Dear Valentine

Husband, you rarely read this blog (which is okay, because you’re busy and I know you still love me). But just in case you do happen to come across my blog in the next few weeks, I just wanted to remind you that my favorite flower is and always will be peonies. No flower is so delicate, so feminine, and so romantic.

xo xo

Katie Lee

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Christmas Card

My talented sister-in-law took photos for our Christmas Card (which reminds me, if you would like one, please let me know). Here are my favorites!

P.s. I edited them, so the mad photo taking skills are hers, but if you see errors in the photoshopping process, that was my fault…

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Weekend Winter Wonderland Date

Problem: Think of a date that costs relatively nothing, yet will be a fun break from school and get us in the Holiday spirit.

Solution: Make Waffles for dinner, go on a drive to see the lights in Provo including the live manger at the Provo Tabernacle, come home and watch Home Alone while making Christmas cookies for T.J.’s work part tomorrow.

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Prince of Peace

T.J. and I were walking into the temple the other day and he started to sing a song out loud, but I stopped him and said, “T.J., only church songs!” You know, I was just trying to get in the right spirit for the temple.

Anyway, T.J. started singing another song. This time it was Prince Ali from Aladin (he sings just as many random stories as I do, it’s great). I looked at him again to show him I still didn’t think that was churchy enough. But he said, “No, this one works.” And he kept on singing.

“Da da da dahhhhhh, Prince of Peace!”

Hilarious and Darling? Yes.

{Love}

“Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.”

— Robert Frost

Deal of the Week

I have a gym pass at 24. When do I go? Look at my body compared to how it was six months ago, and that should give you your answer.

T.J. told me that we should cancel my membership since I’m not using it. Of course I instantly started pouting and rambling off, “But I will go, I will, I’m just busy, but if I don’t have it I’ll just get fatter and fatter… how will you like me then?”

So we came to an agreement. If I don’t go to the gym three times this week, we are canceling my membership. I refuse to lose. Giving up that membership is giving up hope that I can lose weight and get back in shape. I refuse to lose.

But today is Thursday and I haven’t gone once so far. So, watch out 24, you’re going to be seeing a lot of me in the next three days!

 

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Too Early for Christmas?

In the past, I would question those who decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies was fine, but decorating was a no-go. But now, I am obsessed. I broke out my N’sync Christmas Album this week (which in my opinion, is the best Christmas CD ever made), and it let to a chain of events.

N’Sync Christmas to Pandora Christmas Station. Pandora Christmas Station to Eggnog flavored lipgloss and scented candles. Eggnog flavored lipgloss and scented candles to watching Elf. Watching Elf to buying Christmas decorations. Buying Christmas decorations to setting up Christmas decorations. Setting up Christmas decorations to setting up my little fiberoptic and tacky (yet mesmerizing) Christmas tree. Setting up my little fiberoptic and tacky Christmas tree to pulling out the full size Christmas tree.

Fortunately I stopped there. I didn’t want to put the tree up without T.J. since it’s our first married Christmas. But I still had to stop the madness. If anyone visits my house they are going to think I am psychotic! But I couldn’t help myself. One thing led to another, and now our place is a winter wonderland.

 

 

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Jack-o-lanterns

We threw a Halloween party last Saturday night and it was a complete success. Throughout the night, we had about 20 or 25 people come through dressed as Mimes, Devils, Victorians, Princesses, Marios, Luigis, Care Bears, Russian Ice Skaters, Zoo Keepers, Nerds, Lumberjacks, and Leopards. We carved pumpkins, dipped apples in caramel, ate lots of food, strolled down a runway for a costume contest, and watched Halloweentown and Harry Potter.

I’ve got a lot more pictures on their way, but for now, here are photos of T.J.’s and my Jack-o-lanterns!

Pick a little, Talk a little, Cheep cheep cheep, Talk a lot, Pick a little more

Being a married student is difficult. T.J. is trying to get into the BFA program in the spring and so he is working really hard everyday on his school work. I am glad he is working so hard to get the grades and build up his portfolio for the application, but we have realized that other things have to be sacrificed for that time.

But one thing that cannot be sacrificed is communication. I know I have posted about this before but I just want to stress how vital communication is for a relationship. T.J. and I don’t get to see each other very much, sometimes I just see him in the morning when I take him to work and then at night for a few minutes before we go to bed. It is so easy to just come home from school and watch TV and then go to bed. But when we do that, we barely have a conversation and a day goes by without talking very much.

Yesterday, we felt like we hadn’t had a good talk for a while so we just parked on campus, turned off the radio, and talked about how everything is going in our lives, especially our marriage. It was so good. It felt refreshing and really strengthened our relationship.

Elder Nelson said in April of 2006 concerning how to strengthen a marriage, “Communicate well with your spouse—it is also important. Good communication includes taking time to plan together. Couples need private time to observe, to talk, and really listen to each other. They need to cooperate—helping each other as equal partners. They need to nurture their spiritual as well as physical intimacy. They should strive to elevate and motivate each other. Marital unity is sustained when goals are mutually understood. Good communication is also enhanced by prayer. To pray with specific mention of a spouse’s good deed (or need) nurtures a marriage.

Anyway, I just wanted to pass that advice on. Turn off the noise and just talk. Prioritize well so you still spend time with your spouse, even if your date night is doing homework in the library. Just show them that you care and most of all, communicate.