Happy Anniversary! (I am hijacking your blog!)

It seems like you've been asking me (Strong Man, as you call me here) to hijack your blog for months if not years.  Our anniversary seemed like a good opportunity to take the time to do just that.

I will admit that one of the reasons I haven't done this, is because you have such an amazing way of capturing the heart of what happens in our live, be it big or small, and I am intimidated because I just don't.  I love reading Shanbrosia and not just remembering what we did, And it is bigger than simply seeing what you enjoyed about something, but as I read, more often than not I see how an event affected you, and that is priceless!

So I wanted to hit the highlights of our 8th Anniversary, and hopefully let you know how it affected me.

Our celebration was to take place the night before our Anniversary.  Typically December is such a crazy month that a big getaway on December 9th is impractical, if not almost impossible, and we had escaped on the anniversary of our engagement this year.  So our "actual" anniversary was supposed to be more like a regular date night.  But I was so excited that I booked us a hotel room and got my mom to watch the kids overnight.  And I'm glad I did.

Our day started out less than amazing.  I had my first 'real' doctor's appointment (ie not walk in care) of our marriage at 8:00AM which we followed up with a 9:00AM meeting with someone who was trying to sign us up for Obamacare.  This was of course after you had worked until 11:30 or so the night before, and because of my appointment you had to single-handedly get the kids up and out the door, so that they could sit through the hour and a half meeting that ended with us basically finding out that we can't afford insurance and can't get help because your company offers terrible insurance plans...  Oh and during the lovely little meeting you kept getting text messages from work telling you all the little things that were going wrong.

By the time it was over your stress level was high, and the boys and I thought that if you got shocked by static one more time, it might provide the spark that made you explode.  Thankfully that didn't happen.  We managed to get lunch, get you a shower, and get you to your chiropractor's appointment.  Then we got the boys dropped of and our adventure began.

We started by shopping. As a bit of an anniversary gift, after hearing your many complaints that you don't have clothes that make you feel pretty, I told you that you could buy clothes anywhere you wanted, but the super practical woman that you are insisted on shopping at old navy.  You found clothes that made you feel beautiful and didn't break that bank. (seriously 60 bucks and that included a winter coat.  You're a bargain hunting rockstar!)

As we drove we had deep conversation.  The kind that made me fall in love with you.  We talked about how we can be more of who we were Created to be, and do more of what we were Created to do.  We talked about the people we love, and how to love them better.  It was fantastic.

When we got to the hotel we found out that I had booked the room for the wrong night.  But thankfully that we able to switch it and we got the same room I had booked.  We also found out that there might be a storm that would keep us trapped at the hotel.  It got our hopes up, maybe a little too much, because the storm didn't come as promised.  Once in the room, you got your new clothes on and we headed out to our new favorite spot in Belfast, Darby's.  We reminisced about the last 8 years, and throughout the night we had "8 years ago today" conversations.

Back at the hotel we considered a dip in the pool until we realized that the chair in our room was a massage chair, and all thoughts of swimming went out the window.  We watched HGTV, took turns in the chair having our muscle tensions melted away, and were sound asleep by 9:00PM.  WE ARE SUCH AN OLD MARRIED COUPLE!  We both loved it.  Our idea of a romantic getaway is dinner and falling asleep 3 hours earlier that normal...

This morning you said you had a gift for me, but you were afraid I wouldn't like it.  I practically had to promise not to laugh.  Once you gave it to me I had no desire to laugh at all.  You handed me a leather-bound journal, and told me that you bought it so that we can leave each other notes during these busy days.  I was my favorite part of the weekend.  HONESTLY.  I love the idea.  I couldn't ask for a better gift or a better person to spend life with!

I hope you'll take the time to add pictures to this.  Like the one of me in the chair, or the selfie we took on the balcony, and the picture of the street lights in Belfast.  I love your eye with the camera . It's another favorite thing about your blog.

I hope you know, from this weekend how much I love you.  How you really are my world.

I am so thankful for the last 8 years, and that we love each other more than we dreamed possible that exciting day 8 years ago.

ILYMED

Your Strong Man