Anniversary Trip

WARNING: VERY LONG POST AHEAD

To celebrate our 1 year anniversary we planned a weekend trip to Gatlinburg, but as I've said before, we make the most of celebratory moments. So, in true Paul and Bethany fashion, the celebrations started Thursday night before the weekend began.

A little background information may be helpful, so I'll fill you in. Last April, tornadoes swept through Alabama and caused extensive damage across the state. Scottsboro was relatively lucky but in the wake of the storms, power was out for a long period of time. Subsequently the top tier of our wedding cake, which was tucked away in a freezer, was ruined and we shrugged it off as a minor loss. So, as our anniversary approached I spent months researching a local bakery who could replicate our top tier so I could surprise Paul with it on our anniversary. I was able to find a bakery and I placed my order to be picked up the Friday before we left for our trip. I even called my mom to have her mail me the cake toppers so I could put them atop our replicated cake. Creative, romantic plan...check! 

Ok, back to Thursday night! Paul was so anxious and excited to give me my first gift of the weekend and I was, too. I closed my eyes as he brought the gift in and when I opened them, I saw a big white box in front of me. As I opened the box, my heart dropped. There in front of me was a beautiful cake! Pretty romantic, huh? Just wait. Paul went on to explain that he had ordered this cake, along with a chocolate one, from our original baker in Alabama. He then planned on driving all the way back home to pick them up so we could have cakes just like we had on our wedding day. His "in town" agenda also included picking up Tate's BBQ for us to eat (another of my favorite food items at the wedding reception)! What a romantic! 

A quick shout-out to my wonderful mother, by the way. When she heard about Paul's sneaky plan, she offered to pick up the "goods" and meet Paul in Tennessee to save Paul some time and gas. Have I ever mentioned how much my parents love Paul? But anyways...

As excited as I was, I was a little disappointed that his great gift just trumped the exact same gift I got him. So, with tears in my eyes and shaking with laughter, I explained to Paul that I too had gotten us an anniversary cake! Great minds think alike? This just goes to show how perfect we are for each other! 

Friday night we spent a relaxing evening at the house, eating BBQ and listening to the audio of our wedding ceremony. My parents had mailed the CD to us for an anniversary present and it was the first time we had heard the audio from the wedding. It was wonderful to hear our vows and the love in our voices. It was amazing to re-live those moments. Paul also gave me my last gift which I LOVED! He constructed this beautiful candle lantern for me. I had seen one and wanted one for a while now and it looks great in our home. I'm lucky to have a man who works with his hands and can build beautiful keepsakes. I think he's a keeper. :)

Saturday morning we woke up, packed the car (including all 3 cakes) and hit the road. We arrived in Gatlinburg and headed to Ober. We rode the chair life to the top for a scenic view of the mountains. It was beautiful and the weather was so nice. Afterwards we headed to check into our cabin. We rented a small cabin with mountain views. It was kind of like Montana for our honeymoon, except no snow. It had the same cozy feel as we snuggled up in front of the fire and relaxed in the hot tub under the stars. 

I gave Paul his gift from me and I hoped he would appreciate the thought that went into it. I couldn't think of anything to buy him, so I gave him the gift of tradition. I bought a box and placed a note in it explaining it's purpose. Here is what the note said:

"On our 1 year anniversary, I’d like to give the gift of tradition. Paul, you have been such a blessing in my life and there aren’t enough words in the world to describe how I feel about you. So, here is my proposal. I propose that we write each other a love letter each year we are married to give to each other on our anniversary. We will place each of our letters in this box, a box of love.  And every anniversary from now on we can sit down, read our new love letters and then read the old ones.  As we grow old together we will have written memories, declarations of love and predictions for our future together. We will grow closer each year as we reminisce over the special times we have spent together. We will create an intimate keepsake that will become the story of our life. This can be a forever reminder of our love for each other, because our love is epically amazing and should never be forgotten."

Also inside the box was my first letter to him. Thankfully, he loves the idea and I can't wait to begin this new tradition with him. 

Sunday evening we went to the Dixie Stampede, which was a blast. Paul had never been and I hadn't been in forever. I loved watching the excitement on Paul's face throughout the show. We had a great time. After walking around down town, we headed back to the cabin to relax. Monday, our actual anniversary, was a relaxing day too and we didn't make any special plans other than spending time together. We fixed a romantic supper that evening and danced under the stars to our first dance song. It was very romantic and a perfect end to our trip. 

But if everything were that perfect, it wouldn't be a Paul and Bethany story. Tuesday morning before we left we ventured over to Gatlinburg and ate at Atrium Pancakes, recommended by our good friends Brad and Fallon Hartsell. They have amazing baked apple pancakes, FYI. On the way out of town there was standstill traffic. We sat still for over 20 minutes so Paul turned the car off, but not the headlights. Once traffic began to move, we tried to turn the car back on....and it wouldn't! Paul then jumped out of the car, I ran around and got in the drivers seat, Paul pushed us to the side of the road and we flagged the guy behind us over to jump us off. Awkward moment: The guy gets out of his car, decked out in an Alabama t-shirt and Paul is decked out in an Auburn shirt. An unexpected duo working side by side! They were great sports and were able to get us running again. 

Yummy baked apple pancake

Auburn/Alabama duo

Needless to say, it's been a wonderful year. 

Love and Happiness,

Bethany