Blessing #18---My Hubby

I know, I know. This post is extremely overdue. And, several times I have been reminded of the fact that I haven't posted Blessing #18 yet. I guess part of the reason this post has taken me so long is because I can't do justice to the amazing man my hubby is in a mere blog post. Nonetheless, this is my attempt.

My hubby, me, Amy and her mom

For those of you who don't know...my best friend Amy introduced me to my hubby. He lived in AZ and I lived in CA. Through the course of emails, phone calls, and visits back and forth, we fell in love. Actually, it was the third email from him, in which he shared about the Song of Solomon Bible study he was in, that I knew this was a forever deal. I was awed by the fact that a 20-something year old guy was in a Bible study, and I was overwhelmed with the fact that he actually wanted to share with me about it. From that point on, each time I spoke of him to someone else, the word "amazing" naturally popped out of my mouth. My "adopted aunt", Dottie, would always joke with me and ask me, "Is he amazing?". And, of course, my answer was always "yes".

Fast forward 5 1/2 years and here I am...married to that amazing man, blessed each day to call him my husband, and to be the mother of his child.

You see, my hubby is a giver. I used to tell him that it frustrated me that he was so selfless, because that meant that I didn't get to be. He truly is a pretty selfless man. I guess he gets that from his mom and his dad. He has a very hard time saying "no" to people who ask for his help or his talents. He reminds me of my dad in the sense that I truly believe he would go out of his way to do anything for me. If I want to do something, he is always encouraging of me and does everything in his power to ensure that I get the time to do what it is that I want to do.

He works hard. No, he isn't a workaholic or consumed with work, but when he is there, he tries to make wise choices that will advance him, in an effort to provide for me and Little Buddy. He gives me the opportunity to stay home with our precious son, all the while thanking me for doing so. I remember before Little Buddy was born...I was worried about whether we'd be able to live on one income. As we talked about my concerns and my fears of what we'd do if he were to lose his job, he very matter-of-factly said, "I will make sure your needs are met. If I have to work at McDonalds and two other jobs, I'll make sure you and Little Buddy have what you need. I'll never let you need for anything. That is important to me." Those words comforted me and gave me unbelievable peace.

While my hubby can be serious and willing to have deep discussions, he doesn't take himself too seriously. He loves to have fun and is a kid at heart. It is so "amazing" to feel so comfortable with someone...being able to be ridiculously silly, to dance like fools, and to do it together. He is my friend and my beloved.

Obviously, I am beyond blessed when it comes to the subject of my hubby. I am married to a man who knows my secrets, my flaws, my insecurities...and he loves me in spite of them. In fact, in times when I have struggled with my insecurities, he has often said that those are the times he loves me even more...because he knows that is when I most need to be loved...and to know that I'm loved. He loves me when my physical appearance is not "every man's dream", and that sure feels like unconditional love to me.

These are the vows my husband wrote and recited to me on our wedding day:

I promise you today, before God and these witnesses:

--to always love you, no matter what the circumstance

--to be the man that God has called me to be for you and to be the leader that you deserve

--to make our marriage a priority in my life, whether it be date night or doing nothing at all...I

want to enjoy life with you, without letting the time pass us by

--to encourage your wishes and dreams, so you never have to wonder "what if?"

--to respect your thoughts and ideas, no matter how crazy they may seem at the time

--to love, honor, and respect you in all that I do, so that when the day comes that I will be

held accountable for the gift that God has given to me, in you, I will be able to present you

pure and blameless in His sight

The amazing thing about this is that my hubby really does try to live out these vows. Sometimes it is harder than others, especially when I'm difficult to love. But, even still, he tries. No, he's not perfect, but he's perfect for me.

Not only is he an amazing husband, but he is a fantastic father, too. I could post an entire blog just on this subject. But, here's a brief snipit of my thoughts on my hubby as a father. ... Recently, we were discussing whether we thought parenthood was what we expected or whether it was quite different from our expectations. My husband's words still bring tears to my eyes. He said, "Being a dad isn't as hard as I expected, but it is way more important than I thought it would be." This makes me emotional because HE GETS IT. My husband really understands the impact he is making on our son and as a result, he is an active, present father. He loves his son with such a deep love and concern that it is no wonder Little Buddy seems completely secure in my hubby's presence.

I never thought I was worthy of a husband who would meet all of my "husband criteria". But, then, God went and proved once again that it isn't about what I deserve, but what He so graciously chooses to bestow upon me. So, I recognize how extremely blessed I am to share my life with this "amazing" man.

