Today was beautiful. It felt like summer! I walked out of the house this morning and felt the sunshine on my face and arms. It was wonderful. My first thought was that today was a great day for the pool. Then my brain jumped to all the stuff Christy and I had to do today. The wedding is JUST around the corner!

When we get back from our honeymoon we’re going to have a little celebration at the Glowing Body in Knoxville. I can’t say enough how easy the people there have been to work with. I love the place. If I could build myself a house right now I’d want it to look like that place. The floors are a wonderful mix of polished concrete and bamboo wood.

I’m looking forward to that party not only cause of all our friends, but we’re going to have so many deserts! We went to Magpies and checked out icing colors. That place has the best cakes you can buy! Our friends tho are going to make more deserts too. So great.

Then we put the finishing touches on our Bed, Bath and Beyond registry.

It’s quiet here at Westlook now. The boys are in bed and Christy and Camille have gone to the movies. I think I’m going to go read. :)

I asked the kids what they wanted me and Christy to bring them back from our honeymoon. Camille and Eli both said T-shirts, tho Camille amended hers to a dress. Leo slurred something together. I can never understand that boy. Willy asked for a pet lobster.

I’m in the bathroom. I hear crash, bang, waaah come from just outside the door. Then I hear Willy’s whiny voice, “hey that’s not fair!” Eli with a tone of perfect reason says, “It is to me.”

Granny is spending the week with us here at Westlook. I was pleased when she mentioned the house is pretty clean. I wonder what others think as I never think it’s clean enough for myself. Five of us and a dog do make for some dusty dirt.
Christy and I went out and registered Sunday. It was fun putting together a list of all the stuff we might need. It was fun feeling domestic and coupley. Eh, I’m a sucker for that you know. The best to give you a notion of what we’re up against are the 22 towels we chose. That strikes me as a lot of towels. :)

Yesterday we went to the Great Cake Bake at the L&N in Knoxville, then we went on over to the Lawson McGee Library. These pics don’t do any justice to the awesome cakes people baked to support the Imagination Library.

I’ve been told that I can only go back to this my fav theme if I write something soon (and very soon)

So….

Here are a few letters,

words…

More later.

:)

Camille is asleep. The boys are watching Polar Express. Eli is lying on the couch next to Will and Leo is sitting on top of Eli. We need some down time after last night’s outstanding Hanukkah party. It was easily the most fun I’ve had in a little while.

What a night last night was. Soggy, cold and you could hardly see the lines painted on the road in front of you. Seemed like everybody driving was meandering to where they were going. I saw one Oldsmobile, Buick or some such long vehicle parked in a ditch. What if we’d gotten the snow that Upper East Tennessee got where my Mom lives? She said their power was out from 5pm till early in the morning. Evidently the interstate was shut down up around Kingsport.

No such for us! We were warm and happy with kids running full tilt, cats hiding in any room other than where we were and two little dogs who followed and picked up the crumbs.

Our hosts Laurie and Matt were so sweet. Dreidels were waiting and Eli was happy. Latkes were frying and everybody was happy about that! Nobody was thirsty and bellies filled up. It was so fantastic, bright and warm while the slushy rain fell through the foggy trees outside.

I was pleased to meet some of Christy’s fav people from work, Meg and Jason and their three kids. Charlotte is so cute and Aspen and Joel hit it off with Will and Eli. The boys went tearing back and forth through the house chasing each other. I think there was a robbery, or a couple even. I’ve forgotten how many times Will fell and bonked his head. All the boys looked like they fought their way out! :D By the end of the evening Camille was taking video of them all.

I was sad to say goodbye, but the sweetest were the hugs thrown back and forth. Christy and I talked quietly in the front seat about how good the food was and how we loved all the books on shelves and tables around Laurie and Matt’s house. Eli and Will were asleep by the time I dropped Christy back off at her house. Then the kids and I drove back to our house. The Buick was out of the ditch when we passed back by.

Today we’re all a bit tired, but happily so. Well we’re happy now that we figured out why we’re a bit grummpy and just need to take it easy. :)

Tonight it’s a Christabel and the Jons Christmas show at the Square Room. I can’t wait!

Almost a year ago.

