Sixteen

When Daniel decided to trump our anniversary with his birth last December 19th, I honestly wondered if we'd ever really celebrate our anniversary again. Oh, I figured we'd do things here and there and call them anniversary activities but fifteen previous Decembers had taught me that anniversaries often seem underwhelming in a month already overfull of Christmas activities. Now that the baby of our family needed some non-holiday attention and festivity, commemorating our mid-semester marriage seemed even more unlikely.

My pessimistic attitude was completely unnecessary this year. Jay arranged with his mother to come and take care of Daniel and thanks to some desperately needed snow in our area, we took off the morning of the 18th for a day of skiing and a night of soaking in some nearby natural hot springs. Even though the weather was truly frightful and the snow was less than ideal for a safe skier like me (I'm not much of a powder fan and with 12 new inches of snow, that's pretty much all there was), we still had a ball together.

The child-free day with my husband doing something we both enjoy, followed by a lovely dinner and post-meal soak in 105-110 degree hot springs were reason enough to declare our sixteenth anniversary a success. I'm appreciative of the quality time (a love language that is creeping up my priority list) and the help from my mother-in-law. The beautiful black and white diamond bracelet gift that was just too small for my big-boned wrists to keep goes down as the most extravagant and "wow" anniversary present Jay has ever thought to give.

What I wish to always remember about our sixteenth anniversary, however, is how we put away our various distractions, focused on each other, and how wholly in love I felt with my husband. This seems so cheesy to write but, after sixteen years, that feeling of utter contentment brought tears to my eyes. I am so full of flaws and I'm so, so aware of them. Sometimes, that awareness can make me feel unlovable. So, diamond bracelet or no, ski trip or no, even my favorite past time of hot water soaking or no, I know that my husband loves me, in spite of me, and I'm grateful. Marriage is a dynamic union and I've learned over the years that sometimes, things are easy and great and sometimes...things aren't. What a gift to have that kind of quality time with someone I'm bound to forever and know that even after sixteen years, there are still moments of marital perfection. That gives me great hope for our future.



The wintry drive to Wolf Creek Ski area.



Us on the chairlift.  Yes, Jay has a mustache.



Our lovely fancy dinner.  Jay had a rib-eye steak and I had lamb chops with a sweet fruit chutney.  Yes, Jay has a mustache.


This is a stock photo as I dared not bring my phone with us around all the water but there are over 20 different thermal pools to soak in.  We stayed for over 2 hours until we were heated through and through.  We went to bed happy and smelling of sulfur.  Quelle romantique!