Wordless Wednesday - 14 Years
Me, 14 years ago today. Geez, how young and cute I looked!
Filed under Wordless Wednesday | Permalink | Comments (9)Tagged with: anniversary • Wordless Wednesday
Loving You… Still
Fourteen years ago today, I married the man of my dreams. I knew then that I was blessed, but I had no way of knowing just how much. I remember being very calm that morning, very peaceful, knowing that this was the surest thing I had ever done. I was right.
Mike was this tall, skinny, waif of a man, unsure of what he wanted to do with his life, other than be with me. He has grown into this tall, not-quite-so-skinny, handsome man, confident and secure in his life’s work. Age is on Mike’s side. He’s smart and funny and capable and … well, I think he’s amazing.
As he’s grown, as we’ve grown, my love for him has grown as well. This marriage is greater than the two of us. I remember reading something before we married that said that marriage was a triangle between two spouses and God, with God at the tippy top of the triangle. The closer each individual became to God, the closer they each became to one another. Mike and I seriously believed our commitment to one another and to God.
And there have been times when that commitment to God was one of the strongest forces in our marriage. There was a time when I was pretty sure Mike didn’t love me any longer, that he came home from working on his doctoral classes only because of Griffin, who was just a toddler. During those years when we were stretched way too thin, I can remember thinking that I understood how people could come to see divorce as a viable option. But I couldn’t figure out how to break that promise to God.
I’m glad I didn’t. Because once we worked through things, our marriage was even stronger. I’ve always said that while I need girlfriends (like air, I need them… but that’s another post), Mike was my best friend. Is. My best friend.
This move pretty much rendered Mike my only friend here in town (I’ve written before about how deeply grateful I am to have had my sister-in-law in the state). For two years now, Mike’s been not only my best friend but my only friend in a lot of ways. And he’s a really lousy girlfriend. But he’s tried so hard. It’s been really endearing.
He’s had the horrible job of having to listen to me cry and rant and talk about my heart aches while also knowing that we moved here for him. Guilt is my realm, not Mike’s. And that’s been hard for both of us. But he’s been all that I needed him to be. He’s been my calm place.
When we got married, one of the songs played at the wedding was Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Go There With You.”
I will take a heart whose nature is to beat for me alone
And fill it up with you - make all your joy and pain my own
No matter how deep a valley you go through
I will go there with you
And I will give myself to love the way Love gave itself for me
And climb with you to mountaintops or swim a raging sea
To the place where one heart is made from two
I will go there with you
Who knew I’d really be going places I hadn’t expected with him? Some days I tell him, ‘you know, I’d go anywhere for you.’ And he responds that I already have. Sweet, huh? Hard as this move was, I’d do it again in a heartbeat for Mike. And if he told me tomorrow that we needed to move again, I’d do it. I’d gripe about it, but I’d do it.
Because in the end, home is wherever Mike is. He is my heart. He is my home. I got the new issue of Real Simple magazine the other day & the question of the month was ‘what one thing could you not live without?’ Mike’s answer was fast and clear. “You.”
When my iPhone rings, and it’s Mike on the line, the ringtone that plays is Daughtry’s “Home.” Because Mike is my home. Forever. I am honored to love him and humbled to be loved by him.
Well I’m going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I’m not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don’t regret this life I chose for me.
Tagged with: anniversary • love • marriage • Mike
Happy Tuesday News… all around
I’ve got lots of big happies tomorrow! (And one belated happy… oops.) I was going to post this in the morning, but I’ve been off for four days now, and there’s no way I’ll gt up in time to post before work. So a little early, a lot late… here I am.
My friend, Courtney, is celebrating a birthday today. It’s her first as a mother. Isn’t that fabulous? I’m sure little Ally Grace is going to give her mama a wonderful present.
Like so many of the friends I have today, I met Courtney at the college where Mike and I both previously worked. Courtney was one of my student workers, and I am deeply grateful that Linda and I had the opportunity to know and love her… then and now. Happy Birthday, Court!!
(Courtney and little Ally Grace)
And today is also the 13th anniversary of our friends, Aleece and Warren. You know Aleece’s name because she’s my personal webmaster/all-around computer guru. I met Aleece - again, at work… she was a student… yeah, everyone’s younger than me - when she and Warren had just gotten married. Mike and I had just celebrated our first anniversary, so Aleece and I have gone through new marriage and old marriage and babies and jobs and big kids together. And I can’t imagine this journey without her.
(Linda and Aleece at dinner with me during my May Louisiana trip with Griff.)
