Happy Anniversaries!!!

August was a momentous month full of change and celebration. On the 11th we celebrated our 2 year wedding annivesary and the 14th marked our 1 year anniversary in New York City! We vividly remember arriving here last year with 4 overweight suitcases and 4 bags. We flew into Long Island of all places (we really didn't know what we were doing...that is just where Southwest flew into). We realized that one of our bags didn't make it on the same flight as us, but it turned out to be a blessing because only what we had fit in the taxi with us. (The suitcase arrived at 2 in the morning that night.) We had one of the friendliest cab drivers i have ever met here in the city (let's be honest, they all talk on the phone and look like they're talking to themselves). His name was Danny (like my brother) and he gave us lots of good advice as he drove us from Long Island to the Upper East Side. As we made our way to the Nielsen's apartment where we would be subletting for the next two weeks I remember feeling like we were in a foreign country. We lived on macaroni and tuna the following days as we spent our time apartment hunting and navigating the city. Two wards later and a giant leap across the East River landed us our lovely one bedroom walk up on 88th street. We grew to love Yorkville and the ward so much that we couldn't pass up the opportunity to move into a new apartment nearby once our lease was up. It was a great apartment for our first year in the city, but we have sure enjoyed our new apartment that we moved into on August 8th. We're still not fully settled, but we couldn't have done it without the help of the ward. Last year I promised Nate that I would be hiring someone for the next move after we hauled all of our stuff by ourselves the 8 blocks and 5 flights....Welcome to New York right?! Thanks so much to everyone who pitched in, and sorry Dustin for the battlewound...you were amazing! Pictures of the new apartment to come.

To celebrate our wedding anniversary Nate and I met after work outside of the Plaza hotel. Nate was full of surprises! I had a good prediction of what we might be doing after he told me where to meet, but I didn't know everything that he had planned. He first handed me a darling bag with some goodies and a card in it, but told me it was for later. Then he escorted me down the street to a restaurant called Sarabeth's. We had a delicous 3 course meal accompanied by an unexpected dinner party. We ate tomato soup that was to die for. It was definitley my favorite part of the meal. Then, Nate had steak and I had chicken (of course), followed by a scrumptious dessert of creme brulee and cookies! By the time we ate dessert conversation had been struck up between us and the two tables next to us. (A mother and daughter from Argentina and an older couple visiting from Kentucky...pretty random group but we enjoyed ourselves!) We had a good time and left sufficiently stuffed! After dinner we crossed the street and he informed me that we would be taking a carriage ride through central park...so romantic! I have always wanted to do that so I was thrilled with his plans for us, and my prediction was correct. We had a cute driver (horse driver?) who had an Irish accent. We pulled out our bag of goodies and I read the card on the ride. We both quoted silly movies (The Flinstones and It Takes Two) that we love as we made another New York memory. The night was perfect! We were exhausted and ready to hit the sack the second we got home. It was a week night after all.

Nate is pretty wonderful! I had been spoiled just a few weeks before with flowers when I returned home from my trip to Missouri. I'm a lucky girl to have a boy like him! We are good for one another and couldn't live without each other. My mom sent a perfect card for us. It reads, " If you can love each other's quirks...you've got a marriage that works!" We are certainly quirky and growing in love each day!