An Instagram #anniversary

We have just spent the most delightful weekend celebrating 5 years of marriage. Terry and I have been talking for months about taking a trip somewhere just the two of us before Buddy shows up in August. We talked A LOT about it but in the end we decided to save our money (Mama needs a double stroller) and have a little stay-cation. Terry took work off on Friday as well as today - it has been so nice to be together just the 3.5 of us. Usually Terry saves his time off for trips to visit family, which is always fun, but there was something different and almost sacred about taking time for just us. Making memories. 

Friday we drove fast with the windows down and the music blaring. Shrimp LOVED it. He had a smile on his face the entire time. 

We picked 3 pounds of strawberries that became 6 pints of freezer jam and 2 quarts of strawberry ice cream. The farm we went to was great and we will be heading back there in about 3 weeks to pick our own blackberries and peaches. I've decided I need a canner. This canner. Apparently my glass-top stove only allows for this type. sigh. Shrimp was neither a help nor a hindrance which is all that a parent can really ask of their toddler, right? He did manage to sneak 2 berries behind our backs but I couldn't get mad at that face.

My 26 week belly. I can't believe we only have 14 weeks left...where is the time going? 

We had some of Texas' finest BBQ for lunch - The Salt Lick - and it lived up to the hype. I loved the brisket, Terry loved the ribs, and Shrimp loved the peach cobbler.

We stopped at the outlets on the way home and treated ourselves to a little Williams-Sonoma outlet love. We thought about buying a Le Creuset there but even on sale they were pretty expensive. Then we hit traffic and decided to stop at the mall to walk around and wait for it to clear. I'm so happy we did because we stopped in Sur La Table and this little beauty was on clearance for half the price. about $100 cheaper than the outlets. I've already used it twice and I'm so happy to have some enameled cast iron love back in my kitchen. 

 I also discovered that my belly is now big enough to rest stuff on again. I kid you not - this is one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. 

Saturday was a little more relaxed - Terry had a final paper due at midnight that he spent most of the day working on. I spent the day cleaning our house and playing with Shrimp. We had our favorite babysitter come over at 4 and we headed off to the Temple. We try and do this every anniversary to remind us of our own wedding. It was so wonderful. Afterwards we went to Restaurant Gwendolyn for dinner which was the best. meal. I. have. ever. had. EVER. All of the food for the restaurant comes from within 150 miles. They do not use anything that plugs in - no mixers, no big machines. Nothing. Everything is made by hand (including the butter). We had the 5 course tasting menu - totally worth it. I was a little nervous to go - some of the dishes seemed a little unaccessible but once I started eating all of my fear vanished. We had goat belly, quail, venison carpaccio (paper thin slices of raw venison - I didn't have any out of solidarity for Buddy but Terry said it was his favorite thing he tried that night), black truffles, pork cheek peirogi (almost like ravioli - this was my favorite thing on the menu. I dream about it. It was divine), and loquats. It's definitely a restaurant that we will reserve for anniversaries or incredibly special occasions (i.e. it's expensive) but you should go! 

And while Terry and I were feasting on a pizzetta of summer squash and house made ricotta, my dear friend Vanessa was helping me to pull off my anniversary present to Terry - a variation on this idea from Pinterest. I ordered the balloons in advance and Vanessa picked them up and brought them to our house when we were out. Our babysitter helped her tie all the pictures on. Vanessa you are officially my hero! Terry LOVED it and I think Shrimp loved it even more the next morning. 

Sunday we had church - Terry was called to be an adult Sunday School teacher last week and he gave his first lesson this week amidst anniversary plans and finals. He did a great job. We came home and made America's Test Kitchen 40 Clove Garlic Chicken in our Le Creuset. I stink of garlic today but it was totally worth it. 

Today we went to the Zoo in the morning. Shrimp and I are there almost weekly but very rarely do we get to go with Terry. The weather was perfect, slightly overcast and breezy - only 85 or so - and the animals were all awake and active. We went to some parts of the Zoo that I usually avoid (aka they are more hassle for me and my fat pregnant body) but with a 2:1 parent to kid ratio I thought we could handle it. We stopped by the petting zoo and let Shrimp brush some goats. The kid went nuts. He loved it. 

Then we WERE going to take him to The Rainforest Cafe for lunch but the service was awful and after waiting 15 minutes for our waiter to even show up along with some other weird things we told them never mind . I was a little bummed but I refuse to deal with crappy service. BOO the Rainforest Cafe! 

Our weekend was so delightful and we are pretty bummed that Terry actually has to go back to work tomorrow. At least his semester is officially over with tonight and we have a month off before he starts again! Like I said in the beginning, we never get any time off to spend just on us so this was the best present ever. We made so many great memories this weekend, ones that I will carry with me for the next 5 years of marriage and forever.