It has been a rough week at our house. Actually, that is a bit of an understatement! Rene has caused her share of drama with the kids. We finally ended up letting them go home to her house because it just became too much. I sat wondering last night why she insists on playing harmful games with the kids. I just can't seem to figure it out. So, we decided enough time and energy had been spent on trying to figure her out. So we are off for the weekend! No phones, nobody we know, no obligations or responsibilities...ahhh...peace :) At least for a couple of days! We are headed to Red Wing for the weekend! It is so beautiful there; I haven't been there in several years so I am really looking forward to it! We are going on a wine tour too! Last night we were talking about how much fun we're going to have! It's been a long minute since we've gotten to spend two full days together with nobody else...or anything else to run interference! So our plan? To do NOTHING! Well, maybe that's not exactly true....we're going to shop, walk along the river, play some pool ;) have a VERY long lunch on Saturday accompanied by some great conversation I'm sure. Can't wait!

It's so easy to let things from the outside creep in and cause a lot of havoc on life. I think it is so important for marriages to have time like this! Something as simple as a 48 hour break from reality can bestow so many blessings on that relationship! It is important and I know for us, it can be forgotten...neglected....life just gets so hectic. Work, kids, cleaning, yard work. But if you sit back and look at the bigger picture, the kids will benefit from you taking the time away, work can wait, the yard work, housework, laundry etc will be there after that little weekend getaway.

As Mark said in his vows, we have the Trifecta: Love, Partnership and Respect. Without one of those things, the others get weak and fail. So take time, take time to nurture each aspect of your marriage/relationship to ensure that all of those things, which are critical for a successful marriage to stay in tact!

Reminiscing...

I really don't care for the word "anniversary" but as the one year anniversary of the start of our relationship as a couple is approaching, I've been doing a lot of reminiscing. Both Mark and I find ourselves laughing about the memories we have had over the years. On Saturday, while we were having lunch together, I made a comment about it being a perfect day to be in Seattle, walking along the water, visiting the market and having lunch at the oh so yummy Ivar's! He laughed and said, "we did quite a lot of those things when we were there, didn't we?" Now, he's not referring to the two of us being there "together" he is talking about when we were all married (to different people). He and Rene had come to visit us in Seattle in 1999. This sparked laughter from us, realizing that we have so many years of memories, but most of them are from a different era of our lives! I then said, which I do quite often, "who would have ever thought back then that we would be sitting here today, married to each other, talking about this?" Sometimes it is surreal! So, this coming Saturday marks the one year "anniversary" of me getting on a plane and traveling to Vegas to start a new relationship with Mark. I remember it vividly! Being completely paralyzed with fear knowing that I was beginning a new chapter in my life, one that was somewhat familiar, yet strangely re-designed. I remember sitting on the plane and realizing that my entire life was about to change in a considerable and meaningful way and while it intrigued me, it terrified me as well. Well, here we are, one year later. Now I can say that neither one of us ever imagined our lives would be where they are today, at least not that quickly! But God had much grander plans than either one of us had envisioned!

So, for our one year "anniversary" we are going to celebrate for sure! Not exactly sure what we're going to do, but rest assure, it will be fun! Guess you will have to stay tuned to find out what adventure we come up with!

New Marriage...New Blog....

Well, I figured since my life has changed in a huge way, so should my blog! I have, yet again, started a new one! This page will be a family page instead of just me posting. We hope you enjoy keeping up with our family....it can be fun but exhausting :)

It's hard to believe it's been two months since Mark and I married! Where does the time go?? We talk all of the time about how blessed we felt. Our wedding was without a doubt everything we imagined. We have both said several times that we wouldn't change a thing. Simple yet elegant, fun, and filled with great friends and our amazing families! And I can honestly say, aside from the birth of my boys, it was by far the greatest day of my life. Neither one of us thought getting married would "change" the way we felt, but we couldn't have been more wrong! The minute we were husband and wife it felt so much different. The way we looked at each other, the way we felt about each other, the way we loved each other, it all changed and became so much more intense. The Monday after we were married, we got in our truck and took one of our famous (at least famous to us) road trips. We drove to Vegas! We had such a great time, stopped in Aspen for lunch and shopping, stopped and took all kinds of pictures, and Mark even got pulled over! No ticket though :) We spend 5 days in Vegas visiting with all of our friends. On Friday night our Belt Buckley family threw us a reception. It, just like the wedding, was so amazing! We just had such a great time! We even got to meet the people who bought our home. They are wonderful and make a great addition to the Belt Buckley clan! But, it was bittersweet. It was really hard to leave there and head back to Minnesota. I (and Mark too) still consider that our home. But it was “on the road again” for the Cate's. We took our time getting back, stopping in Wyoming at a motel the first night. Then the second night, stopping in South Dakota and picking up 2 puppies to add to our family! They are sisters, Journey (named for the journey Mark and I have been on together) and Buckley (named for the street and our "family" in Nevada). We made it back safely and got settled in to life.

I had the next two weeks off before I started my new job. It was so nice! But then on June 1, I started my new position. I was totally blessed to get this amazing job at the same dealership that Mark works at! He is a mechanic in the shop and I am in the main showroom doing marketing! I LOVE it and have been quite successful so far! And can't complain about the 2 mile commute either!!

We have had some bumps in the road, same old stuff, it's hard dealing with the ex's but we do it and we do it together.

We have the kids for the whole month of July and it has been great!! We have spent the month so far getting them on a routine, they don't have that at their mom's house and we feel it is so important. They have done really well too!! I love watching Mark be a dad, it makes me fall more and more in love with him every single day. Last weekend, we headed to Wisconsin Rapids to visit Mark's sister Terri, her husband Patrick and their two *adorable* kids, Harry and Ava. We had such a blast! They are such amazing people and I am so thankful they are now my family too!! Today Tommy turns 3!! I asked him what kind of cake he wanted and he said (with a huge smile) "white cake wif bwew fwosting" SO cute!!

Next Saturday marks one year that we have been together; even though there was a two month "break" we are still going to celebrate it! We've got a babysitter lined up and we are heading to the fair for some corn dogs, cotton candy and rides! Just the two of us!!

We are struggling with wanting to leave Minnesota and head back West, but we both know that right now we need to be here for the kids. It is a daily sacrifice but we do it because we know that's what's best for the kids right now.

I sometimes sit back and look at my life; sure, there are things that still painful. I miss my boys every single second of the day, but all in all I am so blessed. I catch myself looking at Mark and wondering to myself what I have done to deserve a husband like him. How many people in the world get to marry their best friend? I listen to other people talk about their spouses like it's a huge chore/punishment to be married to them and I remember what that was like. I am immensely grateful that I don't feel that way anymore.

Well, not a lot of new news in this blog, I will post some pictures and post often so keep up with it!

Thank you for sharing in our lives with us! We love all of you!