This is just a catch-up blog which is definitely needed, not for those people that know me, but so I can document for myself all of the highlights of events that have happened over the past few weeks.

Last time Jamie came to visit me in Greensboro he showed up after working a full day and then driving 5 hours only to clean my messy apartment. He did a great job too! I hate it when people clean and they make a half hearted attempt at it, but man my place was just like new. Any man that will clean for me while I work on my Master's thesis is amazing! It takes a strong stomach to clean up my moldy dishes with rotten milk in them. He jokingly said "you waited just long enough to show me this side of you! If I would have seen this side of you on the first date, I would have slashed you." To which I replied "Ain't I something?..."Yeah, you're something alright! A slob!" Haha.

Jamie and I have continued to grow in our relationship and understanding of each other. We are having lots of fun with each other. In fact, this past weekend I took him home to meet the parents. He had my parents rolling with laughter about all kinds of things like fat jokes, teasing about my messyness, and teasing about my driving. Jamie, the folks, and I went to visit artist studios in the Torperdo factory, which was lots of fun. He is really clueless about art, but that is okay I can forgive him for that because I am clueless about brass instruments. My dad, as he tends to do, got to talking to someone on our way there and after he was done he came up to us and said "I just met the Ambassador to England." HA! Then we all started cracking jokes on him like "Yeah, well many people on the street think that they are the Ambassador to England!" HA! And then Jamie later was saying to my mom "Look that lady is probably the Queen of England. Should I get her autograph?" So funny! You know what was really cute though? My mom informed me that my Dad was watching us in the car as we followed them into DC and he said to my mom "I love seeing that smile on her face and how how happy she is." I started tearing up!

So they know that he's looking at rings and that we want to get engaged. My parents are really tough critics...I mean REALLY TOUGH, but they could see how happy we are together and my Dad said he didn't see any warning signs and that he liked him and he liked us together. Yay! Now my mom is giving me these random calls like "well I'm concerned about you being poor while he's in school." I'm like mom don't worry we've talked about it and this is how we plan to handle that issue. Then she feels fine until she calls me again saying some other random small concern to which I reassure her that we've talked about it and that we are both at peace about it. Its funny cause she really likes him, but she is like a tax auditor in that she keeps thinking of crazy things she may have forgotten to review. Then I bust out my receipts and she feels confident in her decision to let him pass the audit again.

So about a week ago I canceled the match.com account that I've had posted for the past (almost) 6 years! I didn't just make it invisible, like I did with some previous boyfriends...I completely deleted it. Ha! That felt really great! Thank you match.com for giving me the hook-up!

Sometimes I take a step back and start to think about how every relationship that I've been in hasn't worked out so well and how I don't want to end up hurt again, but then I have to remind myself that this relationship is not those relationships. They say that the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Well Edison had to test the light bulb over and over and over before it acutally worked. Jamie is like my light bulb. Ha!

I was driving home from DC listening to the Romeo+Juliet soundtrack, thinking about my daddy walking me down the isle, and crying. I'm such a sap!! Then I was listening to some cheesy pop love songs & smiling and thinking about him! I can't help it!

He's trying to get a 2nd job on the weekends, which means we won't be able to see each other as much. However, he's trying to pay off some medical bills and save up for a ring so I feel at peace with it. The job that I was gonna apply to in Atlanta isn't hiring right now...they may be in July, but we'll see. I actually feel like this takes some pressure off of me to move right now. I want to stay in Greensboro for a year and be with Jamie, so it seems like that will work out.

Its funny cause even though I'm in the middle of thesis hell, I'm so happy!

Ahhh...wonderful weekend with Jamie. More details on that will come later, but for now I thought I would post the letter that Jamie wrote and is sending to my parents. It is very old-fashion and completely adorable!

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Becker,
I am writing you this letter today in an attempt formally introduce myself to you and possibly ease any misgivings you may have about my ongoing relationship with Emily. Let me start by saying that I understand that our relationship has so far been short lived and that it may appear that we are moving too fast. I want to assure you that while we have both developed strong feelings for each other; neither of us is making plans on a whim or in reckless abandon. In fact, the opposite of that is the present reality. While we have both recognized that we have been brought together by the Lord Himself, we also understand that any long term committed relationship is going to have to be developed on a foundation of trust and understanding that is only going to come over time and through patience and hard work.

I would like you both to know that my intentions are to get to know your daughter in a
deep and lasting way both emotionally and spiritually over the coming weeks and months with the ultimate goal of eventually, Lord willing, marriage. We would love your support and prayers for both of us as we diligently seek the Lord’s will for our relationship. I am looking forward to meeting you both next month during Emily’s Thesis Defense in April.

Sincerely,
Jamie Reynolds