My Husband Rocks!

3x5 – A little snapshot of Chris

3 categories
5 things for each category
A glimpse of how wonderful Chris really is

5 ways he rocked this week:

1. Gave me a foot massage
2. Washed the dishes several times.
3. Put Willow Grace to bed.
4. Helped me get everything together each morning to get out the door with Willow Grace
5. How he appreciated things I did like cooking or doing the laundry

5 things he does so much better than I do:

1. Making sweet tea
2. Building fires
3. Fixing things around the house
4. Working on computers
5. Listening

5 things I love about him:

1. The way he looks – his hair, his smile, his eyes….
2. How wonderfully silly he can be
3. The sound of his voice – either talking or singing
4. His creativity and storytelling
5. His intelligence and his logical way of looking at things

(looking dapper the day we wed)

My Husband Rocks!

“To love all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one…. Wrap it carefully around with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglement; lock it in a safe casket or coffin of selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable…. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all dangers of love is – –Hell.” (C.S. Lewis)

Marriage is not easy. It’s not for the faint of heart. It takes real work and determination. There is no autopilot. On those days when I lose sight of the bliss, of the blessing, that God has given me in my marriage, I’m tempted to abandon myself to the business of life, to stop trusting (both in my husband and God), and to carefully lock my heart away – just like C.S. Lewis talked about in the above quote. Yes, I am tempted, but I refuse to give in or to give up.

I am committed to being vulnerable and submitting my heart to be broken. Love is worth it. My marriage is worth it. My rockin’ husband is worth it.

This week Katy Lin over at the great adventure gave us the prompt, “Tell us about a time that your spouse went out of his way to serve you and love you sacrificially.”

Really, I could literally recount hundreds of times that Chris has put his own interests aside and scrounged up the energy or the will to do something for me. It’s in the little things that he does for me every day – cleaning the kitchen, putting the baby to bed, building me a fire, warming up my car on chilly mornings, getting up early to help me get out the door with the baby, always asking me what he can do to help me…. The list could go on and on. The cool thing is that I know it’s not just because he’s a nice guy. Really, I wouldn’t characterize him as a “nice guy;” nice guys don’t seem very strong to me. Chris IS strong. I guess I would say he’s a big tough guy with a tender heart. Really, the truest motivation behind those acts of kindness is because he really does love our daughter and me. That kind of love means that he really does rock!

My Husband Rocks! Friday

This week's prompt from Katy Lin at the great adventure is a two parter.

Part 1: List at least one thing your husband did or said in the past week that reminded you why you love him.

I can't just pick one thing! He tells me multiple times every day that he loves me. He's always willing to help me out. Just last night he happily (and without being asked) did the bedtime routine with Willow Grace and cleaned up downstairs while I busied myself with getting the packing started for our little weekend getaway. This morning it was 2 degrees outside! He went out to warm the car up for Willow Grace and me and drove it around a bit to make sure that it was nice and cozy for us!

The three of us are going away to Gatlinburg for the weekend, and I just can't wait. We're not doing anything touristy -- just hanging out in our villa, watching movies, cooking food, playing with Willow Grace, and sleeping. It'll just be so nice to get away. I love traveling with my Sweetheart!

Part 2: Share a "Generous Wife Tip" (based on The Generous Wife)

One thing I do for my husband is to make his lunch every morning. He's a simple sandwich and chips kind of guy, but I try to add a special piece of candy or homemade cookies when I can. Every once in a while I'll add a little love note. He always tells me how much he loves my notes. One of the great things about making his lunches for him is that it not only shows him how much I love him but also saves us lots of cash which is another way I help to take care of our family and show him I love him.

My Husband Rocks! Friday

This week I’m using the prompt from Katy Lin’s blog the great adventure to brag on my fabulous husband. It’s a questionnaire about our husbands. Katy Lin is the genius that started My Husband Rocks Friday! Check out her blog!

1. Where did you meet?
He was my neighbor. He lived downstairs in my apartment building.

2. How long did you date b/f you were married?
We dated for a year and a seven months before we were married. We were engaged for six of those months.

