fancy

Let me tell you a story. A couple of years ago, I remember telling Rhett that I wanted a big ol' enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I scoured the stores and the internet, looking for a really inexpensive option. Because, after all, who in the hell has nearly $300 for a Dutch oven? Like... really? Only rich people. That's who. And we are not/were not rich, so... that's that.

The least expensive one that I ever found was on sale for about $59.99, and I STILL hated to spend that kind of cash on a pot. If I was Martha Stewart and made fancy dinners in that pot, then maybe. But, no. I was Jenny Joy. I was not fancy and only a mediocre cook. I shouldn't own such a fancy thing. So, I forgot about it and just quit looking.

Fast forward several months to my birthday. Rhett graced me with a box that was so big and heavy, it made my heart race. I hesitantly opened that box to find this:

This, my good friends, is a top of the line, cherry red Le Creuset Dutch oven (I think the Le Creuset folks call it a "French" oven, but let's face it... it's a Dutch oven.) These are expensive. REALLY, REALLY fricken' expensive. I was shocked. And then I panicked about the money that he spent on it. And then I cried because it was so expensive, but I didn't want to be ungrateful or rude. So, as I turned ashen white, I gave him a big ol' kiss, thanked him, and felt my heart pounding out of my chest.

So, what's the point of this story? I didn't feel worthy AT ALL. It was too fancy for someone like me. But, as time passed, I learned to lurve it so. I've used this pot so many times to feed my family warm, comforting meals. Ever time I take it out of the cabinet, I swoon a little. I feel so darned fancy, it's ridiculous. And I remember that I'm loved fiercely. What I haven't told you is that Rhett saved for many months, a few dollars at a time, for that Dutch oven. He tore the internet to pieces looking for a killer deal... and he found it. He even schemed with his mother to use her credit card to pay for it so it wouldn't show up on our bank account, making it a true surprise and not sending me into cardiac arrest when finding such a charge on the bank statement.

Last night, I used it to make chicken and noodles.

There's not a darn thing in the world that makes me happier than to have stuff bubbling away in this pot. Seriously. So, I don't make super fancy meals in my Le Creuset. But my family loves just about everything that has ever come out of that pot... chicken and noodles included.

Thank you, Rhett. Thank you for making me feel fancy. Thank you for moving heaven and earth to give me such an incredible gift. Thank you for helping me feel worthy of something I thought I would never deserve. I love you.