jared turns 27

Jared's birthday always swoops in right when I think winter is about to get the best of us. Celebrating my favorite human coincidently becomes my saving grace. We agree that it works out nicely. SO! With a new city to play in & cold, rainy, March weather in abundance, we made our way through almost my entire itinerary, only cutting out the lobster roll stop because the birthday boy wasn't feeling 100% & no one wants lobster rolls ruined.

^^ 

I don't really know why we started taking polaroids as our birthday wake-up call, but I figure if we can keep it up & polaroid film doesn't disappear off the face of the planet, we'll have a cool & really weird collection of photos to look back on in 30 years.

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Birthday breakfast in bed, always. 

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The cold march to Dupont

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First stop & first time at the legendary Kramerbooks. It was everything I hoped a Dupont bookstore would be.

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I managed to only peruse while Jared picked out a new novel, beings that I have quite the stack of unfinished books on my bedside table. He picked up some Chabon & I'm going to try my hardest not to read over his shoulder in the evenings.

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Fancy pork belly ramen for lunch. No better time of year for ramen & pho taste testing than the dreary winter.

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Hey there, 27 year old husband. Goin' my way?

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It was a perfect museum day, so we wandered over to visit The Phillips Collection to finally check that museum visit off our ever-growing list of places to visit in the city. So incredible to see their Man Ray exhibit. MATH!

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What's a birthday without a little Monet?

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Do not be surprised if our future nursery is inspired by this painting.

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This is one of Jared's favorite paintings, thanks to his mama's admiration of it. We stayed in this room for awhile, just looking. So happy to have someone to stand next to as we stare at Impressionist paintings in cities all over the world.

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DEGAS! DEGAS DEGAS DEGAS! This is my favorite painting by my favorite artist. I got a decent heaping of Degas in Paris, but THIS! It was basically my birthday, too. 

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I take these street pictures because someday walking the streets of DC as a part of our daily routine will seem like another lifetime. 

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He is so handsome. I just. Ugh. & that salt & pepper? Excuse me? #likeafinewine #hottereveryyear

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Had to document this for posterity. I am so sad to admit that I am not the giver of the card to end all birthday cards. No, no. It was from Andrew. Bravo, good sir.

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This looks pretty gross, but I can assure you, it was delicious. J's standing birthday cake request is brownies + coffee ice-cream, so to mix things up, I made an olive oil & sea salt monster cookie with salted caramel & espresso ice cream. It was decadent.  Jared claims it miraculously healed him & I don't actually doubt it. It was that good. We followed this up with a beer tasting with some of his friends down the street, & I'm certain the chocolate perfectly prepped our palates ;)

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Jared, wonderful Jared - I know I said happy birthday 1,000 times (in between freaking out that you're 27 because omgggg you're TWENTY-SEVEN) but I'm saying it again. Happy birthday, my love. 26 was such a journey for you & I am excited for this year's wild ride, & every adventure it holds. I love you with all of me.

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 little love note

To the man 

who put on the same Coldplay song this morning while I was making breakfast that I picked out to listen to on my walk home yesterday

who is the only person in the universe that can convince me to try mushrooms every time they're on his plate, even though I will never like them

who wakes me up with a kiss & whispers "It's raining outside" because he knows it's my favorite thing to wake up to

who lets me reason that we can totally make the 1.5mi walk back from Target with arms full of bags, & already has Uber pulled up when I'm over it after 10 minutes

who is just as excited for fall weather & apple picking as I am

who keeps a running list on his phone of things I mention under my breath that I'll eventually be frustrated when I can't remember what they were

who laughs at my jokes when everyone else in the room is still trying to decide if I was joking

who makes an extra large pot of coffee on days when he somehow knows I'll look for a second (or third) cup

who loves our future dog as much as I do & doesn't mind in-depth discussions on potential puppy names at 1am

who cleaned up the egg I dropped on the floor this morning before I could even react

who sings French melodies in the other room without realizing he's doing it & please don't ever stop

You.

Yes, you, Mr. Bethune. 

I love you.

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.

seven years

Seven years ago today,  Jared & I took a bike ride to this little garden in my parents' neighborhood, & he asked me to be his girlfriend. Dating anniversaries are maybe supposed to fall by the wayside as years go by & wedding rings are acquired, but every year, May 27th has remained special for us. Somehow, we already knew that getting into a relationship that day wasn't going to just be another girlfriend or boyfriend. I was sure 48 hours into knowing him that I would be his wife. & just like that (with a couple hundred years in between), we are at seven whole years. 2,555 days of hand-holding, forehead-kissing, flower-giving, fist-bumping, share-dessert love.

