Thanksgiving in Paris!

We were lucky enough to spend an incredible week in Paris this year for Thanksgiving. I had been twice, but the last time was seven years ago, and Nate had never been! Rather than stay in a hotel, we rented a lovely apartment in the Marais district. It is a beautiful Paris neighborhood filled with locals, it was really easy to get around and absolutely charming - on every corner bakeries, chocolate, cheese, and of course wine shops! Because we had an entire week, we didn't have to rush sightseeing. We took in everything - museums, cafes, opera houses, just about everything! Nate really loved Paris - one of his favorite cities we've been to. Visiting France also marked his eleventh country (ten, not counting the US) so he's officially in double-digits. Not bad for a guy who didn't have a passport four years ago! ;) Some favorite pictures of our trip are below... we continue to be blessed continuing to travel and explore the world!

Who knows where our next adventure will take us? We're looking forward to the holiday season and the year ahead!

Meet Alila!

Exciting news from the Schweers! We have adopted a puppy - a little sister for our Sweet Siena! She is a cream-colored dachshund who is roughly 8 weeks old (she will be 9 weeks old when we bring her home next week). We have heard she is sweet and super snuggly and she'll be a welcome addition to our household!

Nate came up with her name - we will call her Alila. It is where we stayed on our honeymoon in Bali this summer - super fun because it continues our travel theme and has great meaning for us. The name Alila comes from Sanskrit meaning surprise - which is perfect since we did decide quickly to get her (although we had been talking about it since our wedding).

So - why another puppy? Another dachshund, at that? Well we've learned in the past two years that we've had Siena that dachshunds are true pack animals. Siena loves to be with us and hates being alone - as a result even going to work, or out to dinner, is hard because she looks so sad. Our vet said that a lot of dogs feel this way, but dachshunds more so that most. We think she'll take to being a big sister well in time, and once Alila grows up they will have each other. Most of all, having Siena has brought us so much joy and happiness, we just love having a dog and know that Alila will bring us equal joy. We can't wait for her to come home next weekend - after we get home from PARIS!

Stay tuned for an update on Paris & Alila coming home next weekend!

A Little Love Note to My Husband

This has been one of the best weeks I can remember. I love my new job and coworkers - I feel like I'm finally somewhere where I'll stay for many years and learn and grow. It feels like the wait was so worth it. Not unlike me and Nate getting back together after so many years apart. My first week on the job, someone asked me in a fun Q&A kind of way, what's something surprising about you? And I said "I tell people my husband and I never fight, and they don't believe me." That answer, of course, was met with a bit of skepticism. While it's true, it wasn't always the case. Rewind to Nate and I in high school and college and it seemed like that's all we did! But when we got together years ago, it just seemed like we had matured out of it. Our feelings, our relationship began with this deep sensitivity that while opinions and disagreements could be expected, fighting was something we weren't willing to participate in. And, to this day, I cannot recall more than a time or two that I even felt like prompted to fight. Our relationship is built on friendship, most importantly kindness and consistency. My husband is my partner, my best friend, my confidant. I can tell him literally anything and he doesn't judge me. There is never a day that goes by that I doubt that he cherishes me and respects me. Many days I wonder how we got so lucky. I think we both knew at a very young age that our connection was something special. I don't think we were able to process and appreciate it until much later in life as we matured and lived our lives. I feel grateful, every day, that we continue to choose each other and build our lives together. So as I reflect on a wonderful first week at my new job, I remember my greatest supporter and wanted to say how much I love my sweet husband.

Upcoming Adventures Announcement: Thanksgiving in Paris!

Photo Credit: Steve Johnson, world's best photographer

I know what you're thinking... you're going on another trip!? Are you and Nate crazy?! Where do you find the time/money/energy for another big trip. Well, let's rewind... Last fall I got a serious case of cabin fever/wanderlust. Plans were underway for our wedding just under a year away - our two week honeymoon trip for summer 2014 was booked, but there was nothing on the horizon for the near future. I got the idea to go to Paris for Thanksgiving from a friend of mine who went for Thanksgiving in 2012. It's a great time to go, Paris is cold but not freezing, it's very low season for tourists, but the city is already decorated for Christmas. March of Dimes and Columbia were closed Wednesday-Friday so we'd only need two days off work - it was a brilliant plan!

Unfortunately, the reality of saving for 2014 caught up with us and we were unable to make Thanksgiving in Paris a reality in 2013. So as this year went on, we started saving and found a great deal on a beautiful apartment rental in Paris. After getting through this summer, we decided to book it! We'll spend seven days, six nights in Paris - I can't wait to show Nate the city. I have been twice, in 2005 and 2007, and I know he will love it! We plan to live like locals, shopping and eating some meals in our apartment similar to how we are when we travel to Rome. We can't wait!

In related news: this has inspired me to resume Rosetta Stone French practice! I hope I will get through some of the lessons and be somewhat useful our week in Paris.

Our Wedding: The Highlights

June 7, 2014 is a day we will never forget. It was absolutely perfect, from the prep to the weather to enjoying every moment of the day. I was up by 5am and we didn't crash until 1am that night, but it was all worth it! Our incredible photographer, Steve, captured all the special moments. Rather than overexplain everything, I'll just post a few of our absolute favorites.

Here's to the next chapter.... cheers!

Natalie & Zack's Sarasota Wedding!

February 2014 welcomed the first of three Breakfast Club weddings this year! For anyone who missed the story, the Breakfast Club is a group of eight ladies from Lady Spirithunters who became a tight knit group in August 2004 after a shared mutual affection for brunch, the color pink, and all things ridiculous. For nearly ten years now we've had reunions in Washington DC, Tallahassee, Chicago, and now Sarasota. Despite living across the country, we've remained great friends throughout the years, and all these ladies are special, unique women who I'm proud to call life-long friends. Natalie's wedding was absolutely beautiful, it's amazing to see two people so in love as her and Zack! She was a stunning bride and you can just tell these two are destined for a lifetime of happiness together. They got married at the Powell Crosley estate on the water in Sarasota, stunning location and the weather while a little cloudy cooperated for us to enjoy the ceremony and reception outdoors! Escaping from the blistering NYC cold, Nate and I were grateful for a pleasant Florida February night.

Courtney, Kristy and I were so excited we got there extra early... which allowed us to take, in typical Breakfast Club fashion, lots of photos:

During the reception, we also captured a few classics of the Breakfast Club... so much fun, I love all these ladies so much!

The rest of the weekend in Sarasota we enjoyed the beach and weather! Thanks to Laura we got a little cabana time at Siesta Key, and then Sunday Nate and I enjoyed the Marina and Tiki Bar:

It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend celebrating a couple we love! It was also the last wedding we attended before our own... hard to believe it's our turn in less than three months!