Garden Elves

...built this while I was at mom's.




And by garden elves, I mean very macho ones. Named Joe.

In the three hours I was at mom's he bought paving stones and put them up as well as the fence and garden gate we picked out last night.

I am so in love I can't put words to it!! And despite the late planting and late frost this year, we have veggies coming up inside!!

All in all, it's a lovely day!

Special night...

So we celebrated a special evening last night. It was the anniversary of a talk that cemented a friendship that turned into a partnership that turned into love.

So I thought I'd be clever and send the boy on a mad dash around town, following clues that would lead him to a spot that was significant in the beginning of our relationship. There he'd find another clue, that would lead him to another location and eventually, he'd get a few small gifts along the way and find me, waiting for him, with a nice dinner at the end.

In case there was any doubt to the location of the clues, I also left chalk hearts around town, leading the way.


I was apparently only a few minutes ahead of him, and he met with me shortly thereafter, all grins and with a present in return for me! I was pretty proud of my own cleverness and we ordered tea. He missed the present I had left at one of the locations, so he debated making me wait to open mine, but in the end, he couldn't wait and had me open mine.

A bit of background on the present. When I was a teenager, I really wanted an American Girl doll. They were pretty new and fantastically expensive. So I mentioned to Joe that I always wanted one. So when I unwrapped my present, it was really sweet that he found a miniature version of the doll I wanted. I was really pleased and took his hand and smiled.

But he just kept looking at me, expectantly. So I thought maybe he wanted a bigger response from me, so I opened the box and this is what I saw.

If I'm not mistaken, I was speechless for a long moment, followed by a "Are you for real?"

He said, "For real, for real. I'd have done it three years ago. But if you're willing to have me I'd like to be your husband. With the one concession that I get the permission from your dad since he's the only one I haven't talked to first." (My dad works night shift and sleeps during the day).

In the end, I said yes. And proceeded to feel humbled and speechless by his superior cleverness.

You out-did me this time, sir.

Now we wait for dad's approval and then begins the terror of planning a wedding.

Love is....

coming home to a handmade, candle lit dinner.

It was delicious and really sweet.

<3 you.

My Joe

This is my Joe.

(Pretty handsome, huh?)

Most people may not know, but he's a pretty amazing guy.

He's clever and witty and isn't afraid of being downright silly.

(Dressed as a ballerina for Halloween)

He is the slayer of insects and the defender of our home from drunk guys trying to do yardwork against our will.

He cooks way better than anyone I know and has a close, personal relationship with Alton Brown.

(Ouch.)


He is the man who teaches me, questions me and is the one who knows how to put my pieces back together when I fall apart.

If I ask him a question he doesn't know, he goes to find out the answer because he likes learning as much as I do.

He is an amazing (if not occasionally frustrating) master of debate.

He doesn't mind my insatiable thirst to be something greater, to learn something better and to go experience more things in life with the stupid awe of a kid.

He doesn't mind me taking pictures of him cooking, spelunking, opening presents, making books, hundreds and hundreds of pictures.

When I wake up from the middle of a nightmare, he tells me I need to go back to sleep because he was just about to come save me. He makes me feel safe.

No matter what happens, I know he is my partner, in every sense of the word.

(I love you)