In celebration of our 12th wedding anniversary,
Kori and I decided to list our 10 favorite memories with each other. It was really fun coming up with the list, as
anytime I spend reminiscing about Kori is time well spent. Without further ado, here are my top 10
memories with Kori:
#10. The Village. In August 2004, Kori and I were
staying with her parents in central Florida waiting to ship out for the Navy
when Hurricane Charley came through. We went days without electricity, running
water or air conditioning in the sweltering Florida August heat. It was not a
fun time. We happened to come across a strip mall that inexplicably had power
and a movie theater. Kori and I sat in that air conditioned theater and for two
hours, letting M. Night Shyamalan help us forget about how miserable things
were outside of the theater walls. I
remember walking out of the theater, back into the dystopian
life that was post-hurricane central Florida and thinking how grateful I was
for the wonderful things in my life—with the best part being the beautiful
woman walking next to me. Nothing is as
bad as it seems when you have someone you love next to you.
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| A shot of the damage from Hurricane Charley. |
#9. Baseball Cards. When we lived in Lexington, there
was a truck stop that we periodically would stop at to gas up. Inside, they had “grab bags” of baseball
cards. It would be a pack of cards, but
not in a factory sealed package. Rather,
it was simply someone who took a bunch of their old cards, separated them into
25 card stacks, put a rubber band around them, and sold them for a $1
each. One time, Kori came out of the
truck stop with a pack. There was never
anything good in those packs, so I couldn’t believe my eyes when I came across
an Alan Trammell card. Trammell was one
of the best players in the game and was my all-time favorite player. I squealed like a school girl as I showed
Kori (“Look! I got an Alan
Trammell! This is so awesome!!”) Eventually, I turned my attention back to the
remaining cards and found myself again amazed.
“Oh my gosh—there’s another Trammell card! What are the odds? I can’t believe this!!!” I think after the 4th Trammell card
I realized that something was up. It turned out that Kori ordered a bunch of
Alan Trammell cards from EBay then quickly inserted them into the pack. It was an extremely thoughtful gesture. It wasn’t even my birthday or Christmas. Just a random thoughtful surprise and another
example of the wonderful person Kori is.
#8. Disney (Sans Kids). Kori planned a Disney World vacation for the
family in 2012. It was the kid’s first
Disney experience and everyone loved it.
We rented a house for the week and various friends and family came up
for a day or two at a time to stay with us--it was great. My favorite memory from that trip was when a
family friend agreed to watch the kids at the house while Kori and I went to
one of the parks. I had so much fun. As is a traditional parents’ lament, before
we had kids, Kori and I used to do all sorts of fun things. We took trips,
would see movies in an actual movie theater, and we’d go to amusement
parks. So with the kids safely back at
the rental house (no, we weren’t mean parents who left their kids home
twiddling their thumbs while we went to Disney—the rental house had a pool and
an awesome game room. Trust us, the kids
were living large) Kori and I went to Hollywood Studios and rode all the “big
rides” that we had been missing out on because the kids were too small to
ride. I loved walking through the park
together, standing in line holding hands, and just being “us” again. It was as if we went back in time 10 years
and I loved every second of it.
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| We were having too much fun to take photos, but here's a photo of the Tower of Terror. It's one of the rides we were able to go on since we didn't have the kids with us. |
#7. All Star Game. I love baseball and my favorite team is the
Detroit Tigers. In 2005, the Tigers
hosted the MLB All-Star Game, which happened to coincide with my 30th
birthday. Lo and behold, Kori surprised
me with a trip to Detroit. From start to
finish, we had a blast, but my favorite memory was the home run derby—it was
such an awesome event. Ivan Rodriguez (a
Tiger at the time) was in the competition, and he made it all the way into the
finals. So there was already a buzz in
the air. To top it off, Bobby Abreu set
a record (which still stands today) for most home runs hit. With each successive blast, the crowed became
even more frenzied. It was so
incredible—40,000 people all on their feet gasping with amazement. With seemingly every pitch, Kori and I were
giving each other high-fives and screaming, “Oh my gosh! Did you see where that one landed? That was incredible!!” It truly was incredible, and it was made so
much better by sharing that moment with my best friend.
#6. Snorkeling.
