Happy Unniversary 2.0

October 26, 2016, was our 25th wedding anniversary.

David and I are notorious for undercelebrating milestones.

Last year was no exception.

I think we went out for dinner.

But honestly, I'm not even sure if we did that!

So this year we decided to put a little more effort 

into our anniversary celebration.

I planned a trip to Gatlinburg.

I had a cabin rented for the week.

And David had scheduled a day to go off-roading

in his (very clean) Jeep.

A whole week

of hiking, napping, reading, off-roading.

Fun, right?

Well.

There's a reason I buy travel insurance for every trip.

Our life never goes as planned.

Never.

At the last minute

something very snuggly and sweet smelling

totally trashed our anniversary plans.

Sigh.

Once Baby A was safely placed with his adoptive parents

I set about saving what I could of our now cancelled trip.

With a few calls 

I found a room near Red River Gorge.

A short drive from home, 

it is a beautiful area full of natural arches,

caves and trails.

The Nada Tunnel

And because sometimes 

God gives us more than we ask for

or can even imagine...

we spent a wonderfully peaceful

(though rather muddy and bouncy)

day wandering through 

Daniel Boone National Forest

on off-road trails that we did not know existed

until we saw the signs.

The trails were so much fun!

We drove only a small portion of them.

I'm guessing I know 

where we will spend our anniversary in 2018!

It's never the big things in life that leave me amazed by God. 

It's the smallest details...

like having an unexpected day of fun off-roading after cancelling similar plans

in order to hold a baby boy that needed someone to love him for a few days.

It might not seem like much, but it was to me.

Ephesians 3.17-20

...you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power,... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge...

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory...