Happy One Year Anniversary

After we celebrated Christmas with our families in The Sunshine State, we headed back North, only, the party wasn't over yet! We drove to Columbus, Georgia to spend the night with my awesome cousin, Katie, and her wonderful hubs, Brett.

(Shameless plug: Katie is truly an AMAZING photographer. Really. She's the best! If you live in the Columbus, GA area (or Nashville, TN area), you must check out her site. I'm talking ridiculously good family photos, y'all. View her work here.)

We met this fun couple for dinner and headed back to their house for cookies and laughs. I guess we were just enjoying being together so much that I forgot to snap a photo! 

Brett and Katie, we love you both so much. It has been so sweet to watch God move in and through your marriage. We can't wait to see what's next!

The next day was December 31st...our one-year anniversary!!! 

Before leaving Columbus, Jon and I stopped by a local cafe for some good ol' southern breakfast: Cinnamon Toast Crunch french toast (J) and biscuits with sausage gravy (M). YUM! (For the record, this small town was not as fond of our biracial relationship. It was interesting to watch their reactions) ...but the food was great!

Next stop: Atlanta.

Jon and I both love Atlanta. My family lived there when I was three or four years old, so I don't remember much. However, it has always been one of my favorite cities. I think one day we might call this place "home" again ... hmmm...

We had  a BLAST! We spent the day shopping in Atlantic Station. After all, we both had Christmas and birthday money to spend! There were soooo many people and it was frigid outside, but we had a great time. 

We ate tapas at a fun restaurant called The Yard.

 I'm talking delish appetizers, you guys.

We checked into our hotel. Thanks to Priceline, we got a great deal on a hotel room at The Westin by the Atlanta airport. We checked in, showered, and put on our "street"clothes for The Peach Drop.

(Thanks Mom and Dad for our fun new clothes you gave us for Christmas!)

Can I just say, "Wow." How am I so blessed to be married to this handsome man???

My urban look.

New Year's Eve was quite an adventure.

We took the hotel shuttle to the ATL airport, where we boarded the Marta. Now, there were some interesting folk riding this public transportation system. I clung to Jon's arm the entire time.

Once we arrived in downtown ATL, the streets started crowded swarming with people. There were probably 10,000 people in this spot preparing for The Peach Drop. We got there around 10:00 so we could find a decent place to stand. Trying to ignore all the police men walking around in their bullet-proof vests (yeah, THAT was comforting), we laughed at the band impersonating The Beatles... and the family standing next to us that knew every. single. word. to. every. single. song. We also tried to dance and sing along to keep from freezing to death.

I will say, Atlanta puts on a beautiful fireworks show to welcome the New Year. 

It was exciting, and surreal, to hold each other through the countdown. 

A New Year of dreams, goals, blessings, and surprises.

 

 We sept in the next morning before taking advantage of the free breakfast vouchers we received from the concierge for our anniversary present.

Next stop: Ikea.

It was Jon's first time at an Ikea, and I remembered how overwhelming it was my first time. So... we walked through fairly quickly, and I didn't even beg to shop in the Marketplace at the end. 

(Although we did purchase a beautiful canvas painting to hang above our fireplace. 

Happy Anniversary to us!)

Our friend and former Atlanta-native, Jamie, recommended a place for lunch. We read the reviews online, wiped the drool from our mouths, and headed straight to Gladys Knight's Chicken & Waffles. Ohhhhh, y'all. It was UH-MAZING. The restaurant is a classy spot, adorned with pictures of Gladys Knight and Ron Winans. The menu is labeled with titles such as "Grammy Nominees" and Background Singers. And we ate like kings. Check it out:

Southern style fried chicken, the most delicious macaroni-and-cheese I've ever had, collard greens, fried corn with jalapeños, corn bread, and a waffle on the side. 

Talk about a food coma!!!

It will be an Atlanta tradition for us from now on!

Fighting our food comas (and the freezing rail that was falling), we headed back to Nashville.