Twelve months. Nearly three hundred and sixty-five days.

There have been holidays. New Years day and Fourth of July. Valentines day, Thanksgiving. There were little days, ordinary days. Days when everybody else in the world was going about their business. Days that became so much more for me. There was the day I told Christy I had fallen in love with her. The so many days when I fell in love with her again and again. The so many little things that still catch my breath and make these minutes and hours and days so much more.

Yeah, it’s like that.

I remember the first time Christy, me and the kids all hung out together. I was so nervous. It was the first time to see me being a dad. I didn’t know what the kids might do. I didn’t know what I might do!

I brought so many snacks. Willy and I picked out so many drinks for all of us that I could barely carry the bag. We met at the Worlds Fair Park and it was crowded with frisbee throwers, dog walkers and bike riders. We decided to go to Fort Kid. I mentioned how she was getting to see me as dad and I was a little nervous. Christy, in her usual matter of fact way, said something like, oh no I saw you being dad at that work picnic back in the fall. Just like that I felt something lift off me. She made me feel better. I played with the kids a little more freely. I laughed a little more, no a lot more.

I know Christy must have been nervous that day, too, or maybe not. I think the big kids must have been, too, or maybe not because we all laughed and ate grapes and chips or whatever I brought. It was such a good day and I fell in love with her then, too.

I remember our first date. I remember walking down the steps in the back of the Downtown Brewery to meet Christy and show her our table. I remember looking for her. There was this girl and that girl and then I saw her standing by a collumn near the front door. She was beautiful. I can show you exactly where she was standing. Then she saw me and she smiled.

She smiled.

She smiled when she saw me.

We talked so much that night. We talked about everything. We talked about this and that. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed hearing her talk. I drove home thinking about how much I wanted to see her again.

So just the other day, nearly a year after that first date, we went back to the Brewery and I asked her to marry me.

There are so many other things I keep thinking of that I want to tell you. I want to tell you how on our first few dates we just walked around downtown Knoxville, or how Eli loves to pick on her. Leo thinks every white car belongs to Christy, “Isty, Isty’s car?” is what he says when one passes by.

How do you write a post that tells about the love you’ve found? A love you didn’t think existed?

I don’t know.

I know I’m a very blessed man and God has made his face to shine upon me and my family.

Indeed.

I’ve not been writing for so long on this thing that it feels strange to do so. The fingers are stiff. My brain is sluggish. What to say? I mean a lot has happened since the last time I posted.

Maybe an explanation for why I’m even posting right now is in order. This morning I heard a thing on NPR about credit cards and how much it costs busineses to accept them. It hurts Mom & Pop stores especially. I didn’t realize my rewards card just raises the cost of what I buy since the rewards are paid for by busineses through service fees. Yeah. It was about that exciting.

Then Worker Girl txts me and says she doesn’t go to Westlook any more. I can understand why. I’ve abandoned it.

Except I haven’t really. I just haven’t had the gumption to write, so I put Westlook on a back burner, waaay in the back.

So what’s the state of the union?

It’s good.

My hair is shorter, though it needs a trimming.

I have mailed out most all of my Christmas cards. There’s only a half dozen or so that need addressing still. Several boxes of Christmas gifts have arrived and need wrapping. They also need a Christmas tree to go under. I told the kids we would go Saturday morning and get one.

There’s more to tell, but it’s late, I’m tired and I want to do it justice. I’ll just have to write another post tomorrow evening.

:)

Starbucks is coming out with it’s own instant coffee.

It’s called Via.

I saw this book at the library today.

I am totally going to build myself an electric car!

Somebody said to me the other night laughing as I washed a dirty dinner plate for my dessert, “I can see you’ve been baching it for a while.” I laughed, too and took a fresh plate that was handed to me. The peanut butter, chocolate plateful was wonderful.

Well as if further proof was needed, besides that and maybe the overgrown lawn, here’s more.

I’ve discovered the pure joy of a cup of nescafe. OMG. Who knew instant coffee could be so…good. I don’t know what devil’s bargin was wrought so that this grainy powder would disolve as near to instantly as you can imagine. I have nearly gone through an entire jar.

There’s nothing quite like it.

I love it.