Four Years.

Today marks FOUR years that Rhyno and I have been married (eight and a half that we've been together total). The time around our wedding is such a sweet source of memories for me. I was spending most nights after work sewing bouquets, picking dresses, and arranging details (ever wanted to do an 80% DIY wedding without a wedding planner? I promise it is possible...and also very inexpensive).  

Honestly? There are certain things I'd change about our wedding day--our photographers, people in the wedding party, small details, songs we used, the usual things (Pinterest was not a thing back then). One thing I would never change? The person waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I remember how handsome Rhyno looked all dressed up and how I basically wanted to run down the aisle to him. Our day went smoothly and surpassed all of my expectations, it really was one of the greatest days of my life.

In the years since then we've had ups and downs, fights and make ups, bought a house, tried for a baby, had lots of career changes, supported one another through the ups and downs of friendships, lost our beloved dog, and got pregnant this year. Rhyno is my person, my best friend, and even when he makes me steaming mad I am so happy and lucky to have him in my corner.

Here's to four wonderful, crazy, hilarious years and many, many more!

Happy Birthday (tomorrow), Rhyno!

Tomorrow is Rhyno's birthday and I am still working on ways to make this whole weekend special. 

We're going out to Dave & Buster's with our closest friends tonight, Rhyno has a soccer game and then we're having my parents over for lunch (and tool shopping for Ry and my dad), and dinner with just the two of us. Plus, CAKE. 

A few weeks ago my mom asked for baby/toddler photos of Rhyno for our baby shower. Can I just say, HOW CUTE IS HE? He's a pretty cute adult too!

 

 

Happy birthday to my bubba, my Ryan, my Rhyno, my love. You make me the craziest and the happiest and love me more than anyone ever could. I can't wait to see you become a dad next month and spend so many more years going on adventures with you.

Happy birthday (tomorrow) to my love!

The Rhyno Files.

Last week my darling hubba had yet another surgery on his right arm (he hurt himself at work in 2012, had shoulder surgery in 2013, and now had surgery to correct all the problems he had from last year's operation SHEESH). 

Before: pre-op, post-drugs, feelin' fly

After a loooong wait to actually get on the table (hey, that wasn't nerve-shredding at all!), I'm happy to report Rhyno's surgery went off without a hitch! He took for-ev-er to wake up after and has been in quite a bit of pain but he seems to be recovering nicely. 

After: Post-op, more drugs, actin' weird

The thing about your husband and lovebug of nearly 8 years undergoing  routine shoulder surgery? You will imagine everything terrible ever while waiting to hear he's okay (thank gosh for WiFi so I could distract myself with work). 

Healing: R + his nurse/snuggle bunny

 Nurse Violet and I have been tending to our little bird and his broken wing even though he's a bit grumpy (pain will do that), very bored (still won't play Monopoly with me though HA-RUMPH), and can't move around much (he's not allowed to move his bicep, it's harder than you'd think). Bring on April, I'm ready to get the broken bird out of his sling!

Marriage Stuff.

My handmade wedding bouquet.

Marriage is fun. Like, I mean it. My marriage is fun--we play harmless pranks on one another, spend a lot of time laughing, and are just real weirdos. I love my husband and do believe he is my match.

Please note that I don't pretend to have the perfect marriage. When Rhyno and I fight it can be insanity. He's stubborn, I have a bad temper. Last Saturday we went on a date night--we had a fun, goofy dinner at Mongolian Barbeque and then headed to Trader Joe's. While at TJ's Rhyno got cranky, this made me insanely mad, and we wound up fighting for about three hours. It became a fight about deeper issues--needing to make a better effort not to take things personally and being more considerate of one another. 2013 was a rough year for both of us and our marriage took a bit of a bruising. We've both decided to make a better effort.

We never had serious marital problems or anything, we never didn't want to be together, we never stopped having fun. It was just a lot of bickering or taking little kindnesses for granted. After a terrible year with a lot of lessons, we're learning. We're both remembering to say thank you to each other more often, to be patient when the other is cranky, to let the small stuff roll off our backs. We're a team and it's been nice to remind ourselves of that. 

What are your tips for a happy relationship?

The Adventures of Scary Bunny.

This is Scary Bunny.

