We are no longer considered newlyweds. We have passed the 1 year mark and are now just an old married couple (but wouldn't have it any other way!). We have grown a lot over the past year. Together we have learned a lot about life, love and friendship...
-We truly have become best friends. It doesn't matter what we are doing or where we are going, we just seem to be happy to be doing it together.
-We have learned that everything we have been through (good and bad) is worth it because its making it to the end that counts.
-Cody has learned that he can't have the bedroom ceiling fan on high!! (Explanation: Cody installed a ceiling fan in our master bedroom which has become a huge domestic dispute in our house! He gets too hot at night so he turns it on high, then Chelsea freezes. Our compromise: The fan stays on medium and he got a small fan for his nightstand).
-Cody has learned to be a little more relaxed about our finances and Chelsea has learned to be more financially conservative. We have defiantly balanced each other out to an extent. Although, whenever Chelsea returns home excited about a purchase she made...Cody responds with "Ohhhhh no...How much did it cost?". So, I guess we have a little more work to do!
-We continue to learn how we each deal with stress differently.
-Although we came from similar upbringings, we came from different families with different ways of doing/handling things. From these differences, we have learned a lot about how we would like to one day run our family.
-We have learned how to fill each others "love tanks". (Explanation: Shortly after the wedding, Chelsea read a book called "The 5 Languages of Love". She shared her new found knowledge with Cody throughout the book and recognized how we each feel loved by different actions (ie: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service and physical touch). We have learned the importance of being able to express love to each other in a way that each of us can understand.
Overall, it has been an exciting year. We look forward to many more years of growth in our marriage and to see what the future holds for us. Thanks for all the love and support from our friends and families!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Fresh Veggies
Oh my, oh my how our veggies have grown!! Here is an updated photo of our corn and beans. The corn is now to the roof line and has tassels:
Had to throw in a picture of Miss Maxi playing near the garden:
Growing beans:
Some are even ready to be picked:
So, we picked enough for dinner!
Dinner was a combined effort. Cody grilled the chicken and Chelsea made cous cous and prepared home grown fresh green beans:
We even picked our first ripe cherry tomato:
It was sweet and delicious:
We look forward to many more fresh veggies. We are even thinking we might want to extend the garden next year!
Had to throw in a picture of Miss Maxi playing near the garden:
Growing beans:
Some are even ready to be picked:
So, we picked enough for dinner!
Dinner was a combined effort. Cody grilled the chicken and Chelsea made cous cous and prepared home grown fresh green beans:
We even picked our first ripe cherry tomato:
It was sweet and delicious:
We look forward to many more fresh veggies. We are even thinking we might want to extend the garden next year!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
One Year...
For our 1 year anniversary we went on a road trip to San Francisco. It was Chelsea's 1st time and Cody hadn't been there for years.
Cody's Aunt Rae just opened a restaurant, bar and dance hall in Winston, Oregon called The Double R. We really want to check out the place so we decided to stop there on our way down. We ate dinner, had a couple drinks, Aunt Rae took us on a tour of the place and we even jumped in on a line dance lesson. It was a lot of fun! We crashed at Aunt Rae's place and got up early next morning to continue making the drive south.
Spending time with Aunt Rae at The Double R:
Our signature dip on the dance floor:
We decided to take the scenic route 101 and check out the Redwood Forest. We stopped at this huge 750 year old Redwood Tree...
...Then Drove through it!
The Redwoods were pretty impressive. We continued our drive and happened to see a sign that read "Elk Viewing Area". We were surprised to see so may elk, so close up!
After a total of 13 hours on the road, we made it to our destination! We checked into our room at The San Remo Hotel. A very unique hotel with lots of history and character. Our room was small and cozy but it was all we needed. We figured we would be busy checking out the big city that we wouldn't be in our room much!
After dinner on our 1st night, we hiked up Lombard Street to check out the famous crooked street. This isn't the best photo because it was dark out, but we didn't get a chance to snap a day time photo:
The next morning, we rented some bikes and went on a bike ride. We were told bike path to the Golden Gate bridge was only 10% uphill and the rest was a flat ride. We think it was more like 30% uphill! A lot of people got off their bikes and walked uphill, but not us! We pushed through it and made the climb and got a great workout. Once we crossed the bridge, we turned around and headed back to Fishermans Wharf.
