Crazy Snowman

We are in Boston and today we got a snowstorm come through and drop about 7 inches of snow. So I was outside with the kids and we did some sleding and made a small snowman. A bit later while everyone was occupied I hopped on my sister in laws computer and printed out a sign. I then attached it to the snowman. It read:
Hey, I know I look crazy but Cotie is crazy in love with you, MK

love language

I sent MK the following list of words to her email with the tag line:

The language of love cannot be translated - Talib Kweli

Ana Behibek
Moi Tomak Bhal Pau
Ami Tomay Bhalo bashi
Quechua Qanta Munani
Obicham Te
Chit Pa De
Bon Sro Lanh Oon
Sh'teme
T'estim Molt
Gihigugma Ko Ikaw.
Wo Ie Ni
Ti Tengu Cara
Ljubim Te
Miluji Te
Jeg Elsker Dig
Ik Hou Van Jou
Quechua Canda Munani
Mi Amas Vin
Mina Armastan Sind
Tora Dust Midaram
Doostat Daram
Mahal Kita
Mina" Rakastan Sinua
Ik Zie Oe Geerne
Je T'aime
Ich Liebe Dich
S' Agapo
Hoon Tane Pyar Karoo chhoon
Ani Ohev Otach
Mai tumse Pyar karta hoon
Szeretlek
Eg Elska Thig
Saja Kasih Saudari
Taim I' Ngra Leat
Ti Amo
Kimi O Ai Shiteru
Naanu Ninnanu Preethisuthene
Nakupenda
Tangsinul Sarang Ha Yo
Te Amo
Ess Milu Tevi
Gramo-Te Bue', Chavalinha
Tave Myliu
Sakam Te!
Aku Sayang Enkow
Njyaan Ninne' Preetikyunnu
Me Tujhashi Prem Karto
Jeg Elsker Deg
Tora Dost Daram
Kocham Cie
Eu Te Amo
Mai Taunu Pyar Karda
Te Iu Besc
Ya Vas Liubliu
Lubim Te
Volim Te
Mama Oyata Adarei
Lubim Ta
Te Quiero
Mama Oyata Arderyi
Naku Penda MK
Jag A'Lskar Dig
Ch'ha Di Ga"Rn
Bhebbek
Nan Unnai Kaathalikkiren
Neenu Ninnu Pra'mistu'nnanu
Ch'an Rak Khun
Ha Eh Bak
Seni Seviyo*Rum
Ja Tebe Kokhaju

Mujhe Tumse Mohabbat Hai
Anh Ye'U Em
Wani Ra Yana Ro Aisha
Rwy'n Dy Garu Di
Ya Te Volim
Ngiyakuthanda!
Io te ama

At the bottome I wrote:

I could say it a hundred ways in a hundred different languages but it would still mean the same. I LOVE YOU

Reasons Why I'm in Love With You pt11 (Metaphor list)

251. You are a high note held for just the right amount of time
252. You are the first glimpse of snow to a child
253. You are the feeling of a beach nap with a slight breeze
254. You are the four leaf clover within a field
255. You are the butterfly breaking out of the cocoon
256. You are the warm embrace after a long absence
257. You are improbable shot to win the championship in overtime
258. You are the truth revealed
259. You are the hot bath after a long day
260. You are gold star for a job well done
261. You are amazing grace
262. You are a sweet whisper in an unexpecting ear
263.You are the first blossom after a harsh winter
264. You are the perfect grande, almond, black and white mocha, with an extra espresso shot and whip cream on top
265.You are the feeling of hope, peace and freedom heard in Bob Marley's lyrics
266. You are the vivid memory of a loved one gone
267. You are a check plus plus
268. You are the experience of the "just right" red wine
269. You are the warmth of a blanket and a fireplace
270. You are mouth-watering ribs (were the meat slides off the bone)
271. You are the sweetest line to the greatest love song ever written
272. You are the excitement of guest on Oprah's Favorite Things show
273. You are the subtle scent of the most appealing perfume
274. You are a miracle
275. You are.......You

A couple of days...

We are going to Boston this week to see MK's family so I decided to write on the calender at home. Each day consisted of spending time with the woman I love. On friday I added I would be frozen by then but spending time with the love of my life.

I'm Missing You

Hot Love Note Generator at Love-Note-Generator.com

Look at this

Tonight I left a message on the bathroom countertop made out of tape. It said: You are so beautiful

Bare Neccesities

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Today was a great Chistmas day. Santa visited the kids and left a lot of good gifts. After we finished with all the gifts I gave MK her gifts (we were not suppose to get eachother anything). I gave MK some bare neccesities.

Message to Mrs. Claus

I sent MK the following email message:

I just want to say in advance i'm greatful for tonight
Christmas is when we bring our kids such wonderful delight
And even if we no longer believe in Santa's flight
At least we get a chance at a long, late date night.

I love you, thanks for being my Mrs. Claus

Let the sunshine in

This morning I took a slip of paper I typed up and stuck it to the inside rear windshield for MK when she got in the car which said: You are my sunshine!

How Sweet

Cameron had to gingerbread workshop party today at this house. With the help of Nana, Cameron invited a couple of friends over to make gingerbread houses. The kids made some really good houses and seemed to have a lot of fun. After the party MK went to the store and I decided to take some of the goodies and make something for her. I took the candies and icing and wrote the following message: MK you are my sweetness.

