My SURPRISING 10-Year-Anniversary Trip

My hubby and I have quite a story, which I won't tell you now. The year after we graduated from high school consisted of hubby attending Basic Training, AIT Training, and Airborne School. Before he even returned home, his father received a phone call--his son would deploy to the Middle East on January 1st, 2003. Within two months of his return from deployment, he proposed, and we married a year later.

Awww! Aren't we cute! He was 20, and I had just turned 21.

Now, we stand before you, ten years later, with 3 kids and 1 cat. :)

We thought ten years was a big one, so we decided to go to Disney World and party like the kids we are inside and plan for our kids' trip (we're bringing them for the twins' third birthday). We had it all planned out. We'd fly, stay at the Coronado Springs resort, visit Univer
sal Studios (or more importantly) Potter World--AMAZING! We had our dining reservations and fast passes planned. We were set.

What I didn't know was my husband had planned many surprises.

Our layover is in Atlanta, so when they call for first class passengers to board the plane, I stare at my husband, who immediately sets off to board the plane...without me. I try calling after him, ordering him to stop, "It's not our turn!" He looks over his shoulder and winks. I give him a dirty look but follow him. When the flight attendant scans my ticket (which my hubby kept on his phone), she exclaims, "Happy Anniversary!" Once again, I stare in confusion, thinking, "Does it say that on your screen?" I follow my hubby to our seats, and there with no seats in front of us are our seats--in first class. On my seat is a card with handwriting I know well (when he was deployed, we wrote each other letters at least once a week): To the Pretty Lady in 6D (or whatever seat we were in).  I am amazed and a little teary-eyed.

Now that sounds great, right? I am blown away. But that's not all, and I think I fall into a state of shock from that moment on.

Next, we travel down the escalator in Orlando. I start looking for a cab. But then I see a sign that says, "R. Mahara," and I'm totally confused. This is my face when I see it...

The poor man tries to joke with me about driving the fancy little Lexus we pass, but I'm in shock and mutter, "Sure. Whatever. Okay." My hubby and the man laugh and lead me to this fancy limo.

Still in shock. I manage a bright smile and kiss my hubby. I open the door and inside is a basket with Mickey ears on top.

I'm even more in shock and make my hubby explain exactly what was happening. When he finishes, he urges me to open the basket. Inside are matching Disney shirts and Mickey/Minnie ears:

There is also a little glass jar in the shape of a heart. I think it is only decoration, but then he shows me the rolled up pieces of paper are actually love notes from him (and even a few from my son). So sweet!

On Thursday, we celebrate our anniversary at Be Our Guest Restaurant for lunch (since we married at 11 a.m.). When it is 11 a.m. on the dot, Rudy gives me a package. I open it, and inside is a gorgeous necklace.

I am just amazed at these acts of love he worked so hard to accomplish. I love this man madly, and it's amazing how much more I love him now than I did in the picture at the beginning. 

My favorite thing from the trip (other than Harry Potter World) is Mickey's Christmas Party. Here we are with Cinderella's Castle in the background. Elsa makes it snow, and you can see the magical white pieces in our hair and floating behind us. It is truly magical.

But as much fun as we had, we missed our kids. 

Here's a picture of us FaceTiming them, and I can't tell you how overjoyed I am to see their faces and talk to them. Technology is a glorious thing.

To conclude this post, I'm going to share with you a surprise we brought back to our kids.