Our 4th Anniversary!

If I could choose again, I'd still choose you!

Happy 4th Anniversary to my favorite person in the world!

Our Engage-aversary

Four years ago today, Trent and I got engaged!! It was an awesome day that still makes me smile to think about! It was just the two of us out there in the woods alone, newly engaged and on cloud nine! 

 

The proposal location

Soon after our engagement we each wrote our own version of that day from our point of view, so I thought I'd reshare them here today! If your up for some light reading...

Trent's Story

In all honesty, I had known for several months prior to our engagement date that I was going to propose. My mom had asked me back in May what I was thinking when it came to Kendra and I's relationship, and I told her that I was going to propose sometime in the fall after she had the chance to move to Omaha and settle in to her job. The date of September 18th came about because it was actually my late Grandma’s birthday. She would have liked that her birthday was the day we became engaged.

In August, Kendra and I went to the Adel Sweet Corn Festival, and I asked my mom to invite Kendra to a fake Birthday party for my uncle Jim and brother-in-law Russ on the 18th. Of course, Kendra said she would love to go. The week before the 18th, I had mentioned to Kendra that I would like to do some hiking at Dayton Oaks, a church camp that both my sister and I had attended as kids and I had actually worked at for a summer during college. Although Kendra had never really been hiking, she said she’d like to go. On September 17th, the forecast called for rain and a high of 55, really not ideal for hiking weather, so I gave Kendra the opportunity to skip the hiking (knowing she would still probably be willing to go if she knew I wanted to go) and she said she would. I packed up my backpack with some water, a camera, and of course, the ring.

We lucked out. When we arrived at Dayton Oaks, which is about three hours from Omaha, the rain had stopped. Wasting no time, we ventured off into the woods. The hiking wasn’t too bad, although some parts of the trail were pretty overgrown. Every once in a while the thought of what I was about to do would hit me and I would get a little bit excited. I didn’t really feel nervous at all… perhaps I was just pretty confident in what her answer would be! Finally, after thirty of forty minutes of hiking we came to the spot I had in mind called “The Top of the World”. The Top of the World is a point on the side of a hill where there aren’t many trees, so you can see the creek at the bottom of a ravine and across the valley to the hills on the other side (Very beautiful in my opinion). Since I had made Kendra carry the backpack (all part of my master plan), I told her I wanted to get the camera. With her back to me, I put the ring box in my back pocket and grabbed the camera. I had her go stand by the edge so I could take a picture.

The before picture!

I then had her come and stand by me and gave her a big hug. I told her how much I loved her and that I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it. I dropped to a knee and pulled the ring out of my pocket and asked “Will you marry me?”. She had such a happy and excited look on her face as she said yes and started crying. I got up and she was shaking. It was pretty emotional and very exciting for both of us.

The after!

After I had proposed we sat on the hill for a moment just talking and being excited together. I told her that the whole birthday party thing was just a rouse because I wanted her to be surprised (which she was). I had made plans to meet her parents and my parents in Boone for lunch so they could share in the excitement of our engagement with us. And we then went and told my sister and her family as well as Kendra’s family.

When we got back to Omaha, I gave Kendra roses (she’s the first girl to get roses from me) and I made us some pasta. As we ate, we tried to wind down from the excitement of the day, talking about what our future together will be like. As I sit here now, I don’t know exactly what my future holds, but I know it will be better with Kendra by my side.

Kendra's Story

I woke up on Saturday, September 18, 2010 and thought that I knew what was going on that day. I thought that I was going to be picked up by Trent at 8:30, we were going to drive to Dayton Oaks Camp, the camp that Trent spent a lot of time at growing up, to go hiking, and then we were going to go to his parents' house in Ankeny for a birthday party for his brother-in-law and uncle.

The day at least started off as I thought it would. Trent came and picked me up. It was a pretty gloomy and rainy day, but we weren't going to let that ruin our plans. And you can bet that Trent gave me enough chances to get out of going hiking, but I knew he really wanted to go and I was really excited about sharing my first real hiking experience with him. It was a pretty fun three hour drive there, just talking and singing with Trent. 

When we arrived at Dayton Oaks Camp, we got out of the car and went to the trunk to get the backpack out that had our water and the camera in it. I was kind of surprised when Trent held out the backpack for me to put on, but didn't think anything much of it because he pulled out an umbrella and said he was going to carry that. I thought that it would be better to carry the backpack on my back rather than have to carry an umbrella in my hand. So off we went.

