The Day After

Here we are at the starting line of our 14th year and I have to say my husband did an amazing job of closing out our 13th.

I had wanted to plan a special anniversary celebration for him and I, since we don't usually celebrate. I had gone so far as to find someone who could watch our children and take them to church. My plan was to take our "old car" and go for a picnic. Problem was, one of the kids was on the calendar as having playoffs, so I shrugged off my idea.

Must've been meant to be, in some form, because I never told my husband and yet he planned something similar, only better.

Yesterday, he smoked up some bbq chicken legs, made deviled eggs, and packed up a bag. I somehow managed to miss him packing a bag. He invited me to go out back and check on the bees, which I agreed to hoping for the best and trying not to fear the worst of possibilities. As we headed out, I began praying in my heart, that all was well. As I said yesterday, it's been a stormy year. It took me a few minutes to notice the bag and much went through my mind.

As we walked along the path, he walked by my side, which gave me hope that the end of this walk would be pleasant, since usually he walks far ahead of me. We talked about plans for the land and checked out different plants we had growing a long the path. We really need to go harvest mulberries, they are everywhere! We also stopped and checked on our bees.

Then he took me a little past the bees to another circle of pines and asked if I'd like to have a picnic. I excitedly said yes and we laid out a sheet and he set out the food. We sat there, eating, talking, listening to the birds, and watching the clouds. Such a simple and beautiful time yet it's the first time I can think of, at least in a long time, that we've done anything really like it and I must say, I look forward to doing it again much sooner.

I admire the courage it took him to put it together, not knowing for sure if I'd go along with it. I appreciate the sentiment, because I know it took planning and that he had taken time to find the best spot. I'm amazed at his thinking of something similar to my own plan. (God is good, all the time!) And I'm thankful that he did this.

Honestly it was the best anniversary, I think, we've had in a very long time, possibly ever.