7 years ago today...

...I married my Prince Charming in a fairy tale wedding that started the beginning of our happily ever after.

10 Reasons I Love My Husband

I was tagged by my friend Dawn to list 10 reasons why I love my husband. So here goes:

1. He truly is my best friend. We are high school sweethearts, dating since we were 16 years old, so we've practically grown up together. We enjoy eachother's company, there is such comfort in just being with him. We can talk about everything and nothing. I really can't remember the last time we had a real argument. We don't let petty things bother us. I'm so thankful that we get along so well.

2. He makes Christ a priority in his life. We are both growing so much in our faith right now. He strives to be a godly husband and father. It is nice to see Justin leading our family and being an example to those around him.

3. He is such a great daddy! He rolls around on the floor wresting and tickling the kids . He sits and talks to Anagrace about the most random of things. He patiently teaches them both new things. After a long day at work, he is the one to bathe them and get them ready for bed. He makes sure to tell them everyday that he loves them. He gives his children the love and attention that they need from a father.

4. He is a funny man. I don't think a lot of people would guess that upon first meeting him, but he is very funny. He makes me laugh everyday about something silly. He can even make me laugh while I'm upset and crying.

5. He waits for me to go to bed. I'm not out a lot of late nights, but if I do have something going on past our usual bedtime he'll wait for me to come home. He may wait on the couch and fall asleep there, but he doesn't go to bed without me. We almost always go to bed at the same time.

6. He is a hard-worker. It's just who he is. But, I am so grateful that he understands and supports my calling to be a stay-at-home mom and works hard to provide for us. I know that being the sole provider for the family must be stressful for him at times, and I truly appreciate his dedication to providing not just our needs, but most of our wants too.

7. He is sexy! He's is so good looking. Some of my favorite features are his blue eyes, one with a cute little mole hidden in his lower left eyelashes and his hands...there's just something sexy about his hands, they are delicate, yet very manly! I could admire him for hours especially in a pair of GAP jeans and a baseball cap. And aside from his looks he's got a confidence about him that is not cocky, but very sexy.

8. He doesn't require much. By that I mean, he doesn't expect a home cooked meal everynight. He is perfectly happy to eat a peanut butter sandwich. And he doesn't complain if the house is in disarray or the laundry is not done. He'll do a load of laundry and help out when needed without saying a word.

9. He is compassionate. He will go and pass out biscuits to the homeless or volunteer on a Saturday for an event with our church because he truly enjoys serving others. He will do yardwork for my grandparents, when he has a million other things he needs to do. He has fixed heating/air problems for people in the middle of the night at no charge. He acts tough, but he's a real "softy" on the inside.

10. He loves me for me...flaws and all. He knows everything about me and loves me in spite of myself. I would not be the same person without his love.

Purchasing Problems

I have frequent problems with purchasing. I truly enjoy shopping, but I hate spending money. Everyone picks on my husband (including me) about being frugal, but truth be known I'm just as thrifty as he is. I struggle with my purchases. More likely than not if I buy something for myself I return it. So here are my latest purchasing problems:


I thought that I had found the deal of the century! I have been surfing the internet looking for a bargain on a double stroller. I found a Peg Perego top of the line side-by-side stroller for $170. You can't even buy a new Graco stroller for that price, so I snagged it. After it arrived on my doorstep, I realized that it was not compatible with any infant carrier. I don't want a stroller, no matter how nice it is, that I have to get my baby out of the car seat and fasten into the stroller. It is just so much easier to put the whole carrier onto the stroller and go, especially if you're just running a quick errand. So, as much as I loved the stroller...it really was snazzy, lightweight and easy to steer... I decided to get rid of it. To send it back to the company would cost me shipping charges and a restocking fee - over $50. That literally brought me to tears. I called Justin at work crying about this stupid stroller. I'm blaming it on the hormones. I usually have two or three meltdowns per pregnancy, so this was meltdown #1. Anyway, I listed the stroller on craigslist and only lost $10. I'm still not sure what stroller I'm going to go with, but I sure wish I hadn't pushed that one around my living room.

My other purchasing problem is yet to be solved. I really need some pajamas. None of mine are comfy. I have been sleeping in Justin's t-shirts, but now even they are getting too tight. I can't believe that I am outgrowing my husband's clothes! I have a really hard time spending money on clothes to sleep in. I'm not one of those people that lounge around in my PJ's. I put them on right before bed and put my real clothes on shortly after I wake up. So, buying pajamas is not something I really want to do. I know that is silly, but if I have money to spend I want to buy a new shirt or flip flops or something. I thought that Justin might get me some PJ's for mother's day, since it is not something I would really buy for myself. But I was pleasantly surprised that he remembered I had been saying I wanted a new Bible and some new music to listen to. So, that's what he got me. He did not remember the Bible translation or the name of the CD I wanted, so I had to go and exchange them. But, hey...I'm used to taking stuff back, so I didn't mind at all!

So, there's my purchasing problems...no real dilema, I know. Certainly nothing to shed tears over (I'm hormonal, okay!!).

Anderson is ONE!

I can't believe my baby boy is one year old! He has brought so much joy to my life this past year. He has a wonderful personality that keeps me laughing. He finds humor in most things, and flashes his cute grin or gives a sweet chuckle. He is a busy boy, into everything. You can just see the curiosity in his eyes as he explores everything. He is starting to walk. He takes steps on his own, making his way halfway across the room to us or a toy he wants. He will brush his hair, change channels with the remote, dance to music, and pretend to answer the phone. He thinks "no,no" is funny and seems to like to hear me say it. He will seek out things to do and then look me in the eye and say "huh?" just to see if it is still a no,no. He is babbling, often with a lot of facial expressions. He knows what he is saying even if we don't! He has said "mama" and "dada" but is very stingy in saying them, no matter how hard we encourage him he just smiles at us. The boy loves to eat. We call him the "eating machine". I am not sure he is ever completely full, it seems he would eat just as long as we will feed him. He is a very loving baby. He likes to be held and likes to cuddle for short periods of time. He will come over and lay his head on our leg or shoulder to "give love". He has learned to give kisses. I just love his kisses! I just love him, everything about him I adore! He is so precious to me and although the time goes by so quickly I do love watching him grow and learn and show his sweet personality.

Happy Birthday, Anderson Jude!