Oh hey there!

[littlemermaidlc]

Hi ladies!  I'm new to this board so this is my introduction :-)  I live in St. Pete and my husband and I are approaching our first anniversary.  While you're thinking of a question for me, I have one for you!  What did you get your husband as a first anniversary gift?  I've got a couple of ideas in mind but I'm not completely sold yet.

Happy Wednesday!

[sara76]

Hi, welcome! Bring friends, we used to be much more active.

I don't remember what I got for my husband. We got engaged in the Berns desert room and we had an anniversary dinner there. We drank a lot then so we probably spent at least $300-400 for the 2 of us because we were so fancy before kids, ha I couldn't imagine that now. I can think of so many things to do with $400 that would last longer than an evening. But it was fun and we got it out of our systems.

Congrats on your marriage. Do you have any pets? Planning on children?

[amellis2]

We went to Downtown Disney, ate at BBKings, and watched the second Hunger Games Movie.

It was last December, so pretty recent. We have been together for 7 years, have two nearly 3 year olds, and married a year. We kind of did things out of order.


How long did you date? Where did you get married? Favorite Restaurant in St. Pete? Would you eat at a vegan cinnamon bun shop with custom-flavored icing and custom toppings?

[sara76]

Amellis I love the sound of custom toppings! I would check it out for sure, even though I eat all meat and would wonder where the bacon topping is - even though I would never order a bacon topping it seems bacon is everywhere.

[amellis2]

Apr 3, 2014 8:57:48 GMT -5 sara76 said:

Amellis I love the sound of custom toppings! I would check it out for sure, even though I eat all meat and would wonder where the bacon topping is - even though I would never order a bacon topping it seems bacon is everywhere.

Bacon is for poseurs without taste buds.  #veganforlyfe

[littlemermaidlc]

Okay here goes:

1. We have a fur baby, Daisy, she is a golden retriever/yellow lab mix I adopted when she was a year and a half old. She just celebrated her 4th bday :-P
2. We hope to have two kids when I get out of grad school.
3. Our dating history is a little strange. We met at our basic officer training in Long Island and started dating after he had left training to come down here and fly with the Hurricane Hunters. I was assigned to a ship in Alaska and we held out for a couple of hours after I left for the great white north. After those two months, it was clear that the distance was going to stress us out at crucial points in our careers and we were so new that our bosses wouldn't give us enough leave to actually visit. Also, you can't skype while you're at sea…the bandwidth isn't big enough so we called it quits for a couple of years and went our separate ways. When I got my land assignment in Panama City Beach (chosen on purpose so I could get him back, lol), he was dating someone. He had a project out of Destin and we hung out that entire week. No funny business, I swear! It was obvious that we still had chemistry and he broke up with his girlfriend at the end of that week. Another week later and we were back together and he proposed four months later in 2012 at Epcot.
4. We got married at my parents' rental house in Lake Gaston, NC-it was epic.
5. Fave restaurant is definitely Three Birds Tavern. I'm not vegetarian or vegan so I get down with the avocado chili burger and a side of the truffle cheese sauce for my fries, nom nom nom!
6. I would definitely check out the vegan cinnamon bun shop with custom toppings! I'd throw some chocolate and whipped cream on that puppy and some fruit.

What about you two? Where in FL are you? All-time fave FL experience?

[sara76]

That's a pretty cool background story about how you got together with your husband! I just met mine at work

I'm in Tampa until tomorrow when I move to Raleigh, NC for my H's job. I'm not leaving this board though. I've been here since TK days, so probably 6 years now.

My fav Florida experience... Hmm maybe kayoga, sunsets at Fort DeSoto, or tubing down Crystal River.

[littlemermaidlc]

Yay Raleigh! Are you going to live in Raleigh or somewhere within the beltway? My parents (and our wedding venue) is 2 hrs NE of Raleigh :-) I love NC and if I could choose to live in any state it would definitely be there.

I'm tubing the Rainbow River for class next week, have you ever done that river?

[sara76]

Sweet, always happy when I hear good things about NC. We have a place we're renting in a North Raleigh. My husband works in Durham and this is about 20 minutes away. I think it's 16 miles. We'll take the first year to decide, but I'm pretty sure when we buy it'll be in Raleigh.