3. What does he do that surprises you?
Sometimes he brings me flowers “just because.” He’s also walks very quietly and often, without meaning to, sneaks up on me and just about makes me jump out of my skin!

4. What is your favorite quality of his?
He is so generous, always willing to help anyone out.

5. What is your favorite feature of his?
I absolutely love his eyes; it’s amazing how much he communicates through them. He also has really nice hair. ☺

6. Does he have a nickname for you?
He calls me “Kay-Kay” just like the rest of my family, but my favorite endearing nickname that he uses for me is “Angel.” I absolutely love it when he calls me that!

7. What is his favorite food?
He loves Chinese and has told me that he would eat it every day if I let him.

8. What is his favorite sport?
He’s not really a sports fanatic, but he does enjoy watching the Titans games with me.

9. When and where was your first kiss?
I don’t remember the exact date. Can you believe that? However, I do remember that we were sitting on the couch in his apartment.

10. What do you like to do together?
Everything! We love taking drives and walks together, listening to audio books, watching movies, and just hanging out. I really did marry my best friend!

11. Do you have any children?
He have one sweet little girl, Willow Grace.

12. Does he have a hidden talent?
He can sing. I love when he sings and wish that he did it more. I also wish that he’d play his guitar more. He’s also a talented writer. I fell in love with him because when we were still just friends he would tell me amazing stories.

13. Who said "I love you" first?
He did; I would never say it first. We were on one of our many drives on the Natchez Trace.

14. What is his favorite type of music?
He mostly listens to country and jazz, but he enjoys most types of music.

15. What do you admire most about him?
I think this is closely related to the “favorite quality” question, but I’ll pick another quality. He is really devoted to his family, not just me and Willow Grace but his entire family. He really would do anything for them.

16. Do you think he will read this?
Of course, he always reads my blog.☺

101 Things and A Movie Review

Today begins my 1001 days for my 101 Things To Do in 1001 Days. You can find my list in the side bar or here. I’m really excited about this for two main reasons. 1. I’ve been feeling a lack of purpose and couldn’t figure out how to remedy this. 2. The structure of this plan gives me 2 ¾ years in order to accomplish these goals. Totally doable.

It almost feels like I’m embarking on an adventure. In many ways, I think I am.

Yesterday, Chris and I celebrated the anniversary of our first date by going to the movies. We took in an afternoon showing of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. What a phenonminal film! We went to see it because I’d heard a reviewer urge people to see it on the big screen due to the fact that the cinematography was brilliantly done. I must say that he was quite right. This is certainly a movie worthy of the price of the ticket. The film can also boast an engaging plot and superb acting. I’ve often felt that Brad Pitt’s personal life tends to overshadow his career, which is quite sad. Whatever one might say about whatever else is reported about him, I do believe him to be quite a gifted actor. And, of course, Kate Blanchett was as engaging as ever. In truth, I felt, on the whole, the entire film was beautifully acted. I sincerely hope that the Oscars did this film it’s just reward(s).

Happy Monday!

My Husband Rocks! Friday

This Sunday will be the fifth anniversary of our first date. I remember exactly what I was wearing; I know I blushed when he told me how pretty he thought I looked. There was a chill in the night air, and so even though the lobby was packed tight we wedged ourselves into a corner to wait for a table at PF Changs. He held my hand, and I could feel the tension in his stance, like he was clearly declaring to others that I was off limits. After dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed browsing around the Borders bookstore next door and reveling in our mutual love of books.

We had been friends for three years and seemed to just stumble into falling for one another. It was later that we started to see God's hand in all of it.



This is us just four months after we started dating. We were out for one of our many leisurely drives on the Natchez Trace. We had NO idea what we were in for, but the ride certainly has been worth it. I'm so proud to call myself Chris's wife. I am so blessed to raise a child with him. And I'm looking forward to the next five (and the next fifty) years with him.

I love you, my Chris!

