WHO I AM

Since my first time blogging, four years ago, I have yet to have it together to write a birthday tribute post. I think April 27 is a good place to start:
(prepare for gushy-ness)

I am who I am because of Benjamin Clark Knudsen.
I began telling him that SEVEN years ago. I could list the things I did (and still do) because of him. From the way I dressed, to the way I spoke, to the way I thought--he influenced so much of it. From the beginning I wanted to be the very best Olivia I could be because of him.
I still want to do that for him.
Ben creates.
(Above, he created his name in the January snow at Utah Lake).
He creates BEAUTY. Just see for yourself:
I enjoyed Ben's creating abilities in the beginning too. But I have been exponentially impressed. Aside from breath-taking flower arrangements, Ben especially blew me away this past semester in our letterpress class. I loved when he sat by me in the design studio to learn the workings of Adobe Illustrator and created works that awed myself AND the rest of the graphic design classmates. They, and the teacher, all insisted he switch majors. If I can ever get those scanned, I will prove to you his incredible creative abilities.

Ben creates more:
Did you just smile? It's because that's what Ben does. (Even just when stretching his long body, as above, he gives a true smile that CREATES my smile.) He creates happiness. He is charming and humorous and entertaining and in-touch and understanding and sensitive---and he's so subtle about all of it that you hardly even realize he's so talented.

But when you realize it, he's created love.
That's why we love you, Ben.
That's why I love you!