Wedding Weekend reflection

Two weddings in one weekend have made me think about my own wedding and marriage quite a bit!!

At each wedding the couples looked so happy and in love, but I found myself thinking......you have no idea how much more you will really love that person in 10, 15 or 20 years from now.  I remembered thinking on my wedding day...I could never love Jeff more than I did that day.

Four months shy of 20 years later, I would never want to go back to that day.  I love and appreciate my man SO MUCH more now that we have lived life together. 

Jeff is my best friend. 

He makes me laugh.....a lot!!

He is my go to man for every major decision that I have. 

He comforts me when I am in need of comfort. 

He cooks and bakes for me when I am too busy. 

He loves our children. 

He lets me have time with friends or by myself anytime I want it.

He helps out around the house.

I can count on one hand the times that I have had to clean up one of his messes.

I can also count on one hand the times that he has gotten angry with me.

He is an awesome teacher.

His smile melts my heart.....every time!!!

I am blessed to call him mine!!!

Oh my word.....

How time flies!!!  It is February 5th already and I haven't written since last month!!

On Friday, I left for Milwaukee to go to The Pampered Chef Spring Launch.  I had such a blast with my director.  We got to be with 800 other consultants from the area.  It was fun to hook up with a group of ladies that have the same love for PC products that I do.  It was also a lot of fun to look at the new products that are coming out in March.  If you love grilling out....you will love the new products!!!

Saturday I got home late and went to bed.

Today after church, I took Josh and another Korean student shopping.  We had quite the adventure.....first of all, two Koreans together DO NOT prefer to speak in English so the constant chattering in the back seat makes absolutely no sense to the English person!!!  Next, I locked my keys in the van and we had to wait 30 minutes for our neighbor to rescue us.  Shopping took longer than I had hoped, but no problem because I had planned on picking up pizza for supper.  I forgot that it was Supper Bowl Sunday and everybody and their brother wanted pizza tonight.  We waited in Little Caesar's for over 20 minutes.  We arrived home with supper a little before 7:30!!!  Glad to be home!!!

Tomorrow morning will be a busy one and a sad one!!  Josh leaves to go back to Korea. 

Perspective changers

I fell in love all over again this weekend.  I was watching my dear husband play in the pool with our children.  It was there that I remembered WHY I fell in love with him.....his patience and his love for children.  I wanted my husband to be a Great Daddy and that is exactly what I got!!!   Thank you Honee for being everything that I wanted you to be!!!

Today I was visiting a friend and her mom.  We were talking about vacations that this family had taken.  I of course felt a little sad, because we have never really taken any family vacation that didn't have us visiting extended family members.  Just to travel for the fun and the experience of it all.  I mentioned to the mom that we have never done anything like that.  She looked at my daughter and said to her, "Your mom chose to have children instead.  It costs a lot of money to go on vacations with such a large family."  I hope that I NEVER forget the way I feel right now.  I chose to have children and I wouldn't trade ANY of them for the most fabulous vacation!!!

Thank you Lord for these reminders!!!  You are so AWESOME!!!

My weekend

On Saturday morning, Jeff surprised me with a plan for us to go away for the night!!!  The boys were gone, so he figured that the girls could take care of themselves and Joel without a sitter!!  It didn't take much for him to convince me to do this....so I got up and booked a hotel. 
We took the children with us to swim in the pool for a couple of hours.  Then Jeff dropped them back off at home for the next 22 hours to be alone. 
I had a complete blast being alone with my man and the children apparently had a great time too.  When we walked into the house Sunday afternoon and announced, "We're home!"  This is the reply that we got from our most quick witted child, "If you don't have any good news to say...don't say any at all."  HAHA (Just a little twist on the quote from Bambi!!) 

Family Movie

Tonight we watched Dolphin Tail together as a family.  It proved to be a fun time.  I am still laughing because of what Joel misunderstood Morgan Freeman saying about the glove that goes on the dolphin's tail .  Joel just kept quietly repeating it over and over again, as if to make sure that Morgan really said that.  I laughed so hard that I was crying and had to leave the room a couple of times to settle myself down.  I wish that I could tell you what was said, but I fear that it is not appropriate to repeat on here.  You will just have to take my word for it!!

Josh and Daniel went on a field trip for the next couple of days.  They went to a huge indoor water park with the rest of the Korean students and host children.  Praise the Lord that this trip was FREE to us, because they are staying in a really expensive, VERY PLUSH, 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom, almost 5,000 square feet condo!!  We are so jealous that we are not there with them, but so happy that they get to do it!!!

Past 4 days

Sunday ~ Had a first that day.  Emily and I went grocery shopping for the week only to return to a house that had just lost electricity!!  Praise the Lord for the Michigan winter weather.  I am happy to report that we didn't lose any of the freezer or refrigerator food.

Monday ~ Had a mildly sick child,

Tuesday ~ (Joel loves getting the mail every chance he gets.  This is what transpired shortly after he came back form the mailbox.)
Me-Joel was there any mail today?
Joel- Nope not a thing.  Not even a screw or a lemon.

Wednesday ~ Working hard on losing this extra weight.  Feeling so good right now, which has made me wonder......Why do I go through spurts of eating like a maniac, eating total junk, and feeling horrible?

I also updated the blog pictures.  And let me just say that the new pictures make me want to blog.

Wonderful Saturday

I woke up this morning determined to do something about this added weight that I have been slowly gaining since Thanksgiving.  I started today to eat right and I actually did a workout video this morning.  I am feeling great tonight.  My first goal is to lose 10 pounds.  I will see how long it takes me to lose that and then I will decide if I want to lose 10 more!!  I certainly would like myself a whole lot better 20 pounds lighter, but I won't require it of myself yet!!

I am not afraid!!

I am so loving that we live in town in Berrien Springs!! 

I have actually chosen to take Daniel to his wrestling match early tomorrow morning, so that Jeff could sleep in and......even though we are under a winter storm watch and we have inches of snow on the roads.......I am not afraid to drive!!!  That is a major accomplishment for me.  When we lived in Buchanan, I was known to not leave my house in the winter for any reason unless someone else drove me. 

So excited to not feel TRAPPED any more!!!!

I feel like a taxi....

No I AM A TAXI!!!  Just got my first dose of the life as a mom of teenagers in sports!!  Daniel has been playing on a sports team before school even started in September.  As soon as one sport ends, the next one starts.  Starting on January 23rd, Emily will be starting soccer and then I will have two children in sports.  I sure wish that the practices were at the same time, so that I only had to go out once a day to pick them up, but no luck there!!!  4 days a week Emily stays after school and gets out of practice at 4 o'clock and on the fifth day she comes home on the bus and has to be taken back to school from 6:30-8:30.  Most days Daniel gets out of practice around 5:10, with the exception of game days.  My life is going to get very complicated soon!!!  It sure is a good thing that we only live about 6 minutes from their schools!!!

My day

Today it was just Joel and I for most of the day.  I got so much work done without everyone at home.  Folded at least 6 loads of laundry of which Joel delivered most of it to the appropriate beds, called several customers, put away tons of dishes, took a shower, paid a bill, cleaned my bedroom, and made supper. 
I love days like this.