Just keep thinking "Merry Christmas"

My kids and I wanted to give my Honey the same present, something that's a big deal for her and she's wanted for a long time. Well, we ended up getting it and giving it to her from all of us for an early Christmas present. She is thrilled with it! Which is good because I couldn't have kept it from her for long. She's very good at finding things when she wants to. I have a secret, special gift I'm giving her this year, and she knows I do, so she is constantly trying to find out what I'm getting for her. It's a game for her, to try to entice me, tickle-torture me (yes, I'm extremely ticklish!), play guessing games with me, etc. It's all a game to her. It took me a while to learn that she likes the game, and the heightened anticipation it brings, more than she really wants to know what I'm getting her. Besides, she can often figure out what she's getting, even if I don't say anything. She's just good like that!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! So does my Honey. No, we're not those annoying people who dress in red and green, light up the neighborhood with our house-lights, or go around caroling (well, even though I don't have a great voice, I'd go caroling if she wanted to.) We're more quiet about how we love Christmas. We talk about it all throughout the year. We sneak and plot and buy and hide gifts for our kids all year long (she usually has all of her Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving). We catch ourselves singing Christmas songs, too. I think our mutual love of Christmas cements our relationship even more.

When Christmas comes, we go a bit ape. The tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving (except that since my Honey manages a store, this year we put it up Thanksgiving Day, after sunset). We make cookies and candy galore (my Honey has been handling the temptation very well, and she looks good in her new jeans ;-) ). I'm like a kid in how much I like decorating cookies, and I do goofy things sometimes, but I have yet to decorate a gingerbread man as Mr. Spock, so my family has got to give me a little credit. (Besides, I wouldn't want to show off too much, Spock wouldn't approve.) }:-|

We're not perfect people. We get more stressed at Christmas like everybody else. Traffic, crowded stores, long lines, overspending, dissatisfaction with purchases, etc. All the more reason why my better half has the better idea to finish shopping before the masses start (of course, you miss some good deals, but reduction in stress is worth it.) Yeah, Hon, next year we follow your plan to the letter!

Woohoo! Finals are over, more time for family!

I like school, I sure do, but it's nice that I get a little break from it right now.
Sure, there are still school-related things to do, like selling back books and buying new ones for my Spring classes. But those aren't too time-crucial. Now I've got more time to focus on family, Christmas, doing things for my Honey... It'll be nice.

t.h.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR HONEYYYYY!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!


I love you, you know I do.
Here's to celebrating your birthday, Hon!

All my love, forever and a day,
t.h.

Today is a "Mary Poppins" day . . . practically perfect in every way

Well, maybe not that perfect, but I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my family today. We went all about, and did all kinds of stuff. It was busy, and of course we were human and got on each other's nerves a bit, but all told this day filled-up my "quality time" tanks. (Whoever said that quantity time couldn't be quality time as well?)

My Honey was instrumental in all the goings-about and goings-on, of course. She is usually the driving force in anything. She can't help it, she's a ball of energy. (That explains where the kids get it from, besides their regular youthful energy.) She kept us hoppin' from one place to another, a regular marathon day for us. Normally, we don't do this much unless we're headed to the big city bustle in Spokane. I'm not worn out completely, thankfully. After all, the night is still young (only 9:15, and nobody's ready to go to bed yet.)

It started with a morning which allowed us a little breathing room, not a race to get ready but we did have a lot to do, especially the kids (some condition about needing to have rooms clean before we could go anywhere.) Then some errands, lunch out at 'Apple-trees' (it was so satisfying nobody has asked for dinner yet), some shopping (Wally-world was a mad-house, I got separated from the family about 6 times, but then again I was being very A.D.D. and getting distracted by every little thing), hit the mall (checking out the sharing tree, bugging friends at work, a little Holiday shopping, letting out teenage daughter get her favorite-store fix for the day, get fed-up with the crowds, etc.)
All day, we looked forward to one thing: watching "Mr. Magoriam's Wonder Emporium." Our Darlin' Daughter had already seen it with some friends, but the rest of us hadn't seen it yet. My honey bought us some of our favorite movie treats, and we got there early enough to get good parking and to pick the best seats in the house (which was nearly empty besides us, I guess everybody else has seen it already who wanted to). I thought it was a pretty good movie, definitely a good one for the family, but a bit too slow in the middle for a young'un to sit through. The story and the magic of it were worth it in my book (but not everyone might agree that a wholesome family movie with a little magic and a bit of a message is as entertaining as I do.) I have to admit that my sappy self has been in a total happy-go-lucky mood ever since the climax, which was predictable, but totally satisfying for me.

Honey, you have such great ideas!

Thanks for a wonderful day,
t.h.

-----
p.s.

