2 weeks into our marriage, our apartment flooded.
1 month in, my cousin lived with us for 3 months so she could get on her feet out in UT.
6 months in, I quit my job, then went to Singapore by myself for a month for school.
9 months in, a close friend lived with us for a month so she could straighten out her life.
10 months in, we moved to a better apartment and I got a better job.
12 months in, we celebrated 1 year of marriage & took a road trip to visit family in CA.
15 months in, I quit that job because it wasn't actually better.
16 months in, I really did get a better job.
17 months in, I postponed school until I could figure out what I want to get a degree in.
18 months in, Bob finally quit his demeaning and awful job.
21 months in, we found out I'm pregnant & moved to San Diego in a big leap of faith.
24 months in, we celebrated 2 years of marriage.
And throughout the whole thing, Bob has been patient, kind, and loving toward me. I've made incredible progress in coping with my diagnosis of PTSD and the challenges it brings, all due mainly to Bob's help and support. He's made progress with his diagnosis of ADD, and together we've learned to make the weaknesses it's caused him into strengths that he can use to his advantage. We're happier now individually and together than ever before in our lives.
Allow me to brag a little bit some a lot about how amazing of an anniversary we had.
We completely splurged. It's our last wedding anniversary without children (until we're old and retired), which in our minds also means we only have a few months left to use our money irresponsibly until we need to use a big chunk of it for this baby boy we're having in a few short months.
So......
We went to the Loews Coronado Bay Resort.
I'd never been over to Coronado before, so let me tell you about it. It's a small island right off the bay by downtown San Diego. It's got a very elite-feeling little city on it, with adorable little shops and houses lining the streets, a small military base, and several hotels and resorts strewn along it.
We checked in on Sunday around 6pm. We told them it was our anniversary and that I'm almost 5 months pregnant, so they upgraded us to a better room with a better view--3rd floor, king sized bed, and a bay view from the balcony. It was magnificent!
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| I didn't take this picture, but this is what our room looked like (thank you Google!). |
We had dinner at one of the little restaurants there that night, called the Market Cafe. I ordered what was called the chicken duo (and it was, by the way, the best chicken dish I think I have ever eaten--seriously!) and Bob had braised short ribs with truffled potatoes, bone marrow (yes, it was a cooked bone sliced open showing the marrow to scoop out and eat), and steamed seasonal vegetables. We got an additional side of grilled asparagus, because I love that stuff--especially when it's cooked right. It was all SO good! Later we got some chocolates for dessert, and just explored around the resort for a little while before relaxing in our room for the rest of the night.
Monday morning was our anniversary date. I woke up around 6am to the most beautiful sunrise!
The horizon was bright orange and I could see across the bay to the city of San Diego and the mountains behind it raising up out of the low-lying fog.
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| Look across the bay at all of that fog covering San Diego! |
After taking those pictures, I laid back down in bed and dozed for a few more hours until Bob woke up. We ate muffins and yogurt in bed for breakfast, then got up as slowly as we wanted. I had a prenatal appointment at 11am. We went and heard our son's heartbeat again. He's strong and healthy and so am I.
We went to lunch at City Deli in downtown San Diego, just a few blocks from my doctor's office.
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| I got the BBQ brisket sandwich, and Bob got a Reuben. |
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| I'm such a carnivore sometimes... |
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| A messy carnivore. |
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| Mmmm..... Look at that amazing Rueben.... |
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| Last bite! |
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| Here I am sporting my new hat while admiring these cute little birds in a huge birdhouse at Loews. |
We drove back to Loews, relaxed a bit, and then Bob sent me to the spa for a 50 minute prenatal massage while he stretched out and relaxed in the spa hot tub. The Sea Spa itself was amazing. I was handed a comfy robe and sandals when I checked in for my appointment. The halls and rooms were filled with candles and lounge chairs. The locker room was the classiest locker room I'd ever seen. The showers were complete with fantastic shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and even shaving cream. There were complimentary lotions, shower caps, razors, hair spray, deodorant, and a hair dryer. And my massage was exactly what I needed! All the stress and tension in my back, legs, and feet had disappeared and I felt like my age had decreased by several years.
While I was at the spa, Bob had snuck back down to the car to get my anniversary present that he'd left hidden behind the back seat. When we made our way back to our room, I walked in and there on the bed was a big box wrapped in gold wrapping paper. As I changed and put on my robe, I pulled out a little sealed envelope for Bob, feeling silly at how small my gift looked compared to his. We ordered room service for dinner, since we were far too relaxed to go anywhere, and then while we were waiting for dinner to be delivered we opened our presents.
Bob got me a Blendtec blender. I've been wanting one for years! And let's be honest, it's just as much for himself as it is for me, not that I mind.
I gave Bob a home-made card, and inside I'd folded up 2 vouchers for a paddle board class. Bob's been wanting to try paddle boarding, so I bought 2 so he could decide if he wants to take me or take one of his friends. Of course he wants to take me, so my gift to him is just as much for me as it is for him.
What perfect presents to celebrate being married--we get to enjoy them together, not just separately.
Our dinner showed up, and it was incredible! Bob really wanted hot wings. So we got some hot for him and some mild for me, along with some parmesan french fries on the side. I ordered an Italian pasta dish. We brought some sparkling cider with us so we got some wine glasses along with dinner, plus some complimentary chocolate covered strawberries. It was absolutely lovely and so romantic to have an intimate meal in the privacy of our own room.
After eating and letting our food settle a bit and before going to bed, we took those drink vouchers downstairs to the lounge, and enjoyed some delicious non-alcoholic drinks, mixed nuts, and M&Ms. We both got these drinks called Blushing Bubbles. They came in champagne flutes with a little lemon rind twist decorating the top and were utter bubbly-raspberry-lemony bliss.
Tuesday morning we woke up and had muffins and hot chocolate on the balcony.
Then went back to the Sea Spa to enjoy the free amenities before we checked out of our room.
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| Ahhh.... The fresh morning sun quickly warmed up the chilly morning air. |
We might have spent more money than we probably should have... But--my goodness--it was worth every penny! We did enough that we felt accomplished instead of lazy, and that's what has made me feel so good about or stay-cation. That's what made it feel longer than just a couple of nights. And none of it was stressful--we had no schedule, but we had lots of possible activities to enjoy.
Happy 2-year anniversary to us!
We sure know how to celebrate, if you ask me. We'll see how much we can simplify our celebrations in the coming years as we tighten our belts while having kids and preparing for the future. I'll be perfectly happy to go to romantic restaurants instead of having all-out extravagant evenings.
All I really want is to be with Bob for a few special hours while we reflect on our courtship, our beautiful wedding, how strong our marriage is, and the reasons why we're still madly in love with each other. <3
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