Sanity or Patience: choose one.

Do you ever have one of those moments where you think, "HA! I am sane!" Then you step in dog poo with your bare feet and remember it was your idea to get the puppy...?

Sunday, June 28

Our anniversaries are a lot like our marriage: Nothing ever goes quite like we planned.

(Monsoon took this photo of us. Future photographer, I think.)

Anniversary #1: Hubs and I saved up for months to stay in Cinci and go out on the town for an evening. The day before, my family had our annual reunion a state away, so we drove down and stayed with my grandparents - as did Miss Kitty and my mom, who brought our year-old dethawed wedding cake top. The best part of that day was having breakfast and coffee with them, then digging into our cake (it was actually delicious). We ended up spending the rest of our first anniversary stuck at a T/A station in the burning sun and using all our carefully saved cash for a something-or-other to make our car run.

Anniversary #2: We decided to keep it more low-key and just hit a movie. We did venture 45 minutes out of the way to the new theatre with "stadium-seating," though. It caught fire 20 minutes into "Liar Liar." We were evacuated, nobody was injured, and everyone was aloud back in an hour later.

After that, we pretty much stayed home and had relatively small mishaps. Last year, my cousin's rehearsal dinner was on our anniversary, so it was kind of like having a big party thrown for our tenth... except I didn't get to be the bride and no one was taking pictures of me.

This year, hubs surprised me with reservations at a fabulous restaurant, old Hollywood style and service fit for a queen and the best filet mignon you've ever imagined... We took Monsoon. I was expecting (being our anniversary) something outrageous to happen, but no, it was perfect right down the spoonful of vanilla bean seeds under my creme brulee.

I guess our anniversary magic got it's digs in a couple days early this time around. Seeing a black bear running at our car in a West Virginia Mountain and spotting a tornado on the road in front of us (all in one day, all while traveling home from vacay) were quite enough for one week.

Even with all the excitement, my husband always remembers to get me a card. He always spends time at the store reading and shopping for a card that is perfectly fitting for however we are that year. He never forgets our anniversary (even if it sneaks up on me) and never fails to surprise me with something special (even though I almost always end up saying, "sorry hon, catch ya next year").

It's possible he's trying to make up for things like "accidentally" spraying sunscreen into my contact case or not rubbing my feet every night like he promised (that was in the vows, right?). Every marriage has flaws - it's made of people, you know - and nothing works out quite how we planned, but I'm grateful for the last eleven years and all the unplanned excitement that has made such a mark on our lives.

(Hubs took this of Monsoon and I... guess where the boy gets his fab photo skillz.)

17 comments:

Jennifer said...

This post is really sweet. I love it.

And those shoes are rockin'.

Amy said...

Happy Anniversary. I love the photo's and post for sure.

Call Me Cate said...

Love the photos. Our anniversaries, like most of our celebrations, tend to be low-key. This is how I like them.

Those mishaps can be the fun part of marriage, depending on how you handle them. We're also at the 11-year mark and by now we've figured out how to laugh over the mishaps and add them to our memories. It's all part of the story.

Congrats again - like your shoes!

Hyacynth said...

Happy anniversary! I love the pictures; you'll be sure to get big laughs out of them as you see them during the next few years, I'm sure. :)

Anonymous said...

Love the pictures! Glad your anniversary was uneventful!
Happy Anniversary!

Suzi said...

Here is to a Happy Anniversary and many more. Monsoon is going to make a great photographer some day!

Annelie said...

Happy anniversary! Such a sweet post. I love the photos, and absolutely adore the shoes!

Megan said...

But the unexpected makes for great memories, right? lol

Happy Anniversary!! =)

Sassy Britches said...

How remarkable that your husband remembers and does a little something special every year--quite the stereotype-buster! I'm so glad you had a great time this year, despite bears and tornadoes foreshadowing things! Happy Anniversary!

AVONLadyinSC said...

Love it, I think nothing ever going as planned makes life anything but boring. But it's gotta wear you out sooner or later :) I enjoy your blog :)

Carey-Life in the Carpool Lane said...

I think your hubby and kiddo can have a career in footwear photography!

A very sweet post...happy anniversary! And I'm glad the night went off with no mishaps!

Queenie Jeannie said...

Super sweet post hun!!! LOVED IT!! Now I wanna see the pretty dress you're wearing. Gorgeous painted toes!

Happy Anniversary!

wendy said...

Fabulous shoes! :) Glad you had such a nice, uneventful evening! Our 14th is coming up soon but I'm holding out for next year and our 15th. I want something big! :)

Here's to another 11 years...and another...and another.

Melissa B. said...

Rock on! Happy Anniversary...I love these Superior Snaps. And hope the doggy walking away from you in the first shot is not meant to be metaphorical...

BTW, my youngest just launched a photo blog, and I'm shamelessly trolling for traffic. Please visit my site to see what she's got going, and pay her a visit!

Kathy B! said...

Those shoes are totally cute! Love 'em :)

I think it's wonderful that your anniversaries are a little on the free-spirited side. How boring things would get if they always went as planned. And the last thing you want is a boring marriage... :)

Michelle said...

I'm not sure where they got their photo skills, but I'm loving those shoes -- where did you get THEM? :)

I love the anniversary umm stories -- and HAPPY 10th anniversary! It sounds lovely, especially getting to celebrate it with monsoon. Lovely, lovely!

DiPaola Momma said...

Well you could count ALMOST escaping having to watch Liar Liar as a gift. We have the same problem. We always try to plan something special at it always seems to fall short. BUT the other 360 days (cuz lets face it there are some that just SUCK) a year we are pretty darn happy. Our's falls 20 days after my birthday 17 before #4's so "get ya next year" is our motto! I do have to say though my deary.. the boys are onto something with those pics.. GREAT shoes babe and the tooties are looking FABU too!