And now they are mine.

I rip into the red envelope that is waiting for me at the breakfast table.

I slowly pull out the card.  I open it and begin to savor the sweet words.

Tears form in the corners of my eyes like they always do, every time I read the words he has chosen for me.

I read it several times throughout the day.

He's at work but the words are right there speaking to me as I fold  laundry, whispering to me as I wash breakfast dishes, singing to me as I make dinner.

The words are simple, not flowery.  They are heartfelt, not insincere.  They are true, not counterfeit.

They are powerful. And now they are mine.

I write the date on the back of the card, slowly return it to it's envelope and carefully place it in the large box with all of the others.

He likes me! He really likes me!

Peter:  "Daddy, why are you watching House Hunters when you don't like it?"

Dan:    "Because Mommy likes it. And I like Mommy."

Peter:  "Oh."

Me:  "Awww."

It's lonely at the top...and sometimes that's just how we want it!

Dan and Peter spent the weekend camping with the Cub Scouts.  Dan sent me these pictures from his Blackberry.

Both of these pictures were taken from the top of Raven Knob.  It's  a long and hard hike up to the top.  They went late in the afternoon and were the only ones up there. 

And knowing my solitary boys, that's just how they wanted it. 

Thank you Lord for protecting my husband.

The phone rang amidst the noise of a house full of kids on Friday evening.  I  checked caller ID and when I saw that it was Jennifer I assumed she must be calling to check on her four kids who were spending the night. 

Dan was in Reno on a business trip/team building meeting so it was the perfect time to hold the sleepover that the kids had been bugging me for.

"Hello."

"Are you watching the news?" she asked tentatively.

My heart started to pound a little quicker.  "No, why?" I questioned licking my lips nervously.

"Um, there's been a plane crash at those air races in Reno.  Spectators have been killed."

"What? No!"  My heart started to pound and I immediately started praying please God let him be o.k.

I kept repeating that prayer over and over as I hung up with Jennifer and started dialing Dan's cell phone number.

After what seemed like an eternity but was probably less than 45 seconds, I heard a click and his beautiful, sweet, perfectly-fine voice, "Hello?"

Thankfully, Dan had left the air races right before the accident.  He was in the shuttle bus on the way back to the hotel when it happened.  The plane went down about 150 feet from where he had been sitting.  None of the other 29 people from his group were hurt even though they were all still in the stands at the time of the crash.

I pray for my husband.  A lot.  And when he travels, I pray for him even more. 

That morning, I specifically prayed that God keep Dan and his coworkers safe from any accidents at the air races.  And the kids and I had been praying every morning for his safety during his travels.  And I know my mom prayers for him when he especially when he is on a business trip. 

I have been thanking God all weekend for his protection over Dan.  And I have been praying for comfort and peace for the families of the nine people that lost their lives and for healing for all of the others that were injured.

For in the day of trouble
   he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
   and set me high upon a rock. - Psalm 27:5

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
   he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  - Psalm 62:6

Every word of God is flawless;
   he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. - Proverbs 30:5

Duct tape...luckily it comes in different colors.

"Mom, Bruno chewed up the tip of my airsoft gun," Peter said through tears.  "That makes two ruined guns."

To be fair, neither gun was "ruined" but due to my son's negligence, both of his airsoft guns had seen better days.  A couple of months ago the end of his other gun broke off while he and a friend were playing with it and now apparently he left the other gun laying in the neighbor's yard while the boys took a break shooting at things to play hide and seek.

I wanted to wipe my son's tears away, hug him tight and tell him that mommy would buy him another gun if it would make him feel better.

But my husband did the better thing and told him to stop crying and to start taking better care of his toys.  And then he took the gun to his basement work shop and started working.

And just like the other gun weeks before, this one soon emerged repaired.

And just like the other gun weeks before, he used duct tape.

What we do around here without duct tape and glue?

It's Valentine's Day...so let me count the ways...

