Yesterday was my 7th wedding anniversary.
My parents volunteered to take both kids to their friends’ bbq shindig
(where Donovan got to swim), so it
worked out great. Carla and I went to dinner at the new Cheesecake
Factory at Chesterfield Mall, then saw Superman Returns at the new
theater at the same mall. It’s the first movie we saw together since
almost exactly a year ago, when we saw either Batman Begins or Star
Wars Episode III (can’t remember which was more recent). I had baja
chicken tacos for dinner, which were delicious, came w/ black beans,
guacamole and rice. Carla had a bacon and shrimp club sandwich w/
mashed potatoes. The serving sizes were huge! We also each got a
piece of cheesecake at the end. We had a little while to walk around
the mall after dinner before the movie. Afterwards we went home, my parents had already taken the kids to
our house. They were both up when we got home around 9:30, and were
excited to see us. Corinne quickly went to bed. Donovan wound down
more slowly, I read him some Bible stories and then rocked him a few
minutes, then he gladly went to bed. He was still asleep this morning
at 8:30 when I left the house. So it was a great night, exactly what I wanted – it probably doesn’t sound like much but it was exactly the sort of night that we no longer have time to do anymore so I was thrilled with it.
During dinner we tried to remember what we did on each of our previous
anniversaries, and I think we got it all, so Carla wrote it down and
I’m transcribing it here:
2000 – 1st anniversary, got a room at the Ritz Carlton which is where
we stayed on our wedding night (for 2 nights actually). On our wedding
night we got a two room suite, this night we just got a one room suite
but it faced to the east so we could see the fireworks from our room.
I remember we got in an arguement about something that night, which is
too bad 
That’s the last time I’ve been at the Ritz.
2001 – We were in Florida for this one at my parents’ condo which they
had just gotten a few months before. It was my first trip to Destin,
Florida, in exactly ten years at the time, the previous trip having
been in 11th grade for spring break with Dave G and Mike W
(well documented in my photo album from high school). During this trip
I had a goatee and a shaved head. On our anniversary, we went to
dinner at an Italian place called Graffitti’s, and I remember the pasta
was really good. One of us got fetuccine alfredo and it was possibly
the best I ever had. That night, we were sitting on the beach with a
full moon and fireworks going off.
2002 – Carla thinks we went to the Cardinals baseball game with her dad
and sister Julie that day. I remember doing that, didn’t remember if
it was on our anniversary but that sounds right. Can’t remember what
else we did that day/night. Carla would have been slightly pregnant
with Donovan by then.
2003 – This was Donovan’s first fourth of July. We went to a couple
parties, one at my friend Tom’s new house and another at
Carla’s ex-boss Tom’s house (no relation) in St. Charles. Then we brought
Donovan home and gave him a bath. This was our last 4th of July at our
house in O’Fallon, MO – we were in the middle of packing at the time
and moved later that month to our current house.
2004 – Fifth anniversary, Carla thinks we went to Trattoria Marcella.
I have no memory of that night specifically, because we go there a lot,
but I’m sure she’s right.
2005 – My parents’ got us a big gift certificate to the Melting Pot,
and we went there and had cheese fondue and dessert fondue. We saved
some of our gift certificate for another night when we took our friends Shawn and
Amber with us.
