Saturday, September 21, 2013

Love Letters

...dating...



August 18, 2002
Dear Chris,
I will be forever grateful that I spent those six weeks in Alaska, if only to have met you... 
...Life never turns out the way we plan. I think in our case, it is turning out better. I hope that never changes.
Love, Laura




August 18, 2002
Dear Laura,
I just finished reading your card. ...
...I really do like you, maybe more than that, more than just a bit. Like a really big well drilling bit maybe. ...
...I won't ever forget a certain short but eventful walk from the Wood Center to Lathrop Hall, or the rather long walks of August 17. I have never had someone in my life that I could tell so much. You are my best friend. ...
...I hope you never forget me and I really hope you never get a chance to. ...
Love, Chris

August 28, 2002
Dear Chris,
I don't really know where to start, except to say that you are the most amazing guy I have ever met. From what I know of you, you are everything that my little imagination came up with when I was young, everything I've been taught in church to look for, everything I want, and still more. ...
Love, Laura

September 4, 2002
Dear Laura,
...I really love that quote, 'A coincidence is a small miracle where God chose to remain anonymous." Well Alaska was a pretty big coincidence and definitely no small miracle....
...Keep in touch. (I don't know why you wouldn't.)
Love, Chris


September 27, 2002
Greeting Card: 
Next to you is where I want to be.
Less than two weeks...
Love, Laura

October 22, 2002
Dear Laura,
I am going to write you a letter. I thought about putting this down on paper using one of my nice new cool pens that I have found recently on the floor at school but I didn't. ...
...The first thing that I wanted to do was remind you of exactly how special you are. You have the ability with me to enter a room and bring immediate joy and happiness. That is really cool. ...
...The actual reason that I wrote this letter though is that I wanted to let you know that when I said I love you ... [you don't get to read the rest of that part. that part is mine.]
...I want to thank you for all that you have done for me. You are the best friend that I ever had. ...
Love, Chris
P.S. Feel free to write back.

December 11, 2002
Dear Laura,
I was writing to let you know that you are the most beautiful and wonderful person I've ever met because:
[list 1/2 page long]
... I love you. I hope that you can understand why now if you didn't before. You really are the most wonderful person I've ever met.
Love, Chris


February 14, 2003
With a single white rose
There is no one I'd rather share this Valentine's Day with than you.
Love, Chris

and

[One of my all-time favorite letters from Christopher in which he gave me a stream-of-consciousness glimpse into his side of our relationship of which I am only going to share the very end]

Life is great. I know there will be ups and downs but I'm pretty sure that is just going to get better from here on out. Happy Valentine's Day. I'll see you in one week and then all will be well in the world.
You're always in my heart,
Chris

Sometime during 2003 I think
With a bouquet of daisies
To the most wonderful person I've ever known. 
You're always on my mind and in my heart.
Forever yours
Love, Chris

May 10, 2003
Excerpts from 'The Golden Touch'
The song written and performed at prom by Chris & Ben Blaker
I see you
standing there
wind blows
through your hair

don't know
what I'll miss
mesmerized
by your kiss

where I go
who I'll tell
about the girl
I know so well

She's the one
I've waited for
Now I know
My love is yours
...
My thoughts
always with
dreams about
the one I miss

Holds in her
the power to
make my life
a dream come true
...


June 7, 2003
Chris,
...Thanks for sticking around this week. I look forward to sharing many more sunrises & sunsets with you soon! Have fun, be safe. And always remember -- I love you!
See you in a few days.
Laura


July 20, 2003
Dear Chris,
...Years from now, I wonder what you will think when you look back on this summer. ...
...If nothing else, you can now say that you have miniature golfed in the glow of a dozen black lights. ...I love you!
Laura


August 2003
Dear Laura,
I went to send the post card and I realized it had no address. So I got some envelopes from the store to put it in so I could still send it.
You know how sometimes things are really funny until you try to tell someone else, I think this is one of those times. See you soon.
Love, Chris
P.S. I bought stamps. It was weird. 
August 25, 2003


September 7, 2003
Greeting Card:
...And through all the changes
life and love
have brought us,
one thing remains the same --
you mean the world to me.

I would have written it all myself but the card said all I wanted to in better handwriting.
Yours forever and always
Love, Chris
xoxoxo

September 12, 2003
Dear Chris,
I've been writing a lot of letters tonight so it only seems fair that I also write to you. Besides that, I've already stamped and addressed the envelope.
... I am in love with you -- I can't pretend I'm not. I don't want to pretend. I am willing to whole-heartedly give myself to you for time and all eternity. I love you. ...
...With all my love,
Laura

...engaged...


July 23, 2006
Laura,
...I though about you and thought about that in some strange way I'm excited for all the trials that i'll have in life in the future. I've had lots of trials and for more of them than you might know you've helped me a lot. I'm really kind of excited to have you be there with me and we can go through life together. ...

