5 years...Then and Now
A few weeks ago, on July 2, Troy and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. Seriously, I have no idea where the time has gone! I in no way deserve the amazing husband that God has blessed me with, but I so extremely thankful for him! I remember when our wedding day was drawing near and a few people would say to us, "Oh! You are getting married. (Insert snide laugh here) Just wait. Your lives will NEVER be the same!" or they would say something a long the lines of, "Get ready...the 'ol ball and chain!" To those folks who gave us that "advice," I beg to differ! Yes, marriage is hard work, but the pleasure and joy that comes from a good marriage is WELL worth the "work!" We don't tie each other down (or weigh each other down, like a ball and chain would), we strive to lift each other up---spiritually, emotionally, and even physically---i.e. keeping each other from eating that extra scoop of ice cream! :) When we first started dating, we had one goal in mind, namely, to strive glorify God more together than we could apart. I still am reminded of how good of a goal that is to keep! Sometimes, when we are in the midst of sleepless night with kids, mounds of laundry, a sink full of dishes, bills to pay, and a social life to balance, its hard to keep that perspective. But, in the end, it pays off!
I love my wonderful husband. God has given him a such a caring spirit, a tender heart, a keen sense of humor, and an amazing ability to communicate (which helps in the marriage!). Troy has an incredible sense of joy, rooted in Christ, and he has such an immense love for the kids and myself. I am so thankful for these last 5 years, and look forward to many, many more years of marital bliss! I'm sure, with God's grace, it will only get better from here!
For our anniversary get away, we left the kids with my mom and sister (THANKS A MILLION!) and headed to our favorite place---the beach. We got an unbelievable deal on an ocean front hotel room in Huntington Beach at The Shorebreak Hotel. The room was amazing. We just had to open our sliding door and there was the pier and the Pacific ocean staring back at us. The people at the hotel were very friendly. They even gave us a homemade card with the staff's signature and chocolate covered strawberries for our anniversary. They also gave us free Chardonnay, made a wine cooler for me, and gave us free water (the nice kind---in a glass bottle!). Seriously, folks. This is the place to stay! It was extremely relaxing, just the rejuvenation I've been needing for quite some time! We also went to Duke's and shared a Hula Pie for desert (YUM!). After spending a night at the beach, we headed to lunch and to see Knight and Day. All in all, we had a wonderful time! We need to do that more often!
We arrived to find this thoughtful card and these delicious chocolate covered strawberries!
The view from our bed.
My complimentary wine cooler. Don't worry. I only had a few sips, so I avoided getting a migraine! 
Me and my guy relaxing!
On the pier.
Our view from our table at Duke's. Beautiful!
Mmmm. Hula Pie!
Our breakfast on the balcony: Strawberry Kefir, Bagels with cream cheese, and fruit!
We loved our room!
View from our balcony!
