Wanderlust

I have what my mom calls "itchy feet." Growing up, my family moved every two to three years (give or take), so even though I've lived happily in California for nearly 7 years now, I still get the urge from time to time to just pick up and move away for a fresh adventure.

To sooth my itchy feet and keep my wanderlust at bay, I am a BIG fan of vacations. (Big fan. Huge. Huge fan of them.) I love the typical vacations: playing tourist in some new city, eating out, staying in a hotel that has a pool, etc. But vacations like that require a budget, and while I am content to save up for one of those once a year or so, I also enjoy just getting out of town for a mini-vacations to tide me over.

I've gotten very creative with my mini-vacations these days, and I feel that I've become quite the savvy traveler. Here are some tips I've picked up for my jaunts, many of them on the cheap to satisfy that desire for a new adventure without depleting your bank account while you save up for your next resort stay.

Stay-cation: Don't underestimate the city you live in or its surrounding areas. It recently dawned on me that I live in a town that people vacation to all the time, but I don't take advantage of the museums, beaches or schmancy restaurants unless company comes calling. I've found that the trick to taking advantage of a "stay-cation" is to carve out the time. Literally pick the date on your calendar in advance and treat it as if you'll be out of town. That means, when you have errands you need to run or people you need to meet with, you should be prepared to tell them that that particular date is off the table. It'll be tempting to squeeze in an appointment in the morning, swing by the grocery store and pharmacy on the way home (since you're already out), and try to make it back in time to get a few things done around the house before your commitments for the next day. But think about it-- one of the wonderful things about a vacation is getting to leave the daily grind behind, so give yourself the grace to wander around that museum as if the only thing you have to get back to is the cocktail hour at your hotel before dinner.

Stay-cation, day-trip style: Search for places you may like to visit that aren't that far away. For example, Greg's and my day trip to Ojai a few months ago. We heard about an awesome bookstore and decided to take the day and visit it. It was only a few hours drive and it was so worth it. Keep in mind alternate forms of transportation as well: near me is a train that runs up and down the coast, a ferry to Catalina Island and a bus to Vegas. (Not to mention constant cruises to Mexico or Canada-- although those aren't exactly day trips).

Bart's Books in Ojai, CA

Family and friends-that-feel-like-family: Visit friends and family for instant adventure-companions, a change or scenery and possibly even a free place to stay. I recently discovered Airfare Watchdog, which allows you to save ongoing searches for a variety of deals. I have searches saved from LAX to my parents' place, my in-laws' places, my best friends' homes all over the country, and Hawaii (heh). I get emails alerting me to any specials that various airlines are offering. Some offers stand for a few months, while others are last minute deals that you have to jump on. (Greg and I have decided that we're going to visit his sister Jeanette and brother-in-law Brad in Virginia this year to finally see their new home in person and the visit the church that they helped to plant. I can't tell you how excited I am to see them!)


Search secret: Speaking of travel sites, when combing through these for airfare deals, always run a search including "plane ride + hotel" because there have been a few times that that combination has resulted in travel costs that are even cheaper than booking just the flight alone. I dunno why, but try it!  Also, check out the cruises.  Cruise lines sell packages all the time and they're all inclusive, so if you're longing for a more traditional vacation but just can't afford it, check out the cruises.

Entertainment, food, lodging and travel to various locations for an upfront price!

Money saving splurge: I know this sounds like a verbal eye roll, but hear me out!  Greg and I are very good at living comfortably beneath our means and that means that we can be frugal in some really awesome ways. But occasionally allowing yourself to indulge in something that wouldn't normally be in your budget can feel like a vacation. For example, just before Greg and I got married we got all dressed up and went to a fancy restaurant across town that we'd won a gift certificate for at a silent auction. We didn't even go out of town, but the evening felt like a vacation because we allowed ourselves to get an appetizer, main course, wine with dinner and a dessert (something we don't do on a normal date night).  Other examples that I'd suggest might include getting a massage or buying those expensive concert tickets you've been eyeing.  While spending $120/ticket to hear a band play might be out of the question on a regular night, if it's worked into your yearly budget as part of your vacation allotment, you're doing better than you might think (I mean, how many planes will take you anywhere for $120 anymore?)

Very best tip for an awesome vacation: Go with people you love and you'll have a guaranteed good time.

