Happy Anniversary my sweet!

If you read my prior post you know Matt & I’s anniversary was this past weekend and though I mentioned it there I wanted to devote a post to pouring my heart out for this man.  If you tend to be a negative person or someone unable to be happy for another person – feel free to just skip past this post.

Matt and I started as distant friends.  We spent hours on the phone talking about everything under the sun and very quickly learned that we were heading to something more.   We didn’t know what was happening at the time but it was truly something special and really one of those  “it just happened” moments.

Matt came down to visit for the 1st time in August of last year.  By the end of the trip we knew we couldn’t bare to be apart any longer.  Matt left and sold his house in Massachusetts and moved to NC in November.  A lot happened in that 2 1/2 month period and it wasn’t easy.  It was a huge leap of faith but I would go back and do it 100x over.  The only change we would have made is having me move to Mass, but who is to know what the future holds.

To say the past year has been easy would be a stretch.  However I have never once doubted the decision I made to love him.  I am a hopeless romantic and can sometimes ignore the bad in a person to focus on the good.  With Matt, I don’t have any bad to focus on.  No one is perfect and we both have things to work on but the “checklist”, for lack of better words, is  complete.  We are on the same page with the big things that matter and if I’ve learned anything it’s that the little things will never amount to much.

Matt, you have given me adventures I couldn’t have imagined I would get to experience.  If we are being completely honest I didn’t even like some of these things before you, camouflage being one of them. You’ve taught me what it really means to respect someone and show them unconditional love.  You’ve shown me how important it is to build up your partner and ensure they always feel secure and loved.  We have seen how easy it is for people to cross the line and know that we respect the boundaries and stay within them.  You’ve taught me pick my battles and learn to compromise though I can’t seem to understand why I can’t leave my stuff all around the house since it’s easier to find it out in the open 🙂

Thank you for being patient with me when I’m unable to make a decision or being completely irrational.  Thank you for knowing when to give me that extra push for a killer workout and when to buy me froyo with 10 lbs of toppings.  Thank you for letting me take care of you even though you’re completely capable aside from putting outfits together.  Thank you for letting me give you 20 options for food when I will only end up being okay with one.  Thank you for helping me learn to give over control but knowing when I just need to have it.

Thank you for always giving me some level of effort.  I know that we can’t always be our best at all times but you always give me your best of the moment.  You always make me a priority even if you have more important things going on.  You consider my feelings especially when they are sensitive to just about everything.   You bite your tongue when I’m being ridiculous and know to step in and give me constructive criticism when needed.  You make me laugh just when I need it the most.

You are always willing to go with the flow.  You can be energetic and ready to go or ready to lay on the couch all day.  You never complain when I make you hop out of bed and get ready in a flash – though I still find it hard to believe you were ever  fast enough to take a power shower in the military ;). You know me well enough to tell me when I have taken on too much and given me tough love when I’m getting overwhelmed and need to power through.

You are always the first one to say sorry and heaven knows most of the time I need to.  Knowing that you’ll never turn me away makes me feel loved and secure.  You have never pushed me away even though I have often deserved it.  You know when to give me space and when to push through my rough exterior.  I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate when you cancel your plans to come be with me when I am really needing attention and love.   It is that mutual respect and understanding that makes us so strong.

I love you.  I love you so unconditionally I didn’t think it was possible.  You are teaching me to be a better woman and in turn it is making me the best, most complete version of myself.  I am becoming the person I have always wanted to be but was too worried about others opinions.  There is nothing scripted or forced with us, you are my absolute better half.  You are my partner in everything and always my first choice to spend time with.  You are everything I am not and everything I didn’t know I needed.  Time spent with you is never time wasted and the second it’s over I am craving to get it back.

 

I am unashamed of how I feel because I am so proud to call you mine.  I am proud of everything that has made you who you are today and though I wish I could change pieces of history I know that the Matt I have is the best version of you.  I know that every missed opportunity and path change was to lead me directly to you.  I have no idea what the future holds for us but I am absolutely certain that it’ll start and end with you (and 40 acres).  I will always have your back and support you 100%.  I want nothing but the best of the world for you and to share in that glory with you.  It all means nothing without you.

Thank you for this crazy ride. Thank you for this beautiful life so full of love.   I’ll never need another kind of green to know, I’m on the right side with you.   I hit the jackpot babe. Now all I need from you is a trip to disney world.

I love you to the moon and back

Weekend Reflections: Anniversary Weekend & dramatics

I was trying to post this yesterday but was having serious monday blues!  The sweeter life gets the more depressing it becomes to start the week.

The weekend didn’t start off very good but it ended up being blissfully perfect and exactly what I needed.  I had planned to spend the weekend in Charlotte with my best of friends but the universe wasn’t working in my favor.  I tend to get worked up over even the smallest things and it can completely ruin a day for me.  I have been getting dumped on at work more than usual which combined with a few personal things + PMS put me in a full on breakdown.  I ended up coming home from work on Thursday and laying on the couch with peanut m&m’s & sad movies for the evening.  I am really thankful for a man who works so hard to understand me.  I know that it can be difficult when my emotions are irrational so I’m lucky that he is patient with me.  Journaling & reflecting on these “panic episodes” has been really helpful but unfortunately it only helps me in the aftermath, I can’t also see through the attacks as they are happening and usually shut down completely.  I have missed out on a lot by letting these emotions take over me and it’s something I’m really working on.   The worst part was I missed drinking this champagne with my bestie ….

