Summer Solstice Anniversary

It was 8 years ago today that Justin and I were married.

We met in Phoenix 10 years ago. We have a long and crazy journey to this point. Here is a short, G-rated version.
On our first date we went to the Grand Canyon.
I discovered early on about Justin's knack for running out of gas. We ran out before we were out of the city and then about 4 more times while we were there.

Blue. He now lives with Justin's Mom.


Shortly after, we left for the Everglades and Phish/New Year's Eve.

We splurged our money on an El Paso "luxury hotel". It is a long drive from South Florida to Phoenix. El Paso is a great place to vacation!

Justin asked me to marry him a few months after we met. I said yes even though i wasn't planning on getting married until at least age 45.

Baby Stella. She is still going strong.

We spent as much time possible, outside of Phoenix a few hours north, at the Verde River hot springs. It is a magical place. After driving for 2 1/2 hours on a winding, desert, mountain, dirt road, you arrive in a valley that is lush and green. Waterfalls abound and a 1 mile hike up river takes you to an abandoned hotel foundation with a natural hot spring. It is on the mountain side and if this place wasn't crawling with unclothed people, i would love to take our kids back there some day.





2 big dogs in a third floor city apartment wasn't enough so we got Luna, a Red/Arctic Wolf Mix. She lives on my parent's farm.

After living in Phoenix for a year, we put our stuff in storage and took off. We did the last part of Phish tour and traveled from Phoenix to Vegas, back again to San Diego and up to Vancouver.






When we got back to Phoenix, we packed up during a monsoon and headed into the mountains into a snowstorm. Here is Stella and Luna when we broke down in Albuquerque.
We have been in STL since.


A few years later we went back to the Verde Hot springs for our honeymoon. These are the only pictures i took. We had a hard time leading up to the wedding, including our bus breaking down. We rode out to AZ in a friend's Mom's minivan. Romantic.


God has been good to us. Without his Grace we would have been imprisoned by now and most certainly divorced. His Blessings are so much more beautiful than i ever imagine.