Five Years

Five years ago I watched the most beautiful woman walk down the aisle of a church in Alabama. We locked teary eyes and stood together in front of our closest family while we exchanged vows. I'll never forget the fiery love I felt on that day and in the time since. Today we celebrate an anniversary, but one day is not enough to express what this relationship means to me. I've been chipping away at it, at least a little bit, each day... and I fully intend to continue.

Yikes! Sorry if my posts have been on the sappy side and not terribly modest lately. Life is good right now, and I'm proud to report it. I realize something like the announcement of R's pregnancy isn't "the biggest news" in everybody else's life, but it is the biggest, most life-changing news in ours and this blog is about our lives after all. Moving to California was big news; Having a child required a grander statement. That's all I meant with the title last time.

We're hitting a bunch of milestones this spring. Come back in about two weeks for another one...

Peace out

We found this rock design on a hike up the Hot Spring Trail the other weekend and I just had to share it. Well done, unseen hikers.

This week has been a bit of a rush again as we prepare for an upcoming weekend getaway. I'm going to keep quiet about the details of the trip until we return in order to avoid repeating myself later. But if things go according to plan, you can expect to see some spectacular scenery in an upcoming entry.

R and I are also celebrating our fourth wedding anniversay this week. Today is the actual day... and we're spending it working and then taking a six-hour car ride. Preparing for our trip has been our top priority this week, but we did go out to dinner at Bouchon, one of the best restaurants in town, on Saturday. Additionally, last night we opened a bottle of sparkling wine to drink with some strawberries, Thin Mints, and an awesome episode of LOST. I love a woman who is willing to indulge me with a little sci-fi, even on an important occasion. It's just another reason R still melts my heart after all these years.

Let's plan on catching up again when life quiets down a bit. Right now I have a bit of an outdoor adventure to attend to.

Anniversary #3

Happy anniversary to us (on Wednesday). Three years in, and we're going strong. It's great having such a lovable, loving, intelligent, goofy wife. I can be myself around her more so than when I'm by myself. We get to be constants for each other; it makes facing change and new situations so much easier to always have my best friend near by -- somebody to bounce ideas off of, somebody who understands me, somebody to share inside jokes with. She's a real fish... I mean a catch. (Have you noticed that fish seem to be recurring motif on this blog?)

To mark our special occasion, we spent last weekend hiding away at a bed & breakfast in New Hope, PA, a small town north of Philly. The town is on the Delaware River, near where George Washington crossed one fateful December 26th morning. We crossed in the same spot, only higher in the air (see here).

We biked quite a bit. In order to make a loop we even faced some closed trails. I literally said, "closed schmosed" when we saw the first sign posted. Soon after, the trails degraded into a washed out mess of rocks and trees. The activity became what we like to call "hiking with bikes" for a stretch or two. Oh well, we weren't in a rush, which was nice for a change.

We had a tasty dinner out on Saturday night. It was at a BYOB, so we brought our own bottle of Cloudy Bay. This is a well-known New Zealand wine that we were too cheap to try in New Zealand. It was actually pretty good, as far as whites go. The food was good too, although the portions were almost too big. We're used to places like this serving just the right amount, leaving us satisfied but not so weighed down. I have this problem of needing to eat every last bit of whatever is in front of me, especially when bringing leftovers home isn't an option. I had a steak; R had the fish (there it is again!).

Sunday we got up, visited a small museum in town, toured some country roads and bridges, checked out the view from a tower, and returned home in time to edit some video. It was only two nights, but it was a relaxing get-away, a chance for some quality time together minus the usual stress of day-to-day life.

Just because I have them online, here are a few more shots from the weekend: [1] [2] [3]

Oh, and if you are wondering if any of this is the "big news" I alluded to last week... keep waiting.

Anniversary #2

R and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary in St. Michaels, MD, a small town on Chesapeake Bay, over the weekend. We spent two nights in a bed & breakfast, biked a 20-mile loop, ate a romantic dinner in a gourmet restaurant, and went for a sail in a 121-year-old skipjack. On the boat, we dredged some oysters from the bottom of the bay, opened them up (shucked 'em, if you prefer), and ate them right there. They don't get any more fresh than that... not that they actually tasted good or anything.

We had an excellent time. I enjoyed getting away from the usual distractions around the house and being able to focus on my lovely wife. It has been a wonderful first two years of marriage. We continue to grow closer and appreciate each other's company. I will limit the mushiness to that.