I pulled together a few (hilarious) photos to commemorate the last seven years of Jared + Kelsey. I can't apologize enough for the puka necklaces & buzz cuts. It's been a lot of fun to pull all these photos out today. (& if you just can't get enough of us, I wrote about how we met here.)

Click the read more below to see all seven years of Jared & Kelsey glory!

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

25!

You. Oh, you.

Just you. Always you. My one & only you.

25 years of you. TWENTY FIVE!

Your last year has probably been your biggest.

& at 25, you are wise & driven & strong

& handsome as ever.

You are my everything.

I love you so, my big love.

xo, your kelsey leigh

pink sunsets

 

Sometimes you drop everything you're doing to run outside & enjoy a sunset.

Sometimes you have a million pictures to blog from the weekend, but MAN. That sunset!

Because sometimes, it's these little moments that you know you'll want to remember the most.

The little moments that aren't really so little as much as they are short, because suns set fast.

Little, big moments of a burning, pink sunset & Love Eyes from the man you adore the most.

be mine

because I'm so completely yours.

les miserdoodle

You may already know (from my instagram profile & various mentions on the blog) that Jared sings. I know a lot of people sing, but Jared SINGS. Homeboy is a classically trained singer, to the extent that the first time my mom heard him singing from our piano room, she told me to turn down the Josh Groban c.d.

Right after I saw Les Mis in theaters back in January, I caught that bug that so many of us had. The can't-stop-humming-or-singing-the songs-from-Les-Mis bug. It lasted probably a week, thank goodness, because I don't know it THAT well & was making up a lot of the words...Which wasn't okay, because Les Miserables is Jared's jam. The musical of all musicals for his musical-theater soul. He respects it. He loves it. & the words "dream role" are frequently found in conjunction with the word "Javert" in our household.

Whilst in the thick of my contracted Les Mis Bug, we had dinner at my parents' house. My finger still had it's giant bandage on (I'm trying to see how many posts I can work the finger into), so I begged & pleaded with Super Musical Little Sister to sight-read some of the songs on the piano. I wailed my little heart out to a few of the songs before Jared entered the room & started to sing "Stars," his musical anthem. Other Little Sister secretly took video of him singing, which I didn't find out till last night.

ALL OF THIS BACK STORY JUST TO INTRODUCE THE VIDEO BELOW. SHEESH. Last night, I was back at my parents, cuddling with their golden doodle (obvi) & Lissy came over to show me the video she'd secretly captured. Ellie (the doodle) is completely infatuated with Jared, so as soon as he started singing in the video, she flopped her head over & watched the. whole. thing. With her little eyebrows raising when he'd hit a high note. I died a little from the cuteness.

So here. An iphone video of a golden doodle watching an iphone video. MY GIFT TO YOU.

 

[I *technically* should run this by Jared before clicking post due to the whole singing on the internet thing, 

but I'm the wife & I say his voice is amazing.]

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

like crazy

you know tomorrow will be a good day when the last words you hear before you completely drift off into sleep are:

"I love you like crazy."

fruitive!

12 reasons why you should visit

1. fruitive is a brand spankin' new fresh juice and salad bar to our area. they believe in healthy living, healthy eating and sustainable, LOCAL, fresh produce. what is there NOT to love about that?

2. they have a wall of fresh fruit & veggies. & more fresh fruits & veggies on the counter. & wheat grass. WHEAT GRASS.

3. fancy menus serving up tasty with a heaping of good-for-you on top.

4. they have drinks like sweetgrass juice (apple, pear, pineapple, wheat grass, mint) & the f.i.t. smoothie (almond milk, blueberry, banana, peanut butter) - my favorites. for now.

5. beyond tasting good, they're all vibrant & colorful, which is like, instant happiness.

6. their delicious salad bar with one-of-a-kind fresh ingredients. plus, carrot-ginger dressing? shut the front door.

7. their classy staff, who work hard & play hard. never a dull moment behind the counter, ya'll.

8. the cozy environment, from the restored wood to the hundreds of old books lining the walls.

 9. because smoothies & juices alike make for excellent accessories. (kidding. sort of.)

10. officially blonde & red-headed approved

 11. because, let's face it, you're going to the beach anyway, so you may as well pop in before or after. it's refreshing either way. (hours are 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. until the grand opening)

if you're thinking that yeah, this place sounds amazing! but why am I so smitten with it???

well, I may or may not be a little biased.

12. jared is there!

fruitive

• hilltop north 1624 laskin road ste. 740
• virginia beach, va 23451