Whataweek!

Well, between moving and Jacob's and my work and finding a new place, you'd think we had enough to keep us busy, but nooo...we had so much more!

And happily. 

Last week, before we returned to Lexington for some different revelry, P&J welcomed their sweet new babe to the world! Say hello, Gabriel!

Then, I scooted over to U of K to celebrate Elisabeth's Law Grad Ceremony. Congrats Elisabeth!

While I hung out with the girls, Jacob was practicing up for the wedding of these two crazy kids, which took up our Saturday. Yay for marriage! Yay for Tommy and Ashley - hope you guys are enjoying MX (you picked a good time to leave since it's cold and rainy here - boo).

Then we scored a very relaxing Sunday just hanging with Jacob's family (after sleeping through church - whoops!).

Happy Mother's Day to both our mommas and to my Grannie - we love you all so much!

Clinically Insane, perhaps...

thehardyheyday.blogspot.com

Talking with my mother-in-law last night, she said something that many of our closest family and friends have (probably) always thought, but never really said, "You guys did a crazy thing, running off with someone you barely even knew." Yeah, we all laughed about it and made offhand comments about running away and making insane choices and all, but none of those ever matched the feeling I percieved last night that spoke to me and said, "No, really. What you did...that whole getting married in six months to a relative stranger (I think you realize that after being married for a little while - how little you know at first) moving abroad for a year...that. Was. C-r-a-z-y. Like, clinically insane."

Maybe someone did look us dead in the eyes and say that, but I don't think we ever heard it. What we did hear were comments like those from a dear friend of Jacob's in respose to Jacob's statement, "I can't just marry her and take her overseas after six months!" Phillip's answer: "Why not?" (Do you know how many times I've silently thanked God for Phillip?!)

Maybe if we had heard it, we might have chickened out or something. But probably not. I guess it's safe now to hear it, since we made it. Our young marriage still has a lot of room to grow and, insh'allah, many years in which to grow, but we have bonded through the fun times and through what we call "marriage boot camp times."

A Buraimi Sunset, surprisingly beautiful this time of year. It's like the sunset of our time here...I'm so deep.

Even though I treasure our adventure-seeking and sojourning around this area of the world, I think my favorite things from this experience include having some humdinger miscommunications and disagreements and getting through them - maybe not always well, but getting through them and learning from them. Knowing that no matter who's fault it was, I still love him and he still loves me. Another thing I treasure is our time together. I know I've said this before, but we have been spending more time the last few days just hanging out with each other and holding hands or reading next to each other. Proximity, man, it's key. That way, when something comes to our minds we can just talk about it. I hope we're able to always cut out some time to just be together. And our collaboration on something so huge - our mutual investment and commitment to a big decision, then seeing it through.

When we left the states, we'd just had a weddding, but I feel like we're coming back with a marriage.

Look how happy - and how clueless! Ha! Jokes on you, selves of 11 months ago! But it all turns out well...

Four on the floor

That's how the day ended, both of us on our knees, laughing and kissing, our minds swimming with dreams and possibilities and finalities.

That event I mentioned the other day? It was our engagement, though I had no idea it was coming - a fact we both laugh and revel in together - even though my mom had assured him that, "of course she knows it's coming."

So much so that when Elisabeth was dispatched during a girls' night out to find out ring specs, I insisted on quieting the topic, knowing that it just wasn't in the cards right now. When she pressed over and over, I didn't move and as I was leaving her house that night, she yelled after me, "You're going to marry him!" I dismissed her with a flip of the wrist and walked on.

You see, we'd only been dating three months and, while we - unbeknownst to each other - both would have jumped in head first even at the two-week or month point, that's just not how things are done, right?

Further, my sweet, ambitious boyfriend was in the first stage of a 33-month graduate program in another state and was only three months away from beginning stage two: a year abroad.

When I was asked if I was going to marry him by another friend, Angie, I skipped the usual response: a categorical rejection and unparalleled disbelief at the suggestion. Instead the response was a bit more demure, and out came "I don't know what will happen, but if Jacob Hardy asked me to marry him, I'd be the luckiest girl in the world."

So, after only three months of dating, one year ago today, my head spinning, heart floating, I listened as the most wonderful man in the entire world looked up at me from on knee and offered me a hand, a ring, a new future. And I accepted.

Wedded Bliss

A few of the favorite shots from our wedding. From top left, getting ready, through ceremony, reception, friends, family and, at bottom left, the work of the lovely and talented Michelle Young, professional photographer, former roommate, fishing buddy and traveling companion. Click on the collage to see an album.