6 Years.

Life has changed dramatically with the addition of our little Behr to our family. Our marriage has changed with the arrival of our first child. It's sweeter, it's harder, it's funner, it's more exhausting. But no matter what changes (and even when stays the same) there is no one I would rather be married to than Andree Jose Kless.

I love you sweetheart! Thanks for being my best friend, my most patient supporter, and the kindest man I've ever known. I can't wait for more and more years with you dear! I am so proud of you and all that you have done in studying and training in the ATC and in being a father who enjoys his son and loves him even when he's fussy. You're the greatest!

8 Years

Still two years short of a decade but it already feels like a lifetime! As of today Dre and I have been together, falling in love together, living the boring details of life together, being patient with each other, arguing and fighting together, having adventures together, being more and more of each other's best friend, for eight whole years. I can't believe what started eight years ago in my parents' living room, led us to a marriage, took us to Oklahoma for four months, and now finds us sitting in our own little home with a little one in the nursery.

My love, I say it a lot but it's true, I love you more and more each day. Here's to many, many more anniversaries and memories in the years to come. Leetle hug, beeeeeg kiss!

// I don't know where I'd be

Without you here with me

Life with you makes perfect sense

You're my best friend //

6 Years Ago

I love you Puppa Bear. More now than I did then. Life with you only gets better.

These Happy Golden Years

Five years ago today we promised to love one another for the rest of our lives with the rest of our lives. The road God has led us on since that day hasn't been exactly what we'd anticipated but by it we've grown more and more in trusting His hand and becoming even closer friends than we were the day we were married. If an outsider were to look at our life you would probably see the dramatic changes in some of our circumstances in the last few months and have little idea how much God has done in providing bountifully exactly what we needed when we needed (financially, spiritually, relationally), in providing by taking away or not giving us what we desired, and in faithfully drawing our hearts to Him over anything else. Through our marriage and through the way God has led both Dre and I, I have come to know God more and trust Him more completely and there is no greater gift I could hope for in our marriage than that that continues. The song "Sometimes A Light Surprises" has been on repeat on my playlist for months now and I can't summarize any better the way God has been there for us the last five years than that.

My love, I love you far more deeply and far more completely than I ever knew I could love someone five years ago. You have carried my faith when it was weak, cried with me and for me, patiently served me in big ways and small ways, sought to bless me and make me smile every day, and been my best friend in the tenderest ways. I love the man you are: the hard-worker, the joker, the sports fan, and the loyal friend. I love the way you wholeheartedly pursue the things that you love whether it be learning your job as an ATC, DC sports teams, your friends, or whatever random item catches your interest that you spend hours learning about via books and the internet. I can't wait for the next fifty years by your side.

To our friends and family, we can't imagine life these five years without your influence, fellowship, laughter, and support. Whether you were co-workers, care group members, friends from high school, or people God randomly put in our lives we are grateful for you and the fact that our marriage is full to the brim of dear friends who love both of us.

And now we're off! To spend our traditional weekend in DC to celebrate. This year we're bringing 'with' us someone extra, name unknown, and estimated date of arrival into our arms in early December... Meet our Sweet Baby K!  

What a five years!!

Florida Anniversary Trip

Well really we went to Florida for a wedding that Dre was second-shooting with the one and only Kristen Leigh. Buuuut then the snowpocalypse came to Maryland we couldn't get home. We left Thursday morning and arrived home today, a full week later. (We really, really tried. Four separate flights were cancelled. Thankfully we didn't wind up on one of the flights that left Orlando and got stuck in Midway. Because of the sweet deals we got on a hotel, car, and flights the initial trip was essentially "free" for us and because we were expecting to leave every day our costs remained much smaller than they probably would have been if we had planned to be in Florida for week. And because of the snow at home Dre only missed an unplanned 6-hours of work which, considering we were gone so long is impressive.) Whew! What an adventure. Because it was an unexpectedly long trip I didn't bring my computer and had a blissful full week away from my laptop. For the first time in a long time I went nearly 7 days without work or email (other than a few things I could do on my phone and 4 hours of email at Panera one afternoon). It was so relaxing!

