four year anniversary

Since last October 23rd, we've made some big changes. Pursuing dream careers, landing dream jobs, spending four months apart (& surviving), squeezing our life into a teeny DC apartment, seemingly constant travel, & getting to know a new city -- We've been hoping for this year for a long time. The Jared & Kelsey in the picture above would be ecstatic & probably really overwhelmed if they knew what sort of tomorrows they had ahead of them.

Sitting down to write this post is always easy. It is so easy to talk about the million different ways  & reasons that I love this man, because I can think back an hour in my life & see love. Love was him getting up an hour earlier than me to go to a job that provides for us, even if he only gets one day off-ish a week. Love was him brewing coffee even though he didn't have time to drink a cup himself. Love was a kiss on the cheek (because morning breath) & a "I love you so much" before I had even opened my eyes. Little things.

I can't believe that our next anniversary will be our fifth, or that in May we'll have been together for 9 whole years... Mostly, because this reality is still such a dream. We spent 4.5 years as boyfriend and girlfriend, dreaming of marriage. Sometimes, when it's 11pm & we're just sitting down to eat a bowl of bad-decision pasta because neither of us wanted to cook, I realize that these are the moments I hoped for back in 2009 when I was driving back to my apartment. Never having to leave. 11pm pasta. Little things... The dream.

Jared Stedman,

We have had some serious adventures this year.

I'm so happy to be by your side & continually navigating adulthood with you.

You make me whole.

I love you, my handsome.

Love, 

yoursallyours

a belated 3rd anniversary date.

We had no idea when we picked October 23rd as a wedding date that it would continually fall on an insanely busy week year after year... after year... after year. The past three years have been such an uphill battle to find time for an anniversary trip or heck, even dinner! due largely in part to a huge Halloween event that I've been part of organizing since the year we got married.

This has resulted in most of our anniversary getaways taking place in November or December & day-of dinner at 10 p.m. on the rug in the family room. Not complaining, because the later trip dates buy us time to plan & save, & those candlelit dinners on the rug are always the sweetest. However... I think this year was finally & officially my last year to participate in the Halloween event, so I am all sorts of excited for our anniversary next year. So far, we've managed to go to a different state for our anniversary trip each year, & we'd really love to continue this tradition. BUT! We'll see. Ha.

This year's trip is TBD, so we reserved Sunday afternoon for a make-up date for gifts + cards that suited both of our interests. (It's not that I don't think that Jared enjoyed Pride & Prejudice on the couch with coffee ice-cream & brownies, but I think Midol was making all the decisions that evening & we'll just leave it at that.) Once again, a beach picnic seemed like a SUPER great idea. It does every time. & then we got out there & it took five minutes & half-a-soul each just to get the quilt to lay down flat on the sand. I can handle almost every type of weather with a smile, but not wind. Maybe it's the long hair & my perpetual need to have chapstick on that makes it especially annoying to me, but GOOD GRIEF. The wind did die down, hallelujah, & we enjoyed a quiet afternoon with Beirut & the breeze, imagining how different our wedding would be now vs. in 2010. Which is both a hilarious & depressing activity, might I add.

I think it's appropriate to feel constantly overwhelmed by the present & uncertain (with a dash of eager) of the future as 25-year-olds... & we do. The further we get from our wedding day, the crazier it seems that we were both only 22. Twenty-two! Babies! I'm constantly feeling like I have to defend this decision while simultaneously not really recommending it. (Perhaps that's a post for another day.) Marriage has not been a fix-it for life's anxieties - In fact, some days it feels like we've simply added our burdens to one another's, doubling our task load.

But even at 22, when we didn't know much about the future or what the heck we were doing next, we knew that no matter what, it was going to be better to do it together. We saw each other's baggage & burdens & decided (by God's grace) to carry them side by side. Our love was bigger, & three years later, it's better than ever. I hear that's a trend with this marriage thing, though, so that's really exciting! It feels okay to not know what comes next because I know him, & I know him as a constant source of love, prayer & safety for the rest of my life. & as long as he's next to me, I am twice as strong to handle whatever is tossed our way. Love is somehow simultaneously the most delicate & the most durable creation that we can tether our souls to, & I am blessed to have this man as my anchor.

Jared Bethune, your love is my parachute. 

Thanks for being mine, & being mine so well. 

It is a pleasure to share this dance with you, my love.

love, yours

Harry & Sally & tomato soup

Sally: Well, if you must know, it was because he was very jealous, and I had these days of the week underpants. 
Harry: Ehhhh. I'm sorry. I need the judges ruling on this. "Days of the weeks underpants"?
Sally: Yes. They had the days of the week on them, and I thought they were sort of funny. And then one day Sheldon says to me, "You never wear Sunday." It was all suspicious. Where was Sunday? Where had I left Sunday? And I told him, and he didn't believe me. 
Harry: What? 
Sally: They don't make Sunday. 
Harry: Why not? 
Sally: Because of God. 