I'm also going to stay just a little from my primary focus to add that our Darlin' Daughter has an idea to start a band. She likes to sing, and has a really good voice (if I must brag). I believe she would be great, granted that the rest of the band complements her talent. (However, I had to do the "Dad" thing and tell her I'd count being in a band as an extra-curricular activity, and so the same rules apply. But as a former musician, a sometimes artistic-type, and a proud Papa, I have to say that I do support her desire to create music. No guarantees Princess, but I love the idea!)

My Honey is awesome!

Scrapbooking is her passion, and she is really, really good at it. She totally wowed me last night with ten new pages! Ten!!! Now that's a lot of scrapbooking for one day.

She has such a great eye for coordination, telling a story with just colors and patterns. Her photos have always been amazing, she has a command of the camera that I envy. I will spend several minutes composing a shot, but she can just snap, snap, snap and catch the perfect picture every session. (Of course, the digital camera makes it easy not to waste photo developing money on the pictures which didn't make the cut. That camera was such a great investment.)

Her memory for details and that amazing ability to write suit her well. The memories come alive, to the point where you'd swear you had been there with her when it happened. She brings moments to life all over again. She has such talents that she could be in publishing, photography, journalism, practically any communications field, and be totally successful. It's great that she can do something that she loves that bring all these talents of hers together.

I continue to be amazed...
t.h.

Where's that armor polish and my power buffer?

Like any man, sometimes I just need a quest. No, opening the pickle jar because the lid is stuck on it does not constitute a quest. Neither does finding your keys (by the way, they were in the pocket of your purse, so you really had them all along...) I know that I'm not some strapping hunk with a gleaming sword sheathed at my side, but I wanna be your hero.
I know you love doing what you do, and I will always back you 120%. I know, sometimes you just want some sympathy, a shoulder to cry on. But as a red-blooded American male, I just want to protect and take care of you, to make everything all right.

When we moved here, you said that if there wasn't a good LSS, you were going to start one. Well, there was and you got on board, first as a loyal customer, then a devoted employee, and before long, in true fashion for you, you were running it! Honey, I think that it is awesome the way that you get involved in things you love. You have a Midas touch! The school you worked at before wouldn't have grown nearly so well if you hadn't been there to keep it together. After all, when the boss wanted something done yesterday, who did he go to? You, of course!
One of the greatest things about you is that you make things happen! You get things done!

Once you set your mind to something, Hon, you're truly unstoppable!
;-) t.h.

All day long I look forward to your return home. You may be tired, or have something urgent to work on, and all I want is some time with you. I know life doesn't give us a fair shake. It tries to keep us apart, wear us down, make us too tired to enjoy each other's company.

Right now I may be feeling pretty tired myself, but I know that I'm not too tired to love you. I'll admit that there are times when I have no energy to do anything other than pour myself into bed, but even in those times my love for you can stir me on.

Every minute I get to spend with you is totally worth it.

t.h.

I hope I can lift your spirits a bit

To my Honey,

When you arrived home, I saw that exhaustion in your face that comes from doing what you love to the fullest. Honestly, at this time I cannot see you doing anything but what you are doing now for the mere fact that you pour yourself into it so fully. But then again, that is how you have always been.
I wish that I could magically ease your burden, say by making your store so much more successful that you could have others running it for you. But then you would find another aspect that needs developing. That is your way. You are the perfect example of a doer, someone who lives their life getting things done. I have always admired your industriousness, and greatly envied it as well.

You are a marvel, always rich in spirit and so on top of everything. How could I not love you?



Ever yours, completely...
t.h.


“Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” -Joseph Addison

Not much to say...

Today I don't have much to say
Just simply that I love you each and every day.
No matter what things you say or do,
My love for will always be true.

-t.h.

Honey, I think you're right, as always

I don't know why I debate with you. You're always two steps ahead of me, or more...
I am not worthy to lick your shoes, when it comes to reasoning ability.
I've probably gone through many of the same questions as you have, in considering what we're going to do to move our family forward, but both the questions and the answers come more slowly to me. How do you do it? Your mind must move at light-speed!
After 6 years of marriage, you'd think that I would have learned when to shut up. But alas, I am a mere mortal man who is married to such a goddess as you (and you're looking ever more goddess-like, you know what that does to me!)

As far as my own lifestyle changes, you are my inspiration, my muse. I want so much to be all of the man you want and need me to be. I realize my progress hasn't been great in all areas. I haven't yet sculpted my self like a certain southern-drawled actor, or a certain hunky country music star. But hey, I'm only a mere mortal, who loves you perfectly.

...forever and a day...
t.h.

Mr. Scatter-brained here . . .

I had good intentions when I started this blogsite. I wanted to sing praises to my Love, the woman who keeps me going. I haven't been very good at keeping it going. I don't know why, because I have all the inspiration I need, a loving wife who makes sure that our life is never dull.

