10 things I lurve 'bout him

It's Valentine's Day, the waning hours of the day to be exact and the end of the Extravaganza. I want to again thank Mama M. for hosting this little party, while I'm not a fan of hallmark holidays it was a nice excuse to remember how it all started and remember those feelings.

Today is the David Letterman version of V-Day Extravaganza.

Top Ten Thing I Love about My Love

10. He is a pretty awesome Dad to our three littles

9. That he will buy me my favorite flower even though he is allergic and will allow me to bring them home even if he can't breathe the entire time they are here.

8. Most definitely the coffee thing.

7. His ability to make me laugh even when I am angry, tired, or sad

6. That he can't keep his hands off of me.

5. That he loves to play video games as much as I do.

4. That he proudly wears the the wedding band that I had engraved with FINALLY!! 9-24-05

3. That he always calls me "His Beautiful Wife"


2. His smile

1. That he gets me through and through, including the ability to read me (ok maybe sometimes that's annoying too..)

Late & Lazy

It late on Saturday evening and I was gonna take pictures of my wedding album, remember no photo scanner, but instead I took a nap this afternoon.

The above photo was taken during our first dance and it is one of my favorites and it happens to be the only wedding photo I have on my laptop.

(Thanks to my Aunt Carolyn for giving me the photo 4+ years ago.)

5QF - The LOVE version

It's Friday and I'm working on just a few hours of sleep (thank you Brennan).

I digress what do Fridays mean boys and girls??
Five Question Friday, Mrs. Dub-Ya.
You are too right, it is 5QF, LOVE style to add to Extravaganza Week.

What is the one thing your love does for you that you can't live without?
When I first read the question the first thing that popped in my head is that he makes my coffee for me every morning. Despite some of my stories this past week, I am not an over the top kind of gal it's the little things that mean the most. Taking the time to make my pot of coffee in the morning makes me feel so very loved. Cheesy, yes I know but it's how I'm wired and he gets me.(which incidentatlly is a major feat)

When did you know your love was "the one"?
Hmmm, well we know it was looong before he knew. I probably would say I knew without a doubt in 2001, after having known him for 4 years and really developing a solid friendship, but I was in love with him loong before that.

Does you love have a special ringtone on your cell?
Yes, it's "Club in the 80's" my husband LOVES 80's music and if I would pay for a ring tone, which I won't, it would be "I wear my sunglasses at night" by Corey Hart or may be "Whip It" by Devo. Two of his faves.

What are you attracted to most in your special someone?
WOW!! That's a hard one. I love my man's back and shoulders, they are the epitome of strong. The way he makes me laugh over some of the simplest things. The very best is when I see the sparkle in his eye, from a great idea or he is "trying" to be sneaky about something.. Love that.

Did you know when/where he/she was going to pop the big question?
Yes and no, it crossed my mind when he said he was giving his testimony at church, but we hadn't gone ring shopping. I mean I needed to pick out my ring, or so I thought.

In honor of Valentine's Day and your love answer these questions, then blog it, and link it to Mama M.

The Extravaganza is not over people this party will roll right up to V-Day.
Tomorrow is picture day
Sunday- 10 things I love about my love
I have to say writing these posts this week has given me the warm fuzzies. To remember all that Jon and I have done and been through. I am so blessed to have him in my life and I love him soo very very much.

Messed up..

Back to work... Though this morning when we Jon woke up the pilot light on our water heater was out. Good Times!!! I did the rinse and powder trick on my hair and washed my face in the sink, but let me tell you there is something about having a hot shower that gets me in gear for the day.

Valentine's Day is right aroung the corner, how could you forget since I have been participating in Mama M.'s EXTRAVAGANZA(have I mentioned how much I love that word)?





Today at the request of Mama M.'s Mr. Wonderful we are to divulge what we think our loves biggest screw up was..