Reasons Why I'm In Love With You pt10

226. You like to shop at Tarje'
227. You have become a "Facebook Freak"
228. You are open-minded
229. You are the first and most times only one I want to talk to about things that happen to me
230. You care more about how people feel than what they think
231. You give good hugs
232. You inspire me to be my best
233. You manage not to get completely overwhelmed
234. You remember to feed the dog
235. You are an active mom
236. You give me a kiss after reading these list
237. You get me beer when I run out
238. You call me to talk to the kids when they are misbehaving
239. You bring me coffee
240. You make sure Cameron does his homework
241. You have good genes in your family
242. You are passionate
243. You look good in sweats
244. You have pretty teeth
245. You lift me up and don't even know it
246. You give it your all, everyday
247. You make me feel good
248. You want to be with me when you are not, until your with me :)
249. You will stay up just to spend extra time with me
250. You chose me when I had nothing to offer except my love for you

Love Tag

MK, Cameron, and Nana went to The Nutcracker tonight so it was just Eliza and Daddy. We did some scouting for Santa and grabbed some dinner together. One stop was at Walmart and as we were leaving we saw the ID tag machine. So Eliza and Daddy made a ID tag for MK which said:
Mary Katherine
I Love You
Cotie

Love Quote on a String

In our garage whe have a ball hanging from a string because we have closed our garage door on both cars. So, I took a large balloon and tie it to the string in the garage for MK to see when she came home. I also attached a note with the following quote

I love you not only for who you are, but for what you are when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but what you are making of me.
-- Roy Croft

Plenty Enough

I gave MK a box of Good and Plenty and placed labels above and below the logo to read: You are Good & Plenty enough for me!

Kiss Coupon

Tonight I gave MK a Holiday Coupon Card. Inside were tear apart coupons for things such as massage, one night off, and free smooch etc. I told MK she could use the free smooch multiple times and that there was no expiration date on that one.

Lost in Translation

I painted MK a picture of the Chinese symbol of love. It honestly was not that good. Ok, it was pretty pitiful but only because I had the wrong brush. :)

No Fancy Words

Today I picked up a small chalk board and wrote a web link on it. When MK went to the link the below picture showed up.

Reasons Why I'm In Love With You pt9 (The Not List)

201. You are not a good mother (you're a great one!)
202. You are not superficial
203. You are not a crazy chick
204. You are not a person to look down on others
205. You are not lazy
206. You are not a "party girl"
207. You are not a pessimist
208. You are not non-pretty (politically correct for ugly)
209. You are not envious
210. You are not sloppy
211. You are not annoying
212. You are not selfish
213. You are not stupid
215. You are not obsessed with yourself
216. You are not hot headed
217. You are not bossy (all of the times)
218. You are not like everyone else
219. You are not a size 0
220. You are not unmotivated
221. You are not dull
222. You are not demanding
223. You are not unsucessful
224. You are not loud
225. You are not perfect, but you're perfect for me!

Winnie Me

I attached a note to a Winnie the Pooh figure which read: Like Cotie, I love my honey. I placed it on the kitchen counter so she noticed it shortly after coming home with the kids

Ain't No Women Like The One I Love

This morning before heading to work I placed a mini disco ball in MK's car. On it I wrote Play CD. In the player was a CD with some oldies on it. I queued up THE FOUR TOPS song - Ain't No Woman (Like The One I Got).


Chorus:
Oooh, (ain't no woman like the one I've got)
Oh, no, they don't come better(To make her happy doesn't take a lot)
She don't ask for things, no diamond rings(So together, like a hand in glove)
Like pages in a letter(Ain't no woman like the one I love)

Stuck with me

Tonight I waited until MK went to bed and we turned out the lights in the bedroom. I grabbed her hand and told her that I was glad she got stuck with me. Then I took a chinese figure trap and put it on her finger.

Note: never buy a cheap chinese figure trap, doesn't really work all that well.

Blown Away

MK went to grab her hair dryer from the bathroom today. Went she went to use it she saw I had placed a label on the side of it which said " You Blow Me Away".

Consider the Lilies

I came home and brought MK a bunch of lilies.

Reasons Why I'm in Love With You pt8

176. You are my shining star
177. You want to know how my day was
178. You are always on my side
179. You are a homebody
180. You put up with my bad short-term memory
You put up with my bad short-term memory (did I just write that?)
181. You have a double name (cute.)
182. You get me
183. You love to be loved
184. You are a “Dub C” alumni
185. You will never be mistaken for a spelling bee champion
186. You are my Sarah Jessica
187. You make soft cookies
188. You can be counted on
189. You somehow juggle it all
190. You make sure I have lunch money
192. You have a calm demeanor
193. You are a hot momma
194. You love sweets
195. You are not a control freak
196. You make me crazy, crazy in love
197. You are a Sagittarius
198. You like the skinny guy
199. You always know what I should order
200. You're the hottest 30 year old ever!

Extra crispy laughs

We drove up to Boone with Nana and Poppi to cut down our Christmas tree. Highly recommend it to everyone. It was great picking out a tree in the middle of the mountains with snow falling. Anyway, on the way back I made a joke about her moms cookies being "extra crispy" We laughed to eachother for several minutes before her mom asked what we were laughing about and thumped me on the shoulder. When we got home I told MK that moment in the car was great and just another reason why i'm in love with her. She gets me!

That wasn't really doing anything for the day so I also changed out screensaver to say Infinity plus one.

Lasting flower

MK was commenting on how she had to throw out the roses she received for her birthday because they were dead. So I waited a few minutes and grabbed her from behind and handed her a flower. It was a soft plush flower so she wouldn't have to worry about throwing this one out in a couple of days.

I thought it was funny that eventhough this was not a real flower she still took a sniff when I first handed it to her.

I Love Dove

MK was taking her shower this morning and went to grab the soap. She quickly realized that I carved I Love You into our Dove soap bar.

Love at first sight words

Cameron has a list of sight words which we are to work on for homework. I took the words and wrote them on index cards. I then mix in a couple of my own words. So the whole family was sitting at the kitchen table and Cameron worked through a couple of words. Then he got to MY followed by DADDY and then IS IN LOVE i had to help him with WITH (tricky) MY MOMMY. Turned out to be cute because he didn't know what he was saying.

