Sedona

This year we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary, which made me feel more like a legitimate married couple and not just newlyweds.  I swear when I would say, "We've been married 2 years!" more experienced folk would just look at me pityingly and think, "Amateurs.  Beginners.  Just you wait.  You don't even know what love is yet.  You've never been tested."  And while that was probably true, I still felt pretty darn proud to say 2 or 3 or 4 years of marriage in a world that expects 2 or 3 or 4 different marriages.  So even though there are many people who have been married much much longer than us, I felt like it was a big milestone.  Something lots of people celebrate with a cruise or trip to Europe or the like.  However, these people must have 8-5 jobs with flexible vacation, dual incomes and no children, because we certainly weren't able to.  We felt pretty fortunate to get 1.5 days to drive up to beautiful red rock Sedona, compliments of my parent's time share.

We had a little stowaway on our romantic trip.  After a nearly sleepless night probably due to teething, I was certainly wishing I had weaned him so we could actually enjoy our time away.

We enjoyed walking around an artists' colony and looking at all the expensive pieces for sale, but we felt a little out of our element.  Maybe I should have worn something more sophisticated than my college T-shirt. :)

One of our favorite side trips was driving up to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, the Catholic Cathedral built into the rocks.  The best thing about the church was its spectacular location overlooking the valley with a a clear view of all the mountains.

In our first 5 years, we weathered death and grief, two children, medical school, several moves, tight budgets, and long hours.  We also enjoyed wonderful friends and family, blessings, tender mercies, and a lot of personal growth.  I wouldn't have had it any other way.  Here's to another 5 years of growth and happiness!