Thick and Thin

"We've come a long long way together
Through the bad times and the good
I want to celebrate you baby,
I have to praise you like I should."

The words to that song have been playing in my head all day. I couldn't write anything more fitting to sum up our 5 years together. How much we have weathered. How many odds we have beat. How many things we didn't know about each other when we first slipped those bands on our fingers and headed off into the sunset.

The man I married has made me a better person. I can see evidence each day of how working and living alongside him has given me more mercy for others, more grace for myself and our children and more hope for our future. He is one of the good ones. Worth his salt. As my Grandma would have said, "He's got a heart of gold."

And boy have we been through it. Thick and thin. Times when our proverbial wallet was so slim we could barely afford a few jars of baby food. Moments when together we had to face up to our mistakes and take responsibility for our very immaturity. And we have sat and cried together, not knowing what was around that next corner. We've struggled trying to understand where the other was coming from, prayed and studied for the best way to raise our little ones...

And other times, oh it has been rich. I have never laughed harder, dreamed bigger, loved stronger than in the days I have spent with him. I have sat on our front porch watching him swing our little ones in the air or hunt for bugs and rocks and thought, "It cannot possibly get any better than this.." He has given me space to grow, to find myself, to fail and grow and change. Quietly he has waited for me to work through a struggle and rejoiced with me when I've come out better in the end...

5 years together and now we are facing what could be our most challenging. I wish we could have more time with him, wish a year didn't have to be so long. But deep down I have no doubts that we will weather the storms of this year and enjoy it's sunshine together as well. We are made of strong stuff, he and I and with a good helping of grace for each other and the realization of what we are meant to be we will triumph.

Happy Anniversary Tim! I wouldn't want to be with anyone else.

So Many Parties... So Little Time

With Tim heading out so soon we decided we would celebrate all our special occasions before he left. That means a party (or two) every weekend. I certainly don't mind all the extra cake in the house and Natalie and Adam will use any excuse to celebrate anyways. Last Saturday was Natalie's first of two 4th birthdays. We had a painting and craft party, jumped in the pool for awhile and most importantly had loads of fun and made more silly happy memories to carry with us...

One in a Million

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You."

— Dr. Seuss

On May 1 we celebrated our little Adam's 2nd birthday. What a great little guy he is. We had a backyard pool party and he was overjoyed to head out for a spin in his little red car. As we do every year, Tim and I spent naptime constructing our grand designs for the birthday cake. It turned out great thanks to Tim's creativity and construction and a little help from me.

So much sunshine Adam adds to our world. Impulsive hugs around the knees anytime of day, crazy self invented spins and break dance moves to any song he hears, the heartfelt singing of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star..At times he will grab a fork or spoon off the table and march solemnly around the house singing, "Frosty the Snowman". Ever since Easter he has been fascinated with crosses, seeing them everywhere. Several times a day he will come up to me and say, "Jesus died on the cross Mom. To help people. Jesus died on the cross. And..He's alive..Yay!!" And we will clap and celebrate all over again. Natalie painted a little blue cross for her birthday gift to him and he loved it more than any other present and couldn't wait to hang it on his wall.

He cannot stop hugging and kissing his sister. "Be careful Nanee (Natalie), are you okay?" He is more polite than many grown men I know. "Excuse me mom ", he will say as he passes, or "I'm sorry Dad" or "I forgive you Nanee" without any prompting. This little guy is truly a blessing and we can take no credit for how great he is. We thank God for him everyday. Happy Birthday Adam Joshua, and many more!!