There is No One I Would Rather Get to “Not Go to Ireland” With

So in true 2020 fashion, our anniversary did NOT go as originally planned this year. I was over the moon about celebrating our 20th anniversary. I honestly have been dreaming about it for a decade. I’m not exaggerating. As many of you know we renewed our vows for our 10th anniversary.

We had a violinist, a delicious cake, a professional photographer, and new rings. It was beautiful (and way cheaper than it sounds since our creative talented friends all pitched in). We loved it so much we knew we wanted to do something equally as meaningful every 10 years.

Cute side story, my friend Bethany from Again We Say Rejoice, was inspired by the photos from our 10 year vow renewal and decided to do the same thing with her husband at 10 years except they renewed their vows in Ireland! I LOVED the idea and the photos by Adam and Grace Photography.

My Pinterest board was loaded with plans! We were looking into passports, outfits, the whole shebang. Then Covid hit.

At first, we were all hoping things would calm down, but eventually, it became apparent that we were not doing our international dream trip this year.

Don’t worry. It’s not canceled, just postponed. In the meantime, I didn’t want this monumental date to go by without commemorating it somehow. So since we got new rings last time we decided to do that again on our 20th anniversary.

Only this time we got tattoos!

They couldn’t be any more minimalist. Just simple triangle outlines. They have a lot of significance though.

First of all, my 10 year anniversary wedding ring was a triangular white topaz stone.

I chose this because it represents our relationship with each other and God. The idea is that the more you individually draw closer to God and make Him the focus, the more you will come together in your marriage.

On top of that, the triangle also represents the trinity.

This tattoo was a first for both of us. We chose Mothers tattoo parlor recommended by my brother (who does not have a tattoo by the way, but he knows the owner). I wanted to go somewhere where the atmosphere was peaceful and calming. I know it sounds like I am a diva and a lot to expect for something that is notoriously dark and dangerous. Tattoos are a big deal though and I heard that they were painful. When it came to birthing my children (which is also permanent and painful) I was really particular about the atmosphere. I treated this experience the same. I knew that I wouldn’t be comfortable surrounded by faded images of demons, confederate flags, and naked ladies. That is what I have seen of most tattoo parlors on TV or walking past on city streets. After a lot of research, because we have been considering this for a long time, I knew I wanted Mothers. It was very clean and modern. We had an appointment for November 4th, the exact day of our anniversary. The process for my little tat was not painful at all. The biggest adjustment has been not wearing a ring. I’ve worn a ring for over twenty years. That’s more than half my life. So a week into not wearing one I still notice its absence.

To top the celebration off, my parents took the kids and we had the weekend to ourselves. In all honesty, we didn’t have any plans. Life has been busy and covid has thrown so many curves we didn’t know for sure what to anticipate. So at the last minute we decided to book a hotel in Pittsburgh and do a little road trip.

The weather was absolutely perfect. We had so much fun together exploring a city that neither of us had been to before. We listened to our anniversary playlist on the way there and back and had a really great time. I was thrilled to see that the fall foliage was still at its peak.

I know this is going to sound crazy, and please don’t be mad at me. No one on any side of politics is thrilled when the election results drag on. It’s ironically nostalgic for us though.

We got married the year of the Bush-Gore presidential race and election day happened on our honeymoon. Jeremy was really interested in finding out the results so he had the hotel TV on and was tuned in. He kept saying that they were about to call it, but if you are old enough to remember they did not call anything on November 7th, 2000. Then after Bush won there was a recount that lasted well past our honeymoon. We had a wonderful time in Hot Springs, Arkansas but I still always tell that part of the story and tease J about it to this day. So it figures that here we are celebrating 20th anniversary and it’s Deja Vu.

2020 is one for the books that’s for sure. In a time that was supposed to be a dreamy romantic milestone, it is a reminder about our vows.

In sickness and in health, for richer or poorer. We have been through a lot of ups and downs (most recently getting the novel coronavirus together) but we’ve done it all as a team.