ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

June 26 was our one year anniversary.  

We have absolutely loved our first year of marriage.  

We have learned so much about each other and had so much fun together. 

My thoughtful husband had chocolate covered strawberries and champagne 

just like we had on our honeymoon.

We were off to a wonderful start in celebrating...

I love airports.  I realized Caleb was my something special in an airport.  I got engaged in an airport.  Airports represent all kinds of wonderful things for me.  I love the excitement of an upcoming trip or an overdue visit with family.  I love people watching and eavesdropping on strangers’ conversations.  It is the only time I treat myself to celebrity magazines.  I don’t even mine the screening process (unlike my husband) because I feel that it is all in an effort to keep us safe.  The Columbia airport in particular is a favorite.  I was thrilled to pick up Caleb and to be dropped off in order to see him.  However, on June 26, I did not plan to spend much time in the airport and I did not love the airport.  After a fun-filled wedding weekend for Mary Sims and Thomas, Caleb and I had a 6 am flight.  When it came time to book our flight, our choices were 6 am or 8 pm.  Because we were celebrating our first wedding anniversary we opted for the early flight… 6 am.  Well what tragedy should we have expected?  We overslept.  We won’t get into the details of that now, but the point is we were running behind schedule to make it to the airport.  After franticly packing, locating Caleb’s wallet, checking our of the hotel, driving, locking dad’s keys in his car (on purpose).  After meeting a truly incompetent woman behind the American Airlines desk.  After many strong words from my usually calm, cool, and collected husband.  After my many feeble attempts to kindly charm her and brainstorm ideas with her.  After realizing that she had already decided we weren’t getting on that plane, and she was not going to help us.  Caleb and I were given standby tickets on the 11:55 booked flight that hadn’t even come up on priceline.  Our future of a relaxing anniversary at home was looking dim.  I was feeling in my heart – this is LAME. (Angie, that was for you).  Stranded at the airport on your first anniversary is not what one would call ideal.  Luckily, as we have been known to do, Team McGuire had a heart to heart and we rallied to make the best of it.  Usually, Caleb is the one leading the rally, but this time, it was my turn.  It was after all, our anniversary.  We treated ourselves to quick cat naps on the bench.  We laughed a lot.  We played on our phones.   

 We had a sit down breakfast.

 We napped on the airport floor – yuck!  We played games, expressed our disappointment in hilarious sarcasm, and we rallied.  Never mind that we were hauling the top tier of our wedding cake along with us on every leg of this adventure.  Finally, moment of truth … 11:55 flight was locked and loaded.  Bah humbug.  Wait, Wait.  Silver lining… ONE seat.  Caleb hopped on, he had to get to work tomorrow.  I was left alone. in an airport.  on my anniversary.  (sad face)  Then I saw a familiar face, a tiny blonde lady who helped me regularly when Caleb and I were dating.  She worked her magic on that American Airlines computer that seemed impossible to the earlier incompetent woman, and got me on a flight to Charlotte at 5:35.  Hallelujah!  My ever supportive parents trucked me up to the Charlotte airport (overly eager because they were going to tie in a quick visit with Wellsman and Virginia).  I waited in t h e  l o n g e s t security line I have ever seen, posed for the naked screening machine, and had to throw away my nail polish remover (Columbia TSA missed it) But it was okay.  I was going to at least have the evening with my husband on our special day.  My love for airports returned and all was right in the world. 

Caleb and I love to celebrate - anything and everything.  We make excuses to have celebrations for each other.  Our one year anniversary was not going to go down without a celebration.  We ordered in and had such a fun anniversary evening.  You may already know, but the one year anniversary present is paper. I gave Caleb a new Bible that says "The McGuire Family" and tickets to Brad Paisley.  

He definitely outdid himself by making a frame of our anniversary date.  And then...he gave me a camera!  Yay!  Hooray!  Be on the lookout for my pictures to get much better!