Our Anniversary

Our anniverary was yesterday. 38 YEARS!!!! I can't believe it. I shouldn't be any older than 38 much less have been married for 38 years. I know it's cliche but really...where did the time go? If I didn't have grown children and the memories for all these years, I would have thought I had been asleep during this time. Wow. And Gary came to my office, brought me a dozen beautiful red roses and sang "You are my sunshine" to me. He's so sweet. We are not much on big gifts to one another for our anniversary, we just enjoy being together. And believe it or not, he is the one to always without fail remember our anniversary. I am the one that forgets it a lot of years. Weird huh?! We have actually been together for 41 years because we dated for 3 years before we got married; one in high school and the other two in college. Yes, we are high school sweetheart. Awwww...But before that we were best friends. To stay married to anyone longer than a couple of years, you have to like that person as well as love them. In fact you should like them first because there are going to be lots of moments when you think you really don't love them, how could you have thought you did...they make you so angry...but then he will do something so incredibly sweet that ... well...how could you not love him. And I do love him more now than ever before. SO...Happy Anniversary to my sweetie.

Family night

On Tuesday nights, Noah and his mom and dad usually come to dinner, watch tv, play outside or whatever. Sometimes Jess is there when she is not playing tennis which isn't very often. I love that my kids want to come over and spend time with us, just wish the older two either lived closer to be able to come or would just come. But I do get to spend time with Noah and soon it will be with Noah and Jonah. Just a few more weeks and that precious little boy will be here. Can't wait to get me some loving. After Jess got home from tennis last night, Noah had to have her hat and I had to take some pictures. He's such a cutie pie.

Noah even thought Mira the cat might want to wear Aunt JJ's hat.

New bed

I went to an auction Friday night and found a toddler bed for a very good price including the mattress for Noah. He is quickly outgrowing the pak n play that we use when he spends the night. I have the new bed sitting in the carport until we can get it cleaned up. Noah saw it the other night and immediately climbed up on it laid down and said "mine". Now how did he know! I guess because most everything we get is his. hehe. He is such a cutie pie. Not much longer until little Jonah gets here. Just a little under 8 weeks. I am so thankful for my sweet little grandson(s). BTW, I miss Rhondi's Thanksful Thursdays but if you have something to be thankful for, leave me a comment or go to Rhondi's rose colored glasses and leave her a comment. I know she would welcome it.

Revelations

If you don't follow Stephanie Nielsen's blog you should take a look at it. She has posted a youtube video of "her new life". It is awesome but it also reminded me of a revelation I received from the Lord this past week. Karen and I had dinner a week or so ago and both of us were lamenting the fact that we were sooooo very tired of working. Both of us have worked at some job or another since we were very young, like for me the sixth grade. My parents were starting their own business and we were expected to work right along side them to get it going and we did. So I have been working ever since. I have always wanted to be a stay at home mom but that just wasn't God's plan for me. I have struggled with this for years and I mean struggled hard with it. Yes I could have stayed home but then Gary would not have been able to pursue his calling. My first duty after God is to my husband; to be a helpmeet. So working outside the home has been my way of being that to him. God always blessed me with a job and boss that never, and I do mean never, kept me from attending any function, sporting event or need my children had. As I look back I think how amazing that one fact has been. I have always been very involved in my children's lives at home and in school. My life has always been my family. Now that the kids are all grown, I have still struggled with the working thing because now I would love to be able to care for my grandson. Also, I have envied people who get up every morning excited to go to a job they love. I have never had that. My "job" that I love is my family. Karen and I were talking about how that would feel, to actually have a job you loved doing. So I got to thinking about what kind of job it would take for me to have that feeling. What do I want to be when I grow up! I have never wanted to be anything but a wife and mom. Jesus told me the other day that I was getting to do the job I love. I work so I can help my husband, I work so I can help my children. I am a servant for my family and I love it. This is my purpose, my calling. Maybe I should have seen this years ago but today's society pushes women to "be" something other than just a wife and mom. The thing I love to do more than anything else in this world is to take care of my family in every way that they need. Clean up after them, cook for them, help them financially, emotionally…whatever. That brings me more joy than any job I could ever do. This is what my purpose in life is and has always been. That’s why I have always wanted to stay at home with them thinking I could do more for them if that were the case. BUT it was revealed to me yesterday that I am doing and will do as much and really more for my family by working than I ever could have by staying home. I still clean up after them, I still cook for them, I play with them…and one thing I might not be able to do for them would be to help them financially if I wasn’t working. Does this make sense? I know that there will be times that I still won’t want to work but I feel much more satisfied about having to working because I realize there is so much more I can do for them by working than not. Now this is not neccessarily the case for everyone and I am not saying that by working I am doing more than a mom that stays at home. But for me this is what I am supposed to do. This is the first time in my life that I have realized this to the fullest extent. I have known that we couldn’t have traveled like we have if I didn’t work but I still wanted to stay home with them. I also was told that to stay home would be selfish. Especially now that they are grown and not at home. I would be doing only what I wanted to do for me. I am getting to do what I want.. I know there are still going to be times that I will NOT want to work so I hope God reminds me of this revelation often.