Our 2nd Year in Pictures

Now that's is two weeks past our anniversary, I thought it was high time I get around to blogging Our 2nd Year in Pictures!  Whoops!

I stole this idea last year from Megan over at Tales of the Trees and wanted to make it a yearly tradition.  You can see last year's post (2011) here.  So to keep the tradition going....

Our 2nd Year in Pictures

December 2011
Cheering on the Panther's on Christmas Eve

January 2012
Playing around with our favorite app one lazy weekend night :)

February 2012
Date night!

March 2012
St. Patty's Day Bar Crawl

April 2012
Spring Break Cruise - Schooner's Wharf, Key West

May 2012
Memorial Day - Post Run, headed to brunch :)

June 2012
Folly Beach Weekend Trip!

July 2012
Carolina Beach - Family Beach Week

August 2012
Boat Cruise on Lake Michigan

September 2012
Asheville & Biltmore for B's birthday & Mama Shuck's visit :)

October 2012
Halloween!

November 2012
Cheers to 2 years!!

And here's to infinity more!

Love you B!!

Oh the place you'll go...

Over this summer, I've seen a few other bloggers recap all the places they've traveled alongside their significant other.  I've loved seeing all the places each blogger had been & I like the idea of keeping a log of all the places Brandon and I have traveled...so I thought I'd follow suit!

A few places are obvious repeats (MI, VA), but each trip was unique so I wanted to document the repeats anyway.

Hopefully, as we travel more over our lives to new, different, and exotic places (a girl can dream right!?), I can come back and update this post :)

Since March of 2009, when I first met Brandon, we've traveled to...

Matoaca, VA - Lake Chesdin - June 2009

My cousin Ashley's HS graduation - and the first of many trips to the lake

Myrtle Beach, SC - July 2009

A first for B, although I'd visited many a time!

Folly Beach, SC - September 2009

When my love affair with Folly Beach began

Crowder's Mountain & Chimney Rock, NC - September 2009

Hiking on Labor Day

Grand Rapids/Hudsonville, MI - December 2009

Meeting B's family for the first time!

Crystal Mountain, MI - December 2009

Squeezed in a little skiing while in the Mitten :)

Beech Mountain, NC - January 2010

A little local ski day trip!

San Juan, Puerto Rico - April 2010

My Spring Break & a very memorable trip - where we got engaged!!

Atlanta, GA - June 2010

A weekend in the ATL & the Tigers vs. the Braves

Matoaca, VA - Lake Chesdin - July 2010

Back to the lake - my family vacay

Hudsonville, MI - August 2010

Our Michigan wedding shower :)

Folly Beach, SC - September 2010

Labor Day Weekend at the beach with good friends!

Blacksburg, VA - VT - October 2010

Central Michigan vs. VT

MTNs of NC - November 2010

A weekend in the Mountains 2 weeks before the Big Day!

Negril, Jamaica - November 2010

Our Honeymoon!

Hudsonville, MI - December 2010

Our first married Christmas in Michigan

Myrtle Beach, SC - December 2010/January 2011

New Years at the Beach

Greenville, SC - February 2011

A weekend away

Atlanta, GA - March 2011
Visiting my Parents

Coco Beach & Orlando, FL - April 2011

Spring Break & my first visit to Universal Studios!

Blacksburg, VA - VT - May 2011

My cousin Erin's College Graduation

Durham, NC - July 2011

Durham for the night for a Durham Bulls Game

Corolla, NC - OBX - July 2011

Family Vacay in the Outer Banks

Grand Rapids/Husdonville/Muskegon, MI - July 2011

B's Company's Summer Work Party & my first helicopter ride!

Nashville, TN - August 2011

Traveling with B up to MI for a long weekend with the fam

Hudsonville, MI - August 2011

Long weekend with the fam

Virginia Beach, VA - September 2011

Another Labor Day at the Beach :)

Detroit, MI - October 2011

Our friends Ryan & Kelly's Wedding Weekend

Black Mountain & Mt. Mitchell, NC - October 2011

Hiking & Camping

Asheville, NC - November 2011

Our 1st Anniversary Trip and a visit to The Biltmore!

Rothbury, MI - December 2011

B's Company's Christmas Work Party

Hudsonville, MI - December 2011

Michigan after Christmas

Naussau, Bahamas & Key West, Florida - April 2012
B won a cruise through work so we took it over my Spring Break from school!