I'm not actually sure if the river we did was Rainbow or Crystal. They're probably very similar. Spring fed fresh water, cold as all get out. Clear as air all the way to the bottom. It's a very nice way to spend a day. Just make sure you don't forget the sunscreen!

[littlemermaidlc]

Lol, don't worry, this ginger kid swims in sunscreen! Our class canoed the Weeki Wachee, Peace and Hillsborough. My group chose to tube the Rainbow and picked the last date on purpose in hopes that the water is warm enough. I'm going to have my wetsuit on standby just in case ;-)

[amellis2]

I was in Tampa until a year ago. I live in Titusville now (east side of the state). We are going to move back though soon; neither of us are happy here even though we are near family. I am going to re-enroll at USF for my Masters in Library Information Sciences and the girls will be in VPK, so I won't have to work so much about childcare.

favorite Florida experience...Um.

Camping at Wekiva and tubing there. Rainy afternoons before kids (I would nap or read. I MISS READING!) Going to the beach, nearly year-round. We went December 23rd last year and it was wonderful - We are a little closer to the beach here than when we were in Tampa; Playalinda is about a 20 minute drive away. Disney. I want to take the girls soon. When they are still free.

[littlemermaidlc]

We took my sister's kids (3 and 5) to Disney for the first time last year and they loved it! We saved money by bringing lunch into the park (pb&js and snacks), which they actually allow (well, they did last year at least). It took us forever to get going and the first thing we did was grab a table on the train station right at the front of the park while a parade was going on below. Then we ran around for a few hours and pigged out at the crystal palace. If you haven't heard of it, it's an all you can eat buffet where the characters come around and meet the kids. It was a perfect break for everyone and we stuffed ourselves so we didn't have to buy dinner at the park. My sister was on a pretty tight budget last year and so were we while planning the wedding. The kiddos are still talking about it! I'm sure your girls will have a blast :-) Take lots of pictures!

[melis74]

Apr 3, 2014 19:50:28 GMT -5 littlemermaidlc said:

Okay here goes:

1. We have a fur baby, Daisy, she is a golden retriever/yellow lab mix I adopted when she was a year and a half old. She just celebrated her 4th bday :-P
2. We hope to have two kids when I get out of grad school.
3. Our dating history is a little strange. We met at our basic officer training in Long Island and started dating after he had left training to come down here and fly with the Hurricane Hunters. I was assigned to a ship in Alaska and we held out for a couple of hours after I left for the great white north. After those two months, it was clear that the distance was going to stress us out at crucial points in our careers and we were so new that our bosses wouldn't give us enough leave to actually visit. Also, you can't skype while you're at sea…the bandwidth isn't big enough so we called it quits for a couple of years and went our separate ways. When I got my land assignment in Panama City Beach (chosen on purpose so I could get him back, lol), he was dating someone. He had a project out of Destin and we hung out that entire week. No funny business, I swear! It was obvious that we still had chemistry and he broke up with his girlfriend at the end of that week. Another week later and we were back together and he proposed four months later in 2012 at Epcot.
4. We got married at my parents' rental house in Lake Gaston, NC-it was epic.
5. Fave restaurant is definitely Three Birds Tavern. I'm not vegetarian or vegan so I get down with the avocado chili burger and a side of the truffle cheese sauce for my fries, nom nom nom!
6. I would definitely check out the vegan cinnamon bun shop with custom toppings! I'd throw some chocolate and whipped cream on that puppy and some fruit.

What about you two? Where in FL are you? All-time fave FL experience?

A little late, but welcome!! That burger sounds delicious, I must go there and try that! I live in Palm Harbor w/my H, daughter who is almost 2, 2 minpins and a cat. We have been together for almost 20 years, married almost 14. Just being able to be on the water in FL is my favorite thing. I've SUP'd a couple of times and would like to do that more often. We tubed down the rainbow river over 4th of July weekend one year and camped there. Tubing was fun, camping...meh, not really my thing. I'm more of a hotel kinda girl. Or maybe camping in a camper vs a tent!

[scjb143]

Hi and welcome! I live in Spring Hill/Weeki Wachee area with my H and our 16y/o DD. I've never tubed down the Rainbow River, but I have canoed down it many times. (read I'm too chicken to tube with gators in any river) We canoe down the Weeki Wachee river often since it's so close to home. We also love 3 sister springs, but I'm not sure that is a big tubing river.