Me and Ashley, my sister-friend from high school on vacation 2 years ago.

In addition to visiting Jeanette and Brad this spring, I'm sure Greg and I will be taking some mini-vacations this year.  And as long as we're living on the West Coast I'm eager to plan a real vacation to a couple of islands that are just a hop, skip & a jump across a little patch of the Pacific...

Aloha, Greggers. 

What do you say to a tropical trip now that we're Maui'd?  (wah, wah!) 

I'm gonna get a groan for that one, I can hear it now!

Scars and Stilettos

My friend Harmony, the founder of the Treasures* ministry that I'm involved in, recently published her memoir. 

If you're already familiar with Treasures, you may have guessed that Harmony used to be an exotic dancer herself.  Her memoir is the story of her finding God and ultimately deciding to make some major life changes.  I'm almost done reading her book, and I just can't put it down because it is such a captivating read. 

I have to say that reading her story has been a strange experience for me.  I know Harmony through Treasures, and therefore I met her several years after God had romanced her heart to Him.  I have always known her as a confident woman who speaks truth into the hearts of other women as she helps them to recognize their own value, so to read about the path that led her to stripping is sort of surreal.  As I read, I forget that the narrator is Harmony, until I come across a part of her story that she's already told me about, and then the connection is drawn between my friend and the woman in my book.

I encourage any of my blog readers to visit the Scars and Stilettos website (http://www.scarsandstilettos.com/) to read the first few pages of Harmony's book. 

Also, I have a couple extra copies that I bought so that I could pass her story on to my friends.  If you want one you can email me your mailing address at bethoftreasures at yahoo dot com.  (Please only email me if you really want to read the book though, I only have a few copies!)  If these copies are snatched up quickly, no fear!  You can purchase Harmony's book just about anywhere: Amazon, Tower Books, the Scars and Stilettos website, the Treasures website, etc.  Note: if you purchase her book from the Treasures site, a portion of the sale is donated to the Treasures ministry.

*for more info on Treasures, feel free to visit http://www.iamatreasure.com/

Me and Harmo at the Treasures Benefit Concert last year.

Harmony's story is a perfect example of the complete transformation that can take place in a life when God is invited in.  How powerful to read about the miracles that Jesus did in the Bible, and then read about miracles that He is still working in people's lives today.  Marvels that often times go unnoticed. 

Praise be to the Father whose love is undying and indestructible and capable of transforming even the most hopeless lives.  Praise to the King of kings who claims us as his precious daughters no matter what we've done, where we've been, or how far we've been led astray.  All glory and honor and praise!

Warrior in training

As you know, I'm training for the Warrior Dash, which is apparently "the ultimate event for thrill-seeking athletes.*"  And by training I mean, quitting my gym as of February 3rd (when my contract is up) and playing around on our Wii Fit Plus.

(*quoted from http://www.warriordash.com/)

Of course I plan on adding the occasional jaunt around my block to my regimen as the Warrior Dash approaches, but I have to say that I think it'll be much easier to make myself do that once it isn't dark when I get home at 6:15pm.  It's almost time to Spring Forward, isn't it?

Anyway, I'm setting my fitness goals and I've used my stellar art skills to help illustrate them for you. 

Here is me now, in generally good health, but I've cleverly highlighted the flaws I'm targeting:

Here is my goal Me:

In other news, I am making progress on my "Learning to Cook" goal and have been experimenting in the kitchen more as well as finding recipes to tackle.  It's great!  Greg and I enjoy treating one another to meals or even cooking together, and I think we've been saving money as well-- especially when we take the time to sit down and plan meals for the whole week. 

(On the downside, all the scrumptious home cookin' has contributed to my ever growing bum!  Sheesh!  Goals are tricky sometimes!)

Prayer

Dear Jesus give me strength today!  Help me to remember that YOU are my joy and that there really is no excuse for a bad attitude and negativity.  Ease my frustration and please help me to keep my apartment clean in spite of the rainy weather outside and the temptation to be soggy & slobby.  Also please help me to be a good wife to my husband.

Amen!

Wit

Check out our postcard for Wit:

Didn't that turn out nice?

