Celebrating 8 Years

Monday was our 8 year wedding anniversary.

We grew up in families with very different ideas of “vacation”. My family would go on vacation that was planned minute by minute and packed full of seeing and doing everything possible letting no opportunity to learn or experience something new pass us by. My husband’s family would go on vacation and totally relax and just be together enjoying having nothing to do.

Both ways are great, but when we were dating we discussed how we would vacation when we married coming from very different styles of vacationing. We ended up agreeing on a kind of mix of the two, we plan a few things to do and see, but also plan for some down time to just enjoy doing nothing together.

My sweet husband planned our entire honeymoon when we got married and surprised me with a wonderful car trip from Tennessee to Vermont. He planned an 11 day trip with stuff to see, do and relax time. Each year he plans our anniversary as a surprise to me and each year I am reminded of his love for me through this thoughtful gift. The last few years have been big cities in Texas because we leave our kids with my family in Dallas while we go away for usually a day or two.

This year he surprised me with a getaway to Houston, TX. We stopped at Brenham, TX on the way to tour the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory. It was a sentimental touch since he took me on a tour of the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory in Vermont on our honeymoon. It was a lot of fun! The tour was really neat and they let us have a free scoop of any flavor in their ice cream parlor at the end of the tour.

Next we drove into Houston, checked into our hotel and had some great Italian food. We found a wonderful little real italian restaurant, Fratelli’s, that made everything fresh to order in their open kitchen. Fresh bread and dipping oil (best we’ve ever had), made with herbs they grew on their patio, and some amazing service. I love going to hometown places where they greet regulars, “welcome back friends!” We saw a movie then rushed back to the hotel so we could see the OKC Thunder game 🙂 they won!

The next day was our relax portion of our trip we got up and drove to Galveston and just enjoyed the beach together. No plans, no agenda, no to do list just enjoying each other. This reconnection time is worth more than gold to us. We picked up some shells, walked the beach, talked, took some pictures, enjoyed the silence and crashing waves.

I loved our version of “vacation,” and wouldn’t trade the planned out day on Monday or the relax and reconnect day on Tuesday. We drove back to Dallas after our beach day, to be greeted by three happily spoiled adorable kids 🙂 I am so thankful my husband chose me, still loves me and still sweeps me off my feet.

Thanks for stopping by. I’ll end with a quote from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee, my favorite poem and in my wedding vows, “but we loved with a love that was more than love.”
Johanna