2 Year Wedding Anniversary - Part 1: Chocolate Hieroglyphics

I pulled up to the stoplight and quickly checked the mirror to make sure I looked ok.  I was headed to meet Aaron for dinner to celebrate our two year anniversary, and I was running a little behind, so I had also taken a quick peek at my phone to check the time.

As I pulled up to the light and stopped, I noticed a man holding a cardboard sign asking for money.  I suddenly felt guilty about the iPhone I was holding and for worrying about if my hair was still in place.

Before I even got a chance to think about grabbing my wallet to hand him any spare change I had (I typically have less than a dollar in spare change to use for the vending machine at work), the light turned green, and my thoughts shifted to finding a parking spot.

Seeing people like this man always remind me of how lucky I am (I know, I know, some of them are total scammers and make more money than I do, but I am convinced that there may be legit needy people asking).

The feelings of gratitude spilled over into my thoughts at dinner.  Aaron and I have faced a few setbacks lately, and I had gotten into a bad habit of feeling a little sorry for myself and for us.  No, maybe we aren't accomplishing some of the goals we'd set out for ourselves as quickly as we'd like, but we've both experienced a lot of personal growth in the last year and certainly in the last two years since we first married.

I don't even know how to fully express the mixture of emotions I felt - a combination of happiness, nostalgia, guilt (for feeling an ounce of sorry for myself ever), hope, and other feelings that words couldn't describe.

It's all part of the journey I guess - we have a LOT of time ahead of us.  We might as well enjoy the ride, soak up the scenery, and have a few laughs.  Part of our discussion revolved around what's to come and how to look forward to the future without feeling discontent in the present - not an easy task.

To say the least, I am thrilled that our nearly 8 year long relationship has evolved into something truly fulfilling for us both.  The changes in us both are remarkable, and we are fortunate to have grown in the same direction while maintaining our own hobbies, activities, and friends.  We are still best friends, travel companions, work out partners, and confidants.

Stay tuned for Part 2!  We are taking sailing lessons to finish up celebrating our 2 year wedding anniversary!

Ok, now on to a few pictures from this evening:

We got a special seat on the balcony in the restaurant we were married in - Euphoria.  This screenshot is from their website.  Recognize anyone?  

The sky was a bit cloudy, but who cares?!  It's our anniversary!

Our wedding cake was carrot cake (a vegan version!), so we ordered this (non-vegan) version from the menu.   IThe "Happy Anniversary" message melted in the heat into chocolate hieroglyphics.  

Who says Indianapolis isn't amazing?  This view is stunning!

These two chairs placed here may seem unimportant to most, but they hold significance to us.  We hung out in this spot right after our ceremony in disbelief over what we had just happened, waiting to go to our reception (we had our ceremony on the balcony of the restaurant and then ate inside the restaurant).

For whatever reason, this short, stolen moment alone together is forever etched in our memories

Happy 2 year anniversary sweetheart!