I love scary bunnies. I have a handful of terrifying-looking rabbits that I've picked up at garage sales over the years. A few years ago Rhyno and I began hiding this particular Scary Bunny around the house for the other to find. We'd place it in shoes or hanging from a lamp or sitting on the television remote. When we moved into our house the Bun got packed away and then unpacked into our new basement. 

Then I woke up last week and she was waiting for me by my coffee cup. It scared the barf out of me and then make me laugh out loud. Since then she has found her way into our dishes cabinet and the DVD shelf.

This silly on-going game is one of the many reasons I love my husband. I love that he is goofy and that we have these little, bizarre traditions. I love that he will do anything to make me laugh. On the coldest day, he will warm up my heart.

Who knew a creepy lettuce-snacker could make me so mushy?

Do you have any silly traditions with your significant other?

For Him.

I don't know about you but I am beyond excited that Christmas is right around the corner. I love finding that perfect gift and seeing someone's face light up when they unwrap it. Though one of the most important people in my life, Rhyno is typically SO difficult to shop for. I usually wind up with everyone checked off my list and still scrambling around for something for my main squeeze.

 

I'm not sure if it's the luck of the half Irish or just an expanded selection at my beloved ModCloth, but it's not even December and I am already done shopping for Rhyno! I found so many cool ideas.

 

Some choice ideas?

 

Fun for Your Life Wall Decor in Dino

Rhyno and I are total dinosaur nerds, this is so perfect for our basement or our living room.

 

The Official DC Superhero Cookbook

We're also both comic book nerds...but I think that's cool nowadays? I'm also a total sucker for novelty cookbooks.

 

Take Your Turntable

I am a record player hoarder. I have three but they each have their, um, quirks. Rhyno has been wanting a brand, spankin' new one for a long time.

 

 

Sketch Me in 2014 Calendar

Every year I get Rhyno a cute calendar for above his desk....it usually has cats on it though. Because I'm married to a cat lady.

 

Tequila Mockingbird

Rhyno has so many plans for our bar when we re-do our basement. I'd love a little shelf with different booze books.

 

Any great ideas for the menfolk in your life?

 



Happy Anniversary.

Happy third anniversary to my favorite man meat, Rhyno!

 

There are so many things I'd change about our wedding day if given the chance--the people involved, the photographs, the prep beforehand, the food served--but I would never change the person waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I would  never change the confidant smile on your face as I walked toward you or the heart-thumping excitement I felt while turning the corner to see you at the altar. I would never change my dad's refusal to cry that also helped me stay dry-eyed and laughing. I wouldn't change teeny-tiny Addie as our flower girl despite her day-of protest. I wouldn't change the delicious tortellini. I wouldn't change our family and friends laughing and dancing around in celebration of our love. I wouldn't change you rubbing my feet at the end of a long wedding reception or first dancing with you to a song neither of us was too crazy about. I wouldn't change our hand-carved pumpkins or s'mores favors. Dude, I would never change those cupcakes we ate in place of a giant wedding cake. I would never, ever change our Disney honeymoon and the week we spent just enjoying life and our new marriage and each other and lots of soft pretzels and pictures of Mickey Mouse.

 

Most of all I wouldn't ever change the feeling I had when I glanced at you right after our vows, the first glance at my husband. The feeling that my heart had found its missing piece and I was whole. The feeling that I was safe and loved and beloved.

 

Of all the things I would change, I would never change you.

 

Happy third year, my dear, and cheers to many more!



Happy Birthday, Rhyno!

Happy 31st birthday to my favorite very old man! ;)

Thank you so much for all you do for our tiny family, you very handsome man. Thank you for your goofy jokes, crazy voices, and silly stories. Thank you for listening when I tell you really drawn-out stories with way too many details and only tuning me out like 30% of the time. Thank you for over seven years of smiles and laughter. Thank you for thinking I'm beautiful even when I don't or when I've gained weight or when I'm having a bad hair day. Thank you for supporting every dream I've ever had and for standing behind my career choices. Thank you for being the best pet-dad ever. Thank you for being a really good uncle to our nieces and nephews, it melts my heart to see how much they all love you (even when Olive thinks I am married to Erik and we have to re-explain to her that YOU are my husband and she always looks slightly disappointed). Thank you for fitting seamlessly into my life and for loving my family/friends. Thank you for coming home from happy hour drunk sometimes because it's really funny. Thank you for every single Life with Rhyno snippet you've ever said to me. Thank you for allowing me to post those snippets because they are really hilarious.

You are pretty much the best. 

