Christmas Presents (also titled "Ahh, Men..."

It's the last day of November, which means that, once again, I'm trying to get a feel for what my loved ones would like for Christmas--as well as sending out subtle and not-so-subtle hints of my own.

Because of how little time passed between our decision to marry and the actual marriage, I don't have an engagement ring, which is okay. So for Christmas, I'd really like for Fran to get me a three-stone diamond ring, where the three stones symbolize "past, present, and future"; I could wear it with my wedding band, as I would an engagement ring.

To get the message across, I left the website with the ring up on my desktop in the living room when I went to bed last night, so that Fran could see it.

I came home to find a copy of the email I sent him before bringing home Bó, which reads: "I know you're not ready to adopt a dog yet, but what about fostering one to save him from being euthanized??," along with his reply that he wouldn't say no, but that he wasn't sure it was the best time.

There now sits on his computer keyboard a picture of Bó and Fran playing tug-of-war, the latter with a huge grin on his face. Underneath the picture is a note saying, "I'm a size 6."

First Christmas

This Christmas, there are a lot of "firsts": our first Christmas together, our first Christmas in the house, our first Christmas with the dog. So, this past Thanksgiving weekend, we put up our first Christmas tree for the first time.

The dog is enamored with it. Before I even took it out, he was trying to "help" me open the box. Then, he lay on the tree skirt while I assembled it. And after it was decorated, he abandoned a perfectly good dog bed to conk out under the tree. And that's where he's been ever since.

Happy Thanksgiving

Whatever trials and tribulations may come my way, I am blessed to have you all in my life, and for this I am eternally grateful.

May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Being Thankful

I like big holidays. And I like celebrating them in a big way. Especially Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is different than other holidays in that it largely has escaped commercialization--except in supermarkets. The section for Thanksgiving cards in pharmacies and card stores is relatively small. There's no fat man sliding down the chimney to bring presents; there's no bunny hiding eggs in the living room. There's no barrage of commercials advertising things you just have to buy--except frozen turkeys.

So (if you can get past the food), it's the easiest holiday for us to remember the true meaning of; instead of the trappings, we can focus on the day as a reminder of all the blessings for which we should be thankful each and every day, yet all too often take for granted. And so I'd like to take this opportunity to express some of the things I'm thankful for this year:

I'm thankful for my husband, who is both my best friend and lover. For the past eight months, he has been here to share with me both good times and bad, to share my happiness and my sorrows. Every day he saves me from myself, by acting as a reminder of my priorities and of who I truly am, inside and out. And he helps me not to sweat the small stuff, to keep in mind what's truly important.

I'm thankful for my family, who has supported me through childhood and into adulthood. Our relationships may have changed, but they've strengthened, not lessened. My family has helped me become who I am today, both my relatives who are here and those who've gone. And while I miss those who've passed away, I am grateful for the chance to have known them and be touched by them.

I'm thankful for my friends: from church and work, as well as my Ya-Ya's. And now I can add many of my husband's friends, who have become my friends, too. They stayed with me through some tough times, supporting me when I couldn't stand alone. And they didn't hesitate to do it, even though it would have been easier for them not to.

And strange as it may be, I'm thankful for the hard lessons I've learned. There've been some very painful times, but without them, I would have learned neither my compassion, nor my perseverance. Those tough times have made me stronger, and have truly taught me how to love myself for who I truly am, flaws and all. And because of this, I can truly share my life with those I care about, rather than rely upon them for my happiness. This makes me a better daughter, wife, and friend.

May you all know how much I love and appreciate you, and how thankful I am to have you in my life. And may your Thanksgiving be a blessed one, too.

Dog Escapades, Part 1

Bó does NOT like the vacuum. At all. He'll always bark at it until he's told to stop, and occasionally he'll try to bite it, as well. It certainly makes cleaning interesting.

Well, he REALLY doesn't like the it now. Up till this point, Bó has realized that Fran and I are responsible for the vacuum making its God-awful sound that he hates so much. So last night's events came as a big surprise to him:

I had not left the extension cord long enough while vacuuming the living room, so when I went to clean under the bird cage, the plug pulled out of the wall. When I went into the kitchen to plug the vacuum back in, Bó must've crept into the room to inspect it, not expecting it to turn back on by itself.

Boy, that dog runs fast.

A Long Time Coming

This photograph was a long time coming. When Fran came to visit in March, when our relationship was just a hope in our hearts, we saw Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland in the movie theater. After we professed our love for each other, we both viewed this as our first date, and decided that we'd go to Central Park to have our picture taken at the Alice in Wonderland statue. But we didn't make it there in March, nor in the months that followed. But our goal was not forgotten, and today we achieved it; we had our picture taken, in fond remembrance of the days when our feelings for each other first blossomed.

A Man and His Dog

My boys watching TV together. Aren't they cute????? :-)