Cafe Birthday

Today is Mary Katherine's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. This morning I gave MK her present before I headed to work. Tonight I made dinner and afterwards I invited MK on a date. I set up the formal living room with two chairs in the center of the room and a table in front. Earlier I picked up a couple of lattes and sat them on the table. So we sat down in our pajamas, with Bob Marley playing in the background and had a little coffee date.

It was great even with an unexpected guess. Eliza took a late nap today so she joined in on the fun.

Holding a spot with love

I placed a bookmark on MK's bed side table. On the bookmark is the following quote:
"Where there is love, there is life" --Mahatma Gandhi

Playing it cool

I created another comic strip representing the early part of our relationship. A time when we were getting to know eachother.

http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/yvesofus/449572

Simple surprise

MK's 30th birthday is on December 2nd and her mom decided to have a surprise birthday party for her. We have her best girlfriends gather at her mom's house for the surprise gathering. It was a good night of family, friends, and food to celebrate a person we all love. MK. After the party was over and we went back home I gave MK a simple kiss. :)

Now MK can stop saying that I don't have to do this everyday. I can just give her a kiss one day.
The thing is that I want to do this and she deserves this... and much more.

Reasons Why I'm in Love With You pt7

151. You can adapt to different situations
152. You buy the best pecan pie
153. You laugh so hard sometimes, you cry
154. You sleep Eliza to sleep
155. You look good in orange (not everyone does)
156. You are older than me
157. You help out with the yard work
158. You love holidays
159. You are very practical
160. You don't try to be someone you are not
161. You like my grilling
162. You are cute when you laugh at Cameron when I discipline him
163. You are a softy but firm when you need to be
164. You don't complain when i'm "roughing it"
165. You cried when we moved Eliza from the crib to a bed
166. You are a busy bee
167. You are simply phenomenal
168. You are well liked and loved by my family
169. You are a real women
170. You are a stay at home/working mom (hardest job in the world)
171. You are compact
172. You are a Christian
173. You make me look good when you stand next to me
174. You are rarely in a bad mood
175. You are my Georgia Peach

Turkey Day, Simple Card

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving because of two things: Collard greens and Macoroni and Cheese. Today we had a great thanksgiving at MK's mother house and then went to my dad's house later tonight. My belly is full which leaves little focus on creativity. So I gave MK a greeting card tonight. Nothing special, just simple with a signature.

I've got charm

When MK was getting ready for bed and washing her face I asked her to close her eyes. I then placed a (costume) necklace around her neck. On the charm was inscribed: Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.

I may have skinny limbs but I'm blessed with MK; my sweet fruit.

All about the delivery

First, Cameron had a Thanksgiving play today which was really cute. His solo part in the play was to tell the following joke.

Q. Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building
A. Yes, because buildings can't jump

On my way home I stopped and picked up some pizza. On the inside of the box I wrote:

Q. What is the difference between you and this box of pizza
A. You are always hot!

Birthday Angel

Today is my birthday so MK said she did not want me to do anything. So I colored a picture of an angel holding a heart. I wrote at the top: You are my angel. At the bottom: The keeper of my heart. MK thought this would be all, however later I gave her an angel figurine which was the same as the drawing.

Goodnight, Sleep, Type

On most nights I have the laptop in the bed at night to write these posts. On this night I told MK I wanted her to hear a song I found online. I brought up ITunes and handed her the earphones to listen to Good Night to the Love of My Life This was from the Come Close and Cuddle CD from the artist (you guessed it) Cotie. The pre-recorded message was me telling her goodnight in my own little way.

Sweet like you

Tonight I made (from scratch) MK a heart-shaped giant chocolate chip cookie. I wrapped it in foil and placed a label on top which read: Just like you, sweet on the inside.

Ok, not from scratch. From a tub of toll house cookie dough.

Roses are red....

I gave MK a greeting card with a flower on front. Inside I wrote the following poem:

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
There's no other place
I'd rather be then with you

Bath Foam

I was running the bath tonight for the kids and took some bath foam and wrote #1 MOM, I LOVE YOU on the bath tile. I went back in and asked MK to turn the water off for me. She then pulled back the curtain to see the message.

Hello Beautiful

I went out to the car MK drives before she woke up and pulled down the sunvisor. I placed a sticky note beside the vanity mirror. So as soon as she sat down in the car she saw herself in the mirror and a message from me saying Hello Beautiful.

Mission Impossible

I sent MK a voicemail message with the Mission Impossible theme song playing. I addressed her as Agent MK and told her the mission was to find her mark and give him a kiss. This message self-destructed after about 1 second. In my head it sounded like a neat idea, execution not so neat.

Even James Bond is not perfect, but he does get the girl.

Invisible Letter

So I decided to write MK a love letter. But not just any old love letter, and invisible one. I took two sheets of paper wrote out a letter and kept the bottom sheet. I folded it up into a 3 inch long cylinder and place a crayon in between and tied it up with a small bow. I placed it on MK's bedside table. She opened up the small "gift" to find a blank sheet of paper. I then told her she would have to use the crayon (tombstone rubbing) to reveal the letter. One problem: when I wrote the letter, apparently I did not press down hard enough for the words to come out clearly. So the invisible letter really was invisible. Luckily I kept the original. I gave it to her and atleast this one she could actually read.

