Happy Anniversary...Times Two

This week marks two anniversaries: 1 year of living in Texas and 6 years of marriage for Andy and me. I had a lot of ideas on that wedding day, six years ago, of where my life was headed. Some were spot-on and some, well, not so much. If you had told me that I'd been living in Texas on my sixth wedding anniversary, I wouldn't have believed it. But, here we are, six years later, living in the Lone Star State!

Our first year in Texas has had its ups and downs, so I thought I'd share some highlights (and lowlights, I suppose):

--We moved here in July, which is, quite possibly the worst time to move to Texas thanks to the HEAT! I seriously thought one of the guys moving us in was going to die. I have never seen someone sweat so much. I have also never seen someone A) with so few teeth and B) so happy about a tip.

--We lucked out with our next door neighbors, Brad and Kim--four kids, Midwesterners, dog lovers, and quick to crack open a Modelo or glass of pinot while watching the kids in the cul-de-sac. Coincidentally enough, they are from Kansas City and know my best friend's father because Kim's mom works in his Pediatric practice.

--Being picked up at Lifetime by Cayce. We went swimming and met Cayce and Nick and their two boys. Thank goodness Cayce will talk to anyone, including us, when it became clear we both have first born Henrys. We love people who eat good food, drink wine and beer, watch football and make off-color jokes. You guys fit the bill!

--Hurrican Ike. I would like to make a few things clear. Yes, we stayed home during the hurricane. Yes, it was scary and we eventually spent part of the night in the closet. No, Mitch is NOT an Ike baby. I don't know why people think that having a restless two-year-old and no air conditioning would put us in the mood to procreate. We did, however, find out I was pregnant during the week post-Ike.

--The election. Nothing made me happier than seeing all the Suburbans with their McCain-Palin stickers after the election. I also loved parading Henry around in his "I want mo 'bama" shirt and having people uncomfortably giggle at him. Yes, all you Republicans in Katy--there actually are white, middle class, Christian women who didn't vote for McCain!

--Speaking of politics, I met one of my closest friends here, Tricia, through my mom's group; although, we bonded once we learned that we were both Obama supporters. We talk on the phone during naptime (with one of us usually lamenting that our kid won't sleep) and dream up playdates and outings with our goofy toddlers. Tricia's husband, Peter, is one cool dude--and a lot like Andy. They have two adorable girls, Myrtle and Eloise. Good people.

--Thanksgiving with the Zones. We hosted a big group for Thankgiving and it was great--deep fried turkey (along with a traditional roasted one), golf weather, smores in the chimmenea. Good stuff.

--Janurary-April. Once I got my "white Christmas" fix in Erie, I was over the sleet and snow. The rest of the winter was not winter at all, in spite of the native Texans donning puffy coats, scarves, and North Face jackets. One of my favorite sights was bundled up kids at the bus stop when the weather was in the 50s in the morning. Of course, these same kids stumbled off the bus in the afternoon, red and dehydrated thanks to the spike in afternoon temps. Love that.

--The meat department at HEB. Enough said. (HEB is the grocery store.)

--Tomato season in May.

--And, finally, giving birth to a Texan. Now that I have a son "from"here, I suppose Texas now holds a special place in my heart.

Overall, we've enjoyed our adventure down here so far. We miss Chicago, of course, but, most of all, we miss our dear friends. We would love visitors anytime. So, if you have a hankering for a heat index of 108 degrees and brisket, head on down. Everything's bigger in Texas, including our house compared to our Chicago place, so we have plenty of room!