7 Things

So, Leatrice tagged me to post 7 Little Known Facts About Me.
Since I am so indecisive, it was hard to pick 7 things...that is, after I started to actually think of things that I felt fit the category of "little known things about me". I realize that some of these things may not be little known to some of you, but for many of you, they probably are.
So, here ya go:
1: I have an inverted cocix. I didn't realize that my cocix (aka: tailbone) was abnormal until my husband pointed out to me that my tailbone doesn't curl under the way it is supposed to. No wonder people used to say I had a "boney butt" when I'd sit on their laps.
2: I hate having dishes in the left side of the sink. Fill up the right side all you want (and then actually wash some of them, too), but don't clutter up the left side of my sink. I need one sacred side of the sink for washing my hands without battling a sink full of dishes there.
3: I used to want to be an actress. And, I was actually pretty good at acting in high school.
4: I have a pair of shorts that I've owned for 17 years. I love them. My hubby hates them. But, they aren't going anywhere. They are just that comfortable.
5: I would like to pursue a career in nursing, wedding coordinating, catering or own a bed and breakfast several years down the road.
6: I considered changing my major from psychology to political science because of one poli sci class and one amazing professor I had in college.
7: I am all about delayed gratification. Well, that might not be so "little known", so I'll throw in an extra one: 7.5: I don't expect to change the world, but I really do have a desire to be important to people. Not everyone, just some.

Suggestions??

Anyone have any great suggestions for getting the smell of throw-up out of couch cushions? My son threw up all over me, himself, and the couch cushions tonight. Poor little guy. I feel horribly for him, still...even though he is now sleeping peacefully. But, my couch cushion still stinks like barf. Help! I don't want to ruin the cushion in my attempt to make it smell like normal. What to do?!!

Ladies Cooking Night

This post is WAY overdue...But, here it is anyways.

So, about 4 weeks ago now, several friends came over and we had a Ladies Cooking Night at my house. It was during the time that my mom was here, so she was a big help in getting my kitchen looking a little more Italian than it normally does.

Making the breadsticks while Janell tells a fascinating story

Yes, the theme was Italian food. So, we had a couple different pasta options, homemade alfredo sauce, homemade spaghetti sauce, a lovely salad, freshly grated parmasean cheese, etc.

Stuffing shells (Deb, Leatrice, Katie)

We made stuffed shells together, as well as fresh, homemade breadsticks from scratch. They were really good, too. I think I'll make them again for me and the boys, sometime. We had Italian sodas and tiramisu torte.

Janell and Mom enjoying their Italian sodas

And, there was wine and good conversation. Well, eventually, there was wine. :)

Deb and Cara attempting to uncork the wine

C'mon, Cara, you can do it

Why don't you stand on a chair for some better leverage

And, then, there was wine!

It was a really fun night, especially as we pulled questions out of a bowl and learned new things about one another....some things that we should have known a long time ago, and some things that maybe we should never have learned. :) j/k

Answering some interesting questions

Apparently, Cara is practicing her balancing on the exercise ball

Anyways, hopefully, we'll have an opportunity to do it again sometime in the near future. Enjoy the pictures!

Cara, Leatrice, Me, Shiloh, Katie, Janell, Deb (not pictured: Mom)

CHEERS!

A Boy and His Nylons

Cool tennis shoe, uncool nylon stocking.

Deb took this "tough" picture of me, at the end of our hike

Yes, today, my son and I reversed roles. While he should be the one getting all dirty and sweaty, that was me today. And, I'm the one that should be wearing the nylons...but that was him. Yikes. I put my son in nylons. It isn't quite as bad as it sounds, but I thought my hubby would just cringe when I told him that his son wore pantyhose today.

Today was a really great day. First, my friend Deb and I went for a nice hike. It was really fun to spend that time together. We hiked, shared stories and sweated. It was a good day. All in all, Deb says we probably hiked about 5 miles. To me, that sounds pretty good...especially since I am not a pro-hiker. So, I'm happy with that, and I hope to do it again sometime. Probably a good thing I didn't see this sign until the end of our hike
I went to pick up the little guy at my MIL's house, after the hike. And, because I was so dirty and sweaty, I was surprised when my MIL asked if I wanted to go get a pair of tennis shoes for little buddy. She wanted to get him his first pair of tennis shoes. So, since she seemed unphased by my stench, off we went to the kids' shoe store...where my son donned nylons for the first (and hopefully, last) time ever.

You see, we didn't take a pair of socks with us for the little guy because he had been wearing his little soft-soled Robee-wannabes. He loves those little monkey shoes. And, they don't require socks. So, we had none with us. Thus, we had to ask for a try-on sock and the lady provided us with a nylon stocking.

