Year Two

Our 2 year wedding anniversary was October 25th. Marc planned our trip, and he kept it a surprise until the day we left. He looked for awhile before finding a quaint little lodge in Estes Park, Colorado. This mountain town is located on the outskirts of the Rocky Mountain National Park, a part of the west that, in my opinion, is a "must see".

Here is a picture of our lodge. This was actually taken the morning of our anniversary. There was a dusting of snow, our first of the season.

We arrived late on Friday night, so our surroundings were not visible. However, as we pulled into the parking lot, a man pointed out an elk eating some bushes towards the corner of the building. We saw him from a distance, but look who was right outside our balcony the next morning. He was huge...and didn't seem to care we were there. Estes Park is actually known for having elk in the area. This was just one of many.
This was the view from our balcony. There was a creek that ran behind our lodge, and I loved cracking the door to listen to the water...even if it meant turning on the fire logs to warm up. Marc was thankful the lodge's pricing included the gas bill for the weekend. :)

Here is an entire herd of elk that we came upon while out and about. We pulled over to take the picture, and I counted about 25 of them. They were hanging out near a stream that actually backed up to a neighborhood. No big deal...there's just a herd of elk in my backyard!

On Saturday, we decided to hang out on main street. There were lots of cute shops and restaurants. Of course, we were desperate to find a TV for a particular game being played at 1:30. Thanks to the Nebraska game, we were not considered a "top priority" in a particular spot after walking 10 minutes to get there. We left hoping to find a "No Husker Zone" and came upon The Wapiti Restaurant and Pub...pulled up to the bar...and asked for, "CBS, please." Done...and we were in business. War Eagle from Estes Park!

On Sunday, we ate a nice brunch at a local resort then decided to head into the park. We were hoping to hike quite a bit that day, but the weather was not the best. It was very overcast and WINDY. We decided to give it a go anyway, and we are glad we did. We stopped just outside the park and took the only picture of us together from the entire trip. Thanks picture post...we were glad you were there!

Once inside the park, we drove to Bear Lake. As we climbed higher, the weather became snowy and just down right c-o-l-d. We were somewhat prepared for the elements, so we suited up and hiked to the lake. Beautiful...but my Florida boy didn't want to hang out too long.


As we left Bear Lake, and headed down the mountain, the weather improved and we made several stops along the way. We were able to explore a bit and take some fun pictures. I decided that I could spend an entire summer in this park, hiking and biking. I'm sure you'd see something new and breath-taking everyday. Here's my mountain man taking in the scenery...

So...how do I feel about Year Two? It's hard to sum up life in words on a page. Mostly, I'm amazed everyday how this guy loves me. Wrapped up in my own insecurities, he continually looks past them and embraces my faults better than I do myself. However, Marc is not my Saviour, a thought that has been turning over and over in my heart lately. It's easy for me to look to him for "life", but Marc, even if he desperately tries, cannot provide the abundant life I'm promised in Christ. However, my life is better with my husband of two years because of the promise he made on October 25, 2008 to love and to cherish me...no matter what. A thought that can boggle my mind at times...but a thought that continually points me to Christ.
This sign was hanging on a store front the day of our anniversary. And even though we'll both be 88 years old on our 57th, I can't wait to get there and celebrate with you. I love you Marc Smith...Happy Anniversary.