Anniversary at the Capital

I'm a little behind the times here, but back in October our marriage turned 4 years old! My parents were able to keep the boys overnight while Matt and I took a much-anticipated getaway to Des Moines. 

One of the "traditional" 4th anniversary gifts is fruit...hence, the "I [love] U" watermelon...my first attempt at watermelon carving! :) And, of course, four roses for four years! Matt does so good at bringing home flowers!  

Our first stop in Des Moines was an escape room. We'd heard from others who had done them and Matt thought it sounded right up his alley. It was a fun experience, though we failed to escape the room in time. I guess four years of marriage hasn't made us expert puzzle solvers...though I think we did pretty well considering there were only two of us in a room designed for eight people.

We went out to eat in the evening and then walked back to our hotel. On the way, we passed the Iowa Science Center and decided to stop in for an educational IMAX film on National Parks.

In the morning, we experienced the Des Moines Farmers' Market. Lots of things to see, free samples, and yummy food!

Next, we hiked up several blocks to Iowa's State Capital Building. Neither of us had been there before and we enjoyed our guided tour!

View from the top...

We took the scenic route back to our vehicle and rode bikes along the river for a bit. There are bike "stations" in several places around town where you can rent bikes and then leave it at any other station when you are done. Then we enjoyed a BBQ dinner and left for home. 

It was very nice to have some quality time together, as it doesn't happen very often anymore with two little boys running around! Of course, it was great to be home and reunited with the boys Saturday night!

On to our fifth year of marriage! God has been good to us and we are very blessed to have one another.