My name is Jamie, I’m 34 and was always, and still am, the black sheep of the family! I was one of four girls growing up and I always seemed to be in trouble or at least doing things that were contrary to what everyone else was doing! After living wildly for a little while, I settled down and met my sweetheart, Andy. Once married, I realized who I really was and what life was all about. Andy and I fit together like pieces of a puzzle that could never be complete without one another. I love reading (especially the Classics!) and spending time at the beach, pool, in a boat or anywhere that includes water. I am extremely outspoken at times and have been given the nickname of “The Jamma-Hamma” because I have been known to put the hammer down on occasion. I am super girly and my most precious possessions are my clothes, shoes and jewelry… but I’m a mom of two very boyish boys. Andy and I also have also had custody of a teenage girl for almost three years now. As luck would have it, she is a major tom-boy! Some days I think that I would love to have my own little girl, but then I wonder if our house could handle that much sassiness!
How did you meet?
A coworker approached me in January of 2001. He said that there was a really great guy in his church that had just graduated from college and moved back to Richmond. He thought I would like him and asked if he could pass my number on to him. After asking how good looking he was, I consented. Andy called me on July 2nd. I had forgotten about him by then! We realized we had actually known each other as teenagers, though he remembered my older sister more than me! The first night we spoke on the phone for four hours, the second night for five and we had our first date on the third day, which lasted all day!!! We married nine months later!
What did you do on your first date?
Our first date was on July 4th, 2001. We still like to say that there really were “fireworks” on our first date! My family had a tradition of always going to Yorktown, VA for the Independence Day celebrations held there but I had not been able to find anyone to go with me that year (Fate? I think so!). It worked out perfectly for him to go with me! Andy picked me up at 10am and we first went to the Canal Walk in downtown Richmond. We just walked around the waterfront and talked. Andy bought bottled water and after I had drank all of mine, he offered his bottle to me and said that I was welcome to have some of his if I didn’t mind “lipping where he had lipped.” And I did not mind at all! We went to lunch at his parents where a family cookout was taking place. I met his entire family on the first date! No pressure there! Then we spent an hour in the car together driving from Richmond to Yorktown. We walked around the festival and then laid out our blanket near the Yorktown monument to listen to the military bands and wait for the fireworks to begin. At nearly midnight that night, Andy brought me home. We didn’t spend a day apart after that!
What is the best romantic getaway that you’ve been on?
Andy and I have taken several fun trips together. We had a wonderful five years of fun before our first baby! When we found out that I was pregnant I panicked! I just knew our days of travel were over… so I began planning our “final” getaway. We spent three weeks in Europe when I was five months pregnant. We experienced Rome for the first time together. We then went to London where Andy shared memories of the study abroad that he spent there during college. We also spent Christmas there. The plays were amazing! The museums were fantastic! The architecture breathtaking! …Christmas dinner in a fast food restaurant was not very exciting… Andy and I then went to Paris where we celebrated New Years Eve! I fell in love with the city and enjoyed having Andy show me all of the places that he had been in the past. The most romantic thing about the trip was just that it was for such a long period of time and we were completely alone to enjoy each other, all while thinking of the little baby that we would soon have!
What are your songs or favorite albums that make you think of each other?
We have a few favorite songs… all for cheesy reasons! When we were dating, Andy introduced me to Led Zepplin. When we were on road trips we would listen to his multiple Led Zepp CDs. Whenever “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” came on, I would begin to grin and sit up straighter in my seat. I knew that Andy’s hand was about to come over and rest on my knee. He would sing along and when the clapping and stomping would begin, he would tap the rhythm out on my leg. I would giggle the entire time! We also LOVE dancing. Nothing fancy, just being close to each other. Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough” was a favorite of ours to dance to. “When I’m with you baby, I go out of my head, and I just can’t get enough, I just can’t get enough.” It gave me jelly-knees to hear him sing those lyrics in my ear!
If you were to make a special dinner for him, what would you make?
My man is not picky! He really likes just about anything that I make. I’m no super chef and I don’t make dinner on any regular basis but when I do cook, he’s grateful! He really enjoys eating healthy foods and he may even claim that his favorite food is broccoli (we won’t discuss his love for ice-cream!). I would make Honey Lime Enchiladas with steamed broccoli on the side. He loves this dish!
Honey Lime Enchiladas
(from Tasty Sensations)
5 Tbsp honey
5 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
10 corn or flour tortillas
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I prefer to cook a whole chicken in a crock-pot all day and use the dark and white meat because it is more tender and flavorful)
12 oz. marble cheddar cheese, shredded
16 oz. salsa verde or green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions: Mix the honey, lime juice, garlic powder and chili powder in a small bowl. Add the shredded chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Fill tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese (save enough cheese to sprinkle on top) and roll tightly. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 20-30 minutes or until brown and crispy on top. Serve with rice, black beans and sour cream.
What’s the coolest gift you ever bought him?