We walked hand and hand down the path to get to the trail we were going to take. We passed different cabins as Trent told me about which ones he'd stayed in, what they were like on the inside, different maintenance he had done to them as a counselor at the camp, and a few memories he had of going to camp and staying in those cabins. We walked up to a circle around a campfire, and it was at that point Trent told me that that was the place where he gave his life to Christ. I was so happy and honored that I could be at that place with him and that he could share that part of his life with me. It was at that moment that I really realized how much this place meant to him and it crossed my mind that this could be where he asks me to be his wife. But, as Trent would tell you, I think about that he could propose to me pretty much no matter what we're doing, so the thought passed, and we started off onto the trail for our hike.

We walked down steep hills, around trees, and over creeks. I am very impressed with myself that I didn't slip and fall down a hill in the mud or anything! Trent told me about how he used to know the trails really well and how he and a friend of had even marked some of the trail that we were following. We hiked a while and ended up at a very beautiful creek. It sounded like the creek setting that you would have on a nature sounds alarm clock. After we left the creek we hiked up a really steep hill, and when we got to the top of the hill, I walked up to the ledge of the hill and couldn't believe, despite how wet and gloomy it was, how beautiful it was. We were on a very high ledge overlooking the creek we had just been at, as well as, trees as far as I could see across on the other side of the ravine. The place where we were at was called "The Top of the World." There was a sign nailed to a tree that said just that, so Trent told me to turn around so he could get the camera out of the backpack to take my picture (I didn't know at the time that that wasn't all he was grabbing out of the backpack).

I went and stood by the sign and Trent took my picture. I then went to try to grab the camera from him so I could get his picture by the sign, but he didn't hand it to me. Instead he put his arms out to hug me and told me to come over to him. He hugged me and told me he loved me and then he stepped back to look at me. It was then he told me that he knew for a long while that he wanted to marry me, and he might have said something else, but at that point I realized for sure what was happening and I think that I blacked out from the happiness for a second. Next thing I know he is grabbing something from his back pocket and getting down on one knee and the words "Will you marry me?" came from his mouth. And of course I said YES!! We hugged and I cried and I was so excited I was shaking. It was amazing. I then looked at the ring he had been holding and couldn't believe that it was mine! I put the ring on and couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't believe what had just happened, and that I was now engaged to the most wonderful man, the man of my dreams!

First picture as an engaged couple!

I went back down by the tree that I had just taken a picture by moments earlier and took the 'after' picture. I couldn't have hid my happiness if I tried. Trent and I then sat down and looked at the beautiful place we were in. I really wanted to just soak the whole thing in.

Trent then told me that the birthday party that I thought we were going to that evening was made up and that we were meeting the in-laws for lunch. (We were both getting in-laws!! lol) That was such a great surprise and I was so happy that we were going to see them and could share this great day with them.

It wasn't until we got to Boone for lunch that I really realized how special this day was. Trent's mom then shared that the 18th of September was her late mother's birthday. I was so incredibly honored that Trent and I could bring happiness to their family on a day that is usually a bit sad.

Engagement lunch with our parents!

After lunch, we had a fun time getting to go see our family members and share the good news with them. We went to Adel to surprise his sister and her family to tell them the great news. Trent's 3 year old niece filled us in on the fact that when Trent and I get married, I will be 'Aunt Kendra'. That was something that I hadn't thought about yet, but just another great thing that comes along with marrying Trent. We then drove to tell my grandparents, aunt and uncle, sister and cousins. It was great to share that news with them all!!

When we finally made it back to Omaha, Trent dropped me off at my apartment so I could shower and then I was going to go over to his apartment so he could "watch some of the Iowa game." But when I walked into his apartment, there were two dozen roses sitting on the counter, the apartment was romantically lit, there was music on, and he was making us supper. After a long and exciting day, it was great to sit with my now fiance and talk about the day as well as talk about what our future together will hold.

The whole day was just perfect. I was literally on "top of the world." I am so happy that Trent and I now have such an amazing memory together at a place that has meant so much to him throughout in his life. A place that was so important in shaping him into the man he is today. A man that I am lucky to be able to say will be my husband.

Happy 3rd Anniversary!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to my favorite guy!

The guy I choose every day. Who I pinky swore to love when we are side by side and when we are miles apart; when our lives are peachy keen and when things aren't going so well; when I'm pleased with him and when he really irritates me; when we're just hanging out and when we're busy. The guy whose ambitions and desires I respect and encourage and will always help him accomplish. From our wedding day to today and for the rest of our lives, he is my person, the one who I share everything with. I promised these things, knowing that it is God that is the foundation of our marriage, and it’s going to stay that way as long as we’re both here on Earth! 

