the best flowers EVER

by the time i got back to our house from the tues-thurs. san francisco trip, it was almost 11PM. well after the time a little man (age 7) should be fast asleep. but tycho heard me open the door and came running with a big squeeze. "mom i HAVE to show you...." he said beaming and scampering off as quickly as he came.
"show me WHAT?" i whispered after him. "THIS" he said coming back toward the front door "YOUR GIFT"

he picked them himself at all different places. arranged them himself and made a note, too. paul told me later he kept watching them, worried they'd wilt before i got back.

it's so great (so very great!) to every week, to see couples in love.
but there's something equally great + gracious + remarkable + touching about the love that kids have for their parents (and grandparents!) ~ we love seeing what love looks like in families, between friends...
and this leads me to 2 quick points:

1. we know, we know....you're checking back to see who (most) won our hearts + "won their wedding" ~ but have you been reading those comments? it's that love from family and friends that's making this so much harder. we are now fully in LOVE with each of these 5 couples and want to hug their moms and dads, joke with their siblings and just be in the midst of their friends. what exceptionally wonderful people. we wish, we wish we could make each of the 5 finalists a full winner. argh, this whole "we have to make a living at what we do" dollars and cents thing....
THIS WE PROMISE. BY BEDTIME TONIGHT (and hopefully before) THE (yep, there can only be ONE) winning couple will be announced here.

2. what love looks like in families and between friends? there's no better example than this:
a slideshow from daniel + jenny's march 29th wedding. oh my.

we appreciate your patience.
but most of all, we appreciate that you share your lives with us.

most warmly,
amy