10 years of...

Marriage is crazy.

Ella, someday you will find it...and Carson, your blue eyes will certainly foil some lovely girl into thinking you can be tamed.

Two people meet, fall in love, and predict that they will each meander along their paths—and they pray that 30 years from now, these paths will still be parallel. The paths can't be the same, but they can't diverge. Insert arguments and medical bills. Oil changes and house repairs. Dirty laundry and screaming toddlers and nights without sleep.

Dating is sexy; marriage is not. Dating is thrilling, with flirting and first dates and passionate kisses. Marriage is about a deeper love and it's about partnership; sometimes it's about doing what you really don't want to do. Like continuing to wash and fold a certain t-shirt that your dad has been wearing since I met him 12 years ago. I really, really want to light it on fire.

But I don't. And he continues to tighten all the lids in the fridge that I leave half-screwed. And of course, there are deeper challenges; let's say that your daddy and I have made it through thick and thin. Here we are, still in love—and that love has brought us you. That's worth celebrating.

We had 24 hours and a full tank of gas. I called my good friend Bill and asked for his recommendations for a quick trip to Columbus. He laid out some perfect ideas in a matter of minutes.

We started by checking into the Crowne Plaza downtown, then on to the North Market to see fresh flowers, colorful produce, ground coffee, and handmade goods. Every corner flooded our senses with beauty!


Then we walked the Short North Arts District, featuring shops, pubs and galleries that delighted the eye. Derek's favorite painting:


And mine:


Then on to Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream for local, organic handmade flavors like sweet corn, reisling soaked pear, and goat cheese with red cherries. Flavors that sound crazy. Flavors that make you want to squeal with joy, fall to the ground and roll around giggling, right there in their lovely little shop. Yes, it's that good—and worth waiting in the line that's consistently there from 11am to 11pm, full of people who feel the same way about it.

'

The afternoon held more galleries and shops, some delicious microbrews, some downtime in the room, and a lovely late dinner and cocktails at The Rossi.



We slept late the next morning and strolled up to the Northstar Cafe, where we dined al fresco and felt the morning sun on our faces. I sipped my mint ginger ale while Derek read the paper and leaned to the side, slowly crumbling something in his hand near the ground.

"Look down" he whispered slyly, as if we were being watched by spies.
He had surrendered his scone to feed a group of tiny birds. They hopped and pecked about, chirping to one another in celebration of the score.

"I love you, Derek" I shook my head and laughed.
He grinned, turned the page of his paper, and put his hand on mine.

Cheers to 10 more, my love!