Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Life-WiP: Celebrating Marriage


At the end of July we celebrated our 12th anniversary.  I can hardly believe that we have been married that long. It just doesn't seem that long ago that we exchanged rings in front of our family and friends and rode off in a horse drawn carriage.


The night of our big 12 we went to a local "steakhouse" with all the kids. First, steakhouse is in quotes because an Asian steakhouse is a bit different than one from the US. But, it is still fairly good.  Second, this is the first time we've celebrated with the kids. I have to admit, it was worth doing.  After the meal we looked at wedding pictures and talked about the day with them. Our son wasn't too interested, or at least acted like he wasn't. But, my younger daughter was eager to hear every detail. Overall, it was nice, but we still wanted to celebrate without our kids.

A few days after our family anniversary celebration I read this blog post from Michael Hyatt. The title, What Really Keeps a Marriage Together?, got me to thinking about my own marriage. If you have the chance, it is a must read for anyone married or planning to get married. But, the answer was simple.
Be. Friends.

After reading, I knew we had to do something fun together for our anniversary. So, we planned a hike.  It would be a simple. One that we could easily do in a day, take a dip in a river, and be home by supper. Unfortunately though, I ran into a swinging door (literally) and had a mild concussion. My caring husband canceled the hike, which led to a bummed wife.
Poor. Husband.
Like a knight in shining armor, he came through with a new plan that was within the city limits including a little nature. Love that guy!




First, we had a late breakfast at our favorite American style restaurant. Then he took me to the Picasso exhibit. Our day ended at the pool getting a little Vitamin D.


Pablo Picasso.
It's not that I'm a huge fanatic of art or even know anything about Picasso, but I do enjoy art exhibits. Possibly new information for many people who know me. And if you are wondering, Uwe's not into art at all. This exhibit was good. They have about 60 original pieces on display. If you are a fan of Picasso and his work and you understand Chinese really well, then I recommend this exhibit (and live in Taipei).  The museum had headsets available for listening to more details of each painting and photo. Unfortunately, for us it was only in Chinese.  Again, my husband came through and gave me a personal commentary. I had such a good time with lots of laughing and giggling. If you know my husband, you will know that he makes for an entertaining emcee. Definitely, the highlight of my day.
Laughing is fun.
It is what friends do together.
Friends with my husband.
Not just friends.
Best friends.
Here's hoping that we continue to find fun things to do together on a regular basis to keep that friendship strong.

So, how do you keep up your friendship with your spouse?
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4 comments:

Cam and Elisa said...

Love that! Thanks for sharing!

MaDonna Maurer said...

Thanks Elisa!

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

You guys are so cute in your carriage! Happy anniversary. :)

So you seriously got a concussion from a swinging door? Wow, that is crazy. You need to put that in a book someday, lady! I'm glad you had fun, even with your change of plans. :)

Hmmm... how do I stay friends with my spouse? That is a great question. I guess I talk to him a lot-- and he seems to like it. LOL! Even when he's working on school stuff I sit in the office and jabber to him, punctuated with, "Am I bothering you too much?"

Great post!
Amy

MaDonna Maurer said...

Thanks Amy!
I need to document that concussion and all the feelings emotionally and physically I've had with it. I was thinking the same thing...this could be really good book material. First hand experience.

You're such a cutie! "sit in the office and jabber to him"...I think that is something I do as well. Staying at home is great, but adult conversation is something I crave at the end of the day. ;)