The past two weeks were full of amazing food, unforgettable times with family and friends, and memory-making experiences between the two of us. It is rare that we splurge; we definitely live within our means. So it was fun to celebrate for a time.

We were full in every way.

Full of food.

Full of fun.

Full of laughs.

Suitcases full of gifts.

Full of life.

Full of thanksgiving.

We certainly were a blessed couple celebrating their first anniversary... beyond blessed.

king and queen...for an evening

My husband is an incredible example of a true servant's heart. 
He is one of the hardest workers I know, and I respect him so much for these qualities. 
With our intense goal to be debt-free as soon as possible, Jon works full-time during the week, AND he valet parks downtown on the weekends. I'll admit, while I appreciate his hard work, I miss him soooo much on the weekends while he's away.

Having said that, the hotel where he valets hosted a Christmas party for all its employees. Jon and I were excited to dance, eat, and shmooz with his co-workers on our final night in Nashville before heading to Florida. However...once we arrived at the hotel, we were informed the party was the night before. We missed it!! The concierge was so nice to us. Due to her pitying us for showing up on the wrong evening, she upgraded our already-snazzy room to a suite overlooking downtown Nashville! 

The room was absolutely beautiful- the swankiest hotel I've ever stayed in by far! The rainforest showers were controlled by an electric panel in the bathroom...pouring straight down, the water felt amazing! We might have had a little fun enjoying our swanky guest robes.

We dressed in our finest...it felt good to throw on a silk dress, curl my hair, and rock a pair of high heels... and prepared to dine in the hotel restaurant. 

Seated in a back corner booth, dimly lit by mere candlelight, we were able to talk and really soak each other in. The food was delicious!!! The entire hotel staff, it seemed, knew Jon and were excited to see him. (I mean, what's not to love, right?) 

Once the restaurant staff learned we were about to celebrate our one-year anniversary, they served us champagne and scrumptious dessert...on the house. We felt so special.

The evening didn't turn out the way we originally pictured it... but it was even better. We enjoyed the time together and were able to engage with each other in such a way we hadn't in a couple weeks due to busy schedules. It couldn't have been more perfect.

The sun rising over downtown Nashville was a beautiful sight to see as we woke up. We packed our things, said thanks and goodbye to the hotel staff, and hit the road... to Florida.

our proposal story

Today is June 29, 2012. One year ago today, Jonathan asked me a very important question, placed the most stunning ring on my finger, and prayed us into new life together. I have decided to use our photos to share our engagement story...

I flew to Florida on Monday, June 27th. I spent the day with lounging by the pool with my parents. (I remember having a discussion with my dad about marrying Jon. He was asking about the timing of everything coming together. I told him I was just praying Jon would be able to propose in the next coming months. We would spend the next year saving money and perhaps we could marry the following summer.)

Jon and I knew we were going to be engaged in the near future. We had soaked our relationship in prayer, and he had already asked my parents for their blessing. Since they absolutely adore him, of course they consented. I was nannying full-time over the summer and Jon was working crazy hours at his two jobs in order to save for a wedding/ring. In no way, shape, or form did I think Jon had saved enough money for a ring by that time. I admired my hardworking man; I appreciated his devoted heart and his desire to purchase a beautiful ring for me using the cash he worked hard to earn. I visited Florida with the only intention of spending time with my love and my family.

Jon drove up to Bradenton from Fort Myers. We met my parents, his mama, and his sister at a local favorite, Peach's, for brunch on Tuesday. (At this time, my dad and his mama knew about the upcoming proposal. I, on the other hand, had NO idea.)

After brunch, Jon and I headed to Fort Myers. When we arrived, we cooked a delicious meal together. (Again, a favorite hobby of ours!) It was one of those fun-looking-but-I've-never-actually-made-it Publix recipes: Cowboy steak and shrimp with cheesy mashed potatoes and salad. It was soooo good! We enjoyed an evening "in" together. Afterall, at this point, our relationship was still long-distance and we soaked up every second we had together.

The next morning, Jon cooked me a gourmet breakfast: omelette, biscuits, grits, and my favorite- plantains! We packed the car and headed to the beach for the day. 

