I have a husband who is 20 pounds lighter than he was last month & he makes me proud.
1st year clarinet and 2nd year saxaphone do not always make beautiful music.
Lasik revision surgery is not as easy as the initial surgery.
I enjoy changing my hair color.
Visiting Zambians make your heart miss Africa all over again.
I love fall even more when my utility bill comes.
Girls like boys earlier than boys like girls.
Christmas is 60 days away and my gift spreadsheet is only 1/2 done.
At Beebo's football game yesterday, I overheard the woman next to me talking about how it was her parents' 35th wedding anniversary. Her parents arrived at the game shortly thereafter and the couple she had been talking with said, "Congratulations!"
This struck me as weird. At first congratulations just didn't seem appropriate for an anniversary wish. I think of 'congratulations' as the right word for weddings, graduations, promotions, new babies... you know, at the start of something new or upon a great accomplishment. So I started thinking, is that really how we view successful years of marriage - an accomplishment?
Maybe we should put more weight on it and view it as an accomplishment. After all, statistics speak for themselves: 41% of first marriages, 60% of second marriages and 73% of third marriages in the U.S. end in divorce (according to the CDC). Maybe we've gotten to those statistics by viewing the wedding as the accomplishment, but not the marriage. I think too many people view marriage as an event in their life. In reality, the wedding is the event and marriage is a lifetime accomplishment.
Realistically, it becomes even more of an accomplishment if you look backward. I think the phrase "til death to us part" became part of the traditional wedding vow in 1662. Was staying together until death a great feat? Life expectancy was short. Plagues and war took many lives, and nearly 50% of women died in childbirth. Therefore, promising to stay together until death was a fairly safe bet. 'Til death do us part' today could mean upwards of 60 years. That's a lot of years of toenail clipping and dirty laundry!
Marriage is work - sticking out those annoying habits of someone else is hard. Harder still is seeing your own annoying habits in the mirror that is your spouse. But, just like with any job you work hard at, the returns usually outweigh the effort. So I guess instead of saying 'Happy Anniversary', I'm going to start saying 'Congratulations!' every year and totally mean it.
It's hard to imagine what it was like before it was us, when it was just me. 13 years, 3 kids, 4 homes and a few scars later - it's still pretty sweet.
In the beginning, I was an adorable, little 15 year old who asked a mutual friend to introduce me to that cute guy outside my Latin classroom.
Then came a 4 year gap, I often say because he found other girls who, unlike me, would let him touch their butts ;) Funny how God brings you back to where He wants you, even when you aren't listening to Him... I was wooed across 2 states by this guy who couldn't remember how to spell my name, but made me laugh and loved music and food as much as I did.
19 years after that initial meeting, he's still cute, still makes me laugh and still loves food and music as much as I do, maybe more. More importantly these days, he loves Jesus, loves me and loves our kids.
So in honor of our 13th 10-4 and our first official dance as Simpsons:
I, I'm so in love with you
Whatever you want to do
Is all right with me
'Cause you make me feel so brand new
And I want to spend my life with you
Since, since we've been together
Loving you forever
Is what I need
Let me be the one you come running to
I'll never be untrue
Let's, let's stay together
Lovin' you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad
Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad
Why, why some people break up
Then turn around and make up
I just can't see
You'd never do that to me
Staying around you is all I see
Let's, we oughta stay together
Loving you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad
Thanks to a (ahem) gentle reminder from a friend or two this weekend, I am renewing a committment to posting here. You know, it's not that I actually haven't had time, I can always make time, 'cuz who needs sleep? It's just that some days, I think it's pretty status quo around here and there's nothing profound or share worthy to write about.
So what's been going on?...
I had a lovely visit with a boy I am head over heels about. His name is Vernon and he came all the way from Denmark to meet me. He is fantastic - long legs, beautiful smooth skin, luscious little lips and a baby fresh smelling head! I can't wait to watch this little guy grow and it was so much fun to see how in love his momma and dad are with him too!
Captain Fearbeard turned 6! Yep, the last of the 5 year olds have come and gone in this house - bittersweet. He's fully into those size 7 clothes we got, riding a 20 inch bike and wearing a size 2.5 shoe. There is not a stitch of that chubby, bald baby in sight anymore. We had a Friday night party with fabulous weather. I say a birthday party with a pirate theme and swords with only one child bleeding is a pretty swell success!!
Football season is in full swing. While I can't even come close to winning at my football picks each week, I picked a pretty great Red Dragon team to root for! It's been really cool to watch how much these boys who have played together for 4 years are really starting to come into the game and play wisely. Wy's loving it, as usual.
The Zambians are here! I was encouraged to see people picking up sponsorship of some of the student leaders at the college and we had the opportunity to start ours up too. We had a great time hanging with them on Sunday and Monday. Can't wait to see them again in October and give them a bunch of snaps to take home. I'll post more about their visit to the school when I've got pictures to accompany because my words can't do it justice. It was amazing, reciprocally amazing. Overheard at our house:
Piper: "I have a boyfriend now, but today he got expelled from school. If he ever gets to come back, I'm totally telling him I'm breaking up with him."
Oh, that boy! He's got charm. He's got wit. He's got faith. He's got the softest heart. I am so thankful that he walks his talk. What a stand up guy. Oh Lord, I pray that You continue to grow this attribute in him and that you would use him to better teach it to the rest of us!
Example? His teacher's known him for 2 weeks and is singing his praises. She shared this with me during email correspondence last week:
"I also wanted to let you know how THRILLED I am to have Wyatt in class. He is by far one of the neatest and kindest children I have ever had the opportunity to teach. I feel like I have learned so much from him already. I have to share a sweet "Wyatt Story"... After giving their speeches for class president Wyatt congratulated the other little girl that spoke. He told her that she did a great job and that he was going to vote for her. In our class of 24, she received 2 votes... I just believe hers and Wyatt's. There are thousands moments like this one where Wyatt's kind heart shines through and I just feel so honored that I get to work with him this year!"Overheard at our house this week:
Ryder - "You don't need balance. You just need awesomeness."