Reasons Why I'm in Love With You pt6

126. You still are as beautiful now as the first day I saw you
127. You wake me up to tell me you can’t go to sleep
128. You grab my hand when you witness something sweet
129. You are my partner
130. You respect yourself and me
131. You cried durng High School Musical 3
132. You make sure I don’t forget to do things
133. You look like an angel when you are sleep
134. You can adapt to different situations
135. You have curves
136. You are thoughtful
137. You make me soup when I don’t feel well
138. You look amazing when we dress up and go out
139. You try your very best to dance
140. You make the bed every morning
141. You are thinking the same thing I am at times
142. You think I’m gifted
143. You are optimistic
144. You engage with the kids afterschool
145. You love what you do
146. You like to cuddle with me
147. You care about how I feel
148. You encourage me
149. You feel that we are truly blessed
150. You are my fairy tale princess (come kiss the frog!)

Cotie & MK Comic

I sent MK and email telling her about this crazy comic strip I came across. Link below

Cotie and MK @ First Sight

Back in the day pics

I went through some old photos and found some random pictures of me and MK and made a mini slideshow. MK probably will not think this one is too sweet because we take bad pictures. However, it's a visual reminder of how long we have known eachother and the phases we have been through. It is also a reminder of how constant our love has been.

Missed you email

As soon as went into work I sent MK an email to her blackberry which said: I miss you already. Love, Cotie

Relaxing after work

When MK came home from work I had a bath ready for her with candles, bubble bath, and pedals in the water. I played some relaxing music and made sure the kids were in bed. I think she enjoyed coming home to peace, quiet, and a soothing bath.

You are / We are / I am

You are my...

Someone who I was destined to spend my life with; the
One person who makes me complete
Understands every aspect of my being and
Loves me unconditionally; we are
Made for eachother and have an
Affection for eachother which is undeniable;
Trust eachother with our very lives; you are
Everything I ever need.

I am yours.

You Throw Me Away!

This was my idea. I would have MK grab a tissue from the tissue box. Either for one of the kids or for her. I was going to break out the pepper at dinner or suggest for her to wipe the kids nose. If none of those worked then I would suddenly come down with a sneeze attack. Either way, same outcome. MK grabbing a tissue from the box.
This is what happened. MK was cutting strawberries and accidentally cut her finger (small cut). Went into the bathroom to clean it up and grabbed the top tissue. Good. Not exactly. She threw the tissue in the trash without opening it up to see what was written on it. I picked it out and opened it up. I showed her the tissue and written on it was the phrase: You blow me away!

Wonderful Little Card

I gave MK a little card that read:

You are wonderful in God's eyes--and in mine!
The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit is of great worth in God's sight. 1 Peter 3:4

The light

Tonight MK came home after a surprise birthday party for one of her friends (Happy Birthday Amy) I had a scene set up for her. I took the cd player outside and hit repeat to loop
The Light by Common

Chorus:
There are times.. when you'll need someone..
I will be by your side..'
There is a light, that shines,
special for you, and me..

I also took about a dozen and a half votive candles to for a heart shaped light display on the patio.

Reasons Why I'm in Love With You pt5

101. You make the best grilled cheese sandwiches
102. You never give up on me
103. You really like my friends
104. You are able to handle tough times
105. You spark my creativity
106. You want to grow old with me
107. You look beautiful always, even first thing in the morning
108. You treat me better than I deserve
109. Your beautiful hair
110. You help educate the kids
111. You tell me about my flaws in a good way
112. You put up with my messes
113. You listen to me
114. You are always on the same page with me
115. You help Cameron decorate
116. You have the best giggle
117. You glow when you are surprised
118. You want me to be with you when I’m not able to be
119. You think I’m smart (I am)
120. You are the one who people come to about motherhood questions
121. You keep track of everybody’s activities
122. You love your family
123. You take Eliza to storytime
124. You sacrifice to make your kids happy
125. You are my queen, my star, my everything

Shrinking True Love

I decided to do an art/craft project for MK so I made a Shrinking Dink. Basically, it's a piece of paper that you draw or color on and then bake. The paper shrinks down to about 1/3rd the original size a can be used to made all sorts of neat projects. So I inked a copy of one of our favorite pictures of us (used in Da Vinci Scroll post). I then wrote True Love at the bottom. It actually turned out pretty good.

We are the dream

I placed wall stickers with 5 different words in the bedroom. DREAM, LIVE, HOPE, LOVE, JOY
I wrote a little note and taped it below the above words.

Last night made me realize that we are Dr. Martin Luther King's DREAM
So many people before us did not LIVE to see this day;
but prayed so hard for it.
There has been much sacrifice and setbacks;
but also so much HOPE.
Our LOVE is the by-product of so much determination
Oh, what a JOY!

Magic mix

I stopped by the grocery store and picked up some things for dinner and also some dessert. I gave MK some Magic Shell (chocolate syrup) and a basket of strawberry. Attached was a note which read:
We are the perfect mix
You are entirely sweet
I'm completely irresistible :)
If we were a dessert we would be a
Chocolate covered strawberry

Will work for...

When I came home I went around to the front door and rang the doorbell. When MK opened the door I was there holding a cardboard sign reading: Will Work for Love

Pure heart on a chain

I gave MK a heart shaped key chain with Matthew 5:8 (The pure in heart will see God) engraved on it. I attached a note saying that she has the purest heart of anyone I know.

Da Vinci Scroll...Final Chapter

In the bottom of her bedside table was a scroll next a book subtitled Faith, Hope, and Love. To make the scroll I soaked a piece of white paper in coffee and then baked it and burned the edges. On the paper I wrote a love letter.

Da Vinci Scroll chapter 3

Next Clue: You will find what you seek next to the place where your head rest above. It is located in the bottom of three. You will find it next to faith, hope, and love

Last clue was located underneath Planet Earth book on the coffee table

Da Vinci Scroll chapter 2

Next Clue: For your next step you will need to go below Planet Earth. There you will find the way to all you wished for first.

Last clue located behind a picture of MK and I on a boat.