We had our 1st rehearsal on Tuesday and then a night of script work last night.  Both evenings were intense (to be fair: it's a pretty intense show-- it won a Pulitzer for cryin' out loud) but really fun.  It was good to read through the script with the full cast-- already the characters are coming to life and we're not even on our feet yet. 

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that my mind kept recalling moments from "Grey's Anatomy" as we discussed some of the medical terms used throughout the play last night.  Probably better study up on what fellows, head nurses and code teams actually do before we get too far along in the rehearsal process. 

Otherwise I might switch my eyelash curler with my operating tools or pour a martini from an IV drip or something.

Sooo unprofessional... this is NOT what real hospital interns do!

Prayer & praise

I have been asked to contribute about 5 minutes worth of something to a Prayer & Praise night this Monday.  It can be anything: teaching people a new song, leading people through a group prayer, reading a selection from someting, etc...

Any suggestions?

Long weekend

This is a Tuesday that feels like a Monday because it's following a glorious 3-day weekend.  Here are the highlights:

• Friday night-- January Treasures outreach.  City of Industry route.  There was a manager at one of the clubs who was from Egypt and confessed to one of our volunteers that he felt trapped in his job.  Our volunteer, who happens to be from the Middle East herself, asked him if he spoke Arabic.  When he answered in Arabic that he did indeed speak the language, she said: "Keep your eyes open like we are talking" and she prayed for him in Arabic right there. 

• Saturday afternoon-- met my friend Lori (far Left, pictured with her coworkers) and some of the other Treasures volunteers at the pregnancy center that Lori works at to help paint the lobby.  These white walls pictured here are now a warm tan color with chocolate molding.  It looks so much more welcoming now!

• Saturday evening-- Greg and I had decided that we wanted to do something special for our date night on Saturday.  Bowling, or dress up for dinner, or anything unique that we'd either never done before or hadn't done in a while.  I called Greg to tell him I was on my way home from painting the pregnancy center and started to ask him about what we might want to do that night for our special date.  He simply said: "I made a reservation for 7pm, can you be ready for dinner then?"  (SQUEAL!)  Do you know what that dreamy husband of mine did?  He took me to the restaurant at which we had our very first date.  Mi Piace.  It was delightful.  I wore a dress and Greg wore his new dress shoes and we ate delicious food and talked and talked all throughout dinner.  I'll tell you what, that guy sure does know how to make me feel special. 

• Saturday night-- We got to level 6 on the Wii Super Mario Brothers game that we got for Christmas.  It's harder than you might think.  Mario (Greg) and Luigi (me) play at the same time which can be quite tricky when there are cliffs to fall from.  Especially since Luigi gets stressed from time to time in the face of lava pits and venus fly traps that shoot fireballs out of their mouths.  Sometimes Luigi cracks under the pressure and Mario has to pick him up and just carry him over his head to keep him in line.

• Sunday morning-- Joseph continued our church's "What & Why" series by discussing how we got the books of the Bible and why we consider it to be Truth.  Very interesting, especially considering I've been reading the Bible each day (via the 365Truth blog that I wrote about a few posts ago).

• Sunday afternoon/evening-- We finally watched 500 Days of Summer, which I had a love/hate reaction to, but Greg just hated.  Overall, I don't think I'll ever watch it again, but there were parts of it that I liked.  Greg summed it all up by saying: "It was like Urban Outfitters The Movie."  (Fair enough, Greggers.)

• Monday-- Glorious Monday it RAINED all day long.  Not the typical Southern California drizzle either, I'm talking a good, soakin' downpour that lasted all day long.  And thanks to Mr. Martin Luther King Jr, I had the day off of work!!  An honest to goodness rainy day that landed on a national holiday!  I have dreamed of such a day for probably about 5 years.  Greg and I slept in.  We stayed in our pajamas until about 2pm.  We played scrabble and dominos.  We made hot piping french onion soup for lunch.  I took a nap while Greg read a book.  Then we met our friend Kate and her new boyfriend for sushi for dinner.  Such a perfect day!

Tonight is our first rehearsal for Wit in Hollywood and the rain is still coming down.  I am really looking forward to diving into this amazing script with the rest of the cast, and how appropriate that we have cozy weather conditions to contribute to our first meeting together.

A great man once said

 

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

I'm a breakfast person

I even love breakfast for dinner.  (In fact... yep.  I just thought about it and decided that sounds good for tonight!)

