Honeymoon!

As promised, a post about our honeymoon!!  We had so much fun in the Cayman Islands.  God was faithful and even though it wasn't right after the wedding, our vacation really did bless our marriage!  The highlights were the AMAZING snorkeling and kissing the stingrays at Stingray City!! We should have gone scuba diving, but instead we took a submarine ride at night.  We did not see a whole lot of underwater life.  That's not something we'd do again next time we're in Cayman.  Also, we had a beautiful dinner on the water at The Wharf restaurant.  A harpist actually came and played at our table and we got to feet these huuuge fish called Tarpon that were swimming around the water below us.  It was really special!  I took ~700 pictures while we were there, but narrowed it down to the top 13 for the blog! 

Practicing our snorkel skills at the Griffins pool before we left!

 

Ready to leave for the airport at 4:30 AM and on the airplane!! 

Private beach at Plantana, the condos where we stayed! 

Our trip to Stingray City! 

We loved walking on the beach at sunset!  

Our parasailing adventure!! 

The only reason I included this picture on here is to mention this little tidbit I noticed about Dallas: NO ONE WEARS CHACOS!!!  Because of our Chaco wearing in Cayman, we met a nice family from Austin.  If you wear Chacos in Dallas people look at you funny.  This makes me so sad because my signature style (or what I like to think of my style) is Chacos and pearls.  The only person who appreciates my choice of footwear here in Dallas is my friend Ruth.  But she recently went back to College Station to be with my other Chaco-wearing friends.  

A Typical Weekend

We got back from our AMAZING belated honeymoon very late Monday night (another post to come on that soon).  Once we finally found our car at the Park'N'Ride (my mom had left it for us there after a last minute flight change) we got home and crashed, ready for Jimmy to start his first day at his new job Tuesday morning!!  He started working at IQ Apparel & Media- a company that makes promotional items for fast-food restaurants and athletic companies.  Here is the best part: his commute is less than 30 seconds! IQ's office is on the first floor of our apartment building!  So far he is enjoying his new job.  He loves the people he works with, which is a huge answer to prayer!

To celebrate his first week of work, and just because I had gotten the supplies free from Scottish Rite, I surprised Jimmy by turning our apartment into a Hawaiian getaway Friday night.  I made Hawaiian Chicken (yum-o!) and pina coladas, had our house decorated and tropical music playing on pandora.  It was a fun, inexpensive date night!

On Saturday we went to two of our favorite places: Costco and Sams.  Yes, we hit up both wholesale outlets on the same day.  In addition to sitting in some pretty comfy chairs, and one ginormous chair (see photos below), we scored the deal of the century: a Cuisinart ice-cream maker (valued ~$60-70) for $14!!  We made ice cream with the ingredients we had on hand, but any yummy ice-cream recipes you can give me would be appreciated! :)

In other news: we love our church, Watermark.  Tonight we went to a kickoff meeting for Foundation Groups (small groups for young married couples).  We are excited to meet people in the same stage of life who share our love for Christ.  We are praying for the couples with whom God wants us to live life with in this season!!  We won't find out who our group is for 2-3 weeks.

Blessings to you and yours!!  If you are reading our blog, you are in our prayers!

-CG

Honeymoon Preview

Here's what's new...(lots of pictures!)

1. I finished my internship at Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas!!

2. We spent a few days at the beach in Surfside with Jimmy's family.  Lisa and I hung out on the beach while Jimmy, Josh, and Jay played football in the water and dug a hole.  Hole digging/people burying seems to be a tradition every time we go to the beach.  I am constantly learning how different boys are.   

  

3. We spent the night with our dear friends and mentors in College Station, the Terrys.  God blessed our lives tremendously as they helped us prepare for marriage.  Unfortunately, none of the pictures of Joe and Isaac playing t-ball turned out, but I love this pic of Melissa admiring her beautiful baby girl! 

  

4. Last but not least... I GRADUATED!!! I am officially a graduate of Texas A&M University!!  We spent the day celebrating with the Terrys and both of our families! 

KISSING IN FRONT OF KYLE FIELD!! This one is my FAVORITE!  Doesn't it remind you of the sailor kissing pic, "Kissing the War Goodbye"?!

Us with my parents!

Us with Jimmy's parents! (p.s. I promise Jimmy has more than just this one shirt.  :) He just happens to have worn it the last few times I've had my camera around!) 

My sister and I!!

Ya know...we're just two aggie graduates!

My beautiful mom and me!

I decorated my mortar board with pink gerbera daisies!!

Jimmy's parents gave us matching diploma frames.  And see my pretty watch?! That's what my parents gave me for graduation! That, and a gorgeous wedding.

Newlyweds!

A few weeks ago, someone asked me what the most surprising thing was about marriage. First of all, I love when people ask REAL, genuine, personal, raw questions like that-questions that force introspection and questions that, hopefully, turn your gaze towards Jesus.

The most surprising thing about marriage, from what I have learned in the first six-weeks, anyway, is how deeper my understanding of God's love for us is. As much as I love Jimmy, and would do anything for him to be happy, let alone for him to spend eternity in Heaven, I know that love does not even BEGIN to compare to the Holy, perfectly righteous love that God showed us when He came to earth for our salvation. (John 15:12-13, This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.)

We are all settled in our new apartment! I almost feel like a real Dallasite. We have been to two Rangers games so far. My parents came to visit on the 4th of July for Kaboomtown, and my sister came this weekend and we went to a live jazz show a block away from our apartment! Last weekend we went home for the weekend to celebrate the birthdays in Jimmy's family! Happy Birthday Josh, Mr.G! (AND Erin and Patrick). We went to eat at Fogo de Chao! I don't think I've ever had so much food in one sitting in my life! We had a great time!

Jimmy and my Dad built shelves to go over our new washer!

 

These are not actually crooked, my camera just made them look that way.

Waiting out the rain on the 4th with my family!

Dinner at Fogo de Chao!

We've been having fun learning to cook for each other!! Thank you Giada and Rachael Ray for recipes like this one!

Meet The Griffins

Most people who know me know that I am the world's worst blogger...

Despite my track-record, I am going to give it another chance.  

Today marks our 25th day of marriage!! We are in the midst of adjusting to being married, living together for the first time, and living in a new city.  So far, it is a wonderful, fun, exciting, different, faith-growing, joyful, FANTASTIC adventure!!  Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy the little things.  I LOVE the little things.  I love that neither of us have to drive home when we hang out late at night because now we share home!  Jimmy and I have been working so hard to turn our one-bedroom apartment into our home!  (pictures to come soon!)  We don't have cable, so we've been watching lots of "Friends" and "Veronica Mars" DVDs.  My sweet husband is so patient as I'm learning to cook.  He actually searched You Tube for a video titled "How to Cut A Chicken" because I had never cut a whole raw chicken before.  It was an experience.

Our real wedding photos won't be ready for several more weeks, but for now--here are some pics I stole off people's facebooks! :)

The Ceremony

  

The setting

   

Our first dance - "Keeper of the Stars"

 

Our Cakes!!  My cake-stand and cake-topper are from Etsy!

It was an AWESOME night!!

   

Dancing with my mom and sister!

Saying Goodbye--Running through sparklers!