Da Vinci Scroll chapter 1

When MK came home I had a note card sitting on the kitchen counter for her. On the card I wrote: On the 3rd day it will be revealed. Go to the two at oceanview. Behind this picture you will find your next clue.

Weird Explosion

While MK was on the computer I came up to her and covered her eyes. Then I asked her to stick out her hands and keep her eyes closed. I placed a piece of paper in her hands and then asked her to open her mouth.

At the point she's freaking out and says that this is weird.

So pored some pop rocks in her mouth and told her to open her eyes. In her hands was a note which said You Rock.

Note: if you don't know what pop rocks are, it's candy. Small pieces of hard candy which literally pop when comes in contact with your tongue.

On My Mind

I came home today and MK immediately asked me "Why do you have my name on your forehead". I had written Mary Katherine across my entire forehead with a marker. I responded: I can't help it, you are just always on my mind. She chuckled a little.

Like Kraft Mac-n-Cheese. The Cheesiest.

Very Special Note

When we left from Church I placed a note card on the passenger seat for MK. The card read:

You're Special.
I always thank God for you 1 corinthians 1:4

Message in a bottle....of Rain X

I bought a bottle of Rain X (really works) and placed it on a cloth. Then I took the cloth and wrote I love you on the windshield. The great thing about Rain X is that it is invisible. When MK went out to the car it had rain so the water had beaded up to show the message.

100 Reasons Why I'm In Love with You

76. Your courage
77. You take the kids to the library and bookstore
78. You and I share so much in common
79. You have taught me about life and myself
80. You have shown me new experiences
81. You always bring out the best in me
82. You will always be here for me through good times and bad
83. You take the kids to see plays
84. You try to do Eliza’s hair
85. You are a soccer mom
86. You listen to me talk about politics (all of the time)
87. You never go to bed upset or frustrated
88. You know that we are blessed
89. You strive for more
90. You let me be your chiropractor
91. You make sure I have everything I need
92. You like it when i’m dressed up
93. You defend me
94. You listen to me ramble at times
95. You tell me your feelings
96. You would do anything in the world to make me happy
97. You are without a doubt my soulmate
98. You love life
99. Your lips
100. You didn’t marry me for any other reason, except me

see previous post for 1-75

Special Gumball

When we came home from soccer practice there was a present on the kitchen counter. Cameron and Eliza opened the present which was a gumball machine. Iasked MK if she could show them how it worked. So she put her hand out and the first gumball dropped into her hand. It turned out to be the wrong gumball. Then being the smooth guy I am, I pointed to the gumball which was positioned to come out first. On a gumball I wrote, I love you. It didn't quite work out the way I planned but atleast now we have a gumball machine in the house. Cool

Just Turn Around

MK came home and pulled the car in the garage. As she apporached the door there was a message which read: turn around. She turned around; nothing. Again; nothing. So she asked me what was she suppose to do. I told her: turn around. And as she was turning around I hit the button to close the garage door. Posted to the garage door: MK, I love you this much.

Angel Wings

I placed these wings in MK's closet for her to find. Attached was a note which read :

I was looking around and guess what I found.
I knew you were an angel, but didn't have proof until now.

I Adore... Shoe (polish)

Tonight I went to work with the white shoe polish. I wrote "I adore you" on the bathroom mirror. When MK came home she turned the light on and saw a simple message

Impromptu hug and kiss

While MK was outside with the kids I ran up to her and gave her a big hug and kiss. Then I told her that I read somwhere: If you love someone, hurry and show it. She was pleasantly surprised. When she came back inside there was the same phrase on a magnet I placed in the kitchen.

I just called to say....

I left a message on the answering machine for MK. On the message I sang the chorus from Stevie Wonder's song "I just called to say I love you."

Ad-jectives

Today I took a couple of Oprah magazines (don't get ahead of yourself) and cut out different words from some of the ads. I made a collage of words which remind me of MK and pasted them to a piece of paper. When I came home from work I brought in the mail. When MK sorted through the mail she saw the collage of adjectives and phrases I made for her.

My American Beauty

Tonight I attempted to recreate the scene from the movie American Beauty. I gathered a bunch of rose petals for a rose bush in the backyard. I placed them on the ceiling fan in the bedroom. The plan was to wait until she was in bed, however she noticed something on the fan blades. So I hit the fan switch and the pedal floated all over the bed. Then I gave her a note which read: you are my american beauty.

Lunchbox Note

Today we attended Cameron's very first school conference. I'm proud to say he received all 3's (equivalent to A's). After conference I took over the Wednesday night schedule so MK could go to work. It includes the following.
Take the kids to church. Take Cameron to choir and then go to the other side of church and drop off Eliza in child watch at 5:00. Go to parenting for boys class until 6:00. Cameron's teachers will bring him downstairs for dinner. I finish class and sign out Eliza then meet Cameron for dinner. Sign Cameron out fix 3 plates and let Cameron eat with his friends. Art in the Bible starts at 6:15 so I have to make sure he eats and then sign him in for this class. Let Eliza eat and then play and then pick Cameron up from his class at 6:45. Go home get them ready for bed. Brush teeth, read books, bible story, sleep.
When MK came home from work I told her that I forgot the empty Cameron's lunchbox from school. Inside was an empty lunchbox with a small note which read: It is AMAZING all of the little things you are able to do. I love you and thank you.

Reasons Why I'm in Love with You Pt. 3

51. You are honest
52. You make the best Chicken Divine ever
53. You are a girly girl
54. You take the kids on walks
55. You are well known at Harris Teeter
56. You wake up when Eliza cries
57. You volunteer at church
58. You compliment me
59. You only nag some of the times
60. You are smart
61. You read books at night
62. You pray with the kids
63. You never curse
64. You make me look good
65. You set appointments for me
66. You love your mom
67. You always fall asleep on movies
68. Your think i'm sexy, I think
69. You are not materialistic
70. You are giving
71. You look good with make up, great without
72. You gave birth to our kids
73. You take Izzy to get her hair cut
74. You are Superwoman
75. You have been my friend for 12 years

As seen on TV

We are back from our beach trip and excited about some of the shows we missed (DVR). So I took a marker and wrote on our bedroom TV, "If you were a TV show, I would watch you everyday". When she walked into the bedroom I asked her "what's on tv?"

