Joy in the Journey

Today we went for a walk along the beach on the base.  I cannot put into words how relaxing it is to walk hand in hand with my love and reflect on the beauty of this island.  I feel so blessed to be here, next to my sweetheart.  We are finding joy in the journey every day.  Married life is just the best.  This time is so precious for us because we know that soon enough we will be joined with little ones who will take more time and attention.  So for now, we are happy to just be together and to be in love.

We are also extremely grateful for good friends.  Anthonie tells me all the time that he feels more calm about his deployment knowing that I will be surrounded by great friends here.  One of my insta-best-friends was Caroline.  She has such a giving heart and is so kind to me.  She stopped by with her family to welcome us home and brought me these beautiful sun flowers!  Then, the next day, she gave me this awesome planter because I happened to mention that I liked it on her front door step.  She is so generous with her love and a true example to me of the Christian spirit.  I can always count on Caroline to be there for me and is helping me to feel like I belong here in Oak Harbor.

Gifts from a good friend make my heart happy

Cute Cuts

Apparently, we've been spending a lot of time primping post-wedding.  I don't know why, but lately ALWAYS I am obsessed with pictures of my nails:

Aren't these chevron's to die for?

And my bedspread is pretty cute too!

Not only am I pimping out my nails, but I'm also now the professional hair-cutter in this house!  Can you believe Anthonie actually ASKED me to cut his hair?  My sister, Tessa, would have probably advised him against it. (I tortured her with hair dos and 1st-degree-burns from curling irons for years!)  To have a willing patron, I am flattered to say the least!  Plus, I think it turned out pretty great!

So relaxed!

Perfection is a Process

I went for the emo / old-school swoosh in the front on this one.

UPDATE:  The next time I cut Anthonie's hair, I totally trimmed the front off and didn't even take pictures.  I'm already so casual about it now... Funny how time and practice takes away the magic!  But we work hard to keep the magic in other areas of our marriage!

A Windy Walk Along the Beach

I love sleeping in and enjoying time with Anthonie. Lately, he's been on the night check schedule, which means that he has to work at 3:00 pm and doesn't get home until 9:00 or 11:00 pm (sometimes 1:00 am!) at night. We don't like it very much, but it has to be done.


Yesterday we decided to enjoy one of the lovely state parks close to our house before Anthonie went to work. We packed a picnic lunch and our favorite book and drove to the beach. I love being so close to the water! It's so new!

Also, we had the the missionaries over tonight for dinner. I found out that they get tired of spaghetti, so we made salmon, steak and potatoes. It was delicious! I also enjoyed feeling the spirit they brought to our home.

Pillow Talk

Today I put up our bedroom curtains.

I know everyone is waiting for the full tour of our house, but to be honest, there's nothing to show yet. We have no furniture! Everyone who visits, including the bishop, asks us if we are planning to get any furniture. Which of course we are, but it takes time to acquire the money, especially when, we've just paid for a big wedding. For now, we're happy to have a bed to sleep in!
Speaking of beds... my husband is too hot in the bed. But I am too cold with just a sheet. Do you have this problem? If so, what do you do?

Friday Night = Date Night!

 Anthonie has started our marriage off on the right foot.  He has officially declared Friday night as DATE NIGHT!  This makes me happy for several reasons:
1.  I love going out!  Trying new things is something we love to do together.
2.  I love getting dressed up!  (It helps that Anthonie always tells me I look beautiful too!)
3.  I love spending time with my husband.  He really is amazing.
4.  I get to eat yummy food! 'Nuff said!

 Tonight he took me to Greenbank Farms, which is a cute little community farm located 15 mins south of Oak Harbor.  It was so quaint and lovely!  We loved exploring the cheese shop, watching the geese and going on a little walk.  We also loved the panini Anthonie ordered from the cute cafe there!  If you have the chance, take your kids!  It would be so fun to walk around and see all the stores!

We arrived a little late, when everyone was closing up, so we will have to go back again soon!

Lastly, this is the view from our backyard.  So lush, green and perfect!