Here is a short list of all the reasons why Dan is the perfect man for me:

1. He watches American Idol and Glee with me even though he doesn't like either one of those shows.

2. He doesn't make me watch the History Channel and the Discovery Science Channel with him.  He DVR's all the shows he wants to see and watches them on Friday and Saturday nighst when I'm asleep.

3. He eats my cooking without complaining.  And there have been plenty of nights when he really should have complained!

4. He likes leftovers.  So even if the meal was less than wonderful, he doesn't mind eating it again the second night.  He says that's what Texas Pete is for.

5. On warm summer evenings he enjoys sitting on my parent's front porch and talking about the weather, baseball and whatever else happens to be on their minds.

6. He never ever leaves a mess.  No toothpaste blobs in the sink, no dirty socks on the floor.  Nothing.

7. He can plunge a toilet like nobody's business.  For some reason I can never get the plunger to work but thankfully he can.

8. He makes the bed almost every morning. And he can make hospital corners on the sheets.

9. He says women should have a little meat on their bones.  

10.  And the best part of all...he loves me...just the way I am!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Not lazy. Weird.

This morning my husband opened the silverware drawer and asked, "Where are all the spoons?"

"I forgot to start the dishwasher last night," was my reply. "Just get one out of the dishwasher and wash it by hand."

A few minutes later I was shocked to notice my husband eating his oatmeal with a FORK. Oatmeal with a fork!

And no, it's not because he was too lazy to wash it.  Nope.  It's just because my husband is strange.

I have long known of my husband's issues regarding the things and people that touch his food.  He will not take a bite of something if I already have and don't even think about asking him to share something with one of the kids. That sends literal shivers down his spine.

If we go to a get together where food is being served buffet style, he will only eat food that I have made or that my mom has made.  Although I think he is slowly but surely starting to come around on that one now that he has gotten to know the rest of my extended family over that last fifteen years!

So, no, it's not laziness that forced my husband to use a fork to eat oatmeal.  He's just weird!

Gingerbread men and cupcake frosting!

My husband loves gingerbread cookies.  Well, mostly he loves frosting so he makes gingerbread cookies as a delivery mechanism for the frosting. 

I do not like gingerbread cookies and I do not like to make any cookie that has to be rolled out so my husband and Sarah have been making them together for the last couple of years.

My husband has the patience of Job and doesn't seem to mind flour, sugar and spices flying around the kitchen.  And Sarah loves to measure, mix and roll so it's the perfect combination.

I hope the memories of baking cookies with Daddy will be as sweet for her when she is all grown up as the cupcake frosting that they make for the cookies.

It's a good thing he's cute!

Last night I called my husband over to check out some items I had in my shopping cart at Amazon.com.

After I showed the different items to him (ranging from electronics to toys) to make sure he agreed with my purchases, he said, "So, Amazon sells more than books now, huh?"

This is how I know that we were meant to be...

My husband thinks he got the better end of the deal with me.

But I know I did.
 

09-09-09

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Thank you Dan for loving me and for never failing me.

Happy 9th Anniversary!

Honey, the 1970's called. They want their skin cancer back.

"Stop using so much sunscreen on the kids. It's the end of July and the kids look too pale."

Yes. My husband actually said this to me last week.

I know! I couldn't believe it either.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary...

Here's a picture of our adorable little garden! Isn't it cute?



My husband has been planting, weeding, watering and fertilizing for the last 6 weeks or so and I'm very proud of his efforts.

It may not look big but we've got lots going on in our little garden:

4 different varieties of tomatoes
Green beans
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Carrots
Cilantro
Rosemary
Basil
Parsley
Watermelon

Some of the items were started from seeds and others were started as plants.

I've got lots of basil right now and lots of green tomatoes that we are anxiously waiting on to turn red so we can start having soups, sauces and of course, mater sammiches!

This is our first attempt at anything other than tomatoes so we are taking notes so that next we can improve on our efforts.

Two of the things we have learned so far...

We have already harvested lots and lots of zucchini and we discovered that none of us really like it. So I don't think we will be planting that next year. (And I wasn't too disappointed when squash bugs got to one of our zucchini plants and we had to remove it.)