My Husband Rocks! Friday

To join us in encouraging our spouses, check out Katy Lin's blog the great adventure. She's the mastermind behind this cool meme!

We had my parents over for dinner on Tuesday night. I made a big pot hearty vegetable beef soup, toasted a couple of baguettes in the oven, and served warm brownies with ice cream for dessert. Here’s the part where my husband rocks. While I got dinner on the table, Chris fed Willow Grace, played with her while I tidied up after, dressed her for bed, read her books, sang to her, and rocked her to sleep. When he came back downstairs, he finished cleaning up the kitchen for me while I visited with my parents, and then after they left he took my car to the gas station to fill it up for me. Doesn’t it all seem too good to be true? He really is that wonderful! His response would be,” I’m just me.” Well, he just rocks!

I wish that you could have seen Chris with Willow Grace. They were playing on the floor in front of the Christmas tree, and he was making her laugh hysterically. (Who doesn’t love hearing a baby cackle?) Once she let out a particularly delightful peal of giggles and said, “Oh, Daddy!” Precious! In between each bout of laughter, she would notice her Nana, Papa, and me watching from the dining room and pause to wave at us. So sweet!

This morning I got an extra couple of hours with my sweet husband and baby girl since the school where I work got a late opening due to snow. I hope your morning was as good as mine.

Merry Christmas!

My Husband Rocks! Friday

Katy Lin at the great adventure gave us a prompt this week for My Husband Rocks! Friday. We can choose whether or not we want to use it – no pressure. I thought that it sounded like a good idea.

Here’s the prompt:
“How did you meet your spouse? What initially attracted you to your spouse? How does that personality trait or physical characteristic affect you today? What is the same? What has changed?”

THE STORY OF US
In 2001, Chris and I became neighbors. He moved in downstairs from me in our apartment building. For a while it was just a simple greeting when we happened to see each other in the parking lot or stairway. However, one bright summer morning, my sister Eva and I were hanging out on my balcony when he came home from the night shift. I asked, “Hey, do you want a candy cane?” He eyed me suspiciously and said, “But it’s July….” “I know,” I replied. “I always have candy canes!” He agreed to take one, and we ended up talking for quite a while – him standing on the sidewalk and me leaning over the railing of the balcony. For the next couple years we developed a friendship – playing cards and board games, hanging out in each other’s apartments with our roommates, having dinner together, going for long drives down the Natchez Trace and all around Nashville, hiking in the park, and blasting through snow drifts in the mall parking lot the winter we had a freak snowstorm.

It’s still a bit of a mystery to me how it all happened. I wasn’t interested in him at all romantically, so I can’t really point to a quality that attracted me to him. However, one night, we were driving around talking about things we had gone through in our lives, and he reached over to hold my hand. It wasn’t something he even planned; it just happened. I thought, “ Well, this is new. It’s strange but OK.” Really, I thought it was more of a comfort thing than a romantic thing. Nothing was said about it, and it didn’t happen again for a bit. Slowly, we started getting closer, and one night I was getting ready to go down to his apartment to see him and realized that I was actually giddy! I couldn’t wait to see him. I told myself that I was just happy to be hanging out with my friend.

Our first official date was January 4, 2004. I had received a gift card to PF Changs for Christmas from one of my students, and so Chris and I went out to dinner. I don’t think it really started out as a date, but the way we held hands that night coupled with the way he looked at me changed everything. Three months later, on March 13, on yet another one of our drives on the Natchez Trace, Chris whipped into one of the small parking lots and told me he loved me. I laughed. He was confused. But I was just so happy; I couldn’t help it. And yes, I did finally stop laughing and tell him that I loved him too. (the summer after we started dating)

Just over a year later, on a gorgeous spring day in April, on a beautiful overlook, Chris surprised me by dropping to one knee and asking me to be his wife. (the only pic we have from the day we got engaged taken with the webcam)

We married on August 5, 2005, five months earlier than my original plan; we just couldn’t’ wait to begin our married life together.
Honestly, I am constantly in awe of the joy that being married to Chris has brought me. Just yesterday morning I told him that I am still mystified by the fact that we are married and that we have such a beautiful baby girl. I never imagined that I could be loved the way he loves me – so completely and unconditionally. I am still giddily in love with him and get excited about seeing him at the end of every day.