We had a blast with our "new friend" Kristen too. Dre kept declaring how we were actually friends now since we had been snowed out of Maryland together and spent a full week together without killing each other. He's a funny boy. We went to the movies, saw the last nighttime launch of a space shuttle (the Endeavour), went to Disney's Epcot and toured the world, spent a day at the beach in the sun (though huddled under blankets by the time the sun was setting), and did the general sleeping, eating, and talking that comes with most vacations.

On our unexpectedly long trip we wound up spending our 6-year anniversary of being an "us." My love bought me roses (which wound up living out their life cycle in our hotel with a blender as a vase) and surprised me with coffee to celebrate. I love him so very much and the unexpected full seven days with the love of my life was the best part of the whole trip! I don't know when the last time we've spent that long with each other without interruptions for work or anything else has been.

Sail away with me honey

I put my heart in your hands

Sail away with me

What will be will be

I wanna hold you now

Taken from my journal on February 8th 2004 (the night before we began): "Where did this boy come from and where in the world did he learn to make me speechless? I think he's the only one who has ever made me feel as uncertain yet... confident about anything." I'm certainly more in love with you today than I was 6-years ago my dear yet still feel the same way: you make me speechless. I cannot wait to continue to enjoy the adventure of being married to you and sharing life together continue! Loveyoumuchmostbeautifuldarling.

Photo by Kristen. Everyone should take a professional photographer on their anniversary trip. You get a fresh batch of cute pics just from hanging out together. ;-)

Anniversary Good Times

How is that our anniversary was already two weeks ago? Cr-azy times; this year is flying by so fast!! We were blessed by a night away at our (or at least my) all time favorite hotel brand in the world for our anniversary. I can't describe how unbelievable it is to the recipient of the care and love of our friends even anonymously it's mind-blowing. To whoever you are, thank you!!

Andree, to bless me, surprised me with an extra night at the hotel so we headed out for a special two-days together on Thursday morning. Our first adventure was heading over to explore Leesburg/Warrenton area of Virginia. We then had a yummy lunch at Wegman's and headed into DC. After checking in and a short lie down we headed out into the rain to the Nats game. For the third year in a row we spent our anniversary at Nats Park (well year one was RFK). It's one of the few games we got to 'just us' and is probably my favorite game of the year no matter the outcome or the weather. This year we got to see almost two games as we came late to a double-header.

Rainy night in NatsTown but we had fun. :-)

The next day we slept in (probably the first time we'd slept in together in weeks with Andree's new work schedule) and had a lazy morning with quiet times together, Martha Stewart on TV, and coffee and treats from the Dunkin Donuts across the street. It was pretty wet out so we took a short walk around the neighborhood and did some window shopping, got Chipotle, and went back to the hotel for naps.
The adventure for that evening was seeing Up! at the Regal theater a few blocks away. The short was my favorite part of the movie. Dre loves Pixar and loved the movie. I can't wait to have little ones to watch that movie with again because it really was such a sweet story. ("I was hiding under your porch because I looove you!") After the movie we went to Gordon Bierch for a late dinner and perhaps for the first time ordered the same thing. And both licked our plates clean!

Puppa Bear outside the hotel waiting for our car. The location of this one is amazing. Within less than a block of the Verizon Center, the National Portrait Gallery, and plenty of places to eat.

It was so hard to go back to real life after such a relaxing and sweet time just being together uninterrupted. Life has been very busy lately and my husband truly gave me the best gift I could ask for as an anniversary present: him and his time and attention for 48 hours. I am so blessed to be Andree's wife and to count him as my best friend; I never tire of spending time with him.