Apparently, the bike ride wasn't enough exercise for us. So, before heading to lunch we decided to hike up to Coit Tower. We planned on going up it, but the line was long and our tummy's were grumbling. We took a few pictures and read up on the history of the beautiful monument.
As all tourist do, we had to explore Fisherman's Wharf. We saw street performers, musicians, artist and the list goes on. The street was full of creative locals looking to make some extra cash any way they could. One guy even hid behind some tree branches, positioned himself up against a garbage can and would scare street walkers as they walked by. It was amusing to watch people's reactions to his scare. He drew quite the crowd before he ran out with his "tip bucket" assuring people he deserved money for entertaining them.
Courtney made us dinner reservations at the San Francisco McCormicks (she works in their corporate office). She told us that they would take care of us and they sure did! We got the VIP treatment!! They personalized our menu's (see below), sat us in a booth that over looked the bay, took our picture and printed it onto magnet that said "Happy Anniversary!", they comped our drinks, appetizer, dessert and gave us 50%off our entrees. It was a great dinner experience. Chelsea even ordered swordfish (and liked it!!).
We figured we couldn't go to San Francisco without seeing a drag show! Chelsea was excited for Cody to experience his first drag show. It didn't turn out to be quite the experience Chelsea hoped for...
Lets just say that it was a dive bar for the retired divas! This diva was 75 years old (and others where in their 60's!)...
We did a little exploring in the Haight Ashbury District. On our way we stopped at Alamo Square to check out "The Painted Ladies". Beautiful homes and a gorgeous view:
After people watching in Haight Ashbury, we walked through the Golden Gate Park (which covers 1013 acres and is larger than New York City's Central Park). We walked the length of the park and ended up at Ocean Beach. It was a beautiful day to relax on the beach. We even met a 5 year old who gave us tips on building a sand castle and later asked if we would adopt him. It was too cute.
We both brought our running clothes and shoes with us but never once put them on. We did so much walking (and riding) that by the end of the day we were exhausted. San Francisco is really an active city.
For our last evening in San Fran, we sat near the bay, ate ice cream and watched the sunset over the Golden Gate. It was a perfect ending to a perfect weekend.
Cody's Aunt Rae just opened a restaurant, bar and dance hall in Winston, Oregon called The Double R. We really want to check out the place so we decided to stop there on our way down. We ate dinner, had a couple drinks, Aunt Rae took us on a tour of the place and we even jumped in on a line dance lesson. It was a lot of fun! We crashed at Aunt Rae's place and got up early next morning to continue making the drive south.
Spending time with Aunt Rae at The Double R:
Our signature dip on the dance floor:
We decided to take the scenic route 101 and check out the Redwood Forest. We stopped at this huge 750 year old Redwood Tree...
...Then Drove through it!
The Redwoods were pretty impressive. We continued our drive and happened to see a sign that read "Elk Viewing Area". We were surprised to see so may elk, so close up!
After a total of 13 hours on the road, we made it to our destination! We checked into our room at The San Remo Hotel. A very unique hotel with lots of history and character. Our room was small and cozy but it was all we needed. We figured we would be busy checking out the big city that we wouldn't be in our room much!
After dinner on our 1st night, we hiked up Lombard Street to check out the famous crooked street. This isn't the best photo because it was dark out, but we didn't get a chance to snap a day time photo:
The next morning, we rented some bikes and went on a bike ride. We were told bike path to the Golden Gate bridge was only 10% uphill and the rest was a flat ride. We think it was more like 30% uphill! A lot of people got off their bikes and walked uphill, but not us! We pushed through it and made the climb and got a great workout. Once we crossed the bridge, we turned around and headed back to Fishermans Wharf.
Apparently, the bike ride wasn't enough exercise for us. So, before heading to lunch we decided to hike up to Coit Tower. We planned on going up it, but the line was long and our tummy's were grumbling. We took a few pictures and read up on the history of the beautiful monument.
As all tourist do, we had to explore Fisherman's Wharf. We saw street performers, musicians, artist and the list goes on. The street was full of creative locals looking to make some extra cash any way they could. One guy even hid behind some tree branches, positioned himself up against a garbage can and would scare street walkers as they walked by. It was amusing to watch people's reactions to his scare. He drew quite the crowd before he ran out with his "tip bucket" assuring people he deserved money for entertaining them.