...When we were sitting there in Willow park I don't know if you remember but I had asked you by the picnic tables if in the hypothetical situation I asked you to marry me if you would say yes. Then we went over and sat down right in front of each other much closer than we had been sitting before and I might have even held your hands. We talked for a second and then I just laid back on the ground and stayed there silent for a couple of seconds.

I really prayed right then to know if it would be right for us to get married. I don't know what difference that will make in the future but it's made a lot of difference for me already. When Father gave me that answer right then that if it was my desire to marry you then everything would work out for the two of us, it came as well and as strong as any answer to prayer I've ever had. ...

I love you, 
Chris



...and married...


February 14, 2007
Dear Laura (Valentine),
...I haven't been so happy, in such an overall good mood and cheery nature for years. Thank you. 
...I love you. I think, really, that you are amazing. You joke about it sometimes but I really think it's true. You've done for me what I haven't been able to do myself for years. I'm happy.
So on our first Valentine's Day together I say, I love you! I hope there's many more happy years to come, I know there will be with you.
Love, Chris

March 29, 2007
Note on the bulletin board
"I married you because you'll give me the hard crusty part at the bottom of the corn dog stick."
Laura

September 21, 2007
Laura,
Look, more roses. ...
...We've been married a year now. Wow, time flies. Thanks for marrying me. I was a little abrupt when I asked you but you said yes anyway. That made me really scared but really happy.
...The only thing missing on this card is I love you. I Love You! I really do. ...I hope you know that I love you and always will.
Happy first anniversary,
Chris

Undated
Packed in Chris's lunch box
A Story about Laura:
Once upon a time, I had a large zit on my forehead. Not being one to tolerate zits much, I popped it. It started to bleed, of course, so I grabbed some toilet paper to stop the flow. At the time, however, I had other things to do and I needed my hand away from my forehead, so I used some tape...It was a brilliant moment when I realized that I had taped toilet paper to my forehead.
Have a lovely day at school!
love you much
Laura
 
September 21, 2008
Dear Christopher,
...I love you. I will be forever grateful that I went to Alaska, that I wrote you letters in Norway, and that you proposed to me in Willow Park and I said yes. ...
...We have a very good life together. A beautiful daughter, a nice home...there isn't anything more I could ask for now.
I love you. I miss you. I can't wait to see you tomorrow.
Love you much,
Laura


September 21, 2008
Dear Laura,
...I've missed you and Jane this weekend and I wanted you to know how much I love you. When you are gone there is a big hole in my life. I wanted to thank you for two years. There have been more ups than downs and I've grown to love you more and more as the months go on. ...
...I love you very much Laura. Happy Anniversary and I can't wait to see you again.
Love,
Chris

September 21, 2010
happy anniversary to you
We had a great date but that doesn't change that you still deserve roses.
Love you much,
Chris
4 going on forever


Happy 7th Anniversary 
to my 
Forever Best Friend























love you much
you're my favorite
can I keep you forever?

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

We look the same in Georgia...

I think I can officially say that the craziness of our summer travel and moving is done. That's a fairly significant statement, given how much we really did this summer.

On the other hand, that means the monotony of stay-at-home-ness is kicking back in. Chris and Audrey are gone at school all day, Megan and Ben delightfully entertain themselves fabulously well when it's just the two of them, and I...well, I'm bored. I'm sure my calling (RS secretary in the new presidency) will kick in even more soon, and I have all kinds of projects that I just haven't been doing because of everything else going on. I'll figure how to fill up my time quite sufficiently soon enough.

In the meantime, since I know you all just miss us so much, I thought I'd kill some time this morning with a recent photo dump.

Family Home Evening--the kids get tired of spending all day with me, so they take advantage of the times when Dad is home and not locked in the office doing homework.


Graduate Family Picnic--we actually got to go up to campus for dinner.


The kids particularly enjoyed meeting Buzz, the GA Tech yellowjacket mascot.








Audrey's high five was so hard he lost his hand.

The bounce house was fun, too.






SIDE NOTE OF EXCITING NEWS: Chris has a thesis advisor! According to the university he's not really expected to start a thesis until at least next semester, but Chris has been very proactive about finding an advisor and topic to be able to start his research as soon as possible. And because he's so amazing, he's done just that.

It's also cool because he has an office space, which makes working on campus a lot simpler, and we were actually able to see his office. Seriously--that's the first time I've been able to see where he spends his days since we left Logan four years ago. Yay!

And now back to your regularly scheduled photo dump.

We have explored the park in our neighborhood.















We made cookies.







And played Twister.





We actually play a lot of games with the kids lately. Audrey is getting good at SkipBo Jr, but I think Megan is still the master of Mickey Mouse Yahtzee. Ben always wins the matching game...as long as you don't actually turn any of the cards over to find.



And just because I like to end my blog posts with a note of humor with which to embarrass my children in the future: Ben came to me one night crying in a very pathetic voice, "I'm tired and hungry. FEED ME." I gave him food, he did this.


Apparently he really was hungry.