My Husband Rocks! Friday

What a couple of days we've had! Willow Grace has had a fever since she woke up from her nap on Wednesday.

Doesn't she look so tired? And yet, she still has that little hint of a smile playing around her lips. Yeah, she knows what the camera is for!

I have to tell you that my husband has shined through this experience. A couple of times her fever spiked to 104.8! It's been hard on both of us since this really is the first time she's been sick other than a cold. She's needed constant attention and monitoring. At times she been so fussy which she almost never does, and then the fever declines allowing a little of that chipperness we usually experience to bubble back to the top. There's the bubbly side. Can you believe that she had a temp of 102.8 at this point? That's my cell she's holding. She kept saying, "Hello? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh."

Chris has rocked this entire time! On Wednesday night neither of us got more than 1 1/2 hours of sleep! Still, he has been supportive, helpful, patient, and loving. Among other things, here's some of the sweet things he's done--

• prayed constantly for Willow Grace
• read her lots of books and watched tons of Disney shows with her
• gone to pick up medicine and Pedialite from the pharmacy
• built fires to help keep us warmer
• endlessly cuddled her and let her sleep on his chest
• stayed up all night with us when she just couldn't sleep Wednesday night
• remained at home with her all day yesterday, missing Thanksgiving lunch at his parents' house and dinner with my parents (I had cooked 5 dishes for my parents' dinner, so I delivered them and got to have dinner.)
• made sure I got some rest
• did whatever he could to take care of me in order to help me to better take care of her

Aren't they sweet together? It's enough to melt a wife's heart!

What a great husband! What a great daddy!

My Husband Rocks! (a different approach)

Please visit Katy Lin's blog the great adventure to learn more about My Husband Rocks! Fridays and to join us in encouraging our spouses. Now more than ever it's so important to lift up our spouses and to protect our marriages!

I cant’ help but gush about my husband and our marriage. I can’t help but to seek out his hand while we walk into church, stroll around the mall, or ride in the car. I have no problem snuggling up to him while we’re sitting on the couch in our parents’ homes or giving him a quick kiss when he stops by my work to deliver some item I’ve forgotten at home or to bring me lunch. It all started with a slow building friendship, and so even after all this time he is still my best friend, the one I prefer above all others with whom to spend my time.

My husband rocks!

Most days I would say that I have a dream marriage. I honestly never believed that I would find the kind of love that I now experience. I never dreamed that someone could love me so much and treat me so well. I never had any guy treat me as good as my Chris, unless you count Dad. To be loved for myself, just as I am, because I am the way I am, is such an unexpected delight. It all serves to remind me how much my Heavenly Father loves me.

Of course, it’s not always sunny days and ice cream. Some days are hard. Really hard. Some moments are downright unbearably painful. We can both be terribly stubborn and blinded by our own emotions and opinions. Tempers will flare, and feelings get hurt. What’s so wonderful is that this is always followed the heartfelt apologies and the readily given forgiveness and the reminder of how much we loved each other.

Our marriage rocks!

Despite all of the trials and obstacles that we face in this marriage, this life we share, I am intensely grateful to God for putting me on this journey with Chris, for blessing us with our sweet Willow Grace so we can build a family together, and for the spiritual encouragement that Chris has been giving me. I’m not only in love with my husband, but I am also in love with my Savior and overwhelmed by the unfathomable love He has for me, for all of us.

Our God rocks!

My Husband Rocks!

To learn more about my husband rocks Fridays check out sweet Katy Lin's blog at the great adventure.

Yesterday I came down with a miserable cold and felt absolutely terrible by the time I arrived home. Chris took care of everything. He stopped by the Walgreens to get some medicine for me, made me a soothing cup of hot tea, built a fire for me, fed Willow Grace her dinner, played with her, and put her to bed. He even went out after I went to bed to fill up the Rover with gas and pick up a gallon of milk for the baby! What a guy!

