Happy 6-month-iversary!

We celebrated our 6-month anniversary this past weekend, on Oct. 2.  Yay!!!! Of course we spent the day going to conference, so we celebrated our *AMAZING* marriage the weekend before by doing one of Ben's favorite things: CAMPING!

We went to Table Rock mountain in Linville Gorge, NC. It is a place Ben has been rock climbing before, and had discovered a beautiful camping spot for us.

The beautiful campsite and view he took me to

It  was really secluded-- we had to go off the hiking trail and climb across some major boulders to get there.  But good things happen when you go off the beaten path!

It was a pretty small area, just large enough for one adventurous little family... like ours :) 

Building and maintaining a fire is one of my FAVORITE parts of camping!

There is a mountain formation nearby called "Grandfather Mt" because the shape resembles the profile of an old man. This one did, too. Interesting....

After pitching our tent we hiked higher up the mountain for the sunset and made it just in time to capture the last few sec. on the camera.  Not so zen, but I'm glad we have the memory. 

I always say Ben hasn't really "been" somewhere until he's done a backflip there, but please, Don't jump!

 Our "Outward Bound" marriage-strengthening activity was rock climbing. Ben is an awesome climber (really, really quick), but I've only climbed in indoor rock centers. It was enough to get me excited, but it is TOTALLY DIFFERENT climbing in the elements! We were there on a very windy day, and the area we climbed at was at the edge of the gorge, so all you saw looking down was the gorge, not the landing. I belayed Ben while he went up and down the 5.7 a few times, then I wanted to try. I went half-way up, then got too nervous and came back down. Ben went a few more times, and I decided to try again. 

It was hard for me to do-- logically I knew the rope was safe and Ben was experienced enough to keep me safe, and that I had enough talent to make the climb, but in that moment logic never really set in for me.  I was terrified! I couldn't look down, and couldn't really see up, either, so I had to completely trust and rely on Ben to tell me where the best holds were and which side of the wall I should climb around. I trusted the advice from my husband on the ground, since he had more experience and perspective than I, and I knew he loves me and won't lead me astray.

 I would take one step, stop and catch my breath for a while, and decide to take another step with his coaching. Every few feet I would freeze and yell down, "You still have me?! Am I really tight?!" But Ben was always patient, and, step by step, I made it up the wall. 

What an amazing, amazing thing to do while newlyweds! I had had no idea it would turn out to be such a strengthening experience! Ben said he was so proud of me for facing my fear and going back to conquer the wall after giving up once (and with a recently twisted ankle), and I was proud of myself for trusting my life to someone else while pushing my body to new limits. I love that I can learn new things from Ben, and vice versa. Hopefully we will always be able to grow together. 

The view down... WHOA.

The last thing we did on our trip was revisit the little waterfall we found on our New Years trip to Blowing Rock, before we were engaged or thought of moving to N.C. 

You may remember this picture from that trip in January.... 

THEN

NOW!

Don't we look soooooo happy? (Rhetorical question. I finish know the answer.)

Yay for the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Happy 6-month-iversary, sweetheart! I love you so much!

All Good Things Must Come to an End... Or Beginning :)

Dear Ben,

Thank you so much for this unforgettable trip. I am so lucky to be with someone spontaneous enough to pack all his snow gear and go on a trip with one night's notice. I love that you support me in my crazy ideas and that you inspire me to try new things. Thank you for listening to a lot of Jason Mraz, not forcing me to drive in the snow, literally taking the "road less traveled", teaching me to snowboard, letting me pick out your new clothes, sharing meals with me, and finding antique stores for me to peruse.

I am so relieved to know that you are just as passionate about our planet, helping others, and traveling as I am. Talking to Steve, the third-world handmade wares shop owner, with you was one of the highlights of my trip. Let's support others the way he does! I feel so inspired, and know that you are, too. Steve was right-- we are a "good fit."

You made this New Year's so special for me. What better way to start a new year than with someone you love? I plan on sticking to my New Year's Resolution. You can count on that.

I'm looking forward to all the fun and adventure we'll have in the future!

Yours,

Susannah

They call them the Blue Ridge Mountains for a reason!