The entirety of When Harry Met Sally is sort of the best, but it seems like every time I watch it, a new scene strikes me as funny that I never paid attention to before. Tonight, it was ^^ that one. For whatever reason, this is one of those movies that I have to watch at a certain time of year. There isn't anything overly autumnal about it, except for maybe its cover... In fact, it's probably technically a New Year's Eve movie. Facts aside, it's my ringing-in-fall movie. This is the first time since we've been married that Jared has watched it with me - I usually save it for the weekend of his annual boys' camping trip & cuddle up with some pinot grigio. But I felt simply awful all day today, so he brought me tomato soup, made me a grilled cheese & popped in my favorite rom-com. He's pretty good at turning rotten, ibuprofen-filled days around. He's also way more cuddly than any pinot I've ever met. I just adore him.

916 days + life right now

April 23rd was our 2.5 year "anniversary" (... Which we probably would never remember except that my birthday is 12 days before our anniversary & I never forget my half-birthday.) My mind gets a little melty when I try to fathom that it's been over two years since our wedding day. But I also get a little tickled at how much we are still figuring out. He's still learning to wipe the counter down. I'm still learning to use a coaster. We're both still learning to just go ahead & wash the dishes right then.

The rhythms of this marriage thing are the sweetest beat. Some, we've fallen into so easily. Rhythms that I know we'll still be tapping our feet to when we're 90 years old & sitting on the front porch swing. There's still a lot of rhythms to learn. So many quirks to adjust to. So many little things that, when remembered, speak LOVE in a big booming voice. I certainly don't think that we're supposed to be professionals at this married thing after 2.5 years of mawiage. It's a drop in the pond, really.

But at 915 days in, I know that he's going to replace the tooth brushes because he's the germaphobe. & he knows that I'm always going to keep chocolate & pita chips in supply for him, even when I'm on a diet. He knows that silence is required when I'm writing, & I know that he's pretty much always going to fall asleep when reading. & most importantly, we both know that when La Vie en Rose plays, we stop what we're doing & dance. We have learned. We are learning. & there is so much love growing in our souls & weaving into the fabric of our beings in between.

SAP ATTACK! I could go on, or I could tell you more about our week?

------------

I've officially lost 10 lbs, which is about 8 lbs. away from my target weight, heyooooo! Event season is busy at work, & my nose has already been burnt once. Jared is nearing the end of this semester with gold stars & A+++'s. We've enjoyed every moment of watching Cardinals games on MLBtv (thanks, dad!) & don't look now, but I totally have Jared hooked on Grey's Anatomy ("Does he die?" "Yes." "Does she die?" "Yes.")  We've declared war on the ants that think they own this apartment. One roach sighting (& subsequent stomping) induced a full-blown kitchen scrub down. I ordered an entire box of coconut water through Amazon & refuse to admit how many I've already downed.

I'm hoping to be able to get some more outfit photos up in here... Soon. I feel like I've fallen out of the blogging groove as April has once again brought in the event season at work, which has once again slapped me across the face. So, pardon my less-than-graceful blogging consistency this month. I'm on it.

dear jared

Dear Jared,

I just asked you what I should write about.
You said, "ME!"

You're eating coffee ice-cream...
Because you're worried you're overdosing on citrus & think this will help balance it out.
You're currently letting me keep my toes under your bum...
Because they're always cold & you're always warm.
You're wearing your St. Louis Cardinals sweatshirt that my grandparents got you...
Because you're just as excited about the season starting as I am & that's FANTASTIC.
You're (avidly) watching The Rescuers...
Because I'm a little bit obsessed with the Disney selection on Netflix right now.
You've already prepped smoothie ingredients for the morning...
Because you wake up early to make breakfast.
You love me really well.
So, yeah. I'll write about you.
Today & every day, really.
Because I love y-o-u.
& I really hope you don't overdose on citrus.


xo, Kelsey

be mine

because I'm so completely yours.

flowers & bathrooms

[This may be my most favorite iPhone photo in all of ever.]

Three nights ago, J brought me home some just-because-flowers... Which we girls all know are the BEST kind of flowers, followed closely by sent-to-your-work-flowers & picking-you-up-at-the-airport-flowers. He has always been great about giving bouquets, & it helps that he has impeccable taste + a green thumb... Unlike his doting wife.

He also has impeccable timing. He didn't know how much we'd need these little rays of sunshine three nights ago, but when I crawled out of bed at 9:30 a.m. & it was the 4th time I'd been out of bed since 4:30 a.m., they were there with their smiling faces shining up at me like there's nothing wrong in the world. 