All washed up

When we first arrived at the beach I wrote a short note and buried it in the sand. My plan was to take MK on a walk on the beach and then "stumble" onto this buried item. Unfortunately, it rained and the tide washed away my marker. Instead at night I brought MK a water bottle with "You quench my thirst" written on the side of it.

Classic

This weekend at this beach I decided to do the most clique romantic deed. I wrote I love you in the sand. But not only did I write it in the sand, I wrote it big enough for her to see from the 3rd floor of the beach house. I then went upstairs and told her to look at the window. And there was "I love MK"

Get you back

None of my brillant ideas were working to do at the beach so went to my back up plan. I told MK that I had something for her in my bag with her name on it. There was an envelope with a coupon for one free back rub.

My Best Friend's Message

Seth is one of my best friends and I hadn't talked to him in awhile. I left him a message saying I was calling to catch up and asked him for a favor. Shortly afterwards, MK received a call from Seth saying that I loved her very much. He also added that he did not feel awkward about leaving the message and he would like her to wax his nipples.

Moving bones

I found the mini note book and made a live action drawing. Title: You make me move. Then I had a stick figure (easily represents me) dancing once you flip through the pages.

Last Name: Kiss

This morning when I woke up for work I grabbed MK blackberry. I took a picture of me with my lips puckered up and added it to my profile in her phone. I also changed my name to read:
First Name: Cotie
Last Name: is giving you a kiss
So when she gets a call from me there is a picture of me smooching the screen.

Ring around the roses....

I folded a glow stick into a shape of a heart and placed it around the flower vase I gave MK. Beside the vase I place a heart-shaped note which read: I love you.

Fall for you

The leaves where starting to fall on the back patio so I decided to rake them together. This is what I ended up with.

Bedside Bunch

Tonight I brought home a bunch of mini roses and put them in a vase. I brought them in without MK noticing and placed them on her bedside table. When we got ready to go to bed she saw the flowers next to the bed.

Special Box

I brought home a special box for MK. I showed her this shiny box and told her she couldn't open it until later. I kept telling her that she would like it. I told her I was something that was really good. Something that she loved alot. After much teasing I gave her this shiny box. When she opened the box there was nothing but a note which read,"ME".

Discarded Fortune

MK was bringing home take out so when I helped her bring in the food I placed a fortune cookie inside the bag. My thought was MK would see it and ask about it. I would play dumb and have her open the fortune cookie. Wrong. This is how it went down. MK found the fortune cookie in the bottom of the bag and threw it in the trash. Not knowing that my clever surprise was in the trash can I was getting nervous. When I went to throw something away I look inside and saw a familiar fortune cookie. So then I tried to play dumb and ask why there was a fortune cookie in the trash. She had no clue at first and then asked me, "was I suppose to do something with that?" Then she opened her discarded fortune cooke to find the message : You will live a long, happy life with Cotie.
You never know where you will find your fortune

Spotlight/Glowsticks

Tonight I placed glow sticks in a tree in our backyard with the following poem attached.

Spotlight

flames flicker from candlelit hallways

floodlights above bridges; streetlights near driveways

sunrays stretch; peak above the horizon

following twinkles from star clusters and glowing crescent moons

rooms with logs burning inside fireplaces

flashlights lingering in the most dyre places

without you - darkness

your very presence resonates; nothing like your essence

life is a stage; you are the spotlight

Size: plus one

MK was wearing one of my t-shirts last week so I decided to give it to her. I ironed onto the shirt "plus one". After I put away the laundry I placed the t-shirt on the top of her pile.

I do not take credit for folding the laundry, just putting it away.

Meaning: see the first post

I love you....tube

I told MK that I found the second SNL skit of Sarah Palin on YouTube. Instead I had posted a message on youtube.com for her.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL5rHHQwNI4

Breakfast and Gas

Mk woke up and hoped in the shower at 6:30. So I got up and left the house. I hopped in the car and went and picked up coffee and a bagel for MK. On my way back I saw a gas station.... with gas...and a small line. So I came back home with coffee, a bagel, and a full tank of gas. Now that's romance.


Note: There is a huge gas shortage in Charlotte. Finding gas has become very difficult. Finding a gas station with gas and a short line: Nearly impossible

Show me the message (in Cuba Gooding Jr.'s voice from Jerry McGuire)

I found these 3D foam letters and stuck them to the dining room window then shut the curtain. I knew Cameron had some 3D glasses however I couldn't find them. So I asked him to help me find them. No luck. Again, never ask a 5 year old to keep a secret from mommy. As soon as she came home he told her not to go in the dining room. Then he giggled and hopped around for the next hour until finally I told him to show mommy. The plan was to have MK wear the glasses say something clever and then open the curtain. Instead I let the kid have his fun.

