a very busy summer (bottle message twenty eight)

dear my beloved one,

it has been a rollercoaster of events the past seven weeks. we have gotten engaged, moved into our own place, and learned a ton about one another. the main thing i've learned is how much you like to be out of the lime light. so in honor of that, i will cease to talk about you in my blog and will continue to just talk about how i'm growing and what projects i am doing.

the proposal was wonderful. as much as a proposal should be a surprise, you completely surprised me. it was sweet, simple, intimate, perfect. i couldnt have asked for a better proposal from the best man. i cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you, one day at a time. people say you got the ring right. i think so too. (sorry the pics a little blurry) 

we have moved into our own little apartment and furnished it quite nicely complete with a craft/frat room and wine/bar area. i have learned that i have way too many clothes and in need of some serious deep cleaning. the patience you have with me in astounding and my ability to commuicate my needs to you is getting slightly better.

i decided that i love reading blogs and should keep up with mine more often. i also think i should start a blog for all the wedding things i'll be doing for our special day. more on that later.

today i'd like to pay tribute to one of my closest friends, emily, as she just got back from her trip with mocha club in africa yesterday. you can read more about her trip here.

a quarter there (bottle message twenty seven)

dear my beloved one,

today was our three month anniversary. and boy time has flown on by. to be honest, i forgot what today was. its been nice having our time together. learning to live in a limbo state. but most important is falling asleep in your arms and waking up next to you. i got to see my gparents this weekend and go flee market shopping at trade days in fredricksburg. i got some sweet dishes and glasses for our kitchen whenever we move in together.

you lost your favorite beanie, the one i got you sometime this past winter. you weren't too happy with yourself. but hey, you had a good time out with the boys feeling young again. :)

SOV at Times Square

i loved waking up with you today. seeing you smile and kissing me was the highlight of my day. today you are in new york city to see atlantic records. from what i hear you did quite well (which i already knew you would) and you've been smitten by the city lights. i hope tonight's sleep finds you well. i pray you have sweet dreams and safe travels tomorrow. and as always i cannot wait to see you. the more apart we are, the more i miss you. and i cherish all the time we have together. 

te amo my love.

an all day affair (bottle message twenty six)

 dear my beloved one,

this weekend was relaxing, intense, lovely, and learning. we spent time renting movies, watching movie, eating in and eating out, not to mention a double feature on sunday. i ran town lake from your place to i35 and back on my one year anniversary of graduating college. we celebrated six months of dating on sunday (which happens to be my favorite day) with a trip to the mexican restaurant tequeria la chivas and watched the soccer game with gerard, watched thor in 3d AND fast five which happened to be in brasil.

Rio De Janeiro, Brasil

 i will say it was fun watching a movie where you lived and you whispering to me each of the locations and me remembering the pictures you showed me. we then went to whole foods to split our sandwich as usual and walked on home. and for the first time in my life i brought home my work and you watched you tube (for work purposes).

baby i love learning from you. i love dating you. i am grateful for you everyday even when i become a brat and don't act like i do. you are a wonderful man, a wonderful friend, and a wondeful husband. thank you for all the hard work you put into our relationship. i am truely blessed.

te amo my love.

six months (bottle message twenty five)

dear my beloved one,

six months ago today you invited me out to latitude 360 to see bens band play.. and from there our story began. six months ago you kissed me in the first bar you played at on sixth street. i was telling you how i was ready for a husband and looking to settle down. and for some God reason you kissed me, even though you didnt want to be with someone like me, i guess i was interesting enough. you didnt want to loose you edge, baby you havent lost your edge one bit. you are still the fun crazy charming loving man i kissed six months ago. you have charmed your way into my heart and life forever.

