18 years ago today Cowboy & I got married.
In these 18 years we've spent 6570 nights studying, cramming, working on class projects, preparing our resumes, crying through the ups and downs of infertility, tending to the needs of new babies, wondering how we were going to pay bills, taking care of sick kiddos, praying for wisdom on how we raise these munchkins God's blessed us with, and we've had SO much fun!
Can't wait for the next 6570 nights!
Showing posts with label wedded bliss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wedded bliss. Show all posts
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Saturday, July 3, 2010
He Keeps Me in Stitches
Today C-Man & Cowboy were wrestling around when Cowboy noticed something on C-Man's toenail. He said, "What's on your toenail?"
C-Man said, "It's a crack and it's been there as long as I can remember."
To which Cowboy replied,
"It's better to have a crack in your toenail than a toenail in your crack."
Laughter is such a beautiful thing!!!
C-Man said, "It's a crack and it's been there as long as I can remember."
To which Cowboy replied,
"It's better to have a crack in your toenail than a toenail in your crack."
Laughter is such a beautiful thing!!!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Marriage Workout
Is your marriage out-of-shape? Once a marriage has gotten to the point of sarcastic comments, empty threats, non-communication, it's hard to know what to do to get it back to the way it once was. It's not like you can hire a marriage trainer who can come into your home and correct your bad habits and strengthen your marriage by creating good habits. Yes, you can see a counselor, but the work is on you. Maybe your marriage is not in that bad of shape, but you know it needs a little more work than you've been putting into it.
I recently had a friend who was struggling in her marriage. Here's some advice I gave her (plus a little more):
If your husband enjoys a neat and tidy home (and you're not typically inclined to have it that way), 30 minutes before he arrives home assign each family member a “zone” of the house to work quickly on! Not deep-cleaning, here, just sprucing up the place to let him feel good about coming home—dirty clothes, toys, dishes, & shoes put away, etc. If you do this correctly, by letting him know you’re all trying to make his workload lighter at home and that you appreciate how hard he works for your family (even if the work is self-imposed and you don’t necessarily think it needs to be done), he will feel more appreciated and less tired from doing all this himself.
Learn your husband's love language (get the book by Gary Chapman). Chances are he gives and receives love differently than you. For instance, my primary love language is acts of service. When Cowboy does the dishes, sweeps the floor, cleans the van, or makes the bed I feel SO loved by him. I know he does things like that to lighten my burden. His love languages are physical touch and quality time. When I sit with him on the couch and hold hands while watching a TV show or watching something on the laptop, it speaks volumes to him.
Men love to be praised and encouraged. Thank him for everything he does. Text him sweet nothings. Tell him he does a great job. Even if you don’t feel like he gives you words of encouragement, be the bigger person and use loving words to and about him.
If you're wanting to change your husband, beware! It seems like most of the work of “changing” your husband actually comes from changing your own attitude about and towards your husband. I know that sounds awful, but I’ve noticed it to be true in our marriage.
Go on a date! Find a babysitter or a family member to watch the kids and go out with your hubby!!! Let him know it’s important to you that you 2 continue to work on your own relationship. If you only have money for a sitter and not a date, get creative! You can go to a bookstore and enjoy some time together while looking at magazines and books. Looking at a Southern Living magazine while your hubby looks at Sports Illustrated probably wouldn't be your best choice, but you people are smart enough to make good date night reading selections.
Finally, the one that you might not want to hear: HAVE SEX! I’ve discovered that no matter how TIRED I am, sex is a very good thing for marriage. Extra grace seems to be extended after sex!
Enjoy getting back into shape!!!
I recently had a friend who was struggling in her marriage. Here's some advice I gave her (plus a little more):
If your husband enjoys a neat and tidy home (and you're not typically inclined to have it that way), 30 minutes before he arrives home assign each family member a “zone” of the house to work quickly on! Not deep-cleaning, here, just sprucing up the place to let him feel good about coming home—dirty clothes, toys, dishes, & shoes put away, etc. If you do this correctly, by letting him know you’re all trying to make his workload lighter at home and that you appreciate how hard he works for your family (even if the work is self-imposed and you don’t necessarily think it needs to be done), he will feel more appreciated and less tired from doing all this himself.
