Written by Candace on June 19, 2012 | 6 Comments

Summer
Carnival Fun

Every year I drive past the San Mateo County Fair and tell myself this will be the year we go. But the high prices and a busy schedule always convince me otherwise. Until this year, when I scored free tickets. On top of that, I found out that Boyz II Men were playing. I wasn’t going to let anything stop me. Not even Vitaliy’s loathsome feelings towards R&B music.

We ate pulled pork and corn on the cob. I belted out the best of Boyz II Men. And we ended the evening with a wild ride and then a kiss on the Ferris wheel. All of my carnival dreams came true this year. Except one thing, I forgot to get cotton candy.

Are you going to any fairs this summer?

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Written by Candace on June 12, 2012 | 5 Comments

Plant a Garden Together

Vitaliy constantly wants to work with his hands. He recently sewed together his very own tea bag. No joke! I can’t believe the skills he’s been masking over the years. I think I need to start making a list for him. I’ll be more than happy to keep those hands busy.

Being a country boy at heart though, what he really wants to do is work the land. He talks often of his grandparents’ farm in Ukraine. And has fond memories of harvesting fruits and vegetables, as well as, grabbing fresh eggs from their chicken coop.

While our vegetable garden is still in the works, we decided to start with something simple and spruce up our walkway a bit. Planting this garden of flowers was a pleasure. It was fun working on a project together and now we get to walk past these beauties every day. And smile.

If you like this date idea, you might also enjoy one of the following:

Go for a bike ride
Plan a picnic
Watch the sunrise

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Written by Candace on June 5, 2012 | 4 Comments

Changing Paces

One of the things that I loved about Vitaliy when we first met was the way he could put me at ease. I can easily overwork myself and often feel unsettled even while resting. Unless I’m napping, then I’m dead to the world!

Naturally, that same character trait that I once loved while dating, became a major source of tension in marriage. How could that be? They warned me in pre-marital counseling it would happen, but I had my doubts. And then sure enough, it reared its ugly head.

We have two completely different paces of life. I’m constantly trying to speed him up, and he’s always trying to slow me down. Even so, I’m grateful. I cringe at the thought of the woman I might have become if Vitaliy weren’t in my life. I’m thankful for a husband with enough courage to slow me down to a pace where I can actually take in the life around me. To count my blessings. And to have enough time to be certain I’m actually running towards the right things in life.

Vitaliy, thank you for all these great snippets of our lives. If I had gotten my way, we wouldn’t have stopped to take them and memories could have been lost. I love you!

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