My Husband is a Big Deal

When Danny and I started dating in high school, I got my first glimpse into the firefighting world. Prior to that I had no idea what that was even like. Zero knowledge.  Since then I've seen how much hard work, dedication, loyalty, and selflessness the career takes. Sometimes its not even a career. Sometimes you're just doing it and not getting paid if you live in a rural town that only has a volunteer department, which is where Danny got his start.

At 18 years old, Danny was a volunteer firefighter and became an EMT while we were seniors in high school. I remember wishing him good luck as we walked down the halls at the end of the school day. He passed with flying colors.

When we were 20, with just a  year left to go before he was eligible to be hired full-time at a paid department, he began medic school. He had interest in becoming a paramedic, but his true desire was to become a full-time firefighter in our hometown where he had been a reserve for 2 years, filling in when guys were sick or wanted time off to be with their families. He began his 2 year degree, got hired at the fire department 5 months after turning 21. While he had the job and was officially a firefighter, the job depended on him completing medic school and passing his National Registry. He graduated medic school in May of 2012 and took the test in June. He passed with flying colors.

Fast forward 3 1/2 years to this February: there are lieutenant openings. The position is based on your ability to answer some scenario questions and also how you perform on the written test. It came as no surprise that Danny passed the test with flying colors. With that, came a promotion to lieutenant. The promotion happened this Monday.

Monday evening the promotion was approved and my husband is a lieutenant. I could not be prouder of him.

When I asked him what he wanted to do to celebrate, he wasn't sure. I decided to bake him a cake and he requested Boston Cream Pie. I had never made a Boston Cream Pie, let alone even tasted one. Thanks to Pinterest, I found a great recipe and it turned out great. After his promotion, our moms came over and we all had cake. I shared with Tuck since I started a semi-whole30 on Monday. All Tucker cared about was the chocolate topping and the custard.

I am so proud of you Danny Summers. Thank you for all that you do for our town. And thank you for letting me be apart of this journey.

Show & Tell Tuesday: How to Win My Heart

Its safe to say that the only time I will be blogging between now and March 15th is when there is a link up. I've got non-link up topics floating in my head, but no memory to help me jot them down. It'll happen someday :)

Today's link up is part of the year long party with Andrea @ Momfessionals, Show & Tell Tuesday. Today we're telling the world how to Win our Hearts in honor of Valentine's Day. Speaking of, I need to find a gift or two for my Valentine's!

Since my heart is no longer good for the taking, I'm going to share how my husband won my heart. These are memories from our pre-marriage days that stand out.

- Danny and I's relationship, or the months leading up to our relationship, started by driving around listening to music, so its no surprise that some of my favorite memories have to do with him singing to me. The biggest: A few days before we started for real dating we went to dinner and on the way home he sang "She's Everything" by Brad Paisley. Another time he sang to me was at a Rascal Flatts concert in 2009. They were singing "I Melt" which was one of the songs that we listened too a couple times when we were driving around that first night and he just grabbed me and started dancing with me as he sang.

- He is there for me no matter what time or what I need him to do. He once dropped everything to go pick a friend and I up from the airport with about 45 minutes notice. And there he stood, flowers in hand.
- Speaking of flowers, I've received a TON of no reason, just because flowers. I've also received some "I'm sorry for being an asshole" too, so he can admit when he's wrong.
- Another bouquet of flowers was given to me the day he went to school. I moved him in at school with his mom and nephews and when his mom dropped me off at home after midnight that night, a beautiful bouquet of flowers, from Danny, was waiting for me on the kitchen table. He had arranged for it to happen before we left.
- Danny went to school in Wilmington, OH for his first year of college. There were many, many weekends that went until the wee hours of Monday morning just so he could stay with me one more night but still make it back to school in time for class. He sacrificed many hours of sleep for a few more hours with me.
- He endured many sorority formals. The first couple are fun for the non-Greek significant other, but after a few and especially when your sorority girlfriend is sober monitor, they lose their flare.
- He was totally fine spending most weekends hanging out with my parents and their friends.

- One Christmas he made dinner for my mom, dad, brother and me while we opened presents. He had a few gifts from my parents, but he also whipped up a delicious "Chef's Surprise" for us too. This was after he worked Christmas Eve at the fire department too. Christmas Eve's are notoriously busy in that line of work.
- After getting home late from a concert, he agreed to drive an hour and a half away the next morning to watch me coach one single softball game. It was a good thing too, because on the way home is when I got the call about my dad passing away.
- In relation to that event, he arranged to take a week off of work before he even told me he did it. He didn't ask if I wanted him too, he just did it.
- He's a good sport.

