Anniversary Post #3: Music of the Heart

Do we have 'a song'? No, not really. But there are several songs that have stayed with us over the years, or some that just remind us of our relationship and certain times. Here they are, in no particular order. ;)

 

• Somethin' 'Bout a Truck by Kip Moore
• I've made it no secret, that I love a man in a pickup truck. In fact, it's one of the first things that attracted me to Jordan. His white Chevrolet Z71 jacked up with big tires totally got me excited. He's driven a Chevy truck since then!

• Feet Don't Touch the Ground by Stoney Larue
• This is what Jordan dubbed 'our song' years ago. I just asked him why and his response was 'That's just the way I feel when I'm around you.' He then followed it up with 'It's ironic, since we're both so close to the ground.' Silly!

• Your Everything by Keith Urban
• Our first dance at our wedding was to this song, so that one's a shoe-in!

• Freeze Frame Time by Brandon Rhyder
• This song use to bring sad tears to my eyes during a rough time for us when we were desperately trying to build a family. Now, it's just happy tears, but I still get chills when I hear this one.

• I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz
• I think this one's pretty self-explanatory for any marriage. You have to fight for what you want. It's hard and it takes work. Enough said.

 

Anniversary Post #2: Cliff's Notes of a Decade w/the Houghams

Similar to what I usually do for the New Year on the blog giving highlights of each month, here's a highlight reel of our decade together.

 

2003: Obviously, the highlight of 2003 was our wedding. I don't remember much about it, but I know the reception was a blast. After our nuptials, we vacationed for a week on a cruise. It was my first, and I was hooked! And our first Christmas together as the Houghams, we welcomed our first 'baby', Brady! Even though we were married, we didn't see each other much while both working and going to school full time. What were we thinking?! Oh yeah, young and in love!

2004: Wow, alot happened the following year. We celebrated our first anniversary on a Caribbean cruise (again!), while soaking up the sun and drinking way too much rum punch.  Jordan graduated from college in August, we purchased our first home in November, and I graduated in December. We were sooooo glad to finally be done with school; now time to be full-fledged adults.

 

2005: In January, I began my journey at KPMG into the hectic world of public accounting. Geez, the hours were a killer! During my first busy season, I grew accustomed to 70hr workweeks. Jordan was understanding and supportive. While we weren't working, we enjoyed our free time hanging out with friends, going to concerts, floating the river, etc.   We may have gotten married really young, but we could still have a good time! :)

 

 

2006: Hmmm. I don't really know what the highlight of 2006 was. As I looked back through all of my pictures from that year, it really looks like we did a lot of partying and relaxing. ;) Isn't that what you're supposed to do before you have kids?!

 

 

2007: This was a tough year for us. After trying to get pregnant for a year solid, we finally got good news, only to suffer a miscarriage shortly after.  Needless to say, I was devastated and went into a bit of a depression. Jordan was my rock and just kept telling me to be patient. We also sold our first house on a whim, in a week, and then lived in 600 sq.ft. of fun for six months while our new house was being built.

 

2008: After many prayers, we finally found out that we were pregnant again. Then after months and months of non-stop all-day sickness, we finally became parents to our first son, Austin Jordan, in November.  All the tears and heartache were finally worth it when we held our sweet baby boy in our arms after my c-section. Our lives would never be the same.

 

2009: We finally fell into the swing of this whole parenting thing. Our new trio spent lots of time in the pool, playing outside, made a trip to Sea World, etc. As Jordan and I had updated our roles to Mommy/Daddy, there was definitely a new norm to get used to. The days of being spontaneous, packing up and going somewhere, were long gone. Watching Jordan become a father to our son made me fall in love with him all over again (gag!).

 

 

2010:  In the Spring, we learned that conceiving our second child wouldn't be nearly as exhausting. We also took our first big vacation as a family, Austin in tow and Chase in my belly, on another cruise. We had a blast but I was literally exhausted and miserable most of the time enduring all-day sickness once again and chasing after a toddler.

2011: We started 2011 off the first week by completing our family and welcoming little Chase Cooper into the world. Chase proved to be just as good of a baby as his big brother. However, adjusting to two kids was crazy and hectic. In the summer, we ventured to Great Wolf Lodge on a mini staycation and splashed around a bit. That was about as much of a vacation we got that crazy year.

2012:  I made a big decision to take on a two-year rotation in a different group at work. The constant struggle for a work/life balance finally gave way, and I've really been enjoying my new role. Jordan also got a promotion at work and moved to the AT&T store a few miles away from our house, which was convenient! As the boys got older, we were able to keep enjoying more activities. Man, they grow up fast!

 

 

2013: We celebrated our anniversary a bit early last month, enjoying some time in Miami before heading out on another Caribbean cruise. We had a blast and definitely enjoyed our adult time away from life and all its responsibilities.

Wow, it has been a CRAZY ride these past 10 years. It hasn't always been pretty and fun, but no marriage is. We've worked through alot and fought to get where we are today. I know everyone gets married under the assumption that they'll stay married and make it to the 10yr mark. But let's be honest, it only happens about half the time. I'm definitely thankful that I took that big leap with Jordan ten years ago. We definitely fast-tracked it more than most, but our life is basically what I had hoped it would be ten years later.  

