Seventeen

Just got back into town from our anniversary trip. Yesterday marked 17 years of marital bliss for us! In some ways it seems like much longer, and other ways it seems like just yesterday.

Here's a reality check: when we got married that cool October day at Pretty Place, Brandon was 7 and Zach was 3. Papa Scott had "Zach duty", which meant he got to hang out in the parking lot listening to Zach, who was pretty darn talkative back in those days.

To celebrate our 17th anniversary, we made our standard pilgrimage to the Inn on Church (see picture) in Hendersonville NC, where we have been going for several years now. H'ville has a great historic downtown section, with antique shops, boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. Our favorites are: Mike's on Main (in an 1880's drug store with tin ceilings and an awesome soda fountain counter), Black Bear Coffee, and a couple little antique malls whose names I don't know.

Unfortunately, our idea regarding taking Rupert along (our Lhasa Apso) was not a great one. For various reasons we won't go into here, it would have been a more relaxing weekend had we left him at home. I think next year we'll do like most normal people: board the dog, and go on the vacation just by ourselves!

But no complaints about our marriage -- I do believe I am a very lucky man. When I was single and far away from God, I only remember praying one prayer, and that was that God would send me a girl who would be faithful to me always. Cathy was the answer to that prayer, and she has not disappointed me. Once again, God is good.