We did a thing...last year.

Well it was 2019 and the year for us to celebrate our 25th anniversary.

He said: I was thinking vow renewal.
I said: I was thinking that too, but I wasn't going to say it.

We talked about a ceremony...with guests? Both being on the quiet side, we didn't know how to go about throwing ourselves a ceremony.  But we held the thought for a while.  We had pretty much eloped 25 years prior, so there wasn't even a ceremony to begin with.

A few weeks later we decided on a photoshoot, a white dress, and a private renewal, and rings.  For the most part not much changed, but also it morphed to a dinner held for us by my daughter, with my sister and my son and the grandkids.

The photoshoot happened a week before the date. We had never been professionally photographed together as we are both extremely photo shy.  So that was kind of nerve-racking, but I will say that we did good.  We stuck together, shopped together, did the session and celebrated and I'll be damned if I didn't walk into a restaurant with a red jean jacket and a wedding dress on...oh yes I did!

On our the date of our own anniversary, we had a nice homemade dinner (I rushed home at lunch  and set the table  all sweet and lovey) and then we had a quiet happy dinner.

 The next day we went up to Forest Hill, CA and renewed our original traditional vows.  Just he and I at seemed to us as the top of our world. Overlooking the hills and trails that we often roam.  It was more intense and meaningful that I could have imagined it would be.  Did my lip quiver and hands shake as he put on the ring again?  I would say yes, and I still feel that in my deepest heart and core.  I would guess that is also why it has taken me three months to write about it.  The things that matter so much pull more out of the gut when writing.

Afterward we went to my daughter's house.  The three grandchildren were standing on the porch looking at us like the Prince and Princess.  And for that I will always be enchanted.  It was a beautiful time celebrating our marriage with our family.

"in the end it's him and I"