That anniversary we had almost a month ago

Sometimes I scan through my blog list hoping for interesting reading from favorite bloggers and friends and there is nothing new and I'm disgruntled. Then I remember, "Oh yeah, I haven't blogged in a while either." And I get on it!

So we are back in MN! We are staying with some nice friends till our apartment opens up later this week. Student housing. That comes available after school starts. Harumph. But we are grateful for good friends who open their home to us so we don't have to stay in a hotel. Riley and Joe are beyond happy with their three little playmates here too. I went to check on Riley the other day and she and one of the girls were in her room, princess dresses on, holding dolls and whispering to each other. When I creaked the door open they went silent and looked up at me. "What are you girls up to?" Silence. Stares. "Ok, just checkin." More silence. "I'll shut the door now." Sometimes I feel like Riley has skipped to the teens without permission.

There are a few items of note to catch up on here. For one: we had an anniversary! The big 4! We celebrated at Topsail Island by sending our kids to dinner with family and going our separate way to the deceptively unassuming Topsail Island Grill. The outside is plain vinyl siding and a little ivy, small sign swinging over the door. Inside it is all dark wood and romantic lighting and fancy menus (with fancy prices, but Dave was all, "Spare no expense! But don't go crazy - we got babies." Haha. He is delightful.)

Drunk on the maturity of it all, we ordered an appetizer we couldn't actually pronounce and it turned out to be this coconut breaded, sesame sauced, room temperature'd but raw tuna on a paper-thin slice of watermelon. For those of you who were at Lora's wedding luncheon 13 ish years ago and saw me order mussels and fail at trying to eat them, it was kind of like that. However this time I put my big-girl panties on, closed my eyes, and tried the darn thing and wouldn't you know: it was delicious!

 Almost as good as the brussel sprouts and massive steak I got. Man, I would eat brussel sprouts every day if I knew how to make them like that. Dave got sesame crusted salmon.

 I made him pose so I could take pictures of the birthday party going on behind him. This lady was turning 60 and her friends were a riot. She is the one just under his right ear wearing luminous "60" glasses. But isn't he adorable? I am so glad I married a kind man. A stud, for sure, but kind.

 And then we took a walk along the sound, and went home and made cookies because cookies are his love language.

Oh, and I made him this awesome shutterfly book with a "how do I love thee" theme and snippets of the past four years together - pictures and blog bits and whatnot. He didn't get it till a week later because I shipped it to VA and it didn't get there before they left for the beach, but he loved it when he got it. It was pretty good! Because it has been a really awesome four years! Just beautiful - I love going through life with him by my side. It has been an adventure: we have moved around the country, had different jobs and degrees, brought two fantastic children to this earth, hiked and played together, cooked together, conquered at least 1000 "bedtimes" together, argued and made up, cheered for each other, cried, but mostly laughed, together, driven tens of thousands of miles, shared secrets and surprises...life has been rich and there is not a soul I would prefer to have shared it with over him. Thank you, Dave. I love you more than I can say.