Key Lime Pie

I made this for Tom and I's one year engaged anniversary since we had Key Lime pie when we got engaged :)

ok so the crust was store bought but I made the meringue from scratch and the key lime filling almost from scratch if you don't consider key lime juice cheating.

Can't wait to enjoy some after dinner because the licks of the key lime and meringue I took were delicious! 

1 Year Ago Today...

1 year ago today my boyfriend thought it would be a good idea to do this...

I had never been to the Florida Keys so I agreed to tag along. Now he only did the 50 mile version but still...go drive 50 miles. Pay attention to the drive. Then think about doing that on foot. When we drove from Key Largo to Marathon (the starting town of the 50 mile race) it was almost exactly 50 miles. We got there that evening and all I said was, "you have GOT to be kidding me!" Bright and early the next morning Tom started his long journey from Marathon to Key West. And what did I do while he did that? There were some times of boredom....

and a few moments when I was beyond exhausted from walking nearly 50 miles. Between my walk/jog times with Tom, I would drive a few miles up the road and park the car. At times it was a little frantic, between the car battery dying, driving from gas station to gas station in search of quick food, blinking lights, batteries, losing my wallet in one of the gas stations, going back to that same gas station because I couldn't get the back of the light off to put the battery in, going back one more time because I lost my wallet again and thought I'd left it in there (the gas station guy and I became best of friends that day, and the wallet the 2nd time was in the car under a mile high pile of empty gaterade and water bottles.) It was a long day. Luckily it was a nice day, but still. Very very very long. Tom eventually finished.

Thank goodness. And he carried an engagement ring with him the entire time...but I didn't know that.

The next day...all I wanted to do was sight see. All Tom wanted to do was sit. But he managed to muster up some strength to see the southern most point of the US, some shops in old Key West, hang out at Sloppy Joe's, and have some Key Lime pie with me. My final request before we left the next morning was go to the beach. We went at sunset, Tom desperately wanted to sit so we sat on some rocks (he didn't really do good with standing and walking for about a week after that).

We sat on the rocks to the right of the picture. Tom was not so graceful, and not one to give sentimental little speeches. So obviously, I think anyone could have figured out what he was going to do. He couldn't even get down on his knees without some of my help and holding on to my legs for dear life (his version is probably a lot more smooth and graceful than it really was haha). But it was perfect all the same. And it was that moment when Tom asked me to marry him that is the whole reason this blog even exists! And now, we're 4 1/2 months from the wedding day, and oh so happy we had over a year to plan a wedding! The entire process has been incredibly stress free so far. A few minor snags. I may have cried once or twice. But from stories I hear from other people, I feel like it's been a breeze so far. I know I'll probably start to feel more pressure soon, but for now, it's been a great experience planning the wedding. Glad we gave time for me to move and get settled and weren't rushing the wedding because I would have definitely freaked out. And what's a few more months in the grand scheme of forever, right? ;)

So happy one year of engagement to my Thomas<3 Love you babe :)

Almost 1 year of being engaged!

1 year ago on Monday, Tom asked me to marry him :) I'm trying to think of something special we can do! We don't really celebrate anniversaries, mostly because we didn't really have one. There wasn't 1 day we finally decided we were a couple. We went from friends, to better friends, and one day it was love. We used to say September 1st, 2008 was our anniversary but by then we were on the "I love you" stage already.

The beginning of our relationship was a little complicated and untraditional. In February 2006 is when we met, but he had a serious girlfriend at the time and I was just the friend of the girlfriend who he talked to to be nice and keep up with happenings at Virginia Tech. We were supposed to meet up in Ohio in 2007 but I totally blew him off for another guy, even though that was the first time in quite a few months we were in the same place at the same time. That winter though we finally reconnected a bit more than we had in a long time. I'd like to say it was over happier events, but I found out he had bone cancer and talked with him and opened his eyes to Lance Armstrong ;) Sharing a love of cycling, hockey playoffs, and Tom having to go TDY a lot for work and being bored in airports is what finally got us talking. I remember about 2 years ago, he was working on a test. He had very long hours and one night I didn't get a text from him after work. I texted him that night and told him I missed him and I hoped everything was ok. Honestly, the first thing on my mind was he probably was out on a date with another girl and what I thought was becoming something was just him killing time. He later told me about the test and how he was working all day and night. Which made me a little excited that there wasn't another girl ;) And then, a year later, 1 year ago, he asked me to marry him and I said yes!

The moral of the story...we didn't get anniversary dates out of all that. We don't even remember the exact date we met. We're not really the sentimental types so it didn't bother us. There is even more complications in all of that, but I'm giving you the cliffnotes of anniversary chaos. But this is 1 day that something big happened, we know the date and it was very uncomplicated! So we need to celebrate. But due to my lack of anniversary celebrations, I'm not sure what we can do! At first, Tom was supposed to be TDY so I didn't plan out anything ahead of time, but now he will definitely be here so I need to come up with a plan and quick! $20 says he's not even thinking about this and I know he doesn't read this very often so he will have no idea. That's how great we are at anniversaries haha but anyone have any great ideas? We got engaged in key west so I'm thinking Key Lime pie is a must ;) but that's as far as I got! We'll work on this anniversary thing haha ;)

What a Great Guy!

So I have a lot of friends who say how do you know you want to spend the rest of your life with someone? Or how do you know it's right? I think everyone has those types of insecurities...especially if you aren't dating the right person. When you are dating the right person...it's just right. Simple as that. It's not one reason I know for sure I want to marry Tom...it's the hundred of little things he does every day.

The other day I was rushing out the door. Tom was right behind me and was helping me pour my coffee in my travel mug, find my keys...sometimes I'm a mess in the morning. I walk out the door finally, get in the car and drive away...about 10 minutes later than I wanted to be out of the house. I got down the road and go to reach for my coffee and notice...I forgot the coffee that Tom had poured, put the lid on and placed right on the counter in my direct pathway out the door. I was so disapointed, not only because I'm a coffee addict, but Tom had done so much to help me get ready faster and I still messed it up. So I called Tom and told him I was an idiot, forgot my coffee, wah wah pity party for me. haha Ok it wasn't that bad but still. But another day, another dollar so I got to work, ran about my errands and was heading out of the office to take my morning drive to our storage unit down the street when I see a guy in uniform practically sprinting across the parking lot...holding a coffee mug in his hand. Tom had left the house by the time I called him, but when I called, he had turned around, got the coffee, and drove the whole way to my office (which is not on the way to his work at all) just to bring me my coffee because he didn't want me to have a bad day :)

I'm not sure if there is a more perfect definition for "guy of my dreams" than that. He does 1000 little things everyday that make me smile, laugh, get butterflies and just jump for joy. So today..I just wanted to say thank you to that wonderful guy, that I'm so lucky to get to spend the rest of my life with :)