[My apologies for not announcing the winner of the Flavor Doctor Giveaway on Friday. I'm not sure what I was thinking, but there was no way a blog entry was happening then. After being away until Thursday night then needing Friday to prepare for a dinner party, Meet the Teacher Night and go on a date with Erik, I just couldn't fit it in. Anyway, the winner (chosen at random with Random.org) is.... Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table! Congrats, Laura! Please send me your address and 'The Doctor' will be on its way.]
Friday was my and Erik’s 16th wedding anniversary.
Sixteen years!
I don’t feel old enough to have been married for sixteen years, but I have. I’m not sure what I did to deserve a husband like Erik, but I feel very fortunate to have him. I never knew I could love someone this much, but I do.
As we have watched marriages of friends and aquaintances around us crumble over the past couple of years we realize that what we have is something truly special. I am grateful for it (and Erik!) every day.
To celebrate, (well, actually to cash in on one of Erik’s Groupon-purchasing impulses) we decided to take a little trip. We took the kids with us because we had just left them home for eight days while we ran off to St. Thomas, so the four of us headed up to Victoria, BC. We parked our car in Port Angeles and boarded the ferry on foot.
After a 90-minute ferry ride,
we walked to our downtown hotel, the beautiful (and sustainably built, “green”) Parkside Victoria Resort where we spent three nights. Victoria is a beautiful city that we have always loved to visit. Erik and I had a great time touring the city by bike two years ago and while we couldn’t see as much travelling by foot, we knew the kids would still love it as much as we did.
We played, we walked, we toured, we swam, we shopped, and we walked some more. Aside from eating ice cream every day and feeling totally relaxed, some of the highlights were visiting Beacon Hill Park,
where we made some new friends,
and found the world’s tallest totem pole.
We visited the parliament building,
took time to touch the water,
made a few calls,
and picked out which boat(s) in the harbor we wanted to ride on and buy.
Our trip wouldn’t be complete without a stop in Chinatown,
the adorable little farmer’s market,
and dining at our favorite downtown restaurant, Re-Bar.
Our hotel room had a kitchenette, so we only ate out for one meal a day, which was nice and saved a lot of money.
Somehow, after walking all day long, Cameron and Jace still had energy to go swimming every day.
It was a wonderful trip to spend quality time as a family,
a great way to end the summer,
and a beautiful way to celebrate sixteen years.
Happy 16th Anniversary, Erik!
I love you!
And I you.
I’m so excited to have won! This salt-free spice selection is just perfect for my competition diet.
Happy belated anniversary. you guys are adorable together – so clearly still in love.
Thank you! (Your winnings are in the mail!)
Happiest of anniversaries to you two! Sixteen years is quite an accomplishment.
I loved the pictures – looks like the four of you had a great time together. What are those things you are wearing? Jackets??? What??? I’m jealous.
Thanks Michelle! Yes, unfortunately, it was a little cooler those few days so we did need a light jacket. But, the warmth is back this week with temps in the low 80′s around here! Yahoo!
16 years is so impressive– happy anniversary to you two! You definitely have something special. We haven’t reached the point yet of seeing any friends or acquaintances’ marriages fall apart, but that must be really hard… given the stats, I’m sure we’re bound to see it too. So glad you got to celebrate as a whole family, your trip looks like a perfect mix of rest and play.
Thank you!!
Congratulations on reaching sweet 16! It’s so lovely to see how much you guys love, appreciate and fancy each other after all these years. Long may it continue!
Another awesome trip! It’s great that you managed to share this one with the kids. It certainly looks like the perfect ending to a wonderful summer x
It really was! Thank you for the nice words, Sharon!