Celebration Day

This last Friday, June 5^th, Chet surprised me for our (almost) 3 month anniversary. We already had other plans on the exact day. All I knew was that I had to “be ready to go by 5:20.  A dress would be nice”.

I rushed home to get ready. I even brushed and curled my hair! Makeup. Dress. Heels. I love dressing up, but rarely do it. I have multiple pairs of the cutest heels but never wear them because in my book, heels are not practical and I am a practical girl!

Waiting on the table was a dozen beautiful roses along with a bottle of wine with a card from Chet. The roses and wine were my clues as to where we were going. After trying over and over to help me figure it out, he finally just told me we were going to Napa Rose at the California Adventure Hotel!

We talked while eating our fancy sounding and tasting dishes. We talked about the highs of our 3 months of marriage. Chet said he loves our evenings together. Making dinner. Eating together. Hanging out. What that means is he loves our day to day life. The simple aspects of living. We don’t need to do crazy things or go to fancy places to enjoy each other.

Several months ago I read a blog post by Shauna Niequist called “Burn the Candle”.

This year, brew the good coffee, wear the sparkly jewelry, crack open that fresh journal. Gifts are to be loved, to be burned, to be eaten and used up completely, reminders that someone loves us, that someone thought of us.

What would it look like for you, this year, to burn your candles, to allow yourself to be as loved and worthy as the people around you believe you are? What are you hoarding away for another day, for someone else, someone more deserving or special or fancy? What have you been given that you won’t allow yourself to enjoy?

I loved this post so much because I realize how much I do it…or don’t do it. I notice myself not wanted to use something because I don’t want it to run out. I’ll use the old item because I don’t want to ruin the new one.

We have several bottles of really nice wine that have been saved for quite a while because we have to save them for a special occasion. After reading this post, we bought some nice steaks and invited some dear friends over and opened the bottle. It was a wonderful night with some honest conversation between friends.

As we were finishing dinner at Napa Rose, I told Chet we needed to pick a Celebration day. A day that we will celebrate each year. Celebrate anything. Celebrate 3 months of marriage. Celebrate the end of a hard week. Celebrate national doughnut day (Friday was national doughnut day so we ate beignet after dinner. Those are doughnuts right?). Celebrate because I want to wear my new dress. Celebrate life changes. 

We will open that bottle of wine, wear the impractical shoes even if we are staying at home and find something to celebrate because it’s easy to lose sight of all of the good when things are hard. We will celebrate each other and remember why we chose one another. We will celebrate the simple and mundane because it is all worth celebrating.

June 5 is now our celebration day. 

one month.

March 7^th, 2015, is a culmination of so many hopes, dreams and prayers. I stood next to my almost husband under the giant oak tree as we committed the rest of our lives together.  We celebrated with those we love on the lawn where I spent my summers growing up. The whole day was covered in His fingerprints. From the perfect weather when rain and freezing temperatures were a concern, to the geese who thought they needed to make an appearance make a graceful landing as soon as Amen was said, to the 30 years both my and Chet’s parents prayed for this very day.

We went back to Porterville for Easter to pick up the last of the wedding stuff. It was a beautiful spring day. We looked out at that giant oak tree we stood under one month ago. The difference is noticeable from 4 short weeks ago. The tree is green and full. Spring has arrived and the leaves have made their appearance.

I’ve always loved that tree. Now it holds a special place in my heart. When I look at that tree I see the seasons of life we all go through. And as I’ve been told many times lately, my marriage will encounter those seasons as well. But that’s ok. I think that is how we were created. You can’t get to the fresh green leaves without them falling first. There is still beauty in the bare scraggly branches. They are just getting ready for spring. And spring always comes.

I am so grateful to walk through life with Chet. We are soaking up all that this season brings!

Photo Credit: LaurenWestraPhotography