The Open Love Letter :: April 2008

I'm hoping to do a monthly feature on my blog, in homage to one of my all-time fave blogs (Dooce), who writes a monthly newsletter to her daughter Leta. It is something I am planning on doing when Adam and I have children someday, God willing. However, since we currently have no children of our own, I thought I could write an open love letter monthly to my lovely, Adam. And when we do have children of our own, it's too bad for Adam. ;)

So here goes nothing:


(New Year's Eve :: January 2008)

Dear Adam,

I can't believe it's already April. It seems like the short amount of time we have before our wedding just keeps flying by faster and faster. My countdown widget is telling me that we have less than 95 days until our wedding. I remember when that number was way over 200 and I thought our wedding day would never get here. Now that it's quickly approaching, I have to say that I kind of wish it'd slow down a bit. Not just because my to-do list never seems to end and instead keeps on growing at a rate that is faster than the rate I complete the tasks... but more so because I feel like I need to enjoy this "calm before the storm" with you.

It does feel like it's the "calm before the storm" because looking at our schedules in the next three months, it looks jam-packed and that's all that we know of right now. I'm sure new things will keep popping up. Even within this upcoming month, we have tons of changes occurring and right now, I feel like I'm just trying to soak it all before it becomes a fast blur to July. We've got packing, moving, unpacking, finishing up the school year, all the last minute wedding preparations, showers, etc. Every weekend seems to be just about soaked up with something to do.

While working on wedding stuff yesterday, I came across these photos of us from Mike and Kelly's wedding last May.




(Mike & Kelly's Wedding :: May 2007)

First of all, I cannot believe it's been almost a year since Mike & Kelly's amazing wedding. (They had an awesome photobooth at the wedding done by the even more amazing Boutwells.) Secondly, these photos reminded me of the fact that it's almost been a year since you and I have been engaged. We were very much in that "we just got engaged" high when these photos were taken of us and it was nice to think back to that time when we were just engaged and maybe this wedding stuff was only a dream.

And now Vaness and Daniel are engaged too! I am so happy for them. It has been such a blessing to us to be able to be friends with them and watch them grow in their own relationship with each other and God.

We are going to take our engagement photos this month. Even though I am super excited about this, I am also super nervous. I love hiding behind my camera. The fact that we'll be in FRONT of a camera makes me nervous. I'm sure it'll be fun once we get used to it, but it'll be weird for me. I've been on a dress-obsession as of late in pursuit of the perfect engagement session dress. Hopefully I'll stop being indecisive and just choose one. Or two maybe. I'm glad that we chose to our e-session at UCSD and not the beach. It just feels more "us" at UCSD. Plus, were just big dorks anyway... and if taking photos at UCSD makes us even bigger dorks, then that's even more so "us."

I like that you're my college sweetheart. :)


(Garage Sale :: March 2008)

One of the upcoming changes that I am the most excited about within this next month is that we're going to move into our new apartment. I don't know what it is about this that I find exhilarating. More exciting than the fact that we'll have "our home" and we can do what we want with our home, I think I'm looking forward to not having to say goodbye to you at the end of the night. Oooh, and having you come home to me, or me to come home to you. Sounds kind of silly I suppose, but I hate saying goodbye to you when you drop me off. I really do.

This past month, your mom came down and helped us with selling our junk at the garage sale. You drew me the cutest diagram last month explaining how when the stuff leaves the apt, it does NOT go back into the apt in the case when it does not sell. Being the more "pack-ratty" of the two of us, I didn't quite understand where your excitement and tenacity to get rid of "Jasmine's stuff" came from. I guess that's why this relationship works. If both of us were pack-rats, it'd be the end of us.

I was super amazed when people started buying our old junk. Truly amazed. Like, who would want "fill in the blank"? People actually do! What a concept! And we made more than we needed to help offset moving costs. God is so good.


(Garage Sale :: March 2008)

I think the highlight of the garage sale was when that lamp of yours that I've been trying to get rid of for years made it's appearance at the garage sale. You put the funniest card on it and made a good several people laugh. I love your sense of humor. I might not have always understood it, but now that I'm starting to really "get it," I think I actually kind of like it.


(Garage Sale :: March 2008)

Y'know, I think one lady was really going to buy the lamp, but alas... the lamp did not sell. I guess we're stuck with it for a little longer. Unless it just so happens to not find it's way into our moving truck. "Where did it go?" asks Adam. "I don't know," says Jasmine innocently.

Hehehe.

Out of everything happening this upcoming month, what I am looking forward to most is our 6 year anniversary on April 11th. When I look back and think about how you and I have known and dated each other for all of our twenties, it is amazing to me that you still love me. When we met sophomore year at UCSD, I totally remember thinking, "What are the chances that you break up with your girlfriend, I break up with my boyfriend, you and I become friends, and then we date each other?" Ha! Yeah right!


(Our Engagement :: May 2007)

Well, God had a much better plan than I did and not only was He right in that you and I would end up dating... He was right when He whispered to me over and over early on before we were even dating, that you... Adam Ko, would be "the one" for me. I laughed in God's face when He told me that six years ago. Literally laughed in His face. Thought I was hearing voices in my head. But now I suppose He's the one laughing and smiling now, because six years later... I'm about to marry "the one" He's created for me. I am so blessed to be your fiancee. Truly blessed.

Happy early anniversary love!

(And PLEASE don't buy me that dang Coors Light hat for our anniversary. No, it will NOT be funny.)

Your love,
Jasmine