I don't have anything "cool" to share this year. The last two years, our anniversary week has coincided with a big and exciting event. Our first anniversary was in the same week that we closed on our house, and our second anniversary was the same week as me finding out I passed all my CPA exams. This year, I don't have much exciting news to share other than the fact that we're still happy as clams, dealing with life as it comes at us, and we're looking forward to continuing to grow together during our next years of marriage and seeing what they have in store for The Fredericksen's!

Happy Second Anniversary to Us!

Today is Trent and I's 2nd Anniversary! (Insert cliché "oh how time flies" comment)

 

 

So much has happened in our short two years as The Fredericksen's and I'm so happy and grateful that I get to go through the ups and the downs of life with such a great man by my side. I am very excited about all that is yet to come in our future!

 

The week of our first anniversary we closed on our first house and the week of our second anniversary I found out I passed my final CPA test (not really an "us" thing, but it sort of is). I am looking forward to finding out what fun our third anniversary, and all the days leading up to it, will have in store for us!

 

Oh, Happy Day!

Wedding Cake - 1 year, 3 month, 1 week, and 4 day Anniversary

On September 9, the day after Alex and Lauren's wedding, Trent and I made a trip back to Westside to see my parents. My dad had had a pretty bad week and I really wanted to see him. My dad was pretty tired while we were there, so we visited with him while he was up out of the chair and then just hung out in the next room when he needed to rest in the recliner.

After our wedding, Nick and Doreen were kind enough to keep our wedding cake in their freezer because we were a little short on freezer space in our apartment. We meant to eat our cake on our 1 year anniversary, but we didn't think to get it to our house at the time and forgot to get it over and over and over again... So FINALLY they remembered and brought it to us when we were in town. 

So even though it wasn't our 1 year anniversary, but our 1 year, 3 month, 1 week and 4 day anniversary, we decided to eat some of our cake! We even had photographers there to capture every moment!!

After Trent was kind at our wedding and didn't smash cake in my face, I thought I was in the clear... Little did I know he was going to not be so kind this time...

 

Attractive, huh?!? 

My attempt to get back at him

I'm glad that we got to eat our cake (which was still pretty good) even though it was a little late. It was nice despite all the cake in my face!

And after things calmed down, I got a good picture of family members!

And through that all, Uncle Dan and my Dad slept!

This was the last day that I saw my dad out of a hospital or nursing home. Just 16 short days later he was gone. I very much wish I knew what was to come when I left there that day. That recliner was where he was sitting when I hugged him good bye and told him I loved him. He was having trouble controlling his arms and when I went in to hug him, I startled him a bit, but he hugged me back and told me he loved me as best he could. The tears in his eyes showed me how much he meant those words and how scared he was even though he wasn't able to get many clear words out. I admire him for always trying his best and fighting that stupid disease that was taking over his body the best he could. I love him and miss him so much. 

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened by death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us." Romans 8: 35, 37

UP Rings the NYSE Closing Bell to Commemorate 150 Years

I know I already did my post on Union Pacific's 150th Anniversary and included a little history, but today we actually got to celebrate that day, and it was really quite awesome. 

Our banner hanging at the NYSE

When I got to work in the morning, I was greeted by employees handing out complimentary copies of Time magazine that included two of our full page ads and a Birthday Doughnut! Woot to the doughnuts! I WAS quite hungry when I got to work, so it was my lucky day!

Then, in the early afternoon, over 2,000 employees from the headquarters headed down to the atrium and dining hall and all the surrounding areas to view the live broadcast from the New York Stock Exchange where our CEO, CFO, and 11 other employees would be ringing the closing bell. Back in Omaha, we were each given our own little commemorative bell with the "UP 150" logo on it along with the date of this NYSE event.

