Top 10 Reasons I Love Andrew

Andrew has been out of town for the last few weekends, and off an on during the week for work. In honor of his actually being home this weekend, I thought I'd write a post about the top 10 things I love about Andrew:

10. He is always good to his family; he has driven hours to Santa Fe in the middle of the night to visit his sister when she needed him, used vacation time to help his father build a cabin and adores is mother.

9. He is so wonderful with our dog that I know he will make a wonderful father if we decide to have a family of our own.

8. I rarely, if ever, hear him say anything negative about anyone.

7. He often surprises me with thoughtful words, actions and gifts.

6. I love the hobbies we do share (running and reading ) and the fact that we also have separate hobbies of our own.

5. He is so good to my friends...

4. And even better to me.

3. He is so handy...I swear that he can fix anything!

2. He knows all of me and loves me anyway!

1. He knows my hopes and dreams and always supports them (and has amazing hopes and dreams of his own that he allows me to support too).

I am so excited to be his wife and hope to show him every day that I love him!

Perspective

Maybe it's the fact that I've been engaged for over a year, or maybe it's the change of season that draws my focus away from the planning and on to other new beginnings, but I find myself really appreciating anything I read, see or hear that helps me gain more perspective on myself (and via myself, my ability to not let wedding planning take over my life and my relationships). I thought this excellent slide show from http://www.eightprinciples.com/ was a breath of fresh air, and I hope you might too! Photo credit and slide show http://www.eightprinciples.com/.

Wedding Sebbatical

A glorious fall hike in Colorado!

Erin Marie is among the Aspens.

No trip down I-70 W would be complete without a stop in Georgetown!

One of the things I have had to be mindful about during our wedding planning process has been to take breaks to enjoy our relationship and to focus on building a strong foundation for our marriage. Andrew and I try to take time each week where we spend time together and where we don't discuss the wedding. This weekend it was Andrew's turn to plan our "date" day. He took me on a gorgeous hike to Eaglesmere Lakes in Silverthorne, CO just in time to see the Aspens change for the fall. After our hike, we had dinner at the Red Ram in Georgetown, CO. It was so nice to spend time with my sweetie and to fall in love with him all over again. How do you and your love stay connected during the wedding planning process?

Here is the obligatory (and not so flattering) self-portrait by Andrew.

The photo credit for Georgetown photo belongs to http://www.futuregringo.com/.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

Today is my parents' 35th wedding anniversary. I wish that I could be home to celebrate with them, but alas they are in Chicago, and I am in Denver. I did send them a gift, however. I racked my brain for what exactly I could buy for the couple that has everything, and finally settled on a CD of the Billboard Top Hits for the year that they were married. When in doubt, I figure that sentimental is always good:)

My mom and dad have a marriage like the one that I want with Andrew. They are obviously in love, making time for "dates", giving each other surprise gifts from time to time, and kissing in public on occasion (which used to gross me out as a kid). They even have nicknames for one another which they hoarde protectively. It got me to thinking....What do I want my marriage to look like years from now, and how will I cultivate that kind of a relationship?