Love in the Windy City

For Valentine's Day we...

Went to Chicago!

It was snowy and cold...

We got there just in time to freshen up and head to see the band, Sleeping at Last at Lincoln Hall. Which is also where we met up with our best friend Josh.

Josh is a very talented musician who lives in Nashville, he had connections to the band, which made things even more fun.

We grabbed some food afterwards.

We said goodbye to Josh and he headed on his way to Canada, and we stayed in a swanky little place... on the 17th floor.

We woke up and went shopping... and ate some good food... and shopped some more.

We walked hand in hand, talked, shopped, picked out clothes for each other, splurged here and there, laughed and carried on all day. It was cold, but not too cold. The sun was shining and the wind was calm for us. It was fun to be in love and pretend like we didn't have a care in the world for just a few hours.

We started out our day about 10am and ended it about 8pm.

We ended the day with coffee and a blueberry cake doughnut... and a few more stores.

All in all... one of our best trips yet!

We hurried home so we could love on our baby boy before it was time for him to go to bed!

Made with Love, for Love

As promised, I did not buy my husband a box of chocolates... instead, me and Missy, made them! Nothing too fancy, just some homemade "X" and "O"cookies and lots of different goodies dipped in milk and white chocolate and sprinkles!

It was easy and so much fun and the end results were so precious!

Here's a cupcake order I did this weekend for a baby shower too! Lots of baking and making going on lately! Love it!

Simple yet Complex

In keeping with the theme of celebrating love this week...

We most certainly CAN NOT celebrate love without celebrating the beautiful, magnificent, passionate, simple yet complex...

KISS.

"Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time."

Casablanca

"Love is not a feeling, it's an ability."

Dan in Real Life

"You're not perfect sport, and let me save you the suspense, this girl you met, she isn't perfect either. But the question is whether or not you're perfect for each other."

Good Will Hunting

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

Moulin Rouge

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given me. That's what I hope to give to you forever. I love you."

The Notebook

“Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. The End.”

The Princess Bride

And my favorite romantic movie quote along with my favorite real life kiss....

"...you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on."

Mr. Darcy

Pride and Prejudice

Here's a challenge... kiss your spouse EVERYDAY for 60 seconds without stopping... and see where that gets you! =)

All pictures with the exception of the very last one were found on weheartit.

Happy Cuddling

Right at this moment there are HUGE fluffy snowflakes falling from the sky. We are expected to get 2 - 4 inches of snow by this evening, which isn't too big of a deal, but it's just enough to give you an excuse to curl up next to someone on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa and a good movie!

Tonight we are cooking at our place with some dear friends and then we will be going to a high school basketball game to support some of our students who play and cheer. After that I will without a doubt put this blog into action! =)

Here's a recipe I found today that I just might try out tonight:

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 
  
• Directions
• Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

Happy Cuddling!!!

XOXO

So, I had a frustrating day.

Lots of things just didn't go as planned.

Not that I always count on things going as planned, but today it just seemed like I had nothing.

During the few minutes that I got to spend with my husband today, he informed me that he is taking me to Chicago for Valentines day.

My heart immediately smiled and got an instant boost of energy that held me up through the rest of today.

Chicago is one of my most favorite places in the whole world.

So I guess I shouldn't say "nothing" went my way...

Wow. I love, love, love him.

XOXO

Celebrate Love

Valentine's Day is less than TWO WEEKS away! Are getting your thoughts together yet? Are you just going to make a trip to the store the day before?

This year, instead of buying my husband some sort of mass produced candy, no matter how delicious, I have made up my mind that I will make him his very own personalized "Box of Chocolates" for Valentine's Day. Well, minus the chocolates. He won't have to squish them to figure out what's inside. (is squish even a technical word?)

I'm better at pastries and baked goods then candies and chocolates, so I'm sure some sort of cookie or miniature cake will be headlining the collection.

I think I'm going to put in place three standards for Valentines day with my husband:

Something sweet

Something romantic

Something sexy

...and then the three for my Malakai, as well as our future children:

Something sweet

Something silly

Something uplifting

Many people just let Valentine's day fall into the category of a holiday that just comes and goes. I think it's easy to do that because the banks aren't closed, we still have to work, and in this year's case, still will be going to church. I strongly encourage you, especially if you are married, don't just let this one slide by.

No matter your age, celebrate your love!

No matter where you are in life, what stage of your relationship or marriage, or no matter how long it's been since the spark went out... find a way to celebrate the one thing that brought you and your soul mate together. Love is a choice. It cannot be based on circumstances, time, emotions, physical attraction and really it can't even be based totally on chemistry. Chemistry just makes it a little easier. =) Base your love on the fact that deep down in your being, you know that it was destined by the One who created you that THIS is the person that you are purposed to spend your life with. It is my belief that if you base your love on THAT, no matter how routine life gets, you can always find excitement and reason to celebrate.

"If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut,

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always "me first,"

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end."

1 Corinthians 13

(The Message)

Do you have any creative plans for this special day, solely dedicated to celebrating the ones you love?! If so, tell me!

Here are some edible ideas to get you going:

These ideas (instructions included) from HERE.

These lovely pictures, from HERE.

The Best 1473 Days of my Life

Days since I met him: 1473
Days since we started going out: 1102
Days since I first kissed him: 1120
Days since I last kissed him: less than 1
Days since he first told me he loved me: 1117
Days since he told me he loved me: less than 1
Days since we got married: 920
Days since the first time he woke up next to me: 919
Days since I hugged him: less than 1
Days since we had a conversation: less than 1
Days since I’ve heard his voice: less than 1 minute

How did you meet?

It involves a million tiny precious details, but it all came down to my dad knowing him, us ending up on the same mission trip and dad introducing us in an airport, on our way to India New Years day 2006.

How often do you get to see each other?

Everyday…. If he's lucky =)

What is your favorite memory with him?

Watching him preach for the first time in India just days after we had met is definitely at the top of the list… Him performing the ceremony at my Dad's wedding… Back Porch Fellowship’s in Texas… The day he told me he can't imagine spending the rest of his life without me... Our wedding Day… Our 2nd Anniversary mini-vacation to St. Louis this past year… Our cruise…

What is your favorite thing about him?

He has passion with a purpose. He listens to God. He lives to love. Not a day goes by that he doesn't make me smile… if not laugh. His balance of humility, strength and submissiveness. He loves music and worshipping God through music. He's the kind of person that people respect the second they meet him… he doesn't have to earn it or demand it… He walks with a silent authority. I could go on and on…

Describe him in three words:

Solid. Passionate. Humble.

(if you read this... tag, you're it.)

Opposites Attract

...before me and Seth were officially "me and Seth" he would play this song in his car and always talk about how it was one of his favorites. I would always be sulking on the inside because I had convinced myself that there was no way that he would ever choose me. Our friendship was too perfect the way it was.

After a year of inward sulking, and lots of praying... He chose me. He says he knew all along it was supposed to be me, but he sure could have fooled me! That year of hopelessly falling in love with him through a deep friendship built on lots of long talks, precious laughter and silly bickering turned out to be one of the best years of my life.

January 2006 we met.

I spent a year falling hard, praying, falling even harder, thinking he wanted nothing to do with me, praying harder, falling to the point of no return... and then out of the blue...

January 2007 he professed his undying love.
March 2007 we were engaged.
July 2007 we got married.

We couldn't be any more opposite, and we couldn't be any more in love.

Opposites attract.