4 Blissful Years...

This Thursday, September 22, marks our 4th Anniversary together!  That's right, 4 years ago, I married my best friend, and we have been driving each other crazy ever since!  It's amazing to me to look back on the last 4 years and see where our married life has taken us!  We moved twice, once to another state.  We have had a baby, and are expecting our 2nd.  And I found a career as a stay at home mom, while Derik has been promoted to owning his own Fleming's!  A lot can change in 4 years, and that really isn't a long time!


Well, another anniversary (in our house) means another REALLY hard shopping trip!  We both have the hardest time shopping for each other on our anniversary, especially since we have 2!!  (You have to know us really well, to know the details there!!  It will be interesting to know who reads this, by the number of questions I get about that topic!!!)  Anyways... we usually stick strictly to the traditional anniversary gifts!  The first 2 years... I failed miserably at this, while Derik put me to shame!  Year 3... Derik was stumped to say the least!  I got a leather luggage tag!  When I opened it, he said IM SORRY!  I got him a wallet, and the year before he got me a onesie (I was pregnant!!) while I gave him a bag of cotton balls!!!  We have taken turns at being the bad gift giver!!!

This year the gift is supposed to be Flowers & Fruit.  Seriously when I read it I thought, WHAT???  If I send Derik flowers, everyone will make fun of him!  So, I thought I would send him an Edible Arrangement!!!  That mixes both, and he will love to eat it!  After pricing that out, I decided it wasn't worth it!  $70 for an arrangement of fruit... no no!!  So, I took it upon myself to create something similar!

My original thought was to take pineapple slices, make them flowers, dip them in chocolate, and add cantalope melon balls in the middle... well, that didn't work!  I have never cut a pineapple up before, and it made the biggest juicy mess EVER!  So, thankfully I had a plan b!  I made sugar cookie dough, and cut out flowers!  I made little cookie balls for the center of the flower and put a little icing under to make them stick!

 Of course, I had to let Abbie try one!  She didn't like it at all... hahaha!  She stuffed the whole thing in her mouth and backed away, like DONT YOU TRY TO TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME!

After I got the chocolate heated up, I drizzled the cookies with chocolate, and added some sprinkles!  

For "garnish", I dipped strawberries, cut up bananas, and pineapple pieces in chocolate and used them to decorate with!  

After putting everything on the plate, it kind of became a mound of chocolate, but who is going to complain about that!!  So, to close... Derik has flowers and fruit for our anniversary!!  TOP THAT BABE!!!  Just kidding... but I think my gift qualifies me for the good gifter category this year!

I love you so much, Derik.  Even though we have our ups and downs... you are my best friend, and I am so glad that you gave me the opportunity to spend the rest of my life with you!  Happy Anniversary!

 - Jessica