Grace, Jon, and Gregory

Jon and I slept for a few hours after our wedding (and after our first attempt at babymaking!), then he went off to pursue some new guitar gigs Tuesday evening, and I went out collecting.

After all, if we're going to start a family, we need money (at the very least, we need to furnish a nursery!), and Jon--having been fired by his band, Mercy Hellhole--is having to scramble to find some income-producing work.

I got lucky, and found a rare butterfly, and went to the Science Facility to sell it for top dollar.

Wednesday morning, I convinced my husband to go to the Sunflower Spa to get a makeover. (He had teased me into going there to get an "eyebrow makeover", so fair is fair!)

I told Jon that, if he was trying to make a solo music career, he should get rid of the long gray ponytail. I think his new look is much better!

Jon starting spinning wants to learn new compositions,

so I encouraged him just to practice and to leave all household details to me.

I used up a lot of my remaining Lifetime Happiness points purchasing rewards that I thought would help me be a good housewife and mother--Speedy Cleaner,

Steel Bladder (this one really helps in pregnancy!),

and Fast Learner (in case I have to learn new skills to pass them on to my children).

I still had quite a few points left over, but couldn't think of anything to spend them on at this point. For one thing, I sure don't need the fertility reward!

My pregnancy was not difficult, and I padded around the house happily cleaning, tending my garden, and preparing dishes to leave in the fridge for Jon so that he could eat good meals whenever his difficult schedule allowed.

By mid-morning on Friday I was getting restless so--though I was already quite large--I went out fishing, which I figured would relax me. Just after changing bait, I realized I had better get to the hospital quickly!

While on the way, in a cab I'd managed to flag down, I left a message for Jon on his cellphone.

He immediately rushed to meet me at the hospital--he's so good!

The delivery wasn't bad at all and, even it it had been, our new little Gregory would have been worth it!

His two traits--Genius and Friendly--are not traits that either Jon or I have.

After only a short time at the hospital, Jon and I headed home in a cab with our new son. (Jon had to sign an autograph for a fan, so that held us up a bit.)

We were all home by early afternoon, and I fed Gregory,

then handed him to Jon, who played with him while I closed all the windows in the newly furnished nursery, so that Gregory wouldn't get a chill while he was napping.

So far, Gregory's a good sleeper--I hope that continues!

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NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Join us next time, as Jon works hard to re-establish himself in music, and he and Grace might be expecting again....

The Haven-Lessens: Marriage and Family, Part 1

The first thing I did after achieving my Lifetime Wish of the Perfect Garden was to purchase the Collection Helper reward (because I got sooooo many points for getting my LTW!).

I chose that reward not because I wanted to be rich, but because my husband-to-be was already an Elder, and I myself was only 4 days from elder, and I had no Life Fruit plants and no other way to buy myself enough time to have several children.

So, I set my new Collection Helper to "Seeds", and went out looking for Special Seeds (which Gardenia had told me should include Life Fruit seeds).

The Collection Helper drew me to the graveyard,

and to the riverbank near my house,

where I picked up quite a few Special seeds.

Back at home, I called up my fiance, Jon Lessen, and asked him to come by.

We got married Tuesday morning in my front yard, all by ourselves, with only my plants as witnesses.

Though Jon used to live in a half-million-dollar house, he'd recently been kicked out of it, so he moved in with me.

Though everyone in town had told me that Jon was rich, he actually brought only $2,384 to our new household when he officially moved in.

Though that was less than I expected, I don't care, because I'm soooooo much in love!!!

Here's what we know about Jon (his bio, and his Traits and Favorites):

As soon as we got married, we went to relax in the bedroom. Jon's cellphone rang.

"Are you going to answer that?" I asked.

He turned to me and smiled his wonderful, heart-melting smile. "Nahhhhh!" he said.

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NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Join us next time, for the first baby!

Grace Haven: GAC Challenge Completion!