Courtney made us dinner reservations at the San Francisco McCormicks (she works in their corporate office). She told us that they would take care of us and they sure did! We got the VIP treatment!! They personalized our menu's (see below), sat us in a booth that over looked the bay, took our picture and printed it onto magnet that said "Happy Anniversary!", they comped our drinks, appetizer, dessert and gave us 50%off our entrees. It was a great dinner experience. Chelsea even ordered swordfish (and liked it!!).
We figured we couldn't go to San Francisco without seeing a drag show! Chelsea was excited for Cody to experience his first drag show. It didn't turn out to be quite the experience Chelsea hoped for...
Lets just say that it was a dive bar for the retired divas! This diva was 75 years old (and others where in their 60's!)...
We did a little exploring in the Haight Ashbury District. On our way we stopped at Alamo Square to check out "The Painted Ladies". Beautiful homes and a gorgeous view:
After people watching in Haight Ashbury, we walked through the Golden Gate Park (which covers 1013 acres and is larger than New York City's Central Park). We walked the length of the park and ended up at Ocean Beach. It was a beautiful day to relax on the beach. We even met a 5 year old who gave us tips on building a sand castle and later asked if we would adopt him. It was too cute.
We both brought our running clothes and shoes with us but never once put them on. We did so much walking (and riding) that by the end of the day we were exhausted. San Francisco is really an active city.
For our last evening in San Fran, we sat near the bay, ate ice cream and watched the sunset over the Golden Gate. It was a perfect ending to a perfect weekend.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
House Update
All of our hard work is starting to pay off. Our house is really beginning to look like a home with some personality! Here are some updated photos of our new floors, trim, paint, couches, rugs, doors, light fixtures, etc!
Chelsea still has a few things on her list for the common areas which include: a new tv stand, coffee table, end tables, throw pillows (Chelsea has her eye on some Pier 1 pillows!), and some window coverings. We still need to get some photos up on the walls too!! We actually have some great picture frames we got from the wedding that Chelsea needs to put to use.
Once the main area's of the house are complete, we will get to work on the bedrooms and bathrooms. The floors, trim and paint are all done in the bedrooms but they are all lacking decor! As for the bathrooms...we haven't even touched them! Both bathrooms still have the flooring and wood trim, yikes! One thing at a time, right?!
As for now, we are enjoying the little bit of summer that has been offered this year...
Chelsea still has a few things on her list for the common areas which include: a new tv stand, coffee table, end tables, throw pillows (Chelsea has her eye on some Pier 1 pillows!), and some window coverings. We still need to get some photos up on the walls too!! We actually have some great picture frames we got from the wedding that Chelsea needs to put to use.
Once the main area's of the house are complete, we will get to work on the bedrooms and bathrooms. The floors, trim and paint are all done in the bedrooms but they are all lacking decor! As for the bathrooms...we haven't even touched them! Both bathrooms still have the flooring and wood trim, yikes! One thing at a time, right?!
As for now, we are enjoying the little bit of summer that has been offered this year...
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Our Growing Garden
We have both been wanting to plant a garden since the day we bought our house. Last summer, life was too crazy with wedding planning that planting a garden was just not in the cards for us. So, this summer, we made sure it happened. We got a late start due to the unusually cool spring/summer weather. So by 4th of july our corn was suppose to be knee high, but it was more like ankle high!
Corn sprouts:
Rapidly growing corn and bush beans:
The corn is now up the the window!! Updated picture coming soon...
Our topsy turby tomatoes on steroids:
Peppers:
We have for the most part been able to keep Roxy out of the garden. There was one incident in which she thrashed through it...we lost some beans and a corn stalk. Cody had a word with her and she hasn't done it since!
It's too early to pick any of our produce, but we think we are only a few weeks away from eating our home grown veggies!
Corn sprouts:
Rapidly growing corn and bush beans:
The corn is now up the the window!! Updated picture coming soon...
Our topsy turby tomatoes on steroids:
Peppers:
We have for the most part been able to keep Roxy out of the garden. There was one incident in which she thrashed through it...we lost some beans and a corn stalk. Cody had a word with her and she hasn't done it since!
It's too early to pick any of our produce, but we think we are only a few weeks away from eating our home grown veggies!