My birthday is on the 30th of May. For those that don't know that is the official Memorial Day holiday date; however it's observed on the last Monday of the month. So I have a holiday birthday, the holiday that un-offically kicks off the summer. Since I was knee high to a grasshopper the Memorial day weekend IS my birthday weekend. In 2007 I turned 30. Starting at the beginning of May I reminded my husband that Memorial Day weekend was my birthday weekend, I didn't want anything big like a party but I wanted to feel special. As the weekend got closer I asked him if he had planned anything and he would answer that he hadn't. Surely that couldn't be, he was great at surprising me. Check out our engagement story for one of the biggest surprises. The weekend before memorial day I was making the menu for the next week and I asked him if I should plan meals for the whole weekend. He said yes, why wouldn't I? Ok, this is just part of the plan. He wouldn't not plan something for my 30th birthday weekend after I did a whole big party on the Spirit of Washington and Limo ride for his birthday. So the weekend came and I waited for a babysitter or him to wow me by making some amazing dinner. And nothing... I did laundry, I menu planned, grocery shopped, did a Target run, took care of Dade, made dinner all three weekend nights.. On Monday while making dinner I burst into tears. My hopes were so high that I would be woo'd and wowed. It all came crashing down on Monday night and I was soo very hurt and devasted. Jon apologized, his defense was that it wasn't actually my birthday and he didn't think I was serious. Needless to say it was a growing experience in our marriage. But ultimately my birthday weekend was gone..

Then comes the part where I eat a big ole slice of humble pie. On Wednesday, my actual birthday, he gave me these while I got ready for work.

HELLOOO!! Who is the jerk now? I still do expect something special on my birthday memorial day weekend, but I too have learned my lesson about expectations.

We said I Do

I meant to put this post together last night with pics from our wedding. Well, actually they would be pictures of pictures, since even though we have a tech filled home, we don't have a scanner. I know dark ages right? Geez. That didn't happen though because I was super tired and went to bed. I tried starting several times this morning but was interrupted by my kiddos. Brennan who insisted on putting herself in the time-out chair but hasn't figure yet how to get out. Coralee distracted me with dancing to the swooshing of the dishwasher running. Dade coerced me into tossing the football back and forth, man that kid has an arm!! So, are you wondering why this working mama is home since after all it is Wednesday. There is a blizzard in the great white Mid-Atlantic?!?! It started snowing again last night adding another foot to what we already had and now the winds are whipping up to 30 or 45 miles per hour causing zero visability. Nice, really nice. On to the good stuff, it's Extravaganza time again...





  
Today I'm suppose to tell you about my favorite moment on my wedding day.

I could tell you about;

-how cute my girlfriend's daughter was in the limo on the way to the wedding location.
-how my dad walked down the aisle and sat down with my mom making everyone laugh, he had forgotten something
-how Jon was so emotional when I turned the corner to walk down the aisle that his groomsman thought he was going to pass out.
-how our pastor used letters we had written in counseling as part of our sermony
-how I sang to Jon during our first dance and he cried and asked me why I wasn't crying.
-how Jon and my two new brother-in-laws Clint and Geno did there best Milli Vanilli impersonation to Girl you Know it's True, complete with body-bouncing
-how hysterical it was to back myself into a bathroom stall while my bridesmaid held my dress over my head. Who knew a bride would need to go to the bathroom?
-how awesome it was to have a group shot from the day, of everyone that attended
-how the best man did the turtle during the last song and we all almost fell out laughing.

All those things bring back sweet memories, but the very best was at the end of the day. Snuggled up and falling asleep with my love. Knowing that the next day I would start life over again with him in it. FINALLY!

Ohhh and I was sporting this on my finger... NICE!!

He Did It.

Today is Day 3 or our seven day Valentine's Extravaganza with Mama M. Today we will be talking about how he popped the question & since I like you all so much pictures of my B-E-A-utiful ring.






On that fateful night in December, we had a heart to heart talk and I told him I'm not interested in a dating relationship, if we are doing this we were doing it all the way and he didn't back down. Then in January we signed a contract to build our first home together. Life was moving forward like we were already engaged, minus the actual question and the picking of the ring. Many times he asked me what I wanted my ring to look like. I only requested white gold and a round diamond. I told him I would give him a better idea when we went ring shopping. We never went ring shopping...
In February of 2005, Jon was scheduled to give his testimony at church. I was sooo nervous for him. My husband is not a public speaker. So I tried to help him put notes together. That Sunday I showed up early for church to pray for him and he had no notes. OH NO!! now I was super nervous. After worship and a baby dedication Jon was called to the front. His mic was giving him problems and so I turned to look at the sound booth and I see my parent and brother walk into the back of the sanctuary.
"Why are my parents here?" From behind me my friend Priscilla's says, "Turn around and listen to Jon."
Time went into slow motion. I heard his words, but the only one's I remember were, "Will you marry me?" I began shaking and crying, I was shocked, I really had no idea. My friend had to push me out of the chair to walk toward the stage. If I'm being honest church was pretty much entirely shot for me that day. I have no idea what the message was because I was staring at my ring and my future husband the whole time.

