First Anniversary

 

It's crazy to think that in just over a week John and I will be celebrating our first anniversary as Mr & Mrs.

 

Time really does fly.

 

Last year at this time I was busy finishing up favours for the guests, going over the seating plan, finalizing music selections, and getting really excited.

 

Since we got married in the Niagara region and then spent the next few days buying cases (literally) of wine, eating slabs of wedding cake, being pampered at the spa, and cuddling in bed, we decided that it would only be right to go back and do it all again.

 

 

I booked us into a ... let's call it a not-so-upscale hotel (I didn't want to spend upwards of $300 on a room for one night when we could use that money to buy more wine and/or eat at the Jamie Kennedy restaurant with the ridiculous view).

Bonus points for me: the hotel has a heart shaped hot tub.

It's on my bucket list.

Cheesy honeymoon suite: check.

I also booked us into a Reisling & Oysters tasting at Thirty Bench (the same place we went "snowshoeing" in the vineyard just prior to Kilimanjaro).

 

I've also been having a hard time deciding what to get John as an anniversary present.

The first anniversary is supposed to be paper but my gosh there aren't a lot of good options for a guy like John.

While I'm sure he would appreciate a cutesy print of our wedding date etc I think it'd be more of a gift for me.

 

I toyed with the idea of booking him into a mountain climbing excursion but it wouldn't be until at the earliest May and it would be expensive - and he made me promise no expensive gifts because his gift is something for us to do together.

 

Which made me put my plan to book us into a night ropes course in the trees on hold, because this could very well be what he's planned.

 

So I came up with this.

(I won't get too specific in the off chance he reads this prior to August 24th)

 

A card.

Crafted specifically for John's likes and interests.

Which will contain 5 elements.

 

What are these 5 elements, you ask?

 

The 5 ways we express love, as John was telling me about earlier today.

I thought, what a perfect thing to incorporate into his gift.

 

They are (from sheknows.ca):

 

Words of affirmation
For some people hearing "I love you", words of praise or compliments are what they value most. These individuals feel that words have more weight than actions and would rather hear "the reasons behind that love" versus any other expression of love. This also means that if something negative or insulting is said to one of these individuals it will not be easily forgiven.

Quality time

For some people spending time with loved ones is their preferred love language. Whether it be a quiet lunch or an afternoon walk, spending quality time and being the focus of their undivided attention leaves them feeling satisfied and comforted more than words. "Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful" to these individuals, since "being there" is crucial.

Receiving gifts

Not all people who enjoy receiving gifts are "materialistic" this just means that for these individuals love is equated with a tangible gift. The gift doesn't have to be extravagant or elaborate, but it does have to be meaningful and thoughtful. So if you know that your partners favourite comedian or band is going to perform and you surprise them with tickets, that would show love behind the gift. But if you were to buy a gift certificate or an impersonal gift, prepare for some serious backlash.

Acts of service

Hearing the phrase "let me do that for you" is music to our ears, but for people who see acts of service as the greatest expression of love, hearing this phrase is like hitting the jackpot! These individuals want their partners to notice that their own responsibilities are grand and sometimes daunting and that a helping-hand every once-an-a-while shows love and care. Just as much as these individuals love acts of service, they do not deal well with broken promises and laziness and have very little tolerance for people who make more work for them, because it shows a lack of value for them.

Physical touch

The language of physical touch doesn't only refer to physical touch and affection in the bedroom, but refers to the everyday physical connections, like handholding, kissing, pats on the back, and any type of re-affirming physical contact. A person who desires physical touch and affection isn't overly touchy-feely but for them touch shows how much their partner cares for them. If that physical bond is broken by abuse their entire relationship can be destroyed indefinitely.

Maybe just before we leave I'll post the finished product.

For now... it's still too early to post it because, who knows, John might get bored and wander onto the blog and ruin the whole thing.

Then we'll just have to buy each other wine.

All the wine.

 



 

P.S. SOMEONE PLEASE REMIND ME TO TAKE OUR TP TIER OF WEDDING CAKE OUT OF THE FREEZER TO DEFROST ON THE 23rd!