Matoaca, VA - May 2012
Up to the Lake for E&R's Engagement Luau

Folly Beach & Charleston, SC - June 2012
Our favorite spot

Blacksburg, VA - VT - June 2012
Erin & Ryan's Wedding Weekend

Virginia Beach, VA - July 2012
July 4th at the Beach!

Carolina Beach, NC - July 2012
Family Beach vacay


Unless I've somehow left out a trip that I just can't remember, that's every trip we've taken together!  Each has been so fun and special in it's own way...so here's to many more trips together, babe!

Spring Break 2012

Well, since almost 2 weeks have passed now, I thought maybe I should get around to blogging about our Spring Break Cruise!  Even though it's a little belated, I wanted to make sure I blog about it so it's officially in the record books :)

**Tons of pictures!!  You've been warned!**

Back in late December, we found out that Brandon had won a sales incentive prize from work...an all expenses paid Caribbean Cruise!!!  We were so excited!  We love vacay {captain obvious here!} and did I hear *free*!?!  I've been on a cruise once before, but this would be Brandon's first.  Since I'm a teacher, the best time to take our cruise seemed like Spring Break, so we booked it!

Little did we know, this would coincide with lots of wedding (shower & bachelorette) and house fun...but it's ok.  It was a nice get away for B & I in the midst of it all.

We flew out early Monday morning of my spring break for Miami.

Just a little sleepy :)

First glimpse of our boat - Majesty of the Seas

Panoramic from the top deck

Obviously, our first task was to get a drink & get changed into our suits!

Mission accomplished

Sailing away....

So long Miami!

King of the World!

Our first night, we didn't want to get fried, so we headed in from the pool to nap & then got ready for dinner.  Dinner every night was delish in the dining room!  The first night, I had filet :)

First night dinner - only pic

Day 2, we woke up in Nassau, Bahamas!  After a quick morning run over looking the ocean & a little breakfast buffet, our mission - a little sight seeing & a lot of beach!

Tourist much?

We couldn't pass up some Rum Cake!  We got Key Lime Pie
Rum Cake - to be eaten once we move :)

Señor Frogs!  We passed by on our quest to find a beach...we planned to head back for lunch.

Beach!!

Not too shabby

Another cruise ship pulling into port

Ahhh refreshment

Bucket O Beers - yes please!

This is the life!

After our bucket 'o beers, we headed back to Señor Frogs for lunch.

Thank goodness, I'm barely tall enough to drink!

Oh the spring breakers!!!  So many of them.

That night, back on the cruise ship, was formal night.  B & I got all gussied up (after another nap in our room....I mean we're on vacation!) and headed to the dining room.

Overall, Nassau was probably our favorite day!  The public beach we parked it on was so fun & relaxing!  We definitely had a good time.

Day 3, we were docked at Royal Caribbean's private island.  Unfortunately, their private island wasn't so private, in our opinion.  3 boats were docked there that day!!  That's a whole lotta people!  We spent some time on the island and then headed back to the ship's pool for the rest of our day.

Our view of the parked ship

Sunset sky

Day 4 we were back in the "States" - Key West!! We woke up to a gorgeous view from our balcony, attempted a run (a little more rough than the beginning of the week) & were excited to explore Key West.  We both had never been & so many have raved about their bars!

Gorgeous homes all over!

The owner of B's company & his family frequent Key West - we asked for a little
advice on where to go & their recommendation did not disappoint! 

Key Lime Pie shots - when in Rome ;)

The bar had live music & the musician's sweet pup was just lounging in his
guitar case :) 

Thursday night was our last night on the ship.  We took a picture with our table mates for the week & one of our servers.  The ladies we sat with each night were from Brazil!

Friday morning, we were back in Miami & it was time to go home.  This might be the first time that we've ever been ok and even a little excited to be leaving vacation!  Ha, it's not that the cruise wasn't wonderful....because it was!!  {Although it's super expensive to drink, fyi!  We managed to work our way around that a bit ;)}  But we knew heading home meant we were one step closer to getting our house!!!

We left tan and excited to head back to the CLT for closing the next Wednesday.  Our Key Lime Pie Rum Cake is awaiting Saturday night - we'll finally be moved in & that will call for some celebrations!

And now that we've bought a house {$$$} I'm going to need B to keep winning free vacations, because Lord knows our bank account won't be ready for another vacay for a while ;)