3 Years Ago Today

Baby, I can't believe it's been three years. Can't believe it's only been three and can't believe that it's already been three. Being married is so much more than I could have ever imagined and I am so grateful that God made us for each other and is actively sustaining and drawing us closer together every year.

i love you much (most beautiful darling)
more than anyone on the earth and i
like you better than everything in the sky
-sunlight and singing welcome your coming
although winter may be everywhere
with such a silence and such a darkness
no one can quite begin to guess
(except my life) the true time of year-
and if what calls itself a world should have the luck to hear such singing (or glimpse such
sunlight as will leap higher than high
through gayer than gayest someone's heart at your each
nearness) everyone certainly would(my
most beautiful darling) believe in nothing but love

(e.e. cummings)

I love him more than I did 1095 days ago...

now i love you and you love me
(and books are shutter
than books can be)
and deep in the high that does nothing but fall
(with a shout each
around we go all)
there's somebody calling who's we

we're anything brighter than even the sun
(we're everything greater
than books might mean)
we're ever anything more than believe
(with a spin leap
alive we're alive)
we're wonderful one times one
(e.e. cummings)

I love him more this instant than I did 26,256 hours ago...

when we were itty bitty newlyweds heading off into our proverbial sunset (in a light blue Mustang my honey loved driving oh so much).

You’re more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Every time I look at you
I don’t know where I’d be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
You’re my best friend

(Tim McGraw)

after 711,244,800 seconds without him as my husband...

I've now spent 94,435,200 seconds being led by, cared for, and selflessly served by the most amazing husband in the world. I can't wait for all the seconds to come.

Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

(Rascal Flatts)

156 Weeks Ago...

I married the person that makes me laugh more than anyone else in the world. To me, he's even funnier than Mike Birbiglia. ;-)

Sweet wonderful you,
You make me happy with the things you do,
Oh, can it be so,
This feeling follows me wherever I go...
You, you make loving fun,
And I don't have to tell you you're the only one...
You make loving fun.
You make loving fun.

(Fleetwood Mac)

1091 Days Ago...

I married the boy who knows me best. And I'm so grateful for how patient he is when I fail to communicate and how gently he pursues asking me the all important "what's up" questions.

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skillfully, mysteriously) her first rose
or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the colour of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands

(e.e. cummings)

1090 Days Ago...

I married my best friend. And it's only gotten better every day since.

I'm awake, you're still sleeping
The sun will rise like yesterday
I hope tomorrow is like today

(Guster)

We're Still Here!!

This is a rare occurrence these days. Andreé and I are both home. We've eaten dinner. And now we have nothing to do... glorious! As I hope you assumed from the lack of blog posting it has been a busy (!!) few weeks in the Kless home. It's been fun but whew am I grateful for a quiet night at home.

- We celebrated our five-year anniversary on February 9th. (Five years since "Super Monday" when this whole thing started!) I surprised Andree with a weekend in DC to celebrate. We spent the entire day Saturday at the recently reopened National Museum of History. I think they did a great job with the changes, though I did miss the giant pendulum in the entrance to the museum. That always made me think of Mrs. Griney field trips. The "new museum" is much more interactive and after spending literally hours in the transportation exhibit following Dre around I was pretty excited about some day bringing our little boy to see it all. (If he's anything like his daddy he will love trains, cars, airplanes, and anything that moves!) Seriously, we spent like 2 hours in that one exhibit. After the museum we checked into our hotel and then ventured to Morton's Steakhouse to enjoy a delicious meal made possible by generous friends. (Thank you!! :-P) The next morning we went to Trader Joe's and did some grocery shopping for the week ahead while still downtown, sat on a bench and read together in the sunshine, and went exploring at Eastern Market. It was a sweet, sweet time of being together in the midst of such a busy season and I'm grateful for Janners for helping me scoop the super hotel deal that made it all possible! (TravelZoo makes all your dreams come true even in a recession... or at least some of them... with wisdom...)

(cheesin' it up for the iPhone in Georgetown after dinner)

- We The Posterity is a blog that one of our close friends Seth Remsnyder began several months ago. Andree went to the March for Life with some of the KG and live-blogged about it for the blog. We definitely have a heart for the goals Seth and the team are seeking to begin to stir up and accomplish through the blog and are praying about how God will use these efforts. All that being said... check out the blog! Seth is working hard to keep it updated regularly with information you may not come across yourself about abortion and the anti-abortion movement.

