Brought to perfection as one

Yes, it's our anniversary today...



And yes, I'm still mushy and nostalgic from the wedding weekend...

And yes, of course, I've been dying all day to get home and blog all about it!

This weekend was an absolutely perfect anniversary weekend. And it sure wasn't because we were off alone on a second honeymoon, worry free on a beach with nothing to do but gaze in each others' eyes.

Quite the opposite in fact.

And only now that it's all said and done, the kids are safely (and finally quietly) tucked into their own beds, can I truly appreciate just why this statement is so fitting.

Much to my husband's dismay our anniversary weekend (that coincidentally fell on one of his few paid holidays of the year) wasn't going to be spent just the two of us; but rather as a bitter mixture of many long hours driving all over the state with two children 2-years-old and under. Or him alone with those car-weary kids in particularly small hotel rooms while I was off helping someone else (who, naturally, he doesn't really know) celebrate their wedding all extended weekend long.

Maybe it was the near triple digit temperatures, maybe it the lack of sleep from us all trying to do so together in a full size bed in a 300 sq foot room, or maybe and unfortunately more likely it was probably just my suppressed guilt seeping out for putting my poor husband through this, but I was stressed out and we were both CRANKY!

Crankiness and exhaustion aside, we tried relentlessly to squeeze the most out of the weekend by driving unreasonably far in whatever small windows of time we could find to hit all the "must sees" in the area. What this really meant was even more time in the car with already car-wearing kids and even more aimless wondering in famished hunger to find whatever least gut wrenching, middle of no where, but affordable looking local joints we dared to dine at. I think we arrived to most of our sight sees with just enough time to snap a picture just to say we saw it.

(Note the car-weary "are you kidding me mom?" look on Jonah's face for the
we're-here-now-let's-hurry-and-take-a-picture picture).



Then it hit me, as I stood there next to the bride watching the best daddy in the world gracefully quiet our two children in the far back of the wedding-

I. am. so. lucky.

This weekend signifies just how perfect we are for each other. Most couples probably would never have been in a situation like this, because unlike us, they're normal and likely try to rest on their vacations. Not us, no matter where we are or what the occasion we both still have this burning desire to feel like we accomplished something and will apparently drive to the ends of the earth and nearly kill ourselves of exhaustion just to say we did and we got a great deal on it!

Most couples in this situation would probably have stopped speaking to each other and most parents would've thrown their screaming kids out the window by Saturday afternoon for sure. Yet, somehow every time I was near my breaking point my husband seemed to sweep in with all the grace in the world to help me out and somehow, although I didn't realize it, I seemed to do the very same for him.

Ok, so you're probably still thinking, "the perfect anniversary weekend," she must be crazy???

Ok, I'll admit, even though I love weddings I probably would've much rather had a second honeymoon just the two of us, but since we didn't have the money for that anyway, this was the next most perfect alternative.

So much about this weekend was just like marriage itself and like our marriage we somehow always manage to end the day loving and appreciating each other a little more. We bring out the best in each other and even after all this time I still get butterflies when I think about how much I love him and all those quirky things about him (I think this picture says enough, what was he looking for in the flowers??).


Even though my groom didn't get to stay to dance the night away with me (not surprisingly, he volunteered to head back to the room with the kids...again...), I was so grateful to be part of the wedding and had a wonderful time! They had a live band, who unlike most wedding bands, honestly was AMAZING. The kind of amazing that makes you still feel like your legs are dancing once you lay down in bed to go to sleep. Yes, that amazing. The bride had the glow of contagious emotion on her face and all of us husbandless Mrs left dying to get back to ours.

Once I finally did, I think I feel asleep faster than I could say "happy anniversary," but at least I spent the rest of the night dreaming I was back at our special day.

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life.

I'd marry you again any day!

Brought to perfection as one
~John 17:20-26