(These pics were taken on our mini-vaca to Gatlinburg this last weekend.) I feel so safe and loved in his arms. He hugs me all the time. I came from a very affectionate family, and I am so happy that I have a husband who is the same way.

Have a great weekend!

~My Husband Rocks!~ Friday

If you want to know more about My Husband Rocks! Fridays, go visit Katy Lin at the great adventure. We'd love for you to join us in encouagin our spouses!

My husband rocks because he makes me laugh. Every day. Most days he makes me laugh so hard that I snort, which he strangely thinks is cute. And then we laugh more because of the snort. He is so playful and silly and embraces those same qualities in me.

Just last night we were on our way to a play, and he made me laugh so hard that I could hardly get my breath, and then, of course, I snorted...twice! He asked me if I was going to blog about it, but it really was one of those "you had to be there" kind of things.

So, anyway, that's why he rocks-- for giving me the amazing gift of laughter. Hmmm, I was just thinking about that ride to the play, and I have to say that he also rocks because he always holds my hand in the car. I love that!

Have a great weekend!

~My Husband Rocks!~ Friday

To learn more about My Husband Rocks! Fridays and to join us in edifying our amazing husbands, skip on over to see the wonderful Miss Katy Lin at her blog The Great Adventure.

Does he look nervous in this picture? This was, of course, taken just a couple hours before we wed on August 5, 2005. I don’t think he looks nervous, but he told me that he was extremely nervous that day until he saw me walking down the isle towards him. He wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing… not for himself but for me. He was concerned that he would somehow make my life worse. (Well, let me put you at ease, Baby.) I’ve never in my life been happier. Since I met and married my Chris, my life has only gotten better and better. Yep, he rocks!

In this pic, Dad is supposed to be warning Chris to treat me right, but of course neither of them are taking it very seriously. It’s weird how much they are alike – can fix just about anything, know a lot about cars, and treat their wives so wonderfully. Yeah, my dad rocks too!

Oh, and Chris also rocks because he’s gone out every chilly morning this week to warm up the car for me and our sweet Willow Grace. It’s been so nice and toasty, and I haven’t had to scrape any frost off the windows. What a man!

~My Husband Rocks!~ Friday

My wonderful husband rocks because even though yesterday was his birthday, he put his own feelings and wants aside and was there for me. A phenomenal lady who was my friend and colleague died this week, and yesterday was her funeral. Such a beautiful ceremony! Chris took half of the day off to go with me. I can't tell you what it meant to me to have him sitting there next to me and to feel that strong arm around my shoulders. What a comfort! I honestly don't know how I would have handled it without him.

To add to that, he also had to work really late last night and didn't get home until both Willow Grace and I were in bed. Not much of a birthday. At least there were presents, 3 cards (I just couldn't choose!), and a nice breakfast yesterday morning since neither of us went to work before the funeral. Still, I will find a way to make it all up to him. He deserves a crazy-good birthday for how good he's been to me.

Oh, he also rocks because he's so cute, and I love how we match with our blue and black in this picture!

~My Husband Rocks!~ Friday

Sometimes my mind is overwhelmed with the realization that God blessed me so completely with my husband. Before we started dating I told others that there was no way that we'd ever end up together. I was not interested in him romantically, and I really couldn't see us ever being compatible. How limited my view was then! I'm so thankful that God saw more than I could and gently nudged us towards each other. We were friends for three years before we started dating, and we didn't really mean to start dating. It just sort of happened "accidentally." Of course, it was no accident; God knew what he was doing. Chris and I really do complete one another. "And the two shall become one." We were two whole people before we met, and somehow one plus one came to equal one. Even after three years we are giddily in love with one another.

Chris rocks because he married me which brought both of us so much happiness and because, while he is not perfect, he is perfect for me.

I love you, my wonderful Chris!

How Well Do I Know My Husband?

