Happy Thursday!

- Warning - this is gushy, and maybe a little boasting on my part - so read at your own risk. You've been warned.

Today I went shopping with my friend for a new couch. She also helped pick out fabric for some curtains in the kitchen. Wooo Hooo! Just doing my part to stimulate the economy.

We met up with Del for lunch since we were in his neighborhood, and as we were leaving he said "Happy Thursday!" I played along and said something like - "yeah, you too."

What I didn't know at the time, was that when Keri and I made a quick trip to the little girls' room before leaving the restaurant, Del had slipped something in my purse as it was sitting next to him on the bench. I had no clue a foreign object was in there - my purse is the black hole.

When I got home and went online to chat with him about how our shopping excursion went, he asked if I wanted to video chat. I said sure.

As soon as he saw me, he said "Happy Thursday!" AGAIN. This is not Del's usual demeanor - he was PERKY. If you know Del at all - I don't think he's ever been accused of being PERKY.

I said back to him, "Happy Thursday, yourself!" He was smiling and said, "Oh, you haven't found it yet."

I'm totally confused. Then the light-bulb went on. Del's doing this new thing. LOVE it! - and I have to say he came up with it totally on his own, which is even better. Every Thursday he's doing something sweet for me. Last week I got a list of "20 Things I Love About You." It was a fun surprise to find in my email. He's a funny man - I love his sense of humor and his huge heart. This might embarrass him, but here's the email -

I just want you to know how much you mean to me. I know we have, had, and will have rough patches, but I honestly believe that they will help us become stronger. One of the quotes I read, I don't think I sent it to you, is that adversity is what makes marriages stronger. You can't grow together if life is always easy.

Kristin, I love you very much, even if you do look like your Mom, see invisible zits, and invent smells that aren't really there.

20 Things I Love About You:

I love the way you play rock em sock em robots to crack your elbows, except when you accidentally (maybe purposefully) smack me in the process.

I love that you're a hot Thatcher babe that married down to a guy from Pima.

I love that you eat Ruffles and Circus Peanuts, or used to, and it makes me grin thinking about cleaning out 3 different grocery stores in the area to get them.

I love that you get all teary-eyed when you think about your kids.

I love that you are a smart ass, that you find humor in most things.

I love that you care what you look like.

I love that you're up for anything once, well I love that you're up for most things once, some things I don't love so much. ;-)

I love that you stick up for Travis.

I love that you tease Matt about girls.

I love that you see me in Bug.

I love that Rylee is you.

I love that Syd has your sense of adventure, not scared of ANYTHING.

I love how you play the piano in your head, except when you're tapping it out on my head in your sleep.

I love how you love the good stuff, not the cheap stuff. Even if it causes me heartburn.

I love that you love the Savior and have a Testimony.

I love that you "get" eternity.

I love that you dance like a wild woman and make your kids laugh.

I love it when you hold me, it makes me feel safe.

I love that you make me want to be more than a farmer in Pima, even if I whine about it all the time.

I love that you love me, through everything, you love me.

See, and 20 was EASY to come up with!

I love you Kristin, thanks for saying I Do.

Del

(No, we don't have anything against PIMA OR FARMERS - don't get offended! We LOVE farmers - I hope my girls marry one - I did!)

So - back to the video chat.

I started looking around the desk for a post-it note or something - opening up all the drawers, etc. He gave me a hint and said he gave it to me at lunch. I picked up my purse and looked inside - a little white box from JARED. (The Galleria of Jewelry - we all know the commercials.)

Del said it represents the journey through eternity, all rolled into one. (What the sales clerk said.)

Here's the definition from Wikipedia:

For someone who's been married for many years, a Journey Pendant can remind your loved one of the times you've had. The life you lived, the bad and good times you've spent together and the many more to come. Again, each of the graduating diamonds show how strong your love for her became and will become in the future.

Anyway - had to share how sweet my husband is. I know I'm spoiled. I know there aren't many husbands out there like mine, and I'm eternally grateful for him. He's an awesome father and husband, and we're soooooo lucky to have him in our life. I love you. I love you. I love you.

Love,

Kris