Kori and I went on a cruise a couple months ago. It was a wonderful experience-- just the two
of us for five days and four blissful nights in the Caribbean. There are so many wonderful memories but the
one that stands out the most was when we went snorkeling on Coco Cay in the
Bahamas. There was something so peaceful
and serene about it. We were underwater,
essentially in another world. We saw
cool looking rocks and all sorts of aquatic life. And it was eerily quiet—the only sounds being
the Darth Vader-like breathing taking place with the snorkel gear. For a while, we had an entire little cove to
ourselves. We played and splashed around
like we were kids. In an entire trip of
nothing but amazing memories, those couple hours stand out as my favorite.
#5. Dinner at Texas Roadhouse. I’m cheating a bit here, because this isn’t a
specific memory. But when I think of my
all-time favorite moments, I can’t help but think about the time spent having
dinner at the Texas Roadhouse with Kori.
For sure there are restaurants with a greater emotional connection for
us (The Colorado Fondue Co. where we ate on our honeymoon and our 2nd
Anniversary or the Melting Pot) but there’s something special about eating at
the Texas Roadhouse. The food is fine,
and the atmosphere is fun enough. But
the thing that really sticks out is that it’s “our” place. We can’t take the kids (there are peanuts
everywhere—on the tables, on the floors, on the towel by the doors) so anytime
we eat there, it’s just me and Kori.
Ever since we had kids, it’s been really hard for us to have an identity
outside that of “parent.” Seemingly
everywhere we go, it’s with kids. So
it’s nice to have a place where we can go and leave “Mommy and Daddy” home and
just be Kori and Thomas. The Texas
Roadhouse is that place for us. And for
that reason, it’s secured a place on this list.
#4. Carriage Ride.
In early 2010, we were living in Tennessee and Kori’s friend came and to
watch the kids while Kori and I went away for the weekend. This was our first time away from the
kids. Starting with the twins’ birth in
2007, our lives had been a constant blur.
We were essentially zombies. The
babies were still waking up throughout the night and seemingly every waking
hour of our lives was devoted to either work or the babies. So the thought of going away for an entire
weekend was extremely appealing. Because
we didn’t know how the kids would react to us being away, we didn’t want to go
too far away. We decided to drive to
Little Rock. We had never been there and
quite frankly, never had any inclination to go, but it was only a few hours
away so like Collin Raye, we headed out to Little Rock. We stayed at a very nice bed and breakfast
(The Empress) in the heart of the city.
It turned out to be a pretty fun trip.
Unlike every other trip we’ve made, we had no agenda when we
arrived. We just picked up a tourist
magazine and found things we thought would be fun. And it was fun. And there was really something exciting about
visiting a place we had never been and knew nothing about and just going
wherever the wind blew us. There were so many great memories about that trip,
but for me, the best was going on a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city
as the sun set. The sounds of the city
contrasted with the “clip-clop” of the horses was oddly relaxing. We just sat back and took in the scenes and
enjoyed each other’s company—something we had not done in nearly three years. It was a wonderful experience and a treasured
memory.
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| Unfortunately, this is not a photo of our actual carriage. |
#3. Kori Wins the Hugh H. Howell Award. In 2013 Kori and I attended the Navy JAG
Corps reserve training symposium in Norfolk, Virginia. It’s where all of the reserve JAGs gather to
discuss important issues. It’s a pretty
big event and most JAGs look forward to it each year. One of the most anticipated events is when
they hand out the Rear Admiral Hugh H. Howell Jr. Award of Excellence. I know what you’re thinking, but no—the award
has nothing to do with Gilligan’s Island. The Howell Award is given to the most
outstanding JAG (Lieutenant Commander or below) for that year. Each command nominates their top attorney and
then a selection board reviews all of the packages and picks the winner. Again,
it’s a pretty big deal and it’s always the most talked about event at the
symposium. As they read the accomplishments of the winner (without announcing
the name, of course) I thought to myself with a shrug, “Huh, what do you know? That sounds like Kori. They could have given
her the award, but of course she’ll never get it, because she doesn’t toot her
own horn. This stupid award is all about
politics and who you know. She doesn’t
go around brown-nosing all of the, wait a second….oh my gosh! It’s Kori!!
She won!!” I have never been so
proud. It was an unbelievable
accomplishment. She was the belle of the
ball that weekend. But, as it typical for Kori, she just shrugged it off. When we got home from the symposium and she
simply put the award in a box in the basement. I told her that if I had won it,
I’d carry it with me everywhere I went. “Oh this thing? It’s my Hugh Howell Award that I won…” I work
with someone who is also in the JAG Corps and he still periodically mentions
Kori’s Howell Award. It’s pretty darn
nice being married to someone so smart, talented, and beautiful.
