Day 362: Perfume

On Monday (9/24), I bought you perfume from Ulta. You’ve needed perfume for a while, so I thought this would be a good treat. You wanted to go in, but I told you that I could pick out the right one (you described to me which one you wanted). Well, I came back with lotion. Oops. I think I did that because I couldn’t think straight when I got hit by a cloud of fruity and flowery smells upon entering the store. I told you that I could get it right the second time, but you insisted on going in with me. So, we  went in together and bought you the right thing. I’m glad that you and the cashier thought my mistake was so funny.

 

Day 357: 2013 Calendar

On day 357, I made you a 2013 calendar . . . not. I was actually supposed to make you a calendar on this day, but never did. When I went to make it, I didn’t know what pictures you would want in it. So, I told you that I was making a calendar for one of the acts of love and I asked you if you wanted to help. You excitedly agreed to help. Well, we’re still in the process of making it as you know. It’s going to be epic.

Day 280: Breakfast on the Fourth

I made us a special breakfast on Wednesday in honor of the Fourth of July. Here’s your plate:

 

Day 236: Custom Key Chain

I made you a custom keychain for my 236th act of love: I went online and ordered you a key chain with a picture on it (of us eating at Joe’s Crab Shack for Valentine’s Day) and with “my hubby loves me” as a caption.

I can’t tell you how proud I was for thinking of this. I imagined you walking around with your fancy key chain, proudly displaying it to all your friends and saying to them, “see, my hubby loves me.” I imagined them getting jealous and asking their husbands why they don’t have a fancy key chain. I was so excited that I couldn’t wait the estimated 7 to 11 business days to melt your heart with my debonair deed.

So, I told you: “Guess what?” “What?” “I made you a key chain with our picture on it and under the picture it says ‘my hubby loves me.’ You’ll get it in the mail in a couple of weeks.” “Thanks . . . that’s super cheesy,” came your immediate reply.

When you said that, my deed no longer seemed to me debonair; rather, it seemed Napolean-Dynamite-esque and I wondered why I didn’t just build you a cake. “So,” I replied, “should I cancel the custom shirt I ordered? It’s purple and has a picture on it of us riding a flying unicorn through rainbows and waterfalls with floating castles in the distance.” (Okay, I didn’t say exactly that, but something like it.) “Yeah, maybe you should. But I’m looking forward to that key chain.”

Day 226: A New Bible

For quiet a while now, you’ve been asking for a new Bible. The kind you wanted wasn’t cheap, which was fine, but that meant that we couldn’t just go out and get it. I finally bought you one on Friday, the very kind you were eyeing online:

You liked this one because of its sturdiness and wide margins for journaling.

Day 201: Professional Massage

Since you love massages so much and I still don’t love giving them, I decided to buy you a gift card for a professional massage. I picked one in our price range—a 15-minute neck, shoulder, and upper-back massage. When I gave you the gift card, I braced myself because I knew you’d jump into my arms once you realized what it was. You did.

Day 89: Clothes Money

Not long ago, you told me that you need new clothes. So yesterday, I withdrew our entire clothes budget for January out of the bank (I realize it’s still December). When I came home, I took you aside and said, “I know you need some new clothes. Here’s some money. Use it to buy clothes for yourself and only for yourself.” You started to say thanks, but something I said or some look I gave made you laugh. You tried to hold it back, but ended up showering spit on my face instead. (I give you money for clothes and that’s how you thank me?!) We both laughed hard. After we gained our composure, you said thanks and gave me a hug.

Day 86: Favor from the Lord

Yesterday, I printed out Proverbs 18:22 on cardstock: “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.” Then, I put it in an 8-by-10 frame and presented it to you. For the cardstock, I used a color called “French Vanilla,” which turned out nice I guess. That’s a whole lot of light colors in and around that frame, though. It might’ve been nice to mix things up a bit with a brightly colored background.

Once again, our oldest daughter wanted to help with your surprise, but this time she kept it a secret. She asked me what the sign says and I told her. Then I said that I made it to let you know how special you are. When I took her to the store later, she really wanted to get something for you because she “really wanted to let mom know how special she is.” I like that!

I chose this act of love to benefit the both of us: I wanted this frame to be a consistent reminder for you and for me that you are a gift from God. Now, each time one of us passes it by, Proverbs 18:22 will be deeper ingrained into our minds.