It has been 20 years since Christine and Keith said, ” I do.”
A lot has happened since then and most of it is worth celebrating. To celebrate the day, Christine and Keith made reservations for a get away to Mirbeau Inn & Spa Resort in Skaneateles.
They arrived at approximately 2:45. When they checked in, there were glasses of champagne waiting for them on this day, their 20th wedding anniversary. After a brief tour of the grounds and finishing their champagne, the couple parted way for a short while; Christine had an appointment for a massage before dinner. While Keith would check into the room and relax with a scotch whiskey and a nice read, Christine would take in the sauna more than the hot tub, receive a relaxing full body massage, and soak her feet before calling to Keith to pick her up and escort her to the room.
The room was lovely. There was a king size bed, gas fireplace with sitting chairs, a walk-out patio, and a large bathroom with rain showerhead. There was a bottle of champagne in the room as well, congratulating them on their anniversary.
After her shower, Christine relaxed in her comfy robe a slippers for a short bit while sipping champagne before getting ready for dinner. Christine brought out a cute new dress to wear, Keith disappointed as always with the same pair of pants he wears every day to work and a stark white shirt (he figured that she doesn’t see him in that shirt too often, and his seldom-worn black shirt was on the floor in the basement waiting to be laundered after Austin last wore it).
Dinner was at a restaurant that Christine had heard good things about. The restaurant/bistro on the grounds of the resort looked like it had a nice menu, but Christine wanted Italian, and Rosalie’s had a very good reputation. What she didn’t know when she made reservations was that Roslie’s was at the property adjacent to the resort, so it was only a short walk away and it lived up to Christine’s expectations. Keith had swordfish and Christine had veal; both dishes were excellent and their bellies departed satisfied.
Conversation looked back on all that they had accomplished over the last 20 years, their best memories of the kids and one another, and committing to continue to make a concentrated effort to create more memories for each other over the years ahead.
The next morning featured a TRX/Bosu class at 0900. The room was warm, but the company was good. The class was basic by Christine’s standards, but a challenge for the mostly-sedentary Keith, especially with resisted elbow exercises. By the end, Keith was sweating and his arms were visibly trembling from fatigue. He is so out of shape … perhaps that is something he should commit himself to changing?
Breakfast reservations were at 1000 on the grounds of the resort. Keith ordered the French Toast and Christine ordered an omelette with potatoes. Both plates were delicious and they returned to the room with full bellies and only an hour to shower, pack, and check-out.
After checking out, they left the car at the resort and walked into the village to sit at the lake for a while. The temperature was a bit over 50 with a gentle breeze, but there was a cloud in the sky and the sun was warm. After some time in the park, Christine and Keith would walk back up the hill to the car and stop at Gannon’s Ice Cream on the way home to return to the kids, who had spent their first night alone without a parent the night before.
Victoria had shared that it was difficult for her to fall asleep without an adult in the home, so her sleep was less than she had hoped for. Austin had continued to battle a low-grade fever (which has kept Grandma away), but otherwise felt fine. Both kids had enjoyed chicken noodle soup for dinner; Christine had made a fresh pot before leaving.
Their anniversary wasn’t filled with pomp and circumstance. There was no jet-setting. No party. Still, it was perfect and gave 2 people what they needed: a quiet evening to relax, share each others company, and reflect back on how wonderful it can be to share your life with someone you love. That is the making of a very happy anniversary.
