Giving Thanks

It's finally November.

November happens to be my favorite month what with all the holidays coming up and the fall weather.

This week has actually felt like Fall. Walking to my car from school last night I was actually cold.

I loved it!

I love cold weather and coats and jeans and boots.

Ahh... I'm so excited.

In honor of Thanksgiving this month I'm going to post every few days on something that I'm thankful for.

This probably isn't surprising, but the first thing I am thankful for is RJ.

Yesterday marked the 4th year anniversary of the day we first hung out. We'd met before but I guess you could say it was the beginning for us.

I made a book for him for our wedding and this was the exerpt that relates the day:

November 2, 2009

 days until the wedding: 171

 I love you, I love you, and I love you.

We picked the date today!

April 22, 2010

 It sounds like the perfect day!

I am so excited to be marrying you. Sometimes if feels cheesy and sometimes the wedding 'traditions' are lame but I cannot wait until the day that we are facing each other and I finally get to kiss you as Charise Nestman. I know this is only the first page of my little book, and I've already gotten cheesy, but it is just for you. It is all of my thoughts and feelings on the excitement of getting married to you. One day we'll look back and read through this and find out that we really worried too much about one thing, and not enough about another, but mostly it'll show you how crazy I am about you and all the reasons that you're the guy I am going to be with forever.

Forever.

It seems like a pretty long time. Most days it doesn't seem long enough. I feel like time goes by way too fast and soon we'll be 85 and watching our great grandkids playing. I want to be in love with you every single day until then.

So yesterday was November 1st. This is a pretty good day that I'm going to remember forever. Two years ago it was the day that I met you after I moved down here.

The day that I first had Bubble Tea, which is really gross. We went 4wheeling and I was with you and Nate Rooney. He had really long hair and I fell on my butt when we stopped. I was REALLY embarrassed. I watched Gladiator with you, but we were cuddling, so I was nervous and my heart was racing so I don't really remember watching any of the movie.

You had a beard.

You and your friends had a bet going that you couldn't shave it off until someone kissed you. I didn't want to be the person that did the un-bearding... Maybe that's why I told you I liked it so you wouldn't shave it off. [Even after we did kiss.. a whole month later!] :)

Nick tried to hold Alishia's hand. He'll probably deny that. We broke Gatlin's futon because Nick, DJ, and Alishia were just too fat for the thing. It ended up being really late but I just wasn't ready to go home yet. I pretended to be asleep so that Alishia would go home. She did, eventually. I was happy and apparently lacking all my judgment! You were so cute... You told Alishia I could stay. You would send me home in the morning. I could sleep right there on the futon. She reluctantly agreed. With her gone you were even more cute.. It went a little like this..

RJ: Charise? Do you want to stay here? Do you want this blanket?

Charise: Yeah, sure.

RJ: Are you comfortable? You could sleep in my bed. It's really big.

Charise: Um.. yeah.

Just so you know, I am usually not this.. um.. lacking in judgment! And you were the perfect gentleman. I finally fell asleep an hour later because I was so excited and nervous. We woke up the next morning and I couldn't believe that I just slept in a guy's bed, especially someone so good looking. There was just something about you RJ. I can't describe it. It's like I knew that from the second we met that there was something special about you. Something inside that told me not to let you go. We are nothing alike and yet completely inseparable. I tried to talk myself out of you but I just couldn't. You are the one I want to marry, and I think back to that day and somewhere deep inside I knew that we should be together.

 Love, Charise

So today, mostly I'm thankful for my beautiful husband. He is beautiful; inside and out. He has the best heart and wants everyone to be happy. He cares so much for other people, especially me. He is the perfect husband for me and I wouldn't change one day in the last 4 years. It has been amazing to say the least and I am so happy that I am married to him.