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.

I'm Not Ready To Think About Retirement

I read somewhere about a mom who said that with preteens in the house she was happy to be in "reproductive retirement". I am not there yet. Maybe once I am the mother of TWO boys, 14 months apart....and one 4-year-old drama queen I will be on my way. But, I'm not there yet. I really don't want to ponder the thought that this could be my last pregnancy. I haven't let my mind go there. Actually I haven't had the time. This pregnancy is flying by! My husband, however, is ready to plan for our reproductive retirement. He has brought up the "v-word", as in vasectomey, several times. We haven't had a real conversation about it. It usually lasts 5 minutes tops and goes something like:

Justin: So-and-so at work today was asking how the pregnancy is going....and if we would have any more kids. He told me he had a vasectomy and it all went well.

Chelsea: Really?

Justin: You know we're going to have to discuss this.

Chelsea: I'm just not ready to say we are definately done. What if in two or three years, we decide we DO want another baby. It's just so....permanant.

Justin: silence

Okay, so more like 30 seconds of conversation. But never a resolution. I don't think that I can give in on this one. I just don't feel in my heart that it is the right time to make such a permanant change. At the same time, it is scary because we were taking contraceptive precautions when we got pregnant this time. Justin has lost all confidence in pharmeceutical birth control. So, at this point I am just praying. I am mostly praying that God will change Justin's perspective :)! I believe what it says in Psalm 127:3:

Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.

It goes on to say:

Children born to a young man
are like sharp arrows in a warrior's hands.
How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.
Ps. 127:4-5

We are still young. We are technically still in our twenties, clinging by our fingernails, but we still are! And I am not sure if the Lord plans to bless us with more. He definately gave us this child growing inside me when we had not planned on it. He may have a plan for another child in our future, but we could hinder that by going ahead with the vasectomy. I don't know....maybe I'm being super-spiritual?!
It could be that right now I feel such a calling to be a mommy, and to see in the far distance an end to that makes me sad. It's not that I have my identity wrapped up in mommyhood and that I don't know what to do if I am not at home raising my children; I have a career waiting in the wings. It is a career that I do enjoy. I've had the flexibility to work a few days a week over the years while still being at home with children, and it has been a nice "get-away". I enjoy having a purpose outside of my home as well. I think that it just all boils down to the fact that I am not ready to make the decision that our family is complete. So, I ask that you all pray for clarity for Justin and I and a sense of peace with whatever we choose.

He's Off the Hook!

Justin got off the hook this Valentine's Day. We bought a 2005 Honda Odyssey on February 11th. We have been planning to buy a van and searching for a few weeks now, so it was inevitable that we were going to buy one. Three children would not fit in the Highlander. It just so happened that we found the van we wanted a few days before V-day. Just after the purchase Justin said "Happy Valentine's Day!", which meant that he would not be buying me a present. It was fine with me. I have been longing for a minivan for quite some time now. (I never thought I'd hear myself say that!) I did get a card, but he had to work late yesterday. So my Valentine's Dinner was spent with my 2 children at Chick-fil-a. Not the romantic evening I had hoped for. I have come to accept the fact that my husband is not romantic.

I am a card person. I could spend hours reading them. Justin has set up a "card limit" when he is with me. I have to make a choice by the 15th card. If not, #15 is it. I hate that rule. I like to pick out the perfect card for the recipient in mind. He does not understand this concept. For example, the anniversary card he gave me last year had a beautiful scripture verse about love and pictures of roses on the front, but on the inside it said "Wishing you many more years of happiness". The card was intended for the anniversary couple from someone else...not from husband to wife! He apparently did not read 15 cards to arrive at that choice!

Another thing about my husband is that he is thrifty...frugal...cheap. Whatever you want to call it! So, he was happy to hear that the Saturday after Valentine's we had plans to attend a family ministry event at our church. A catered, free-to-family-minstry-volunteers event. Which to him equals a date!

So my hubby got off the hook for Valentine's Day with a present and a date!

Now, I don't want to seem like I am an unhappy wife. Quite the contrary! I am so happy to be married to my wonderful husband. He works so hard to provide for our family. He wants me to be at home with the children because he feels it is what is best for them and knows that is my heart's desire. He tries to make me happy in every way he can...in the little and the big things. Big things like a minivan with all the options (dual powing sliding doors...loooove it!) and in little things like helping with bathtime, laundry and dirty dishes. He can make me laugh like no one else, even when I'm crying. He is so darn good-looking! He always kisses me and tells me he loves me before going to sleep and going to work. He is a wonderful father. I love to watch him play with our kids, and I love to watch their eyes light up when he walks in the door. He takes all the duties of fatherhood in stride. I love the way I feel when I am with him and I miss him when he's away for even a little bit. I just love that man!

So, this Valentine's day I am a happy woman! My husband is "off the hook" and I mean that in the good rapper way!

"How The Tide Turns"

No blogging last night (late night at work). But I was very excited to get home today and see the family. Only to find out they decided to turn the 2-3 hour drive from the beach into a 6 hour ride and will not be home until later this evening. Which is probably a good thing since I decided to open the cell phone bill when I arrived and found a $180.00 phone bill. No this is not for 3 months or even three phones. Just my lovely wifes phone bill for last month. I went straight to the gym and let steam out and now I am again excited to see my family. So I went from excited to HOT to excited again.

"Guy's Day Out"

This is Justin again the family is still on vacation without me! I have to stay and work to pay for said vacation.
Well this is the second day without the family and it was 100% guys day out. My bother-in-law Austin and I went to church and then met up with his dad and a family friend to go mountain biking for 2 hours. After a brief rest I went out with Austin and Mikey wake boarding. Know that things have slowed down I find myself stairing at the clock wondering if it's to early to go to bed, it's 7:00pm!

Home Alone!

I guess it's my tyrn to edit the blog since my family has left me and gone to the beach (this is Justin, Chelseas wonderful husband). This is the first night that I am home alone and I find myself fighting sleep at 10:00pm because Chelz and I always have our "talk time" and then we get in bed together. I dont want to get into OUR bed by myself. I guess I will sleep on the couch until Wednesday when my family returns. It's wild how we get into our routines and when something changes it's hard to stay on path. And what's even wilder is how much our families mean to us! They have been gone less than 12 hours and I can't wait to see them.

Rules!

My daughter and husband can come up with some ridiculous rules! Don't get me wrong, I like structure and boundaries...I was going to talk about the "behavior plan" we set up for Anagrace, but I had to vent about the rules that are placed on me! First, in order to play with Anagrace, she has multiple rules that I have follow. I have to say something specific that she tells me to after she does some kind of cue. She'll tell me something like "Mommy, you have to say 'The baby is hungry when I point to the food, then pick her up and give her the purple bottle not the blue one cause that's for the other baby". Or there is a certain way or order of how we have to play with her toys. It is kind of humorous, but frustrating. I've told her that she won't keep friends and her playmates won't play if she continues to make up rules as she goes along.

But, what was way more frustrating were the rules that my husband, Justin, came up with tonight. Get this, he says that he cannot change 2 diapers in a row! Are you kidding me? How many diapers do I change in a row. I believe the first diaper that he changed was the only diaper of the day! I'm trying to think of some rules for myself. I cannot cook dinner for 2 nights in a row. Or maybe when he says "I changed the diaper last" that means I get to go shopping the next day! How you like them rules!

In all honesty, Justin is a wonderful father and husband! And if I am being honest I have rules that probably drive him and Anagrace crazy as well....put down the lid, pick up your dirty clothes from the floor and place them in the hamper, if you are finished using/playing with something put it away, don't chew or talk with your mouth full...but all of my rules make sense!:-)