cheers to 4 years

Today, Nic and I are celebrating our anniversary pretty much the only way we know how - totally lame style, and this year, apart.

You see, our anniversary typically always falls on a day that I have a meeting for work that I just can't miss. So I beg and bribe Nic to pile in the car, sit through an hour + long meeting (sometimes, he might scout out the area and play some frisbee golf or something) and then we rendezvous at a local restaurant for dinner and drinks.

Sucks, but there is nothing I can do about it.

This year, we are spending the day apart because my best friend Nancy decided to honor a tradition now five years in the making, by getting married on the first weekend in August. Okay, so people may have been getting married on the first weekend in August for many moons, but when it comes to my "group that tries really hard not to be a group" of friends from high school - this weekend tends to be the weekend.

Leah & Tony - August 5th, 2006 (Happy golden anniversary tomorrow!!)
Kier & Nic - August 4th, 2007
Nancy & Nick - August 6, 2011
Who is next? - August 4, 2012

So while I am up here trying to do anything I can to help Nancy get ready for her big day, I am sending a lot of happy anniversary wishes to Nic who is working his butt off at home.

"Cheers to 4 years, here's to 1 more!"



Three year anniversary
Two Year Anniversary
One Year Anniversary - no post.
We're Married!

Let's take a look at how we've changed through the years

From top left: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, the night Nic proposed (December 2005), dating life.

Also - be sure to wish Bree and her hubby a happy golden anniversary too!

happy anniversary to us!

Today marked our three year anniversary! We had a lovely evening out, but first - I have to show you some amazing food photos! :)

My favorite breakfast of late has been overnight oats with flavored banana soft serve. I've said it before, but it is so good!

Yesterday's was cherry-banana soft serve:


And today's was peach-banana soft serve - YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS!  Before I headed out for a quick run and walk with Maia this morning, I cut up a peach and put it in the freezer. I then blended the frozen peach with a frozen banana and a splash of soy milk. It was so creamy and delicious and who doesn't want ice cream for breakfast?!


Okay - back to our lovely night celebrating three years of wedded bliss...(blech, so corny!)

We headed up to the big city :) for dinner at the Motley Cow Cafe, but fist stopped at Running Wild to pick up a fuel belt for me - the perfect start to an anniversary celebration if I do say so!

(Don't you love that there is a cookie store right above the running store??)

The fuel belt was $50 which I think is a bit spendy, but thankfully I had a $25 gift certificate from winning (lol, can't say that too often!) the St. James Fun Run a few months back.

Some power shopping was done at Target to pick up a sweet gift for my cousin Pam and her hubs-to-be. We are headed up to MN for their wedding this weekend. It is going to be a whirl-wind trip, but I am looking forward to seeing the family.



If you are ever in Iowa City, you have to stopped at the Motley Cow Cafe! This was the first time Nic and I have been there, but plan to go back in the near future. Very reasonable prices, and a smallish seasonal menu that packed huge flavors!

We started off with some hummus and drinks - beer for Nic, wine for me.


The salad that came with my meal was served with a buttermilk cumin dressing, which was so good I could have drank it by the gallon. Such an interesting combination. I am going to have to try to recreate it soon.


The main course - basil risotto. Rich, buttery, cheesy, good. I had to pace myself, otherwise I could have inhaled the entire bowl in about 2 minutes. YUM.


After dinner we headed out for a nice stroll around Iowa City, and made a stop at Whitey's for a celebratory ice cream cone. We've lived in Iowa for 5ish years now and have never stopped, so it was about time.


Graham Central Station ice cream in a waffle cone = bliss.



Lots on my to do list for tomorrow, including an 8 mile run at 5AM...should head to bed!

happy anniversary husband

Nic's anniversary gift just arrived in the mail today...

Yah! We are looking forward to using this on hikes, but mostly to try out geocaching. We've done this a few times previously, and think it will be a fun activity. Many thanks to Aaron who helped to do some research on different GPS units! Although I did not end up getting the model he recommended...will give this one a try first to see how much we use it!

two down, three to go

Happy two year anniversary to us! Let's all take a few minutes out of our day to remember how awesome August 4, 2007 was...

Rainy day...I had a major freak out the day before when Roger decided that it was just the right thing to do by telling me the forecast was calling for severe weather. Oh, how fortunate we were to have the weather we did! Sure it was a little muddy and wet - who the heck cared?! Not the bride, that's for shizzle!

My. FAVORITE. from the entire day - pretty sure. Poor Greg - sneaking in one last glance on the life he missed out on. If only Nic and Greg went with their first choice in girls...life would be totally different! hehe.

I think this is a great shot of Barb and I! Just found it the other day while uploading the photos to our Mac.

Greg gave an amazing speech, revealing a few hidden secrets Nic was still trying to hide! That smile on Maddie's face - RELIEF, everyone remembered Greg's speech and not hers! lol

My favorite part of the night (ok, so maybe actually getting married was my favorite part..) but a close second was the dance!

LOVE. IT.

Who can forget this?! Nic was trying to be...well I don't know what he was trying to do, but I am sure it didn't end up the way he was hoping...........

So glad our photographers were right in that spot at that exact moment!

Love was in the air...

Happy 2 year anniversary Nic! Here's to another two, maybe three! :)