Our Anniversary Celebration

My husband and I had talked about how we should celebrate our twelfth anniversary. We had tossed around the usual ideas of going away for the day, catching a movie, or having an intimate dinner, just the two of us. We ended up doing none of those things.

What we did instead may seem a bit unconventional to some people. We DID go out to dinner, but with a young dating couple who were asking about premarital counseling (before engagement-- how wise!). Then we went home and shared dessert with another couple and their daughter, while playing games and chatting.

Not once during the day were we alone, focusing solely on each other. My husband didn't buy me flowers, or a gift, or even a card. But that's because he knows me. He knows that my favorite thing is to be with him, living life, celebrating with other people and building relationships.

And it was actually the perfect way of ending a tiring but fun week of Vacation Bible School at our church. For the first time, I volunteered to help, mainly because my husband was in charge of the music and asked me to play in the 'band'. Our oldest son also agreed to play the drums, so the three of us (with a fourth person on bass) led the children in songs throughout the week. For five days, from 8am to 12pm, I served with my husband at the church, and I couldn't have been happier. I loved watching him engage the children and get silly on stage. I loved seeing his passion for music and God's Word shine through him until everyone in the room was swept up in it. The children left everyday singing the songs they learned. We would hear their sweet voices echo through the rooms, and it warmed our hearts to know that the teaching in the songs was sticking. And it all confirmed the reasons why I had married this man twelve years ago. He had a servant-leader's heart then, and that heart has only grown bigger since.

So, I feel that, in a way, we celebrated our anniversary over the course of six days! We did do a fun activity to mark the beginning of our thirteenth year together, and it is one that I suggest to you for your next date night or anniversary. Our friends had given us a list of questions to ask each other. The questions were from back when they were engaged, and they had recently dug up the questions to ask again for their eighth anniversary. You can make a game out of them (try to guess your spouse's answer before he/she gives it to you), or just ask in a conversational manner. Remember that the point is to become the 'world's leading expert' on your spouse, with the understanding that even after ten+ years of being together, people change. You might be surprised by some of the answers your spouse gives you!

Here are some the questions:

- If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

- What is your favorite book?

- What is your favorite book of the Bible?

- What is your favorite physical feature of your spouse?

- Who do you admire?

- If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

- What is your pet peeve?

- What is your pet peeve about your spouse?

(For more on becoming the 'world's leading expert' on your spouse, or for more questions to ask each other, click here: World's Leading Expert)