And, with much shame and embarassment, I must admit that I missed my brother and sister-in-law’s anniversary. Six years they’ve been married, the sweet things. Their son is 11, and they’re expecting a baby in the spring. I can hardly wait!!
I’ve already decided the baby’s a girl. I’m working on a gonna-be-a-big-brother gift for Zachary, and I keep thinking of things to make for my new little niece. I mean, I’ll wait till they’re sure she’s a girl because I’d hate for a little boy to be surrounded by the pink things I’m envisioning.
Regardless, John did himself well when he married Nicole all those years ago. And he did our family well by bringing Nicole and Zachary into our lives. We’re blessed to have them.
(Nicole…looking lovely, as always)
And for general happy news, our dear Mandy got a promotion that she SOOOO deserved. She is now the news editor at the paper she’s reported for since college. She’s an amazing reporter - she’s Mike’s best former student - and she’s going to be an amazing editor. The paper, and the reporters lucky enough to answer to her, are truly fortunate to have her.
Go, Mandy!!
(Josh, Mandy, Olivia, and Griff during our May trip.)
… And yes, for anyone keeping track, I met Courtney, Linda, Aleece, Mandy and Josh at that same school. Mike, too, for that matter. That place and that place in time brought many, many dear people into my life. And I am grateful.
Filed under Most Everything | Permalink | Comment (1)Tagged with: Aleece • anniversary • birthday • Courtney • editor • John • Mandy • Nicole
Menu Plan Monday - the 14 Year Edition
Mike and I are celebrating our 14th anniversary this week. How cool is that? When we discussed whether or not to give one another gifts this year, we agreed to take the money we would have spent on gifts and take the kids to the beach for the weekend. And it was a really great anniversary weekend. 
So we’re not doing anything special on Wednesday, and we’re having a laid-back food week this week, to enjoy the last week of summer vacation.
We’ve also made some plans to cut back our spending (We’re better about not eating out as much, but we could still cut back some in that area.) in order to pay off our furniture by the promotional deadline, so we’re working really hard to eat at home. And for me to pack my lunch instead of eating out or grabbing a $6 salad in the cafeteria.
Sunday - last night of Chel’s beach vacation dinner
Monday - Brinner
Tuesday - Pot Roast with veggies
Wednesday - chicken fettucini (taken from a shrimp fettucini recipe our friend Russ gave me years ago. Way better with shrimp, but Griff’s allergic and all.) I’ve got Baskin Robbins buy one-get one coupons. Maybe we’ll take the kids and have celebratory ice cream. You know, I love ice cream. In truth, all ice cream is celebratory.
Thursday - leftover pot roast
Friday - leftover chicken fettucini (The kids are spending the weekend with Chuck and Stacy, so we’ll feed them dinner, but if I can convince Mike, we’ll splurge and go out after we drop the kids off.)
Filed under Recipes | Permalink | Comments (2)Tagged with: anniversary • brinner • fettucini • Menu Plan Monday
Beach Fun!
Mike and I agreed to forgo anniversary presents for one another this year in favor of a family weekend at the beach. And it was a great choice! We all had a really good time.
It stormed the first day and a bit on Saturday, but we dropped in at the beach when it was sunny and at the condo when it wasn’t. We played Monopoly Jr. and watched the Olympics and just had fun being together. Sometimes, being in a different place where there aren’t dishes or laundry to do is just what we need.
We did get caught in the rain once, but it wasn’t too bad. Griff did really well walking from the condo to the beach, and he even made reasonably good time in the storm. Not great, but good. I think he’ll do okay once school starts.
The condo was located between the intercoastal waterway and the Gulf, and we went to the Pier on the intercoastal yesterday and saw a dolphin sooo close. It was really great. No photos of the dolphin, of course, as my handsome photog was so into watching the dolphin that he didn’t take any pictures.
In my Chai swap, my friend, Tara, sent these great beach towels for the kids. They’re bright and fun and fabulous.
Can you see her sweet little name on her towel? She’s got quite the pose, doesn’t she?
And my boy… looking way too old for my taste. He and I had such a good talk out in the waves yesterday. There’s something about putting a kid in the ocean that loosens their tongues. I always try to make sure to spend some time with the kids - even when we go with Chuck and Stacy, Hayden and Hannah - in the ocean when we’re at the beach. They tell me the funniest and most insightful things without even realizing it. Those are precious moments for me.
Snacks and Olympics after a fun, sunny day at the beach. Such beautiful fatigue.
P.S. and yes, for those of you keeping score, I did burn. But not as badly as at various times in the past. Still annoying, given I was wearing SPF 70 and reapplied.
Tagged with: anniversary • beach • kids • love
