It rained from dawn to dusk today on our 13th wedding anniversary, but I’m pretty sure we managed to make it as romantic as possible with my lovely mother and three kids in tow.

The Simon Pearce Glass Factory in Quechee is just simply a beautiful place, and even though the price tags on their items are too rich for our blood, the views (and glass factory tour) are free.

We got to watch from just a few feet away while the craftsmen created vases and bowls and glass pumpkins.

Jeremy seems to have developed a bit of a man-crush, but I am not in the least bit threatened.

We had lunch at the on-site restaurant and, although the host staff looked a bit nervous when we entered with our crew, the waitress was lovely and welcoming. We ate shepherd’s pie, lamb burgers, and Korean pulled pork sandwiches.

The boys did not break anything.

It was a success.

Now my mother will hold down the fort, i.e. campsite, while we go off and have cocktails in downtown Woodstock. In another 13 years, I’m thinking we will have three teenage boys who may want nothing to do with glass factories, and I will have all of the time in the world for mellow date nights with my husband. So I’m trying to enjoy the hand-clutching, nerve-wracking moments while they last.

Sitting at a table with my mom, husband, and three boys, passing around the baby while sharing bowls of soup is its own form of romance. And a great way to celebrate a marriage.