Weddings and Anniversaries

Today is my anniversary.  Last weekend my husband and I were lucky enough to go to a wedding in New England which in hindsight turned into our own little "couples" vacation.  I had initially planned to surprise my husband (and son since he would have come along) today with a weekend getaway (actually only one day and night, but...). Unfortunately, due to the chaos that has taken over my world (see my post on "The God Squad), that plan had to be cancelled.  (And unless my husband reads this blog, he'll be none the wiser.)

But back to last weekend and the wedding of a friend who I have known since kindergarten.  We were so pleased to be invited even though it would be a long drive (7 hours up to NH due to traffic, but only 5 hours back as a result of getting up before the crack of dawn on Sunday and racing back to get to the hospital to see my dad.)  I took the day off of work and left our son in the care of my parents.  (And again, in hindsight, if I had known how sick my dad was/would be, we never would have left.  So maybe its better that I didn't know what would happen.)  We had our own little party as we drove northeast.  For the most part the drive was beautiful (and will only get lovelier once the leaves start to turn).  We don't do a lot of "couples" stuff because our family of three is just that; a family of three.  But it was nice to have some together time; to laugh, talk and sing along to the radio.  We even did some goofy things like a take a selfie at the NH border. (Well, after 6+ hours on the road everyone gets a little goofy.)

That Friday night we were lucky and blessed to be invited to an impromptu pre-wedding dinner.  We were the only friends in attendance; everyone else was family.  So both of us were very grateful to be included and to have a chance to spend some time with the bride and groom before the big day.

Since the wedding was in the evening (again, just like ours), we had all of Saturday to ourselves.  We could sleep in (which means past 6 AM) before having "breakfast" in the hotel.  (You can't expect much from a Holiday Inn Express.)  We explored a bit of NH.  We did some shopping.  We visited a winery (http://www.jewelltownevineyards.com/) where I was able to taste some wine and lighten my wallet.  And there was still plenty of time to just relax at the motel before heading over to the wedding.  (Which was just a walk away.)

Straight off the bat I'm going to say it's the 2nd best wedding I've ever been to. (I'm ranking mine as number 1 and I know I'm incredibly biased on that.)  The atmosphere was light and relaxed.  There was some rain (as there also was on the day that I was married), but it didn't ruin a thing.  Guests put up umbrellas when necessary and although held outdoors, the trees kept the bride and groom relatively dry.  (Plus it wasn't really raining that much).  It was a warm September evening (again not unlike the evening of my own wedding).  The bride was beautiful, the groom handsome and the ceremony heartfelt.  I think can say the same amount my own wedding.

The similarities to my own wedding don't end there though.  The wedding and reception were held at the same location. (Smart move on the bride and groom's part.)  This meant while plenty of photos were being taken of the wedding party, guests could relax with some hors d'oeuvres and a glass of wine. Once the bridal party was finished with photos and officially introduced, we had a delicious meal with good company and fun dancing.  All of which made me think back to my own wedding and all of the fun we had that night.  The food was just as delicious as what we had at our wedding (although my husband and I really would not get to taste it until the next day when we went back to the location where the wedding had been held to assist in the clean-up and got to chow down on the left overs.  We had been too busy enjoying our party to do much eating.)

It was a lovely wedding and a lovely night.  And that's why it brought back so many memories of my own wedding.  It was what a wedding should be; a celebration of love among friends and family.  I had such a wonderful time celebrating with my friends and making new ones.

Now a week later, it's my anniversary and I'm so glad that my husband and I got to share in another couples blessed day.  It gave me a chance to reflect on "my" day nearly two decades ago.  It made me appreciate how lucky I am.  And although I won't be having a special celebration as I had originally planned, it’s all right.  Without planning it, my husband and I had our very own little "couple vacation" thanks to two wonderful friends who decided to get married.

Happy 1-week-a-versary to the newlyweds and Happy 18th Anniversary to us!  Whether one week or eighteen years...let the happiness and love continue on.

(And the best anniversary gift that we could get has been given...my dad is getting better.  He's in for a LONG recovery -- we are talking most likely months in the hospital -- but he is getting better.  Thanks for all who read "The God Squad" and said a prayer.  Keep 'em coming.)