5 years of Honeymooning

I thought I was marrying him for his good looks but it turns out he is absolutely amazing and I'm head over heels. Just kidding...I think we said I love you week 2 of dating and a handsome smile can't make you do that. :)

Anniversaries are sacred and I love spending them reminiscing and gushing over each other.  Courtesy of our sweet parents, we enjoyed a yummy dinner, drinks, and desserts at J. Alexander's (one of our favorites).  It's something special when you can tell each other these have been the best 5 years even through lots of moves, everyday stresses, significant risks, handfuls of life changes, and growing up and truly mean it.  

Mountain Getaway

There are a couple perks to being a teacher and one of the giant perks is the breaks.  The breaks are so necessary. So. Necessary.  While I wish every profession had these breaks because of the mending and healing it does for our health our world would be a mess.  I'm so glad to have a few days here and there as I do need breaks from hearing "Mrs. Cousin" repeated...45 times in a row... from 17 children...all at one time...:).  A couple weeks ago Will and I came to the conclusion that we needed a getaway.  Really, Winter getaways take on a new meaning when you live in Florida.  Normally people want to take beach vacations to find relief from cabin fever in February but we needed a change of scenery and pace so we chose the beautiful scenery of the mountains in Denver.  We had a great time simply relaxing. We both left our computers at home and I saw my husband RELAX. :) We spent our days reading, EATING (constantly), shopping, sipping tea and hot-totties, and exploring the downtown and mountains of Denver.  We both agreed that Denver was a taste of Minneapolis and I felt a little more at home surrounded by Subarus and Northface rather than Ferrari's and Gucci.  It's amazing how US cities have their own little culture and fun to explore each one.  

Valentine's dinner . 

Yeah, I did squeeze in an afternoon at the beach with the girls :).  From the ocean to the mountains- what a beautiful world God gave us to look at. 

Rest

Will and I are pretty unexciting weekenders. Sometimes I think we should be doing more to indulge in life and the freedom of twenty- somethings (ok, will's 30) but most weekends by Friday we are tired and reason that life is more fun when you take time to recuperate.  Oh, and Bentley thinks so too. 

As of Late..

I'm completely behind in my blogging so to catch up I'll fast forward using pictures. 

Our highlights have been being home for Christmas, moving (across the street) to a slightly better place, and no surprises :). For right now we are enjoying the steadiness of careers, nights with friends, nights together, and always looking forward to time with family again.  School is in full gear and Will's juggling office work and sales. We are happy, healthy, and back to the blog! :)

Thanksgiving 2013

Fort Lauderdale Boat Parade

Wedding in West Palm. Congrats to the beautiful newlyweds Steve and Hope!

Home for Christmas

Out with fellow teachers. 

University of Mami game. 

Outback Bowl with the Hawkeyes in Tampa.

New Years in Clearwater.

Our new love nest. 

Getting back to work after a busy holiday season!

Will and Mae's Day of Fun

For my birthday I asked Will for two things: A day of exploration in Miami since I hadn't been yet and a love letter. He delivered on both these things. What a guy :). 

Our first Miami stop on "Will and Mae's Day of Fun" was the Coral Castle Museum.  I think this is the first "museum" Will and I have been to together.  Will is a leader by nature so it takes a little convincing to get him to  follow a tour guide for 45 min. However, The Coral Castle was featured on the History  Channel so he was just as excited as I was for this one.  To read the mysterious back story click below. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Castle

My birthday day in Miami couldn't be complete without a visit to the shopping district. The people watching on the shopping hot spot, Lincoln Road ended up being more entertaining than the stores. Miami has all kinds :). 

The day ended with a game night at our place with friends. Spoiled birthday girl, I'd say. 

Looking back on year 25 there has been many changes.  I never would have predicted where life has led us this year which shows God has his own master plan and trusting Him and enjoying the ride He has laid out is the best thing you can do.  I certainly can't compete with the control God has on my life so I'm entering year 26 loving the new opportunities He has put my way and awaiting what else is in store.  

26!

As my brother kindly reminded me, I am now in the down hill slide of my twenties. This past year has brought on many surprises and I expect nothing less this year.  (Hopefully not such big surprises though).  My parents being here was the best gift a girl could ask for and loving up on Mom and Dad doesn't get old no matter how old YOU get.  Good food, conversation, and giggles were just what a birthday girl needed.  I walked into work Monday with another round of blessings awaiting me.  If you ever forget the excitement of your birthday, spend it with a room of 3 year olds. This will remind you what joy the small things in life are and there will be no hope in minimizing bday cheer.  Joining right along with them is the right thing to do and we had a fun filled day with generous families and many treats. 

Will didn't disappoint either and a celebratory day of shopping and exploring in Miami is on the agenda for this weekend or next. Woo! :)

I was certainly spoiled and I'm exploding with gratefulness. The people I'm surrounded with sure know how to make a girl feel special and Mrs. Cousin's 3s throw a great party. 

Date Night

Date night! A complete Greek experience with falafel, hummus, and Gyros.  Mediterranean is one of my favorite cuisines so I walked away stuffed and happy. Will chose expresso while I chose sweet tea wine (delicious), so he walked away stuffed and up all night. Ahh, choices choices. :) I love date nights with my one and only!