Second Aniversary - A Scavenger Hunt

Since last year I planned and executed our first year anniversary, Brittney decided it was her turn to plan this years. I knew she was up to something making mysterious phone calls, and deleting the history on our Internet. The big surprise actually came a week before our anniversary. After going to the temple, I was walking out to my car (we drove separately) and I saw a note on the windshield. The note told me to look in my glove box and from there I was sent on a scavenger hunt.

I went to Barnes and Nobel to pick up a book, and in the book was another note telling me to go to an address in Tempe (thank goodness for map quest). I soon found myself in front of Brittney's favorite restaurant the serves an authentic cuisine of India. After eating there she gave me a note and left. The note was a puzzle in which I had to go through my book and find letters to figure out my secret password for my next destination. In the car, I found another note that led me to the Arizona Grand Resort.

I was forced to say my passward (it was naughty) several times because she "couldn't hear me" outside our room - quite embarrassing. She had bought some fun finger foods and I brought our leftovers from the restaraunt. It turned out to be a very fun and unexpected stay-cation. Sorry, no pictures.

Walking Down Memory Lane

Brittney and I had our first anniversary on Saturday March 7, 2009. I can't believe one year had already gone by. For our first anniversary I wanted to do something for her that was really special and personal. I decided to do a themed type date and the theme was "A walk down Memory Lane." Brittney, on the Thursday before, asked me if I had anything special planned, and I putting on my best poker face told her that I had no idea what to do for our first anniversary. I said "Lets just go out to dinner and then watch a movie or something." I could tell she was disappointed, and I knew my plan was in motion.

Saturday came around and I went to work for a little bit and Brittney went to her parents house. For the past three weeks I had been working on a video for Brittney and I wasn't quite finished yet. I took my laptop to work and made the final touches to the video. On the way home from work I made some calls to make sure everything was going to flow according to plan. So this is how it went.

I went over to Brittney's parents house and got there around 5:30. She was over there taking care of Addison. I sat down and watched a movie pretending like it was any other day. Around 7 I told Brittney that I was hungry and that we should go out to eat. She was feeding the baby and I was kinda in a hurry so I told her we had a reservation. Her eyes lit up and curiosity beset her. She asked where we I had made my reservation at. I told her it was a surprise. (Brittney hates it when I do that). She gave Addison to her mom to finish feeding her and we went out to the car. I told her she was not allowed to look where we were going and I made her put a blanket over her head. She kept asking me questions trying to figure out where we were going. The only thing that I told her is that we had both been there before.

We arrived at Tempe Town Lake and I told her she could uncover her eyes. I informed her that before we ate that we were going to go for a walk and that during the walk she would have to look for her first gift of the night. She was really excited now and after walking 100 yards, she saw my younger bother Collin any my sister Heather standing by a table. They came up to us, wished us happy anniversary and left. I told Brittney that this was her first gift of the night, a CANDLE LIGHT DINNER next to Tempe town lake. She was ecstatic. The night was perfect. My brother had did an excellent job with the location and setting the table. We were right under one of the bridges and a few feet from the water. Dinner was Yoko's Terriaki Chicken (one of my favorite places to eat).

This was the first phase of my "Walking Down Memory Lane" themed date. Here at Tempe Town Lake is where Brittney and I had our FIRST DATE. We reminisced about that date as we ate dinner under the glow of the candle light. After dinner we walked back to my car and I told her that she had to put the blanket on and told her that we were going to her second surprise. Again she excitedly put on the blanket and began asking questions. Again I didn't tell her anything. 15 minutes later I pulled up in front of my uncle's house.

I escorted Brittney out of the car with the blanket on her still and walked her up to the front porch near a wooden rocking bench. I told her she could take off the blanket. Her eye's lit up and we sat down on the rocking bench. It was here that Brittney and I had our FIRST KISS, and later it was here that I PROPOSED to her. We talked for a little bit about both events and I gave her a second gift. I pulled out a paper from Fred Astaire Dance Studio which informed her about the Ballroom Dancing lessons I had signed us up for. She was ecstatic! One of our favorite things to do when we were dating was to go to the Wednesday night country dances that they had in Gilbert's Boys and Girls Club. Now we would learn other dancing styles, plus it would be a great date night for the next couple of months. After a few more minutes of sharing memories we left for the final phase of the date.

We went back to her parents house and I gave her my last gift. Her and her family gather around my laptop and I played the video I made her. It was so much fun to reminisce about our courtship, engagement, and the last year of married life and take a walk down memory lane. Life has been so wonderful with Brittney and I'm excited for our life together. I love you sweetheart! To view the video go to my facebook for now.