Holiday Happies 3 - Anniversary Edition

We lived downtown Salt Lake City for the first 5 years of our marriage, and every year on our anniversary I had the thought to go ice skating at the Triad Center. I saw the rink nearly every day driving from our apartment to the Gateway where I'd pick the husband up from work. But every year on our anniversary, it was way too cold or we ended up eating too much at the restaurant, or we had some other excuse not to go ice skating.

This year, on December 20, our eighth anniversary, we finally went ice skating. And this year it was not too cold. In fact it was just 4 blocks from Santa Monica Beach. It was chilly enough to wear a jacket and stylish scarf, but not that bitter freezing you never seem to get used to in Utah.

We had a blast flirting and playing like we were dating again. As the husband would come up from behind me and grab my hand or my waist, the memory of many Christmases as a teenager how I would ache and pine for a "holiday date" like this. And here I was -- finally experiencing that comfort, attention and security I longed for as a young woman. It was such a joy looking up at my handsome man as we weaved through other skaters feeling that warm sweetness in my heart as I repeated the words in my mind, "He's mine. All mine."

It's a really happy feeling.

(It was pretty dark, which is why the photo is so grainy.)



P.S. If you ever have a son or daughter or friend or whatever tempted to get married in December, please do everything you can to talk them out of it. It was sweet and romantic to have a holiday wedding (I LOVED my jewel colors), and mildly challenging to celebrate an anniversary amidst concerts, performances and holiday projects. But with a kid, it's a HUGE ordeal. Please take my word for it!