Sweet Apple

I picked up the kids from Nana's and Poppi's yesterday and they gave us a basket of apples. So I took one of the apples and carved into the side of it. When MK went through the apples she found one which read "I love you"

Reasons Why I'm in Love with You Pt. 2

26. Your smile
27. You put up with PTI everyday
28. You let me critic your outfits
29. You have checked diapers hand first
30. Your “I gotta go” dance
31. You take the kids to the pool all of the time
32. Your faith
33. You crinkle you nose
34. You like to “spoon”
35. You take care of me when I’m sick
36. You put up with my whinning when I’m sick
37. You try to keep me punctual
38. You like me when I had long hair and you had short hair
39. You listen to me complain about my hair line
40. You pretend you have no sense of direction
41. Your legs
42. Your connect the dot moles
43. Your blonde moments
44. You pick up after me at times
45. You love kids
46. You want to make a difference in the world
47. You remember to feed the dog when I forget
48. You make people pretty
49. You can’t sing or dance
50. You make me laugh

Painting of my heart

I painted a picture for MK and placed it on the vanity mirror. It was the word MY in the shape of a heart. Get it - My heart. To let her know that she is my heart.

Carrie Fever

At this point I know I might be losing some man points (yes! we do collect actual points for various reason which can be taken away by fellow men). Anyway, this will probably cost me a couple points: I confess I watched almost every Sex and the City (the HBO series) show with MK . When the movie came out I did not see it (redeem a couple of points). MK liked it so much she watched it twice, which is very rare for her. So today I brought home a copy of the Sex and the City movie and some Cosmo's (lost them again) .

Self Quote: Relationships are like tennis. Men win points, Women win games.

Game. Set. Match

Catch a Star

When MK got ready to get in bed I placed a note on the pillow which read: Just for you, I reached in the sky and plucked out a star. Then I lifted the covers and handed her Star magazine.

She loves those celeb magazines.

Noah...sticky note....Babel

In sunday school we were revisiting the story of Noah's Art and looking at the Tower of Babel. So I placed a sticky note in MK's bible. The note said: God created heaven and earth. The animals and trees. The land and the oceans. Somehow he made you, especially just for me.

Let's play a game

I came home and gave MK a note which read: Let's play a game. Then I pointed to the refrigerator where I have a hangman game posted. We played and she did a really good job. Only the head of the man was drawn (she guess the letter N twice). At the end the message read: Thank you for everything that you do.

The Flower Lady Visits

Every once in awhile there is a lady who drives her van to the dealership and brings flowers around. Today I decided to pick out a bouquet and bring it home for MK. When I got home I gave her the flowers and told her I got them from the Flower Lady's Van. :)

Reasons Why I'm In Love with you pt. 1

I decided to follow up from yesterday with a list of Reason Why I am in Love With You. I placed the list in an evelope and stuck it in between the mail for MK. Here is the list:


1. You love me
2. You are a better mother than I could ever have dreamed of
3. You’re beautiful
4. You laugh at my jokes sometimes
5. You keep everything in order
6. You are a great working mother
7. You let me watch tv and sleep sometimes
8. You are sweet and kind
9. You remember all the things that I forget
10. You support me
11. You watch “stupid”shows with me
12. You own your own business
13. Your eyes
14. You drive all over charlotte everyday
15. You cook, clean, and fold
16. You let the kids listen to their music in the car
17. You ask me what I like on you (personal stylist)
18. You take care of your body
19. You have cute feet :)
20. You call me a couple of times a day to talk
21. You let me criticize your driving
22. You try to take care of my face
23. You shop for the kids (and enjoy it)
24. You let me control the remote
25. You are happy with me

Memo: First Meeting

I went in MK's Blackberry and left her a memo. The memo said that I was attracted to her since our first meeting in high school. Ever since I have a thousand more reasons why I am in love with her.

Lovebug for dessert

I came home today with dessert. MK's favorite, Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. I also brought her a chocolate ladybug. Don't tell the diet doctor (sshhh)

Stevie Wonder's Label

Today I took our label maker and printed out the chorus to Stevie Wonder's song "You are the sunshine of my life". I placed the lines to the chorus on our bedroom blinds. When MK went to close the blinds at night she saw the lyrics. When she called me into the room I sang the chorus and did a quick dance with her.....until Eliza started crying for mommy.


You are the sunshine of my life
That's why I'll always be around
You are the apple of my eye
Forever you'll stay in my heart

Love is....blind

MK drove to church this morning and on the whole way to church she did not see what I had placed in front of her. I typed a passage which was read at our wedding and reversed the text to reflect into the glass. I eventually hinted it to her that there was something on the windshield and then she finally "got it."




Quote to self:
Everything we need to know about love is right in front of us. All we have to do is open our eyes.

Lucky? Photo Album

Today I took some pictures, developed them and put them in a photo album. I took the photo album and hid it in between MK's work items. When she went to put them away she noticed this photo album. Click above to see the pictures.

Peditreatment

When MK came home from work I gave her a piece of paper which said: This entitles you to 1 foot treatment. In the bedroom I had a small tub filled with soothing salt and hot water. Not quite a pedi-cure but surely a pedi-treat.

Honey Do Jar

MK said to me that my "nice thing" for her could be for me to clean my side of the closet. Instead I took a pringles jar and decorated the outside and made it into a Honey Do Jar. On the inside was a index card with "clean the closet" written on it. I placed the jar in the center of the freshly cleaned closet.
So now she has a place the put her "honey do list."

Baby Mama Love Story

Tuesday is new release day at Blockbuster so I decided to rent a romantic flick. I stopped by and found a movie called The Love Story. From the back cover it sounds like a true "chick flick." It received oscar nominations for best picture, actor or actress, score and some other stuff. So I figured, why not? However, just as a back-up I rented the comedy "Baby Mama."

Playlist: Love

I downloaded 71 of the top 100 love songs ever onto her I-Pod. Everything from The Beatles to LL Cool J to Al green to Celine Dion. I deleted 29 of them because I didn't really like the songs. The rest I added to a playlist called I love you songs.

#1 Mom with a Full plate

My friend Seth was in town and I strongly suggested MK make spaghetti for dinner. She was getting frustrated with me because I keep insisting on fixing her plate. She was having chicken parmesan and did not want any noodles. So we went back and forth and in the end I gave her a plastic plate (with a guest for dinner) with noodles. My plan was not going too well because she didnt touch the noodles at all. Luckily, Cameron wanted some more noodles. When she gave him her noodles she saw on the plate "The best mom ever ,#1" written in permanent marker.

