366 Days

The 15th of this month marks our first anniversary. That is to say - 12 moons, or 52 weeks, or 366 suns (2016 was leap year), or 1 Perseids meteor shower since the day we each chose to trade in our 36 years of bachelorhood for a new life together.

And so to celebrate, on August 15, 2016, we went out for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory (thanks to Becky's parents for the gift card!). We realized that we were seated at same booth as where we sat on our 3rd date. Or maybe it was the one next to it. But in any case, it was serendipitous. I tried not to eat too much like I usually do when I go to The Cheesecake Factory - I love that place.

We also went to Flagstaff this weekend to mark the occasion. Pregnancy has made it more difficult to get out and do things lately, so it was nice to enjoy at least a taste of recreation.

I realize that I have not appreciated Flagstaff enough during the 10 years that I have lived in the Phoenix valley. Compared to Phoenix, its a completely different place with pine trees instead of cactuses, and a very tolerable climate in the summer. It's the perfect escape from Arizona without leaving Arizona. There are also a lot of nice things to do outdoors nearby.

We stayed at the England House Bed and Breakfast. Here is a picture of the bed:

And here is the gourmet breakfast. It was delicious.

As you can see, it was quite nice and definitely had a strong historic vibe. It was a rainy weekend too, and that added to the ambiance. Highly recommended if you are in the area.

Fortunately the rain was kind enough not to interrupt any of our other plans.

We drove over to Walnut Canyon National Monument and then walked along the rim trail dodging puddles along the way. It was perfect because it was a nice paved trail with benches and gorgeous views. Not too strenuous. I'd love to come back and check out the other trail we didn't have time to see.

We also rented a tandem kayak from the Lake Mary Country Store and paddled around Lake Mary for a couple hours. We did not find the fabled osprey nest that the parking lot attendant spoke of, but we did find a heron.

I realize that being married one year makes us amateurs, and we have much wisdom to gain still. My parents are veterans. This year they will be celebrating their 50th anniversary, so that gives me some perspective. But these things happen one year at a time. And I'm sure that in the next year to come, if all goes well, junior will be giving us lots of homework to do.