I just found these pictures that I took a few weeks ago of me and one of my sister-friends having breakfast together on one of my days off.

Sarah and I have been friends since our drama club days in high school when I would drive her home from school every day in my 1992 Buick Century (jealous?)  She would buy me a Dr. Pepper slushy every single day in exchange for the ride. 

In many ways we are like night and day, but I love this girl like family, and our hearts must beat to the same rhythm or something because I can't get enough of her.  After each going our separate ways for a few years after high school, we have been reunited in the City of Angels. 

On this particular day, Sarah suggested that we walk to a breakfast place down the street from her apartment.  Ummm, look what we ate:

Sarah's

Mine

Oh yes, we will be returning to this place for breakfast.  Delish. 

(I'd like to point out that Sarah sort of cheated by ordering "brunch," but mine is a genuine scramble of some sort.  It's a Mexican dish that I'd never heard of before but Sarah assured me that it was good.  It was.)

Sarah and I always have good conversations-- not small talkers, us.  In addition to awesome conversation over a scrumptous breakfast this day, we laughed A LOT.  I think it was a combination of the fact that we hadn't seen each other for a couple of weeks and the fact that we're just stinkin' funny. 

Since this breakfast blog has turned into an ode to my friend Sarah, I'm also going to post my favorite picture of Sarah from my wedding:

Isn't she a cutie?

5 Things I love about today

1. Waking up to rainy, overcast weather
2. Re-watching my favorite short sketches on rigortortoisecomedy.com (like Buddy Cop Counseling)
3. Brainstorm session at work for a film that was one of my childhood faves
4. Yummy spinach salad with fresh blueberries, dried cranberries, pecans from my dad's backyard that he shipped to me from Georgia, shaved parmesan cheese and poppy seed dressing that I had for lunch (I made that!)
5. My hubby shaved his winter beard off today and I got to kiss his handsome bald face for the first time in weeks!

A lot to chew on

On Sunday our pastor, Joseph, began a new series for our church called "What & why." 

He discussed the oh so common Christian words that we've all heard our whole lives: Faith, Knowledge, and Belief.  It was very interesting, and every so often one really needs to get back to the basics and realize that the stuff Jesus taught was radical. 

And in fact, the stuff Jesus taught is still radical today, although it can be easy for someone like me (who is comfortable in her lifestyle, worship, fellowship and freedoms) to forget.

This poem, by Steve Turner, is something Joseph read aloud to us yesterday, and it gave me a lot to think about.  There's so much in here that is familiar to me, if not necessarily specific to my own life, there is much in this poem that I personally tolerate in society today.  (I recommend reading this aloud, it's a poem after all)

Creed
by Steve Turner

We believe in Marxfreudanddarwin

We believe everything is OK

as long as you don't hurt anyone

to the best of your definition of hurt,

and to the best of your knowledge.

We believe in sex before, during, and

after marriage.

We believe in the therapy of sin.

We believe that adultery is fun.

We believe that sodomy’s OK.

We believe that taboos are taboo.

We believe that everything's getting better

despite evidence to the contrary.

The evidence must be investigated

And you can prove anything with evidence.

We believe there's something in horoscopes

UFO's and bent spoons.

Jesus was a good man just like Buddha,

Mohammed, and ourselves.

He was a good moral teacher though we think

His good morals were bad.

We believe that all religions are basically the same-

at least the one that we read was.

They all believe in love and goodness.

They only differ on matters of creation,

sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.

We believe that after death comes the Nothing

Because when you ask the dead what happens

they say nothing.

If death is not the end, if the dead have lied, then its

compulsory heaven for all

excepting perhaps

Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Kahn

We believe in Masters and Johnson

What's selected is average.

What's average is normal.

What's normal is good.

We believe in total disarmament.

We believe there are direct links between warfare and

bloodshed.

Americans should beat their guns into tractors .

And the Russians would be sure to follow.

We believe that man is essentially good.

It's only his behavior that lets him down.

This is the fault of society.

Society is the fault of conditions.

Conditions are the fault of society.

We believe that each man must find the truth that

is right for him.

Reality will adapt accordingly.

The universe will readjust.

History will alter.

We believe that there is no absolute truth

excepting the truth

that there is no absolute truth.

