I'm a nature girl. I've always loved to be outside, exploring, playing in mud puddles, picking berries, digging up worms...you name it.
I've grown up a little now. I still love nature, but now one of my favorite ways to experience it is behind the lens of a camera. One thing I particularly like to photograph is flowers. I'm amazed at all the variety in the world of flowers...
There are flowers that pop up just after the snow melts, reminding you that warm weather is FINALLY on it's way!
There are these little blue flowers (I don't know what they're called) that only grow when spring is definitely and irreversably here! :)
There are tulips, looking so fresh and pretty after a rainstorm
There are petite little white flowers that grow on a tree
(I also do not know what these are called :) )
There are flowers that are not commonly accepted as flowers- those that people love to hate and will do anything to get them out of their beautifully manicured lawns!
But one of my favorites, though I do not like to grow them, has become the rose. Roses are in a class of their own. They can be sophisticated or simple, showy or subtle.
They are beautiful in every way,
Now, I do like red roses. I think they are quite lovely and I generally like the way they smell, but there is another kind of rose that has of late become my favorite Rose... and that would be...
(drumroll, please)...
Jonathan Rose
That's not what you were expecting, was it!? Me either! :)
Let me tell you about this very special Rose.
At the beginning of this summer, Jonathan came on full-time at camp to work facilities/maintenance. I thought he was nice, but didn't give him much thought until someone told he was interested in one of my very close friends. :) I thought I should observe him to see if he would make a suitable husband for her should he ever chose to pursue a relationship. I noticed he was very gentlemanly and nice, and...well, sometimes kinda crazy! He was always singing and whistling/trilling. I told one of the kitchen girls that he used to be a bird but he was reincarnated as a man! :)
One day, as I was pushing a large water cooler out of the kitchen, trying to be independent and not ask for help, I got the cart the cooler was on stuck on the rubber mat and tipped it over, I tried to catch it, to no avail. The cooler was obliterated, I made a mess, and I hurt myself.
Enter Jonathan
He told me in no uncertain terms that I was never to try to carry or push anything that large without asking for help and I should get him to help me when I needed something.
One of the girls, a self-proclaimed matchmaker, was standing there watching this. She raised her eyebrows and said "Oo-ooh...What about him?" I told her that her help was greatly needed elsewhere, and that to the best of my knowledge, Jonathan's interests were in someone else.
Fast forward to the 4th of July. I was finishing up some of my cleaning when one of my friends came up, the one who had told me Jonathan was interested my friend, and told me "By the way, he's fishing in different waters now," with that knowing look, indicating that those "different waters" meant me. "What do you mean 'fishing'?" "Well," he explained "When a guy is looking for a girl, he puts out little hooks. If there are bites, he gets encouraged, so he tried bigger and bigger hooks til he gets her." Ah,...I see there is a lot I have to learn about the world of men.
That afternoon, there was a picnic at camp. I was going out with some friends afterwards, so I had spiffed up a bit and was wearing white and blue. When we got down there, Jonathan was grilling and gave us some hot burgers just off the grill. He looked up at me and said "My! don't you look patriotic!" Jenna looked at me with a amused look. She and Rebekah were wearing patriotic tshirts and he hadn't said anything to them. In the words of Jenna "The hooks are getting bigger!"
The girls and guys on operational staff teased mercilessly. They teased me. They teased him. Thankfully, they didn't tease us when were in the same place together. I told the girls I would be glad to just have a normal conversation with him after they left. Any time I would talk to him, one of the girls would go by,"reeling in the line" with their hands! :)
I thought he was just being nice.
I thought he was just being nice when he showed up to help cut pizzas...every time we had pizza.
I thought he was just being nice when he came during our crunch times to help get food ready.
I thought he was just being nice when he watched my chickens for me while I was gone
I thought he was just being nice when he saved my skin and helped me frost wedding cakes that I had to get done.
He was nice to everybody and I didn't think he was really giving me any more attention than he gave anyone else. (They begged to differ) I think I was in denial because I didn't want to start liking someone and have him thinking otherwise. I didn't want to just consider him or have him consider me because the staff thought it was a good idea. I didn't want a string of those "crushes" that go nowhere.
Hence, Miss Densie Dumbbell.
Well, after countless of these "He's just being nice" moments, I guess I started to get a little suspicious! :) Plus, my sisters and the girls I work with were starting to keep secrets from me, you know, whispering and giggling, PC's in the walk-in fridge,...yeah, not normal stuff!
I gave my Dad a head's up -"I thought you should know everyone is saying this guy at camp likes me,...I don't know that he does or if he'd ever go for me, but if he does, I'd be ok with it."
Dad : "Who is this?"
I describe Jonathan
"Oh...that's probably why that guy has been so nice to me.
I'll have to get to know him better if I see him again."
:)
In the weeks after that, my appreciation for Jonathan really started to grow. I started thinking of him as a possibility, I mean a really good, Godly possibility, instead of just a "nice guy." I still tried to subdue my feelings, in case he really wasn't interested, but I was definitely observing (and admiring) a lot. I knew if our relationship was going to go anywhere, it would have to be a "God thing."
Well, God moved!
Tuesday, September 1st, Jonathan was making a big batch of salsa in the camp kitchen and I was helping him. The girls were going to come over and help, but they were sure taking their sweet time. In between chopping all the vegetables up, Jonathan cut his finger pretty deeply on a can, so I helped him bandage it up. He wanted to talk to me about...stuff, but we had a very sociable, talkative volunteer that was also in the kitchen, so he couldn't get a chance! Finally, we had everything on the stove and I was washing up a few dishes, and Jonathan asked if he could ask me something. His tone got serious and I was thinking "Man, I better put these dishes down and listen to what he's got to say!" He asked if I would be willing to begin a deeper relationship with him, said some other nice things which I will not mention here :) and said some things that I can't remember because I was so shocked he was asking! :) And I found out he had been watching me since the third day of camp. Yipes! ( he actually hadn't been fishing in other ponds :) )
Well, long story short (not exactly, huh?)
Here we are.
Last Sunday, Jonathan talked to my Dad and got his blessing to officially start a relationship, and it's honestly been one of the best weeks of my life! I so much appreciate Jonathan's servant heart and how he thinks through his beliefs. He's not following God because that's what everyone does in our circles,...He's serving the Lord because it's something he's decided to do. There are not a lot of eligible Godly men out there and I fell incredible honored and humbled to be in a relationship with one of the best men I have ever met. He is not perfect, but he is growing, and I'm so thankful to be able to call him
My man
