the trip a bit early to hang out.

On Friday morning, Bobby and I flew to Atlanta. We discovered that day that I may have lost a bit of my travel know-how. Forgetting to take off my shoes at security..."Strike #1", Bobby said. Directing us to the wrong gate, "Strike #2". Choosing terrible seats on the plane, "Strike #3". (By the end of the trip, I think we were at "Strike 8" or so. Go figure.) Bobby gave me quite a bit of grief for all those issues, since I generally consider myself to be quite savvy at airports. (I think I must just be better at international travel. I'd better stick with that....) Anyway, somehow we managed to get ourselves to Atlanta, where we met up with my parents!

We all settled in for a long afternoon layover at the airport, and at some point we started chatting with the couple sitting across from us. John and Dinah had also flown in from St. Louis and were "enjoying" the long layover just like us on our way to Virginia. Time flew by while we visited with them! Their stories about their dogs, country living, and newlywed life were entertaining and we all just clicked! They had the sweetest story about how they met (online!) and fell in love, and it was so fun to listen to them. We learned they were Christians and I think it was, for all of us, a really neat thing to be able to so easily connect with complete strangers and know we all loved the Lord. I was bummed to end our conversation (though I was glad to finally be boarding the plane), and I'm still kicking myself for not getting John's business card. (They breed Golden Retrievers, and I would seriously love to get a puppy one of these days. Oh, well.) Anyway, we ran into them again at the Enterprise rental counter at the Newport News airport, and I think we were all a little sad to part ways. You just never know who God will put in your path, do you? They were a blessing.

And then, there was a trip to the beach and a wedding and a Mizzou game. The End.

Oh, please...as if I could possibly not elaborate any more than that on those stories.... But, I am running the risk of this becoming a post that is far too lengthy for even my most dedicated two readers (Mom and Dad) to enjoy. So, I'll post more from our incredible weekend later. Stay tuned!

On The Move

I am only a couple of weeks away from needing to seriously start focusing on packing and preparing to move. And, although I'm very much looking forward to having such a large project to keep me busy, the thought of de-constructing the little home we've created for ourselves over the past 14 months is making me slightly overwhelmed and a bit emotional.

What our apartment looked like after we moved everything IN.
And, what I suspect it will have to look like again in order for us to move everything OUT. Bummer.

There will be more nostalgia to share later, I'm sure. But for now, I really just need to book a moving truck and figure out how to get my hands on a whole bunch of boxes. Here we go! 

Bobby and me after emptying my apartment in Columbia last year.
(Just to remind myself that it CAN be done. )