The event at the headquarters was kicked off by our Chairman, Jim Young, saying a few words to everyone from a podium in the headquarters atrium. He took a little time to congratulate everyone on their achievements and saying how proud he was and how he just couldn't miss this event and the chance to celebrate with us all. It was so great (and surprising to me) to see him, as it was just about 4 months ago when we were told the news that he would be taking a medical leave of absence from being our CEO due to his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Since then, we haven't really heard anything about how he is doing. Other than being told that he is going through treatments during our 1st quarter earnings release, no one has really said anything. (I'm not sure if it's because there are certain ways these things have to be handled with such a large, public company and their top executives and having to disclose if we discuss his health or what, but it's a little strange how little is said about it.) But anyways, it was so great to see him. When he was introduced and took the podium, he was greeted with the longest and loudest applause from every single person on the first two levels of the open atrium. With his face being zoomed in on and showing on every screen in the lobby, you could see just how emotional he was about being there and the reception he was getting from everyone. I can truly say that he is a respected individual at our company and has done amazing things to lead UP and he deserved every second of the applause he received. It made me tear up to see how he was received by everyone and see the emotions it made him feel and just imagining all that he has been through over the past few months. What a great start to the ceremony!

After a few words from Jim and a few words from our EVP of Operations, Lance Fritz, the live video cut to New York for some interviews with our CEO, Jack Koraleski, and CFO, Rob Knight.

The UP employees preparing to ring the bell

Then, right before 3:00, the video showed the 11 employees that were chosen to be there along with our two executives getting ready to ring the bell. When it was time, they rang the bell and, along with that, an all too appropriate locomotive horn blew along with the ringing of the bell. And here in Omaha, as they rang the bell, gobs of red white and blue confetti burst out into the atrium.  It really was an amazing thing to be a part of. I can honestly say that I am so proud to work for this company! Here's to the next 150 years of Building America!

The view of the UP Center's main floor atrium with the confetti
streaming down to commemorate the ringing of the closing bell.

Visit Union Pacific Railroads Facebook page for more photos and details.

Also visit the UP150 site for all things related to Union Pacific's 150th Anniversary!

Pictures taken from UPRR's Facebook page and UPOnline

Happy Anniversary Union Pacific!

Tomorrow marks the 150^th anniversary of Union Pacific, the place I am proud to be employed. (150 sure is a lot of years!) Throughout the whole year, there have been various events to commemorate this amazing milestone. 

This past week, UP launched a national advertising campaign surrounding the anniversary. On Wednesday, any employee who wanted one, was offered a complimentary copy of the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal which featured one of our full page, color print ads.

Other newspapers that you may have seen a UP ad in on Wednesday were the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and USA Today, among others. In addition to the print ads, 150th Anniversary ads will accompany all the newspapers' online sites in as well as MSNBC and CNNMoney. This week, Time magazine has a special "Making of America" issue, which includes two UP ads, the UP timeline, and had an animated homepage takeover on its website on Thursday. Lastly, the Omaha World Herald will run some ads between July 2nd and 4th as well as some unique Union Pacific ads for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials that are currently taking place in Omaha. So basically, UP is everywhere this week!

Perhaps the coolest thing, in my opinion, that is going on this next week to commemorate UP's 150th, is when 11 Union Pacific employees and our CEO, Jack Koraleski, get to make a trip to Wall Street to ring the New York Stock Exchange Closing Bell on Monday, July 2. We are having a celebration in the atrium of the UP Center to watch it all happen live via video feed, so it should be pretty cool!

Launched earlier this year, UP has a special website to house all of its 150th Anniversary information and material. UP150.com is where you can go to see tons of information about all the events going on, read stories of families who have had the railroad in their family for many generations and how the railroad has impacted many peoples' lives, and check out the many entries into the Great Big Rollin' Railraod video remake contest where people submit entries to remake a 1970s video and win up to $15,000. Watch the original video below (or click here) and then go to the UP site to check out the remakes!

One other thing on the UP150 site is the Timeline. It highlights the events that have shaped the railroad over the past 150 years and provides some really interesting information. This timeline is also available to download for free in the Apple iTunes store under Books. I don't know if it's just because I work for the company or what, but I find the history very facinating. I summarized a bit of it below (yes, a little history lesson) but feel free to head over to UP150.com/timeline to check out even more details about UP's last 150 years.

On July 1, 1862, President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 which directed the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific to construct a transcontinental railroad. The Act chartered the Union Pacific Railroad Company to build west from the Missouri River. UP held a groundbreaking ceremony at the settlement of Omaha in Nebraska Territory on December 2, 1862, but construction was delayed until 1865 due to insufficient funding. The first rails were laid on July 10, 1865.

An early map of Omaha from 1866 shows the original UP route and was used to help determine
where to build a bridge to cross the Missouri River.

After the first rail was laid in 1865, Omaha became the major shop location for Union Pacific.
The "shops" were near today's convention center and baseball stadium in downton Omaha.

