Gratitudes:
- A good mani/pedi is a girl's best friend
- Sunshine-y warm weather after weeks of bone chilling cold
- Sara, our trusty CPA
We compiled all the information for our taxes last week and phew, is it ever a relief to have everything in the hands of our CPA. It's a major milestone for the year that's done, crossed off the list, let's move on now.
In getting our initial estimate (a refund, yo!) we decided to go through our budget for the year and see where we stood financially. Our 20th anniversary is in August and while the house is still under various stages of renovation, we both want to take the time and the money to really celebrate this other major milestone. So we reviewed, revised, shuffled, and it looks like we will have the funds to be able to get me to the Pacific Northwest to visit family this summer AND afford some sort of trip to commemorate twenty years of weddedness.
This is huge. Not that we can afford such choices, but that we both agree that instead of funnelling all extra funds to renovations or mortgage pay down or vehicle replacement (aka the things responsible adults apparently do), we both agree to not one but two vacations and have decided to set aside the monies to accomplish this.
If you know my husband, you know his decision making is based in logic and personal responsibility. He's not a frivolous man. He's not taken to flights of fancy and wouldn't be caught dead dancing under starlight in what he terms fits of whimsy. That's me. Or, that's more something I would do. When our ten year anniversary rolled around, we had the opportunity to take our first real vacation that didn't include camping, visiting the family cabin for a weekend, or traveling to visit family. Not that any of these things are bad. They are quite enjoyable, in fact. But we had never had a honeymoon and had instead decided to save for an anniversary trip.
At this same time we had purchased our first home and were in the planning stages of what would become the renovation project without end. So, instead of that anniversary trip, my husband's logic kicked in and he decided it would be best to move those funds toward the renovations.
Looking back, I can see a place of compromise in a land that is not either or. Then, however, life was different. I was different. I didn't push back. I swallowed my disappointment and after a single impassioned push for relationship over work, I slunk back and agreed and every time I take a shower, I see that anticipated vacation in our bathtub and tile surround.
For my husband to look at the budget and suggest not just the annual 'family' vacation but also an anniversary celebration...well it's just not done. I had braced myself for a 'suggestion' that we shove that money into the renovation fund and push hard to complete all the indoor work this summer. Or for the money to make its way to a mutual fund so it could grow and become the replacement fund for our aging truck. When he said 'let's go somewhere for our anniversary' I practically fell to the floor in shock.
We've both grown in the last ten years. Life has thrown us some curve balls and we haven't always rounded third to make it home with each inning. But we're still here and the experiences, good and not so great, have helped to make us who we are today. And as well as we know each other, there's still room to be surprised and delighted in each other.
And I'm planning on dragging that man of mine kicking and screaming into the whimsy of dancing under the stars cuz right now I believe that anything is possible.