On top of my grumpiness, it was our anniversary weekend!  Matt and I have been unsure what day we consider ourselves official since our friendship morphed into a romantic one seamlessly.  We were long distance for a while and in August of last year he booked a flight from Mass to NC to come visit me.  The second he got off the plane we both knew and that’s what we consider our anniversary. I screwed the dates up and thought it was the 21st but it’s actually the 20th which happened to be the peak of my breakdown.  Poor Matt, he was truly a trooper.   When I chose to stay home for the weekend instead of going to Charlotte we figured we should celebrate our anniversary all weekend and just spend time together and it really was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Friday I stayed home and puttered around the house still feeling kinda blah.  Matt came home from work early to run a few errands so I tagged along.  I wouldn’t call the DMV + bank a fun Friday but it was refreshing not to be at work and just be along for the ride.  Matt’s gift for me was delayed so he did the second best thing – took me to dicks & told me to pick out anything I wanted!  With some SERIOUS restraint, I snagged a pair of Nike pants & left a much happier girl.  We spent the evening at the gym & then a very fancy post work out anniversary dinner at Chick Fila.   I was still so indecisive at this point it had to be quick & easy.

Saturday turned out to be the most blissfully perfect day I could have asked for.  Neither of us could sleep so we woke up early and had breakfast outside on the patio.  We decided to head to the beach for the day.  Before we got to the beach we just had to stop at Wake N Bake Donuts.  It’s on the way to the beach after all 🙂 Matt got the Maple Bacon & Pistachio and I had to get the blueberry fritter.  The size of this deliciousness.

The weather was perfect for catching rays & reading. I started and finished Sarah’s Key this weekend and now can’t stop googling aspects of the holocaust.  I wish I payed more attention in school.

After the beach we went to a newly updated grocery store to grab something for dinner.  This grocery store has a beer den where you can sample beer and sausages and it was a lovely pit stop!  Strawberry blonde – yum!  They are switching out a bunch of kegs for the pumpkin & cider beer’s – thank goodness we have fall to look forward to!

Since we hadn’t eaten in so long and always seem to have ice cream and donuts on the same time we made a quick spin for pre dinner sundae’s.   Anniversary Weekends = Infinity macros 🙂

We spent the rest of the afternoon snuggled up on the couch with premature woodchuck’s and the PGA tour.

For dinner we threw the sausages on the grill with a couple turkey burgers for balance.  Still giggling at the sausages names – “the fiery italian” – oh, you mean me?

We exchanged gifts already because I can’t keep a secret.  I gave Matt this adorably nerdy Harry Potter card – I couldn’t resist myself and an under armour shirt.   His gift for me finally came in and it was this ridiculously thoughtful print for the house. That color blue is my absolute favor color and it’s all over the house already.  I can’t even with the fact that he created an etsy account because he knows how much I love handmade thoughtful things and we know he won’t be getting crafty anytime soon :).  I am so damn lucky to call this man mine.

The rest of the weekend was spent much of the same – literally glued to each other sides.  I love that man so much it makes me tear up sometimes just thinking of how much.  I am very grateful for the time we were able to spend together – I just wish there was more of it.    There are a lot of things brewing for our future and I’m optimistic towards what’s next for us.

As always, Monday blues cured with perfect weather + great round of Monday golf

xoxo, casey

Weekend Reflections: Major Catch Up & Photo Dump

Woah, sorry for being MIA!

We had so much going on recently and then a few weekends of laziness and we have both really enjoyed it.  The lazy weekends go by so much faster, I can’t seem to wrap my head around why!  So what have I been up to?  Let me fill you in on all the juicy details!

Let’s start with what I’ve been eating because I like photos of outfits & food.

This Chickfila Harvest grilled chicken salad is so delicious for a quick drive through lunch

Sometimes you need french toast every single breakfast and then again for dinner. French toast breakfasts are the greatest part of working from home.

Weekend traditions where I put every candy imaginable in my froyo and Matt has a 10 dollar cup of just hot fudge and peanut butter.

Homecooked pasta dinners 🙂

I’ve been golfing here and there.  We are still playing on Monday’s in a league and though I’m not getting a ton better, I’m certainly not getting worse so there’s that… Matt and I try to play together once during the weekend and sometimes we dress alike hah.

I got my August stitch fix box and haven’t gotten around to a review – I actually did try them all on but was in my sweaty gym clothes so it didn’t seem quite blog worthy!  I kept everything in this box! I mean check this haul out …

Some other outfits that managed to get captured in my selfie mirror.  It seems that the photo’s are never truly complete if there isn’t a sleeping dog in the corner.

There were a couple low key date nights

A purchase of new lunchboxes

And early birthday celebrations! My birthday is September 6th but I’ll be visiting family in Connecticut so one of my girlfriends invited us to her and her husbands house this past weekend.  Her & I went to the beach while the guys golfed and then we grilled out at their house.  It was such a nice day – the weather has finally been below 90 degree’s lately and it’s so much more pleasant to be outside!

  

My adorable birthday gift from her!  All of my favorite things – coke zero’s, lotion, peanut m&m’s (which I wish I had right now) peanut butter filled pretzels, peanut butter banana trail mix and the fiber one bars are inside joke  – but delicious none the less 🙂

I’m heading to visit my best friend in Charlotte this weekend so I’ll make sure to take lot’s of photos!

How much do you all love lazy weekends?

XO,

Casey