- Andree is participating in a study at NIH testing fat cells to bring in a few extra dollars this year. The study takes place over twelve months and provides him with nutrition classes and weight loss help. It's not all fun and games though. Andree has to go in to do over-nights at the Bethesda campus of NIH every six weeks where they stick all kinds of scary tubes and things in him. I didn't like the coincidental timing of his first overnight being almost exactly five years after he was in the hospital for pneumothorax. Thankfully Andree tolerates doctors much better than I do and even enjoys the poking and prodding--or at least finds the "why's" behind the poking and prodding interesting enough to be worth the discomfort. Next time you see him you should ask him about "the bod pod."

Those are the "big" happenings in our little world during the months this blog has been silent. We also had a really fun day-trip to the Baltimore Aquarium with the Klesses and enjoyed the opportunity to make memories with them. I don't think I'd been to the Aquarium since I was in Middle School or so. We've had a blast hanging out with "new" friends like the Simpsons and the Grudens as well as old ones like the Remys who recently introduced us to Settlers of Cataan. We've had some fun snow days with our favorite Squama who thankfully shares most of our favorite food choices which makes hanging out even easier.
And of course spending time with the rockin' KG! We can't believe the original KG has almost doubled! from the initial 10 to now 18 amazing singles that we get to spend every Tuesday with and when we're lucky a Friday or Saturday as well and the occasional late night chattin' it up wherever we find ourselves. Oh and the best part of our increase in size has been going from 3 wonderful godly guys to 8! While I think it's a little sad that Dre doesn't get to have spontaneous guy-time anymore when only one guy would be able to make it to men's meeting it is awfully fun to count off on men's/ladies' nights in a rush to figure out who gets the living room: I never imagined it would be possible for the girls to be out-numbered! [Oh goodness and I forgot to even mention the incredible 24-hour (literally from door step to door step for Dre and I) that we took to NYC with the KG crew. We had a blast!!]

(pc credit Lydia-Face)

I promise the blog won't be at least this silent in the days and weeks to come. We've got plenty actual happenings to keep it entertaining: Andreé's 27th birthday!, NCAA with the Mays & Ricucci's-to-be, another triathlon for my husband ("tune up tri" to get him ready for the upcoming season of hopefully doing a few more). And that's just through the end of the month!

where have we been?

Well the last post I wrote we were in our sweet little room at the Morrison-Clark Historic Hotel in DC. We enjoyed a great semi-spontaneous (Dre had it all planned but I had no idea 'til I was told to pack a bag on my lunchbreak) 48 hours away enjoying being together celebrating our anniversary. It was such a treat and I am so grateful to my love for planning and surprising me with such a sweet gift.
Of course it wouldn't be KlessmasTime if there was no baseball involved. We attempted to go to two games while in DC but only saw about 4 innings of baseball due to the rain. Any Marylanders remember the huge storm that swept through on 6/4 (our anniversary). We spent hours at the stadium that night: I loved watching the majesty of the storm over the outfield while Dre hid under the stairs avoiding the rain and pondering when we should go hide out in the bathroom in case a tornado came through. It was was intense weather!--Even with the rain we had a great time making the memory together. After we left the park on our anniversary we went out to dinner and had a great time together just "being." In such a busy season of life these days it is so nice to just "be" together sometimes. It's more refreshing than anything I know.
Within 48 hours of coming home we packed up again and headed off to the Poconos for a family vacation with the Price family. Mom and Dad rented essentially a condo at Lake Harmony and the fam. plus Murray (who may as well be family) enjoyed a long weekend together. Grandma and Grandpa and Alice even came up for an overnight which was sweet. We enjoyed meals together, laughing, caricatures, and being a family under the same roof again. Thank you Mom and Dad!--About a week before our trip Andree realized that the NASCAR race that weekend was going to be in the Poconos. He looked it up and it was less than 8 miles away from the place we were staying. How could we not go?!? ;-) Cynth, Mur, and I only survived about an hour of the race (though we were there for at least 3 hours before the race) before we packed up and started walking 'til Dad found us and brought us home. Andree stuck out the race and had a great time making friends in the stands! The picture above is our little family of race fans: Andree roots for Ryan Newman, Dronks roots for Tony Stewart (they have matching attitudes), and I root for Reed Sorenson, aka the Target car!

