It’s June 10th, the anniversary of our first kiss, 14 years ago.
This year, he didn’t ask “Are you sure you don’t want to eat somewhere else?” He knows. June 10th is always at Olive Garden.
This year, he’ll be driving me (and the three kids over to Grandpa’s) in a different car. There have been a lot of cars over the years. Twelve between the two of us; seems a bit excessive, doesn’t it? But fun to list them all and use them as markers to measure our life together.
Some years I’ve been pregnant. Some I’ve been nursing.
Some years it has rained. One year we had a big fight.
Sometimes the beach smells so bad that we don’t want to walk the pier or look at the stinky water.
Fourteen years I have loved and kissed this man. He is as steady as the tide pulling the water , and as predictable as the delicious salad at Olive Garden.
The beach and waterfront have changed a bit over the years. Beautification projects, playgrounds, a ferry terminal and now a new marina.
Olive Garden hasn’t changed much over fourteen years; maybe a few updates in the menu and price increases.
Me and him? Some things have changed; he is graying at the temples and I’m carrying some extra weight. We both have laugh lines near our eyes.
Just like the beach always has the sand and Olive Garden has those amazing breadsticks…..we’ve still got each other.
Our wedding anniversary is on the 23rd of this month, but I like to celebrate the “First Kiss Date” too.
This tradition got started years ago when were had just started to date. Although we had been friends for months, it was a big deal that I agreed to go out on a date. We met at his apartment parking lot and he put a blindfold around my eyes, then drove around in circles to throw me off guard. At the time, he didn’t know that I have a terrible sense of direction so it wasn’t really necessary. We ended up at the Olive Garden restaurant, about 1/2 a mile from his apartment. After some delish Italian food, we drove over to Charlotte Beach on Lake Ontario. We walked along the pier, smelling the algae, hearing the pigeons screech and sat down on the sand to enjoy the lake view.
And then he kissed me. It was the first kiss of my life, on the beach. It doesn’t get more romantic than that, right? He sealed our fate with that kiss and I love remembering and repeating that night.
Olive Garden, Beach, Kiss, Abbotts. That’s what we do on June 10th.
That is such a sweet story. Thanks for sharing it.
That first kiss always remains special. Sorry the weather didn’t cooperate, but I’m sure the shopping made up for it!
Tania
How sweet! When was the picture taken of you two on the beach?
awww how nice to celebrate that, you guys do love Olive Garden =)
That is so cute! I love the picture of you guys on the beach.
Is that you guys on the beach??? How sweet!!! I worked at Abbotts for a hundred summers in high school and hygiene school and somehow I managed to be much thinner than I am now 🙂
Yes! That is us on the beach… That picture was taken 3 years ago and I was pregnant with Joshua at the time. We hauled the tripod and camera around with us that year to the beach. It was worth it to get some pictures. I love pictures from behind, and one of my favorite wedding photos is of us walking hand in hand off into the distance.
You are such the romantic. I love it that you celebrate your first kiss. And I love the photo too.
I think I can relate more to what you really did on your anniversary!
Happy Happy Anniversary – Congrats.