The Getaway

After six years of marriage, we've never really had any real trip together just the two of us.

*cue the violins to tell my sad little story*

There was our "honeymoon," which was really just a short stay at a bed and breakfast.  But after the first night, the AC died and we thought we might die too, so we left.  And of course, there was our vacation/road trip to Montana which was great.  But my sister came with us and that put a damper on some of the, um, fun stuff.  Last year, we went to Houston for a wedding.  But we stayed with my friend's parents because we couldn't afford a hotel at the time.  And well, that put a damper of some of the, um, fun stuff too.

With the difficult year we've had together and all we've been through, we felt the need to splurge and celebrate.  None of our anniversaries have ever been celebrated well.  And maybe it was because we didn't feel like we had much to celebrate as a couple.  This year though - this anniversary - was very, very different.  There was indeed much to celebrate.

We pushed through one of the biggest hurdles yet.  It changed us, grew us, and gave us strength.  This particular anniversary wasn't just about remembering the day we became husband and wife.  It was about extravagantly celebrating and rejoicing over what God had held together after a year of feeling like we were being ripped apart. 

To our amazement, we actually had a little bit of money saved to go somewhere.  So we booked a hotel in the Texas Hill Country and spent the weekend together - just the two of us.  

And people - there was no one putting any kind of damper on the, um, fun stuff.

Just saying.

But being that it was really our first getaway as a couple, we thoroughly enjoyed every moment.  Time went by so slowly.  We were able to rest and talk and just be together.  We ate and played and kept our hotel room too cold because we could.  We watched a movie and really, just did a whole lot of nothings - and it was absolutely wonderful.

A few of the highlights:

Hand holding.

My epic anniversary play-list which included both Frank Sinatra and The Black Eyed Peas.  

It's how we roll.

Todd learned something new about me:  I like to "unpack" when I get to a hotel rather than just leave everything in the bag.  He was baffled by this and I felt like I had won a prize for still having some mystery and intrigue up my sleeve.

Small town Texas sunsets.  *sigh*

Random antique miniature dolls in our shadow box-ish table at the steakhouse we ate at.  

CREEPY.

 My life motto:  "Practice inappropriate adult behavior."  Just YES.

 Antique shopping.  Or really, antique looking.

Stonehenge.  In Texas!

After a margarita....

In all fairness to myself though, I would take a picture like this with or without a margarita.

 Paradise.

 We jumped.  We totally jumped off that scary rope thingy.

And in the midst of the river floating and silly picture-taking, we took some time to reflect on what we remembered from the years we've spent together and from this last year specifically. 

It was the year God held us together and showed us that we can't do this well without Him.  It was the year we began to understand what marriage is really about.  It was the year we began asking harder questions and saying the harder things.  It was the year we thought our marriage was over, but then Love stepped in rescued us.  

It was the year that has left me with more hope for my marriage and our future together than I've ever had before.

To You...the maker of my heart, the author of my story....thank you for giving me this year.  This celebration, this anniversary, these precious moments to hold in my heart.  You had me in this all along, just as You promised.