Twenty Years

The calendar states it, bold as can be, it has been twenty years.

Is it possible?

Can twenty years go by so quickly and yet seem like forever at the same time?

I remember when we first got married how I thought couples who were celebrating anniversaries in the twenty to twenty-five year mark had been together “forever”.  It seemed like a lifetime, being married twenty years.

It isn’t a lifetime, but it is a lifeline.

Who could have ever guessed what twenty years together would bring. What amazing stability and strength. 

Twenty years is something to cling to. Can anyone know me better and yet love me all the same.  What amazing security.

Twenty years has produced much insight.  We possess a deepness that bonds us together even when we face off in stubbornness. We don’t always see things the same.  But, we shape and mold one another.  A perfect fit, willing to shift, move and wiggle a bit to make a union that will stand the test of time.

Who else could melt my heart with moments that speak louder than words?

 

No other could have helped form the perfect, loving family that we call ours.

 

 

You are my joy, my strength, my calming force.  My own personal comedian, in blue jeans and hoodie.  And the hardest working man I have ever known. You are a provider with tenacity.

 

 

  I love watching you when you aren’t looking.  It’s in those quiet times when I have a moment just to observe,  that my heart yells… I love that man!  And I’m reminded once again why I love you so very much.

 

 

 

You had my heart the first time we ever talked.   It is still yours. I still can’t resist your deep brown eyes and dimples. You’re irresistible.

May God bless us with many more years in which we can serve Him, together. 

Arm in arm, heart to heart, you and me. Always.

Mr. Hollywood Takes One For the Home Team

 

  

A.  Received a well thrown snowball with a stone so sweetly embedded in it.

B.  Played make-up with daughter.

C.  Forgot to say, “Yes, dear!”

D.  While working on car, tripped over saucer sled, flailed uncontrollably before slamming face into ladder hanging on wall, narrowly escaping impalement on a sharp protrusion nearby.

E.  All of the above

 

Yes, he is so very stoic in these photos. Strong, serious and absolutely hilarious looking with a black eye.

 

*I would highly advise you not choose option “C”! Joel thought it quite comical to tell the guys at work that he either forgot to say, “Yes, dear” or “This is what I got when I told her I wasn’t getting her anything for Christmas.”:)  HMMMMM.

 

I Love…

Last night as I drove home from Bible Study my mind was so full.  It was a revealing, powerful, life changing, God moving, blow your mind sort of night. 

I didn’t think God could possible have more to say to me, crazy how I still put Him into a box.

As I walked into our mudroom with all this stuff on my mind, I was met with the soft glow of happy pumpkin faces.

My heart melted.

 

 

I stepped into the kitchen and a soft “ohhh” escaped my lips.  In the oven were two trays of pumpkin seeds.

 

 

In the few seconds from mudroom to kitchen, God in that hushed moment, opened my eyes.  He showed me that I needed to tell Joel how very much I love him and what an awesome dad he is.

You see, I know he wanted to go bow hunting last night.  He hasn’t been able to get out much at all.  But, instead of grumbling and complaining about having to watch the kids, he had fun with them.  Carving pumpkins, being silly and mixing up a treat. And he graciously let me go to my Bible Study.

I just want to yell for all you ladies to hear…. Hallelujah, thank you Lord for this awesome man you have blessed me with! 

I Love, Love, Love how Joel loves our children.

And I Love, Love, Love, my man with all that is within me. 

 

Thank you Lord Jesus for blessing me with this man.  He is a precious gift from you.  May I never take for granted what a wonderful man he is!

At It Again…

 

Having Mr. Hollywood home for an extended vacation due to carpal tunnel surgery has been interesting.  This man is an on the go, hard workin’, keep me movin’ sort of dude.  He has energy and right now it’s in storage just bubbling and percolating waiting for release.  And every so often it escapes in the form of mischievousness.

Another title for a blog post showed up, typed into my Windows Live Writer last week, without my doing, how mysterious! :)

Why I  am so much like my mother…….

How curious that the title seemed to correlate with a “heavy” discussion I had had with my mom the night before! Somebody thinks he is quite humorous.  And it certainly made me laugh given the circumstances surrounding it!

So, since he is enjoying the limelight of his new found fame on my blog I thought I would oblige him!

Why I am so much like my mother…

We both tend to struggle with peoples names. For example, there is a lady that goes to our Bible Study, her name is Velvet and we repeatedly call her Violet. EVEN in prayer (that was a bit embarrassing and put a halt to all my good prayer thoughts!). Goodness knows I can’t even keep my children’s names straight. The boys really love it when I call them by their sister’s name!  I come by it honestly my mom’s own mother calls her Betty all the time!  Her name isn’t Betty. Very rarely have I ever heard her use my mom’s real name! Betty is actually my Grandma’s sister! So see I can’t help it! It is genetically bred into me! :)

We both love to craft.

We both tend to be a bit absent minded. If it’s not written out, in bold print, in an obvious place…we’ll probably forget it.

We both love to cook.

We both love to laugh.  We aren’t the most humorous people in our family. But we love a good sense of humor. And since we are surrounded by a bunch of clowns and men with dry humor, we do our part by supporting them with our laughter.

We both kinda stink at basic math.  Ask us to add or subtract something quickly and your gonna have to wait awhile! 

We both love to garden.

We both are a bit spatially challenged.  Our lists of backing into things is LONG. We’ve been known to back into other vehicles, light posts and large rocks.  One of us backed into my brother’s car right after she had warned the other one of us that it was back there. And one of us has backed over a LARGE rock in her own driveway, a rock that has been there for 9 years, thus successfully puncturing the gas tank in her car. Can you guess which one I did?!

And we both love those in our care with all the fullness of our hearts!

I just gotta love my momma!

 

And just because I can…

See what I mean about pent up energy! :)

Hijacked!

 

This morning after breakfast, I started up the computer and opened up my Windows Live Writer so that I could work on starting a post for today.  I walked away and went to my bedroom to get dressed.  When I came back out I just happened to glance at the screen of my computer. There was one line typed on the page. I walked closer trying to figure out how it was that I couldn’t remember typing something! Then I looked closer! I couldn’t stop laughing! And I knew immediately that my post to be had been hijacked by someone tall, dark and handsome!

This is what I saw…

Why I am so mean to my poor Husband

Obviously he is suffering….horribly!  Oh what a poor soul!  You just have to feel for him having been mistreated so awfully by his unfeeling wife! :)

I mean REALLY how could anyone treat someone this way. Not paying attention to his every need.  No babying or hovering has taken place for this one armed bandit. No loving and extra gentle care. Oh no! I booted his hiney right out of the lazy boy on the very first day and made him chop wood! Seriously! What good is a man if he ain’t out choppin’ wood.

So neglected, so forgotten, so unloved!

He can’t even get his wife to bake him his favorite cookies!

 

Tears and compassion welcome!

***Special thanks goes out to Joel, who with his inspirational title, sparked a blog post within my blank little mind!