I made a bold claim on my last birthday. I just threw it out into the universe: this was going to be the best year of my life. We celebrated with a surprise party on a boat dock with hummus and brownies, Hugh had designed this site, I got a laptop so I could invest in said beautiful site, I had settled into my studio and I felt ready for life to start happening. Feeling like a 'grown up' clicked that very day. This was my life, my decisions, my relationships to chose to nurture. It was as if I had just cracked the chapter of life being about my passions and doing things I most sincerely cared about. Which brings me to the end of that birth year. In short, the year has been...unexpectedly expected. Yep. I knew last birthday that God was going to do big things, that I may feel uncomfortable, but it would be good. I've made an out-of-character career move, this site has fed me (both literally and figuratively) and most importantly, I have fallen so deeply and wholeheartedly in love with Hugh that my heart may explode. I wish you could know him, because he is hilariously witty, sincere, honest, obviously talented, exceedingly hot and selfless in ways you maybe wouldn't know unless you were me. He gives me the best bites of his food; like the cheesy corner of the pizza, the nub of the sandwich that has even proportions of all the goodies inside or let's me eat half his dessert after I said "I didn't want any", yea... I'm a lucky girl because after eating all his best bites, he wants to marry me.
There was a hilltop picnic, where we dug out of the same tupperware bowl having forgot plates, and alas, he let me eat the best bites. We took in the view and assessed this past year, 'the best year of my life', which I wasn't sure it was, until he got down on a knee. I didn't like seeing him alone down on the floor, and since I knew what was happening at this point, I barnacled him with a gigantic hug and listened to his sweet words. I have a gorgeous ring that he designed, and I am going to spare you the rest of the sap that still seems too good to be true. This is the real thing. We learn to love by being shown love, and I am marrying my mentor in that. So there is no recipe, no stunning picture of produce or a rant of how I love greek yogurt. He is mine and it's the best year of my life. My cup overflows.