9 Days to 10 Years !

Ok, 9 days to go until our 10-year anniversary. If you missed the last post (that started the 10 day countdown), scroll down to read it.

Another great memory of our 10 years together actually involves 3 special trips we've taken since we've said "I do". Allow me to comment on each of these:

Honeymoon: We had a great trip right after we got married. We spent about 4 full days in Colonial Williamsburg which was quite a treat. Very fun to go back in time. I've always wanted to go back there and maybe some day we will. It was fun walking around together in the cold and I especially remember sitting and listening to a concert of sorts singing old carols with colonial style music going on. I remember feeling very far removed from the world at that point and I was happy to be sitting "alone" with just my bride. The 2nd part of our trip involved making a 180 degree turn in terms of settings. We left Colonial Williamsburg on what I remember to be a Thursday morning. We arrived right before lunch in downtown Manhattan... that's right... smack dab in the middle of NYC during Christmas time!! Wow - cultural shock. I think I ended up paying an arm for our cab ride (partly because I panicked and overtipped our driver!!HA) and then paid a leg for a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches (and we had to share our fries). I remember putting down a $20 bill and Kendra saying "don't we need to get change" and I said, "uh, no, all of this was about $20!!" Yikes - reality had set in. It was almost sleeting and very cold there. We got lost looking for Rockafeller Center because we should have been looking for Rockafeller Plaza and besides that our hotel room was the size of a closet and we paid about $220 a night for it. At one point that evening, we retreated back to the hotel room (probably b/c we were sad and scared!! HA). From there, one of Kendra's cousin who lived in NYC at the time wanted to see us. So she came to our hotel. She saw the room, asked us how much we spent and said something like "you guys got a steal!!". I was thinking "What?". But then it was clear that we weren't doing all that bad after all. So our mindset shifted, we found a familiar chain to eat dinner and then made our way to the Plaza to watch the ice skating. At that point our fun time in NYC was just beginning. It was a great couple of full days and I actually go on the Today Show. You would have had to stop the tape in order to see me if you recorded it but I was there. It was a great memorable trip that also included a great time seeing the famous Radio City Music Hall Rockettes Christmas Show. Very fun for us both and we had great seats!! Well, I could go on and on ...

Oregon: A year or so after we were married, Kendra and I went to see a college buddy of mine in Portland, Oregon. It was a great trip for us to see Chris and Diane and their kids (I can't recall if they had one or 2 when we were there but now they have 2). We got to visit with alot of their extended family, took a tour of the Nike plant and went up to Mt. Hood and saw the hotel where they filmed the movie, "The Shining" with Jack Nicholson. It was the summer but at the top of Mt. Hood, we go to throw snow/ice balls at each other so that was a fun experience. Chris and I have always maintained a good friendship over the last 17-18 years that I've known him. It was quite a treat to go visit the Northeast and spend time with a good friend and his family and be able to do that with my favorite person in the world!! (I love you honey!!)

Benin, West Africa: Well, this post wouldn't be completed with the biggest trip of my life. My brother, Randy, and his wife were missionaries in Benin, West Africa for 8 years from 1999-2007. I believe it was the fall of 2004 when we went but I could be off a year. We had wanted to visit them in Africa but we knew it would be costly and challenging since we had 2 little ones at that point. But thanks to the Lord for providing (as He ALWAYS does!!) and to some great family members and friends, we were allowed to leave our kids in good hands and take off for an incredible adventure. It was so fun for Kendra and I to take this task on. If you've never flown like this to a foreign country, then you should ... it will make your relationship stronger. You might kill each other along the way (HA) but it all is good in the end!! We grew stronger together and had fun experiencing all that Africa had to offer. On the way back from Africa, we were fortunate to spend a night in Paris, France. I thought there might never be a time where I would say "Hey Honey, I want to take you to Paris". Since we had to fly through there on the way home, we decided to spend a few hours one afternoon and then get up the next morning and head back home. It was quite an experience going through the Paris airport and having to navigate together so we wouldn't get lost. We saw the Eiffel Tower and some other cool landmarks. And we ended our evening by having a great pizza dinner on a street side table with creme' brule for dessert. Very fun!! This was definitely one of the highlights of our 10 years together.

Ok, I wish I could tell you about all the family trips to Littlefield (my hometown), Midland (Kendra's hometown) or even trips to Canada/Prince Edward Island or trips to the mountains of Colorado for Christmas but I just don't have time. Don't forget to check back tomorrow!

Blessed be your name,
SJ