Learn your husband's love language (get the book by Gary Chapman). Chances are he gives and receives love differently than you. For instance, my primary love language is acts of service. When Cowboy does the dishes, sweeps the floor, cleans the van, or makes the bed I feel SO loved by him. I know he does things like that to lighten my burden. His love languages are physical touch and quality time. When I sit with him on the couch and hold hands while watching a TV show or watching something on the laptop, it speaks volumes to him.
Men love to be praised and encouraged. Thank him for everything he does. Text him sweet nothings. Tell him he does a great job. Even if you don’t feel like he gives you words of encouragement, be the bigger person and use loving words to and about him.
If you're wanting to change your husband, beware! It seems like most of the work of “changing” your husband actually comes from changing your own attitude about and towards your husband. I know that sounds awful, but I’ve noticed it to be true in our marriage.
Go on a date! Find a babysitter or a family member to watch the kids and go out with your hubby!!! Let him know it’s important to you that you 2 continue to work on your own relationship. If you only have money for a sitter and not a date, get creative! You can go to a bookstore and enjoy some time together while looking at magazines and books. Looking at a Southern Living magazine while your hubby looks at Sports Illustrated probably wouldn't be your best choice, but you people are smart enough to make good date night reading selections.
Finally, the one that you might not want to hear: HAVE SEX! I’ve discovered that no matter how TIRED I am, sex is a very good thing for marriage. Extra grace seems to be extended after sex!
Enjoy getting back into shape!!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Keeping Their Vows
Today my parents are celebrating their 41st anniversary. Cowboy's parents will celebrate their 41st anniversary next month. For me this means we have been given a great gift--the gift of our parents' examples of lasting marriages.
In a world full of people who don't keep their vows to God and each other, mine and Cowboy's parents are a testimony to God and His faithfulness to His people. Their marriages reflect God's love and forgiveness to His people.
A few weeks ago my mother-in-law told me of a friend of hers whose parents were going through a divorce. I very firmly told she and my father-in-law, "If either one of you ever choose to divorce the other, I'll shoot you dead." We all got a good laugh, but seriously! I can't imagine what that would do to my husband, me, my kids, or the other member of that marriage!
Today I'm just thankful for these awesome marriages!
In a world full of people who don't keep their vows to God and each other, mine and Cowboy's parents are a testimony to God and His faithfulness to His people. Their marriages reflect God's love and forgiveness to His people.
A few weeks ago my mother-in-law told me of a friend of hers whose parents were going through a divorce. I very firmly told she and my father-in-law, "If either one of you ever choose to divorce the other, I'll shoot you dead." We all got a good laugh, but seriously! I can't imagine what that would do to my husband, me, my kids, or the other member of that marriage!
Today I'm just thankful for these awesome marriages!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Sweet 16
Today Cowboy & I are celebrating our Sweet 16! Oh, and the years have been sweet!
Because Cowboy always likes to talk in terms of dates and what happened on them, I did my best to recap only the big events from each year of our married lives.
Don't feel obligated to read...this is truly part of my gift to him.
Year 1--On Spring Break we took our Honeymoon to Colorado--both of us being too young to be the driver of our rental car. I had to read that stupid book, Anpao, for Dr. McKinley's Children's Literature class. (Dr. McKinley was such a godly man and it broke my heart 2 years after I graduated from OSU to learn that he and one of his daughters died in a horrible car wreck).
Year 2--We both graduated from OSU together.
Year 3--We got our first dog together, Bogey. Little did we know that she was going to exceed the pet weight limit at our apartment very quickly!!! We saved for our first house and on August 17th we moved into our 1st home at 1733 Ridgeway Dr.
Year 4--We took a road trip to Tennessee. We enjoyed our time planning a vacation just for us. Also, after 13 long months of trying to have a baby, I was expecting our first child.
Year 5--Miss B was born! Quickly we learned what financial sacrifices we were willing to make so that I could stay home. I quit my teaching job and began my job as Mommy. We kept up with our regular activities with a very easy baby in tow.
Year 6--Cowboy lost his job. Although we were scared out of our minds, God showed us His providence. We survived it and God showed us he had a better plan. I began teaching for PET, later to become Excel.
Year 7--We went to Disney World for the first time. We tried to have a second child and cut our time in half! WOO HOO! It only took 6 months to conceive this time.
