One year of marriage at the speed of light

Why is it that you truly can't comprehend when you're little how fast time goes? I mean, I almost believe that time literally must speed up each year you've been alive until one day you blink and a whole decade has passed. You're left with a big ? hanging above your head as you attempt to recall what events occurred during that time. I can't figure it out, but I do know my first year of marriage has come and gone and it's as if 365 days, four seasons, and all the major holidays just zipped by without my presence or participation. But that certainly can't be the case because I have pictures in my iphoto album and on facebook that prove otherwise.

Back in March, Kyle and I went to Disney, my very first trip, to celebrate our one year anniversary early since wanted to beat the out of school, family vacation and summer heat onset that happens in May. We had so much fun and it was nice to say that I'd been since I've lived in Florida for more than three years now and have been to Miami-twice (once for the Saints V. the Dolphins game and again for the 2010 Superbowl, Saints v. the Colts) Tampa and St. Augustine. The only other place that I wish we'd taken a trip to while we lived in the Southeastern coastal area would have been Savannah or Athen's, Georgia or the Keys. Perhaps we'll make a trip to Savannah before we go... So Disney was fun buuuut it certainly wasn't as wonderful and amazing as I sort of built it up to be. LOTS of screaming, temper-tantrum throwing, crying, hungry and tired children and fed-up parents. I'll probably take my own children some day but I don't think I'll be planning a trip back to Disney for another couple getaway of any sort. I wanted to check it off my 'I can say I've been there list' and that's pretty much it.

So this past weekend, Kyle and I decided to take a quick trip to celebrate the day we observe - long story but May 22 is our observed day since I forgot to apply for our marriage license in time and May 29 is our official day on paper. We stayed close and went to Ponte Vedra Saturday evening. We stayed at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort and Spa. Boy was that not all it was made out to be. We had a beautiful view from our room but the beds were terribly uncomfortable and after a long week, Kyle and I really needed a good night of sleep, which we did not get. Everything of course was waaay over priced for the quality so that didn't make spending the money much fun. For dinner we got dressed up and went to restaurant 619. Besides the AMAZING view of the ocean, everything was awful! I've become a little bit of a food/restaurant snob since Kyle and I have been together, due to our pretty fantastic cooking capabilities and having been to several very fine dining restaurants, so I do have a base for comparison. But I won't drone on about that. Sunday we had a late breakfast and then stopped by Cap's on the Water and had a few drinks and some oysters. MMMMMM Gooood!

Then we made our way to St. Augustine and stayed in this totally adorable bandb that Kyle won a gift certificate for last fall in a golf tournament.

Once we dropped our bags off, we went to several of our favorite places and discovered some new ones that we most definitely will go back for before we move including this awesome boutique candy shop. It had so many magical flavors of gourmet popcorn I could have eaten it aaaall day! Kyle and I ended up getting a bag with three flavors, cinnamon bun jalepeno bbq and hot datil pepper jelly. We saved the bag for when we returned home because I really wanted to go to this homemade popsicle shop just down the street. I don't have a picture of that place, but if I did it would be of me with coconut popsicle running down my face! After that we went to the St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum.

We had a few margaritas and chips and dip for a snack after the museum and then went back to the bandb for a quick nap. We had a late dinner at our absolute most favorite restaurant in St. Augustine, and probably the most famous restaurant there, the Columbia Restaurant. After dinner, Kyle and walked around the area holding hands and listening to the sounds of the night. It was probably my most favorite part of our trip. It was just like when we met and walked around downtown New Olreans listening to the sounds of jazz and other music playing in the background. We made our way back again to the bandb and sat out on the porch listening to music playing a little farther down the block. We talked about the past year and what we liked the most about our first year as a married couple and about the next year ahead and all the changes that would be coming.

Monday morning we ate breakfast and stopped by my favorite coffee shop. Kyle had a latte and I had an iced mocha and a oatmeal cookie (it was 11 o'clock ok! I already had breakfast a girl can have a cookie, ok). Then we stopped back by this new shop I discovered the evening before on our walk, the Red Pineapple. I'll tell you what folks, I don't come across privately owned boutique shops like this one often but this place had me drooling. I mean it literally fit my style to a T, a style which I like to refer to as flower child couture. It had some of the MOST DARLING dresses I've ever come across for fairly affordable prices for the quality of the garments and I do believe with one of the next couple of paychecks I will be venturing back to pick one up. Here's a pic of the front of the shop.

Can you see those dresses?I mean really, thank goodness this place is 40 minutes away or this girl would be in trooouble!

Next we went to the beach for a few hours and soaked up the sun while we threw back a couple of beers. I don't have any pictures of that, but Kyle and I will be going to the beach on Memorial Day so we'll have plenty of those for the next post.

Well I guess that's all I have to share with you this time around. I just can't believe a whole year of marriage has passed and more than five years together. I'm still madly in love with Kyle and we have grown so much together. I can't say that I ever hoped for a long distance relationship and the difficulties that it brought to each of our lives at such young ages - 18 and 21- but I am incredibly grateful for how it bonded us as a couple and how confident I feel that there will be many many many more anniversaries to share because we can make it through anything together. I love you Kyle. ~mama bee.