Anniversary Post #1: Betcha Didn't Know!

At the end of this week, Jordan and I will finally celebrate a DECADE of matrimony! Holy crap, we actually made it!  In celebration, I plan to do a full week of blogs honoring all these years together. Today, I'm going to start with a 'Betcha Didn't Know' blog (yes, I stole this from a friend/fellow blogger!).

• Jordan and I had NEVER discussed getting married before he popped the big question on the beach that night. But he was so confident, he had already purchased my engagement ring, wedding ring, AND his wedding ring. (That could have definitely been an awkward return to the jewelry store!)
• We recently commemorated our ten years of wedded bliss with tattoos. Yes, while it was tempting to stamp JHo² on our asses, I like to think we went with something a little classier. Yeah, I know, tattoos aren't for everybody, but we had talked about doing it for awhile and are happy with the outcome.
• Jordan made me chocolate chip cookies and had them delivered to the sorority house before our first date. I worked in a bakery all throughout college and was always making goodies for everyone else, and he wanted to flip the tables for once. Such a sweetheart!
• It was lust at first sight, not love at first sight. We had both come out of some unhealthy relationships, and the last thing we wanted was to settle down. Funny how things work out!
• Jordan and I may have met sooner, if he actually went to his college classes the semester before. We had a couple together, but to due to his lack of attendance, we never met. It was only after I had expressed interest in one of his friends that we finally met out at a bar one night.
• Jordan sexually harasses me on the days I work from home. I think maybe I need to write a code of conduct for him to follow when I'm on the clock in my home office!
• We sold our first home in a week, on a whim, and had no place to go! Obviously, this was before the housing market crashed, and we made a pretty good profit from it.
• We don't usually say 'I Love You' to each other. 'Love Love' is more our style, and the boys do it as well.
• I always tell Jordan that when it's our time to go, I want us to be like Noah & Allie from The Notebook and go together, at the same time. Maybe that sounds morbid, but I don't really know how either of us would survive without the other half.
• Anytime either of us does something like give into the kids, let them just eat Cheetos for dinner, stay up til midnight on the weekend, etc., we just look at each, high-five, and say 'Parents of the Year'!

Happy Birthday to the Hubby!!

It's someone's big day today!!! That's right, the hubby is the ripe old age of 32 today!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JORDAN!!!

 

So, happy birthday to the crazy guy that I fell in love with twelve years ago, that keeps my life interesting. We've got a relaxing 3-day weekend planned with some friends/family in town.  Nothing too crazy!

 

Big Anniversary Trip!

Wow. I can't even believe that our trip is over and I'm back home. We had an incredible time, soaked up every minute, and enjoyed our time away. It was bittersweet, leaving the boys, but it was a much-needed break from everything. Ahhh, I don't even know where to begin. Throughout the week, I kept thinking, 'Oh yeah, that'll make the blog!'. So I'll try to remember the highlights here......

 

We had scheduled a 9am flight out of DFW that Saturday, so that we could get this party started. After getting to the airport a little after 7am, we decided to really get the party started with some breakfast and drinks. :) 

Before I knew it, we were headed to Miami! The weather was beautiful and our hotel was right on South Beach. We relaxed by the pool, took a quick walk on the beach, and just enjoyed the downtime. On our 2nd day in Miami, one of Jordan's friends who recently moved to Miami met up with us for a day at the beach. We had a great time!

Later that night, Jordan and I got all gussied up to go enjoy a fancy dinner at Prime Italian. It was absolutely delicious! Justin Beiber was there the week before for the fried Oreos, so I insisted on having them too. After finishing up a bottle of wine, we headed back to hotel.

We Skyped with the boys one last time before we headed for the ship on Monday morning. I have to be honest, I got teary-eyed telling them bye knowing I wouldn't see their handsome faces for a week. We were one of the first people on the boat and quickly got started on some tasty drink specials.

 

Historically, you had to pay for each alcoholic beverage separately, as it wasn't included in your overall purchase price.  But this year they started a trial program where you can pay a flat fee per day, which allows you 15 drinks in a 24hr period, but then cuts you off after that. (15 drinks should be sufficient, you would think, however, we did cap out one day after only being back on the boat for 6 hours......whoopsie!) If you bought 6 or 7 drinks in a day, you would get your money's worth.  It was definitely a good investment for the week for us! Even though Jordan and I were there to celebrate our big anniversary, a good friend of mine from work and her hubby were also there celebrating the same big anniversary.