The day was perfect. The weather was beautiful. And I was with my love.

We spent the day soaking up the sun. Indulging in some ice-cream, had discussions of anything and everything under the sun, including music, weddings, whose city was a better location for us, babies, good baby names, awful baby names, the teeny-boppers flirting with our jet-ski man, etc... We had a blast just being together.

As soon as we returned to Jon's apartment, it began to rain, Not rain, but pour. Monsoon even, It came our of nowhere! Jon's demeanor immediately changed, and I wondered what was wrong. 

Jon had told me to bring a fun, "going out" dress with me. Believing our engagement was still a couple months out, I was thrilled at the thought of just a night out on the town.

As I prepared to get ready, Jon offered to steam my dress. When I told him it was hanging in the coset, he looked at me strangely. (I had not idea, but the FedEx had been delivered from Shane Co. just three days prior. My ring was in that closet and he feared my snooping eyes might have seen it. Of course, I saw nothing.)

The pouring began, and Jon's mood continued to get weirder. I ran to the car with a trash bag over my head so I didn't look like a wet rat at dinner. My purse was heavy from traveling, so I began to empty some of its contents and put them under the armrest. Jon looked scared when I opened the compartment, and I kept asking what was wrong. He sheepishly replied, "Nothing..." (Unknown to me, my ring box was in that very compartment! Again, I saw nothing.)

Jon began texting while driving. Because it was pouring rain, I was upset with him for diverting his attention off the road. He never texts while driving, and we never have our phones out when we're together in person. I became very agitated with him. (His original plan was to propose on the beach, but the rain was diverting him to Plan B- propose at the restaurant. His friends were headed to the beach to hide and photograph the proposal; he was texting them to say, "Change of plans." Poor guy. Just look at how nervous his face looks above!

Jon let me out at the front door and he parked the car. When I entered the restaurant, the host said, "Darcy, right this way." I liked the special treatment! Jon came in, and in the rush of things he forgot to remove his doo-rag! He was so embarassed. I slipped it into my purse and playfully went to tap him in the butt. He swerved to miss my hand. Now, I was mad. What was wrong with him???

Once we sat down and settled in, I grabbed his hands and asked that we just enjoy the night. I was still so unsure of the strange behavior, but we focused on one another and enjoyed a delicious meal. Okay, I like to take pictures of food. I'm a foodie. Lick your lips and enjoy...

Amidst the dinner, every one of the restaurant staff was extremely hospitable to us. I kept thinking, "This place has the greatest staff ever!" (They knew there was a proposal coming; they didn't know if he planned on proposing at the restaurant, though.)

Jon kept asking if I needed to use the restroom. I continued to reply, "No! If I did, I'll go when we get up to leave." Poor guy just wanted me to leave the table so they could hide the ring in the dessert. Stubborn-ness is not a virtue.

After the meal, I moved over to Jon's side of the booth. I held his hand and asked that he level with me. Why was my man acting so weird? What had been such an "off" night for us became a beautiful thing.

Jon expressed his love to me. He told me that for a while he had been experiencing this void. He had told his mom about it, he had been praying about it, and he was searching for the fulfillment of this void. The answer was me. Then, it went something like this:

J: "Do you know how much I love you?"
M: "Yes Jon, and I adore you!"
J: "Will you be my wife?"
M: "Jon, you know I want to be your wife!"
J: "No, will you marry me?"
M: "Jon, you know I want nothing more than to marry you! We are just waiting for the fund so you can buy a ring, and..."
J: "No, you don't understand...Will you marry me?" (Places the red, velvet Shane Co. box on table.)
M: Immediate tears, throw my hands on my head, shake my head, there are no real words.

I was so stunned, I couldn't even open the box. Jon and I opened it together, and I peeked in to see THE MOST stunning ring I had EVER seen!

M: "Ooooohhhhhh!!! I love this ring more than any read I've ever seen! Even more than the ones we tried on! Wait...this IS the ring I tried on and fell in love with!"

