Catching Up Part 3--Happy Anniversary!

Two years in, and we're just as happy as can be. Thank you, God, for blessing us with two wonderful years of being husband and wife.

I'd been craving (no, I'm not expecting) White Fence Farm fried chicken and corn fritters for months before our anniversary, so it was the logical place to go for our special date. I had grown up going to White Fence Farm on special occasions, but Dave had never been there. The place hasn't changed a bit since my last visit years ago. They still have the tiny museum and old arcade games to keep waiting patrons occupied on busy nights. Because we went on a Tuesday, we didn't have to wait in line, and we got started on their corn fritters and other side items right away! Oh my word. I had forgotten just how good their fritters are! Dave enjoyed the fried chicken, too. It was a fun dinner--even though we were the youngest in the dining room by about 30 years!

I asked Dave to take my picture in front of the chicken near the front door.

Next, Dave took over the date with some surprises he'd planned for us. The first stop was The Cheesecake Factory for dessert! This place holds very special memories for us because it's where we went for dinner the night we got engaged. Aw!

I ordered my favorite, the Kahlua cheesecake. So yummy!

Sadly, I can't remember which cheesecake Dave chose, and he isn't here to tell me, so I'll leave you with the mouth-watering picture of his slice. I could go for some cheesecake right now!

As we always do when we go to The Cheesecake Factory, we took a walk to the spot where Dave proposed. The night of our engagement, he'd spotted a bed of tulips (my favorite flower), so he walked me over and got on one knee. We made sure to get a picture at the spot for our anniversary.

Here's a fun story about the dress I wore: I'd picked it up the summer before our wedding with plans to wear it for our ceilidh at the wedding reception. I wasn't so sure about spinning around in my beautiful but weighty wedding dress. I ended up wearing my wedding dress (and smacking people with the train--oops!) for the entire reception, so this party dress stayed in the closet for the last two years, until I decided I really needed to wear it! Our anniversary date was the perfect occasion.

After our lovely walk through the outdoor mall, Dave took me to Barnes and Noble and told me I could pick out any book I'd like as my anniversary gift from him. (He knows exactly what I like!) We browsed for a while before finding books that looked good.

I can't believe it's been two years since we said "I do" to each other. We've already had our share of challenges come up in the last two years, but it's always comforting to know that we have each other for support, no matter what comes our way. I'm even crazier about this amazing man than I was the day I married him! As my mom said just yesterday, I am so blessed to have Dave in my life. I love you, chee!

Catching Up Part 2--3rd/4th of July

This year's 4th of July was extra fun because of the weird 4th of July-on-Sunday deal. We were able to celebrate the 4th of July on the 3rd of July, too! We also managed to fit in two Independence Day parades that weekend. The 4th of July may be called the Post-colonial Day of Mourning in the Gwynne household because of Dave's British roots, but we weren't crying much this year.

On Saturday we hung out with my family and attended the parade that takes place in my aunt and uncle's town. This airplane was my favorite float in the parade.

After the parade, we all went to a local BBQ joint for lunch. My pulled pork sandwich was messy but yummy!

My brother Nate and his wife Kim

From left to right: Auntie Jan, Uncle Ron, Lonnie, Tracy, Mom, and Dad

That night, Dave and I went to the Saturday service and church then out to dinner at Sweet Tomatoes before heading to our town's 3rd/4th of July celebration at a local park. We enjoyed a country cover band until the fireworks started at dusk.

As if all that celebrating wasn't enough, we decided to go to a nearby town's parade on the 4th. It was sooo hot that day, but we enjoyed the parade underneath the shade of a tree set back from the crowds. That will explain why my pictures, like this pic of a Scottish pipe band, seem so far away from the action.

This was my favorite float! The mouths of Mount Rushmore moved along with the music playing. It was part of a very creative line of floats from a local hardware store.

After the parade, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch then chilled out the rest of the day. The best part of the weekend was the fact that I also had another day off on Monday. Sweet!

Catching Up Part 1--The In-Laws Come to Visit

Oh my word. When I checked the blog today, I couldn't believe that I hadn't updated our place in cyberspace since May. I am the world's worst blogger. Will you accept a series of catch-up posts?

Yes?

Okay, then--let's get started.

Dave and I have had a great summer with a lot of fun things going on. (It's no wonder I've neglected the old blog for so long!) The first fun event was Dave's parents' coming for a visit in June. This was the third summer they were able to stay with us, and we all managed to survive the two weeks crammed into our tiny, one-bedroom apartment. One day, when Dave and I have a house, we'll be able to look back at these humble beginnings and remember the times when our guests were relegated to the hide-a-bed in the living room. Ah, the life of newlyweds. Anyway, here are some pictures from their time here.

I was able to take Fridays off during Mum and Dad's visit so we could go on day trips with them. On the first Friday, we drove up to St. Joseph to check out the cute little town and show Dave's parents the best beach on Lake Michigan.

On the way home from St. Joseph, we got caught in a horrible thunderstorm. I have never been so scared by the weather in my life! Dave parked the car under a bridge, but the road started flooding! And we were boxed in by other cars seeking refuge. I just kept praying, and finally the person in front of us moved so we could find some higher ground. This downed tree came across our path on the way home. I was never so happy to be safe and sound at home that night!

On the second Friday off, we drove out to the Illinois Railway Museum. Now, I think it could have been fun, but the place is really run down, and we had an encounter with rude people who kicked us off the one working train when we attempted to go on a ride. I don't like mean people!

As you can see, Dave and I were pretty bored that afternoon. The four of us were relieved to get back on the road after that visit!

For some reason, we kept getting severe thunderstorms when my in-laws were here. They don't have bad storms like these back home in Scotland, so I caught them looking out the window quite a bit whenever the wind, rain, and crazy lightning hit.

Overall, it was a good visit. I always feel kinda bad when they visit us in the summer, because it's so much hotter here than it is back home. Of course, it was during their visit that our air conditioner died! Now, this is a good thing considering all the trouble we've had with our a/c since I moved in back in 2008. The old unit never really cooled down the apartment, so we often kept it off to save energy. The maintenance guys were great about replacing it quickly, and we were all so excited to have chilly air once the new a/c was installed. In addition to the fun trips we got to take, I'd say sharing in the excitement of that new a/c was one of my favorite moments of their visit.