The Silver in his hair is due to age and wisdom, not me

Jeff had a surprise birthday party yesterday. We invited lots of fun friends, no family, because we are ALL alone here in Provo. I got to read a great story by JeNae though: the one entitled I Brought My Mom a Flower and She Beat Me. One of my personal favorites. Since we had many people there who may not have heard what Jeff was like in his early years, it was fun to give them a glimpse. The fridge (and the neighbor's fridge) is still overflowing with my marinated meat since I miscalculated, slightly, the amount people would eat. Thankfully, Kelly Bate came over and I learned a thing or two about marinating. She's an experienced and excellent cook and party planner so I know my efforts must have seemed lackluster. I've BEEN to her shin-digs and they are pretty amazing and the food is always exceptional. At my affair, the food had a few shining moments, thanks to all my helpers, and not much to do with me. I can't wait (in a month or two) to try her smashing Asian marinade for grilled beef kebabs and mastering a peanut satay sauce. I was inspired. Which reminds me, I'll be sure to get the recipe when I drop off her slow cooker.

Jeff and I have been married for 14 years (on the 25th). His birthday can't come, you see, without causing me to reflect on the joys of being married to him. He was 26 when we went to the temple in Seattle. He says he wasn't late. But I sat there on the chair being razzed by one of the temple workers that my groom was a no-show. Not a funny joke, by the way, for a girl's wedding day. I wasn't worried about cold feet. Who wouldn't want to marry me? I just felt nervous since by this time I had an inkling that he treated appointment times with a little more of a casual spirit than did I. He was too cute to let them worry me.