Gavin (middle) visiting the tigers on trip to gulf shores, al.

i believe the angels were rejoicing and laughing at how much change was going to happen to us in the next six months. we were both taken by surprise and in awe of what God can do in the blink of an eye. how He can change a heart and a life to glorify Him and He truely does give us the desires of our hearts. i could not have asked for a better man to spend the rest of my life with.

te amo. my love.

cinco de mayo! (bottle message twenty four)

dear my beloved one,

happy cinco de mayo! fun fact: fifteen years ago i was baptised in plano, tx. and how much time has flown by. last year i was in college station and watching my now best friend at a local restuarent. fast forward to now: i am now married to you, a wonderful man whom i am so proud of, and i'm having a blast with my two close friends.

we enjoyed a delicious margarita (pictured above) at polvos, that place you went and messaged me this picture when we were only talking in picture form:

i know that you are drained, as am i. i was thinking this morning about my role as your wife and what i can do to be a proverbs 31 wife. i am to uplift you, respect you, comfort you, forgive you, be kind towards you, pray daily for you, and unconditionally love you.

right now you are away in alabama for a few days. longest we've been apart sinced we've known each other. it'll be a good time to recharge the batteries, remember why we fell in love, and get a little steam off. i know you'll have a great time because you are a great guy to be around and everyone will love you. and you already know i miss you a ton, but i know you need your space and time to heal. so with that said, i will pray for you to be filled with the love and kindness and spirit of the Lord. i pray for your safety, for your health, and for your heart and mind.

te amo my love.

learning again (bottle message twenty three)

dear my beloved one,

today was a sweaty sweaty day. i'm talking sweaty yoga has taken a whole new flight. you haven't yet enjoyed a yoga session yet, but i'm sure you will soon. instead you have taken up golf in order to beat my father one of these days. although he's got a few more years of experience on you, i have no doubt you will succeed (don't tell him i said that).

i completed today by having a breakthrough moment at yoga which i will tell you more about later, dying sarah's hair black, and eating a wonderful itailian meal cooked by you.

overall a good day my love. te amo.

the owls (treasure chest seven)

dear my beloved one,

i found the owl picture i made you. you said it gives you chills everytime you look at it because it sums up the majority of our conversations. enjoy :)

fun in the heat (bottle message twenty two)

dear my beloved one,

today is a very cold day even though its may. we have learned to embrace the randomness of texas weather, even though we both know next year come tree pollen season, we will be far far away from austin. you have far surpassed my imagination with you love and patience. in fact it shocks me still today. you have a gift of unconditional love and i am trying my best to be better for you.

this past weekend was full of fun. it started on thursday with me going out and trying on dresses with the girls (don't mind my facial expressions). your brother came into town from brasil on friday. we saw awolnation at la zona rosa and danced the night away.

saturday we had a brasillian cookout with some close family friends. sunday was hot and busy with last minute errands, taking tigo to the airport, and driving to san antonio to celebrate sam and haven's marriage. in the car ride you played guitar and we sang 'i will be here' by steven curtis chapman because we didnt know if we had to sing at the reception. we didnt end up singing, but it was fun learning a song with you.

my love i don't know how to express how much i love you and am so grateful for you and your kindness and care. you have shown my love far beyond any human. i cannot wait to celebrate more milestones with you

back in the swing of things (bottle message twenty one)

dear my beloved one,

my oh my how time flies. its almost may and the summer heat is upon us. getting up for work has been particularly tough for me since i really highly dislike my job. but you encourage me every morning and send me off with a kiss and somehow i make it through the day. 

today we both got back in the regime of working out. and Lord knows we need it :). i love your enthusiasm for being active and little do you know thats extremely encouraging. for the first time since october i went to black swan (sweaty) yoga which is conveniently located near your apartment. perfect. i will say it was a tough class, but i am excited to go back each week and get my butt kicked. 

side note, on the way to yoga the Lord painted a beautiful sunset. reminded me of just how wonderful our Creator is and how majestic He is. 

you are out watching a hockey game and enjoying the lovely weather outside. i wish you well my love. as you try and coax me to come out and watch the game after i've sweated for an ungodly hour. i'll just let you miss me for a little while longer. 

te amo my love.

noah's ark (bottle message twenty)

dear my beloved one,

the past few days have been rough, but that's not to say alot of learning has taken place, mainly on my end. so to start i want to say how grateful i am to the Lord for bringing such a wonderful man into my life. to teach me and granted so much patience.

last night before i fell asleep, you told me the story of the three sons of noah, noah's ark, and the descendants that came forth. i learned many new things about the Bible and God. i loved hearing you talk about God and how He told noah exactly how to build the ark, down to the last window. i love how you only read the Bible in the king james version, and you think every other version is much harder to understand. i asked you on the way out to brenham if we could start nightly or semi-nightly bible story times, and you got excited about sharing some stories in the Bible i never would have known. i cannot wait to learn from you.

