10th Anniversary

 by Clint

2014 marked our 10 year anniversary. As we started planning what we would do, we quickly realized that the trip to Mexico that we had planned 10 years ago was out of the question. We decided to keep it close and look for something fun within an hour from the house. Melanie had heard about Aaron's Gate from friends in Bartlesville, so we looked into it. Aaron's Gate is owned by the Arcadia Inn, a bed-and-breakfast in Edmond. There are three cabins secluded in the woods between Edmond and Guthrie, so we decided to go for it. We booked two nights starting on the first day of the OSU Christmas break. On our actual anniversary, Melanie made an excellent meal of lamb, potatoes, tabouli, and she bought a replica of our wedding cake. I gave Melanie a necklace and she gave me a jacket with elbow patches.  Our boys were sick with flu A that night so we were not able to go to dinner, but they did hit the sack around 7:00 so we had plenty of time to enjoy our dinner and evening at home.

Our Aaron's Gate trip was made possible by both sets of grandparents. Convincing anyone to watch 3 boys between the ages of 6 and 2 for more than a couple hours is a tall order. Mimi agreed to watch them the first night, and Grammy and Grandpa agreed to watch them the second night. From what we heard, both nights were awesome with a lot of good times. Melanie spent about 1 week preparing everything for these two nights (kids clothes, food, logistics, etc.). By the time Mimi arrived, we were ready to hit the road.  Mimi took the boys to dinner and got Beau and Paul to their Christmas performance at school on time the next morning.  That was a feat Melanie wasn't sure she was even up to.

 
After checking in at the bed-and-breakfast in Edmond, we went to the Boulevard Steakhouse and enjoyed a great meal of steak, salmon, and cheesecake. The cabin was only about 15 minutes from Edmond. We reserved the English Cottage, and we soon found out that it had all the luxuries that the internet promised. I quickly fired up the hot tub, sauna, and fireplace. The rest is history...

After sleeping in, we decided to go for a hike around Arcadia Lake. The trail was surprisingly nice, and we were the only ones at the lake. It was very relaxing, and the cool fog made for great hiking weather. After a lunch of Red Rock sandwiches and wine, we went to Starbucks and enjoyed just hanging out. Then we went to Cafe 501 for an early dinner, and back to the hot tub and sauna...

These 10 years have been the best of my life. Melanie has blessed my life in ways that I never expected. Our marriage has brought me more joy than I thought possible. Every day is better than the last.