We believe in the rejection of creeds,

And the flowering of individual thought.

If chance be

the Father of all flesh,

disaster is his rainbow in the sky

and when you hear

State of Emergency!

Sniper Kills Ten!

Troops on Rampage!

Whites go Looting!

Bomb Blasts School!

It is but the sound of man

worshipping his maker.

Steve Turner, (English journalist), "Creed," his satirical poem on the modern mind. Taken from Ravi Zacharias’ book Can Man live Without God? Pages 42-44

Did you make it through the whole poem? Okay great, then you just might have the same taste in your mouth that I do: bland. Maybe a little sour...

I have been thinking very much on what it might look like for me to be bolder in my faith, without being judgmental towards others who may not know God yet. I think that for me, I need to take a good hard look at my definition of the word "tolerant."

I feel that tolerance is largely defined today as meaning politically correct, or even peaceful. But for me, I think I've let tolerance take on the meaning lukewarm.

I am a sinner, we all are, and I have no place to judge anyone. But that doesn't mean that I should support choices others are making that I know are wrong. I can love the people and still disagree with certain wrongs that they may be embracing. I can seek and cling to Truth and hope to shine my light into dark corners.

But that may mean taking a stand about something. That may mean being misunderstood. That may mean offending someone. And that's a little scary. Me standing up for my faith may mean someone else not liking me anymore because of my faith.

We're getting a little radical around here now, aren't we?

To hear the entire sermon that Joseph preached, visit churchinhollywood.com and click on the January 10th podcast. (It's a doozy!)

Pillow talk

Two nights ago as I was drifting off to sleep my mind began meandering through the information it had processed earlier that day.  Funnily enough, I had read an interview with a successful health food businessman on my friend Carrie's blog.  The interview mentioned soy jerky, and how this young man's family had mastered a recipe that is one of their biggest sellers.

Now, I'm a vegetarian, and I do eat soy and tofu from time to time, but I could probably stand to be a little more educated about the faux meat options out there.  I mean, I only just discovered Morning Star foods about 2 years ago.  But what can I say, I grew up in a meat n' potatoes family and have clung to cereals, veggies, and pastas as my staple.  Tofu and soy are definitely still a little exotic for me.

Last year, however, a coworker of mine brought a packet of soy jerky into the office and then decided that she didn't want it and offered it to me.  I was skeptical, it honestly didn't look like much, but I gave it a taste.

Holy fake-cow!

Why, that stuff was delicious!  I tore off a sampling, determined just to give it a try and save the rest for later, but I quickly polished off the whole thing.  The texture, the taste-- my mouth was overwhelmed with deliciousness!

Rewind to two nights ago: My mind landed on that article and then was whisked back to my first and only encounter with the heavenly food and before I knew it I was saying aloud: "I wish I had some soy jerky right now."

My poor husband!  I could feel Greg roll over in the dark and I could hear the gears in his head working at full force as he must have been wondering why on earth this new wife of his would be craving such a thing at 11 o'clock at night.

Realizing how strange that must have sounded to Greg's ears, I joked: "...And what are YOU thinking about as we drift off to sleep?" 

And then we both cracked up and enjoyed a hearty slumber-party-giggle-fit moment that we often have while we're snuggled under our covers in the dark and waiting for sleep to come.  I explained my outburst and we giggled some more and talked to each other until we eventually quieted and slept.

Yesterday I didn't get to go home for lunch because I had an errand to run and Greg wasn't at home anyway,* but at 6:30pm when I walked into my kitchen I found a package of peppered soy jerky waiting for me on the counter.

Awwwww!


*(because he was at a callback for a commercial he'd auditioned for--YAY, Greggers!).

honeymoon weather

Today is absolutely gorgeous outside.  It's one of those beautiful California days with a warm sun and cool breeze.  Plus, it rained last week, so the air has been clear and the view of the mountains aren't hazy with smog the way it can sometimes get.

Today is honeymoon weather!

It makes me think of the day of our honeymoon that Greg and I spent exploring Catalina Island.  It was a day like this one.  We wandered around and poked our heads into little shops that sold shot glasses stamped with sea turtles and wine glass trinkets and aprons that smirked their slogan to "kiss the cook."  There was a lot to see and the atmosphere was busy but lazy so we could take our time exploring.

