An Anniversary

Today I celebrated my 12th wedding anniversary to a wonderful man.  God so blessed this undeserving gal with a man who loves his heavenly father which is what makes him the most wonderful husband and father to our children.
Thanks to some friends of ours we were able to go out to eat just the two of us at a lovely Indian restaurant, and have an adult drink.  Before that though we took a stroll around a part of Binghamton, NY.  It was a beautiful autumn day the air was comfortable, the leaves on the trees are just beginning to light up with bright reds and oranges.  This is my time of year.  I love the colors, the smells, and crisp air.

When Eric and I started dating, one of our first dates was roaming around Binghamton hand in hand on a cool fall day.  So much has changed since that day.  We have both sadly have changed physically and now have three lovely children that accompany us just about everywhere we go.  Which we wouldn't change at all.  We love being with our kiddos most of the time and love to have them with us.  But there is the rare occasion when it is nice to go on a date, just the two of us.  So when friends offered to watch our crazy kiddos, we took them up on their offer.
On the way to the place where we would park the car there was a lot less off the normal clamor that rides along with us will car full of kids.  As we began our walk I think the lack of needy, noisy children felt very unnatural at first.  We had done this before in our not so distant past which had an awkwardness about it for different reasons (dating, newly weds). I don't know if we new immediately how to relate to one another without the clamor, and the stunted conversations.  While noticing this a small fear tried to creep in.  Would we be able to relate to one another when that day comes, when each of our children takes flight and we are left with an empty nest?  Thankfully by the end of our delightful date I think we were getting the hang of this relating to one another again as friends, and as a husband and wife.  Not just two who share the same home and take care of the same children, but as a couple of friends.  Maybe we should try to do this a little more often?
~Laura