Note: women do not want to use plastic plates when guest come over ......ever

Chalk around the world

Today I decided to get busy with some sidewalk chalk. From our living room you can look out of the french doors onto the patio. So I wrote "you mean the world to me" around a picture of the world on the patio. After a long day at work, I wanted her to see it when she first walked in the door.

Box of Hot Chocolate

MK, Cameron, and I went to a gallery crawl and visited a friend's opening for his salon. Afterwards, we went to Big Daddy's which is a great burger spot. When we were finished with dinner I whispered in Cameron's ear. I said, "tell mommy she has desert in her purse" When she opened the side pocket she found a small box of Godiva chocolates. On the outside was a note which read: a sweet thing for my sweet thing.

Note: do not store box of chocolates in a hot car prior to giving as a gift. Needless to say, the chocolates melted inside the box. But it made both of us laugh like crazy

Haiku flower

I wrote MK a Haiku and folded the paper to resemble a flower bud. I took the stem from a rear flower and attached the two together. When I came home from work I presented MK with the paper flower with the haiku poem inside.

C and MK carved in a tree.....

Cameron has been in kindergarten for a couple of days now. He has to walk into school all by himself now. He was a little scared because he went in the wrong way and felt lost. So to keep MK from walking him in "everyday" like he wanted, I told him I would draw him a map. When I left for work I left 2 maps. One for him and one for MK. When MK followed her map it took her to a tree in our backyard where I carved "C + MK" in it.

Single red rose

Last night MK and I went to Cameron's school for "curriculum night" and afterwards MK took a couple of appointments. When she came home I had a single red rose hanging from the door when she came home. K.I.S.S

Putting a spotlight on love

MK went the whole day without saying anything until late in the night. She finally asked " where is my sweet little thing for today" in her cutest voice. I replied, "the day is not over yet" So, we finished watching TV and turned off all the lights. I waited a second for her to get comfortable in the covers. Then I took a flashlight and shined it on the ceiling fan above. And there was "I love you" in silly string.

Electronic Chemistry

Mk's brother and sister-in-law came in town for the weekend. They went shopping for baby items (congrats) while I stayed and watched the kids. While they were at the mall I sent MK
an e-card. It said something pretty cheesy like:

In the chemistry of love our reaction was irreversible/you are the best thing that ever happened to me

http://www151.123greetings.com/card/08/31/10/48/LV20831104836594.html

Sign of Love

Last night while MK was asleep I made a sign for MK. I made the "I love you" hand gesture in sign language and put my hand on the copier. Then I took the photocopy and taped it to our mirror above the fireplace. When she woke and went into the living room she literally saw a
sign of love.

Green,Gold,Going to Walmart

Today I stopped by a little shop and picked up a pair of gold with greeen stone costume earrings . I had them wrapped and kept the bag in my car. When I got home MK said she needed to stop by walmart. Before she left I placed the wrapped box of earrings in the passenger seat for her. On the outside of the bag was a note which read:

Just what every girl wants / a little green and gold / and a lot of love!

MK didn't really get it a first which takes some of the sweetness out of it when you have to explain it. But that's ok :)

"Made in China" is forever

Coming off of the night at this spa, I figured I would do something really small. We attended Eliza's school orientation and afterwards I presented MK with a gift. I told her that I had a ring for her and gave her a 4 carat pink diamond ring. Well, it didn't have real diamonds or even fake ones. It was a toy ring that I got just to put a smile on her face.


Lesson learned: it's more about the presentation and delivery than the actual gift.

Night at the Spa

I was off from work today which was good since it was Cameron's first day of kindergarten. MK worked pretty much all day with just a couple of breaks. I figured I would treat her to a "night at the spa". So I cleaned the bathroom and the bedroom. Set up candles, plugged in the sound machine, and ran a hot bubble bath right before she came home. When she came home I occupied the kids while she went to the bedroom. On the outside of the door was a sign which read "Spa". Just gave her a little time to herself to relax from a long days work.

Honestly, I think she is probably happier that I cleaned the bath and the toilet :)

I bless the day that I found you

I sent MK an email with the chorus (below) to Maxwell's song "fortunate" and told her to push play on the CD player. I set the player to play that song for her, because I know i am so fortunate to have her as my wife.

Fortunate to have you girl
I'm so glad you're in my world
Just as sure as the sky is blue
I bless the day that I found you

I love - shoe polish

This morning before heading to work I took a bottle of white shoe polish and wrote "Infinity plus one" on the back windshield. We both have the phrase engraved on wedding rings.
Meaning: when we were starting out dating we would ask eachother how much we loved one another. The response was, "to infinity" and then the other one would ask. The response "to infinity plus one". What can you say, we were kids.
Cool thing about putting this on the car was she drove around all day with it on the back glass.

Until it rained

Keeping it simple.....surprise

Today MK comes back for a weekend at the beach for a bachelorette party. Shortly after midnight I sent a message to her blackberry. Message read (happy anniversary/ miss you, love you, can't wait to kiss you :). When she gets home I have three things waiting for her; a bouquet of flowers, a card, and a hershey's kiss. Inside the kiss is the web address for this blog. Surprise!

This is me being romantic...

We have known eachother for almost 12 years. Married for 6 years with two beautiful kids. Between work and family it's hard to make time to be romantic. Maybe because I want to make being romantic complicated. This is my commitment to making romance a top priority. By going back to the simple signs of affection. I will be giving you random acts of romance each day to show you how much you mean to me.

Happy anniversary and I love you.

:)Look out for those (hershey) kisses.