As part of a fun online class I took at JessicaSprague.com a few years ago, I designed a subway art poster. The instructor used the various addresses of places she and her husband had lived, and I tried that approach, but BT and I just haven’t moved around much in our lives. It made for a boring poster. But then I remembered a journal, just a little tattered yellow notepad, that I had kept while he and I were dating.

Dating BT was wonderful and frustrating: Wonderful because BT is the kindest, most patient person I’ve ever met; Frustrating because BT was horribly indecisive (aka the phase in our relationship he termed “the holding pattern”) and, at the time, he lacked critical communication skills necessary for a successful relationship.

As I re-read our little G-rated fairy tale, I realized that I had captured a lot of our dating milestones–first date, first hug, when we first held hands, etc. Using these tidbits, I reconstructed the sloooowww progression of our relationship for the poster assignment, had it printed at Costco as canvas art, and gave it to BT for our anniversary a couple of years ago. The piece hangs in our bedroom and serves as a reminder of the simple, special moments that led up to our marriage.

We celebrated little Hug Day this weekend by going out for pizza and then to the outlet mall to buy BT some decent workout clothes. We may honor our upcoming Big Hug Day with a trip to Trader Joe’s to pick up a few yummy snacks that we’ll eat while watching a favorite t.v. show together at home. A year ago, we celebrated Love at First Sight Day by recreating our first date, including wearing the same clothes we wore that day, eating at the same restaurant, ordering the same menu items, and even exchanging nervous little “first date” chit chat. When I instinctively tried to hold BT’s hand during our reenactment, he teased me that we couldn’t do that for another two months (10 October, Hand in Hand Day)!

One thing I love most about being married to BT is that we find silly, inexpensive ways to help us reconnect when life gets crazy.