WE went to PARIS...The Paris!

DATE NIGHT - switched to WEDNESDAY

WOW, what a sweet surprise! Jonny called me yesterday morning and told me it was “date night!” We have been busy wedding planning and he has been working nonstop on CropChocolate (and is doing an awesome job by the way!) So…anyway, he still wanted us to have OUR time and gave me some special gifts: his undivided attention, a special feeling all day (weekend anticipation only on Wednesday instead), an amazing dinner at the perfect restaurant (see picture and our menu selections for the details) and most of all an added measure of the feelings that have come to defy our relationship, PEACE & JOY!

THANKS JON – Love YOU!

Tour De Marze Brie

(Garnished: Mesclun, Assorted Nuts, Fruit, Olives, Cornichon)

Butternut Squash Ravioli

(Sage Beurre Blanc, Pan Roasted Hazelnuts, Parmigiano Reggiano)

Rôtisserie Fresh All Natural Chicken

(Provençal Vegetable Fricassée with Olives Mélange, CousCous)

Warm Molten Chocolate Cake

(Served with Hazelnut Gelato & Candied Orange)

And my DIET COKE – of course!

25 things I LOVE about JON (25 is such a limiting number…)

With a few pictures to illustrate!

*In no particular order:

1. He is my best friend


2. He has special relationships with his mom and sisters


3. He knows how to laugh, be silly and have fun


4. The man can SKI (I have always said you can tell a lot about someone just by watching them ski and this could not be more true of Jon – adventurous, passionate, a pro – I love to watch you ski Jonny, and to ski with you!)


5. He has a heart of gold


6. He tells me he loves me all the time, and isn’t afraid to show it


7. He is BUFF


8. People are drawn to him


9. His nieces and nephews adore him and have special memories with “Uncle Jonny”


10. He has close/lifelong friends


11. He wants to have a big family


12. He anticipates people’s needs


13. He is such a MAN


14. We talk about anything and everything – we don’t even listen to the radio or ipod


15. He loves film and I love to watch movies with him


16. He studies the gospel and puts into action the things he learns and believes


17. He loves good jeans


18. He can’t wait to be a DAD – especially to have that special father/daughter bond


19. He understands people’s situations


20. He deeply respects and loves his parents


21. He has made my family his own – and they LOVE him


22. He is simple


23. I can be myself with him and wherever he is that is where I feel most at home


24. He can do all sorts of impersonations


25. He always says what I need to hear

Some things I love about McCall

1. She smiles...a lot
2. More than anything, she wants to be a mom
3. She gives and gives and gives
4. She loves her parents and talks about them in gratitude
5. She loves her family (so do I)
6. She loves my family (so do I doy)
7. My family loves her
8. She loves God
9. She has a foundation in Christ
10. She's all about touching
12. Her hands
13. She has a great laugh and uses it
14. I love her face and body of course
15. She can talk in depth or about the weather
16. She's felt pain
17. She skis like a dood but walks like a woman
18. She loves Beamer
19. We're equals but she's better
20. She finds nice things to say to people
21. Her style
22. We counsel together
23. She doesn't make excuses
24. Her warmth
25. We're friends

To be continued:

COOKING 101

This week I had the chance to go to a cooking class with some of Jon’s sisters & Mom at Sur La Table at the Gateway. The food…was AWESOME and I really want to make the soup at home, and the dessert was the perfect mix between being just sweet enough but not over the top (I will include the menu below – all from the Barefoot Contessa’s newest cookbook Back to Basics)!

Jon’s Mom is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cooking (and lots of other stuff as well) and we spent the night talking all about how cooking is a tradition in the Nelson home and has been passed down for generations, we also laughed ourselves sick…kidney stones dude, added herbs, knife skills, and a teenage chef! I have so much to learn when it comes to cooking and luckily these great Nelson women are experts and can tutor me along the way. I can’t wait to cook for and with Jon and our family – like his Mom said, “it is one of the best ways to show love!”

But, the best part of all, “the sisters!” Next to loving and being loved by Jon, being a part of them is the best feeling! I share such a special relationship with my mom (and Knowlton family members) and I never thought I would duplicate that with other women but I see that same love and potential in the relationships I share with The Nelson Women. Jon and I are not even married yet (see the countdown to the side of this post) and I feel so incredibly honored to be counted among them, I can’t wait for what it will be like to officially be a NELSON woman! Jon told me from the very beginning, “my family is my greatest asset,” and as I have spent time with each of them I now know they are OUR greatest asset as well, The Knowlton Group included as well! I so admire the relationships they share as sisters, mothers, daughters and friends!

Thanks JON for the class, creating an opportunity for me to be with your family and build such meaningful relationships with them, and most of all…thanks for being YOU and being the most important, special, amazing and guiding person in my life!

PS - I have to brag about Jon for just a minute, checkout http://www.cropchocolate.com/ to see what he has been working on nonstop so he can provide for ME and our future family!
MENU: Savory Palmiers - Pappa al Pomodoro - French Bistro Steaks with Provencal Butter - Oven Roasted Vegetables - Honey Vanilla Fromage Blanc with Raspberry sauce

“The ring so worn, as you behold, So thin, so pale, is yet of gold”

I’m sure at some point in our marriage I’ll give McCall a Glock G21 .45 handgun or a pair of 191 Volkl Mantras—and I’ll most likely “borrow” them. That’s just how us doods are I guess. So it’s rare when a dood like me can give a gift of significance.

As soon as McCall and I started talking about marriage I started gathering ideas for a ring. First stop—Tiffany.com. It was there that I found the perfect ring for McCall. I’m sure I skewed Tiffany’s web analytics as I parked on the site for hours looking at that ring.

A few days later McCall pulled out a binder with pictures of wedding stuff that she’s seen in magazines, pictures of gowns she’s made, ideas for her future date and more. Inside was a section of rings that she liked. To my surprise, the same ring I found on Tiffany.com was torn from a Tiffany catalog and circled in the book. I knew.

For the next few weeks we went from shop to shop—looking for the perfect setting and size. Ring size was my only interest—somewhere between a six and six and a quarter. I had already found the one…girl and ring.

Aesthetically it is more pleasing to see things in odd quantities—one, three, five, etc.—so why three? The three diamond ring signifies past, present, future or yesterday, today, forever. It also has a holy meaning of God—being the center stone—and the bride and groom—being the side stones. McCall’s the one on the right hand side.

After seeing the actual Tiffany ring in person, I decided to have one made. As beautiful as the Tiffany ring is, it just wasn’t quite right—the three stones were only .15 carat each. I went to a jeweler in SLC with pictures and renderings in hand. I showed him the ring with three inset diamonds and 40 round cuts. It’s significant to note that all 40 stones are round cuts and not chips because of the way they reflect light. It also had to be platinum. He sent it to New York to have it made then he would set the three stones himself. We looked at several stones and narrowed it down to the 3—all D or E FL.

It took about two and a half weeks to make the ring. Two and a half weeks of waiting for a phone call. Two and a half weeks of planning. Two and a half weeks of skiing with McCall.