- He planned a few birthday parties for me. One actually happened 3 weeks before my birthday since he was supposed to be in football camp at Wilmington and he was going to miss it. He had a friend drive me around, he picked up Chili's take out, and we ate on the deck by candlelight. After dinner, my Grammy and family had cake with us.
- When I went to Florida for spring break our freshman year of college, Danny stuck notes in my luggage before I left. There was one in my suitcase, one in my make up bag, one in my carry-on, and one in my purse. And since this was before smartphones and Facebook being at your fingertips, he wrote me a message every day I was gone so I could read them when I got home.

I'm married to quite the charmer.

 

Weekend Recap: Brown County

Danny and I's weekend getaway that we had been planning for literally months was finally this past weekend. And it was lovely.

Friday we took off around 3pm with the camper and headed south to Nashville, Indiana, better known around here as Brown County.  We had been a few years ago and couldn't wait to go back.

The 2.5 hour drive took about 3 with the camper. We stayed at the Brown County State Park. From the park entrance to the campground entrance was another 3 miles. Then it was ANOTHER 2 miles to our campsite...which was about 3 site away from the very end of the road. We have a way of picking the last spot/house at the end of something. We did this on our honeymoon in Gatlinburg too. After we got set up, we headed out to dinner. One of my dad's golfing buddies owns a golf retreat in Brown County that has a golf course, condos that you can rent, banquet hall and a restaurant. We ate at the restaurant that night, The 19th Hole Sports Bar & Grille. It was pretty good!

Saturday was a fun day. It was rainy all day, but still enjoyable. After we leisurely ate breakfast, we headed into town to explore and eat lunch. First, we drove around the park and enjoyed the view from the top of the hills. We found a little lake and walked around it. In the rain and mud. It wasn't too bad though.

 

 

We ate lunch at Big Woods Pizza. Big Woods Brewery is down in Nashville, and there is a restaurant with it. The owners opened a pizza place right across the alley. It was THE BEST pizza I have ever had. We seriously considered ordering some on Sunday to take home and eat for dinner. I'm guessing it wouldn't have made it home though. We shared a Flight (I've deemed this the best way to enjoy booze while at a restaurant since it was only $7 for the 2 of us), an order of breadsticks, nachos and pizza. No wonder my pants don't fit this morning. Danny got Pulled Pork Nachos and I got the Artichoke Delight pizza. It was so good. Okay, I'll stop talking about the pizza now.

 

After lunch, we decided to walk some of it off and shop for a few. We got started on Tuck's birthday and Christmas shopping then headed towards my next favorite part. The winery. I love Brown County Winery wine. Love it. Whenever I hear that someone is going to Brown County, I almost immediately hand them cash to pick up a few bottles of me. By a few I mean a minimum of 4. And now this will be me for the remainder of the year... or 5 weeks since I have 5 bottles.

Next stop: Bear Wallow Distillery. We didn't know this was here until we saw the sign, which I'm glad we did because this was a fun place! They had moonshine shake ups in a variety of flavors and a few other drink specials. I enjoyed a peach shake up and Danny had an apple something. It was at this moment that I realized what I want to do when I retire, other than travel, and this is work at a winery or distillery. Preferably a winery for obvious reasons.

 

So a recap of Saturday: brewery, then a winery, then a distillery. My kind of Saturday!

After almost driving into the next state thanks to my navigational skills, we headed back to the camper for a fire and dinner. We had lobster ravioli (they were in the frozen section of the grocery store) over zucchini and tomatoes. Wrap it all in foil, put them on the grill for about 12 minutes and dinner is done! I've got some many good camper-camping recipes that I'll have to make a post dedicated to those.

 

Sunday after we woke up we headed home. We missed our babies a lot! But only one (the four legged one) missed us. We had to bribe Tucker home with bubbles. And the promise of pizza for dinner, which he had to eat in the car.

I had such a good weekend with my husband. I can't wait until we get away again next year!

4 years

On this day 4 years ago, I married my best friend and love of my life.

In those 4 years, we've gone through the big things: both of us graduating college, getting through the first year of marriage, buying a house together, experiencing the for richer, for poorer when my family business almost crumbled, having a baby, and doing the in sickness and in health thing when Danny broke his foot.

But what I noticed when I was looking for pictures to make the a collage for the obligatory anniversary post on all forms of social media, the "little" things are where the magic happens. The little moments in between all the big moments.