We still had plenty of alone time, but it was fun to come together and hang out. The four of us had a BLAST!  For 5 days, we lounged up on the sun deck, drank too much, gambled away in the casino, enjoyed some adults only time, and visited some beautiful Caribbean locations. We even managed to sneak in a couples massage at the spa on the boat, which was super-relaxing.  Here are some of the top moments from our trip:

• We gambled a bit in the casino while on the boat. Kinda hard to avoid it. The first night, no luck at all. However, on the second night, I was on a roll. I pretty much only play Blackjack, and they had this extra bonus at the Blackjack table. Well, I hit it, and it payed out 50 to 1. On top of that though, I got a 'Players Club' t-shirt. Needless to say, I felt pretty special. :)

• The ship was recently renovated to create a 'Serenity Adult Retreat' area on a part of the upper deck. The area was sorta Vegas-style with little private cabanas, couches, beds, loungers, showers, hot tubs, and a bar. This was definitely a retreat and where we spent a good amount of time. At one point, the four of us sat in the hot tub during a rainstorm for an hour drinking. Good times for sure!  A cruise ship is an amazing place.......one where drinking at 9am is perfectly acceptable. :)

• Our first port was in Turks & Caicos. I've always heard great things about it, and was excited to see it for myself. As soon as you exited the ship, there was a crystal clear beach and a Margaritaville with a giant resort-style pool and swim-up bars. We lounged on the beach, hung out in the pool, drank (of course), and enjoyed some fun antics at Margaritaville. There was a DJ up there pouring shots in people's mouths and girls in dirty dance contests, with one in a sheer swimsuit (yep, that's what I said). Definitely entertaining. After the girls did their dance contest, they asked for guys to come up there. Thinking it was going to be another dance contest, Jordan went up on the stage (it's no secret that the boy has moves!). However, then they asked for their wives/girlfriends to come up as well. Needless to say, I was not going to be happy if Jordan tricked me into a dirty dance contest in front of hundreds of people! But I ended up having to lay on top of him while he did push ups. Unfortunately, some giant black dude that could bench a truck stole the show. But my man made me proud!

• The second port was at Half Moon Cay, which is a private island in the Bahamas. Let me tell you, the sand on this beach was like walking on baking flour. It was incredibly soft and I just wanted to bottle it up with me to take back home! Once again, we lounged on the beach and drank. Are you seeing a pattern here?!

• The third port was at Nassau, Bahamas. We planned ahead on this one and were very much looking forward to spending the day at the Atlantis resort. The four of us got day passes and acted like teenagers running around the place all day. There were some super scary water slides/rides, one which included going through an enclosed area that was surround by a shark tank on all sides. It was incredible.  The Atlantis resort is humongous and incredible, and wouldn't mind visiting there for a stay with the kids.

Here are a few other random pics..... 

Jordan chowing down at the 24 hr pizzeria

Me being silly at the casino



Watching the NBA Finals game up on the giant screen on the pool deck
 

A beautiful sunset from our balcony on the boat



A shark right above us while going through a waterslide at Atlantis!
 

Celebrating my 15th drink of the night before I was cut off :)
 

Jordan mad after he was cut off!
 
 

All gussied up for dinner!

Sad after getting to the Miami Airport at the end of our trip

 

 

Overall, we had an AMAZING time and it seemed to fly by all too quick. I missed the boys and felt a little bit of guilt over leaving them. But I feel like making it 10 years, we earned a week away from 'life'. We were sad to come back, but reality awaits! I'm sure I left off some great highlights. Either they were not blog-appropriate, or I just forgot with the excitement of the week. :) 

 

What a great way to celebrate a decade of matrimony! In a few weeks on our actual anniversary (July 26th), I have a whole weeks worth of 'special' blogs in mind. Should be eventful.

Happy Father's Day!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

 

Happy Father's Day to my sweet hubby! Not only is he an incredible husband, but he is an amazing father. Those boys of ours are his world, and I'm thankful that I got lucky with this one. Austin and Chase are definitely little mini-me's of their Daddy and I wouldn't have it any other way! :)

 

 



Sooooo Excited!

Have you looked at the ticker at the top of my page?! We leave for our vacation in less than a week! I can't believe how fast this trip has snuck up on me. Don't get me wrong, this trip is much-needed and couldn't have come at a better time. I have been pretty busy with work lately and doing some traveling, and I'm ready for a break! Not to mention that Jordan and I have never spent more than 2 nights away from the boys, ever. Now we're going for the extreme, being gone 7!

I'll be honest; I'm excited about our anniversary getaway, but anxious about actually LEAVING my boys for that long! With both of us being gone, we have to think about all possibilities, and have just drafted up a power of attorney for Kat & Lo to act on our behalf in case something were to happen and decisions had to be made. Scary thought! I've pulled out all of the life insurance info, etc. just in case. Let's hope that's not needed!

We're excited about having some time away from the stresses of everyday life and just relaxing for a bit. I'm sure I'll have lots of stories to share upon our return! Now I have to get both of us packed, as well as the boys to go to MawMaw & PawPaw's house for the first leg of their 'trip' while we're gone. Big thanks in advance to them, Kat & Lo, CiCi, and Candace in advance for helping out with our rugrats while we're away. I'm sure it won't be an easy task, but I know they're in good hands.

And positive thoughts appreciated for a stress-free, no-drama vacation. We've been on 5 cruises before that went off without a hitch, and we're hoping for the same luck with this one. I do NOT want to be stranded in the middle of Caribbean with no power, or any of the other crazy things that have been in the news over the past few months!