Happy Hump Day, all!  We are back from our one year anniversary trip to Connecticut, and all ready for the fall season, aka the best time of the year!  Well, I am ready.  Anthony is probably passive about the season, and less than enthused about my need to decorate and take too many photos.  But hey, it’s the time of year.  From now until the new year, I will be running on the holiday hap-hap-happy high over here.  Is that I thing?  I don’t know.  But I gave up caffeine last month so, it better be.

Anywho, whilst back in the mother land for the week, aside from spending plenty of time at Mohegan Sun,

and eating the top tier of our wedding cake, (finally!)

priority numero uno was to make a stop in good ole Mystic, Connecticut to secure the annual photo!

I like–nay– love traditions.  Documentation.  Commemorations.  You name it.  I pretty much get a hard on for anything memory or tradition related, so imagine my pleasant surprise when I saw one that fell into place completely by accident. 😍

I probably mentioned all of this in my first time lapse post a couple years ago, but for some refresher, Anthony was my first serious boyfriend.  I also decided in my head the night I met him that he was the “forever” material, so once we were into our second year of dating, I found myself wishing we had something– a tradition of sorts, that we had done every year, aside from the standard anniversary.  Turns out, we did!

It started out as us getting a picture in a spot that both looked alright (minus the aforementioned blemishes) and had a spot for me to put my camera so we could self-timer that bad boy.

The second time around, we were down in Mystic with my cousin who was friends with Anthony (actually how we ended up meeting) and took another picture in the same spot, just for giggles “because we did it last year.”  Well that and because we had someone with us to take the photo.  Good, because I don’t have to run to beat a timer.  Bad, because it creates a boatload of inconsistencies that anal yours truly here continues to take issue with throughout the years. 😂

By the time the third year rolled around, it became something we felt we had to keep up.  The photographer in me had all these plans to decorate our future home with them scattered throughout a gallery wall, a timeline of us and all that cheesy stuff that I eat right up for breakfast.

For our fourth summer together, if it were possible to make me look even shorter, my cousin did it by cutting off my feet.  Hehe.  This was our first Mystic photo as a married couple, taken just two days after our wedding, actually!

And this year’s!  Probably the closest to our first one, just a little better of an angle.  So I think the trick is to have your mom take the photo.  Your mom, or a tree stump.  Thanks Momma!  Best one yet!

I have been head over heels with annual photos ever since this happy accident, and I can’t wait to start adding some kids into the mix!  Well, someday.  Obviously not this year! 😂

What kind of traditions do you and your family have?  Lay ’em on me! 💖

I hope everyone is having a great week so far.  Fall is in the air, and it will be pumpkin flavored everything before we know it!  Stay tuned, one of these days I’m going to start posting some vlogs!