I know, I know. Just wait till you have kids! But we don't have kids. We have flowers. & apparently the flu. 

two year anniversary

it's been two years, & I somehow am more in love with you. it's fantastic. I can't even fathom how head over heels I'll be in 50 years. you are my freshest breath & my shooting star. my happy thought & my sweet dream. thank you for showing me how big love can be, & how the smallest act of love can feel giant. thank you for being my Someone.

love, your girl

color run!

Amelia & I decided waaay earlier this year that running a 5k seemed like a really good goal to achieve, & that a 5k involving being pelted with colors seemed like the way to go. Amelia has long claimed rainbow as her favorite color, & I have long claimed running as the bane of my existence, so the obvious choice was skipping our way through a run that didn't involved being timed or you know, like, training & stuff. but we did it! we walked a little but we did it! & it was just happy & carefree & we high-fived people we didn't know A LOT. the color mosh pit at the end was definitely magical, although this is coming from someone who was smiling/laughing her way through every color station & ended up with brown teeth by the end of the race. This is the same runner who was coughing/sneezing/q-tipping color out of various orifices for the next 6 hours. Which is the same girl whose armpits & kneepits were stained navy blue for 48 hours. ... Who is the same blonde that rocked green, algae-like tips in her hair for the rest of the week. Totally. Worth. It.

& of course, where would we be without our biggest fans, who found us at the finish line sporting their Color Runner sweatbands, with added "Husband of A" flair. Husbands are cute. & please don't let it be lost on you that my race number ended in 143. Obviously a sign that I was the most in-love runner out there.

Obviously.

that kinda day

this is fitting if today is opposite day. my litte red car broke down (again) in the middle of turning through an intersection, & then someone hit me while I frantically tried to get the car started again. it was < awesome. not exactly the adventure that I was looking for when I asked God for one last week... but I'm trusting him on this one. ;)

c'est la vie.

& my husband's mad ups are making me feel a little better.

my birthday beau

jsb-

you are my constant, & your love is overwhelming.

happy day, my someone,

& cheers to 24 years of the wonderfulness of you.

xo, klb

sweetheart, sweet tart

happy day, valentine.

I am so in love with you,

& I am totally, perfectly, & most ardently yours.

xo, your girl

if this was a pie

husby, holding a bowl of ice-cream, responds to a saucy comment from yours truly:

"if this was a pie...

& there was no clean-up afterwards...

... & you said it was okay...

... I would totally smash it in your face."

good one, babe.

so I married a model

I know that bragging is completely shameful,

but I mean. hello, good lookin'.

I want so badly to go through & post my favorite photos from our shoot with Korie Lynn Photography

this past November, but first they're all completely beautiful. how in the world do you narrow down beautiful?

(speaking of narrowing down beautiful,

our besties' wedding, photographed by Korie, was featured over on Elizabeth Anne Designs today.

go see!)

other bestie is texting me & telling me I need to go pack for our journey to richmond this weekend.

I'm completely fighting productivity right now, but I suppose she's right.

I'm watching a show I hate & still wearing my work clothes, tights & all.

TIME TO PUT SOME PEP IN MY STEP!!!

you heard that right, february.

pep.

xo, kelsey

if you were standing in our kitchen tonight

you would have heard this conversation:

k - anything interesting in the mail?

j - um. triple A sent us a sticker.

k - why did they send us a sticker?

j - because they're trying to win me over, & they know my weakness is stickers.

k - but we're already members of triple A.

j - well, then, I guess I won this round.

k - because you...

j - have a sticker. that's right, little wife.

xo, little wife (?)

so fresh so clean

meet my make-up free face!

face, internet... internet, face.

yes, I'm completely lucid,

although the faces I'm making may suggest otherwise.

I've had some pretty luh-haaame headaches this past week,

which have resulted in a "meh" approach to life in general,

& all around poo-mood.

these are celebratory yay!-no-headache-tonight! pictures.

last night's headache was the pits.

but then jared got home & asked me if I'd taken medicine,

(which I almost always have not taken because one of these days,

wallowing in self pity will someday actually have healing powers),

& then gave me meds + favorite juice.

& then got my favorite blanket.

& then tucked me into the couch.

& then turned on an episode of how I met your mother on netflix.

& then ate himself into a hummus-induced coma.

which made me laugh...

because I had no idea he was hoarding a 2 gallon vat of hummus in our fridge.

(I wasn't kidding about the costco addiction, people.)

& 3 episodes in, I started feeling a little better.

because he's the best at taking care of me.

myyyy herooo.

thanks for making me feel better, husb.

xo, kelsey

christmas eve

there's a tradition in my family that aaaaall the present wrapping takes place on christmas eve.