This is what he picked out all my himself....

Not too shabby right??

Please please please tell me your engagement story. I love to hear (ahem read) about the special moment. Don't forget to link up with Mama M. or if you don't have a blog you can leave your story in the comments.

One night we went out...

It's Extravaganza time...

Today we are talking about my favorite date story.

So, first since I left you hanging yesterday let's talk about when the hubs FINALLY realized that I was indeed the one. He told me this story again this morning in the car on the way to work, it just makes me all kinds of giddy.

In early November of 2004 I cashed in a vacation that my boss had promised me, as in paid for, to the Domnican Republic. The day before I left I went to the salon and got my hair done and eye brows waxed, at the time Jon was feeling under the weather. So being the great friend over the top desparately in love with him that I was, I brought him a box of Nilla wafers (his favorite cookie). Before I arrived he had been talking to God, desparately trying to figure out the path for his life, wondering why he was still unmarried 6 years after he felt he was supposed to leave the Marines.
He says, "When I opened the door, I don't know how to explain it, you looked amazing and different than you ever had before. My heart skipped a beat. It was like, hey how youuu doing? (think Joey from Friends). Then you gave me the cookies and said, "Ok, see you in a week." and left." 
"I thought about you the whole week you were gone and missed you. I thought of reasons to go to your house and do stuff for you."
Then I came home and you know what, he said nothing. We went on business as usual, we were friends, nothing more nothing less. As December rolled around I decided that I was doing myself a huge disservice to continue waiting for him. What if I was missing "the one" meant for me, because mistakenly I thought it was him? So, on December 4th, 2004 I called him and told him we needed to talk. I told him I wanted to talk face-to-face, but he couldn't wait to schedule something at a neutral location so he asked to talk over the phone. I started telling him how I felt and that I knew that he knew but that he didn't feel the same. I started to cry because it was like I was ripping my own heart out of my chest, when he interrupted me and said, "I love you." My response, "WHAT??" At that point I couldn't talk to him over the phone anymore and he came over to my house. The rest as they say is history...

All that to say our very best date and one of the few before we were married was his birthday dinner the very next week at the Cheesecake Factory where we celebrated as a couple with all of our dear friends. FINALLY!!

How we Met..

Mama M. of 5QF fame has set forth the love  challenge for the week leading up to Valentine's day. Each day this week has a theme, you can read more about it here.

Look at this super snazzy button that Mama M. created herself. I'm pretty impressed.



So today's extravaganza theme is to tell how you met your love.

My love and I first met in 1997.
I was in the travel business and worked at a call center I met my dear friend "A" over the phone and on Valentine's weekend in 1997, I ventured to Virginia for the first time to meet her and go on a blind date. The blind date however was not with my husand, no my husband was there, but he was the baby-sitter. From that very day he caught my eye. Not too long after that and a few more visits to Virginia I started having dreams that I would marry him. As I came to visit my friend month after month before finally moving to VA, I was more and more taken by the person Jon is and was smitten. I tried and tried and tried and tried to have more than a friendship for a long lon time, but he wasn't having any parts of it. We did over the year develop a very close friendship, but I always wanted more. I was in love with him. It wasn't until one fateful night in December of 2004 when I was fixin' to give him he friendship walking papaers, when he finally FINALLY realized he felt the same way.

I can't go into more details on our story yet, stay tuned for the rest of Valentine's Day Extravaganza throughout the week.

So how did you and your love meet?? Go ahead blog about it, tell the world, then link up to Mama M.'s so everybody else can read too. Haven't yet met the love of your life, well tell us all how you met your bestie (as in best friend)? And as always if you don't have a blog, well then seriously you need to leave me a comment about how you met.

Oh and in case you want to join the Extravaganza, tomorrow's theme is favorite date story (good or bad)...

P.S. - I love the word Extravaganza!!