Tin and Aluminum

Traditional and modern.

These are supposedly the types of gifts you're supposed to get when you're celebrating your 10th anniversary. So, that would mean, if you're old-fashioned and you want to give a gift to someone who, say, will be celebrating said 10th anniversary, then you would want to pick out something like a tin decorative plate.

Or a tin can. That would work too.

And if you consider yourself to be the thoroughly modern millie type, then you might be more inclined to giving something like bakeware.

Or some Reynolds foil. Still qualifies.

Either way, you would be totally going against the grain if you gave something like, say, wood.

Because that's what you're supposed to give for someone's 5th anniversary. Something wooden.
No matter if you're traditional OR modern, it's the same.....wood. You would want to give them something like a bookshelf, or one of those cool and trendy wooden door mats.

But you wouldn't give them tin or aluminum.

See how this works? There's a method, here people. There's an acceptable way of doing things. A socially acceptable methodology. It's easy. It's predictable. Don't complicate it. Take out the guesswork and just let yourself be guided in these matters. That would be my advice.

At least if you asked me two days ago.

***

But, you know, it's always kinda nice when someone doesn't take your advice, or even "go with the flow," and it works in your favor. Like, for instance, if your husband thought it would be nice to get you that doormat on your first anniversary, instead of the newspaper he's supposed to. Or a bookshelf instead of a book. I mean, that's really nice! Who would complain about that?

Not I, says Kelly, not I.

And such is the way with my anniversary this year. It would be my 10th. 10 years. That's huge. I mean that's a loooooong time. That's the same as the difference between a 10-year-old and a 20-year-old! 2nd grade and 12th grade!

Saints alive! That's a crazy amount of timeage there!

Not to mention the 5, almost 6 little humans that have come to be somewhat acceptable members of society since then. That's nothing to sneeze at. Apple computers started with 2 guys......I've got 6 people here to invent stuff!

(Oh, and believe-you-me, they are practicing.....big time......ahem)


Back to the point:

So we'll be celebrating 10 years of marriage on the 23rd (yes, I know, it's Thanksgiving Day. Thanks for reminding me that I'm sharing such a wonderful occasion with a dead turkey and acorn squash--ick.). It was a really pretty day back then. Slightly chilly, but nothing my grandmother's fur couldn't handle. We got married around 4:30 pm in a candlelight ceremony, and it was spectacular. Short, sweet and to the point. I have oodles of pictures of practically every moment until we left the reception. People still tell us how much of a memorable wedding it was.

And thank God, we're still together to cherish such commentary.

So, I told Chris that we really needed to do something for such a momentous occasion. There had been plenty of anniversaries where we simply went out to eat, or even just exchanged cards. Which is fine, really, when it's your 3rd anniversary. Or your 7th. But the 10th.....now, you really don't skimp on a number like that!

And in my mind, there needed to be a good helping of aloneness involved in whatever we decided to do. I mean, a SERIOUS amount of aloneness.

More than just the typical, "you're snoring over there and I'm reading over here while the kids sleep" kinda aloneness.

I was talking more like, "different time zone from the kids" kinda aloneness. Yeah, THAT kind.

However, when you've been married 10 years, and you have 5 almost 6 kids, and you just bought a house, the funds for previously mentioned aloneness adventures isn't always there. That's just a fact of life.

So you get creative. And I felt as though I had come up with the perfect little get-a-way for the Slug-Killer and me. It involves camping, food, fun, and plenty of aloneness. All for the incredible price of.....

Not much! HoooAhhhh!

Not that there was going to be any frills, mind you. I mean, "camping" and "extravagance" just don't meet in the middle. But that was ok. You don't try to dwell on what you can't have, ya know? Not that we didn't look into it. See if it wasn't plausible. Possible. Pinch here, finagle there. Yet, it didn't look good. No big deal.

But frills would be niiiiiiiice.....

Especially when it's your 10tthhththththth

***

So when my Mom called yesterday, and we were catching up, I was mentioning our plans. Because I'm really excited about this "getting away" expedition. Because we'll be ALONE. Yeah!

And I commented on the frills aspect, and how just out of reach it would be for us, because she's my MOM, and girls tell their MOM stuff like that. And I promise you, it was INNOCENT!

But her, being the Mom she is, thought, "Well, how 'bout your Dad and I help you splurge on some frills? For an anniversary gift?"

Well, I'll tell you people, first off, you don't have a Mom and Dad half as wonderful as I do. It's not possible. Secondly, if you live near my Mom and Dad, and you're reading this, PLEASE give them a big hug from me and Chris!

Because THIS is the little frill we're now able to enjoy:

It's called "Alone in the Woods"......(ALONE! In the WOODS! And we're not even camping! Hehehehehehe!)

Do you even THINK that I'm gonna complain about our 10th anniversary gift being made of WOOD?!?!?

Not I, says Kelly, not I!