Daddy had to come make the final decision, cuz Grammie wouldn't and Mommy couldn't

Poor little guy. I hope he didn't feel too emasculated. He did end up with a cool pair of new shoes, though. And, he took it upon himself to walk back into the stock room a handful of times, while he was "trying on for size" the three shoe options.

Trying out one of the final three options

Thanks Grammie for my new kicks! I'll wear them often...without the nylons!

This is the winning pair.... they even have velcro...Every kid should have velcro shoes at some point in his life, right? He'll have laces the rest of his life.

Sleepover

So, last week, as mentioned in my previous post, Kacy and Drew came over for a sleepover. Both the hubbies were supposed to be out of town, but mine ended up not having to go. So, because our big kid/little kid sleepover was already planned, my sweet hubby suggested we still have the sleepover and offered to stay at his folks' house...on the couch...that night. Considering the couch isn't quite long enough for his extremely long body, this was a very selfless offer. And, I took him up on it. Kacy and I cooked a yummy, yummy meal, and my love for cooking seems to have been re-awakened. After the bedtime stories, Kacy and I stayed up until 1 AM, as if we were junior highers getting to stay up late. However, unlike junior high, our conversation was more grown up...ya know...politics, food, kids. It was a great treat for me to have both "Drew baby" (as I call him) and Kacy over that night and the next day, too!
Before the boys had their bedtime story, though, they had a bath. Quite a fun time it was! Kacy and I laughed about as hard as the boys splashed. They had a good ol' time making waves in the tubwater and sloshing much of it onto the floor. A good time was had by all.

Meals, Mishaps, and a Migraine

So, let's play catch up a little bit.

The past few weeks have been quite eventful. My mom was here visiting for two weeks. It was great to have her around... for the company, conversation and the help. The past few weeks could probably be summed up in three words: Meals, Mishaps, and a Migraine. So, while mom was here, I made a chicken pot pie, thanks to Lorie's post, Angela's subsequent post, and Jana telling me that she made it, too... and that it was good. However, I made a modified version of the one Lorie so beautifully described. Although the crust is probably the best part of a pot pie, it is also the part containing most of the butter and fat. So, I kinda made my own version, using a hint I found on Hungry Girl. I used 4 reduced-fat crescent rolls for the top and 4 for the bottom. It ended up tasting pretty good, too!

In addition to the meals at home, we also enjoyed some of our favorite local joints while mom was visiting. Yum. Now, I'm trying to get rid of the extra pounds I gained while she was here. I guess there is something about having family in town that just makes you feel like you, too, are on vacation.

Anyways, since we are on the topic of meals... My mom, hubby, Toad and I went to some friends' house for dinner one night. Toad was not being very cooperative at the dinner table. Finally, he calmed down a little bit, long enough to take a couple bites of the chicken 'n' dumplings that Shauna so graciously prepared for us. We soon discovered why he wasn't very cooperative at the dinner table, though. He coughed a couple times and then, yep, he threw up all over the front of me. It was one of the nastiest smells I think I've ever smelled. I got to smell it all night, too, since the neckline of my shirt was right under my nose. On the positive side, though, Toad seemed much better after he got that out of his system. He went on to play with Shauna's sweet little girls and we spent the evening enjoying good conversation, learning more about their ministry, and laughing quite a bit at the kiddos.

This past Monday, Toad and I had a special treat... Kacy and Drew came to spend the night. Both the hubbies were supposed to be out of town, so Kacy and I planned a slumber party. It ended up that my hubby didn't go out of town, but he sweetly offered to go stay at his folks' house, so the slumber party could proceed. What a guy! Anyways, Kacy and I made a really yummy dinner... chicken with apricots and herbs, butternut squash risotto and asparagus. The boys seemed to have a pretty good time, too. They even shared like nice little boys. What a wonderful time it was. When Kacy was reading Drew his bedtime story, Toad decided to get in on the action and he squirmed his way right onto Kacy's lap, too. It was super cute.

