Day 3

This day was very special. It was May 5, 2012. One of my best friends, Tianna, was graduating from college. We were able to attend her graduation from Regent University. It was beautiful and helped give me hope to continue and finish my degree. We also had another task to accomplish that day. It involved a LONNNG drive to Yorktown. You see, we had decided we needed an addition to our little family. Since we lived in a on-bedroom apartment, a dog was not a great option. We had always dreamed of being parents to a chinchilla but upon further research decided that they were way too much maintenance with little return. (Although, chinchillas dust-bathing has to be among the top 3 cutest animal rituals) We decided we were going to adopt a kitty!! 
We were so excited and had begun our search of the perfect kitten a few weeks prior. We looked at shelters and did not find a kitty to suit us. We started looking at online ads and found one that had some very cute kittens. We decided to take the trip out to Yorktown in hopes of adopting the perfect kitten for us. We did just that. After looking at the ads, we had in mind the kitten we wanted, but we knew it would be silly to pick a kitten based on looks alone. So when we got there, we played with and chased the kittens around. We picked up the one we thought we wanted (whose tentative name was "Cinnamon Toast Crunch"), but she was waaay too antsy and not very friendly. We then played with the black one... He was SO fun. He was just the right balance of cute and sweet. I was able to hold him for a good 10 minutes. With our little black kitty in my arms, I asked Andrew what he thought, and we both said "He's the one, HAHAHA" and as soon as we laughed, he clawed me and ran away. This didn't deter us because we knew we scared him. We were outside, and our little kitty ran under the family's deck. We left for a few minutes to give him some time to come out. He finally came out, and we got him in the car! We were so stinking excited!! He was the cutest little kitten with the funniest personality. He still is (just ask my parents!). Andrew was not a cat enthusiast before, but he has definitely learned to adore Chip. By the way, we named him Chocolate Chip Ngo. We call him "Chip" or "Chipothy". We also found out that he was born March 4, 2012. Which was the day after our wedding! :) He's such a blessing. I sound like a goober saying that, but he truly has kept me company when I needed it. He also helped me kill a cockroach when Andrew wasn't home. He thinks his poops are toys. He thinks the litter box is a sandpit to play in. He has a personal competition to stash away and play with as many Christmas ornaments as possible. He's adorable. I love him. I love that May 5 changed our lives! 

His first meal at his new home!

Andrew watching his baby boy!

His favorite spot for his first few days with us

We LOVED his stripes!

I don't think I was actually sleeping. My wittly tuddler!

Day 4

POW POW!! My next favorite day Andrew and I have experienced during this first year of marriage involved guns. Well, just one gun. We started this exciting day by both attending my 50 minute biology class. During the 50 minutes of Dr. Mills' lecture, I took notes and Andrew drew pictures of my professor and his favorite breakfast sandwich from Dunkin Donuts. You see, when we have really great days, I remember the weird details like that. 
Anyway, once class was dismissed, we went to Dunkin Donuts and ate yummy Big 'N Toasted Sandwiches, then headed to the shooting range. I was excited but a little hesitant about it all. I'm not a huge fan of loud noises, so I knew I would have some adjusting to do. Andrew started off the shooting because as soon as we got in the shooting booth thing, I said I didn't want to anymore. This is a pattern of mine (just ask my parents and brother); I back out of things I will really enjoy because of fear. Thankfully, like my family, Andrew also knows when to let me be and when to push me a little further. That day he pushed me to try to shoot. Well, I LOVED it. Not only did I love it, I was actually decent at it. I am not a pro by any means and Andrew would absolutely out-shoot me anyday but I really don't have to worry about getting in a shooting contest with him :) We had a blast! (Pun) This day was so much fun. Seeing Andrew shoot a gun was so cool and being able to shoot was an awesome discovery. This date proved to me that even "man dates" can be so fun.

Here is mine.

Of course, this is the cop's.

Day 5

Now honestly, I can only really remember the morning of my next favorite day. It was a Saturday and we decided we wanted to get breakfast at a restaurant. For anyone who knows us, we really don't like to eat out because of a couple of reasons. 
1.We are CHEAP. Spending money is a painful process for me and Andrew. It's not that we love the money we've earned but that we never can justify spending unwisely and let's be honest... the majority of our spending isn't wise. 
2. I really dislike eating in restaurants. Something about a ton of people going to one place to eat freaks me out. I have NO clue why and will enlighten the world when I figure that quirk out. Anyway, we decided we would go to the Princess Anne County Grill in the farmer's market. Andrew had a great steak and eggs breakfast while I just had a biscuit and gravy. We had so much fun talking and joking that morning that we have actually gone back a couple times and experienced the same thing every time. After breakfast, we walked around the other shops in the farmer's market. I felt like a tourist or something, but I have a good amount of memories from my childhood there. It is such a homey market and helps me pretend I have a lil bit of country in me.There is also an ice cream shop that we said we would go to but still haven't... Hmm, maybe that will be one of our next big outings :) Since we didn't take any pictures that day, I will leave you with a picture from around the same time frame of our little son, Chip!

Doesn't he make you sleepy?