btw this is what bluebonnets look like :)

today we spent a wonderful day out in the bluebonnet-less bluebonnet country of brenham texas. home to blue bell ice cream. today we discovered we love the newest flavor, homemade in the shade, and your obsession with insane hats/antique shops. i loved watching you interact with my family, watching them laugh and listen to you. 

and tonight, i lay awake praying for you. for our marriage to be three part, with God as the center. that He may bring peace and love and forgiveness to our hearts. and that you will always know i love you and care for you deeply. 

te amo my love. 

my how time flies (bottle message nineteen)

dear my beloved one,

time has flown this past month. a very successful sxsw, although there is always more work to be done. immediately following sxsw you developed a horrible allergy to tree pollen. the whole sickness and in health vow really came in handy. you stayed at my place because you couldn't breathe at yours (partially due to the australians) and you fell in love with her charm. you 'fixed' the door knob in the bathroom, tidied up the room, worked hard at the computer, and took a ton of medication.

i loved coming home to you,

being able to sit on the front porch and eat a home cooked meal,

falling asleep in a comfy bed in your arms,

trying all sorts of vitamin/medication mixes to allow you to breathe,

taking marriage walks with you to the grocery mart,

watching you sleep peacefully as i leave for work.

its the little things in life that i love about you.

alas we have moved back into limbo stage,

some nights at your place, some nights at mine,

but overall i dont care where we are,

as long as i fall asleep in your arms,

and wake up next to your smiling face.

last night you told me you saw the most beautiful thing. when i asked what it was, you said, "leaves".

my love i cannot express how lucky i am to have you. to learn from you, listen to you, be with you. you leave a permentant smile on my heart.

te amo my love.

pure bliss (bottle message eighteen)

dear my beloved one,

it has been two weeks since we've wed.. pure bliss. i don't think we've settled into "married life" quite yet, but with the hustle and bustle of sxsw, we have spent the least amount of time together. which makes me remember just how precious each moment we spend with each other is.

today sxsw officially starts, as does show one of seven for you. i pray you are welcomes with open ears, eyes, arms, and hearts with your music. i pray that there will be kindness in everyone's hearts as they drive through the mayhem this week in austin.

te amo my love.

the longest four days ever (bottle message seventeen)

dear my beloved one,

the past four days have been a crazy hectic time in which i have no idea how we got any amount of rest. of course the length and stress of these days has been due in part to me and in part to you.

thursday i dare say i ran out of gas. on mopac. in the middle lane. with a dead cell phone. right after the river. in the midst of rush hour. and i dare say again i had an epiphany on saturday that i was wearing the same exact dress i wore when i got in my first wreck at last years sxsw. and not only was a wearing the same dress, it was the first time since i got in my wreck i had worn the dress. needless to say, you told me to get rid of it lol. i probably caused a traffic jam of this size. i wouldn't be surprised.

friday was not too bad. i came home from work. straightened your hair. you drank endless amounts of tea since you had no voice. i told you alcohol and the cold weather don't mix with your brasillian blood, but you still managed to have some voice for your show in san antonio. the first show i have not gone too since we've met. instead i spent the evening with sarah and took her out for her birthday. and we watched glee. what a glorious time it was.

saturday morning was super stressful as your sense of time is much your own and not as americanized as mine is. i am punctual. you are not. i plan. you do not. and yet i still love you even when we get frustrated. you sort of have a lag in the frustration department. but alas we still made it out to see the venue where we will be wed on february twenty fifth, two-thousand and twelve. and i am so glad to be with you my love. moving to the evening we spent a delicious time at our new favorite brasillain food place (not that we had an old one)... we reminisced on pao de queijo and guarana. you introduced me to your favorite brasillian drink, caipirinha, and we both agreed we should have it at our wedding. maybe not a peace bowl size of it though.

sunday was another learning experience for me. i realize now how much i will learn about myself with you. i am blessed to be with you. to have you in my life. to marry you in a few short days. i am bound to mess up, but you are very patient. i pray for patience.

te amo my love.

she is love (treasure chest six)

dear my beloved one,

tomorrow i will become not only your bride, but one with you. tomorrow i will become your wife. i pray that our marriage is sound in the Lord and that His will be done in our life together. beloved, i cannot wait to spend eternity with you.

i love you. more than words can say or actions can show.

te amo my love.

oh look what i found (treasure chest five)

dear my beloved one,

here i am. rockin' out for a little bit. enjoy.

te amo my love.

our covenant (treasure chest four)

dear my beloved one,

today i leave you with this verse and video.
in a week we will join in one covenant with the Lord, you and i.
i will call you husband; you will call me wife.
enjoy my love.

