26!

I make it a habit NOT to do the math when it comes to calculating how long ago something happened,

because it shocks me 

every. single. time.  

But I can tell you that 1988 was 26 years ago ...

even though it seems just like yesterday.

26 years of happy yesterdays and many more years of great tomorrows 

with my best friend and favorite person in the world calls for celebrating, 

so LtDan and I took off for a mid-week getaway for our anniversary ... 

when we left the house, the kids threw rice at us :o)

I love those kids.

26 years ago I didn't know ... I had no idea ... how much you could like your own children.

But as crazy as we are about our kids, 

we left them at home and headed for the Dallas Rockwall Hilton, 

on the east shore of Lake Ray Hubbard.

This is a gorgeous property right on the lake ... 

If you ever stay here, ask for a room with a lakeview and a balcony, it's totally worth it.

The pool is huge and there are plenty of spots to soak up the sun.

We had a fabulous dinner at The Oar House, and loved sitting on the patio and the live music.

Everyone on the patio seemed to know each other - it was a really fun atmosphere -

 so great for an early summer evening.

My only experience with Rockwall heretofore was driving across the lake on the way to Arakansas, 

when the highway was under construction.  

I always just wanted to get past it as quick as we possibly could .... 

but that was - well, let's just say several years ago - and the construction has long been completed.  We discovered Rockwall has a resort kind of feel down around the lake ... we totally loved it.  

On this evening they were preparing for an outdoor concert by the lake ...

We watched the deserted pavilion area turn into a packed out party 

for a free concert presented by the Rockwall Concert by the Lake series.  

We caught the end of the concert from the patio of Dodie's Diner, 

because we had other plans for sunset ...

We took a cruise on Lake Ray Hubbard on The Seawolf.

The wind hit the sails and I was completely smitten.

Blissful.

We spent a little time doing some light-hearted shopping... 

I found a perfect souvenir to remind me of how blessed I am to be happily married to my best friend, 

a reminder to stop every once in a while and love life  ...

because I do.

We took home a painting from Kirkland's as our anniversary gift to each other ... 

Although this canvas is beautiful and would work fine over our fireplace, it'll go some place else.
We still love the painting we got in SantaFe back in 1992.
It's kind of funny to see that our tastes haven't changed all that much in ...
how many years?
Never mind.
I'll just go with 26.