First Wedding Anniversary Together

Christina and I married on December 24th, 1994. In the summer of 1995, we were living together in Canada, in our first home, an apartment we were renting in Burnaby, close to Simon Fraser University, SFU, where she was working.  There, we spent our first wedding anniversary together.

Our first anniversary was very sweet and also created a tradition we kept for the rest of our lives.  On December 24th, 1995, Christina and I went to play in the snow at Cypress Mountain and in the early afternoon we went home where we were going to have our first-anniversary dinner together.

For dinner, Christina had planned Cornish Hen in creamy Mustard Sauce, accompanied by steamed vegetables and roasted baby potatoes.  For dessert, Christina had prepared a Pineapple upside-down cake the previous day which was one of her favorite desserts.  

When we arrived home from our skiing trip, we had a romantic shower together and got dressed up for the occasion.  Christina had a red dress, very pretty, the one she used at our wedding.  The dress was perfectly fitted showing her stunning figure in all its splendor.  

To enjoy the moment, Christina helped herself to a glass of wine and sat on the sofa to rest for a few minutes before we started cooking.  At some point, she placed her wine glass on the coffee table, lifted her legs onto the sofa, and rested her head on a pillow.  She fell asleep.  I saw her sleeping like a little angel and did not dare wake her up and let her sleep and went to the kitchen to start cooking.

In the kitchen, everything was laid out on the counter, the recipe, cleaned potatoes, the vegetables in the steamer, and the little birds ready to start cooking.  All I had to remember was to do the steamed vegetables last.

When the meal was ready, I went to her to wake her with a kiss - "Dinner is ready, we can eat now".  She opened her eyes followed by a sweet smile and I helped her up the sofa holding her hand.  We hugged.  I still remember her warm body fused to mine.  We hugged so many times in our lives together!

The dinner was sublime.  That night we went to sleep very peacefully.

Winter Tribute

Our recent trip to Manning Park was supposed to happen on December 24th, 2022, but we did it during the first days of January because we could not do it then. We remembered, honored, and shed some tears but also had a great time playing in the snow, and sharing time together as we have always done. BC Hwy 3 was absolutely beautiful to travel on. I never had a complaint, well maintained. We love to explore British Columbia in all weather!

The picture in this post was taken at Lightning Lake, very close to the shore.  The tracks leading to the roses are my own, I selected that spot because it was intact, as nature intended it to be.  The next day, early in the morning, we returned to the lake; I wanted to see the roses before starting our road trip home.  The air was pure and cold and as I looked up into the sky as if looking for something I could see the low clouds moving slowly, pushed by a calm breeze, knowing exactly where they were going.  It was very peaceful.   

The roses were now surrounded by many tracks revealing other witnesses who are now, inadvertently and anonymously, part of these memories.  Before leaving I sang for my wife, "He venido" (I've come) with all the strength of my lungs and it echoed in the snowy mountains the same as when I sang it for her on December 24th, 2020, the last time we were both together at the lake.  To complete the magic moment, the blanket of clouds opened up in patches over the mountains showing the blue sky to give an opportunity for sun rays to bathe the frigid lake.    

I have no doubt in my mind that my wife was kissing me, but I did not want to share that thought with my daughters for them to make their own interpretation.

The trip home was beautiful.  The weather forecast was snow along the way and freezing rain in the area of Hope, British Columbia.  However, non of that happened and it was blue skies with cloudy patches.  I know who made that happen.

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