By Leslie and Robert
This weekend we said goodbye to our first home. Here are our favorite moments from 915 Rosemary Drive.
Bringing Draper Home
This was back when he was afraid of steps
We will always remember the day we brought home Draper Dog. He had a big ole head and the culinary disposition of a San Francisco hipster blogger. At first we thought he was born without spirit and without personality, but no, just a serious allergy to poultry, pork, and red meat. If you’re wondering if grass fed free range bison bites with sweet potato blend costs more than regular dog food... it does. But nothing but the best for our wild beast of an animal.
Our Garden
When we first moved into our house it was the early winter and most everything appeared to be either very sad or very dead. Then spring came and out of nowhere, our yard came to life. It was a home to tulips, peonies, and daisies. AND THEN thanks to the annoyingly and endlessly talented garden aficionado, Meg Kennedy, our garden went through an extreme makeover. It would be in this blissfully beautiful botanical paradise that a monarch butterfly would spring from its chrysalis and take off for its very first flight, right from my hands! Its a memory I will always cherish thanks to the wondrous and kind Meg Kennedy!
New Year’s Eve
The tequila of holidays, it can be really fun, you can be really hungover the next day, but most importantly, there is a huge disparity between a good one and a bad one. During this past year’s party, preparation met exact execution and everything came together for an unforgettable night. We had Bryson and Philip battling on the beer pong table. We had Ben’s shirt bending light and time (don’t look directly at it). We had Zack Hubbard AND Sarah Walker. If you get either one at a party you’re thrilled. If you get them both, shut it down. And for god sakes, we had DJ Deuce A.K.A. YaboyDC A.K.A. Carter Sauce, A.K.A. JosephLakinWilson A.K.A. Chef BoyarDrewby on the turn tables. That’s right; this party had a professional DJ.
Summer Grilling
Is there anything more American than a good old fashioned summer grill out? It was like being back to College – every weekend we would squad at least 10 deep (back then it was usually 10 dudes, but nobody needs to know that). Whether it was Meg bringing out the Fox Hollow Farm beef or Yaboy LITERALLY throwing a football over our house and LITERALLY hitting me in the hands, or me getting video footage of Leslie dancing to Biggie, it was the best of times with the best of friends.
La Rixman Cantina
How do you thank your parents for the wedding of your dreams? You can’t really, but we took a stab at it by inviting them out to Rixman Cantina for the evening! The secret to a great party: a “Make your own fresh Margarita bar.” Hand squeezed fresh lime juice intermingles with blue agave nectar and 100% Anejo Tequila in such a way that it will ruin all other margaritas for the rest of your life. We then built our own Cheesy Gordita Crunches, enjoyed chips and queso [cheese] dip, and finished the meal with homemade rum and cinnamon horchata (brand name redacted) ice cream! Nothing says “Thank you” like having your parents drive 45 minutes to your house to construct their own food and their own drinks, by hand. In all seriousness, it was great time with great parents!
Operation Ring Retrieval
What could have been an absolutely terrible memory turned out to be not so bad. Leslie texts that "something terrible has happened," but refused to give specifics. It turns out her wedding band fell off the sink, rolled into the air vent, dropped down a few feet, and rolled out onto a tiny ledge no wider than the ring itself. Out of a million drops, this was the one time it didn't fall into oblivion for eternity. So, I wrapped my hand in masking tape like "The Sticky Bandits" and praise Tebow was able to retrieve it.
The Great Dane
Nico writing his speech
It wasn’t with pomp and circumstance that a young Dane found himself in Louisville in the waning days of late summer. He arrived near dusk at the Greyhound bus terminal on a balmy Tuesday. The day was as ordinary as days come and the place was as ordinary as places come. Yet the man was no ordinary man. From the rehearsal toast out of a Meg Ryan movie, to the antics in the groomsmen suite, to the moves of a forgotten time on the wedding dance floor, this Dane pitched the preverbal perfect game. But with all that, the best times were had telling stories and playing FIFA in the basement. My friend was back for a bit. The week wouldn’t have been the same without him and Louisville will never be the same again.
O Christmas Tree
When we originally moved in it was just in time for Christmas but I royally screwed up. I wouldn’t let Bob get us a tree let alone decorate for the holiday because I thought it was too stressful for some reason and not to mention my time in the retail industry had soured Christmas for me (editor’s note: Leslie is the Grinch). The following Christmas, I wasn’t going to let that happen again. I was ready to see a brightly lit Christmas tree in our stain glass window. One Sunday in November Robert and I treated ourselves to a Starbucks Red Cup and ventured to Lowes to find the perfect pre-lit Christmas tree. Nothing like the “real thing.” Decorated with a lifetime of ornaments (finally all those Christmas gifts had meaning!), our tree was aglow! (Editor’s note: Don’t tell Leslie that I ripped the power cord in half and ruined the tree forever when boxing it up). Leslie's heart grew three sizes!
All the Days in Between
Those days when I would beat Robert home from work and the weather would be nice so I could open the front door and let the sunshine through. Then Draper and I would eagerly await Bob’s arrival home. Once we saw his car pull up on the parking pad Draper would get super excited wagging his tail and pawing at the storm door. As Bob walked up our sidewalk I’d release Draper to race to Bob at top speed. Drapey would then escort Bob to the door and we could all embrace! Bob was home!
It was old, it leaked at times, it needed paint, it needed yard work, it needed repairs, it was flawed, it was perfect, it was home.
