ta-hoes

There's really not much to say.

We came. 

We saw ... the beautiful lake. 

Some of us skiied. Some of us didn't, but I don't have photos of that. 

We wore matching pajamas and (sometimes other people's) Uggs. 

And we conquered ... the champagne. 

A much needed weekend with some of the best women I know. 

this is 40

I'm 40! Eeeeek! I don't even know what it means. Does it mean I have to start shopping at Chico's? And wearing clogs, like my mom?

Nope.

It means you have become wise enough and vulnerable enough to let some incredible women into your life. The ones that video chat serenade you happy birthday first thing in the morning. The ones who call you just to let you know that they are thinking of you and text you to make sure you are OK when they know you've been through so much this year. The ones that swoop you up and take you to lunch and let you cry. The ones who make sure you have the perfect red lipstick and adorable shoes.

these ones!

It also means that you have found a group of friends that support you as you continue to see just what your 40 year-old body can do. Running hills, climbing stairs, running fast, marathoning, and next up ... ultra marathoning. (YIKES!) These are the girls that will get up at 5:30 to punch and kick things in celebration of your 40th year ... and they won't forget the champagne!

More than anything, it means family. I, with a little help from Gus, have managed to create the perfect little family. Perhaps not all that photogenic, but perfect nonetheless.

And finally, Gus pulled off a brilliant and swanky birthday dinner with all my nearest and dearest.

Cheers to 40 years for this lucky girl! Thanks to everyone that helped celebrate. We did it well, if I do say so myself.

where have we been?

We go through a bit of celebration fatigue between Thanksgiving and February. Spending most of December prepping for Christmas, our anniversary tends to get a bit overlooked. We're also the people who ran away to Vegas and got married in a drive-thru and didn't even bother to tell my best friend when we met her for breakfast the next morning, so celebrating our union isn't really our thing. But this year, we celebrated 10 years and made a bit more of an effort.

First of all, I got a frivolous present AND a card! The card is kind of unprecedented and the gift I love due to its impracticality. It's shiny and big and I don't wear it that often, but it sure looks pretty. 

We went to dinner at our favorite local place. Full caviar service and dessert. The cake you see in the photo below is soooo good that it makes another appearance at my birthday party.

 

We also took an impromptu trip back to Disneyland---due, in most part, to my failure to bring the tickets when we took our family trip. Ooops. But all is well that ends well, no?

There was a trip to NYC scheduled in there too, but that deserves its own post. 

We are 10 years strong. Don't be fooled. This is the highlight reel. Marriage is hard. But we keep at it. There are times where all you want is to do the right thing. The thing that will make the other person happy and no matter what you can't seem to get it just right. But we keep trying. There are nights when there is no amount of talking that can fix it and staying up all night just makes the next day even worse. But we stay. And after 10 years when it's not as bright and shiny as those Vegas lights that we were married under, you take comfort in knowing that you agree on the big things---money, politics, family. You create romance where you can, even when that means going to the gym together just so you can hold hands for a few blocks on the walk there. You watch the two beautiful lives you created and know you've done something good. Together. You stay. Through the ebbs and the flows. The highs and the lows. You just stay. You keep trying. This has been a helluva year. But we're still here. Cheers to another 10 and many more after that. Because ... we're Chunglunds.