One Year and Counting!

Today Alan Burke and Emily Ann have been married for exactly one year!  I cannot believe how fast the time has flown by!  This has been - hands down - the happiest, most fulfilling and meaningful year of my life!  I must admit, I expected a few skeletons to come out of the closet or to suddenly discover some gross habit this year, but besides Burke's fetish with condiments, there have been zero unpleasant surprises.  He is fiercely loyal, he makes me laugh even when I'm grumpy, his eyes get all bright when he sees a John Deere tractor and he is never more at ease than when he sits on our bed at night and plays a little guitar before we go to bed.  Part of the reason that this year has been the best of my life is because I love who I am when I am with my sweetheart.  He makes me feel capable of doing and being whoever I want to be.  He makes me feel like my dreams are realistic and that I have it in me to achieve every last one of them!

To celebrate our amazing one year anniversary, Burke had several surprises up his sleeve.  We began on Friday by going shopping (something he hates, but knows that I love) at an American style mall.  I was so excited and he was grumbling, but the roles were quite reversed when we trudged out 4 hours later with a pair of sweet jeans and 2 shirts...for him!  I was SO frustrated!  We went in at least 20 stores and I couldn't find a single thing that wasn't gaudy, ridiculously overpriced, weird, scandalous or seen in an 80's music video. Ugh! BUT, nevertheless, Saturday, the real anniversary magic began!  We finally found some clothes that I liked at a street vendors stall (ha ha! millions of stores and the stuff I like is on the street for 5-10 Euros. Awesome.) and went home to primp before our evening dinner and show.

We ate at a little restaurant around the corner from Notre Dame. Burke got the rib eye and I got the cheese and ham salad.  If you're not sure where the salad got its name, by all means refer to the picture above!  What the cheese?!  I laughed for probably 10 minutes.  

Next, my darling sweetheart was able to secure us tickets for 1/3 of the regular price (student discount) at the Chatelet Theater for my favorite...I repeat...my FAVORITE musical of all time, Les Miserables...in English!  I was so giddy, I could barely stay in my seat.  The theater was beautiful with these tiered balconies that we nabbed a picture of for your benefit.  The show was by far the best version I have ever seen with perfect execution of set, lighting, orchestration, acting and voices!  Jean Valjean was incredible and I was particularly impressed with Fantine's interpretation of her character.  So maybe I cried a few times, but who can hold back a tear when Eponine gives her life for Marius!  Tragic.  Les Miserables, as I'm sure you know, is about the French Revolution and the barricade that went up in the streets of Paris.  It was so neat to listen with fresh ears to the songs I know so well and then walk out into the very streets where it all happened at Saint Michel.  Gave me goosebumps! 

I was on cloud nine as we left the theater, especially as we walked out to see the world around us sparkling with lights!  We haven't been out in the city at night much and we loved the way the buildings and river looked at night all lit up.  Right as we crossed the street, the Eiffel Tour came into view, twinkling like a sparkler and as we turned to the right we saw the Notre Dame gleaming as well.  Talk about romantic.  I couldn't have asked for a better location or day to celebrate our one year.  Way to go honey - good luck trying to top this one!