One Absolutely Amazing Year!

Ok, so this is almost a month late, but better late than never!  This softball coaching and teaching and living thing is kicking my ass.  Ok, enough griping – onto the good stuff!!!

Our first wedding anniversary was on February 28, 2010.  We wanted to do something special, without spending a gazillion dollars.  Since we are now somewhat close to the mountains and neither of us had ever been to The Biltmore in Asheville, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity!

On Friday (Feb 26), we both worked a half day and then headed home to pack up and hit the road.  One of my awesome students that I had as a freshman and have now again as a senior kept our boys for us.  It was so much cheaper and I felt so much better about them being in our house while we were gone.  So we said goodbye to them and hit the road.  We had such a good time listening to CDs and talking about everything and anything.  It was so fun to be together without having to worry about anything besides each other.  Ja was so sweet and put our wedding mix CD in for the last hour of the ride.

We got to our hotel and got to see the moon in all its glory sitting above the mountains!

We stayed at a Holiday Inn and it was really, really nice.  We also got a great deal, which made it even better!!  Ja had requested a mountain view room and we got a great king suite with a mountain view.  The room even had a hot tub in the room!

Our awesome view!

So after we got to the room and hung out for a bit, someone called our room and when Ja got it, no one was there.  We had just watched a show about U.S. Marshalls catching fugitives and we got freaked out.  About 5 minutes later while we were getting ready for dinner, there was a knock on our door.  I don’t know about you, but when your hotel door gets knocked on, it’s a little bit scary!  Ja + I looked at each other and then when he opened the door there was a hotel guy with a tray with a bottle of champagne, two glasses, strawberries, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream!!!  We felt like rock stars!!  We would later find out that my sweet sister had called the hotel and asked for a little something special.  It was awesome!

So after treating ourselves to a glass of champagne and some strawberries, it was time for dinner!  We hit up Barley’s for dinner, which was a must because it was the place where Leslie got wasted on some pumpkin beer and voila, welcome Anna!  After a great dinner we walked around a bit and got some awesome desserts in a double-decker bus that has been turned into a coffee shop.  Really, really cool!

After some awesome sweets and a PCJ comparable Mocha Shake, it was back to the hotel to relax and call it a night.

The next day was our Biltmore day.  We got up around 8 and got ready.  We got to the Biltmore about 9:30, but tickets weren’t available until 10.  So we looked around the shop at the entrance and bought a few things and then we hopped across the street and at breakfast at the Nicest McDonald’s in the World.  That is not me saying that, it really is the nicest one in the world.   There is a double fireplace at the counter and a piano in the back corner the serenades you!

After a little McGoodness, it was 10am and time to roll.  We got onto the estate and bought our ticket and then parked and hopped on the tram.  When we pulled through the gates to the House, I was absolutely speechless.  Mom and Leslie told Ja his job was to count how many times I said, ‘Shut up!’, but I think I only mustered it out 2 or 3 times.  I couldn’t speak.  It was just so large and massive and beautiful.

 

 

 

 

We spent the entire day doing our tour and grabbing some snacks.  The headphones were a must according to everyone that had ever been before, so we both got them and they were amazing.  It is insane to think that Vanderbilt was only 33 and a bachelor when he had this house built and it was just his vacation home!  Lord Have Mercy!!!!!

After our tour and some of the best cookies on the face of this Earth we made our way to the winery.  I had never been to a winery, so this was really cool for me.  I am a wine drinker, too, so it was neat to get to try all the different kinds.

That night we ate dinner at The Lobster Trap and I had my first shrimp and grits!  Dinner was absolutely delicious and it was really fun to order what we wanted and not worry about money for once!

Sunday we got up and met one of my best friends and college roommates, Kelly, for lunch.  She came and picked us up and took us to a really cool local grill, but unfortunately in was PACKED.  So we ended up at a FANTASTIC Mexican place, Papas and Beer.  They had some of the biggest and most delicious burritos ever.  We had a great time catching up on each other and all of our friends.

That was a great, great weekend and one hell of a way to wrap up our first year of marriage.  I am an extremely lucky girl and I have been nothing but happy and in love since the very first night we met and took too many lemon drops together.  In our first year of marriage we have successfully sold a house, bought a house, moved, got two jobs in a horrible economy, and had a great time through it all.  Jason is my very best friend and I really can’t wait to see what these next forever years have in store for us!  I love you, Sweetpea!