Anderson Family Photos

Ever since Ryan and I got engaged, Ryan's mom has wanted a family photo of the five of us. We didn't get to get one together at our wedding since Tina wasn't able to come. So, this past Christmas, Ryan and I gave her a "gift certificate" for a family photo session. We told her that we would take care of all the details and all she would have to do is decide what she wanted everyone to wear and where she wanted the pictures taken.

We ended up going out to Fort Story to take our pictures on the beach with the lighthouses. We had a great time and the pictures turned out amazing!

Here are a couple for you to check out.

Celebrating 2 years at Rita's!

Incase you were wondering, I got cotton candy and Ryan got root beer!

June 12, 2007

2 years ago today, Ryan and I went on our first date. We had met a little less than a month before at Common Ground, but this would be the first time that we went out together...just the two of us. We set everything up over text message during work that day. We decided that we would meet up later that night for italian ice at Rita's. I was so nervous thinking for sure he would spend one evening with me then run for the hills! There was so much built up expectation since we had both had crushes on each other since high school. (Neither of us confessed this to each other until much later...) I remember the awkwardness of ordering and getting situated once we met up. But once we started talking, that all went away.

I was beyond amazed at how well we hit it off. We ended up sitting at that little picnic bench talking at Rita's for almost 3 hours. Ryan exceeded my expectations in every single way. He was exactly what I was praying for! I remember thinking how weird it was that nothing that he said sent up "red flags." We had so much in common and I loved hearing all his stories of his family and of similar friends we had in high school. I didn't want the night to end. While we were eating italian ice and sitting out in the cool air, I was freezing, but I didn't want to tell Ryan and end the date!

I honestly believe that this was the night I fell in love with Ryan. I had never felt more comfortable and more myself than I was with him. After I got home and replayed the entire evening in my head, I thought for sure that the reason the date went so well was because it was the first one. After many more dates, he just kept getting better and better. Ryan stole my heart that night and that was the beginning of our future together.

Last year, we celebrated this date with a trip to Rita's in the middle of all of our wedding planning. We plan on visiting Rita's at Fairfield again tonight!

I love you Ryan and I look forward to many more Rita's date nights with you!

About time!

I have always thought about starting a blog about Ryan and I for our friends and family, but never got around to it. Now, I really wish I had started earlier. There have been so many fun things that have happened in the last 10 months of marriage that I wish I had recorded. There have been ridiculous things that have happened as well that I know I would laugh at down the road - such as the leaking holes in our ceiling, our microwave that blows a fuse everytime we use it, our horrible mattresses, etc. We hope that this blog will keep our friends and family in touch since most of us are so far apart. We hope to post pictures, updates and fun stories that we think you might like! Our hope is that you will visit this site often and feel more in touch!