First-Year Anniversary

August 25, 2013 came around way too fast. As Einstein's theory of relativity goes, Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it'll feel like an hour. Spend an hour in good company, and it'll feel like a minute. We had such a lovely first year filled with so much fun that our anniversary quickly came around.

Our aikido wedding cake topper

The festivities began on our actual anniversary weekend when we celebrated with breakfast at Bill's Cafe. There's always a wait a Bill's, especially on weekends, but with mimosas and breakfasts this good, it's worth the occasional indulgence.

The "Parisian" French Toast, in honor of us soon going to Paris for a vacation

We also went by Crabaholic for dinner for a delicious bucket of seafood seeped in Southern-style, Cajun spices. I sure do love my crab.

The week after, when the Hilton was not booked out, we redeemed our complimentary first-year anniversary suite for an overnight stay.

The perks of getting married at a Hilton

View from our 6th-floor suite

After we checked in, we found a wrapped gift tray waiting for us, bursting with chocolates and nuts, compliments of our Hilton Catering Manager, Gigi. She left a handwritten note welcoming us back and hoping that we enjoy our stay.

The Hilton even comped us with two appetizers, two buffet breakfast tickets, and two drink tickets, redeemable at their downstairs restaurant.

Nice, comfy King bed

Tung kicking back in his coveted round chairs

The appetizers were a meal in themselves. We ordered calamari rings and buffalo wings (no way Tung is skipping out on these when they're on the menu). I got a rum-and-citrus infusion, and Tung had a Blue Moon beer.

After meeting us for dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Downtown, a group of our friends joined us in our suite for a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity.

What makes this raunchy game even more diabolical? A round of booze, of course. Chester brought a delicious Tintero Moscato D'Asti. The uncorking seemed normal until...

It was clear that extra force had to be applied to get the cork out.

The guys are using some hardcore wine-opening techniques

Finally, the reward

Our anniversary cake was a yellow cake with mango cream, compliments of Cake Expressions.

So glad we are not eating top-tier wedding cake frozen for a year

The morning after the festivities, we took a walk to our Alma Mater where we met, SJSU, to digest the huge buffet breakfast. Right outside the Faculty Offices Building stands a pine tree that was smaller than me when I went to school there, since it had just gotten planted around that time. I dubbed it "The Tree that Never Grows." I guess it grew just a little bit eight years after my graduation.

Time flies. Trees grow. Love is eternal.