We enjoyed some frozen custard and we found the darlingest little arcade tucked away from the main street.

Greg and I are insanely good at skee ball.

I mean, we. are. skee. ball. MASTERS, grasshoppah!

Greg took our winnings and bought me another wedding ring. 

Oh what is a girl to do with all these jewels?

My brother called me yesterday and told me that it snowed TWICE that day in Ohio and I was so thankful that I am in a climate that allows me to occasionally open my windows in December.

Worthy January

America has declared January 2010 as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-proclamation-national-slavery-and-human-trafficking-prevention-month

The president has urged the country to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking.

On a personal note, my work with Treasures has occasionally introduced me to victims of human trafficking.  There experiences are very real, and unfortunately not uncommon.  The more I learn, the more my passion burns for justice against their oppressors. 

Be encouraged that as awareness is raised, silence is broken, and more and more resources are being created for survivors.

6 Things that YOU can do:
1. Memorize ONE Phone Number – 888-3737-888.
This is the national trafficking hotline number. If you suspect slavery or exploitation, call this number. To find out more about what to look for, visit www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking.

2. Advocate for change.
Call or write your elected officials. Tell them that you care about the issue of human trafficking and want stronger laws to protect victims and prosecute criminals. Keep reminding them. Get news from www.polarisproject.org on how to engage in political action and advocacy.

3. Consume wisely.
Hold businesses accountable and ask corporations to join the fight against slavery. Visit www.chainstorereaction.com and email companies to ensure that their products are slave-free. Soon you will be able to demand a SLAVE-FREE brand.

4. Movie Night.
Host a film and invite your friends over and/or head to your local theatre. Movies like Trade, Call+Response, Cargo, Fields of Mudan, Slumdog Millionaire, etc. ***

5. Do what you love.
Use your talents to fight slavery. Do an art project and display it in a public place. Use a sports event to raise awareness and funds for the issue. Talk about the issue at a concert, or make it a benefit for survivors. Film a movie on the state of modern-day slavery. Write about the issue and post it on your blog.

6. Pray.
For those with a faith perspective, spend some time praying for people directly impacted by slavery as well as those working to fight it.

***In addition to the widely popular Slumdog Millionaire, of the films named above I have seen both Trade and Call+Response and I confidently recommend both.  Call+Response is a musical documentary appropriate for all ages and handles the topic honestly with a lot of hope and offers more ways you can help.  Trade is a film starring Kevin Kline as a man who becomes an ally to a young boy determined to rescue his sister from her traffickers.  It's a beautifully made film, but I warn that there are a few parts that are difficult to watch (although, nothing is "shown."  The film is tastefully and excellently made, but I wouldn't share with young children.)

Adapted from http://www.onevoicetoendslavery.com

365 Truth

I have decided to read the entire Bible in 2010.  This is something I've started many times before, but inevitably I slack off on reading and forget where I left off. 

I'm really going to give this a shot this year though.  In fact, I'm following a blog to hopefully give myself a little accountability with others who have also decided to commit to reading the daily scriptures.  If anyone wants to join me, we're only 4 days in.  Not too late to catch up!

For keeps

Exactly one year ago today, Greg asked me to be his wife. 

He involved about 350 of our closest friends by proposing in front of our church.  (Silly me, I thought that I was being led in front of the congregation to speak about the recent series our church had featured.)  I didn't suspect anything until our pastor left the stage and Greg stood up...

It was only a year ago, but I really can't believe how much has happened since then.  I almost can't remember what it was like not to live with Greg (I had roommates!?)  How did my life look before I began and ended each day with his sweet kisses? 

This weekend Greg mentioned something that happened last July that I couldn't recall and I asked: "Where was I?"  I was shocked when Greg reminded me that we didn't live together yet in July.  Crazy!

I love being married to Greg.  I love coming home to him at the end of the day.  I love the ways that we get to take care of one another.  I love laughing with him and doing projects with him and cuddling with him.  I love the attention that he gives to me.  Also, I can see God's timing all over our relationship and I'm so thankful that we had 9 years of friendship under our belts before we went on our first date.

Happy birthday, my darling Greggers.  You made me the happiest woman in the world when you slipped your great-great-great grandmother's ring on my finger and asked me to be yours for keeps.  That was the easiest "yes" of my life.  I'm yours.