We had tried on rings when Jon visited Nashville before, just so he could see my taste. I tried on the most gorgeous ring in the store, in my eyes. The jeweler let me wear it around the store, and hard as I might, I fell in love. However, never in a million years did I think I would have a ring that nice. My baby worked HARD for me!

Everyone in the quiet, chic, classy restaurant congratulated us. The head chef brought out champagne, a ridiculously-sultry dessert, and asked to take photos for us. "Man, now I've got to go home and kiss my wife!" he yells after shooting some photos.

I am still in such shock. My man had been working soooo hard for me. He really wanted to buy me a nice ring, and it was important to him that he pay for it in cash. He wants the ring to always be a reminder, no matter the circumstances we're going through, that he's MY man, he WILL work hard for our family, and he is a PROVIDER. What a gift!

As we left Chops, the phone calls began. We started with our parents, which I was floored that they already knew it was coming and nobody leaked the surprise! Then our siblings, grandparents, and closest friends. Screaming, laughing, crying, and shaking...We drove to our prayer warriors' house, Dave and Linda Anderson (who also knew it was coming, actually Jon's entire small group knew it was coming, and no one slipped a word!!), and they prayed over us. We could think of no better way to begin our engagement that in the presence of God seeking His favor and will for us. Their living room became a holy place, and I'll never forget it.

The calls and texts continued on the drive home, and the night seemed like a dream.

Jon revealed another surprise...we were headed back to Bradenton the next day to enjoy a dinner/pool party with both our families at my parents' house. I'll never forget walking in my mom and dad's house as an "engaged woman", flashing my ring to all who would look and sharing our story a trillion times. It meant the world that our families could celebrate with us.

My wonderful fiance reveals yet another surprise...the next day, the two of us would do something I'd begged to do with him for years... We were headed to the most magical place on earth- Disney World!

We had the BEST day, and it really was magical. As vain as it is, I can't tell you how many times he caught me just staring at my ring. I got several compliments waiting to ride Space Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, and so on. I could have told our story (the shortened version, of course) a trillion times!

So what if I balled like a baby during the fireworks at the end of the night? I was overwhelmed with emotion, and the Disney fireworks will pull on anyone's heart strings! As I sat with my love's arms wrapped around me, I thanked God for this amazing man He gave to me.

The next day, Jon and I went to the b.e.a.utiful town of Naples. We window shopped the outdoor boutiques, ate gourmet ice-cream from my favorite shoppe-Kilwin's Fudgery, Jon bought me a beautiful dress (pictured below) at White House Black Market, and shared our story with the owner of a local art gallery.

We celebrated with Jon's friends and church family at Life Church, and enjoyed lunch out with close friends afterwards. This group of people really has God's anointed blessing on them, and it was an incredible worship experience.

Sidenote: I cannot express how truly amazing it is to know your parents love your fiance as much as you do, but it was pretty incredible to what my Paw-Paw's interaction with Jon. To have his approval for his only granddaughter's fiance meant the world.

 The trip wouldn't be complete without a movie date with our siblings! We piled in the car with Parker, Jordan, and Sarah and went to see Transformers 3D. We had such a great time, and again, meant the world to share time with our siblings during such an exciting week.

This is our proposal story. (Thanks for hanging in there, those of you who read the entire thing!) It truly was an INCREDIBLE week, and I was blown away by the love and care from Jon. Baby, you continue to blow me away!

in just six months...

Tomorrow, June 29th, marks the one-year anniversary of our engagement!(Don't worry, all you romantic, love-story heart-throbs...tomorrow's post will include the juicy details.)  :)

And two days after that, Jon and I will celebrate our Six Month Wedding Anniversary!

In realizing this, my heart was full of recollection today. 

Since Jon asked me to be his wife and placed the most stunning diamond ring on my finger one year ago, our lives have been rocked...consisting of huge life changes for both of us.

One thing is very, very evident: God is good to us. So good. Entirely too good.

His provision is immense. His faithfulness never fails.

