4 years... 12 years.... same thing!

We celebrated out 4 yr. anniversary this weekend, Jen reminded me promptly it's REALLY been 12 years that we have known each other. Needless to say, Bry and I had a great weekend away and it's amazing what a few days of just the two of you can do for not only your relationship with each other... but also your relationship with everyone else too. We missed Kehnley a lot, but it's so good to have those moments, I for one see her all day everyday and I need time to forget how sweet and beautiful, and funny she is.

Same for Bry, I was reminded this weekend JUST how funny and smart and amazing he is. We laughed so much I thought I was going to have contractions! It's an odd thing that happens to a couple day after day if your not careful, you start to just see the person but not really LOOK at them, talk to them but not really ENGAGE in conversation, hug them but not EMBRACE the moments...and I am talking about the two of us who really DO love being together, talk all the time about everything, cuddle and "keep the romance candle burning" --as my dad once said, but that's a different and very funny story and I know totally hilarious coming from our dad... but anyway... point is, we WORK at our marriage, but it doesn't feel like work, and even couples that "work" at it need a weekend to get away from distractions and remember just how precious time together really is. I totally take him for granted. I take his smile for granted, his sense of humor, his patience...
We stayed at the Woodlands Spa and honestly, we did NOTHING but sleep, eat, watch movies, get into funny situations, workout, eat some more, sleep some more, couples massages, shop, and just enjoy each other's company. We went to the museum, my fav. restaurants, I learned so much about Bry's job and about his hopes for the future, we talked about some of our fav. moments over the past 4 years of marriage...listen to songs we danced to in high school. One of the really funny things that happened lol was we had been given choc. covered strawberries and sparkling cider from the hotel the night we arrived and they forgot to give us a bottle opener, so Bry tried to use the side of the table, made a chip, then tried the pocket knife... no luck, tried it again on the table in a diff spot ( not sure why) cracked the table there... then when we finally got the bottle open he picked up the glass to pour some and somehow BROKE the stem off the glass... we were just standing there staring at the bubble fizzing in the glass with no stem... Bry shrugged and took a sip... I think we laughed for like 20 min after, I cant help but crack up now when I recall the look on his face.... it was like a gaping jaw and bug eyes lol. He was like "don't let me touch anything else tonight" Then I raided the lounge and found their stash of party mix nuts.... snuck it into the room along with two apples, two granola bars, and two bags of chips... JUST as the worker guy was coming off the elevator set up our movie... I had to sprint with all my goodies tucked somewhere between my chin and belly and do a 360 turn to keep him from seeing... kind of hilarious for a 9 month preggers girl to be running in her pjs with snack packs and qb sneak moves to get into the room...
Bry-- "where did you FIND all that!"
Keri-- "in the lounge, hush and help me hide this stuff"
I still dont think it was stealing bc it was just sitting there! Yeah I DID hide it from worker guy, but either way, we had some snacks for our late night movie marathon!

We are back at home and I am probably keeping Bry from good sleep with the "tap tap" of they keyboard, but I just wanted to record some of the weekend before it was forgotten... it's so great to have these memories to look back on and help me remember what a true treasure our marriage is. I know ppl all over the world now and for centuries have and do celebrate their marriages, but I can't help but feel what we have is special and blessed. I feel God's favor over us. Off to bed now, need to be ready to wake with joy with the first little glint of sun when Kehnley thinks the whole world is needing to be up too! :) I have to admit the past couple days I have DREADED that sunrise for lack of a better reason other than exhaustion and the endless list of "to do's" but I am actually looking forward to this one... God has given me a renewed spirit of purpose and pleasure in the day to day with those I love and have taken for granted in weeks past. I also can't wait to appreciate the love of my life tomorrow too...12 years, wow...I still feel like I'm 15 sometimes when I am with him

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"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. "

1 Peter 2:9