We planted the green beans and the cucumbers on the inside row. Next year we will be planting them on an outside row so that they will be easier to pick. Or maybe just make our rows a little bigger. The kids are having a hard time helping us to pick these things because they are hard to get to being in the center of the garden.

This garden is helping us get us fresh produce cheaply, it's been fun for the kids and I think my husband has a new hobby now!

He mentioned the other day that he would like to build a brick fenced in area and plant an English garden.

Momma likes flowers but I'm not sure if Daddy knows how to lay bricks. One hobby at a time, honey!

Guess I'll need to head to the grocery store if I want to see a six-pack.

I was about to hop into the shower this weekend right after Shredding and Sarah barged into the bathroom.

My kids have a radar that goes off at the precise moment I am about to get into the shower or sit down on the toilet.

She pointed at me and started laughing. (Nothing will make you stop admiring yourself in the mirror faster than your daughter pointing and laughing.)

She then ran up to me, grabbed a handful of my pasty stomach fat and said, "Mommy your tummy is still all squishy. You need to take some more exercise!"

Sigh....

But at least my husband is more supportive than my daughter. Every evening when he gets home from work he will ask me if I did my Shred and which level I completed.

Last night as I was putting my pj's on, I looked at my stomach and pointed at the very bottom of my rib cage and said, "Does this look like the beginning of a six pack to you?"

He chuckled and said, "We have too much fat over our stomach muscles to see a six pack."

Notice how he said "we" and "our?"

No wonder I love that man so much!

Munch. Munch. Nibble. Nibble. Crunch.

What's that?

That's the sound of me enjoying some lettuce wraps from P.F. Chang's which is exactly what I'll be doing tonight.

(squeals with delight)

Dan and I are going on a date tonight! And all because both kids are sleeping over at Jennifer's house tonight.

Jennifer is my neighbor, my BFF and my blogging buddy.

Her son Colton (Who just so happens to be Peter's BFF - and I know this because a couple of days ago when they were playing at our house, Peter said to Colton, "Do you know who my BFF is?" And Colton said, "Yes! Me!" O.k. Peter didn't use the term "BFF" but he did say "best friend". ) is celebrating his 6th birthday and he is having 3 friends over for a sleepover.

And Jennifer, being the BFF that she is, was kind enough to invite Sarah to join in the sleepover so that her two girls would have someone to play with and so that Dan and I could go out.

Because the kids are sleeping over at Jennifer's house Dan and I can use a gift certificate that we have for P.F. Chang's.

And the kids would have to be sleeping over for us to use this gift certificate because the nearest P.F. Chang's is 35 miles away!

Apparently we live in the middle of nowhere.

And speaking of Jennifer, she is hosting a new feature on her blog.

She has a great craft blog (don't let the name of her blog fool you- she's not crazy) where she shows you step by step all the crafts she's been making with her kids.

And these are real crafts. These aren't Martha Stewart crafts. Not that I've got anything against Martha but when you are doing crafts with your kids, you want your kids to actually be able to do them.

And now on Saturdays she wants to see what you have been making with your kids. It can be something you've made from her site or it can be any other craft you've done with your kids.

All you have to do is write a post on your blog about what you did and link to her "We Made It, Showcase Saturday". (I think she's going to open it up on Fridays and leave Mr. Linky up all weekend.)

Enjoy your weekend, y'all! Is it dinnertime yet?

Perhaps he should be my editor.

My husband was catching up on my blog this afternoon when he said, "Oh! I found another mistake! It says, 'So we got out the paint and I told him to pick and easy one.' That should be an not and."

"Honey, I really hat you sometimes."

He's not unusual, he's just strange!

I've written previously about how the clock on the stove and microwave have to have the exact same time or it drives me a little mad. And in that post, I stated that I didn't like to think of myself as strange but rather I preferred the term unusual.

For the record, I would like to say that I still maintain that I am just a little unusual but ya'll, my husband is just flat out strange.

