Anniversary Vacation Quandry

So, I wishfully inquired about a vacation to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary (April 2014.)  If we only had to pay for 2 flights (and not 6-7) we might have been able to swing it.  Yup, you heard right!  Our children will be going with us.

Unfortunately, we live on the wrong coast for reasonable airfare and since Hawaii is a archipelago in the middle of the ocean (aka no bridge) you have to fly.  Well.. I suppose you may be able to find a boat ride, but you get the point. 

Alas, Hawaii will have to wait. 

A friend recommended that we price out Atlantis in the Bahamas but that was not much different pricewise by the time you add in passports and multiple rooms.  Gulp. 

So I priced cruises (do you see a theme here?  Mama is desiring someplace tropical!) and that was ridiculously expensive because we either have to reserve the suite (CHA-ching $$$$$$$$) or book multiple rooms that connect.  And technically we have to say that Bran and I will sleep in separate rooms... on our anniversary.  We could leave the connecting door open, but still, I'm a rule follower.  And I'm hopefully raising little rule followers. 

But I digress.

So we are considering Old Faithful-- DisneyWorld.  BUT!!!!  Our favorite time to go to Disney is in October.  So if we moved our trip to then, we would be celebrating our 10.5 year anniversary.  It just doesn't have the same ring to it.

It sounds silly and prideful, I suppose, but our 10 year anniversary is a huge deal in my mind.  You see.. back when 20 year old Stephanie and 21 year old Brandon got married a short 9 months after my divorce was final..  no one was positive about it.  NO.ONE.  We were engaged July 4th.. the day after my divorce was final.  My ex and I had been separated for over a year at that point and he had moved on too.  Well, I mean technically he moved on while we were still together, but that is a story for another day.  (UGH.)

Anyway, back to the point.  NO ONE supported our marriage.  We were told several times that we'd NEVER make it.  Brandon's family's pastor refused to marry us.  True story.

One person said we'd never make it a year.  One gave us mayyyyybe five years. 

So we eloped and we were married on the beach, barefoot in the sand with two guests-- my mom and Lainey, during Spring Break.  (You didn't think we'd give in that easily, right?)  The strangers from another wedding party that saw us outside all went on their balconies and clapped and cheered for us.  Sad that strangers were happier for us than our families. 

But we all know how the B's like a challenge right? I'm not going to lie.  We entered our marriage with each of us bringing along plenty of baggage.  Money was tight, we had a small child, we were both in college and working full time too. It was rough.. and every time I thought we weren't going to make it another day, I heard those voices telling me that we'd never make it and it spurred me on. I was too stubborn to give in and thankfully Brandon was too. 

So, to make it to 10 years after all that, I'd like to go someplace special.

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... after all that.  If anyone has a recommendation (that is somewhat budget friendly) I'd love to hear it.  Otherwise, we will end up visiting The Mouse in October.  Not that that is a bad thing just not exactly what I dreamed about all these years, ya know?

~Stephanie