Love is for Better, for Worse

12 weeks ago today, my husband and I stood before God and our family and exchanged our wedding vows. 

This past week has definitely been a challenge, but Beau exhibited his love for me every single day.

My birthday was Sunday. I was sick. My husband and I left the bed & breakfast early. At home we discovered an ant infestation, and I freaked out. My dear sweet husband insisted I go upstairs and shower while he took care of all the ants. 

Early Monday morning, my fever was so bad that I was shaking uncontrollably in a desperate attempt to get warm. I couldn't stop shaking. Beau and I were both scared, and he insisted on driving me to the ER. Some Tylenol, some IV fluids, and many tests later, the ER doctor discharged me with the conclusion that I had a viral infection. I slept the rest of the day. Beau came home from work with treats for me: ginger ale, apple sauce, and red Popsicles. 

Monday night, my mom called me to let me know her mom, my sole surviving grandparent, was put into hospice this week. Beau held my hand while we listened to my mom on speakerphone, and he hugged me while I cried afterward. Then he asked me what I wanted to do, and when I said watch Star Trek, he held me while we did that.

Tuesday I felt well enough to work, since I do work from home, but I was still tired and feverish. Beau made me chicken noodle soup for lunch. 

Wednesday I felt completely better... until it was time to do a few chores after dinner to prep for our AC installation on Thursday. After just 30 minutes of loading the dishwasher and putting away laundry, extremely light housework, I was out-of-breath and ready for bed. Beau finished all the chores that we needed to get done that night. 

Even just writing out this description of how he took care of me while I was sick inadequately describes everything he's done for me this week. He has been my rock during this whole terrifying ordeal with my mom's cancer, and I know he'll continue to comfort me as she starts radiation and chemotherapy the week after next.

Our spouses are not only for the good times, but for the bad. I feel so incredibly blessed to have a man like Beau as my husband.

A Month of Birthdays

My birthday month might be over, but I always find new occasions to celebrate! This weekend, Beau and I are in Denver for my second cousin's wedding (yesterday!) and for a big family party (today!) thrown by my first cousin once removed and his wife, aka the groom's parents. These are my French/American cousins, so happy Bastille Day!

I love my birthday. I love a celebration that's all about me, true, but it's more than that. I love taking the time to reflect on my growth in the previous year, to reminisce about fun and/or new experiences, to focus on my goals for the next year.

My birthday was June 8th, but I celebrated all month long, as I do... Highlights included:

Buying a rattan table and chairs for my apartment

Joyeux anniversaire à moi

My boyfriend and my besties coming over for a wine & cheese night

Going to a big city with my boyfriend for the weekend, my first time ever visiting this city

In this city, visiting several museums and the zoo

Yes, I love taking pictures with all the bronze statues. Especially silly pictures.

Just outside this city, seeing a community production of Shrek the Musical

In this city, going to a major league baseball game

Catching up (a little) on my reading

Going to my local Pride Festival

The Pride Festival included booths for several sex shops. I couldn't resist taking this photo.

Seeing a Broadway show on tour

Spending several mornings and afternoons in a bikini, at a pool, causing men to lust after me

The only bad part of my birthday was H proposing to his girlfriend the day before our birthday, aka stealing the spotlight away from me. That, and finding out that his girlfriend now fiancée had defriended me on facebook. That, and seeing that none of our mutual church camp friends bothered wishing me a happy birthday.

Sometimes, taking the high road and not telling all your mutual friends about exactly why you're not speaking to someone really SUCKS, because he's obviously told them all that I'm overreacting and that he's the victim in this situation. 

Other than that, my birthday month was PERFECT. My boyfriend spoiled me rotten with all sorts of lovely prezzies, like two humongous bags of gummy candy, and a bottle of Bordeaux, and a laptop cooling board, and a new set of wine glasses, and a new bikini, and something I'm not blogging about that's just between us. (Fine, I told Lauren and Hardy too. And my parents. But I'm not blogging about it).

My birthday month was perfect this year, but the boyfriend has already figured out a way to give me an even BETTER birthday month next year... Too bad y'all will have to wait until then to find out his plans for us.

Joyeux Anniversaire à Moi... (les 9 et 10 juin)

The entire month of June is devoted to celebrating my birthday, in case anyone was wondering.

I forgot to write in my first birthday post that the day before (le 7 juin), I treated myself to a facial* and a manicure. Nothing says eternal youth and beauty like glowing skin and sparkly nails!

Blue and silver

On Saturday, the boyfriend and I exemplified our nerdiness by going to the Ontario Science Centre. Our original plans of visiting the nude beach were rudely interrupted by a forecast for thunderstorms all day (which never materialized, of course). After a very late lunch and a stop by the liquor store for champagne (well, sparkling wine, but from Ontario, which I thought was cool!), we headed to the tattoo parlor!

Yup, I now have a black fleur-de-lis on my back, just under the left side of my bra band. It is beautiful.* The boyfriend was very supportive, holding my hand the whole time. It didn't hurt nearly as much as my foot tattoo, though.**

Sunday was gorgeous, and I wanted to enjoy it outside. We skipped Casa Loma and headed to the zoo! Basically we spent half our time looking at the polar bears. The boyfriend and I have decided to have a pet polar bear one day.*** They were just so cute! The Toronto Zoo has a polar bear cub right now, and he was seriously the most adorable thing ever. The adult polar bears were awesome as well.

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend.

Don't worry. We enjoyed lots of naked time too. ;)

*Checked off two goals from my list of 101 Things in 1001 Days!

**NO ONE IN MY FAMILY KNOWS! DO NOT TELL THEM!

***I wish we could actually have a pet polar bear. Alas. Only in our dreams.

Joyeux Anniversaire à Moi... (le 8 juin)

Last Friday was my birthday, last weekend was my birthday weekend, and June is my birthday month. Let the celebrations continue!

My birthday weekend was practically perfect, despite almost nothing going according to plan. (And I LOVE to plan things very precisely).

The plan: Spend Friday at the pool with the boyfriend, and after school, the kids too. After dinner, go to the cool adult after-hours event at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) with the boyfriend. Drink champagne. Go to the nude beach on Saturday, head home to shower, get my tattoo, and go somewhere nice for dinner. Spend Sunday at Casa Loma.

What happened: The only event that went according to plan was getting my tattoo. But the weekend was still awesome. :)

The boyfriend left work early Thursday and drove to Toronto so I could wake up with him on my birthday. He brought me this beautiful cake.
 

I used Paint to hide my real name (in M&Ms!) and age

Book Club Friday: Birthday Edition!

It's my birthday today! I'm 20-something years old! As opposed to yesterday, when I was 20-something...


Honestly, who can focus on books when birthday celebrations are to be had? Hence I'm actually writing this on May 27, 2012, but waiting to post it til June 8. I'm tricky like that.


But you knew that already, right? I mean, I totally 'fessed up to it with last week's Book Club Friday.


Thank goodness for goodreads.com, or I'd never remember all the books I read.

Today's two books are once again, bargains from Amazon. Every month, they offer 100 books for $3.99 or less. I couldn't resist buying four of them from the Kids & Teens category.


The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson and Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein couldn't be more different:

• the former features a modern setting whereas the latter is set in the 16th century
• the former is about navigating high school (and the consequences of failing) whereas the latter is about navigating Queen Elizabeth's court (and the consequences of failing)
• the romance in the former is young and innocent whereas the romance in the latter leads to devastating consequences

But I'm pairing these two books for Book Club Friday because of what they have in common: a discussion on race.