::Joy is my middle name::: Eight hundred forty six.

My weekend away in St. Louis was really great. Marty was an awesome host... we had so much fun while he showed me around the place he calls home.

I flew in on Thursday night. He was standing at the door waiting and it was really special to see his face again.

On Friday, Marty had to go to school to give his students the beloved tests, so I tagged along. It was neat to get to meet his students (they were pretty excited that I was there... they referred to me as "the girl in the pictures") and to talk to a few teachers who he thinks highly of. Parkway Central is a big school and so Marty gave me the grand-abbreviated tour during one of his off periods.

On Friday afternoon, we played. We ran through a historical park, dove into the freezing cold pool, played croquet with his parents, and enjoyed dinner and conversation with them until dark.

Saturday was a busy (but oh-so-fun) day. After a lazy morning, we headed into St. Louis where we went to the zoo and the art museum. The art museum was a neat experience... a few years ago, I took an African Art History class and I saw a few of the pieces in the museum that I had seen in my text book. After those two little adventures, we went sailing at Creve Couer Park where Marty taught me a few of the sailing basics. I'm ready for more sailing... as long as he's in the boat!

After sailing, my belated-birthday celebration began. It was honestly the sweetest thing anyone has done for me... so much thought in who I am and how we'd want to spend our time together. It included a saunter and some wine... and that's all I'm going to say.

On Sunday, I got a taste of the church that the Lessmanns are so involved in. They go to Trinity Lutheran Church and all three of them sing in the choir. Even though the song they sang wasn't Marty's favorite, it was still so fun to hear them sing.

Marty and I ended the weekend with a nice walk through the neighborhood. It's so special to me that we can do just about anything and truly enjoy it because it's about the time we're spending together. Sappy, I know...

Being together last weekend was special. We're learning so much about each other and enjoying all different aspects of our relationship. We're also learning that according to the world's standards, we're very different... and we like that.

Marty is headed back to Colorado in a week for my best friend's wedding. We're going up to Camp Timberline (where it all began) for the weekend. I can't wait! I'll definitely be posting a ton of pictures and stories about Jill and Zach and all of the festivities...