We saw a pack (is that the right word? Pack?) of these deer crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway at night when we weren't supposed to be there. It was amazing to see the snow that had only been touched by these wild animals! How special :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We celebrated by going to an impromptu fireworks show at t

he ski mountain. We had no idea there would be such a good show! Ben was in awe... They had SIX grand finales! We were worried that we wouldn't be able to even see the fireworks (firesparkles) because of really thick fog, but it turned out even cooler-- the lights reflected off the fog for a very cool effect.

Ben hasn't been anywhere

until he's done a handstand there... Including slippery rocks beside a rushing river in 20 degree weather beyond a "Stay Behind Wall" sign. That's my boy!

We drove to Linville Falls and had to hike .4 mi through the snow to get to them. That meant it was deserted, though, and BEAUTIFUL!

Told ya there were lighted crosses on a hill...

Ben taught me to snowboard! Thanks to Emily's board, boots and pants, Ben's old jacket and goggles, and Melissa's hat, 1/2 price mtn. pass, and 3 hours together, and a potato chip :)

Pow Wow '09 Quotes:

"Wow...that was a lot of snow!" -Suz, pausing from singing J Mraz as we passed our first pile of white crusty stuff.

"Look! A mountain. AND snow!" -Suz, looking at a brown grassy knoll speckled with white.

"Ooooo....preeeeeetty. Look at the icicles!!!" -Suz

"Jason texted me to have fun in the snow and not get burned. Doesn't he know fire won't light in the snow?"

Ben laughs... "Are you joking? Can I blog this?"
"Only if you tell me what you're talking about... Is it a special snow thing?"
"What else could "burn" mean?"
"Um... When someone gets mean all up in your face?" --Suz

"I'd probably kill you if you Told someone else their eyes are pretty."-- Suz

Before seeing midnight fireworks at Appalachian Ski Mountain on New Years:

"You love fireworks don't you?" --Ben
"They're sparkles and fire!" --Suz
"What more do u need?"
"We should call them firesparkles."

While trying to hold hands at App Ski Mtn:

"It's hard to inter-digitize wearing gloves." --Ben
Suz laughs
"It's just a fact of life."

Ben trying to show Suz how to snowboard:

"Are you watching them get on and off their snowboards?" --Ben
"No. I'm mostly looking at what they're wearing." --Suz

Thing you only find in North Carolina:

Snow

Jack-in-the-Box restaurant

Ben and Susannah on New Years'

Southern accents at a ski resort

Lighted crosses on a hill (no joke)

Baby It's Cold Outside...

Thursday the temperature 45 degrees, Friday it was 25 degrees plus windchill. That makes a HUGE difference when you're in snow! It also means that (for some reason unknown to economists) many business and local attractions are actually CLOSED despite the natural beauty of the area and the many tourists at this time of year.

Closed: Blue Ridge Mtn. Parkway, Grandfather Mtn

We drove to Linville, hoping to see the Linville Gorge-- advertised as the "Grand Canyon" of North Carolina (not even of the South or Southeast... interesting...) The Gorge and cave were CLOSED, but the 20-mi drive to Linville was GORGEOUS and well worth it.

The Blue Ridge Parkway may be "closed", but Ben found a way to "drive it anyway."

Ben showed me how to kick down large, tall icicles. He is so happy!

Our destruction!

Susannah Playing with icicles on the side of the road

They are so PREEEEEEEEETY!

Pow Wow '09

One of the biggest challenges for a Michigander living in the south is hearing all the Christmas songs about snow and seeing christmas movies where the Christmas miracles only happen when everything is covered in white. One of the world's greatest atrocities is when children in the south sing about a building a snowman and watching it melt in the sun HAVING NEVER EVEN SEEN IT!!! I guess they may have seen it before...but not enough to build a 10' snowman or have a snowball fight.

In order to help me cope with this anti-pow-itis, my beautiful girlfriend thought it would be great for us to head north on a quest for snow and some snowboarding. I'm not expecting killer, waist deep powder...I'll take whatever I can get and am going to LOVE it!

Here are some pics and quotes from the drive up start of Pow Wow '09.

"Wow...that was a lot of snow!" -Suz, pausing from singing J Mraz as we passed our first pile of white crusty stuff.

"Look! A mountain. AND snow!" -Suz, looking at a brown grassy knoll speckled with white.

"Ooooo....preeeeeetty. Look at the icicles!!!" -Suz

Things you can only find in North Carolina:

-Snow

-Jack in the Box

-Ben and Susannah on New Year's