One Year and Counting...

Wonderfully Wedded Bliss!  No, I'm not trying to make anyone sick to their stomachs.  I'm just both happy and thankful to celebrate our one year anniversary today.  As far as I'm concerned I'm the luckiest man alive.  I love Sara and wouldn't wish to spend my life with anyone else.  She is a blessing beyond measure...or in a familiar commercial's words...Priceless!

We had a wonderful time celebrating our first year of marriage over the weekend in Austin.  We stayed right along the river so the view was great.  On friday night after we arrived, my wonderful wife took me to a local japanese restaurant so I could indulge myself in some fabulous sushi.  It was definitely close to heaven.  For all you non-sushi people, you are really missing out.  I can't explain what's so great about it, I just know it is.  Did I mention my wife is wonderful?

On Saturday, we drove down to San Marcos and did some shopping.  We ate lunch at centerpointe station which boasts that they have the best hamburgers and milkshakes in Texas.  I would at least agree that they have a good argument but I'm not sure if they win outright.  Then we came back and went to the pool and relaxed for a while.  We ate dinner at another local place called Zax and then came the main event (at least from my perspective, probably not Sara's!).  We got to witness the world's largest urban bat colony right there in Austin under the Congress "Bat" Bridge which was next to our hotel.  We saw masses of people lining the bridge railing around dusk on Friday night from our room window and couldn't figure out what was causing all the commotion (one fleeting thought was that it could be a mass bridge jump...I'm glad I was wrong).  Once we learned of the bats I had to check them out the next night so we found ourselves lining the bridge railing with the rest of the crazy tourists waiting for sundown.  Sure enough, as the sun set hundreds upon hundreds of bats left in exodus out from underneath the bridge.  The line of bats just kept going for twenty minutes and we could still see them far off in the distance.  Strange.

Later we decided to walk through downtown to a coffee shop about eight blocks away.  The coffee shop, Halcyon, was a pretty unique little coffee shop with good atmosphere and since I didn't have coffee I can at least speak to their great desserts.  Of course the walk back to the hotel seemed much longer.

Sunday morning we got to go for a great bike ride on a trail around the lake and then came back and ordered room service for breakfast.  The best part was it was free!  The concierge had given us a free in-room breakfast for two so we got to order anything we wanted for free which as far as I'm concerned is the only way to do room service.  It was a great end to a great weekend.

Throughout the weekend we spent time reflecting on the many memories we have already shared together and talked about our future as a family.  I'm encouraged and strengthened to know I have a partner like Sara to walk beside me hand in hand through this journey of life.  I look forward to the laughs, the cries, the good times, the difficult ones, and most importantly the joy of growing in relationship with Sara as we seek to live for God's glory.  May he keep our paths straight as we endeavor to serve him!

Did I mention my wife is wonderful?