I got up early Sunday evening and made my bed,

and checked my mail. I found that the contact lenses I'd ordered (at Jon's suggestion: "You've got such pretty eyes, Grace--it's a shame to hide them!") had arrived.

I put my hair in a ponytail (also at Jon's suggestion: "You've got such a delicate face, Grace--it's a shame to hide it!") and called up Jon and invited him over. I was excited to show him my new look!

He arrived shortly thereafter--talk about a new look!!!

I was completely unprepared for the old-looking guy who showed up at my front door. "Jon?" I asked. "Is that really you?"

He smiled ruefully. "I told you I was getting old, Grace."

"But you look soooooo different!" I blurted out. He looked so crestfallen at my reaction that there was only one thing to do--

"I'm just surprised, that's all," I stammered by way of explanation. "You're still really handsome."

We went inside, and Jon watched some arts program on TV,

while I made us dinner.

"Grace, the other band members voted me out of Mercy Hellhole," he told me as soon as we sat down to eat.

I was shocked. "Can they do that?" I asked.

"They sure can," he said. "They told me I was 'insufficiently committed'."

"That's terrible!" I cried. "And surely not true!!"

"No, Grace, it's true," he answered. "I think I've been honest with you that I haven't been happy in the band for some time--that it's no longer the kind of music I want to play. Plus, the band's performance schedule is so grueling that I don't have enough time to do anything else." He paused. "Still, it was a shock to be voted out--it made my hair turn gray overnight!"

"You've said that the band owns the house where you live," I said. "Does that mean they kicked you out of the house, too?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he admitted. "Will you let me stay here?"

"Of course, Jon," I assured him. We ate in silence for a few minutes. I really didn't know what else to say.

"I thought I had the rest of my life planned out," he sighed. "All of a sudden, everything's in flux."

I panicked. "Does this mean you feel differently about starting a family right away?"

"No--not at all," he said. "It's just that we won't have a lot of money till I get my musical career going again. My money's unfortunately tied up with the band's finances, and I may have to sue them to get my share."

"Don't you worry about that, Jon," I told him, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "I make enough money for us to get by for the time being, and I'm positive you'll find work soon."

I asked if he felt like talking more, or going to a movie, but he said he'd just like to take a nap. So, I gave him a kiss and went out fishing.

Fishing is a good way to clear my mind, I've found. Whenever I'm anxious about something, it always helps just to do a long cast, and stare out over the water.

I fished all Sunday night and into Monday morning, and had a pretty successful outing. I sold my catch at the grocery for more than $5,000,

went home to tend my garden and encourage my plants--especially my onion plant, which I was just sure was about to produce a Perfect harvest,

and went to sleep till nearly midnight.

When I got up I sent a Luminorious gem I'd found off to the gemcutter,

and, since I had nothing else to do (Jon was out renewing contacts and trying to line up some gigs), I went to the Sunflower Spa for a facial. (Jon's been teasing me about my eyebrows--he says they look like 'two dead caterpillars'--so I decided to remedy the situation.)

Fortunately, it's a 24-hour spa, because I didn't get there till well after 3:00 a.m.

You know how they say "A watched pot never boils"? Well, once I'd left my garden and was occupied doing something else, my onion plant produced a Perfect harvest, and I satisfied my Lifetime Wish a little after 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, which was Day 38 of my GAC Challenge.

I reviewed the Goals I'd achieved:

Level 10 in each of Cooking, Fishing, and Gardening,

a Perfect Garden,

the Amateur Ichthyologist sub-challenge,

the Menu Maven sub-challenge,

and the Super Green Thumb reward.

My lot, furnished, was worth $30,667,

I had $12, 904 in Household Funds,

I'd also completed the (not required) Botanical Boss sub-challenge,

and I had 71,651 unused Lifetime Happiness points.

So, my final score for the GAC Challenge was 150,882 points!

I called Gardenia immediately to tell her, despite the hour, and she was thrilled for me. "Imagine that!" she said. "You beat my score and found a husband, too!"

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NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Join us next time, as Grace and Jon start their life together.