The following quiz was on Katy Lin's blog, The Great Adventure. I couldn't resist participating. Oh, I hope I did well on this.

How Well Do You Know Your Husband?

(August 5, 2005: Our wedding day. Don't we look so happy?)

1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen? any James Bond movie, Mythbusters, cartoons, Cash Cab

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Thousand Island (He prefers not to eat “rabbit food” but does it because I’m trying to keep him healthy.)

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Seafood

4. You go out to a bar. What does he order? We don’t go to bars, but when we go out he always orders sweet ice tea or Coke.

5. Where did he go to high school? Brentwood High School

6. What size shoe does he wear? 11-12

7. If he were to collect anything, what would it be? Guns/weapons

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Bologna (I make him one for his lunch almost every day.)

9. What would this person eat everyday if he could? Chinese

10. What is his favorite cereal? Fruit Loops or Captain Crunch Berries

11. What would he never wear? Pastel or bright colors

12. What is his favorite sports team? Titans

13. Who will he vote for? John McCain

14. Who is his best friend? Uh, that would be me, of course! However, other than me, his best friend is D.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? This is terrible. I know there’s stuff, but I just can’t think of anything specific. I guess I can get moody sometimes, and he doesn’t like that, but he’s so sweet to me when that happens.

16. How many states has he lived in? Just Tennessee

17.What is his heritage? Irish

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday, what kind of cake? Yellow cake w/ chocolate icing (His birthday is this month, so he’ll be getting one of these really soon. Actually, I’m planning on making his one in the next couple days, way before his birthday.

19. Did he play sports in high school? Nope, he was in marching band, which I think should count as a sport. That’s hard work!

20. What could he spend hours doing? Playing video games, playing on the computer and looking at Craig’s List, driving around with me

21. Does he belong to any men's organizations? Not one.

So, Chris, how did I do?

Fireproof

Chris and I went to see Fireproof yesterday; we really wanted to support it on its opening weekend.

We were moved and have decided to get the book The Love Dare and use it as a tool to grow closer to each other and God. Check out the website and go see the movie. While the most of the acting performances aren't exactly Oscar worthy, the story and message of the movie are what are really important.

If you have seen it or do go see it, let me know what you think. The makers of this movie have made two other movies, Flywheel, which I plan to see, and Facing the Giants, which I highly recommend. You can get more info about all of these movies here.

My Husband Rocks Friday

I love the idea of bragging on my husband every week. What a great idea! I'd heard about this from someone I can't now recall but found the origin for it here. (You can also find the link by clicking on the icon in the right column.) Check it out. It's so important to say positive things about our husbands and to fight for our marriages. So, I'm joining lots of other women who brag on their husbands every Friday. I'm going to try to do this every week.

I don't have a new picture of him on my computer. So, here we are on our wedding day... so in love.

Chris rocks because last night after I arrived home after a really long day at work, he offered, even though he had a headache, to watch Willow Grace for me so I could shut my eyes for a bit. I rarely take a nap, but I just could not keep my eyes open. I was able to rest for a bit and then tackle the rest of my night with renewed energy.

My husband rocks because every weekday morning he gets up, well before he needs to, in order to wake the baby, change her diaper, and take her out to the car for me. He definitely makes my morning go smoother and helps me to get out the door on time.

My husband rocks because when I woke the night before last due to a terrible nightmare, he didn't mind me waking him (was happy I did). He held me and prayed for me. If not for him I would have missed the rest of that night's sleep, but instead I drifted peacefully off.

I am so thankful for my husband!

Our Anniversary in Review

We started our married life with a small, perfect wedding and a short honeymoon trip to Gatlinburg. Those few days of romantic tranquility were like the calm before the storm. It all started the day after our honeymoon when Chris lost his job. Talk about regrouping! The last three years have certainly been eventful. We started and closed down a business, each acquired new jobs, had a baby, and moved into a new home. We've lost loved ones and welcomed new family and friends.