My husband is a voracious reader. He loves mostly nonfiction. He prefers history books and biographies.

(Just typing the words 'history books' and 'biographies' made me nod off and a little bit of drool just dripped onto the keyboard. Just for the record, I enjoy reading too. But my genre of choice is People magazine and mom blogs.)

Because Dan reads a lot and because we aren't made of money and you never know when another round of layoffs is coming to his company, for the last year Dan has been using the library.

But he does the strangest thing when he gets home from the library with a new book.

And please note, I just came right out and said strange. I'm not even going to pretend that his behavior is unusual or exotic...it's just downright odd!

Before he even puts the library book on his nightstand, he gets an antibacterial wipe and scrubs the front and back covers down as if he thought the book might be contaminated with spores containing the bird flu, SARS or whatever the virus du jour might happen to be.

Isn't that the strangest thing you've ever heard of?

I guess Dan is a wee bit germophobic.

He's no Howie Mandel but he gets upset if I drink from his glass and he doesn't like me to eat from his plate. Hmmmm...maybe he's just a wee bit selfish as well. (Only kidding, honey!)

But the worst thing about all of this? I think it's hereditary.

A couple of days ago I drank out of Sarah's cup at McDonald's (just trying to save a little money) and she started crying and yelling, "Did you just drink out of my straw? Now it's got germs on it! Now it's got germs on it!"

Geez! I guess I'm going to have to stock up on antibacterial wipes and just get my own darn drink from now on!

Elem Minnow

While Sarah was singing the ABC song several weeks ago, I noticed that she had it wrong.

She sang it as if there were only 24 letters instead of 26.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

Elem

Minnow

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Being the good mother that I am, I immediately corrected her and tried to get her to sing the song correctly.

Being the stubborn daughter that she is, she immediately insisted that she was right and I was wrong.

We argued a bit and then I dropped it.

Last night, she was reading a book with Dan and one of the pages had the alphabet on it. As they were going over it, he realized that she was doing it incorrectly and she insisted with him that she was doing it the right way.

After much discussion, she finally believed Daddy and started saying it the right way!

Sometimes it just takes a little help from Daddy.

My poor husband...

Today is my husband's birthday. Happy Birthday, honey!

So yesterday, in his honor, I got a pedicure.

I know. It doesn't make sense that I would give myself a present for his birthday. But that's how my mind operates.

Oh. And also tomorrow is my birthday. So really I guess the pedicure is a gift to us from me.

That makes it sound a little better. Ahem.

Anyway, as I was getting my pedicure the sweet little Vietnamese pedicurist, turned up her nose and said, "Ewwww. You feet so dry!"

Talk about horrifying.

The woman who works with dirty, scaly, stinky feet ALL. DAY. LONG. turned up her nose at MY feet.

So. Happy Birthday to my poor husband! I'm not sure how he puts up with me and my so dry feet.

If possible, this makes me love him even more.

The Best Green Beans Ever

I'm not a very good cook. I like to cook but I'm not that good at it.

My husband is a good man. He will eat what I put before him and normally without complaint. But because I am not a good cook, it is also normally without kudos as well.

Last night, I had a bunch of fresh green beans in the fridge and needed to use them up before they spoiled.

I threw some olive oil in a skillet and let it heat up.

Then I chopped up a shallot I had that was left over from another recipe and I chopped up a couple of cloves of fresh garlic. I threw those in the skillet and let them cook until the shallot turned translucent.

Then I threw the green beans in and added more olive oil until they were coated.

Then I tossed in some red pepper flakes and let it all cook until the green beans were tender (probably about 30 minutes or so).

When we were eating dinner, Dan declared, "These are probably the best green beans I have ever eaten!"

I almost fell off my chair.

And when I told him I just sort of threw stuff in the pan, he told me I should write down the recipe so I wouldn't forget it.

So that's what I've done. This is my recipe for The Best Green Beans Ever.

Enjoy!

PS - I would have taken a picture but before I served them, I didn't realize these were going to be deemed The Best Green Beans Ever and after dinner there were none left.