Just NB

It's hard to believe that this was a year ago ! 'Cause even though we've had a lot of moments like this: We've had a ton of moments like this: Sometimes I think that it's just our marriage that has bumps and ups and downs. Because we're from very different cultures and upbringings and we work weird hours and have a weird lifestyle. At the end of our workday, it's pretty hard to give our relationship the attention that it might need. Whatever the reason or however we make it work, I can't imagine my life any different right now. I am so incredibly lucky to have my best friend along side me in the jungle. And my best friend is a pretty amazing person. I had these like weird/unknown expectations for our first anniversary. So yeah, I kind of wished I had a "Celebrating Anniversaries for Dummies" because I don't know what we're supposed to do. Well, I think a normal person would think that they are supposed to do what...

I've had these pictures loaded for awhile but I keep forgetting to "Publish" the post. For those of you who aren't on Facebook, here's some pictures from the Surprise Wedding! Louis got to the Tiki Bar before me. He was the best wedding planner ever.   I have to admit that I was really nervous when I showed up. Everyone was taking craploads of pictures of us. I didn't really like all of the attention.    The Malagasy officials were very nervous to be in front of so many vazas!   Everyone was kind of ready for the ceremony to get going. It was a good time to have a wedding. The cyclone was coming and there was nothing to do but wait.  Everyone was ready to party!    I wish I remembered what we were talking about here!! I know that I was dripping sweat and that I kept having to wipe up my face. Half way throught the ceremony, I had to ask a friend to get me some napkins. It was COOKING outside and super humid!   A full house! I...

I’m sitting in Nairobi, trying not to be nervous for the climb tomorrow, and I thought I’d rewind a bit and write about the wedding plans and how we came up with this fantabulous idea to get married in the jungle at the Tiki Bar. For the last…five or six years, I’ve known that I do not want like a “real” wedding. Like, no white dress, no first dance, no elaborate plans starting six to twelve months in advance. There was some talk that maybe “one day” I’d do a destination wedding, but even that seemed a little farfetched. The decision for a “non wedding wedding” became clearer after I went to a wedding this summer. It was exactly what I “thought” I would have wanted. A backyard wedding, white chairs, flowers all around, a clear sky. It was the perfect setting, but I still could never see myself in that situation. It wasn’t that big of a deal because, although I knew Louis was “the one”, I wasn’t in a rush to have a wedding or anything. And then came this trip to Dubai. For th...

So...I've been keeping a REALLY big secret. Louis and I....had a SURPRISE WEDDING in Madagascar last Saturday!!! (um...only our guests were surprised, not us, duh!!!) Since we are both...unique individuals...and neither of us wanted an elaborate wedding....we thought we'd get married, where we met and fell in love (aawwwwwwww!!!!!!!). The cyclone thing kind changed our plans, but on February 11th, 2012, we got married.   From left to right: My witness, me, Louis, Government Official, Mayor, Government Official, Louis' witness I couldn't have predicted this outcome in a gazillion years. We aren't perfect, our lives aren't always sunshine and rainbows, but we are very, very happy together. And will be for a gazillion years. :) (More on the details soon, I promise! Also - my blog is now open for comments!)