Cheers! to Thirty Years.

Several months into Kristi and my relationship, we discovered that my parents and her parents were both married on the same exact day, same exact year. June 9th, 1979. We half-heartedly considered getting married on June 9th as well, but it fell on a Monday in 2008, and we weren't about to wait until 2012 (not with all the flack I would get from her friends...). The way my mind works instantly considered this coincidence a major score as it would be easier to remember our parents anniversaries. This year was the big 3-0 for our parents, and we were able to celebrate and surprise them both in different ways.

Can I get a couple family shots up in here?

The Millers (and one Montgomery)

The Thompsons (and two Millers)


In an unrelated note, this morning's trip to the lab at the family practice was a wonderful start to the week. Kristi and I both bring many things to our marriage, and one of the things that I bring is tolerance of needles. She is petrified of them and has passed out just by looking at the little things. She has even passed out while sitting outside of the doctor's room while her mother was getting a shot. The Ambulance was even called for her on that one. I on the other hand don't really mind them. This morning I went to the lab to get my blood taken for some tests (Don't worry everyone, just checking to verify that I have high cholesterol, I can't do anything about it, and am eventually going to die of heart troubles) and they specifically told me to fast for 8 hours before the test. So, I made sure not to consume my daily bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats to fulfill my doctor's request. Not feeling nervous at all, I sat down in the chair, the nurse began drawing blood, and I instantly turned into a 5 year old girl. Passed out cold. I woke up on the floor unable to move any of my extremities, then felt woozy again, and passed out a second time. After several minutes, and a cup of Pepsi, I finally realized what was going on and looked to the nurse for some comfort. I asked her if this happens often and she says only every couple of weeks. Fantastic.

Halfway to my house I realized that I had a large gash on my neck that was not there before my trip to the Family Practice. Perhaps I bashed my neck on something when I passed out? Seems like the nurse didn't find that information important enough to share with me. Kristi thinks she is a vampire.

To save all you men from humiliation, learn from my mistake, and consume sugary beverages before getting your blood drawn.

A weekend away for my birthday!

So I got home from work on Friday excited that my summer was ready to begin and ready for a relaxing weekend. Little did I know that my husband had other plans in mind. I came home to find a big vase of flowers and a note telling me to pack my bags because we were going on a trip for the weekend to celebrate my birthday and the end of the school year!

When Josh got home from work, we headed out, me still not knowing where we were going. We ended up spending the weekend in Cincinnati, back in God's country. It was a fun and relaxing weekend. Our hotel was amazing--the Drury Inn--where the extras aren't extra! They had a free bountiful breakfast, free drinks at night, free soft drinks and popcorn everyday, and free snacks in the evening. Now if you know me, you know I love freebies, so we took full advantage of it. We also spent time walking around downtown Cincinnati trying to find a market that we are convinced does not actually exist. We also visited Ikea, and decided we would come back when we get our own home and to get another 50 cent all beef hot dog, tax included.

Before I elaborate on our Sunday lunch experience, let me tell you that Josh and I are very bad at making decisions. So after hours of deliberation, we FINALLY decided on Johnny Rockets. Using our faithful GPS, we typed in the address and followed her directions, only to discover Johnny Rockets no longer exists. A little frustrated, we made a quick decision to try Red Robin. Again we typed in the address and followed her directions, only to discover we had arrived at our destination, which happened to be a school rather than Red Robin. Josh was determined we were going to eat where we wanted to eat, so we headed to another Red Robin, passing Ikea for about the eighth time that day. All in all it was almost worth driving around for 45 minutes, despite the fact that our nacho appetizer was literally only 12 tortilla chips spread strategically around the large plate. What a birthday meal.

Our last stop was Jungle Jims, a 6 acre store selling foods from all over the world. We spent a few hours walking around, checking out the food, reliving some memories from Brazil and Spain, and buying some treats to take home with us (including some Guarana! Brazil '05 anyone?). It was a wonderful weekend, and now I'm ready for summer to begin!

Josh's first Skyline Chili (Cincinnati's claim to fame) experience!

Kristi's Skyline with extra cheese!

Jungle Jims! Who would've thought grocery shopping could be such an exotic experience?