On This Valentine's Day

Yesterday in the Wednesday Hodgepodge one of the questions asked what our favorite Love Song was. In an effort to find an answer (because no single song was popping into my heard) I was poking around my blog and on YouTube. I came across a video I posted on Hubby's birthday a few years ago.

Last night, as I was falling asleep, I decided that the song, Dancing in the Minefields, is my favorite Love Song.

The Valentine's Day before we got married, I gave hubby a little cake that said "Always." I still like to sign my cards that way.

You know, back on that Valentine's Day in 1984, we had no idea what was ahead. No idea how sometimes just sheer determination is what it would take to keep committed to each other. Sometimes it took me remembering my promises to "stand by you no matter what the future holds" and "I promise to work at loving you every day" that got me through.

No regrets. I am so thankful for each day with my Valentine.

Please take the time to listen to this video and follow along with the words. You'll be glad you did.

Well I was nineteen, you were twenty-one
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway
We got the rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road
We said our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen years ago
We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storms
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for
"I do" are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard
Is a good place to begin
'Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price
For the life that we have found
And we're dancing in the minefields
We're sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for
So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me
'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear
'Cause He promised not to leave us
And His promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,
I can dance with you

Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetheart! 

Always.

Dear Hubby:::

Happy Birthday to you today! Praise God for your life!!

How wonderfully special to celebrate your birthday and the resurrection of our Lord! A great day from beginning to end!

I love you. (Have I told you that? Have I told you that enough? I hope not, because I will never stop telling you that I love you.)

John 15:13 says: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Remember all those years ago at that Keith Green concert when we stood next to each other and sang those words to each other? We were only friends at the time, but I know I meant them with all my heart. Now that we are a few decades down the road, I mean them even more. I have realized how much you have sacrificed for me. You do so much for me. You work hard to provide for me. You work hard to do things to make me happy. You shovel snow and mow the yard for me. You vacuum the house house for me. You take me to quilt stores and listen to me babble about sewing. You drop me off at the door of places we go. You take frequent weekend trips with me. You hold me when I cry. You love me. You are very patient with me.


I see all these things you do as your way of sacrificing for me. Of giving up your desires for me. I am so honored to be your wife. I love sharing life with you. I am so thankful God had you be born so that I could live my life with you. You are the best and I am blessed.

Thank you, dear Hubby, for being my best friend. I hope you think your birthday is a special day.

Happy Birthday!

Love,
J

Day 4 of Thankfulness

^{Romans 8:35, 36-39}

 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

I am thankful for...

...the love of Christ 

...the fact that nothing can separate me from that love.

I Do

I know I said I would post pictures of our house.

I haven't done that yet, if you haven't noticed....

My hubby had meetings in The Big City again last week and I tagged along. I will get them posted. Soon.

We stayed over the weekend to see a musical at a terrific dinner theater. We have enjoyed going to this dinner theater since we were on our honeymoon.

When we had been married all of three days, we saw a performance of I Do, I Do. I remember very well a couple seated next to us who introduced themselves to us and looked at me to introduce ourselves. I stuttered and told hubby to do it. I stuttered over the words, "This is my husband," since I had never said that before!

I noticed a few months ago that the show was back at the theater and happened to coincide with the week hubby had meetings to go to, so we made plans to attend. (That was a really long sentence...)

So, Saturday night we enjoyed a nice dinner and then were seated in the theater. The play covers 50 years of marriage of Michael and Agnes. The first scene is the wedding and they sing a song titled, "I Do, I Do."

I cried. I did.

The play really touched us. The newlywed wonder and fun, the child raising years, the struggles of the relationship, the What Do We Do Now The Kids Are Grown, the companionship of old age.  And we marveled at the timing. Seeing it first as a brand-spanking new husband and wife, and then shortly after both our children have married and started lives of their own. What a lifetime was lived in between.

I told my hubby I'd give anything to crawl into the head of that 23 year old me and see what I was thinking and feeling all those years ago.

It impacted us more than we thought.

I found this little video on YouTube of one of the songs that had tears streaming my face by the end of it.
 

I Said I love You and That's Forever

My hubby and I have been married for 26 years, 3 months and some extra days. 


I am blessed.


