A Day Off

Today my super, amazing, and wonderful husband has taken all the kids out for the day and I get a day off. I'll be spending most of it here.


I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

10 Years

Today James and I have been married for 10 years.

Our engagement picture

Us now

Life just keeps getting better.

For My Husband

Last week was my wonderful husband's birthday. I really wanted to make the day special for him. I'm afraid I don't show appreciation for him often enough and I really wanted him to know and feel that on his birthday. I thought and thought about it and even prayed about it. There weren't any gifts that he really wanted. Spending money on him doesn't make him feel loved. Saving money is the way to go for him. I even asked him what he wanted. He said he wanted me to surprise him. Finally the day before his birthday I got some ideas. We got him a few simple gifts: a movie he could watch with the kids and some of his favorite snack foods. I also planned to clean our bedroom (and as much of the rest of the house as we could possibly manage). It doesn't happen very often, but when it does it makes him very happy. And I planned to dress up for him. He always comments on Sunday's when I am dressed and ready to go to church how much he likes seeing me dressed up. On every other day I don't do my hair, I wear jeans and holey sneakers and a slightly nice t-shirt, and he comes home to pandemonium and is so patient about it all. I wanted his birthday, of all days, to be better! Things definitely didn't look so bright when we got up that morning. But I sent him off to work and then got to work myself. With some good help from the kids, who were a little more motivated that day, we had the important things cleaned up (including a very clean bedroom), the table set, the presents wrapped, the cake done, balloons put up, his favorite dinner ready to go on the table, and me showered, dressed, and smelling good when he got home. He was really surprised and had an enjoyable birthday.

But I've been thinking since then, why don't I do that more often? Or even just a little of it way more often. I don't have to wait for his birthday or other special occasions. I really enjoy making him happy and showing him rather than just telling him that I love him. Somehow it makes me love him even more.

Saturday

Saturday morning I woke up really dreading the day. The whole house was a mess and I didn't look forward to cleaning it up or trying to get the kids to do their part. I felt very overwhelmed! I had just voiced these frustrations to my husband when my friend called and asked if I wanted to go to a basketball game with her that afternoon. I told her that I had way to much to do and couldn't come. Then I told James about the game but that I was going to stay home and somehow figure out how to get our home put in order and make it stay that way. He kindly suggested that I could try to come up with some grand huge plan if I really wanted to, but he thought that it wouldn't really do any good. Instead, he said I just had to keep thinking about it and come up with little solutions here and there that would eventually add up to something bigger. He also reminded me that it is good to have something fun to look forward to. It even helps us work harder and get more accomplished. And it worked for me that day. I called my friend back and told her I did want go to the game and then I worked hard and was more cheerful about it. So the house did get a little cleaner (not all the way, but better) and I was more patient with the kids. Life was so much better! And I have tried to keep that in mind. To work hard and make things better a little at a time. And also to look forward to something good afterwards, like spending the evening with my wonderful husband. I am so grateful for his wisdom and ability to see things so clearly when I cannot. Man, I'm a lucky girl!