It's a little crazy how fast 10 years can go by. I remember when we were Honeymooning in Hawaii, Ryan and I said we would come back for our 10 year anniversary. It seemed like a lifetime away when we made those plans as young newlyweds. And in reality, it sort of
a lifetime ago. Two kids later, growing careers, several ups & downs together as a couple, and here we are.
Even though our actual 10 year anniversary isn't until late August, we were itching to get away and were so happy we chose Aruba as the destination to renew our vows. It was a MUCH quicker flight than our first honeymoon, which made us enjoy more time on the island as well as less exhaustion with travel. Although Aruba is extremely kid-friendly and safe, we decided to leave the kids behind (Thank God for grandparents!).
I was married at 25 years old so you can say I did a LOT of growing up the past 10 years. I did a lot of maturing as a wife from my starting point as a 25-year-old self-centered, career-focused woman. I don't mean that to bash myself but as I have grown closer to God, he's taught me a lot about love, family, and marriage. I can honestly say I love my husband more now after 10 years of marriage because instead of just puppy love when we were merely kids, we have a Godly love that is truly built on God, family, and prayer. Although they say men mature much later in life, Ryan is (almost) getting there. Men don't quite reach maturity until... 50 (totally kidding)... In reality, Ryan has become an incredible husband and father who has truly been my rock. When you say your vows as a youthful, healthy bride, "in sickness and in health" seems so irrelevant at the time. However, after a diagnosis with an autoimmune disorder that left me suffering in my late twenties and an experience with postpartum depression a few years ago, these vows became very real. I can truly say that as we walked through these challenges together, it made my and Ryan's marriage much stronger.
A Trip Without the Kids to "One Happy Island"
We decided 10 years was great timing to renew our vows and were especially excited to do it with a "second honeymoon." Traveling during COVID-19 restrictions was surprisingly much less difficult than expected and we were overly impressed with the entire island of Aruba, especially our resort, the Divi Phoenix for their safety precautions and overall accommodations.
This time around, we decided to write our own vows, from the heart. A good friend sent me this scripture before our trip: "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." This passage from Ecclesiastes illustrates the importance of a God-centered marriage. Two Christians that are bound together in Christ are stronger than the individuals themselves. Of course, this made it into my vows and it was the perfect word of wisdom that I could ever express when looking ahead to the next 10 years ahead. The truth is, when you put God at the center of your marriage, you have a better understanding of what a loving marriage really is, especially when you add all the craziness of life in... kids, Covid, careers, and everything life throws at us in-between.
It had been a long time before we traveled just the two of us overnight somewhere... I'm pretty sure it was the first time we've vacationed without kids since we had Gavin (except when I was very pregnant) so we were excited but definitely a little anxious about leaving our 5-year-old and 2-year-old. We booked 5 nights instead of a full week so that we could enjoy a great trip while not being away from the kids for too long.
Staying at the Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort
We chose to stay at this particular resort (which is a timeshare as well) because of the location and recommendations from friends and family who stayed there. The Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort location is RIGHT on the beach and every single unit is ocean view and my favorite part is that everything from the resort is accessible. I love to walk a ton on vacation, especially in a beautiful place like Aruba and the Divi is connected to all of the other resorts with a well-lit safe path, making it so easy to access restaurants, other resort lounges, shops, and fresh food stands. Another huge bonus is on-site Covid testing available so you do not have to leave the premises to get your COVID test (which was required for us to travel back home).
I worked with the GM and told her about our vow renewal- nothing fancy just us on the beach and a photographer and their staff went above and beyond for our celebration.. it honestly felt like a second wedding day! It started with a day of pampering at the spa right on premises called the
Pure Indulgence Spa. Ryan experienced his first pedicure, looking out to the poolside & ocean with a Mimosa in hand-- he was not complaining. :)
Because I really did want it to feel like a "second wedding day," Ryan urged me to get my hair and makeup done right at the spa
on-site and I was so happy I did.. all I had to do was write my vows, show up, and look pretty. We had local photographers shoot from
Lensation Aruba while we were renewing our vows and they did an incredible job capturing such a romantically special, private moment. It was such a different experience writing our own vows because it was a lot more intimate and more romantic. It was an amazing experience to just witness each other between us, the ocean, and God.. and 2 strangers taking pics of us! :)
The Best Food on the Island at PUREOCEAN
Next up was the most incredible dining experience I have ever experienced on vacation. We had dinner reservations after we renewed our vows and since we had a little too much fun with the photos and got soaked in the ocean, we went back to change into more casual clothing. The Divi Phoenix has an incredible well-known restaurant right on the resort called
pureocean with seaside dining so you can watch the sunset and eat right on the beach. The food was absolutely divine and we were blown away by the staff's accommodations since they surprised us with the most romantic, private table right on the beach. Honestly, we were blown away by the hospitality in general by the staff at the Divi... we have never felt so welcome at a resort before.
