Tuesday, May 22, 2012

13 Years


Today Ben and I have been married for 13 years. Sometimes it definitely seems that long and others I can't believe it's been that many. It's been another year of change. It wasn't change that came without a lot of stress, but we are finally settling into our new home in another new state, and we are happy.
This year I've heard a lot how lucky Ben is to have me, and while at times I completely agree :) I am just as lucky to have him. I wouldn't be who I am or have everything I have without him. He works so hard to provide for us so that I can stay home and be with the kids everyday. Before Ben I wasn't near as strong as I am now, and while I didn't always agree with his methods, he has really helped me to become someone I want to be. I'm not afraid of much, I believe in my parenting, I will try new things, I can fail and overcome it, I want to be better than I am, and all of these attributes I hold so dear are direct results of Ben loving me and standing by me through everything in life. He has taught me to believe in myself because he has always believed in me. I love him more today than yesterday, and I love the life we have created together. I am thankful everyday for this man God provided for me, and I pray our children will one day be as happy as we are. It hasn't always been easy, but everything good in life requires effort and sometimes lots of it. Forgiveness has been a key to our relationship, and he has always been better at that than me. He lets go of his anger far before I do, and I have learned from him. I have also learned forgiveness isn't for the receiver it's for the giver, once I forgive him I can love him more, and we become closer. I'm thankful for how easily he forgives and for how easily he shows his love. He has always been the parent to hug and kiss often and regularly, and I have enjoyed watching our kids reap the benefits of this as I have. I have become freer with my own affections as I've watched him interact with the kids and myself.
It's been fun and challenging and I look forward to more fun and more challenges as we continue this life together. I love you Ben yesterday, today and forever.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Luke's Haircut

 Luke got a haircut today, wow where did my little boy go. I can't believe the white skinned little boy I left Montana with has grown over an inch, his cheeks have thinned, his skin has darkened (from all the sun here in Georgia) and he wants his haircut just like his dads. He won a backpack basket at the basket raffle and school and this t-shirt was in it. It is an Oak Grove shirt, but seeing him with this haircut and a camo print was something this mommy wasn't ready for. He has a huge heart but he can be such a stinker, he is the one who struggles most with doing the right thing and if he thinks he can get away with it, he will choose the wrong thing. But he's a great kid, lots of fun, and someday soon he is going to be too big for monkey hugs so he is trying to teach them to Owen.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Boys and Bionicles

 Some things never change. The boys have been playing bionicles almost everyday before and after school. Why they choose to play on the landing of the basement steps I haven't quite figured out, but it won't last forever, so I'll tolerate it while it does. Bionicles are no longer made so Beau is becoming an expert at searching ebay for them, if only his mom would cooperate and let him buy them, he would be so happy.
 The kids love to bring me flowers that they pick on their walk home from the bus, everyday is something new. Today was a magnolia from one of our trees and a lily or something like that, it was growing at the very end of the driveway by the road. It's always fun to get a surprise.
Owen saw me taking pictures and posed for me.

Bike Riding

Anna and Owen are my bike riders. Anna rides her scooter down the driveway so fast it scares me, but she loves it. Owen thankfully is scared of going too fast so we take his new trike down to where the ground is level and he rides and rides. We had to put it all away because a storm came rolling in, and I'm glad because we really needed the rain and a little cooler weather.





Water colors

Sometimes I forget the simple joys of a toddler.
We painted at CCD a couple weeks ago, Owen was there and joined the class.
This morning, while we were playing in the basement he found some water colors by Anna's art easel.
He instantly asked to paint, and used the word paint.
So I obliged.
He wanted me to do everything with him this morning so I got to paint too.
He loved it, and managed to not paint himself.
I know we will be doing a lot more painting this summer, outside though because eventually he does spill the water and he does it on purpose.


 

Big Kids

Yesterday while Owen and Luke were showering I peeked out the window to see what Anna and Beau were up to. I have no idea what they were doing, but I loved that they were doing it together.
Beau had his work gloves on because he had been chopping weeds with some tool that he thinks is fun to use. Anna stopped riding her scooter to go check out whatever Beau was doing.
It is in the third picture that you can see what he is doing, he had a lighter and he was trying to burn a weed, or as Anna called it a daisy and she wouldn't let him burn it.
So what I thought was a fun conversation was really an argument. Oh well.
They stayed out there even after I nixed the lighter usage.



Anna agreed to his burning the weed next to what she called the daisy.