Also, I got the bedroom curtains up!  It's looking very quaint if I do say so myself.  I'm loving sharing a bed with Mr. Nederhand.  I feel so safe and warm cuddled up next to him at night.  I highly recommend getting married.  It has made life so much simpler.  Plus, if you have a husband, you always have a date on Friday night!  ;)

First Week of Marriage!

 Life is so great that I feel I need to kiss everyone I see!!

Anthonie and I are having fun settling the nest this week.   We have about ten days before Anthonie goes back to work and we need to use our time wisely!  Before long, he'll be back to his long, hard 12-hour days (thanks, baby, for working so hard so we can have a home!)

The house is so cute!  Anthonie did a very good job choosing a place that is much to my liking and the perfect size for us right now.  But let me tell you--it is a disaster!  Finding a spot for everything is much harder than it looks!  (See Exhibit A & B below!)

Exhibit A: Messy Kitchen Boxes

Exhibit B: Me freaking out about the mess!

Anthonie's Grape-flavored Mexi-stach

 While we're cleaning up, we're also having a lot of fun!   For example, Anthonie discovered a new favorite Naked juice.  It's very rich and delicious, like a deep red wine.  In fact, we call it Mormon-wine (but the real name is Pomegranate and Blueberry... not as cool, I know!)  We love it!

Anthonie attacked me and tried to share his mexi-stache with me.  But all I could say was, "It will ruin my life!"  Which made him laugh and try to get it on me even more.  It doesn't sound as funny now, but it really was.  I guess you had to be there.

Lately, I've been dreaming of a couch.  I want one so bad.  But we're sooooo broke!  So I went to the thrift store, and I thought about this one.  What do you think?  Have you ever bought a used couch?  Tell me HERE.

Yesterday, I finally got my kitchen done.  It feels so good to have a place for everything. All our wedding gifts are tucked inside the cabinets, but they are all so cute!!! Thank you to everyone who showered us with love and presents!  Rest assured, they are being used!!

Loving our first week of marriage! :)

Wedding Bird on Dash

Lastly, I want all the bridal party to know that we are keeping a token of their love for us on the dashboard of our car.  Thank you for decorating it, but seriously, it's hard to get off!  I think the bird will stay put here though! :)

Crossing the Threshold

We did it!  We finally crossed the threshold (literally) into married life!  Here's the proof:

Thanks to Claudia and Doug for the photos!

But before we could ceremoniously cross the threshold, we had to drive for a long, long time.  Leaving Utah was harder than I anticipated.  I cried as we waved good-bye to grandpa, worried that I may not see him again.  After Grandma passed three years ago, we are all painfully aware of how short life is and how quickly it can pass before we even think it has begun.

Speaking of beginnings, Anthonie and I began our marriage with a drive from Utah to Washington.  We stopped to take some photos at a beautiful look out.

Somewhere in Idaho.  Maybe Oregon.  Not exactly sure to be honest.

How I looked to my husband

How he looked to me

How we looked together

It was sunny the whole way. We had fun talking, kissing, sleeping, listening to music, relaxing and talking about our hopes and dreams for our life together. (Yes, we kiss in the car!)  When we got to Washington, it was surprisingly sunny, which exceeded our expectations and made for a good day to unpack our trailer.  We're so thankful that Aunt Claudia and Uncle Doug drove our trailer all the way to Washington.  They were so kind to help us pack it all up and unpack it too!  After we unpacked, it was time to open all the wedding presents!

Thank you to everyone who came to the wedding and for the many people who have sent cards, cash, and gifts! It's been so fun to open up the mailbox every day and see a new treat!  (We're working hard to get all the thank-you cards written, and if you haven't gotten yours yet, just hold on!)

Married life is great!  Anthonie and I are feeling so loved and blessed.  Our very first FHE was on eternal marriage, which we feel so blessed to be a part of.   It's so wonderful to see how Anthonie has grown into a strong priesthood holder.  He sets such a good example to me and I know that he will set one for our children in the future.  I am already dreading Anthonie going back to work.  I'm in denial that I don't have a job yet and am hoping to find one very quickly!

Well, I've got to go because my husband is getting ready to take me to the temple in Seattle!  Yay! I love going to the temple and am so happy that my husband loves taking me for our date days!