The Growing Caldwell Family

With the kids at their school social, Aaron and I took advantage to have a dinner date in honor of our seventeenth wedding anniversary. We don't get many chances to go out just the two of us and this was really nice.  I love this season of our life and all the fun things we do with the kids. Nights out like this make me realize that it will also be fun when we have more time to be just the two of us.   

We had a lovely evening celebrating Lovie and Pops' 50th anniversary. I originally envisioned having a large party and surrounding them with their friends and family, but they preferred to celebrate quietly. So, we had dinner at home just us nine and it was a lovely evening.  Sarah Graves made up menus for the occasion and helped set a beautiful table for them. x While Sarah Graves and I were on our campout, Aaron took care of ordering a cake for the occasion.  A toast to their love and many happy years together.  We are all grateful to be loved by them and to learn from them what lots of love and never giving up can do.  Happy 50th Anniversary, Lovie and Pops!  

Aaron and I celebrated our eleventh anniversary by having a date night at Six Flags! We had a great time going just the two of us and riding all the big roller coasters together! A pretty good analogy for married life.

Aaron and I celebrated 10 happy years being married! In many ways our wedding feels like a lifetime ago. I think kids do that to you!  And in other ways it feels like a short time ago that we were newly married, getting a puppy, and starting our life together. We have had a lot of good times and have so much to be grateful for! Here we were on our honeymoon! We celebrated our anniversary by going out to dinner. We brought the two best things we could have ever done with us! They really are awesome little people and bring us indescribable joy. I am hopeful that the next 10 years bring as much joy as the last 10 have and maybe, just maybe some more time for sleep!

In the midst of the Halloween excitement, Aaron and I celebrated our 9th anniversary. Nine years have flown so quick and we are still have a good time! Mom and Dad gave us a huge gift and kept the kids overnight. That is the first time we haven't had a child with us overnight since SG was born! I slept in until 8:30 completely uninterrupted! It felt as good as I dreamed it would all those long nights awake with Charlie. The kids had an awesome time going out to dinner, window shopping for toys, pitching a tent in the den, making s'mores, telling ghost stories (Charlie's all started with a long, long day ago :) ), sleeping in the tent, and a pancake breakfast! I know Lovie and Pops were exhausted!

Last week, Aaron and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary! Hard to believe it has been that long! We celebrated with dinner and a movie. Seeing a movie is a rare treat now! Thanks to mom for keeping the kiddos so we could go out! Movie theaters don't make for great photo ops! I was so proud of SG.for making this sweet card for us! It was all her idea and she asked her teacher for help spelling anniversary. She is so thoughtful and loving!

 Last Sunday we planned to go to a Halloween carnival, but the windy and slightly rainy weather made them cancel the carnival.  We were already at Lovie's house, so we played there and went to the playground for a little while.  Fortunately, Sarah Graves wasn't disappointed at all and was happy just to be at Lovie's house with all of her toys there. It was also our six year wedding anniversary, so Mom bravely offered to keep these two little people while Aaron and I went out for a grownup dinner.  Although I usually prefer to have Sarah Graves and Charlie with me, it was nice to get out with just Aaron and enjoy some time to talk and have a relaxing meal.  It was a nice treat!  Of course, Sarah Graves would have been happy just to stay with Lovie and Pops forever, but she came home with us.

/Four years ago today I married my sweet husband.  He sent me a dozen red roses with a note that said, "Four years, two states, one puppy, one baby girl, and I would do it all again." I think that pretty much sums it up.  Our life seems hectic at times, but I wouldn't change any of it.  I love you, Aaron.

Three years ago today, I married my best friend.  I sometimes can't believe all that has happened in three short years!  Sweetie, I would do it all over again.  I love our life together.