First Anniversary

Our first wedding anniversary was spent northwestern style in the lovely city of Seattle. They say when its sunny in Seattle, there's no better place to be. And lucky for us, although fall was in the air and it was a little chilly, it was sunny the entire time!

We had a very fun, relaxed weekend. We chose Pike's Market as the place to meet our friends Jennifer and Dan. I snapped this shot of one of the flower stands. They had gorgeous bouquets...some as cheap as $5. If we ever happen to move to Seattle and are near the market, I will have fresh flowers all the time.



Our Saturday was spent at a local bar watching the Notre Dame vs. Washington football game. It was a very exciting game indeed! We were able to see Jennifer & Dan's new house right off of Alki Beach and had dinner at a local spot where we had clam chowder and fish and chips. Yum.

On Sunday, I got to check another baseball stadium off of my list, as we went to Safeco Field to watch the Mariners play their last game of the season. Nate scored Terrace Club seats from a scalper, which had an enclosed indoor area where the food and drink stands were. The perfect place to go when you needed to warm up!





We were lucky enough to see what was probably Ken Griffey Jr's last game. He received standing ovations from the fans every time he came up to bat. On his final at bat, all the fans were cheering "One More Year" as he took his last swing. He got a hit up the middle, a great way to end a career. The fans went crazy and Griffey came out for a curtain call. It was really wonderful to experience.



Nate took me around the park and showed me all the great vantage points. They actually have fan level viewing of the dugouts. It's really cool to be able to see the pitchers warm up and it's an entirely different perspective of the field.







The Mariners ended up winning the game too!



For our anniversary dinner, we had one of the most extravigant meals we've had as a couple. We dined at Spring Hill in West Seattle. Nate had found the restaurant in one of his Food & Wine magazines and it really lived up to the hype - and expense!

Their menu was interesting, as they didn't divide things by courses, but instead by the type of food (e.g. pasta, vegetables, fish, etc.). They also had many tapa-style dishes (small plates), as well as items with an MC next to them, meaning main course.

Nate and I shared many plates and it was all phenomenal. One of my favorites, which I sadly did not get a picture of, was the roasted chanterelles. They were served with grits, parmesan and a bath cooked egg. Heaven in a bowl! The scallops were another of my favorites and they were served with a green-tomato gribiche and tokyo turnips. Don't they look divine?



By far Nate's favorite was the duck egg yolk raviolo, with green sauce, duck ham, and garlic chips. It was one expensive piece of pasta, but so worth it...



Thinking back over the last year, it really is amazing how quickly our first anniversary arrived. It was a year with many fun times, good experiences and life moments that brought us closer together. I'm looking forward to many more years! And what could be more romantic then the skyline of Seattle at night. Just beautiful!



And although we're a little tardy, we'll be trying a piece of our frozen wedding cake tonight to finish out our first year together. Will it be one bite and then in the trash? Stay tuned for an update...