I am the Luckiest...

Sunday was our anniversary. It was a good day. Full enough to have no regrets, but relaxing too. The perfect balance. We did something out of our comfort zone, and then ended the day with something delightfully familiar. Again, the perfect balance. Here's a recap of our seventh anniversary:
I woke up to breakfast and a huge beautifully exotic plant. Zac always gets me flowers, but he said this time he wanted to get me something that would last longer than a week. I hope I can keep it alive! Isn't it pretty?

And although we agreed on no gifts, he also got me a fleur-de-lis charm for my charm bracelet, and this dainty and delicate "remembrance ring." I absolutely LOVE it!

I love the way it looks on my finger alone, and I also love that I can get more in the future, with different colored stones, and they'll stack really nicely. Well done, Zac! :)
I told Zac that I'd plan the day for us, since he usually does it. I decided to take us to Taste of Dallas for another "out of our comfort zone" experience. We both had fun, and enjoyed ourselves,  were glad we went, but we also had a few realizations throughout the event:
-who in the world plans an OUTDOOR fair, in JULY, in Texas? Seriously? It was so hot, we couldn't even think about eating hot food. Zac said it should be held late October, and I totally agree.
-parking should not cost more than the actual ticket to enter
-this one is probably the funniest, and truest discovery...We have very boring palettes, and aren't big fans of 'fancy' food. "Sushi? No thanks! Lobster? Pass! Thai food? No, that's okay. Afghan food? Nope. Indian cuisine? Thanks anyways." We joked that it is almost a waste for us to attend events revolving around trying new food. I will say we did try a few samples, and we had fun people watching and walking around (the indoor part at least, the outside booths were crazy miserable, due to the 105 degree weather). Like I said, glad we went, but we can cross that one off the list.

It was no 'Hey Cupcake' (and Austin Airstream trailer cupcake company), but Trailercakes offered a "wedding cake" cupcake, which seemed perfect for the occasion. It also came with an ice cold washcloth, which Zac and I were passing back and forth, long after it wasn't cold anymore.
When we left Fair Park, we decided to go visit our friend Bez, at his brand new store. He just opened his second GNC, and this one is in Addison. Since we were already in Dallas,  we wanted to drive up and see him and check out the place he owns. Isn't that crazy? And he's opening his third store in July! We are so happy for him, and proud that he's living out his goals...when he talked about owning several stores a year or two ago, I thought it seemed so impossible, but here he is. Anyways, it was great to visit, and luckily for him (although bad for conversation), he was very busy and had customers steadily coming in the whole time we were there. If you need any vitamins, or health stuff, I know your man...

When we got home, we showered and needed a nap. (Welcome back to the comfort zone!) Something about intense sweating, being in the sun, and driving a lot takes it out of you. Not that we need an excuse to nap these days, but it was nice. We woke up and fixed up, then drove to Arlington for our dinner reservations at PF Chang's. YUM! I asked the hostess to take a picture of us for our anniversary (which didn't turn out, since it's sooo dark in that restaurant), and I guess she told the waitress, who comped us a free Great Wall of Chocolate! Oh my...my mouth is watering all over again, just thinking about the rich deliciousness of it! Might be one of my fave desserts! It's definitely top three! :) Chocolate cake, fresh berries, a sweet, but tart raspberry sauce, decadent chocolate frosting, chocolate chips on the end....it's heaven on a plate!

When we walked outside, I asked a random woman to take our picture, and explained it was our anniversary. Zac bought me this dress for my birthday...picked it out completely on his own at my favorite store, it fits perfectly and everything! He's a keeper, I tell you!

 When we got home from dinner, we changed into our jammies and the three of us cuddled on the couch for our anniversary tradition. We watched our wedding DVD. We laughed at different moments, shared "remember whens" and reminisced about what an amazing night it was. I want to do it again. Never in your life (besides your wedding and funeral) do you get to ask ALL of your friends and family to come celebrate you, and they actually do it! Well, I mean maybe at your 50th wedding anniversary party, but gah, that's a long time to wait. Birthday parties are fun and special, but no event that I can think of has the MAGIC in the air that a wedding carries. It's love, excitement, future hopes and dreams, celebration, and...well...magic. There's no other word I can think of to describe it better. We had such an amazing wedding and reception, and it wouldn't have been the same without our families and friends there with us. So if you attended that special day, thank you. And thanks to those of you who have supported us, and loved us, as individuals, and as a couple, the last seven years. Zac and I can both admit that it hasn't always been easy. In fact, I think we've already been through a lot, with moves, health problems, job stress, and more, BUT, I think it's only brought us closer, and made us stronger as a team. And the best is yet to come...

I'll end this (sappy, but heartfelt) post with a quote I saw online today..."The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."  - Elisabeth Foley 

*The title of this post, is taken from the second song on the playlist, "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds. I think it's a such a sweet and beautiful song, and you can read the lyrics here. :)