#2. Dinner at the Hartness House. In 2004, following our completion of Officer
Indoctrination School in Rhode Island, Kori and I had a few days off before we
had to report back for the next phase in our Navy training. We decided to spend
that down time at a bed and breakfast in Vermont. We stayed at the Hartness House in
Springfield and had a really great time.
October in New England is a truly magical place. But what stands out above the rest is the
dinner we went to on our final night. I don’t remember what I had, but I do
remember that the food was amazing. Kori
and I still periodically mention it—“remember that meal we had in Vermont? That was that best ever…” But what does stand
out to me was how amazing Kori looked. So
while I don’t remember the food, I absolutely remember what Kori looked like. She had on a very fall-like outfit (tan
corduroy pants with an orange cashmere sweater) and was knock-out
gorgeous. If anyone ever asks me,
“what’s the best dining experience you’ve ever had” there is no question that
this night would be the answer. A
candlelit table, excellent food (whatever it was), and the most stunning dinner
date in the world. Yeah, that’s a pretty
good memory.
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| There are no photos of the dinner, but this was taken earlier in the day. What a gorgeous view (and the trees and water is pretty nice, too!) |
#1. Wedding Day.
Kori looked so beautiful that day (not that she doesn’t look beautiful
every day). But this was a different
look for her. Flowers in her hair, a
gorgeous dress, makeup. To this day it
remains the most breathtaking moment I’ve experienced—turning around as the
music began to play and seeing Kori walking towards me. I’ve never seen anything or any person more
beautiful. As I take my last breath on this earth, that
is the image I hope to take with me. It is unquestionably my #1 favorite memory
with Kori. In August 2004, Kori and I were staying with her parents
in central Florida waiting to ship out for the Navy when Hurricane Charley came
through. We went days without electricity, running water or air conditioning in
the sweltering Florida August heat. It was not a fun time. We happened to come
across a strip mall that inexplicably had power and a movie theater. Kori and I
sat in that air conditioned theater and for two hours, letting M. Night Shyamalan
help us forget about how miserable things were outside of the theater walls.
Even today, nearly seven years later, I still associate this movie with that
great feeling of relief. Classical conditioning at it’s best. And that is why
it’s included here. This makes the list for a different reason. I know it got
hammered by critics, but I actually liked it. I thought it was a good,
thrilling movie with a pretty cool twist at the end. That said, here’s the real
reason I’ve included it: In August 2004, Kori and I were staying with her
parents in central Florida waiting to ship out for the Navy when Hurricane
Charley came through. We went days without electricity, running water or air
conditioning in the sweltering Florida August heat. It was not a fun time. We
happened to come across a strip mall that inexplicably had power and a movie
theater. Kori and I sat in that air conditioned theater and for two hours,
letting M. Night Shyamalan help us forget about how miserable things were
outside of the theater walls. Even today, nearly seven years later, I still
associate this movie with that great feeling of relief. Classical conditioning
at it’s best. And that is why it’s included here. This makes the list for a
different reason. I know it got hammered by critics, but I actually liked it. I
thought it was a good, thrilling movie with a pretty cool twist at the end.
That said, here’s the real reason I’ve included it: In August 2004, Kori and I
were staying with her parents in central Florida waiting to ship out for the
Navy when Hurricane Charley came through. We went days without electricity,
running water or air conditioning in the sweltering Florida August heat. It was
not a fun time. We happened to come across a strip mall that inexplicably had
power and a movie theater. Kori and I sat in that air conditioned theater and
for two hours, letting M. Night Shyamalan help us forget about how miserable
things were outside of the theater walls. Even today, nearly seven years later,
I still associate this movie with that great feeling of relief. Classical
conditioning at it’s best. And that is why it’s included here. This makes the
list for a different reason. I know it got hammered by critics, but I actually
liked it. I thought it was a good, thrilling movie with a pretty cool twist at
the end. That said, here’s the real reason I’ve included it: In August 2004,
Kori and I were staying with her parents in central Florida waiting to ship out
for the Navy when Hurricane Charley came through. We went days without electricity,
running water or air conditioning in the sweltering Florida August heat. It was
not a fun time. We happened to come across a strip mall that inexplicably had
power and a movie theater. Kori and I sat in that air conditioned theater and
for two hours, letting M. Night Shyamalan help us forget about how miserable
things were outside of the theater walls. Even today, nearly seven years later,
I still associate this movie with that great feeling of relief. Classical
conditioning at it’s best. And that is why it’s included here.
Bonus pictures of the beautiful Kori-Lynne!