Happy birthday, my love!

Birthdays Should Be a Week Long.

My Rhyno is turning 31 one week from today! I believe in celebrating the whole ding dang week so I'm going to do just that.

 

Love. His. Guts.

My family has always celebrated Birthday Week. Nothing huge, but you get to boss everyone else around for seven days and you get special treatment (growing up it was no chores and you get to pick dinner). The only catch is you have to remember to announce it is Birthday Week one exact week before your big day and no one can remind you. If you forget, you forget. Rhyno forgets this every single year. Like clockwork, the night before his birthday will come and he rues the day he forgot to say it was his Week.

Surprise breakfast in bed!

Last year was a pretty big deal (30, am I right?) so I threw him a big birthday/housewarming party. This year is tricky though because it's not the big milestone but I am a birthday-aholic so I want to celebrate the crap out of it. I decided to be kind and remind him of his Birthday Week and give him one surprise and one gift every day until his big 3-1. Today was day one so I gave him a silly gift (a ninja Post-It holder for his desk) and brought him a nice, hot, surprise breakfast in bed. I will admit, this is hard on a weekday because he has to get up so early to get to work. I had to set my alarm on vibrate (so he wouldn't stir) and then sleep holding my phone! Luckily, it worked. I got up at 4:30am and made him low sugar-gluten free blueberry waffles with no sugar syrup and light butter with hot tea and ice cold water on the side. Sheesh. 

Have a great weekend!

In Praise of Rhyno.

The very first print of the first photo I ever took of Rhyno (2006).

Last week Rhyno finally came home from a three-week work stint in Colorado! (You had no idea, right? I'm awesome at keeping secrets.). I am so thankful for this man. He works so hard for our tiny family and I missed his guts so much while he was gone. 

I've been thinking so much about "meetings" lately (more on that in another post). I can remember exactly meeting Rhyno for the first time. He was in a relationship and ignored my existence and me? I was in teal tuxedo shorts and black high heels and kind of hot (it was 2005 and I was rocking it). He didn't pay much attention to me but I was so smitten.  I told my best friend at the time, "Hey, I met the dude who is gonna be my husband today."

I am thankful every single day for this weirdo. He supports me through every crazy turn of life and change of friendship. If I woke up tomorrow saying, "I want to be a vampire ballerina princess" (my childhood dream), he'd say, "Cool. Do it."He is chill and amazing and let's me just do whatever the eff I want. I missed his guts so much while he was in Colorado and when he came home his first words were, "Dude! You look beautiful!" I couldn't ask for a better best friend.

I love you so, Rhyno Guffey.  

Feeling the Feels.

A photo I found on my PC and promptly printed in grayscale and framed. I love these two weirdos.

I wanted to post a quick thank you to everyone for the lovely and thoughtful texts, cards, tweets, Facebook messages, Instagram comments, emails, and gestures the last week. It has been an emotional few days and I couldn't have gotten out of my bed without all the sweet encouragement.I loved that pup with my whole heart, it's been so hard without her.

Also, I forgot all about this photo of Rhyno snuggling Tasha--did I marry a sweetheart or what? I love that guy and I miss that gal.

Happy Wednesday, you beautiful angels!

Seven Years...What?!

 

July 16th is such a cool date.

 

Seven years ago today, my (at the time) friend Rhyno asked me to be his girlfriend and I made him clarify his statement and lay down specifics of his proposal for a relationship. I said sure and we've been together ever since--getting closer and closer to a decade!

 

Our first photo together as a couple...also that time that I just bared my non-existent cleavage because you can do that at gay dance clubs without a ton of judgment.

 

 I know once you're married it's weird to celebrate your dating anniversary but it's still pretty special to me. It was a day that changed my life and made crazy, ol' Rhyno a permanent fixture in my atmosphere. July 16th was cool and in the following two weeks we met one another's families for the first time (when I met his mom I got my high heel stuck in a heating grate and his uncle had to pry it out, so that was awesome and didn't make me want to crawl in a hole and die at all). Within six months we were engaged and then a billion years after that we got married! Love is so rad.

 

So happy!

 

So emo!

 

Here's to you, July 16th and to seven years of mushy, gushy, makes-you-barf-cause-it's-so-dang-cute love!

 

Together at Pride right before our first anniversary in 2007. I call my hairstyle the "I'm hungover as shit and it's hot as balls out here" updo.