10 Years of Wedded Bliss!

Greg and I celebrated 10 yrs of marriage on August 21, 2009. We have a wonderful tradition of planning a surprise for each other every other year. The longer we are married, the more likely we both are to forget some of these fabulous celebrations so I thought I'd share them here; they will forever be saved electronically (or at least as long as Google is alive).

Year One: We lived in East TX so Hot Springs Arkansas wasn't too far of a drive. Greg planned a wonderful getaway to a bed and breakfast in Hot Springs. All I remember was that the beautiful woods surrounding the house were surprising to me and that our room had a huge spa tub with columns around it. Oh, and the breakfast was yummy; we ate outside.

Year Two: I planned an amazing trip to NYC. We were about 8 weeks pregnant with Brett and I was nauseous the entire time. But, we stayed at the Renaissance Hotel on Times Square, saw Aida on Broadway, went to a Yankees game, shopped, and ate nonstop. It was wonderful!

Year Three: We lived in San Diego and Brett was a nursing baby so we couldn't go too far away. Greg surprised me with a hot air balloon ride in Del Mar overlooking Rancho Santa Fe and the Pacific Ocean. It was a truly amazing experience, but equally as frightening. I could write an entire blog about the trauma that nearly occurred when Greg was hanging onto the side of the balloon's basket with his feet off the ground while we all scrambled to jump inside. But I won't. Oh, and this was also the first night Brett slept through the night because we forgot to turn on our baby monitor!

Year Four: We were going on a business trip to Oregon for AdvoCare so I wanted to surprise Greg with a jet boat ride on the Columbia River. It promised views of bald Eagles and all sorts of other rare and awesome animals and vegetation. Unfortunately, a few hours before the scheduled ride, I got a phone call saying the boat did not sell enough tickets so our time slot had been cancelled. We went on a double date instead with our friends at Multnomah Falls. It was beautiful if not romantic.

Year Five: Living in Southern California provided some great opportunities within driving distance. One of them was Las Vegas! Just a five hour jaunt away, Greg took me for one night at the New York, New York Hotel. We had so much fun, but as they say "What happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas!" I won't elaborate!

Year Six: We were back in Texas and I planned a nice getaway to San Marcos to stay in a wonderful (or so the advertisement on the web claimed) B&B. Once we got there, we realized the bedding, curtains, and wallpaper was as old as the 1929 house. We had to help ourselves to food in the kitchen and the sounds of traffic lurked outside our windows. I DO remember a nice dinner and roses in my room. Note to self: only stay in hotels or other accommodations upon referral from a trustworthy friend!

Year Seven: I had just been on staff at the church for two months and life was very busy. Greg surprised me by picking me up one afternoon and taking me downtown for a swing dance lesson. We were terrible, but it was hilariously fun and luckily, it was a private lesson!

Year Eight: I am sad to say that after much thought, I cannot remember what I planned. I think this is because I didn't plan a thing. Yes, it's true. We got so busy (and Brett started Kindergarten the week of our anniversary) that we just did nothing. My fault.

Year Nine: San Antonio Riverwalk! We stayed in a great hotel walking distance to the Riverwalk, ate yummy Mexican food, rode the boat with the funny tour guide, and shopped. Greg did an amazing job planning for us.

Year Ten: Here we are, it's August 22nd, and a theme has emerged. Brett will start 2nd grade in two days, and Stacy neglected to plan anything in advance. She DOES however, have a loose plan (meaning nothing has been formally booked, but she knows where they're going) for a one night getaway on September 17th. I'm really glad I typed this blog because I do not want year 12 to be so pitiful. I am going to start planning NOW! Oh, and even though it's my year, look what Greg bought me:

I absolutely LOVE my Australian Man and cannot wait to spend the rest of my life making fun memories like these every year on our anniversary!