6 days to your Birthday (Day 25)

Less than a week left until your birthday. I'm so excited; when I think about it, I have trouble breathing. I wonder if you were as nervous the second time you proposed. I am so excited and nervous that I have lost all higher brain functions. Without Daphne and Hunter, I'd be completely useless. I felt so relieved when Daphne brought over a bag today. She's going to stay here until the big day, and Hunter has been coming over whenever he can. We designed simple invitations for the party and made it seem as though you were throwing it. Hunter will hand deliver invitations to Deb, Carl, Emmett, Ted, Ben, and Michael the morning before the party, and Daphne will do the same with my mom, Tucker, and Molly.

5 days to your Birthday (Day 26)

I'm going to make steamed oysters, seafood bisque, crawfish étouffée, jambalaya, and pecan pie for the party. Daphne and Hunter helped me make a list of everything I'll need, including pots and pans. They went shopping while I lay in the bed I bought for us, gazing at the gardenia screen and fantasizing about our reunion. Later, I made a few sketches of Daphne and Hunter from the pictures I had taken on cleaning day. I gave them each one. They seemed happy. Especially Hunter. The sketch I gave him actually rendered him speechless, if you can believe it.

4 days to your Birthday (Day 27)

The ring and the flyers came today. The ring is even more beautiful than it seemed in the pictures. I had the jeweler engrave it, though it was hard because it's an open knot ring (as opposed to a solid band with knotwork placed or engraved on top). It reads, "U R my heart (the shape, not the word)."

3 days to your Birthday (Day 28)

Today, Daphne surprised me with a beautiful pale turquoise cashmere sweater for the party. She thinks I should wear it with my white jeans. They make my ass look incredible. I was even more surprised when Hunter gave me four hits of this fantastic E you and I had once. I've never been able to find a trustworthy source since that first time last year, but somehow Hunter managed it.

2 days to your Birthday (Day 29)

I spent hours trying to write my proposal speech. I want it to be perfect. But how do you express feelings verbally when those feelings transcend words? I ended up painting most of the day. It was like I was possessed. I couldn't stop until I managed to get everything out onto the canvas. I have never been as pleased with any of my paintings before. I hope you like it. Who am I kidding? I want you to love it. I want you to know, without my saying a word, exactly what it means, exactly how I feel about you.

1 day to your Birthday (Day 30)

This morning, I made jambalaya for the party. After all, it's always better on the second day. Then, Daphne and Hunter spent the evening keeping me sane. They rented a bunch of comedies and fed me popcorn and a million different types of candy. I actually went several hours without thinking about party plans or whether you'd say yes when I proposed.