Then, on Wednesday, I met my friend Bevin for lunch. Bevin and her hubby were in our birthing class, and our kids are two months apart. I am sad that Bevin is leaving for Korea (darned Air Force), but I am hopeful that once their two year stint there is up, they will be stationed back here. By then, hopefully, there will be four kiddos at our playdates (two each, of course). Anyways, as we sat there at lunch, we laughed and had a great time. In the middle of a sentence, I got distracted, though. Something happened with my flip flop. I had moved my foot and all of a sudden the strap broke. There was no fixing it, either. So, I ignored it for the rest of lunch. Since Bevin and her hubby were going to be leaving Thursday to visit family, she figured she wouldn't eat the remaining half of her tuna croissant. So, she boxed it up for me and said I should give it to my hubby. Croissants are one of his faves... but a huge treat in our house. So, there we are, walking out the door of the restaurant, and what a scene it was! I had Toad on one hip with two 2x6 to-go containers in that hand. I also had the diaper bag across my body and my iced tea and keys in the other hand. Remember that my flip flop is not quite flip-flopping. It was just flopping... the strap, that is. So, I tried to hobble out the door while juggling all my "stuff". Then, it happened. Off slid the top container. Splat. Onto the cement walkway went my hubby's tuna croissant. There I was trying to pick it all up, while still dealing with my other "stuff" and laughing hysterically with Bevin about the whole mishap. What a way to send her off to Korea. You'll be missed, Bevin!

Finally, to the not-so-funny part of this entirely-too-long post. Yesterday, I woke up with such a horrible headache behind my left eye that I could hardly function. I went through waves of thinking I was going to throw up, too. And, at the time, I really welcomed that idea, although I hate throwing up more than almost anything in the world. I carried a bowl around with me most of the morning. Of course, at one point, Toad thought it was a bowl for him to play with, so he took it. Good thing I didn't need it. I think with all the weather changes *which I am loving, by the way*, stuff is just getting kicked up and perhaps it just didn't agree with my body. It was horrible, though. I had to cancel our play date/mommy time with Danielle and Noah because I could hardly even open my eyes for the first few hours of the day. It hurt that badly. I am very grateful that I don't get migraines very often. Today, though, I am feeling much better. Not quite 100%. But, way better than yesterday.

Simpler Times

Okay, here's the scene...

Last night, as I was getting ready for bed, I was sitting on the toilet doing my business and my hubby was standing between our bedroom and bathroom, brushing his teeth. As I sat there, I looked down at the floor. Ziplocks. Lots of ziplock baggies tucked inside another ziplock. I just looked at my hubby and pointed. And we both smiled... and chuckled... and mentioned how funny our little buddy is.

See, our Little Buddy loves to get into our bathroom cupboards and drawers. Well, in the bottom drawer, I have a plethora of ziplock baggies that I used for packing leakable toiletries when we travel. I don't throw them away, because they aren't dirty. So, I save them for the next traveling excursion. (I get grief from some friends for re-using ziplocks. Jon!) For some odd reason, Little Buddy loves plastic bags. He loves plastic bags with something inside so he can shake the bag and see the item move around. He loves plastic bags filled with more plastic bags. Give him a plastic bag and he can entertain himself for quite a while.

As we laughed, my hubby and I realized that there will be a day, in the not so distant future, when we will probably think to ourselves, "Man, those were the simple days". These are the simpler days! Soon enough, a plastic bag won't be good enough. He will want a real cell phone, electronics and other "gadgets" like Daddy has. And we will wish for the days that Little Buddy was content to sit on our bathroom floor as we got ready, playing with a good ol' Ziplock.

To Paint or Not to Paint

That is actually not the question. What colors to paint... now, that's the question. I have been thinking for quite a while (probably since we moved in 3 years ago) that we should paint our walls. I have always wanted to lighten up our bedroom, cuz the darker green color that the previous owners painted it is just a little too dark for me. Anyways, I have talked about painting with my dad while my folks are here visiting after Christmas. (Although, I am wondering how wet walls and an on-the-go toddler are going to mix. But, that's another issue.) And, after seeing Jana's before and after house makeover pictures, I was sold. I am going for it!
In order to "go for it", though, I have to pick some colors!! AHHH!!! I love what I call the "old world" colors... you know, the colors you see in European pictures. The deep reds, warm greens, mochas, caramels, terracottas, etc. But, I am sooo indecisive. My mom and I went to Lowes, during her visit, and I picked up some color swatches...66 different color swatches. This is not good. Especially since at least half of them have multiple colors on the swatch. Oh, and when I showed them to my hubby, asking what colors he likes, he said "I like the reds". Great, but that doesn't really narrow it down too much.
I really do want to paint a room or an accent wall one of the deep red colors, but I'm not sure which room to paint in such a color. I always remember hearing that red is an "angry" color and if you paint your walls red, you'll be more likely to be angry more often. Well, that may be the case, but I'm using red somewhere, anyways. If we get mad, we can always repaint. :) The problem is that the corners of our walls are all curved. So, I don't know where you tape it off to differentiate between the end of one wall and the beginning of another.
I guess I have a couple months to figure it out. That's good, cuz I'm probably going to need it. :)