Our 10th Anniversary!!!!

Ok.. so show and tell time! I've been talking about our 10th wedding anniversary for months now over on facebook.. and have a lot of people wondering what exactly I got Adam this year! So its time to let the cat out of the bag!

Let it be known that while today is actually our "real" anniversary.. we pretended like it was yesterday because we get to go to the 3rd Day Concert (and actually meet the band in person) tonight with the church!! So we wanted to celebrate yesterday with just us! For Once I actually kept the secret and Adam had NO idea what he was getting!! Heee Heee!!

So want to know what I got him????????????????

I got him this......



BED SHEETS!!!!!



Ok.. TOTALLY kidding! But I had you didn't I?? I actually lifted this image from google images. Its not even our bed ;-)

First off all, please note that I am an EXTREMELY sentimental person! I love, love, love anything truly sentimental. For our 5th Anniversary I made him a [small] scrapbook (one he could tuck away into his drawer or tote around) that was entitled "Our Book of 5's". Everything was centered around the number 5. I had 5 categories (things like "5 things I've learned about you, 5 things I love about you, etc, etc). And each category had 5 things in it (so I would listed out 5 of the things I loved about him, elaborated on the idea and completed it with pictures). You get the idea.

So #10 was big. I stewed, prayed, and contemplated over what to get him for this entire past year. Then FINALLY at the Ozark Craft Festival (last month) it all started to come together! This year everything [of course] revolved around the number 10. This is the one [and probably] only time I will EVER be thankful my husband works a 10 hour day!!!

So this is what I did....

Starting at 8:30 every hour we (the kids and I ) delivered him one of these at work:

[Side note.. do you realize how hard clear balloons are to come by? I called every florist, craft store, and party supply store in the surrounding 5 cities and FINALLY found 1 store that carried them! Who would have thought??)

On the bottom, the balloon was tied down with a tube (filled with resin) and a special note. Like this:



And inside of each balloon was a number and a rolled up note. Like this:



For the first one, I added this note:


He was, of course, completely confused. By about the 3rd balloon he was starting to catch on.. realizing that he was going to be getting 10 of these.

Then at 2:00 (well.. I was a little late, but pretty close). I gave him a very special present and a note (like the first one) that started out:

"Exactly 10 years ago today: Nov 10, 2001 2:00pm I was walking down the isle to marry my soul mate. That was the happiest day of my life. That was the best decision I have ever made. That was the day God changed my life forever".... and it went on and on (with more mooshy stuff).

As for the present.....Remember those 10th Wedding Anniversary Pictures we took? Yeah.. I used those to make this:




I actually made the frame from old barn wood. Then covered it in old recipes with modge podge. He loved it!

So at the end of the day he had 10 balloons.

Then when he got home, it was time to put all the pieces together. I was planning on doing this where we went on our first date (a lookout tower over Branson).. but then my brain kicked in and I realized we wouldn't be able to read it in the dark! I also thought about doing it in the restaurant... but it was pretty intimate and I wanted some privacy. So we opted to do this part at home. Good thing. So sitting in our living room floor first he had to open this present...



Its a block of wood. With holes drilled in the top (whoo hoo.. I figured out drilling holes is quite rewarding)! . Once again, covered with old paper with some Modge Podge. The words state "You've Loved me Through It All". Then it all started to fit. Starting with #1, he would place the resin tube into the 1st hole, pop the balloon, and read the note inside. I had listed out 10 things that we have been through together, and wrote him a personal note about each one. Things such as "Through every argument, fight, and make-up", "In the midst of infertility, every operation, and weeks of bed-rest", "During the births of our 3 beautiful children and the deaths of those we love dear", "While opening our own businesses", and the last one..."For richer, for poorer, during better and worse,through sickness and in health since we were 16 years old…...You've loved me-Though it all"

You get the idea. Basically I elaborated on each one, letting him him know how much he means to me, and how he has pulled me through everything over this past decade. [I hope he doesn't kill me for this but...] he broke down on the last one. I had to finish reading it. My husband doesn't cry. Period. He did last night. So I know that it meant a lot to him. So all the planning, all the work, it was so, so, worth it.





So now that its over, we can hang it on our bedroom wall and it will look like this:



Then we can be reminded everyday of how much we have been through together and how much our love means.

So then we went out to eat. Every year on our anniversary [since #1] we go to Olive Garden. Its tradition. So last night was no different. And we splurged. When it came time for desert, I casually told our waiter that we can have desert because we are celebrating our 10th Anniversary and for 10 years, we have spent it at their restaurant . And I surprised Adam with one last gift. I gave him a present wrapped in an old marriage license paper:

When he opened it he found this:




A necklace with our initials, "Est. 01", and the phrase "Thru it All", so he can be reminded daily of this night. That necklace is what I bought him at the Ozark Craft Fair. It is what started it all. It was my inspiration! He loved it! He put it on right away (which is unusual for him).

Then when our waiter brought us our bill, he said "Let me go ask my manager if I can get your desert taken off there since your celebrating this very special occasion". So the manager came to our table, congratulated us, and let us know how much it means to them that we come there every year. It was awesome. So after he left, the waiter brought back our ticket and said "My manager did you one even better.. he comped your ENTIRE meal!!! He thought it was too cool that you come here every year and #10 is big!" I was FLOORED!!!! That really, really, really made our entire anniversary. It wasn't just about the money, it was about the entire experience!

So then we followed up with a movie, and we had some good heart to heart talks. That was by far the best anniversary yet.

So tonight we get to go meet 3rd Day and remember that God brought us together. I'm so thankful, every day, for my husband.. and I hope that he realizes how much he means to me!

So there you have it! That was our #10. Now... what to do for our 25th???