The Marriage of my Dreams

Today is our fourth anniversary! I found this picture on my computer screen this morning. Somehow, Jon managed to paint the gate, set the camera up, and get Zephyr to pose signing "I love you" yesterday in the 45 minutes while I was at kickboxing before heading to the park for our Wednesday night potluck. And oh yes, he was also caring for Jubilee. A very sweet surprise, although it makes me feel a bit lame for not managing to wash the dishes until he gets home most days. (Please note the beautiful workmanship of the gate- it's one of Jon's latest projects.)

How are we celebrating? Each year we plan to reread our vows to each other, and this year I think we actually will, as, for once, we know where they are (hanging on our bedroom wall.) Also, we are planning a carbfest of tuber mash (a maroon concoction featuring potatoes and home-grown beets), stuffing, corn, and baked tofu for dinner, followed by chocolate mint brownies with ice cream. We talked ourselves into burritos for lunch from the local Mexican deli. Pretty low key, but that's us.

And...we bought a new tent. Lately we had been reminiscing about all the nights we slept outside as newlyweds. The idea was inspired, in part, by my desire to cycle with the moon, and I had read that sleeping outdoors was the shortcut to doing so. Also, we were living in a very green, wooded, rural part of the state. And, perhaps most importantly, my in-laws began a 10-day visit in our home two nights after we married. We valued night time privacy as newlyweds. As it turns out, it's good that we took advantage of the time we had, as we haven't had a night to ourselves now in over 3 years!

Anyway, over the weekend we decided to get out the tent, wondering why we hadn't since before Zephyr was born. We couldn't remember how big it was, but hey, we're all small people, and we sleep all mushed together anyway, so certainly it would work. We recalled sleeping in the tent the night before Jon proposed, April 4th, 2003. It was a windy night, and Jon's old, beloved dog, Bobby, started the night outside. I began to worry about him during the night, and suggested we bring him in to make sure he was warm enough. Jon will tell you that it was seeing me snuggled up with Bobby that made him know for sure that it was time to seal the deal.

We set the tent up in the backyard. An adolescent fear crept in. "Let's not tell anyone we're sleeping outside. They might try to scare us," I whispered to Jon when Zephyr wasn't listening. When I realized the three narrow sleeping pads we borrowed from our friend Jessica wouldn't fit without overlap, I started to question our comfort. "We have to agree that it's okay to go back to our bed part way through the night, if it's really very horrible" I insisted. I brought out sheets, pillows, and the "hobo blanket," a lovely, hand-made quilt we found in the house when we moved in. I tried to discourage Jon from eating watermelon that night, cringing at the thought of the zipper door waking the kids if Jon needed to sneak out to pee. But the watermelon was calling to me, too, and eventually we both gave in and ate large chunks of it. Isn't the onset of watermelon season irresistible?

We made a valiant effort. We didn't go out until everyone was very sleepy. Jubilee, as a matter of fact, already was asleep. But it took a long, long, long time for Jon, Zephyr, and me to fall asleep. It was crowded. I was worried that Zephyr was going to bump into Jubilee and wake her up. Cars and critters seemed exceptionally noisy. I wondered if any mosquitoes had snuck in with us. The sleeping pads didn't seem to provide much cushion between my hips and the hard ground. After nursing Jubilee back to sleep, my entire lower body lost sensation. I got up three times to pee. And when I finally did fall asleep, it was only to dream that we had already decided to go back inside. I awakened, disappointed to find I was still experiencing tent-induced discomfort.

I listened to Jon's breathing and determined he was asleep. I waited. Finally, Jubilee squawked, which woke Jon up. "Jubilee and I are going inside," I informed him. "Tempting as it may be to stay, Zephyr and I will join you," Jon mumbled. We grabbed our pillows and ran inside. Checking the oven clock as we speed-walked to our king-sized destination, I saw that it was 3 am.

There was, however, a luscious coolness sleeping outdoors- and natural coolness is hard to come by this time of year where we live. All those pleasant memories of sleeping in the fresh air can't be wrong. So we ordered a bigger tent the next morning. It arrived this afternoon, and Jubilee helped Jon put it up while Zephyr napped. Then Zephyr helped Jon put a queen-sized air mattress inside while Jubilee napped. I think it's my turn to head out with some pillows, sheets, and the hobo blanket.

If you were at our wedding, you may or may not remember Jon reading that he felt he was going on a long camping trip with his best friend.

Who wants a s'more?