Year 8--C-Man was born and we learned what it was like to have a "difficult" baby. He was born via an emergency c-section and immediately afterward I knew I wasn't finished having kids. Besides his c-section birth, he wouldn't take a bottle or pacifier, was colicky, had a sever allergic reaction to an antibiotic, ...
Year 9--We began to seriously consider moving to a bigger house.
Year 10--We moved to Surrey, where both of our parents live, after living with Cowboy's parents for a few months. (They were very sweet to let us invade their home for so long). We officially began our homeschool journey with Miss b being in Kindergarten.
Year 11--Our family became involved with a sweet little homeschool co-op. We had no idea when we began this that it would later become what it is today. (www.keystonecooperative.com)
Year 12--I finally convinced Cowboy we needed a third child. Even though my womb had known this for a while, he was finally on board with this plan. We took the kiddos on a vacation that didn't involve our family. We had a great time in Colorado Springs with them.
Year 13--By this time we desperately wanted another child. We had done the initial fertility tests again (like we did before our first child) and things looked rather bleak for us. So...I made an appointment with a fertility specialist. The night before the appointment, Cowboy gave me the heart-to-heart about how ridiculous this was that we had 2 healthy kids and were potentially looking at fertility treatments. We cancelled the appointment and soon-after began paperwork to become foster/adoptive parents.
Year 14--Little I came home. He was almost 10 months old and weighed 13 pounds. It took little time for us to fall in love with him.
Year 15--We took the 2 big kids on a fabulous 8-night trip to Disney World. We left Little I with Aunt Melody so we could have an overload of big kid fun!!! Little Bit was born and came from the hospital straight to our home.
Year 16--My parents took me and Cowboy and both of my sisters and their husbands on a trip to Puerto Vallarta to celebrate their 40th anniversary. We had the most amazing time!!!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
16 Years Ago
Sixteen years ago tonight I said goodnight to Cowboy and parted ways with him before bedtime for the last time. I went to my parents' house and stayed up late talking to my childhood friend who came to town to help me with the Big Day. We giggled just as we had as children. We talked about how crazy it was that I was actually getting married the next day.
Now when I look back on it I realize it must have seemed crazy to many people. We were young. I was 20 and he was 21. We were still in college. The odds were against us. I'm sure our parents caught flack from people who like to stick their noses where they don't belong.
Looking back, though, there's nothing I would change!
I LOVE that we got married young. I LOVE that we didn't have any money. I LOVE that we were madly in love with each other. (& we still are!) I LOVE that we survived finals together as a married couple. I LOVE that Cowboy took pictures of me in our bed with notes I was studying propped up in front of me while I was fast asleep. (Some things never change). I LOVE that the weekend we got married we moved him into my apartment and the old lady downstairs instantly hated him (he walked too loudly)! I LOVE that we went to Lambda Chi parties as a married couple. I LOVE that we got to babysit once a week together for two very precious little girls while we were still in college. I LOVE that we don't remember much of life without the other. I LOVE that when we went on our honeymoon I wasn't even old enough to play those silly slot machines at Cripple Creek. I LOVE that neither of us were old enough to drive the rental car on our honeymoon.
I LOVE COWBOY!!!
Now when I look back on it I realize it must have seemed crazy to many people. We were young. I was 20 and he was 21. We were still in college. The odds were against us. I'm sure our parents caught flack from people who like to stick their noses where they don't belong.
Looking back, though, there's nothing I would change!
I LOVE that we got married young. I LOVE that we didn't have any money. I LOVE that we were madly in love with each other. (& we still are!) I LOVE that we survived finals together as a married couple. I LOVE that Cowboy took pictures of me in our bed with notes I was studying propped up in front of me while I was fast asleep. (Some things never change). I LOVE that the weekend we got married we moved him into my apartment and the old lady downstairs instantly hated him (he walked too loudly)! I LOVE that we went to Lambda Chi parties as a married couple. I LOVE that we got to babysit once a week together for two very precious little girls while we were still in college. I LOVE that we don't remember much of life without the other. I LOVE that when we went on our honeymoon I wasn't even old enough to play those silly slot machines at Cripple Creek. I LOVE that neither of us were old enough to drive the rental car on our honeymoon.
I LOVE COWBOY!!!
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