Hosea 2:14

"Therefore I am now going to allure her;
   I will lead her into the wilderness
   and speak tenderly to her."

reasons why i love you (treasure chest three)

dear my beloved one,

on this special day, i want to tell you reasons why i love you. reasons why i am honored to be called yours.

- i love the way you look at me -

- i love the way you laugh -

- i love how you tell me 'i love you' every morning -

- i love how you teach my portuguese words -

- i love the way you love food -

- i love the way you smile when i kiss your cheek-

i love your kind eyes -

- i love the way you hold me just before we fall asleep -

- i love the way you light up a room -

- i love to hear you sing -

- i love it when you call me baby girl-

- i love the way you interact with my family -

- i love watching you play soccer -

- i love talking with you -

- i love you -

my dear you mean the world to me. more than you will ever know. more than i could ever show you. you have brought so much joy into my life. i am so glad to have met you. i can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. to have a grand adventure with you. i love you now and i always will.

te amo my love,

xoxo

the sue sylvester suit (bottle message sixteen)

dear my beloved one,

yesterday we got our marriage license and you didn't even hesitate. this is good news. after we halfway made our lifetime commitment, we ate a sago and had delicous margaritas to celebrate. once we started disscussing the 'theme' of our wedding and after i propsed the color ideas, you proposed the idea of you wearing a red suit. i am marrying a loon. but, as i still love you, i had sarah conjure up a suit idea and this is what we came up with:

now i know you would probably have a different hat color, but you have to admit this is pretty funny. along with my obession with glee, this suit suites you my dear.

 

te amo my love.

down with fb (bottle message fifteen)

dear my beloved one,

today i am getting rid of facebook. shock! i know but still i decided after we had a tiny disagreement this morning that i can still breath and my life will still go on (as everyone elses) if i do not have a facebook. so with little thought as to who i will lose, i am gaining myself, my sanity, and you. so in my eyes, down with fb and on with life.

if people have to go to a page to research my life, i'd much rather them not find me. i'd rather have someone find me and talk to me, face to face. i always talk about how this generation as lost touch with physical interaction and social skills and yet i can't stay off fb for a mere couple of hours? seems a bit hypocritical of me. i digress, and have made my deicision to stay clear of fb. there are plenty of other means of communication between humans. and i will still be a human, even if i don't have a fb profile. a fb profile does not equate to my exsitance on this earth or in this lifetime.

i was created for great things, not to be controlled by an invention of mankind. so goodbye fb, so long statuds updates, and relationship questions. hello to fresh air, coffee dates, and phone calls. here's to more interaction with humans and books, instead of my computer.

thank you for teaching me a simple value in this life.

te amo my love.

snow signs (bottle message fourteen)

dear my beloved one,

for the past few days i've watched you eat (i know strange) and noticed how meticulous you are with eat bite. how you calculate your bites to match up perfectly, thus cleaning your plate to the last morsel. i made you mac and cheese and you gobbled it up (carefully). you completed yet another interview for some radio station while i cooked away a good meal complete with asparagus and wine. your face lite up when you tasted the delicious meal. i was quite pleased.

i know the key to your heart is through food.

on a really really good note: YOU SAW, TOUCHED, TASTED, and PLAYED in SNNOOOWWW!!! for the very first time you were surrounded by good ole texas snow. and i was very excited to witness this. this has been an ongoing dilemma since you thought texas had snow every year for christmas. well this is not the case, and every time there was a possibility of snow, you'd say you'd marry me.

well by golly it snowed! and you said it's a sign. which makes me very happy. i'm glad to be yours. forever. i cannot wait to marry you. so i thank God for sending austin, tx snow. even if it was extremely hard on the rest of the country and black ice is causing a zillion wrecks on texas roads, God gave you a sign. and i'm going to run for the hills with it. literally. i'm planning a wedding in the hills.

