So here's the plan:

1. Marcus will take the GRE and try to get into PA school.
2. I'll get a job teaching elementary school in our new city.
3. We'll move at the end of May/beginning of June.
4. We'll work on the house all summer (and I'll work on my new classroom).
5. He'll start school and I'll start work in August.

Ok... that's all I've got so far and I think that's enough.  I've learned through life that one of the worst things you can do is get ahead of yourself.  Most of the time it just leads to let-down... but sometimes, if you're really lucky your expectations actually happen and you get to marry the man of your dreams!  (Sappy, but true)

I have a couple of hobbies that are pretty new to me.  Since our trip to Italy, I have begun to fall in love with wine.  Therefore, wine-tasting is one of my new favorite things to do.  We try to taste a new bottle once a week or every couple of weeks.  Also, because of my awesome recipe shower and cookbooks from showers, I am ready to cook to my heart's content!  Yesterday I made Quiche Louisiana with shrimp and swiss cheese for lunch and a Hot Baked Chicken Salad with celery and almonds for dinner.  Yum!  Marcus is not complaining, lol.

Do you know of any good wines for me to try?  We just opened one of Marcus' bottles from Montepulciano and it was absolutely divine.  He was there for 6 weeks and loved it... I can't wait to see it in person and maybe actually go to the winery like he did.  By the way, this wasn't the one we had, but the label is cool.

Marcus proposed in Venice!

I traveled to Paris with my mom right after college graduation in 2008.  I'd studied French for 5 or 6 years and really thought I could hold my own.  Momma and I had a fantastic time, and I really felt a connection to Europe from that point on.

In the summer of 2009, Marcus left me for a 6 week study abroad trip to Tuscany.  He traveled all over Italy and at the end of his trip, met his sister and me in Venice.  Much to my surprise, my romantic husband proposed at sunrise in front of St. Mark's Basilica.  Needless to say, it was beautiful and our time in Venice was amazing.  But now that tie to Europe is strong in both of us... and we want to go back!

We met in August of 2004...

Marcus and I both lived in the international dorm at our college.  He was the "bad" boy and I was little "goody-two shoes".  Seriously, that's how people viewed us!  He was in his second year, and I was a brand new freshman ready to take on the big world of college.  After a few weeks of friendship, our relationship got seriously quickly and before you knew it we were together two years.  Most people were really surprised by this because neither Marcus nor myself had ever had a serious relationship before.

After the first two years, I began to suffer from some health concerns.  I was tired all the time, gaining weight, and didn't have the energy to do even the smallest physical activities.  Many people thought it was depression because I was crying all the time and couldn't figure out what was the matter.  I was in a wonderful relationship, had awesome friends, and was making good grades.  Marcus stood by me through thick and thin.  He went to doctor's appointments with me, and he wouldn't let me give up until I got an answer that made sense.  Now we know that I have a form of hypothyroidism known as Hashimoto's and with the help of some medicine, I'm feeling a lot better.  Without that journey, I don't know if Marcus and I would have gotten to know each other as well as we did.  We opened up about a lot during that time and made a vow to be completely honest with one another about how we feel emotionally and physically and that communication would be the key to our relationship.

Now, four and a half years and a wedding since that point, we are still going stronger than ever.  I'm not saying everyday was perfect.  We certainly do have arguments, and we will never agree on some things, but we have a very strong bond and a passionate love that I have never known before.  I hope it lasts as long as my parents' (25+ years) and grandparents' marriages (50+ years).