Day 6

As some of you may know, Andrew and I will be celebrating our one year wedding anniversary in just SIX short days! WOW. This year has flown by so very quickly, and we really had some fantastic days. We are so incredibly blessed to say we joyfully made it through our first year of marriage. In the broken world we live in, unfortunately many people can't even say that. I can't even begin to describe the mercies God has poured on us throughout our entire relationship, especially this first year of marriage. I decided that with the upcoming anniversary, I would compile a list of my favorite 6 days from this past year and blog about them. So here goes day 6!
March 10 was exactly a week from our wedding. We were on our mini, three-day honeymoon in Williamsburg, VA. We decided we had done enough shopping the previous day and were ready to take on another adventure. We had breakfast at an awesome waffle place and joked around the entire time... There happened to be a lady who looked like Ms. Trenchbull (from Matilda) at a table near us, so we knew our day was off to a great start. After breakfast, we had decided we were going to sign up for a Murder Mystery Dinner! We were excited until we found out it would cost I think $50 per person, so we decided to look for something else to do. We then found an advertisement for a Ghost Walk! We were SO EXCITED. We eagerly signed up for that, then realized we had about 8 hours of daylight to kill in the meantime. We browsed a few more brochures (as if we'd never been to Williamsburg before....) and finally decided to go to the Virginia Living Museum. The lady at the front desk there was the first (and only) person to ask if we were newlyweds! I of course giggly said "YES"! Anyway, we decided to go outside and look at the animals... It was a blast. We always have the most fun with each other when we are outdoors and able to make up dialogue for animals... weird, I know. Andrew came up with the funniest conversations for the beavers while I kept thinking "Danielle Ngo... really? That's my new name? I'm MARRIED!! FINALLY." We really really enjoyed the Virginia Living Museum. It's funny because this wasn't the first time we'd been there together. We actually went there on a field trip in grade school! 
After enjoying the wildlife, we were hungry and tired. We headed back to downtown Williamsburg because we were so excited about the ghost tour. We ate lunch at the cutest cafe and walked around... We walked and walked and decided there was really nothing super exciting about freezing to death in the middle of William and Mary's campus. So we decided to thaw out at the resort until it was time for the highly anticipated ghost tour! We finally made it to the ghost tour successfully, after many mishaps, and were so excited. We heard scary stories about Williamsburg but did not see a single ghost (Surprise!). Although my feet were THE coldest they have ever been at the end of the night, we had such a blast! We took pictures and got spooked and just really enjoyed our night. 
All in all, our day in Williamsburg is a day I would re-live in a heartbeat. And here are some pictures from it!

At breakfast!

Andrew's Breakfast

He's so cute!

My lovely breakfast

Taking a break at the museum!

I just don't understand why more people didn't think we were newlyweds... I mean we look to be at least 16? :)

Duckies

Turtle.

Andrew Turtle

Danielle Turtle (and honeymoon baby)

Caaave

Caaaaaaaave

Yummy lunch

And again!

The most haunted of haunted buildings in Williamsburg...

Don't know how the red splotches got there.... creeepy ;)

Content

And who doesn't laugh at this man?

Meet my second furbaby, Beary!

This evening, as I drove the good forty minutes home from my internship, I had a lot of time to think and reminisce. Tonight was a little different from most nights when I have a good amount of time to just think. Tonight, I was able to see just how beautifully my life has been crafted for God. That isn't to say I feel I have the perfect life or that I truly strive to honor God every second of each day. In fact, I am learning quite the contrary, that there never will be a point in life where I feel "I have arrived"! Life is full of obstacles that God intends to make us not stronger, but totally and completely reliant on Him alone. He's been talking to me a lot about this lately. I am realizing that so much of my life I have rushed to get to somewhere I don't need to be. I mean my goodness, had it been an option, I probably would have married Andrew the day we started dating (at the wise age of 16!). I have always been impatient and ready to move on to something new but that just isn't how God designed our lives to be. He directs our paths, however short or long we may traverse them. It's really funny to look back and see how God uses our patience and impatience to teach us a thing or two. I can think of plenty of times when my impatience has gotten me into trouble but I can also think of some rare times when I truly waited on God's timing and was blessed far beyond what my patience alone earned me. And tonight as I drove I was able to think of how Andrew has been blessed with the gifts of discernment and patience. He is absolutely outstanding at thinking long-term and explaining to me (a short-term thinker) the benefits we will earn for waiting on some things. I am not saying that God always calls us to wait until He writes on the walls or lights fires under our booties... There is a season for everything, and I believe most of us have more trouble playing the waiting game than we do kicking it in high gear and doing what we want. As I drove this evening, I felt very graciously content. I am excited that I will be finishing my degree in less than three months. I'm more than elated to be married to a Godly man who makes me laugh until I can feel it in my abs AND obliques. I am joyful to be in the process of buying a house.I am thankful I live by the beach that reminds me just how small I am and how vastly great God is. I am grateful I have two cutie patootie furbabies who spice life up for us quite a bit. I am hopeful for the future of our household. I am content knowing my future is in nobody's hands but God's.