Yesterday was our wedding anniversary.  Our 12th.  We don't get to go out on our own very regularly, and we haven't been to the movies without the kids for YEARS.  Actually, I think that the last movie we saw by  ourselves was 'The Island of Dr Moreau'.  That should give you an idea of just how long it's been since we went to the movies together sans children.

So, we decided that for our anniversary we'd grab a meal and see a movie.  Neither of us is comfortable leaving the kids home alone in the evening, so we thought some lunch and a matinee would be ideal.  We headed into town yeaterday lunchtime, and drove past the movie theater to see what was playing.  We both wanted to see 'Hostel', and our luck was in - it was showing at 1305, giving us and hour and a half to get some lunch.  Again, luck was on our side and there was a Lonestar right next to the theater.  So, we headed over there to get a steak before the show.  I had the garlic steak and shrimp combo, and I asked for it medium rare.  It arrived so cooked I could have used it to sole my shoes with.  I didn't have enough time to order another, so the manager kindly took it off the bill and I got my lunch for free!  The shrimp were great, and Dave's steak was cooked to perfection.  We both said that we're definitley eating there again, despite my steak being too well done. 

After lunch, we toddled over to the theater and paid $6.50 each to see the movie.  They had a zombie shooting game in the arcade in the foyer, so we wasted some time playing that.  It was very cool to play a video game with my husband....matter of fact, it was very cool going out on a date with my husband.  We've neglected to tend to our relationship recently; we don't make time for dates with each other.  I think that's going to change, and it's going to change soon.  We've both said that we want to go to the matinees more often because they're cheap, the auditorium was almost empty so we can sit pretty much where we want (that's a HUGE deal when you're as short as me.  I detest getting stuck behind some 6'5" gargantuan dude.....yet it always seems to happen), and most importantly we're both comfortable leaving the children to look after themselves for the afternoon.

So, we forked over some money for some VERY expensive drinks, and we settled into our seats to watch the show.

It scared me.  So much that I alternated between grabbing Dave's arm and hand and hiding my face in my sweater.  It's very, very gruesome, and slightly 'mess with your head' scary.  I'll put it to you this way: my children won't be seeing this until they turn 18.  I'm pretty liberal about what I let them watch, but they won't be seeing this when it comes out on DVD.  It was a decent enough show - not brilliant, not superb, not even great.  Good is the rating I give it.  Dave gave it a 6 1/2 out of 10 (he wants me to tell you that the half point is due to the gratuitous sex and nudity.  There's a LOT of that in it.  If you're a bob man, you'll probably LOVE this movie).

After we got home, we decided to go get some chow form the food court at the BX.  I needed a binder and some supplies for the class that I'm taking, so we ran into the store to pick those up.  As we passed the jewellry counter, a silve necklace caught my eye and I stopped to look at it.  It had four little dog tags on it, and on the front of each of the tags was a word: live, love, dance and sing.  On the back of each was a little inscription: Live had 'as though heaven were on earth', Love was 'as if you've never been hurt', Dance 'like no one is looking' and Sing 'as though no one can hear you'.  I'd already got a bracelet for my anniversary present (it's pewter and leather, has a tree of life on the front and 'growth' inscribed on the back.  It's very beautiful, and it's very 'me'..  He got a Kershaw 'Blackout' knife.  He's got a thing for knives, so rather than get him something he won't use and didn't really want I got him something he likes and wanted)  so I wasn't expecting to get anything else.  But Dave had a different idea.  He said he thought it was very cool, and asked me if I'd like to have it.  He said it wasn't an anniversary gift, it was because I aced my first test on the medical transcriptionists class I'm taking (I got 100% on a closed book test.  Yay for me!).

I'm wearing it right now, and I'm not planning to take it off.  Not rountinely, anyway.  It's beautiful, and again, it's very 'me'.

So, we finished our shopping, got some Taco Bell, went home and spent the rest of the evening on the couch, eating and watching TV  (other stuff happened of course, but that's really none of your beeswax.  Suffice to say we both had a LOT of fun and fell asleep tired but happy.).  It was a really good day.  A most excellent day, in fact, and now that we know there's a movie theater that has a lunchtime show we're going to go on dates more often.  It was wonderful to get away from the kids and just be Dave and Karen for a while, and I want to try and repeat that more often.

It felt like we reconnected with each other yesterday.  It feels good to know that 12 years into it we can still make each other laugh, that we still light each others fires.....that sex hasn't become mundane and boring and repetitive and that we're still attracted to each other both physically, mentally, and spiritually. 

It feels really good to have been married this long.  To be a part of a relationship that, despite it's many flaws and it's frequent bickering is still functioning, still working, still full of love and desire.  It feels good to still be in love and to still have passion.

It feels really good.