4 years later

2008 - I feel this picture sums up how
our wedding was the most fun of any wedding, ever

 

2009 - Annapolis Harbor
Fun fact - I later jumped in that harbor during GORUCK

 

2010 - Richmond, VA

2011 - Rosaryville 50K

2012

Yesterday, we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. I'll skip the whole blah, blah, I love my husband, he has all these wonderful qualities, etc etc. I think I made that apparent in the fact that I married the guy, and besides, I've already written a blog post bitching about how I don't believe in marrying your best friend. Instead, I'll just post tons of pictures of us looking lovey dovey.


As I mentioned, we try to take an anniversary gift each year instead of exchanging gifts. This year, we went rural.





On Wednesday, our actual anniversary, we slept in and then drove into the mountains and spent the day hiking to a waterfall. 

I'm KING OF THE WORLD!

We did a little off roading

The waterfall was about 2.5 miles from the trail head, but we wanted to go to the end of the trail, another mile and a half or so. Past the waterfall, the trail got a bit more rugged, and we stopped seeing other people. We walked about a half a mile until we started hearing thunder in the distance. I commented that it sounded really far away (all casually, like I might have some sort of meteorological knowledge). Literally moments after I closed my mouth from this statement, thunder appeared to boom right over our heads, like God himself was calling me out for pretending to know stuff.

Eric was leading and increased his pace approximately 100% after he heard the thunder. In his defense, I have no practical knowledge, so if anything happened to him, we'd be in trouble. We didn't have cell service on the trail, so my only option would be to use my phone to play music to him and cry.

We stopped and got dinner on the way home, and Eric enjoyed some authentic southern barbecue. I think he got 5 kinds of meat? I went across the street and got pizza.

Then we enjoyed our favorite anniversary tradition - watching our wedding video. It's gotten to the point where we each make the exact same comments at the exact same parts, and can predict each other's. So much fun.


Thursday, we headed back out again on a longer trail, that was supposed to take us up to a bluff with amazing views. If I thought yesterday's trail got a bit rugged, this trail was truly rugged, with a lot of elevation. You know, because we were climbing a mountain.

This was the trail

You can't tell, but this was at the edge of a huge precipice.

Not a real stream crossing, there was a rock bridge

We made it about a mile and a half and I could tell Eric was truly miserable. He was trying to put on a happy face for my benefit, which really impressed me, because had the tables been turned, I would have been whining nonstop and begging to go home. He refused to admit it or end the hike until I stopped in my tracks and demanded we go back to the resort to play mini golf. He still wouldn't admit defeat, but noticeably cheered up on the way back. We ended up with a 4 mile hike, and hours of laying at the pool.

 

 We also saw fresh bear poop on our way back, so fresh it hadn't been there when we passed the first time. So close to danger!


So, to sum things up, 10 miles of hiking on a mountain have been my only exercise on this trip. Normally I am fine with getting up early to run on vacation, but that also requires going to bed early. Since I came on this anniversary trip to actually spend time with my husband, going to bed way before him so I could get up and run before we hiked was, I'll admit, an option I considered, but ultimately counterproductive. Plus, my legs will be nice and rested for Sunday's 50K!


If you were on a mountain with no people for miles, with no cell service, and your companion got hit by lightening, what would you do?


If you are married, did you hire a videographer? I can't even believe people skip it. It's the only way I was able to see the ceremony!