I love being married.

I can't decide which opening line I like better. So I will use all of them.

This whole marriage thing has come into much better focus to me since it's back to just the two of us. What do I see? I see that we approach life very differently.

Some examples:

*He is a morning person. I am a night-owl. He gets up ready to go in the mornings, it takes me a couple of hours to feel human.

*Hubby is quite competitive. I don't think I have a competitive bone in my body. Case in point: We have the same cell phones. I found an application that was similar to Boggle, a word game both like. I was having fun playing it and seeing how many words I could find. Hubby then loaded the same game on his phone. He soon realized the scoring was not the same as the real version of the game and found a couple of things he didn't like about it. I hadn't even noticed. (Now I don't like the game either.)

*Hubby can fall asleep in 2.5 seconds flat. Some nights I'm lucky if I fall asleep in under 30 minutes.

*He loves to run and does it about four times a week. For 40 minutes or more. I hate to exercise. 'Nough said.

*Hubby likes to organize things and enjoys doing it. I love for things to be organized, but I tend to get stressed out in the process. Just last night I was attempting to organize all of our CDs. Hubby dragged the box full of CDs upstairs a few days ago. Late yesterday afternoon, I unloaded them all. (Believe me, we have a lot of them.) I started stacking them on the floor around me. Pretty soon, I realized I was in over my head. Hubby called to tell me he was coming home and asked how I was doing. I said I was buried in CDs and wasn't sure what to do with them all. He laughed and said he'd be home soon. As soon as he walked in the door, he jumped right in and within 10 minutes we had a plan on what to do with them all and within probably 45 minutes he had them all organized. My hero!

*Hubby likes to watch sports. Football, basketball, baseball. He likes it. I tell him I think every game looks the same. I don't understand how he can watch so many games. He loved being at our Alma Mater's Homecoming Game last weekend. I was bored out of my mind. I've asked a few questions, especially about football, and I still don't understand it or like it.

*He is a very patient person. He cheerfully let me wander down memory lane last Sunday. And has agreed to some more Memory Lane wandering this coming weekend.

*Probably my most favorite thing is that he loves me unconditionally. I am often blown away at his love for me. I am ever grateful for our marriage as an earthly example of God's love for me. A few weeks ago we got into quite a heated disagreement. It was mostly because of my fears. After we had apologized to each other and forgave each other I asked him, "What can I do to make you happy with me again?" He answered, "Sweetie, you don't have to do anything. I love you." I about fell on the floor. Isn't that the way it is with God? We really don't have to do things to make Him love us. He just does.

My conclusion? We are very different people. We approach life differently. We are amazingly crazy in love with each other. And Happy.

Our son Caleb took a bunch of pictures at his sister's wedding. This was one of them. It's my favorite, mostly because of the caption he put with the photo when he posted it on Facebook.

Marriage works, these two are proof.

**SIGH**

As I was contemplating this post I heard a perfect song when I was out shopping. Despite all our differences, I love you, honey. Just the way you are.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my man's birthday. I am so thankful he was born and I that I am lucky enough to be married to him!

He gave me this for Christmas. I feel the same way about him!

I am blessed.

Love you Honey!

 

Megan and Zach

The big news around here is that we are going to add to our family again! (No, not a baby. And HEAVENS no not a dog or any other kind of a pet)

Last weekend our daughter, Megan and her boyfriend, Zach became engaged! We are so happy for them! No date set quite yet, but likely this summer.

Don't they look happy?
Here's the beautiful ring. The diamond is from Zach's great-grandmother's wedding ring. The amethysts on either side are Megan's birthstone. Zach designed the ring himself. Pretty talented, huh?


We are so incredibly happy for them!
:D :D :D :D

Happy Birthday to My Man

Dearest Pete,
I know I've told you a million times, but I am glad you were born and I'm glad you are my husband. I love so many things about you. You are an amazing father. I wouldn't have wanted to raise kids with anyone but you. You are dedicated to me, your kids, your job. But the thing that makes you who you are and gives you the ability to do all those so incredibly is your faith and trust in God. Thank you for loving Jesus and dedicating your life to Him.


Happy Birthday Sweetheart!
I hope I sufficiently honor you today.


Love and Kisses,