I blame the fact that I am undisciplined and generally just a scatter-brain. I've always got so much going on in my head that my body can't keep up. My lack of focus gets me in trouble all the time.
Anyone who knows me well knows just how absent-minded I can be. It's not that I forget everything, it's that my mind goes elsewhere (my first-grade teacher Mrs. Amyck was the first to bring it to my attention). In true introvert fashion, I have a world of things going on inside my head that I can't shut out. Most people probably won't identify with this very well, because extrovertedness is the norm. But if you've heard the stories of how Albert Einstein would get lost walking down his own street (so much so that his wife pinned a note to his jacket which basically said, "If you find my husband wandering, please return him to" and give their address.) Well, I'm not as bad as Einstein, but I'm not as brilliant as him either.

I have to apologize to my loving wife Shawna for not keeping up with my postings. Honey, you really do mean the world to me. I don't just say that I can't imagine my life without you. It is the literal truth. You, my love, are so much a part of me that I really, truly can't be without you. It causes me pain to try to think what life would be like without you here with me.

I've never been good at the mushy-gushy kind of romance, partly because I am so indecisive and easily distracted. I'll start looking into romantic idea sites online and click on another link, and another, until before long I wonder how I got on some news-site reading about Captain-Kangaroo-Withdrawn-Sydrome, or some other such nonsense (okay, there probably isn't anything really like CKWS, except what I went through in about 5th grade when he retired).

Oops, got off-topic again. Shawna must be some kind of saint for putting up with me and all my foibles. She puts up with a lot from me, Mr. Absent-minded-professor. (Next I'll probably start rambling about some article I read on bee-hives mirroring constellations, or some other trivia.)

To my ever-forgivin' darling wife Shawna:
I, the man who gratefully bears the title of T.H., I love you immeasurably, and will love you more with every new day, forever-and-a-day.

↓ look down ;-)

She's the one I love with all my heart,
Heavenly voice in my ear.
Adorable to look at, I can't resist her.
Winning me over with just one touch,
Nearly perfect in every way, I can't say no.
Amazing curves keep me coming back for more.

I'm in love with you more every day.

Sometimes when we're apart I don't know what to do.
Tell me you love me too.
I most surely would marry you all over again.
Lean your ear to me, and
Let me tell you truly:

Dearest love of loves, you're the
Only one for me.

Dedication

I just did an autobiography for my college English class, and it got me thinking about what defines me. My life is defined by the people in it. My memories of my youth center most on my parents and my two brothers, spending time with them & doing things with them, more so than they are of friends, sports, clubs, etc. I was a pretty active kid, being involved in Boy Scouts, youth group, band (okay, I had a lot of great memories with the band, and got along great with my bandmates, but I just wasn't really close to them.)

When I got to thinking about it, I realized that though I had a couple of close friends, only one person outside my immediate family made such an impression on me that I couldn't conceive of my life being complete without. I've only had one girlfriend in my life. I met her when I was in eighth grade, and we became friends almost from the time she sat down next to me in math class. She was cute, I was shy. I could hardly talk to her at first, besides just saying "hi," but I had that problem talking to all girls. Dark hair, bright eyes, that cute pixie nose.

I must have eventually loosened up enough to talk to her, and we became friends. She had a way of getting people to talk. Mind you, we were just friends and classmates. (Like I said, I was always pretty shy.) I never got up the nerve to ask her out, and probably thought that I didn't want to risk our friendship by making her uncomfortable around me if she wasn't interested in dating. So I was content to stay at arms distance, no matter how much she grew on me.

After a couple of months, a secret admirer started sending me notes. I had no idea who, but I hoped that it was somebody I liked in return. But again, I didn't talk to very many girls. It should have been more obvious to me. After probably a week or two, she revealed herself to me. I didn't know how to act. I never was any good at observing social behavior, hadn't taken any kinds of notes, didn't talk with other guys because all they ever talked about was who they wanted to "do it" with, never watched any date-type moves (like the Brat Pack ones endlessly on TV those days). I'm sure I was a lot tongue tied and I definitely remember an apple in my throat, but I agreed to go out with her. I still remember exactly where we were when she told me, Chemistry (where the two of us were lab-partners, together with another friend.)

My first girlfriend! I remember feeling all warm and fuzzy. I still do when I remember it. So we went on our first date. The only problem, although I didn't know it at the time, was that she was already dating one of my friends. It turned out not to be a problem, he was cool with it, but then again he was the kind of guy who was cool with pretty much everything ("Que sera, sera.")

Our first date went pretty smoothly, but I didn't kiss her. My excuse was that I had a bad cold and I didn't want to give it to her. She wanted me to French kiss her, but really I didn't know how. Not that I was against doing so on the first date (remember, I didn't really know the rules very well), but I really didn't want to mess it up, or give her my cold. I sometimes wonder how things may have been different if I had taken the chance. All the same, kiss or no kiss, my heart fluttered all night (and not from being scared by the horror movie we went to see.)

To make a long story short, I got the girl.
.
.
.
Shawna, you still make my heart flutter.
And it's to you that I dedicate this page.
I love you, Honey.

Yours forever, T.H.