Team Hollowell: First Year

As I'm writing this, we have already had our first anniversary! We had an awesome first year of marriage... it was busy and seemed to fly by. Some of my favorite moments that I don't want to forget:

1. First Thanksgiving - We drove to Memphis to spend the first part of Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family and then drove to Southaven to see Tripp's side of the fam! We LOVED getting to see family and Grayson! The name Team Hollowell actually originated from Tripp's sister's family... They use Team Bettis and Tripp and I started using "Team Hollowell" after them years ago. I decided the concept should stay in the family, but we can't take the credit!

Uncle "Tip" letting Grayson play with the ornaments :)

2. First Christmas together - we decided way before we even got engaged how we would spend holidays with both of our families. We agreed to not split holidays and do whatever it takes to see both of our families on Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, we spent Christmas Eve & Morning with my family in NWA and then we left for Helena on Christmas afternoon... to be there in time for Christmas day dinner! Most people think traveling on Christmas day sounds miserable, but it really wasn't - we were able to spend time with just the two of us and I'm actually looking forward to it again this year. We went to Christmas Eve Mass at SVdP and just enjoyed time with family. One of the best memories of this Christmas was when some of the boy cousins started opening furry Alaskan thongs they received from my GRANDPARENTS! It was hilarious and they all decided to model their gifts. We were in tears laughing so hard... Tripp got pretty comfy with my family... quick! Never a dull moment.

This first pic is of our first Christmas tree - As it felt like Christmas was right after the wedding, we didn't decorate much for Christmas... that has changed this year ;)

To explain the below pics, we all stay at my Memom & Rannan's house in Fayetteville... all 20 of us and it is wonderful. Love a big fam.

Now Christmas in Helena!

Here is our first Christmas Card as the Hollowells! I love Christmas Cards and had so much fun with this one because it showed our wedding pics... and one from the honeymoon :)

It was a tri-fold with our message on the middle when you opened it.

3. First New Year's Eve - We layed low for this one... stayed in NWA and went to dinner with my fam!

4. The Indoor Flood - One day after work in Jan., Tripp called me in a panic saying that I needed to hurry home because our house was flooded. I didn't understand exactly what this meant, but the bottom level of the house was sitting in about 6 inches of water. It was not fun and took over a month to get back to normal. We couldn't cook in the kitchen, wash dishes, we had to get new hardwood floors, painted walls, etc etc. We ended up living on the second floor of the house and this was during the record-breaking 20+ inches of snow we had in NWA. It was nuts!

After being stuck in the house for way to long, I begged and pleaded with Tripp to get OUT of the house and take a field trip to Starbucks... He's a trooper.

5. Breaking the Bed - this isn't how it sounds... but it's true. After finally getting the house back in order after the flood and getting ready for our first night to sleep in our regular bed... I broke the bed. I was SO excited to be back in our room and decided I would jump on the bed and do some crazy superman mid-air move on my way down to the mattress. I hit the mattress (Tripp is already all comfy and half asleep in the bed he's been waiting to sleep in for over a month) and BOOM CRACCCKK... We weren't laying flat and the bed was shaped like a V. I broke the bed - that'll kill a girl's confidence. UGH! We couldn't help but start laughing... and then we came to the realization that we wouldn't be able to sleep in the bed that I just ruined. Sooo... back upstairs we went. The next day - Tripp repaired the damage and threatened me with any superman moves in the near future... ;)

6. Valentine's Day - Tripp brought me a Sonic drink and these flowers during my lunch break at Rockfish. My co-workers had to make me eventually throw the dead flowers away... I loved 'em!

7. First Meals - I'm no cook. Tripp DID know this before asking me to marry him, so I don't lose sleep over it. It is a skill I will learn sometime, just not right now ;) Bless him for choosing me. We did have fun cooking some of our first meals. I can say "we" because I did make this chicken salad and Tripp had many compliments. Miracle!

8. The outside flood - Tripp and I both had to leave work early in April because apparently our neighborhood had flooded and we wouldn't be able to get to our driveway soon due to the water. Tripp made it home before I did and the first pic is of him walking knee deep in water to help drive the Highlander through the water to get home. Craziness!! We didn't have any house damage thank goodness.

9. The Lake - We LOVE the lake and had some fun summer weekends this year on the Beaver lake with friends and family. I don't have any pictures to show here (this year's new year's resolution will hopefully solve this problem in the future)...

10. New Jobs - Both Tripp and I were blessed with great jobs out of college. I worked for Rockfish Interactive, a digital marketing agency, and Tripp worked for Maurice Sporting Goods, a vendor to Walmart. Living in Fayetteville, we both worked for companies located in Rogers/Bville. In August & September, we both had great opportunities come our way... I joined Saatchi & Saatchi X in Fayetteville and Tripp joined Clorox (he is still in Bentonville). We were able to both go through the new job adjustment period together and it worked out great. Thankful. Blessed. Mucho.

11. New Car - Well, soon after the "Shamry" (my 1999 maroon Camry I got on my 16th birthday) was diagnosed with a deadly prognosis... we decided it was time to get a new car. I honestly wanted to drive the Shamry until we couldn't any longer, but Tripp had so kindly been driving the car back and forth from Rogers everyday and was a tad concerned for his safety ;) Apparently the Shamry was shaking and making some funny noises (and had been for a while)... so, we added a new member of Team Hollowell! We haven't come up with a good name yet. Stay tuned.

12. Family Time - We spent lots of time this year with family... tailgating, on holidays, Sunday night dinners after church, etc etc. We even gained some new family Members... here are some pics :)