1. Top Left: Indianapolis Indians game. I vividly remember Danny telling me the first summer we started dating that he would rather watch paint dry than watch a baseball game. A trip to St. Louis and me begging to go to a Cardinals game changed his mind. We haven't been to a baseball game in 2 years, but for Danny Summers to enjoy baseball says a lot!

2. Top Right: Mother's Day 2013. We were at Hooter's with my mom and brother. Dinner at Hooters was Danny's idea. Even though I wasn't officially a mother yet, Danny acknowledged the day with a  card. He usually did with Diesel anyways, but he made sure this day was recognized. It was also that in between time when you find out your pregnant but you can't tell anyone yet. My mom and brother knew, but the news hadn't been made public yet.

3. Bottom Left: Tiger Trot 5K in 2014.  I used to despise running. I never understood why people ran for fun. Growing up as an athlete, running was usually a form of punishment. Missed free throws? Run suicides. Other team serves an ace against you: run stairs. Strike out looking: run around the field outsid the fence. But after watching Danny complete the Tiger Trot in 2013 and seeing how great he felt about himself, I had to give it a try.

4. Bottom Right: Our camper. Danny and I don't share many hobbies. He likes to shoot guns and fish while I like to shop and drink wine. But this year we made a purchase that allows us to do something together as a family. Danny can fish during the day and I can drink wine (or rum or beer) during the day AND night. Ha!

There is no one I'd rather share the big and little moments with.

Even When You Want To Kick Him

This past Sunday began my string of bridal showers. I had one Sunday, two this coming Sunday and another one in three weeks. Normally I don't like bridal shower games. Feed me, give me a drink of some kind (by drink I obviously mean a spiked one) and let me socialize and watch the bride open gifts. Especially at this one. I lived with this particular bride my sophomore year of college. She. Is. NUTS! But in the best way possible. Never a dull moment with her. Add her family in and you are in for some entertainment, tears and what feels like a new set of abs from laughing.

One of the games had to do with marriage advice for the bride. The bride's sister read one line from each card and then the bride had to guess who wrote it. I thought it was fun! I hadn't played it before and it's always fun to play a game that's new and different that really doesn't require much effort. Although thinking of marriage advice on the fly was a little tough.

Here is what I had to say.

Always... Put your spouse first. I actually wrote talk to each other but if I had a do over I would change this answer to that. Putting my husband first is just better for everyone. If Danny and I aren't on the same page and working right, the family doesn't work right. Our marriage is also setting an example for Tucker and our other future children. It's our job to show him/them what a strong, healthy marriage looks like.

Try not to...  talk bad about him to your family and friends. Sometimes you just have to complain and vent. I definitely stop when I catch myself, or follow up with something great he that he does for me and our family. He is a hard worker and does almost anything he can to help me. I really have nothing to complain about. 

Love him even when... you want to kick him. Even though he works hard and helps out, I still want to kick him in the shins sometimes. But it's always over little thing. Leaving the shower pointing at the shower curtain and soaking the wall outside the shower when I get in. Or washing just a shirt and pair of boxers when there is a large pile of towels and clothes next to the washer that could have went in. It's times like those where I have to remember that I never have to clean the bathroom or mow the yard.

Sometimes... you have to give more than you take.  This is one that I HAD to learn early on. Early as in when we were planning our wedding. Danny was buried in medic school and his job depended on it. When we moved our wedding up 10 months, giving us 5 months to put it all together, most of it fell on me. Even though medic school ended, this part didn't go away. I don't think its just the nature of his job either. There are going to be hard times when you have to lean on each other and even though you both may be giving all you can give, it still might not seem equal.

Never under any circumstances... leave during a fight. This hasn't happened to us in the almost 7 years we've been together. Nothing would piss me off more than if he just left. He can go in another room or out to the garage to get some space. But if he got in his truck and left, I would be fuming!

Love is built on 2 things.... communication and trust.  These are obvious and I didn't really put too much thought into them.

 

We don't have the perfect marriage. It's definitely a "make it up as you go" kind of thing. But there isn't anyone else I'd rather figure it out and go through life with. Even if I do want to kick him sometimes.

Throwback Thursday: Valentine's Edition

With Valentine's Day being just 2 short days away, I've been reminiscing about the 6 Valentine's Days that Danny and I have spent together. I can't believe we are on our 7th Valentine's Day together, and 4th as husband and wife. It's so crazy! There are about 3 opinions on Valentine's Day: you love it and go all out, you hate it and avoid it like the plague, or it's just another day.

