Things that almost always give me chills

A great song. For example, the first song on the Mumford and Sons new album Babel...instant chills.

Pictures of cold weather.

Even this much snow makes me feel cold

When my hands are wrinkly from washing dishes or swimming...I get chills just thinking about it. In a bad way.

Touching construction paper.

Movies that show landscapes/cityscapes of Paris. These tend to produce tears as well.

The beginning of a play or movie I've been anticipating.

Hondo kissing the gap between my neck and shoulder on my back.

A moving political speech.

"We believe that a little girl who's offered an escape from poverty by a great teacher or a grant for college could become the founder of the next Google, or the scientist who cures cancer, or the President of the United States – and it's in our power to give her that chance."

I can't help but think of my daughter and the enormous potential that she has.

A moving religious speech.

"Though we will face trials, adversities, disabilities, heartaches, and all manner of afflictions, our caring, loving Savior will always be there for us. He has promised:

'I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. …

'My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.' John 14: 18,27"

And of course, other random things. But these? They get me every time.

A Proposal, A List, Some Cheese, and a Birthday

It's Hondo's birthday!

And as such, I feel it is time for a list.

First, small anecdote.

Once when Hondo and I were engaged, someone asked me, point blank, "Why do you love him?"

I was caught off guard. I didn't expect anyone else to really care that much about my actual reasons for loving him, just maybe about the fact that I did (and do.) I thought it was a strange question to ask. I mean, it's fine to ask. Sure, maybe you just want to hear...about...how we love each other...or something... (I actually don't really understand why anyone would ask this question, but that is okay, I don't have to understand everything.)

Second, I was like "This is a test and I'm about to fail." I don't think I've ever had to explain why I love Hondo to anyone before or since this, and even though I'm sure it was not the intent of the question, I felt cornered a bit.

So my answer came out in some generic form of, "Well, we fit together. It just makes sense." Which is perfectly reasonable.

But today, in honor of Hondo's birthday, here is a list of things that when added together, make up the reasons that I love him. Which I do.

Most passionately.

1. He is obsessed with turkey. Most people think turkey is a thanksgiving thing, but not at our house. It is at least a quarterly thing, if not every other month.

2. When he gets mad and says something (usually me) is "frustrating," he actually says "fustrating." It's all I can do to not laugh at how cute it is.

3. He sings slightly off key. Mo laughs every time he sings, and I think it is because it makes her so happy. Me too, Mo. Me too.

4. He calls a group of men "cats" and often refers to girls as "kid." Very Casablanca.

5. He swears like a sailor while driving and exercising (not at the same time). I shouldn't laugh, but I do.

6. He gets a little handsy when he takes sleeping pills/cough medicine.

7. He stresses all the time about the kind of Dad he is going to be for Mo as she gets older. Which I think proves that he is going to be a great one.

8. He gave me Monroe.

9. He supports me in every decision that I make and wants nothing more than for me to be happy.

10. He loves celebrity gossip.

11. He loves talking politics. Which is great, since I do too. Luckily we agree on (most) things.

12. He loves and looks after my family.

13. When he talks about exercising, he refers to it as "Bringing sexy back."

14. He's the only person I know who calls "sherbet" "sherbet ice cream." Most people say either "sherbet" or "ice cream," but to him it's both.

15. He listens to me well enough that even if I'm having a conversation with someone else and I say something, he'll respond and that reponse will be completely out of context and irrelevant to the conversation. It's quite funny.

16. He thinks it's funny that I'm competative. Which is a good thing, especially when we're on the same team.

Of course, there are more but i'm at work and out of time. "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."

I love you, Hondo. I love you for the man that you are and the man that you are going to be as we grow old together. I couldn't have picked a better partner to navigate through life with. Marry me!

And Happy Birthday!

If you need help moving...

do not ask me. I may come try to help you, out of some sorry sense of obligation, but I will most likely find some way to sit on the only cushion left in the house and eat snacks, probably using the excuse that I need to be out of the way.

No joke. This may or may not have recently happened when Holly and Eric moved. (I'm sure if you asked, they would say it most definitely did happen.)

Of course, I also had the perfectly resonable excuse of keeping Mo out of the way as well, as they were carrying big heavy things out of the house.

I. HATE. PACKING.

Least favorite thing to do, maybe ever. I'm the worst mover, and I will procrastinate as long as I possibly can. When I was living in Jen's townhouse in Thornton, and I had to work from 6:45am-6:00pm at Camp on a Friday and also had to be out of that house by 6:00pm the same Friday, you would think that Thursday night you would find me packing/cleaning like a madwoman.

But no. I went out to staff dinner, went home, and read The Lightening Thief from beginning to end. I started packing around 12:30am. And slept for approximately 20 minutes that morning before loading up my car and heading to work.

I'm ridiculous. And awful. And if I ever have to move again, I will pay as much money as it takes to hire someone else to come in and pack up my house for me, and unpack it for me in it's new location.

And That is How the Superheroes Do It!

Back in the day when I was a camp counselor we had this one kid who drove everyone crazy. Okay, a lot of kids drove everyone crazy but this kid was a bit worse. Just a really high maintenance, annoying, always getting in trouble/never listening 6-year-old who was a bit chubby. I'll call him "M."

Every week as a camp we would go to the Rec Center to swim, play in the gym, and go rock climbing on their indoor wall. Some of the kids were brave little monkeys and they would climb the wall to the top in 2 minutes like it was no big deal. So this kid, M, wanted to go rock climbing. He had never done it before but his friends were doing it too so obviously he had to do it. A lot of the younger kids would try it and not get very high before they'd get scared and we'd lower them back down.

M got in the harness and got roped in by one of the workers at the rec center. He was afraid to grab onto the wall, so the person belaying him lifted him about 12 inches off the ground and had him put his feet and hands on a few of the holds. We were able to coax him to lift one foot up one hold and one hand up one hold before he freaked out, "I want down! I want down!" So the belayer walked over and set him back on the ground. (He was still only about 12 inches off the ground, mind you.)

He walked over to me and as I was helping him take off the harness he said, "And that is how the superheroes do it."

I died. Laughing, that is. After he left.


In real life, I have no desire to be a superhero. There are many things I want to be, but I think I've been jaded by superhero movies too much to actual crave that lifestyle. It seems like in the movies the superheroes always have so much to give and also so much they have to give up in order to lead the life of saving the world.

But if I was going to be a superhero my super power would be psychic powers. Like real ones. I think it would be cool. And my name would be "Raven."

Hahahahaha

Ok but really I think I would like super strength without the ridiculous muscles. I'd like to be named after one of the Greek Godesses, like Aphrodite or Athena.