And He has plans for us. 

June 29, 2011: Jon decided he liked it and "put a ring on it"
We enjoyed a week of engagement bliss together in Florida. The wedding planning began immediately and a date was set! I reluctantly applied for my Florida teaching license...Jon pursued potential jobs in Tennessee. Whoever got a job in the other's state first got to move. :) 

Thank you for a Christlike man pursuing me with all his heart, God. You're good!

July, 2011: Jon visited Nashville for a week. We shopped for his wedding band, viewed potential future apartments, set-up my new classroom, registered (for 5 hours!) at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and continued the wedding planning. After all, we were getting married just 5 months after. The State of Florida made huge budget cuts across the board, but especially in Education. New hires were next-to-impossible. We continued praying about our location. 

Thank you for boldness, God. Thank you for working on my issues with trusting you. Thank you for my hard-working man that is providing for our future life together!

August, 2011: I began working at a new school, teaching subjects I'd never taught before. Jon continued working looong hours at both his jobs. We were both working hard to save money for our wedding. The long distance planning was difficult; the long distance engagement was even harder. We were perfecting our communication skills...over the phone. (Together we were praying for Jon to get a job in Nashville...I was praying specifically that Jon get a job in Nashville in October. For several reasons, this would have been perfect timing. I boldly made my request to the Lord.) 

Thank you for new beginnings, God!

September, 2011: This month was particularly challenging, and I had felt the Lord prepping my heart for this difficult month. We were missing each other like crazy; we hadn't even seen one another since July. We were working really hard and praying with intensity over our future. Half-way through the month, some awesome news. Jon was hired by The Loveless Cafe corporate office. He would work in their gift sales department right up until Christmas. This means he would be off in time for the wedding, then we could get another job for post-wedding. And the best part...He would stop work October 3rd. That's right! My prayers were not only heard, but answered! 

Thank you for answering prayers, specific prayers, God!

October, 2011: Jon moved up to Nashville the last weekend of September- the same weekend I was to be out of my townhouse. We moved him into what would be our townhome, moved my things into the townhome with him, and I moved myself into the Underwood's house. (Rick and Donna Underwood were gracious enough to let me move in to their extra bedroom, and I will forever be grateful!) Jon and I were enjoying living in the same state for the first time ever throughout our courtship. Jon rocked at his new job, our church family welcomed him in with open arms, and we began to learn each other on a different level...a daily "I can see your face" level. My yellow bug was having an engine problem, and we learned that blinking engine light would cost a minimum of $2000 of our wedding money to fix it...and just maybe that would fix it. We were forced to trade it in and buy a new car. We were extremely thankful to have saved some cash, and were incredibly more thankful for my parents' ability to cover additional wedding funds so we could purchase a car unexpectedly. 

Thanks for providing yet again, God!

November, 2011: The courtship was even sweeter in person. And for every bill that came due for the wedding day, God provided the money...and the blessing. We began premarital counseling via Skype with the pastor that would marry us in Florida. (Thanks, Allen!) Continued growth and huge gains were made. One night, while driving to meet Jon for dinner, I was hit head-on. I was thankfully left with only soreness, but the car was not able to be driven. We were left with only one car, and about a 25 minute drive between us. Life got interesting, to say the least. Long story, $500 deductible, and a lot of stress later, the car was finally returned. 

Thanks for your safety and protection, God!

December, 2011: The holidays came extremely quickly and we were trying hard not to miss the "reason for the season" amidst wedding preparations. Jon was released from his job at The Loveless Cafe, but was emailed about another career move the very next day. 

Nice, God! 

He interviewed in Nash, made a presentation from Florida, and was hired for an incredible new opportunity the week before our wedding. 

Thank you for the best wedding present, God, and for the next career move for Jon!

At the end of the month, on New Year's Eve, Jon and I vowed to love and honor each other until death do us part. We made these vows in front of 250 of our friends and family members, but more importantly, before God. 

Our engagement was six months of sheer chaos and life changes,  but most importantly, God's continual provision.