A couple of years we've done the traditional romantic dinners and gifts. We even splurged on a hotel one year. It had been a rather busy few months for the two of us so we made hotel and dinner reservations in Indy to celebrate the occasion. But my favorite Valentine's Days have been the low-key ones. Our first Valentine's Day as a married couple has been my most favorite.

Danny was finishing up his last semester of medic school that year and Valentine's Day happened to fall mid-week.  We had a lunch date at the diner in town. When Danny picked me up at work to take me to lunch, he brought part of my gift with him. This part of the gift was to be displayed in my office so I could look at it every day.

Hands down, one of the funniest pictures from our wedding day. My groom waiting for me at the altar. He looks like he is about to puke.

Dinner that night was a recreation of our first Valentine's Day together with Applebee's takeout. After dinner Danny gave me the rest of my gift, which was 2 bottles of Arbor Mist. I've since grown up and stopped drinking juice. My gift to Danny that year was a subscription to Diesel Power and a trip down to the Boat, Sport and Travel Show, which has become an annual tradition.

My take on Valentine's Day falls between loving it and it being just another day. While I think it's important to show your spouse or significant other love throughout the year, Valentine's Day gives a good reason to do that. Life is too short to not celebrate anything and everything. Even if it means the greeting card industry makes an obscene amount of money as a result.

Where do your feelings for Valentine's Day fall on the charts?

Life Lately

Tuesday was a big day in our house, but mostly for Danny. This calls for an update on what's been going on with my men and me.

First up is Danny. HE GOT HIS PINS OUT ON TUESDAY! After 5 long weeks since Surgery, the pins are out, the cast is off and the rehabilitation process starts. I almost cried. And so did Danny when they were taking them out. Except he was crying because it hurt. Lucky for him his bone structure was really great and the pins didn't move. Like at all. Which is pretty uncommon but certainly not a bad thing. The dr. said the patients normally pull them out themselves for fun although I don't see how that is fun, which might be why I sell insurance and don't work in the medical field but they had to use a tool to pull Danny's out. Oh, and one was bent so that one hurt and Danny almost let some choice words fly out. Anyways, he is in a boot and has been given the go ahead to ease into walking without crutches. And he can drive. No more dropping him off and picking him up at work. I'm so happy for him that this process is almost over. He's had a pretty hard time with it but has handled it much better than his friends and I ever anticipated.

Now for the little guy. Saturday will mark 3 weeks since I made the dairy free change to my diet and we added the medicine (lactulose) 2 weeks ago yesterday. We've seen some improvement in him going number 2. He still doesn't go everyday and still cries when he does sometimes, but things are getting better. I really think part of the crying might be the psychological part of it. Every time he's gone for the last 3 months it has hurt him so I would imagine that when he goes it scares him. Moving on from the poop talk.... This kid LOVES to eat. And don't you dare try to eat in front of him without giving him any. It pisses him off and he will let you know about it. So far, the only thing he doesn't care for is bananas. He's plowed through every other puree we've tried. As far as table foods go, he loves toast, apples (he just sort of sucks/chews and occasionally gets a piece off) noodles, green beans, peas, carrots (cooked), puffs, and this week we've tried grilled chicken and chicken sausage. He went absolutely ape shit over the chicken.

 

Tuck and I start swim classes this coming Saturday. It's a 7 week session and I'm so excited for him. I put him in the bath last night to see how he would react to the water (we normally bathe him on a towel on the counter) and he LOVED it. I let him play for a good 10 minutes and may have cried while watching him and he was so stinkin happy. He's also working on crawling. He's scooting and rolling around well enough that he can no longer be left unattended for more than 2 seconds. Things are getting interesting.

As for this girl. Well I'm still down right tired. Things are getting better though and I'm almost at the end of this challenging time since Danny's pins are out. I haven't handled this too well. It could be the timing of it all with the broken foot happening at the beginning of a really busy time at work. I think that's most of it. I just don't do well when I'm stressed out and can't take a break. Danny told me the other day that when this is all over that I need to take a day and go shopping with one of my girlfriends or something. But honestly, I kind of just want to go roam around Target and the mall by myself. I just need some time to myself. Some time to slow down, gather my thoughts and refresh. we all need that every now and then. Plus, retail therapy has always been known to make me happy.

So, that's what we've got going on. Pretty soon this broken foot crap will be nothing but a memory!