Celebrating Us

The Number 21

“Through this number your angels will motivate you to have faith and to believe in the positive outcome that is in front of you.”

I was trying to find some significant meaning in the number 21 as I was putting together an evening for Mike and I to celebrate our 21st Anniversary at home. I wanted it to be a special night. I wanted it to be an anniversary to remember, not because of the coronavirus and all that we couldn’t do, but an anniversary to remember because it was special. I wanted to look back and remember how we have learned to work together as a team when shit just gets hard. Google brought me to the statement above and it seemed absolutely perfect for where we find ourselves right now in life.

I find it worth a second read.

“Through this number your angels will motivate you to have faith and to believe in the positive outcome that is in front of you.”

Spending our 21st Anniversary in the home that we have built together seemed like the perfect plan. I found myself seeking out all of the reasons why celebrating at home could and should be special and it made me think of things I likely wouldn’t have thought of had we gone out for a celebration. I thought about when Mike and I were engaged and picked this lot to build our home on. I thought about how hard Mike worked to not only draw the blueprints for our home, but oversee it all as it was being built. I found myself thinking about the year he worked so hard to finish the basement so our kids would have that space to entertain, I thought about all of the cabinets he has built in our home, the master remodel and I thought about how many times we’ve filled this house with family and friends and the memories that have been made here.

Having faith, looking ahead and celebrating us on our new deck seemed like it was meant to be.

We did play with the idea of camping, but I was unsure about the weather and I knew Mike was suggesting that because he knew it would make me happy. I wanted to do something that I knew we both would enjoy. The more I started thinking about how I could make dinner special at home, the more ideas I started getting and then I just became giddy about the whole thing.

I shopped for groceries, wine and flowers and came home and started cooking. I’d had lasagna on my mind for several days as something I wanted to make for our anniversary dinner. I found a Skinnytaste recipe for Lasagna Rolls that sounded not only delicious, but a great dinner idea that I could prep early and refrigerate and then pop in the oven while I got myself and everything else ready.

I loved my afternoon playing in the kitchen with food on every available space of countertop while listening to some 70’s rock. It was an all around good day.

• 

• 

Mike ordered a half cord of wood a few days ago and it was to be delivered Friday afternoon. I about pee’d myself with shock and excitement when this truck pulled up then backed into our driveway!

Mike honestly could care less about having a fire, and I know he did this for me, so the guy has racked up some serious points over the last few days with suggesting we go camping in Effie for our anniversary, then ordering wood so I can build a fire 24/7 if I’d like to. After the wood was delivered to the driveway, I knew he’d be busy getting it all into the backyard and under the deck.

I decided it would be fun to set up the deck as much like an Italian restaurant as possible. Something about an Italian dinner sounded romantic and now I was on a mission.

While my lumberjack husband was busy (cracking up, but that’s sexy, right? Lumberjack?),

I was scurrying around the house like a crazy restaurant owner gathering a table, chairs, table cloth, cloth napkins, table setting, looking for white plates with no chips in them, a candle, the speaker along with some Italian dinner music, opening the wine so it could breathe, starting the fire and putting the lasagna rolls in the oven. I was having….So. Much. Fun.

Mikes reaction when he came in the house and saw the set up on the deck could not have been better. My heart maybe skipped a beat. One of our favorite date nights is a relaxing dinner at a nice restaurant with outdoor seating. I even found an Italian Dinner Party station on Pandora! I was happy to find this but it also made me giggle. We listened to it all night long.

Okay, enough mushy gushy, but it really was a perfect 21st Anniversary Celebration.

He always finds the best cards.

We’ll have our salad first please.

The Main Course. Mike said this dish was restaurant quality!! I agree.

Breakfast

Again. I know. Yum.

1/3 C Quick cooking oats, 1 egg, 1/2 C pumpkin, 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice, 1/2 C fresh blueberries. Mix and microwave for 2-3 minutes. Topped with 2 tsp Pure Maple Syrup.

I think I need some mini chocolate chips in my life. Chocolate Pumpkin? Chocolate Banana?

• 

• 

Lunch

Salmond, Avocado and a Low Carb Tortilla. I had a piece of salmon that I needed to cook and this was so simple and tasty! Cooked for 3 minutes on each side with this seasoning in a little Olive Oil spray.

• 

• 

Snack

I don’t remember when Blueberries became my “go to” snack, but I have them almost everyday lately.

Dinner

Skinnytaste Spinach Lasagna Roll with a Caesar Salad.

Deliziosa!

I haven’t tracked for the last few days so back at it today. Tracking, portion control, eating lots of fruits and veggies, lean protein, staying hydrated with water and moving makes me feel my best. Today I want to feel my best.

What do you do to feel your best?

We hope you’re having a great weekend! The waiter, dressed as a tripod, took this pic.

“love the life you live, live the life you love”