Today, Carlos and I have been married for 10 years.
Incredible.
We were supposed to be living it up in Hawaii for our 10 year anniversary. That's been the plan from the beginning. Last year at this time, we spent hours looking at different lodging and activities...dreaming of the warm, lazy days we'd be whiling away a year henceforth.
Ever since Carlos started traveling for work about 2.5 years ago, we've intended on using the Delta miles he was racking up to make the trip. We were even going First Class, baby. What a great perk.
This was the job that "reduced" his position - along with that of 400 other employees - the week before Thanksgiving. The job that took my husband and the kids' father away from us 2 weeks every month for more than 2 years. We made a lot of sacrifices for that job. Willingly, yes, but with the promise that it was going to lead to bigger and better things for him.
Since then, we've been as frugal as possible. Cutting unnecessary expenses (including Izzy's 2 day a week preschool - this is heartbreaking for us because she LOVES school,) both of us applying for any job we feel remotely qualified for, and me doing as much design and freelance work as I can get my hands on.
I'm not sharing this for sympathy. I honestly don't like to talk about it at all (which, I know, drives my family crazy...they worry.) I simply know we are doing everything we can to get back on our feet and no amount of talking will fix things.
The point is, our long-intended decade anniversary trip didn't happen. Instead, we whispered "Happy Anniversary" to each other for the first time in the early hours this morning; right after my alarm went off to dose Zack with his amoxicillin. We spent the day keeping germs at bay. Entertaining a home-bound 7 year old and a cooped up 3 year old.
Glamorous.
Ironically, one of the last trips he made for his company was to Hawaii for a week. We talked about me tagging along but with the intense schedule of training and island hopping he had ahead of him, it seemed a waste of miles. Kind of wishing we would have made that happen now.
They may have taken our vacation away but not our spirit and not our optimism. We've had rough patches before and always gotten through them. Ten years later, we're older. Wiser. Stronger. Smarter. More in love than ever.
A little retrospective (cut me some slack...I did these a long time ago!):
 |
| Our wedding day (Vegas. That's the way to do it! lol) |
 |
| Two kids and two and a half years in ;) |
 |
| Our 5 year anniversary trip to Toronto. |
OH HAPPPPPY Anniversary to you both & here is to 100 more amazing years together of Love & Blessings. My 10yr. Anniversary will be on the 1st of March. :)
ReplyDeletehappy anniversary, E. so happy for you both. you definitely deserve to be pampered on a trip in the near future. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy ten year anniversary!! We thought we'd be doing something exotic on ours too, but instead we had a six month old Gracie on our hands : ) I've been inspired by your careful financial stewardship over the last few months—we are working hard to build up our savings after a few years of having to live places where rent was way more than our housing allowance from the AF covered... need to be ready for 2013 when it might be back to DC and exorbitant rents again.
ReplyDeleteSomething good/right will fall into place for you!
Happy anniversary! Crossing fingers and toes that some wonderful opportunities come your way :) xoxo
ReplyDeletehappy anniversary! we had big plans for our 10th too but it wasn't meant to be. Maybe for our 20th?! i hope you guys are able to take a trip soon and enjoy some time alone together.
ReplyDeleteyes. you deserve that 20 year trip, my dear.
ReplyDeletegood golly i love you.
xoxo.