i'll post up some videos i got of you playing in the snow. quite a trip haha. and you're lack of knowledge of how to make a snow angel was extremely cute.

te amo my love.

walking in a winter wonderland (bottle message thirteen)

dear my beloved one,

today is FREEZING!!! winter has come once again to austin, coldest day yet! the power is out at your place and i pray you stay warm and cozy while i work. this year already has been an interesting one at best, and i am very grateful to be with you.

here is a picture of a winter you might dream of, which for the record, will probably never happen in austin texas. but one can dream.

this past weekend we visited my family after your taping with do512 and i made the worst food i have ever made in my entire life. and you ate it like a champ. although you covered up the grossness with lots of peppers and olives, i feel like i should master the classic mac and cheese. so i found this recipe online and i am going to cook it for you tonight:

Mac and Cheese

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

sound delicious? i think so.. although i might have to make it for my group and try it out on them tonight. i don't want you to have to taste another experiment of mine any time soon.

you have a busy weekend ahead of you with three shows. i'll be traveling to bryan, tx to hang out till you get there on saturday. we'll see what happens on superbowl sunday. maybe it'll even snow in austin beforehand and then you'll finally have a completed life. i will leave you with this video, not-so-coincidentally titled either, by one of my favorite artists (besides you):

te amo my love.

my michael jordan year (bottle message twelve)

dear my beloved one,

i am now in my michael jordan year. twenty three years of age as of yesterday. the past year of my life has been a crazy good one. i learned alot about myself in twenty ten, and in the first few weeks of this year as well.

you took me to my favorite birthday restaurant, pappadeaux, where we split an amazing meal that ended up being both lunch and dinner. i love your passion for food especially cheesecake. you are quite a delight and i am very glad to have you in my life.

you took me to the movies and we saw the fighter. i love that you are willing to see a chick flick but i'm sure you were relieved when we didnt go see one. i love being with you. i hope you know that.

i was sick all day and you held me as i coughed and made sure i slept and didnt have to be alone on my birthday. it was the first one without my family. so i was glad you were there to represent them. i know they love you and appreciate all you do for me.

you are horrible with gifts. not in a bad way. just in the way of timing. which you don't live on a timed schedule so i don't mind. but you did get me a dog and flowers and a lovely hand written note. now i can hold sebastian allan when you're not there and be reminded even more so that you love me.

so here's to my michael jordan year. may it be one to remember with us at each others side. my this year be full of love, learning, growth, passion, and transforming. i am very glad to have you in my life. and i cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for us.

te amo my love

rainy days (bottle message eleven)

dear my beloved one,

this week you have found a new love in freebirds burritos, as well as our mutual love for lemon juice on practically anything. we have a new found agreement that austin java is way better than twenty four diner due to the delicious migas and chocolate chip pancakes.

even through the rainy cold weather, we still manage to go out and support our friends music lives and still spend some time together talking about us. 

i am grateful every day for you and how the Lord brought you into my life. i don't think i'd change our story for anything in this world. i am so glad to have met you. and i cannot wait to begin a life with you. 

bittersweet (bottle message ten)

dear my beloved one,

today was the first day of the work year two thousand and eleven. and believe me it was bittersweet. sarah has accommodated some nice pain killers due to her breaking her foot and with surgery a week away, she gets to laugh at everything, making my job even more enjoyable. 

but to be honest, i feel betrayed tonight by two people i would say were/are very close to me. it seems as if one old friend wishes to not be my friend, and the other well she's new and actually has the same pattern as to why we met in the first place. but i digress as i am in no position to judge or dislike anyone for their actions. we are called to love. simply. as God loves us. 

so with that said, i have found another beautiful quote in my journal from max lucado:

"Don't we all long for a father... who cares for us in spite of our failures? we do have that type of father. a father who is at His best when we are at our worst.. whose grace is strongest when out devotion is weakest."

our Father is a gracious One. with more power to control than anything we can ever imagine. and i think He's got alot of reasons to be angry with sin, but He has grace enough to love us regardless of our past, present, and future. i will strive every moment to be just a sliver of  that kind of love. i hope you have some grace too my beloved one. because we can not just take the good in life without accepting the bad too.