On May 9, 1869, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific met at Promontory Summit, Utah, the place where Congress had passed a joint resolution naming it the place “at which the rails shall meet and form one continuous line.” Then, on May 10, a ceremonial spike was driven to join the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States during the Golden Spike Ceremony.

As Union Pacific's chief engineer, it fell to Grenville Dodge to inform UP President Oliver
Ames that the crews had reached Promontory Summit, Utah. Note the date on the
telegram is May 9, 1989, the day before the Golden Spike Celebration.

A picture taken during the celebrations on May 10, 1869.

In March 1872, UP opened the first bridge across the Missouri River, connecting Omaha and Council Bluffs, and the transcontinental railroad to the eastern United States. The Union Pacific Bridge, which was a half-mile long, cost nearly $2.9 million. The completion of the bridge marked the true completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Over the next 100 years, UP joined with other railroads, declared bankruptcy, came under new leadership, built new routes and bridges, debuted the steam engine and several other locomotive models, implemented the Transportation Control System (TCS), and became a subsidiary of the newly formed Union Pacific Corporation.

The first run of the first "Big Boy," No. 4000, in Utah in 1941

In May 1969 the Centennial locomovites were introduced. The Largest diesel-electrics ever built.

In 1980, the Staggers Rail Act was passed and signed into law by President Carter. The Act removed many regulatory restrictions and provided railroads with the flexibility to adjust rates and tailor services and compete with each other. The railroads were now able to act like other businesses. Reregulation is something that is a hot topic in today’s railroad environment and threatens to take away the railroads’ freedom that is necessary to grow their industry.

You all remember cabooses on trains, right? In 1984 was when cabooses were replaced by End of Train (EOT) devises. These allow the engineer to monitor brake pressure at the rear of the train and set the air brakes from both halves of the train from the locomotive at the front of the train. Also in 1984, the first double-stack train also was put into service, enabling one container to be stacked on another as UP’s intermodal business grew. The stacked containers allowed for a better ride quality and more efficient use of rail cars.

 

An example of a double stacked train

On June 1, 1989, the Harriman Dispatching Center opened in Omaha. The HDC centralized all train and crew dispatching. Each day, it coordinates movement of more than 800 trains over more than 32,000 route miles.  

The Harriman Dispatch Center in Omaha

The initial displays in the HDC featured football field-length rear
projection screens showing the railroad's main lines.

The flood of 1993 (which I vaguely remember from my childhood) damaged nearly 1,700 miles of UP’s Central regions in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. Flood waters, lightning and winds severely affected key UP rail segments, resulting in washouts, knocked-out signals and traffic congestion.  Maintenance of Way teams, tie and surfacing gangs and dispatchers worked tirelessly to keep UP lines in service by clearing debris, resurfacing track and rerouting traffic. (There was also the flood in the summer of 2011 but I don't think that had near the impact on UP's lines as the flood in 1993 did)

 The 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta marked the first time the Olympic flame was carried by rail. Union Pacific built a special-edition cauldron car with a 2-million BTU burner that displayed the flame on the journey.  The event was only the third time in it’s history that the railroad painted a locomotive in custom colors other than its noted Armour Yellow. On April 26, the Relay Train began a 40-day, 3,500-mile run from Yuma, Arizona, to Chicago. In all, the torch traveled more than 15,000 miles in 84 days.

Union Pacific 1996 Olympic Torch Relay Locomotive

Union Pacific 1996 Olympic Torch Relay Cauldron/Torch car

 On September 11, 1996, Union Pacific merger with Southern Pacific Rail went into effect, forming the largest railroad in the United States. The SP covered more than 13,000 miles of rail covering most of the southwestern U.S, including Central Pacific’s original Sacramento-to-Ogden line. With the merger, Union Pacific saw its history come full circle as it became the owner of both halves of the first transcontinental railroad.

An SP Locomotive

In 1999, construction was completed on the largest rail construction in modern times, building a third 108-miles line track between North Platte and Gibbon, Nebraska. An average of 100 trains a day travel this Kearney Subdivision. The track serves the Bailey Yard in North Platte, the world’s largest classification yard.

Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska in 1996

In 2002, UP once again carried the Olympic flame on its way to the Salt Lake City Winter Games. Two specially painted UP locomotives, a Cauldron Car and 18 additional cars promoted the spirit of the Winter Games as it traveled more than 3,200 miles through 11 states. It was one of 10 modes of transportation that included dogsled, horse-drawn sleigh and covered wagon.