& I love it & will continue zee tradition with essmann pride. ja.

however.

santa kelsey's little elf helper konked out on me at 8 p.m., when nary a present had been wrapped.

but will I wake him? when my fingers are bleeding from tape slicing and ribbon curling?

no. because sweet husby is working his patooty off these days so that he can have important days off,

like days to spend with his family at the beach house this past week,

& new year's eve when all our wonderful friends are in town.

he is giving, of time & sleep & love.

& I could not be happier to be spending our 2nd married christmas eve with him & his snores.

& with that being said,

I'm off do to some serious present wrapping. & present rapping.

what whaaaat santa kelsey in daaa houuuuseee...

xo, (santa) kelsey

the first day of Christmas

when Jared called me on his way home from work today,

he told me he & his brother were going on an adventure to get a Christmas present for me.

I said, but Jared, haven't you already gotten my present??

genuinely surprised, but still a little twitterpated because haaaay... preseeeents.

so when I got home from work & found this sitting on the counter,

I was overjoyed & dangled it over my head,

walking around the house looking for my true love with the hottest fish-kiss face a girl can muster.

I love mistletoe. & this is year 5 that Jared has climbed a tree to get me some.

which, in turn, gets him some.

so everyone wins.

& I, the Christmas queen bee, didn't even realize that today

was the beginning of the 12 days of Christmas.

husby earned gryffindor like 6,000 points on that one.
he is thoughtful. & wonderful.

oh, & done with all his finals.
smarty pants.

xo, kelsey

mustaches & snores

had to laugh, going through the outtakes from our christmas card fauxto shoot.
this photo pretty accurately describes this week, really.

me climbing barbed wire fences into property that I don't own...

& jared giving me a smile & a helping hand to get me back where I belong.

he's snoring next to me right now, as I sit in bed finishing some music stuff for church.

the foot twitch is in full effect, so I know he's toooootally out.

cutie pie.

he shaved his november 'stache today & I kinda just wanna kiss that soft-as-a-baby's-bottom face...

but you don't disturb a man in foot twitch mode.

it's not going to be much of a weekend.

my first full saturday off since march is booked up until the afternoon...

when he goes in to work until close.

stupid work. 

alright.
as annoying as the snoring is, it sounds like deep sleep, & I want in on that action.

happy weekend!

xo, kelsey

first anniversary

wanna jump back to october? good, me too.

it's my favorite.

I was so grateful that we'd taken our big anniversary trip to new york city back at the beginning of the month.

our anniversary snuck up so fast, just like we knew it would.

miraculously, october 23rd was event-free at work,

which allowed us to frolic in the beautiful weather & enjoy each other ... + some friends ;)

we spent the morning at church,

& where I felt obligated to sloooowly walk down the aisle.

after church, we went home & ate lunch on our back patio,

where we listened to our reception playlist

(still too emotionally fragile to listen to the ceremony music, thank-you)

& made our first "23 Things I Love about You" lists,

which we hope to continue every year for, well, forever.

the lovely allison came over, & our plan was an afternoon in colonial williamsburg,

but the first stop was our reception site, where I mostly just wanted to ooo & ahh & reminisce.

we quickly realized that the women's club was occupied by another wedding,

deterring my hope of dreamily traipsing around the property on the husby's arm.

don't worry - we definitely thought about crashing the wedding & bestowing some wisdom as an old married couple of a whole year...

but in the end, allison convinced us to get back on the road.

[but not before snappin' some photos - preview of the reception post still to come!]

we made it to williamsburg & met up with logan.

oh, such glorious weather.

good thing we live in southern virginia where it can be 63 degress on december 1st, right??
[wrong. it should be snowing. I digress.]

we enjoyed a tasty dinner & headed home for some year old cake & honeymoon wine.

I've heard from so many people that their cake was delicious even after it had been frozen for a year,
so we were pretty excited to taste it.

the catch? I'm really not a cake person.

like, had the bite that jared shoved in my mouth at the wedding, & that was it.

but if I liked cake, I'd like this cake.

the good news was that I was on a diet for the entire month of october,

& this was my big binge. 

all that I was thinking was hello, sweet cake. welcome to my mouth, tasty wine.

it was nearly impossible to disappoint taste buds that had been eating veggies & grilled chicken for 23 days straight.

we were given our bottle of wine by the restaurant we frequented while on our honeymoon in st. croix,

& I all but demanded that we keep it for our first anniversary.

it was delicious. but again - easily impressed at that point...

[this just in: jared says that they were both delicious, forrealz. so it wasn't just the diet talking.]

it was a sweet day.

& a lovely memory.

I'm so glad we were able to spend the day free from responsibilities & to-do lists,

& I have jared to thank for that.

he knows when to slow me down & shower me with sweet love.

he's pretty perfect.

& by God's grace, our love just keeps getting bigger. & better. 

& love-ier.

xo, kelsey