I don’t do as much as I should for Judy.  She never misses an important day, anniversary, special moment.  She plans ahead with incredible detail for weeks and months in advance when people are coming over or when we are hosting a special event. 

When it comes to family, she’s even more meticulous in her preparation.

I knew that when our tenth-year anniversary rolled around, I wanted to do something special.  It had to be more meaningful than spending a lot of money to show how much I appreciate her and all that she’s done for our relationship.

At first, the plan I had was to take a trip to Tahiti–where we had our honeymoon and fell in love all over again.  I saved up years of air miles to ensure free tickets.  However, in the fall of last year, we were surprised to find out that another baby boy was joining the Ramos Family!  Unfortunately, to our dismay, we lost him.

We were devastated and this proved to be one of the most difficult journeys we’ve traveled together.  But God is faithful.

Already committed to staying in the US during our anniversary, I had to plan something different for the girl who has been the biggest blessing in my life.  Since we’d been married for 10 years, I decided on preparing 10 meaningful moments together.  Here are a few of them (the rest are none of your business):

Torino was voted as the 2014 Detroit restaurant of the year by the Detroit Free Press.  Calling them ahead of time, they agreed to prepare a nine-course vegetarian meal for me and my special date while Auntie Kimmy took care of the boys for the evening.

The meal included a non-alcoholic beverage service.  The whole experience was great and the food bordered between delicious and sometimes, incredible.

The staff made the night extra special by providing a menu for us that wished us a happy anniversary.  Their customer service was very good!

After enjoying a great meal, we drove to Judy’s old stomping grounds — the home where she grew up.  We drove through her neighborhood and checked out places where she played and made a lot of childhood memories.

The next day was the day of our actual anniversary — 7/11.  Since we’ve been married for 10 years, I thought it’d be great to renew our vows.  What better place to recommit our lives to each other than Grace Orchard — our home.

In our backyard, we have a lovely little gazebo that I thought was perfect for this kind of event.  So the boys and I planned out a service together.  Manu was my best man and Micah and Ty walked their mom down the aisle.

For the ceremony, the boys got new dress gear from Gap.

They were able to serve as witnesses to their parents’ commitment to each other.  Following the wedding ceremony, we all participated in a wedding reception.  The highlights of our reception included a wedding cake from Meijer, fruit-by-the-foot favors from Judy, chocolate, and old pictures and items from our wedding ten years back.

We looked at old pictures and letters and told the boys stories of way back.  Their constant giggles were a strong indication of how much they enjoyed listening to them.

They came prepared to be guests of honor, bringing loads of gifts.  Each gift was more valuable.  First they gave us an envelop full of pennies.  By the end, they gave us their treasured 2-dollar bills!

The last ten years have brought many experiences.  To have a partner that genuinely loves and accepts me for who I am even though they are thoroughly aware of my weaknesses and insufficiencies is as incredible as grace itself.  The one person who has every reason not to love  me is also my best friend — what a thought.  It reminds me of Someone else — a Person she points me to and teaches me about every day of our lives together.  Thanks, Judy!