Our Great Marriage!

Want to know why our marriage works? There are lots or reasons but the single biggest word that I can think of is intentionality! It does not just happen effortlessly!

We intentionally pray together!
We intentionally pray for each other!
We intentionally encourage each other!
We intentionally praise each other!
We intentionally brag on each other!
We intentionally go on dates and make time for one another!
We intentionally dream together!
We intentionally hold hands!
We intentionally tell each other how much we love them!
We intentionally share our fears!
We intentionally share in each others interests!
We intentionally give each other compliments!

I could go on and on! But you get the picture..we work at our marriage! It is easy to get busy and let the work slide and that is when we find ourselves in a marriage that is not amazing! I woke up a few mornings ago to the notes on my mirror shaped in a heart in the picture above. They say things like....I love you...My heart still races when you walk in the room....You are Beautiful..You are a great Mom...

Now that my friends is intentionality!!!

Packrat??

I am not a pack rat in general. I try really hard to ask myself..have I used this...will I "seriously" be using this in the near future. As far as my kids are concerned I do keep special or sentimental things they have given me and I keep their very favorite things...blankets, dolls, trucks...etc but for the most part I do not keep stuff.

I have a summer and Christmas ritual of cleaning out closets, rooms and the basement...I do enjoy this although my whole house is a complete mess right now...the process is always disastrous looking???

In the top of one closet are a few things from my childhood that I will always keep but one of the things that I have kept all these years is a baton. When I was 7 my parents let me sign up for baton lessons and they bought me a "real" baton. Not the thick kiddy kind but the heavy slender real kind! Why have I saved this...I thought that my kids might play with it...well maybe...but they haven't....no the real reason is because my parents did not have much money and anything that we did meant a big sacrifice for them....it represents a sacrificial gift of love to me. I'm never going to use it and neither are my kids..I can't really display it...so I am going to take a picture of it and I am going take it out of the closet.

I sure do love my mama and daddy and the way they loved me and my sisters. They gave me a godly heritage....and that my friends is PRICELESS!!

Love Notes

"I love you being pregnant"

My husband has been leaving me notes all over the house since we were married...I routinely find them in my drawers or under my pillow or taped to my kitchen cabinet shelves. One morning 8 years ago I opened a door to get a cereal bowl and found the above note taped to the shelf. It is still there....because I love it! I am glad he liked me being pregnant...because with 5 kids I was pregnant or nursing for 11 years of our marriage....crazy! I love that man of mine and I thank God every day for the blessing of such a great hubby and father! And on top of it all is is just so darn good looking!

Engaged

21 years ago my sweetie asked me to marry him! It was wonderful and so very romantic. He gave me a Bible and the inside cover said..."I love you! Will you marry me?" This morning I woke up to a note on my coffee cup that said....21 years ago I asked you to be my wife...2nd best decision I ever made!" Isn't that so sweet. Of course the best is is relationship with Jesus! And that decision makes him a better man. I can't imagine my life without him.

20 Years!!!!

Oh my do we look so young!

I can hardly believe that 20 years ago I married the most amazing man! We had a beautiful wedding...my mom made my dress...and they gave me a wonderful day that I will never forget. As amazing as that day was...I am so very glad that I am not just going back to that day to think about my wonderful marriage. I am so much more in love with Eric today than I was then. We have laughed, cried and yes, argued together. We have 5 beautiful babies and 2 babies waiting for us with Jesus. I am so blessed to have a man who loves me, our children and most of all Jesus!

We are shipping our children out for a few days and locking ourselves in....which includes turning off the phones and the computers and enjoying a few days of down time together. Our board of directors gave us a wonderful gift for our anniversary so we will hit a few nice restaurants for dinner....with the rest of the money I think we will put tires on my car. I know..I know...that isn't very romantic.......but those of you who know me know how practical I am.....I can't enjoy a trip away knowing that my tires are bald...it just isn't right. I do promise to totally enjoy my few days together!!!

19 Years!

My Sweetie and I celebrated 19 years yesterday! I can't believe it. You know in some ways it seems like that wonderful day was yesterday and in some ways it seems like we have been together our whole lives! I love him with all my heart and I am so very glad that Jesus brought us together! Here is a list of some of the many reasons I love him.

*He loves Jesus...I mean he really loves Jesus and wants to serve Him!

*He loves our 5 babies...he is an amazing daddy.

*He brings me coffee every morning when he wakes me up....yep with the right amount of cream and sugar!

*He encourages me to be all that I can be!

*He helps me with the dishes and laundry!

*He prays with our children EVERY night.

*He leaves me love notes all over the place for absolutely no reason.

*He loves traditions.

*He is very romantic...maybe more than I am.

*He is sooooo gorgeous!!

I am excited to spend the rest of my life with him!