Ten years ago last week, a boy named John Thomas called up a girl named Emily Ayer and blurted out, “So… I think I like you.” Around her nervous giggles, they set a first date – ice skating at the local rink. About halfway through, he pulled her over to the boards and asked if she wanted to go out with him… to which she replied, “I thought we already were!” (It was her first date ever, so we’ll forgive her confusion.)

Ten years plus one day, an interstate move, two cats, countless travels, a college graduation apiece, one engagement, one wedding, and one house later, John and Emily went ice skating again, this time outdoors in the crisp clear air and under the bright lights of downtown Raleigh.

I’ve already shared our full love story, so I won’t repeat it again here. But our relationship, aside from my relationship with God, has been the defining story of my life, and so our ten year dativersary deserves at least a small mention! As I wrote in an anniversary card to John, my life has been immeasurably richer, richer than I could ever have imagined, for having him in it, and that is something to celebrate.

This excerpt from Mere Christianity was read at our wedding. When I first came across this passage, soon after John and I started dating, I pretty much hated it. I thought it was unromantic, and untrue. Ten years on, I find it both terribly romantic, and more true every day. To me, it represents perhaps the best that one could hope for in a relationship: that you have a deeper love for each other with every passing year. That has been the case for us, and I am grateful.

In looking ahead at my calendar, it seems February is going to be the last quiet month before things really kick into high gear with travel, work, visitors, etc. in March, April, and May. So I want to use this month well, and also enjoy the slower pace!

January goal recap:
Finish our wedding album design and place the order
Finish the video for our niece’s first year
Finish celebrating Christmas with my family in Connecticut!
Send out invitations for a special baby shower (Invites have been selected and will be ordered this week!)
Get into a rhythm with John for our daily Bible reading

That last one – yikes. It has been way harder than I anticipated to get into a rhythm with our reading. The assignment for each day is fairly lengthy – 15-20 minutes – and we haven’t settled on a time that works for both of us. We’ve tried before bed, in the car while driving together, and at dinner, but nothing has stuck. Any suggestions??

Goals for February:
Prepare our new backyard flower garden bed (take out grass, amend soil, etc.)
Research and choose plants for the new garden bed
Touch up paint on our front door (yes, still left over from October’s paint job!)
Pull inspiration for dining area curtain options
Confirm a baby shower food and decor plan

What do you have planned for this month? I’d love to hear, or, if you’ve written a post about it, take a look!

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I checked off another item on my 60 Before 30 list!

Though I’ve had a few opportunities to try my hand at floral arranging, I never felt like I actually gained any skills I could put to use on my own. Thanks to the wonderful Kelly Perry, that’s no longer the case! I created the vase of happiness above with her super kind instruction, and best of all, I feel like I’ll be able to use her simple tips to create more arrangements in the future! If you ever get the chance to learn from Kelly, I’d jump on it.

Now to plant peonies, dahlias, garden roses, camellias, ranunculus, forsythia, etc. etc. etc. in my yard…

I want to share something super special with you all today. For as long as I can remember (and even before I was born!), my Mom’s Mom wrote some pretty epic Christmas newsletters. (Actually, to be more accurate, she typed some pretty epic Christmas newsletters. On a typewriter.) After my youngest uncle went away to college, Bingie uprooted her life and moved from New Jersey to Maine to start a new chapter, and the newsletters were a favorite way to keep in touch with her wide circle of friends and family. They detailed her year as well as the happenings of her three children’s families with humor, wit, and candidness. Taken together, they’re a surprisingly detailed recording of our family’s highs and lows over 25+ years.

For Christmas, my aunt and uncle compiled all of the newsletters they could get their hands on into a simple book and made a copy for all of the cousins. What a treasure! I love that they used her familiar signature on the cover – Mom to her children, Mombo (short for Mom Bogart) to her in-laws, and Bingie to her grandchildren.

We immediately started flipping through the pages, and soon were making each other squeak with laughter over certain entries and lines, reminiscing about famous (and infamous) episodes in our family’s history.

She was a great writer, and her dry sense of humor and unique way of seeing the world really shine through in her yearly narratives. One of my favorite moments below:

As a lifelong secretary and correspondent for countless beloved organizations and associations, her writing and her handwriting are two of the things I associate most strongly with her, so this is an extra special memento – it really feels like having a true piece of her to keep. Makes me wonder what John’s and my future children and grandchildren might treasure from our life together!

P.S. Another favorite note, from the 2006 letter. #typewriterproblems