June 2004 marked the opening of the New UP Headquarters building in downtown Omaha (the place where I spend 9 hours a day 5 days a week.) The new building, which was just across the street from the original headquarters, brought employees under one roof. More than 4,000 employees, who were previously spread out in seven locations and in St. Louis, come to work each day in the 1.3-million-square-foot, 19-story glass-and-steel building. The UP Center includes a dining facility, fitness center, heath clinic, pharmacy, and credit union, among other amenities and is the largest single-corporation office building in Nebraska.

UP Center (I sit on the opposite side of the building, just in case you were wondering!)

And (skipping 2005-2011) that brings us to today... I did skip over a lot of details, so if you're interested in knowing more, be sure to check out the Timeline. I did notice that they forgot to add an event in July 2010 titled "Kendra began her career at Union Pacific" but I guess they just didn't have room for that one... ;)

Sorry if you were bored with all that, but I hope you found it at least a little interesting, and I didn't make you read it all! :) I really do enjoy learning more about the history of our company and how big of an impact the railroad has had on our country. I am proud to be an employee of a company that is Building America ;)

Copyright © 19__ - 2012 Union Pacific Railroad Company. All rights reserved. Use or reproduction is subject to a limited license granted by Union Pacific Railroad Company, as set forth in the Terms of Use section of its web site (www.uprr.com). Reliance upon the content of this or any part is specifically limited by the provisions of such section. Any other use, distribution, reproduction or reliance is strictly prohibited. Trademarks, service marks, and trade names displayed are the property of their respective owners.

One Year Anniversary!

It’s hard to believe that on Tuesday, Trent and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. It feels like this year has just flown by. Just yesterday we got engaged and planned our wedding… then we had became husband and wife… and now here are with a year of marriage under our belts…

Me and my hubby on our wedding day

This past weekend we got all of our stuff moved into our new house and got some stuff situated (more on that later) and then both Trent and I took the day off yesterday to spend the day together and get a few more things done.

We started off the day by bringing Mattie into the doggy daycare place to check it out and get her applied to start going there. We decided that we would bring Mattie to day care a few times a week so she wouldn’t just be cooped up in the house alone for 10 hours a day. We have been lucky that Trent has always been able to come home to our apartment at lunch time each day and let Mattie out and hang out with her and he had a commute that equated to a 1 minute walk, so Mattie was never home alone for extended periods of time. So anyways… we brought her in and filled out some paperwork and then got to see the play room where she’d hang out with all the other dogs that will be there during the day. As we were standing there discussing it all, I got a little emotional just because I don’t want Mattie to be sad or scared. I don’t want her to think we’re dropping her off and leaving her or not coming back again and all that, so it was just a little sad for the moment. I am really certain that she will have a lot of fun playing with the other dogs and will be a lot better at day care during the day than she would be at home all day alone. I will just be very excited when she gets to the point where we can tell she's excited to get to day care and not be afraid of it or think it's the vet or something!

After we were finished checking out the doggy day care, we made our way back home and did a few more things around the house. There are plenty of boxes to unpack and stuff to put away and things to be washed, so we didn't have any trouble keeping ourselves busy on our last day off from work.

Later that day, my sister was in town for a meeting, so she got to stop by and say hi and take a look at the house, which was great! She even got to try out her new room where she gets to stay when she comes over! Haha!!

Yes, she is in our linen closet...

Then, Trent started up The Big Green Egg (our grill) and prepared to make our anniversary supper. We had pork chops, asparagus, and baked potatoes all made on the grill. It was delicious! (As is everything else that Trent has grilled so far since we moved in.) It is so awesome to be able to grill out now and I am definitely loving it!

Trent grilling our anniversary supper

Over supper, we talked about how fast the first year of our marriage went and about the exciting things that happened over the course of the year. Among the highlights were our honeymoon to Costa Rica and our house hunting journey. We finished up supper with some cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. YUMMM!

Out on our deck at our new house
on our 1st Anniversary

It was so great to be able to spend a relaxing (yet productive) day at our brand new home together for our first anniversary. What an amazing way to round out a wonderful year! I love Trent so very much. He is the greatest husband and most caring 'dad' to Mattie. He spoils us both with love and I can honestly say that I have everything I could have ever wanted because of him. He constantly goes out of his way to do things that will make me happy, even when it's not something he really wants to do. He calls me out when I'm being a snot and really knows how to make me laugh. I am the luckiest girl in the world and I am so blessed that Trent came into my life. Only God knows what lies ahead of us, but knowing I get to experience everything with the man of my dreams, only makes me excited for all that is to come. Here's to what the next 100 years have in store for us!