5 Years: The Wood Anniversary

I wrote last month about how I try to find anniversary presents every year that follow the "traditional" gift for that year (read here to take a look back on past year's presents). This year's traditional gift was wood. I wanted something I would be able to bring to Mexico so I could give it to Max on the actual day. I ended up having one of Max's favorite photos of me and Parker printed on wood: 

It's a new product that Shutterfly now offers. The wood grain definitely shows through, so the picture quality isn't what you'd get had the photo been printed on paper or canvas, but I think that's kind of the point. It's something different and unique. 

Max also went the "traditional" route this year - he brought wooden framed photos of the two of us and placed them all around our suite while I was sleeping so I got to wake up to them! I loved taking a walk down memory lane, and it made our room so homey seeing or faces everywhere! I always want to travel with framed pictures now!

One of the pictures was of our engagement weekend, taken at dinner at one of the Fiesta Americana's restaurants (the open-air outdoor one on the ocean - it's fabulous). 

So what did crazy me want to do? Take the picture with us to dinner at the very same restaurant. So we did. I think the waiter got a kick out of it.

Perhaps that's why we were given special cake?


At the end of the meal, our server asked if we wanted coffee. We thought coffee sounded nice as there was a big thunderstorm on the horizon and we wanted to watch the lightning on the ocean for awhile and listen to the rain (we actually had to move closer to the center of the restaurant as we were getting wet at one point because the storm had kicked up). Anyway, our server asked if we wanted to try Mexican coffee, which we agreed to without question. We figured it would have cinnamon and maybe brown sugar and cream. Um, no. If you are ever offered Mexican coffee, please know it's flambéed coffee liqueurs. And tequila. It does come with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and a sugared rim, but y'all this stuff was no joke.

I think I mentioned before that the staff at Fiesta Americana was super kind, but our server Oscar even went out of his way to make sure we kept dry on our way back to the main hotel. The storm was still raging when we were done, so Oscar led us underground through the super-secret staff passageway by the resort's kitchen and flower arranging area, up through the main hotel's (closed for the night) restaurant, all so we wouldn't get wet! 

Next year's traditional gift? Iron. I think I'm going to need a whole year to figure out a gift for that one!