That's it for our summer adventures so far. Other than that we've been working hard at our jobs, trusting God and planning for the future, and enjoying special times with our families and friends when we can coordinate schedules. Life is full and it's good. We are blessed!

(Janelle, this is for you. Girlie loves her bows. :-P)

2 Years!

Happy Anniversary to you my darling! I love you more today than I ever would have imagined possible. Life with you is never boring, constantly a joy (and entertaining my little OCD husband), and the greatest gift God has given me. I'm so grateful for everything we've walked through over the last two years and cannot wait to see what He has ahead for us. I'm so grateful that no matter what comes I know I will have your hand to hold and your shoulder to cry on (when I'm not hiding and crying like the uber mature wife I am).


Andree completely surprised me and "kidnapped" me for 48 hours in DC. We're staying at the Morrison-Clark Inn two blocks from the Convention Center and were upgraded to the cutest little "Victorian" room for being such cute love birds. So far we've eaten Five Guys, enjoyed a Nats game (complete with a torrential downpour and free t-shirts), got Chinese food for a midnight snack and ate it in bed. Ahhh life without little Dronkies crawling around. ;-) Yup, you read that right: Andree (and I) left all of them at home. I think they'll survive. I'm looking forward to the rest of our time together and am so extremely grateful for my thoughtful honey who planned this special time for us just to bless and surprise me.

Even Cuter...

Our three year anniversary of courtship was yesterday.--Their twenty-six year anniversary of courtship is today. It even got Mom to update her blog! :-P
We may be cute but I think my folks are even cuter. ;-) We love you!!

Happy 5th!

Something about February and being a Kless means sickness happens. Last year Andree was sick over Valentine's. This year I've been feeling off for about a week but the worst of it was this weekend with a fever (which I never get!), a cough, headache, and being up all night throwing up (happy thoughts?). My darling husband has been heroic in taking care of me. He has been quick to serve me and has done everything he could to make me feel more comfortable, keeping me covered in blankets and surrounded by well-wishing Dronkeys. (Don't worry only one of the girls got sick, the rest were spared.) He's huggled (hug + snuggle) me, made Gatorade-runs, taken my temperature, cooked me French fries and Chicken with Stars soup, and picked up after me. He cleaned the kitchen on Sunday simply to serve me because he knows how agitated it makes me to have a messy kitchen--even when I'm sick.

Love, thank you for laying down your life for me this weekend. For being patient with me while I'm sick and crazy and laughing at me when I try to say I'm fine. For serving me selflessly and doing things just the way I like them even if it doesn't matter to you. Thank you for praying for me out loud and encouraging me. Three years ago ::today:: you asked me into a courtship and we began "officially" explore, discuss, and wonder about marriage--to each other! I am so grateful that you are the man God created me for and who was created for me. You are the perfect husband and the best friend I could ever have. I am so grateful to be able to be the recipient of your love. Thank you for the way you have sought to pursue excellence in being a husband. You are the best!

HTAMENGRAKIOSOFUNYK

HTAMENGRAKIOSOFUNYK = "Thank you for asking me!"

Mamma, thank your for saying yes! ...Well technically you didn't say anything, but I'm assuming that coming this far together counts! ;-)

-puppa

two years ago tonight...

Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a plumb
You came along and everything started to hum
Still it's a real good bet, the best is yet to come

The best is yet to come, and won't that be fine
You think you've seen the sun, but you ain't seen it shine

Wait till the warm-up is underway
Wait till out lips have met
Wait till you see that sunshine day
You ain't seen nothin' yet

The best is yet to come, and won't that be fine
The best is yet to come, come the day that your mine

Come the day that your mine
I'm gonna teach you to fly
We've only tasted the wine
We're gonna drain that cup dry

Wait till your charms are right, for the arms to surround
You think you've flown before, but you ain't left the ground

Wait till you're locked in my embrace
Wait till I hold you near
Wait till you see that sunshine place
There ain't nothin' like it here

The best is yet to come, and won't that be fine
The best is yet to come, come the day that your mine

(The Best Is Yet To Come, Carolyn Leigh)