Passion, Snape, and Small Chunks of Cheese

You are looking at a woman who has now been married for 12 years.

12 years! I like to tell my husband how I've NEVER dated anyone for that long.

He likes to remind me that 3 children and a house mortgage later, we aren't dating. We are MARRIED! But still...you get what I mean.

Since the actual day of our wedding anniversary was spent babysitting and attending a niece's wedding reception, we had to delay the festivities for a week. But you know what they say...anything worth having is worth waiting for! Chris planned the festivities and kept them a carefully guarded secret. I love secrets and surprises!!! I really was so excited to go away with Chris for a little R&R after our busy schedules this summer. I had little happy butterflies in my stomach all day and even spent some time planning out what I would wear for my hot date! There may have even been a shower and extra primping. Finally it was time to go.

And here is where we ended up...one of my very favorite places! The Hotel Monaco!!

We pulled up to the hotel into the valet parking and I started giggling hysterically and saying, "I don't know what to do...what do I do?" We don't get much valet service in these parts.

We checked in and they immediately had a bottle of their finest, chilled sparkling apple cider sent up to the room in a silver bucket with 2 glass flutes. It was very fancy.

We took pictures of the fancy furniture and us being fancy drinking our sparkling juice sitting in the furniture (all pictures on Chris' phone...I'll download ASAP), and then headed off for a very elegant dinner.

We had a voucher for a free appetizer and so we scanned the menu for the most expensive one. When it arrived, we both looked at it for a moment and then started giggling. It consisted of a plate that basically had 3 different types of cheeses cut into very tiny chunks with some small pieces of bread. I was seriously afraid that we were going to pay an arm and a leg for dinner and then have to go to Wendy's to fill in the gaps. And we didn't even eat one of the cheese samples because it literally smelled like poop. We aren't very elegant, fancy people but I know better than to put anything that smells like fecal matter in my mouth.

Dinner ended up being really yummy and we thoroughly enjoyed our fancy selves!

Next we raced through the summer evening to the Gateway to see Harry Potter 7, part B. It was very exciting and tragic but Voldemort never did get himself a nose and I don't buy for one single second that Severus Snape turned out to be anything but mean. And there were lots of other parts I didn't really understand but it is because I never read the 7th Harry Potter book and I know if I read the book I'd understand it better...but I really could only handle so many years of my life reading Harry Potter. So I will be settle for being "somewhat satisfied" instead of feeling like I had real closure. And someday when I can't stand not having had proper closure, I'll read the book...or just google it for a plot summary. (Bless google search engine!)

After the movie, we held hands and rode the train back to our hotel. We felt so urban and chic...until the drunk man in the back of the car started being creepy and then we just felt scared. Our mini van may have stickers on the windows and mold growing in the cup holders in the back but we always feel safe...and a little hill billy.

The next morning, we woke very slowly and leisurely. We didn't even open our eyes until 9 a.m. We got dressed and walked down to the big Farmer's Market. There is nothing like delicious homemade pastry, a bag of fresh picked cherries, and the hand of your favorite person to hold. We strolled and admired and sampled lots of good things to eat...and then it was time to go home.

It was romantic and passionate and yummy and fancy and fun! Perfectly perfect. (The weekend away...not the farmer's market.)

And so I feel that we have properly celebrated 12 years of adventure. Our marriage is not perfect but it is deeply wonderful! We have definitely had our ups and downs but that is what makes the journey so dynamic and amazing. I look back over the last 12 years and I truly feel cause to celebrate all that has happened. Both of us how grown so much...personally and as a couple. We have become parents together and are constantly learning and growing. I am so grateful for Chris. He is such a good, kind, funny, creative, talented, devoted, dedicated man. He puts his heart and soul into being a good husband and father and I realize how lucky and blessed I am.

And so I raise my glass flute in honor of marriage and adventures and happiness. In my heart I hope it is the first dozen of many, many more years to come! Happy Anniversary!