Celebrating 20 Years of Outstanding Service

 

Last week we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. 20 years. 

Twenty. Years. 

To be more specific: 20 years, 5 kids, 4 dogs, 2 turtles, 8 houses/apartments in 3 states later...

We have a trip to Cancun to look forward to in the fall, but decided that, in the meantime, we would steal a few days away together.  Especially since we were unable to properly celebrate last year - thanks Covid.  

After much time spent researching different getaway ideas, we settled on our old standby - a secluded cabin in beautiful Brown County. This cabin was adorable, peaceful, and still convenient to Bloomington and Nashville for venturing out.

Such as for picnicking at a lovely winery.

You wouldn't think we'd choose to spend several days of uninterrupted time with each other after over a year at home together, but the prospect of actual peace and quiet was too tempting. 

Nothing but the sounds of nature - mainly frogs, birds and other critters. The small pond was teeming with life and one morning we watched a well-fed possum lumber by. We had thought we would be difficult to impress, given the wildlife we observe in our ravine of a backyard every day, but this was a different habitat all together with its unique symphony of sounds.

Suffice to say, we enjoyed our time together. After a particularly, shall we say "interesting?" year, it was a much-needed escape.

And no one asked me for a snack. 

Not once. The whole time. 

After our return home, I had a surprise invitation to spend an afternoon at nearby Conner Prairie. So we finished our week enjoying another beautiful day outside with friends. And goats, and chickens...

I think that one bright side of the pandemic has been a renewed appreciation for the outdoors. In looking for ways to keep my family safe while not going too crazy over the last year, enjoying the outdoors has quickly climbed to the top of the list. 

While we did enjoy a break from our usual schooling this week, It would be remiss of me to ignore the learning that still took place. 

I can't speak for the other members of my family, but here are some important things that I learned this week:

• I still enjoy spending time with my husband. We truly enjoy each other's company and could've spent more time together. Anyone who's been married for 20+ years will certainly tell you that marriage is not all sunshine and roses. But they will also tell you that it's a rare and wonderful thing to truly enjoy the company of your spouse after so much time. It's certainly not something to take for granted.

• My oldest two teens are capable of eating a lot of pizza. They're also capable of taking care of themselves and the dogs and, if left to their own devices, still do their school work. And eat salad. 

• My oldest two teens do not drink very much milk. 

• Not something new I learned, but grandparents who are willing and able to take care of your children, despite their own busy schedules, because they support your efforts to keep your marriage strong - should also not be taken for granted. 

The BEST Nana and Papa Ever

That was our week! The college students in our house will be winding down over the next couple weeks and the rest of us will finish the main part of our curriculum in the next few weeks as well. Hopefully we will continue to get out and about, enjoying the spring weather as we study our state's history in the coming weeks. 

I hope you had a good week!

~ Dori