Olallie Lake
Well, we decided to plan a camping trip for just for the 2 of us. We decided on Hideaway Lake, which is suppose to be a very secluded lake off the beaten path. It only has 9 campsites on the lake but we were told you were lucky to have any company out there. So, we packed up the truck and the dog and headed out at 4pm on Friday. We drove 1 hour and 45 minutes toward our destination. To get to Hideaway, we had to drive about 15 miles off the highway down a mostly dirt road, with lots of huge potholes...it wasn't a pleasant drive. Since we didn't see anyone on the road, we were surprised when we pulled into the campground and realized it was full. Frustrated, we turned around and headed back down the horrible road again. Not knowing the area very well, we didn't really know what to do. We got back onto the highway and pulled into 2 campgrounds we passed on the highway. Both were full. Not feeling very encouraged, but determined to spend the weekend camping, we drove out to Olallie Lake hoping we would be able to find a campsite. Before we got there, we decided if there weren't any open sites, we would just pull off the side of the road, cook dinner then head home.
By 7:30pm (after spending 3 1/2 hours in the truck) we arrived at Olallie Lake to find one of the last 2 sites available! As we pulled in, Cody said "Maybe this will be a blessing in disguise"...and it was!! We ended up having a great weekend.
Camp all set up for the weekend:
A perfect site for two:
Views of Mt. Jefferson:
We hiked into Timber Lake. Since Roxy wasn't allowed to swim in Olallie Lake back at camp she made sure to get lots of swimming in at Timber Lake! As we hiked around the lake, she followed...swimming the shoreline:
Cody was desperate to beat the heat. Desperate times call for desperate measures...Yes, even when a little skinny dipping comes into play. Luckily, we had the whole lake to ourselves:
Once we wore out the dog some and got back to camp, we decided to rent a row boat so Cody could do a little fishing. The wind picked up about 30-45 minutes after we got out onto the water, which made rowing a pretty good workout:
He even caught a fish:
When we got back to camp, we found the dog still exausted from our hike earlier in the day:
We played cribbage, took a nap, cooked dinner and hung out at camp for the evening. We even had a guest...a deer!!! We didn't even know the deer was in our campsite until Roxy took off running after it. Of course the deer out ran her, but she didn't give up. She chased the deer so far away we couldn't see her anymore. For awhile, we didn't know if she was coming back...but like a good dog does, she came running back to us looking for praise for her good watch dog efforts. That same deer came back to camp the following morning, but this time Roxy was chained up. Chelsea tried to get a picture of him just 20 yards away, but she wasn't quick enough.
We enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided we are going to make Olallie Lake an annual camping trip for just the two of us.
By 7:30pm (after spending 3 1/2 hours in the truck) we arrived at Olallie Lake to find one of the last 2 sites available! As we pulled in, Cody said "Maybe this will be a blessing in disguise"...and it was!! We ended up having a great weekend.
Camp all set up for the weekend:
A perfect site for two:
Views of Mt. Jefferson:
We hiked into Timber Lake. Since Roxy wasn't allowed to swim in Olallie Lake back at camp she made sure to get lots of swimming in at Timber Lake! As we hiked around the lake, she followed...swimming the shoreline:
Cody was desperate to beat the heat. Desperate times call for desperate measures...Yes, even when a little skinny dipping comes into play. Luckily, we had the whole lake to ourselves:
Once we wore out the dog some and got back to camp, we decided to rent a row boat so Cody could do a little fishing. The wind picked up about 30-45 minutes after we got out onto the water, which made rowing a pretty good workout:
He even caught a fish:
When we got back to camp, we found the dog still exausted from our hike earlier in the day:
We played cribbage, took a nap, cooked dinner and hung out at camp for the evening. We even had a guest...a deer!!! We didn't even know the deer was in our campsite until Roxy took off running after it. Of course the deer out ran her, but she didn't give up. She chased the deer so far away we couldn't see her anymore. For awhile, we didn't know if she was coming back...but like a good dog does, she came running back to us looking for praise for her good watch dog efforts. That same deer came back to camp the following morning, but this time Roxy was chained up. Chelsea tried to get a picture of him just 20 yards away, but she wasn't quick enough.
We enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided we are going to make Olallie Lake an annual camping trip for just the two of us.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Maxi's New Nails
Maxi has this really bad habit of using our couch as a scratching post (apparently the one we bought her isn't good enough). In preparation for the delivery of our new living room furniture, we had to take action. First attempt, No Scratch Spray. We sprayed the end of the couch that she likes to sharpen her nails on and it worked!! She stopped scratching, well, she stopped scratching that area and moved to a new hot spot. So, we sprayed her new area of choice. Her response, she just found a new area to scratch...you can see where this is going. Second attempt: Kitty Nail Covers. Cody wrestled her down while Chelsea trimmed her nails and glued on hot pink press-on nail covers! She has now had them for about a week or two and so far, so good. It took her about a day to get used to them but now they don't even faze her. Now we are ready for our new couches!!
RENO
We spent a weekend in Reno with Chelsea's side of the family. Cody, Chelsea, Wayne and Brooke hit the road at 5am on Friday morning and headed straight to Reno. We made it there just in time to check into the hotel and hit the $1 margaritas happy hour special. The boys did some gambling...Cody lost his gambling budget within the first two hours. When Chelsea refused to increase his budget, he had to live vicariously through Wayne(who was making money!) for the evening.
The next day we did a little bit of shopping, then met up with Chelsea's parents,Grandma Gloria and Ed. Then headed to the casino to meet up with everyone who had just flown in from Canada. A new day meant a new budget for Cody. His goal this time was to win back the money he lost. So, he sat at the blackjack table (him game of choice) for quite a few hours...but he did it!! He made back what he lost the night before and even walked away a little ahead. After dinner and gambling, we decided to call in an evening and head back to the time share to meet up with Aunt Wendy and the gang. Before we walked back, Cody had to use the restroom. Chelsea was waiting outside the bathroom for him when a man walked up to her and asked her if she had any luck this evening. Chelsea kinda shrugged her shoulders and said "oh just a little." The man unzipped his fanny pack, pulled out a $20 bill and said "Here, take this...it's good luck. Take it and double it!". When Cody walked out of the bathroom, Chelsea showed him the $20 and told him the story. After Cody fist questioned Chelsea about this random guy, he finally said "Well you heard the man, lets go double it!!" Cody lead Chelsea to a blackjack table and told her to put it all down on one hand...so she did. Once the cards were dealt, Chelsea noticed the dealers top card was an ace...yikes. The dealer scanned the corner of her hand and to Chelsea's relief it wasn't a blackjack! So, Chelsea looked at her hand and realized she had a BLACKJACK!!! Since blackjack pays out x1.5, Chelsea walked aways with 50 bucks!! What a great way to end the night.
The following morning, we got up, said our good-byes and headed back to Oregon. It was a short trip but we enjoyed the time we had to spend with the family.
The Guys:
The Gals:
The next day we did a little bit of shopping, then met up with Chelsea's parents,Grandma Gloria and Ed. Then headed to the casino to meet up with everyone who had just flown in from Canada. A new day meant a new budget for Cody. His goal this time was to win back the money he lost. So, he sat at the blackjack table (him game of choice) for quite a few hours...but he did it!! He made back what he lost the night before and even walked away a little ahead. After dinner and gambling, we decided to call in an evening and head back to the time share to meet up with Aunt Wendy and the gang. Before we walked back, Cody had to use the restroom. Chelsea was waiting outside the bathroom for him when a man walked up to her and asked her if she had any luck this evening. Chelsea kinda shrugged her shoulders and said "oh just a little." The man unzipped his fanny pack, pulled out a $20 bill and said "Here, take this...it's good luck. Take it and double it!". When Cody walked out of the bathroom, Chelsea showed him the $20 and told him the story. After Cody fist questioned Chelsea about this random guy, he finally said "Well you heard the man, lets go double it!!" Cody lead Chelsea to a blackjack table and told her to put it all down on one hand...so she did. Once the cards were dealt, Chelsea noticed the dealers top card was an ace...yikes. The dealer scanned the corner of her hand and to Chelsea's relief it wasn't a blackjack! So, Chelsea looked at her hand and realized she had a BLACKJACK!!! Since blackjack pays out x1.5, Chelsea walked aways with 50 bucks!! What a great way to end the night.
The following morning, we got up, said our good-byes and headed back to Oregon. It was a short trip but we enjoyed the time we had to spend with the family.
The Guys:
The Gals:
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