I awoke with such anticipation on Tuesday. I don't remember feeling that same feeling on my two previous anniversaries. Our first anniversary was nice; we returned to Gatlinburg, where we had honeymooned. However, last year, we just about overlooked it. I was deep in recovery from the c-section, and we were both enamored with our new little sweetheart. On the day of the anniversary, I don't think we said anymore about it other than wishing each other a "Happy Anniversary." A couple weeks later we "celebrated" by going on our first after-baby date; we went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the IMAX, fun but not exactly romantic.

This year, however, we decided to actually do special; we settled on The Melting Pot. Have you been? While it is expensive, the experience and amazingly delicious food is well worth it. To make the deal a little sweeter, we had received a coupon in the mail and put it to good use.

We ordered the Big Night Out, a four course meal for two. We started with the mouth-watering spinach artichoke cheese. The server brings all of the ingredients to your table and cooks them in a pot in the middle of the table. There was an assortment of apples, breads, vegetables, and tortilla chips to dip in the cheese. After that, we had yummy salads: a Caesar for Chris and the California salad for me. For our entree we ordered the Fondue Feast. In addition to some vegetables and a summer squash ravioli, it comes with an assortment of cubed meats: filet mignon, jerk beef, chicken, pork, and shrimp. We cooked it in another pot in the middle of our table in a delicious Coq au Vin broth. After all of these tasty treats, we were, of course, stuffed. However, there was one more course to go: the dessert. We ordered the Yin and Yang, a mix of dark and white chocolate. With this we had strawberries, two kinds of marshmallows, small cubes of rice crispy treats and brownies, and cheesecake to dip into the chocolate. I cannot adequately describe for you how delectable and decadent this amazing dessert was, but somehow we made room for it. I would highly recommend this restaurant -- with or without the coupon.

Seated in a booth in an intimate little corner where we couldn't see any of the other patrons, we took our meal leisurely and had ample time to talk, really talk like we hadn't been able to do for a while about books and movies and random other little things we had on our minds. Sitting there with my best friend who also just happens to be my husband was absolutely wonderful. I really do enjoy spending time with him, and there is no one with whom I would rather spend an evening. It really was a great anniversary.

I love you, Chris!

4 Years Ago....

We were just starting out, and we were in love. Though we had been friends since 2001, we had only been dating for 6-7 months when we took a little vacation to Panama City Beach with Chris's parents and his brother, Johnathan. We had not discussed marriage or children; it was just about us and seeing how strong the bond between us actually was.

Our relationship had never been uneventful. We had broken up once early on but had found that we just couldn't be apart. Just after we started seeing each other I suffered an injury with a bruised sternum from a car wreck. Chris had actually been on the phone with me when the wreck occured; an inexperienced 16 year old driver darted out in front of me leaving me no time to stop. Chris heard my scream, the crash, and then silence; and he thought that he had lost me. He took care of me after the accident, helping in any way he could and making sure that I didn't let my Super Woman mentality take over.

On Easter that year, after visiting his family in Crossville, we took a drive on the Natchez Trace. Uncharacteristically, it was a nearly silent drive. I didn't know what kind of struggle he was going through, but when he whipped into a small parking lot and started babbling about not being able to "keep it in anymore," I thought that he was going to break up with me for good. Instead, he really shocked me by declaring, "I love you!" Pure happiness welled up within me. Not being able to help it, I laughed... a lot. And yes, I was able, after a few minutes, to say those words myself. And then, a few months later, we went headed for the beach. Though I had been around his family on several occasions, this trip really served to endear us to each other even more. The fact that they invited me showed me that they accepted that I was an important part of Chris's life. It was a wonderful trip.

Later we would suffer the loss of family members and friends, struggle with finances, and weather all sorts of other storms together, but on this trip we saw just how much fun we could have together and how well I fit with this family. We were looking at the world not with wide eyed innocence but with hope and faith and the joy that comes from knowing that we had found our "other."

In just a few short weeks, we'll mark the first birthday of our baby girl and then three years of marriage. (More will come on those two topics as they draw nearer.) We're still new at all of this but just as cheesily in love as ever and still living on hope and faith and joy.