Hippity Hop

Well, we've wrapped another Easter. It was our first one back home since we moved away for college. We caught up with our littlest family members,

exchanged some boozy baskets,

and did a bit of sporting.

We also ate an obscene amount of Polish food (not pictured...really, for your own sake). It was a grand old time.

-Grace

Why get married?

A few weeks ago, we had a couple of old time friends over for dinner. They are roughly the same age as us and have been dating for three years. Being the curious cats we are, we began asking them leading questions about their future and their relationship.

They mentioned potentially moving in together next year and perhaps marriage somewhere down the line. Jon and I talked about how, for us, moving in together was a much more noticeable commitment day-to-day than actually getting married. With a good deal of nonchalance they said, “why get married then?”

I was 20 years old when we first got engaged. At that time, I had about 100 sound reasons that I could spout off at the drop of the hat as to why I should get married. After settling in to a long engagement, a gorgeous wedding, and one and a half years of wedded bliss, the thought of “why” we had gotten married had all but evaporated from my memory. I was a little stunned. After thinking about it for a minute, I said, “because we want the same things.” Those 100 reasons I used to have could be boiled down to that single statement.

From dinner tonight to retirement, I can’t envision my future without Jon. He is as much a part of my life as I am. We don’t believe in soul-mates; we’re just a good fit.

Does any of this require a marriage license?

Not at all, but since we had already made the commitment to one another, why not enjoy the legitimacy (from both institutions and people) that comes from having the piece of paper.

As anyone will tell you, marriage is not all moonlight and roses, and it is definitely not for everyone.  Our relationship is great because it is honestly our first priority. We invest the time and give it the respect it requires. Answering the “why” of marriage makes me even more confident that it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

I love you, Spouse.

-Grace

Jingle All the Way

Christmas came and went faster than the fat man in the red suit can fly from eave to eave.  Now there are 11 sad months until we can once again revel in Yule Joy.  But we are left with the experiences we had with friend and family to keep us warm through the bitter cold months to come.

Winter is yet to truly settle upon Central Ohio but there have been flurries threatening, as well as a nip to the air.  It is time to bring out the space heater and our arsenal of quilts, afghans and throws.

Ginger: My Mother and Stepfather's new Golden Chow mix (Holly Jolly as F***)

Jon

Unbridled Spirits

We have literally been talking about doing the Kentucky Bourbon Trail for years. Between school, weddings, work, vacations, and limited budgets we never seemed to get down there. Luckily, my cousin Pamm and her fiancee Matt got married in Lexington this past weekend. We finally had the excuse we needed to get down to bourbon country, and let me tell you, it was everything I hoped it would be and more.

We didn't have time to do the full trail, so we settled on going to the Woodford Reserve Distillery since it was the closest.  (Hardly settling...)

Woodford is the oldest distillery in the country. It is nestled between horse pastures down a gorgeous tree-lined road. They still make bourbon the traditional way - from local grains and well water and using a proprietary strain of yeast that's about as old as me. The mash ferments in huge cypress vats made from hundred year old wood. It is distilled in three antique copper stills from Scotland, and each oak barrel is aged in an historic stone warehouse for up to nine years.

Admittedly, we are beer and spirit enthusiasts, so we geeked out on this experience a little more than the average bear. But I think that anyone with an interest is bourbon, history, chemistry, architecture, or just gorgeous ass landscapes should make a trip if they get the opportunity. We can't wait to go back.

 Here are a couple snapshots from the wedding.