[Avatar Spoiler Alert - just warning ya]
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The handsome one took me out for my birthday.
It was good. Very good.
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Dinner at Il Centro started the evening on recommendation from Jodi and Matt. I had the Chicken Walnut Pasta with Focaccia - yum yum and yum. Brandon had Quattro Formaggio Pizza - awesome as well. And we wrapped up the deliciousness by sharing a Rasberry Gelato Ball covered in dark chocolate and rasberry sauce - wow.

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Everyone should start their 29th year in such a fashion.

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Then, with much hesitation it was off to Avatar. My first 3-D cinema experience...palms sweating.

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Much to my pleasant surprise it was an amazing movie. B was right, I did love it. And on the drive home I dared ask..."Would you do that for me?"

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"What? Become an alien? Sure I would."

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Awe, so romantic this guy.

I love that he supports all of my wildest ideas, including two road trips in one month all over the great state of Illinois. I love that he listens to me think out-loud about everything from religion to coloring my hair to match the animated character in the movie we just watched. And I love that he drives me and our girlies home safe as I doze in the seat next to him and flinch awake every five minutes to ask if we're home yet.

Tonight we celebrated being the last class of the 20th century -

THS Class of '99

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Ten years is a long time. Lots of babies and weddings and travels and degrees have been had, and lots of divorces and struggles and deaths have been experienced as well. To stand back and observe the return of so many now-disconnected people to a shared past was really amazing. Many of these people experienced major life events for the first eighteen years of their lives together, or at least a portion of it, and now stood chatting about jobs and family and 'life' with this underlying understanding that we still know eachother, not the latest details, but know who they were and what they were like and still are really - in a good way, in a beautifully familiar way.

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[K & B senior photos from 1999 - the year we met]

To the handsome one.

When I requested you take our photo in front of the sacred spot of our nuptials six long years ago you made my day by saying "Sure" - and you made my week when you asked "What would you like me to wear?"

It was fun to stand under the beautiful arches with you and remember six years past on the same spot where we had stood all dressed up and being photographed and hugged and smiling...beaming...and en route to this Party of Four we now live.

If I had it to do over again I wouldn't change a thing.

You are the love of my life.

~your bride

SO much food, SO much fun, SO in love with this guy!

Dear Handsome B on the other side of the world,

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Eighteen days is a long time.

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Carolyn had your Dad bracing himself tonight as she asked "Hey Grandpa, you know what I get to do after my wedding!?!" He could hardly ask "What!?!" "Have babies, I'm going to have TWENTY" she replied!

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Jules fell hard off her bike and used the rest of the night as 'get better cuddle time', which was A-OK with me.

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Your dad took Carolyn along to a meeting and she felt OH SO important. "Bye Jules, I'm going to my meeting now" she said with her hands on her hips. The big girl attitude was a hoot. She even got to ride in the truck in her big girl booster seat - what a night she's had!

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Julia tells everyone where you are in a super cute little voice, and we're all praying for you and your time.

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You are the love of my life,

Katie

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PS - The sky was beautiful tonight, you know how I love to point that out to you from time-to-time. Today I realized there is a lot of stuff I like to tell you, in texts and phone calls or in person about ten times a day. Your return home will be marvelous!

{at the art show}

He's handsome.

And he takes a mighty fine picture.

You know summer is near when the photos of the chocolate covered strawberries start showing up...I love me some chocolate covered strawberries. And I love this guy, who prepped the berries as I bathed the children. One book, one devotional, and three chapters into Little House on the Prairie later, we had a quiet 'date' night in our kitchen discussing life over the aforementioned berries. And that is a very nice way to end a Saturday.

{love}

[photography by C]

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To say he was made for me is an understatement.