Hubby has really began to pick up my love of shoes and clothes, BUT he is very particular about them, so I stay away from buying those types of gifts! Since becoming a dad, Andy spends his time working or with the family. He never does anything for himself. My two favorite gifts to him were “find-a-friend-and-go-enjoy-yourself-gifts.” The first was tickets to a Morrissey concert. This is one of his favorite singers and he was performing a rare show at a local historical theater. The second was tickets to a soccer game featuring an American Major League Soccer team versus an English Premier League team. Andy is a huge soccer fan so this was man-heaven to him! This wife got major props for those gifts!
What is/are your favorite gift(s) that he bought for you?
My favorite present that Andy has ever given me was my MacBook. It wasn’t because of what it was, but it was because of WHY he gave it to me. Once our first baby was born, I began to stay at home full-time. It was a hard transition and I missed many things about working. By the time our second son was born, I was REALLY missing many things about working. Andy understood this without me ever having to tell him. He surprised me with the new laptop and explained that it was MINE only. It wasn’t for him to use, or for the kids to play on. It was for me to enjoy and to “not share.” He understood that I had begun to feel like I had lost some of myself and that I was no longer “me” but had become”we.” The computer was symbolic of his understanding that I still needed my own time, my own interests and my own “things.”
Finish this sentence, ‘It makes me laugh when my husband…’
Andy has a wonderful voice and loves to sing. He doesn’t sing in public, but he just spontaneously breaks out into song at any given moment at home or in the car. I LOVE hearing him sing in another room in the house. It lets me know that he is happy at that moment. What really makes me laugh though, is that I never know what he is going to be singing! Frank Sinatra, the Beastie Boys, church hymns, Morrissey, the Wiggles or Radiohead… I think I’ve even heard an LL Cool J song in there before. He is a never ending surprise when it comes to his singing and it ALWAYS makes me giggle!
What are some every day ways that you show love for each other?
We are a nauseatingly affectionate couple and even after 11 years of marriage, we still love each other’s touches. Funny story: Last year I read “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. I proudly and somewhat smugly informed Andy that I didn’t even need to read that book because I already knew (and fluently spoke) his love language, which was Words of Affirmation. Andy said, “No, actually, mine is Touch.” To which I replied, “What? No it isn’t! It’s Words of Affirmation. I’ve been telling you for years how wonderful you are because I know that that is what you like.” Andy then explained that he didn’t really care about verbal compliments, he would rather I just sit next to him and play with his hair or rub his shoulders than tell him how wonderful he is. Wow! I was shocked! Then thrilled that I had learned this 10 years in instead of 50 years later! So everyday, I touch his face, play with his hair or place my hands on his chest. I always hold his hand in the car or when we’re walking together and I steal kisses VERY often! Our “daughter” gets grossed out but our boys don’t know any different and think nothing of mom and dad being very affectionate!
If you could give your husband anything, what would it be?
If I could give Andy anything, it would be the ability to see himself as I see him. He is such a humble guy. In my opinion, he is amazing! I always tell him that he may not be perfect, but that he is PERFECT FOR ME! He is always working to improve himself physically, spiritually and mentally. He works to improve talents and he is constantly setting goals. He has the purest and most genuine desire to be the best person that he can, and while he continues to work to achieve his goals, he is constantly hard on himself. This often breaks my heart because I KNOW how wonderful he is. He is an amazing husband and friend to me. He is patient when I struggle and loving when I need it. He thinks of me and my needs before his own. He loves our children with all of his heart and constantly tells me how important it is to him to have a good relationship with them. He is my hero. I have never met anyone who is as kind and pure in heart as Andy.
What cologne do you love your husband to wear?
Okay, here comes a really disgusting answer! I like Andy’s natural scent. I know, barf!!! Andy doesn’t wear cologne but I love the smell of his Nivea aftershave and Old Spice deodorant combined with his own smell. He never has body odor or even stinky feet! Though he does spend more time primping in the bathroom than I do…
Finish this sentence, ‘My husband is especially attractive when…’
I feel like my answer should be “when he plays with our children” or “when he is serving others”, but I’m going to be honest and say that it is when he is shaving in just a pair of jeans and no shirt. Being able to see his beautifully sculpted back, shoulders and chest, while watching him do something as masculine as shaving is just soooooo sexy.
Finish this sentence, ‘I love my marriage, because…’
I love my marriage because it is my rock. It is my solid foundation in a world that often feels like it is spinning out of control around me. No matter where we are, what we are doing or what is going on around me, Andy is my constant. The last couple of years have been difficult ones for me because I have been fighting depression. My marriage has never suffered during this time. Andy and I talk often about how I’m feeling. We evaluate how things are going and sometimes discuss game plans on what to do differently in our home if things aren’t going well. Even when I’m feeling (and looking!) down-right low, Andy will still tell me that I’m beautiful. He compliments me and thanks me when I manage to accomplish small tasks (cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking) and never gives me a hard time when I don’t do a thing. He is my best friend and the person whose company I enjoy most. He is an equal partner in raising our children and in contributing to our marriage. Andy is a sweet, romantic and tender lover who makes me feel like the most beautiful wife in the world! We work hard at always supporting and uplifting one another. We put our marriage first and while our little boys don’t like hearing, “Mommy and Daddy have to go on a date tonight because it makes us happy and that makes us a good Mommy and Daddy to you” they will eventually understand that when we increase our love for each other, we have more love to share with them.
~ Jamie