Sweetest Day

I'm loved by the most wonderful woman in the world... who ever saw that coming? *happy sigh*

Despite all the craziness of her last few weeks at school, Gretchen made a surprise trip to Wisconsin last night in order to visit me a little early for my birthday. It also turns out that "Sweetest Day," (a manufactured holiday, yes, but still fun to celebrate with your sweetheart) is today, making it doubly nice to be with her.

Gretchen even made us an awesome dinner tonight, and left me the leftovers. At the Pig while we were shopping, one of my parishioners passed us in the checkout and asked if I was cooking tonight - when I said nope, Gretchen's making dinner, he said I was a lucky guy. True that! But a happy tummy isn't even the start of it. =) To be marrying someone who's beautiful, talented, a darn sharp cookie, and my best friend on top of all that... "lucky" hardly seems to do that justice. Blessed beyond all reason, beyond all sense, beyond all hope or expectations... those come a little closer!

It was a short visit, of course (every visit is too short), but we had a great time just being with each other. A movie, some Red Robin, cruising the mall and Michael's, and a lot of laughter also made the hit list. Next weekend (if the weather is good), maybe we'll fly one of the model rockets Gretchen got me! Wheeeeee!

It's exhausting being so in love with someone. ;) Happy Sweetest Day, love, and thank you for coming up to visit me... I can't wait to see you again!

(I should create a new blog category - "mush"! *LOL*)

Birthday greetings

Today's the birthday of my awesome Aunt Nancy - a round of applause, please! =) Hope your day is as great as you are, Nance.

Heros

As I look forward to my own wedding, I'm more and more aware of the couples in my life whose marriages have endured life's ups and downs, and whose commitment to one another has remained strong despite the passing years. Statisticians - and common experience - tell us that that's no small achievement. People like this are my new heros.

Celebrating the anniversary of their wedding today are two especially important of these heros - Jim and Jan Schaefer, married on this day 38 years ago. Congratulations, Dad and Mom! I'll count myself very blessed indeed if one day, many years from now, the twins look at Gretchen's and my life together and see us as the heros you are to me.

Seriously weird...

So I'm listening to the radio on a station I've never bothered with before (I'm usually tuned to NPR or my iPod), when on comes a commercial promoting Hormel meats at Cub grocery stores.

Nothing especially strange about that, except for the fact that the shopper being "interviewed" in the commercial happened to be Shawnee, wife of my old chum Shawn (insert your own "cute" comment here). They live in St. Paul, hundreds of miles from here - not exactly a voice I'd expect to be hearing all the way down here by Madison, even if I knew she'd be in a radio commercial...

The announcer even observed that Shawnee's expecting (look for their firstborn just before the Big Event in Indiana), and asked if she would keep "Hormel" in mind as a baby name! (Clearly they didn't realize that Steve Jobs had that particular product placement deal clinched months ago...)

How often do you just happen to catch someone you know hawking sausages pork tenderloins and discussing her pregnancy on the radio? *LOL*

Way to go, Shawnee... My day has been made! :)

Update: Shawn's got the spots posted on his blog. You can listen to the Twin Cities, Greater Minnesota, and Wisconsin versions there.

Big weekend!

Congratulations are due to Jeff, who donned the robe and mortarboard yesterday morning, and spent about ten seconds walking across the stage at Southwestern Minnesota State University - Marshall, about two and a half hours into the ceremony. It was a long time coming, in every sense, but worth all the wait beyond any doubt. Mom, Dad, Grandma, Nancy, and Gretchen and I couldn't be prouder - it was wonderful to be there for those historic ten seconds. =)

Best of all, I've got a new favorite picture of Jeff... a rare smiling one, at that. (Jeff does the "smiling" look for pictures about as well as I pull off a "serious" face - it's clear which of us is the more dignified...)

Love and flowers are due to Mom today - Happy Mother's Day! Ditto that to Nancy and Grandma, who are both blessings.

And in the belated birthday department, lots of joy in the year to come to Dad and Grandpa! (Dad - don't consume all your Wisconsin cranberry products at once.)

Since I'm creating a whole new category label of "shout-outs" just for this post, how could I not wrap things up by thanking Gretchen for taking her chances with the Schaefers and being a part of this weekend? =) I love you beyond words.