One Year Anniversary

Can't believe it's already been a year since our big day?? Either can we! But it has been one of the best years of our life! So much has happened in one short year. We moved into our first apartment, I graduated college, and we moved to Virginia. We have many more crazy adventures ahead, but we have already learned so much about ourselves, life and marriage. I am no expert on marriage, but I feel like I have learned a lot about it over the past year.

-Communication is key! Always talk about your problems, fears, joys, and all of the other things that come with life. Your spouse is there to listen. How will they know something needs to be fixed if you don't tell them? Always be honest and kind in your communication.
-Keep the nagging to a minimum. Ok, so I may not be very good at this, but it does seem to be the key to happiness sometimes haha. Pick your battles. It may not be worth it to yell at them over one dish not being put in the dishwasher.
-Always be on their side. I am sure this will be super important when we have kids, but I have learned how important this is over the last year. When you are around other people, make sure you are saying positive things about your spouse. Yes, we all need to vent to our friends sometimes, but you shouldn't make them look bad in front of others.
-Support them in everything they do. You are their biggest cheerleader. Celebrate their success and tell them it is ok when they fail. Encourage them to go for their dreams. Do your part to make sure they reach them.
-Spend time together. Try new things. Go on adventures. Make even the littlest things exciting. Tell them you love them and why. Hold their hand. Do kind things for them.

Marriage is not easy. It is something you have to work at and that goes through ups and downs. Even though it can be hard, there is nothing better than living life next to your best friend. It makes all of the struggles and sacrifices worth it.

So what did we do to celebrate our one year anniversary??

The night before our anniversary we went to dinner at a place on the Potomac River in Old Town Alexandria called The Chart House. The atmosphere was amazing and we even got to sit by the window that looks out onto the river. The food was incredible! We usually get calamari as an appetizer, but I convinced Jake to get the spinach, brie, and shrimp dip. It did not disappoint, we both loved it. For dinner, I got the miso-glazed Salmon and Jake got the Shrimp Fresca. We were both very pleased with our choices. It was nice to get out of town and spend a nice dinner just the two of us. Life gets a bit crazy and we don't get a lot of time to focus on the two of us.

The next morning, I made Jake breakfast and we watched our wedding video. It was so fun to relive our wedding day and get to see it from an outside perspective. It was such a perfect day. Was it perfect because everything went just as planned and nothing out of the ordinary happened? No, it was perfect because it reflected us and the little quarks of the day made it one to remember. It was a day full of love, friends, and family, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

The night of our actual anniversary, we went to another place on the river, this time a bit more casual. We actually went with a bunch of friends because it was our last night all hanging out together in Virginia. It was such a bittersweet night. We made so many great friends during our time in Virginia and weren't ready to say goodbye. It was a perfect way to wrap up TBS.

Overall, it was a great anniversary. We would have liked to have a little getaway, but we did not want to leave town on our last weekend there. It ended up being a wonderful weekend and I am so glad we stayed!

Jake, I love being your wife. Thank you for putting up with diva moments and my grumpiness in the mornings. Thanks for loving me the way I am. You are the best friend a girl could ask for. I am so excited for all of our adventures that lay ahead. Heres to making it through the first year with flying colors and to many more!

Until next time,

J and M