59th Monthiversary

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh you guys. Not all monthiversaries are picture perfect. (Please don't confuse this with "not all monthiveraries are picture-laden. Because even the imperfect ones are heavily documented.)

Yesterday we celebrated 59 months of marriage. One month short of five years. I think I'm as excited now as I was five years ago when this date on the calendar marked the final countdown toward becoming a Shaffer! These things matter to me, and even though yesterday was just a normal work day, I wanted to make it special.

But it didn't start out all that special. The morning was normal in routine, but right about the time I got ready to leave home for carpool and volunteering, I realized I couldn't find my travel mug. Ryan and I have matching metal tumblers that we use for our coffee travel mugs, and I could not find mine. By the time I gave up and grabbed Ryan's, I was already two minutes late in getting out the door. (All Type A people are cringing with me, aren't they?) And it turns out that in school commute time, those two minutes MATTER!)

* I got all the stoplights between my house and picking up the kids. And they're not short lights, either.

* Brother wasn't ready when I arrived, even though I was late getting there. Sister and I waited for him (although in fairness she was squealing "LET'S LEAVE HIM!") and the minute he got in the car, she decided to pick on him, which caused him to sit in the back seat staring at her without closing the door or putting on his seat belt. Finally, I said, "We are late! Let's go!!" He doesn't like to be late, so that spurred him to action.

* Got back on the road and arrived at another f.o.r.e.v.e.r. long stoplight. I just needed to turn right, and you can do that at that light, except I was one car back, and the car in front of me was going straight. So we lost another two minutes there. I counted.

* Got behind a city bus, and there are many stops on that route.

* Pulled over for an ambulance.

* By the time we arrived at school, all the people we usually beat were ahead of us, so we sat and sat in the drop off line.

* Finally completed my delivery and hurried (safely) toward the exit. I just needed to make a right and get on my way. As I approached the exit, a car from the parking lot darted out in front of me and sat in my right turn late...left blinker flashing.

Sigh.


I was late to volunteering, which is not a big deal to them, but it's maddeningly huge to me. And it scared me to think what the rest of the day might be like!

Fortunately that was the worst of the day, but my goodness!

One of my favorite dessert stops in town is J. Edwards (local bakery) and yesterday happened to be the start of their holiday open house. OH! And it's cupcake week there. So it seemed almost rude not to stop by and get some monthiversary treats.

I present to you "some monthiversary treats."

We ate lunch together (leftover soup: "souper" romantic, huh?) and then we both went back to work for the afternoon.

It was a cold, nasty day, so after Ryan got home from work, we just rested for a while. Took this truly terrible picture of the two of us, in which I look like a giant and Ryan appears to be missing an arm. I would have retaken it, but I felt it sort of fit the aura of the day.

For our little celebration outing, we went to the mall to look at the We Care trees. (If you're not from around here, We Care is an auction that takes place at the beginning of the Christmas season every year. The main auction is done by a local radio station, but there are also trees that individuals and businesses decorate and donate each year, and then the trees and all their accessories are also auctioned off. We like to go to the mall to see all the themes!)

I guess I should say that most are trees. Some are scenes, like this one. The two huge banners on either side are the accompanying gifts to this entry!

 This was a very pretty one. Nativity scenes, garden flag, books, and the whole nine yards!

 A garland made from book pages - next to my middle name? It must be a Bekah tree!

 The city of fists? I thought it was the city of firsts?

 We have our own business? We made a donation? I learned so much on this trip!

Before we left the mall, we stopped by Target, and I found these cute mugs. I was right in the middle of setting up a selfie with them when a teenager rounded the corner into our aisle and looked at us like "Ummmm middle aged people doing a marriage selfie? Weird." LOL! She was nice about it, but it was awkward. I think that may have been the reddest my face has been for a while! (And therefore the selfie was quickly accomplished and did not turn out nearly as darling as I planned. But such was the day, right?

We ended our evening by visiting Pheebs and her people, having coffee and cookies with them. (One of our favorite things!)

And the icing on the cake (cupcake?) for the day? After THIRTY LITERAL TRIES to get an acceptable shot of the two of us, I loaded the memory card onto my computer and found out my camera had focused on the background in every. single. stinking. picture.

Because why would it have gone any other way?

Oh, 59 months. You slay me with your details. But imperfect though the day may have been, it was spent with the man I love. He makes even the most maddening, imperfect day a delight and so much fun. (I really mean that!) He is a treasure that I appreciate just as much (and more!) today as I did five years ago when the final countdown to marriage began!

Hey 60 months! Howsabout you bring us a smooth schedule and in-focus photos!