My Little Life

Mr. W., that is. He rocks my dang socks off. Yeesh. Is that TMI? ;) This man is the most amazing dad (and husband). I know, I know, that's so cliche to say, but you guys? It's true.  He's patient. Loving. Kind. Active. Faith-filled. Conservative. (And not just in the political sense.) Smart. Hard working. Involved. Fun. Plain ol' stinkin' amazing. We celebrated our niece's marriage this weekend and while in church, our baby girl climbed up into his arms. He plopped her little butt on the pew ledge in front of him, wrapped his great big arms around her, an d pressed his nose to hers while she whispered something (important, I'm sure) to him. My heart. It simply exploded right then and there. To have witnessed that moment between them. The love and tenderness and gentleness...I just died. He is our rock. The steady foundation of our family and when I say I am "so grateful" that God blessed me with him, I actually wish there were strong...

12 of 'em...12 wonderful years ago (yesterday) I married the man of my dreams. Kind, faithful, sweet, thoughtful, strong, and easy on the eyes. When we married that cold (bitter cold!) February day back in 2001, I never imagined that our marriage would become stronger with each passing year (month, week, day...). I am so proud of our marriage, our relationship...we make a pretty awesome team, man. 5 kiddos, a couple of houses, tragedy, home remodels...we've survived it and come out the other side stronger and closer than when we "went in"! I love this man. He is my rock. My best friend. My partner in crime. My soul mate. Happy Anniversary, Mr. Wonderful!!

One cold, winter night, in a dark, beer scented bar, I cast my gaze upon a handsome man, who was looking my way. Little did I know that one day, that handsome man, would become my handsome husband. My Mr. Wonderful. The man of my dreams. Most days I wonder what the heck he was thinking, sticking around with a girl like me...scatterbrained to his organized perfection, messy to his neat freak, "sedentary" to his "active". EVERY day I thank God that he blessed me with this amazing guy. Honestly, I think God saw me, thought, "Geepers, this girl needs some intervention!" and sent me a faithful, kind, chivalrous man to teach me the importance of faith, the goodness of people and how a lady should be treated. I love this man with all my heart and all my soul and all my being. I am blessed beyond measure. Happy Father's Day, Mr. Wonderful...our children are incredibly blessed to have you as an example in their lives!

Today was a big day for Mr. Wonderful and his brother! They own a business together and as of 8 am this morning, they are the proud new owners of an "official" office building! 11 years ago they were operating out of this home: Then they "upgraded" to this office in town: It was teeny. Okay for them when they first moved there, but as their business expanded, they outgrew their little upgrade. They were also operating out of two sites...the office and the "warehouse" (where they stored their Pioneer seed before delivering it to their customers). Just a few months ago, they were looking into buying a lot and different building plans so that they could operate out of one location and have more office space (the sharing office rooms was getting old). With bids coming in at $400,000 to $500,000 for the lot/new construction, the new building was seeming a little daunting for them. One day (I think Verd was helping out a bit from above) they learned of a buildin...

39. Wow. One year from the big 40 and still handsome as ever. I am blessed to have you in my life. Blessed that God chose you as "the one" for me. I love you because you are kind. I love you because you are smart. I love you because you are a wonderful daddy. I love you because you are an amazing husband. I love you because you love your mom. I love you because you are funny. I love you because your faith runs deep. I love you because you are patient. I love you because you are a perfectionist. I love you because you are not perfect. I love you because you pack like a girl. I love you because you always check the oil before a car trip. I love you because you are safe. I love you because you love to learn. I love you because you are strong. I love you because you help around the house. I love you because you teach our children about the outdoors. I love you because you are a good friend to others. I love you because you are reverent. I love you because you show respect. I love...

If you ever wondered what I saw in Mr. Wonderful (you know, aside from the cute smile, nice butt, selflessness, treats me like a princess stuff...)... It's the one-armed push ups (with a baby on his back) that do it for me. *swoon* *blush* *fans self* Excuse me now, I need to go take a cold shower.

38 years ago today, the world became a better place when my mother-in-law gave birth to her sixth born. Family legend is that when my dear husband was forced from his mama's breast, he threw such a fit that he turned several unhealthy shades of red and was shipped to the University hospital, because they thought he had something wrong with his heart. Turns out, he was just a boob guy...and seriously po'd that someone took his food away. Not much has changed in those 38 years, I tell ya. ;) I am so incredibly grateful that my path in life led me to this amazing man. God sure knew what he was doing when he placed that handsome young man at the end of the bar the night of my 21st birthday. Mr. Wonderful is, without question, the most wonderful man I've ever met. He is kind, selfless, thoughtful, helpful, faithful, patient...and still has an affinity for boobs. (Sorry mom and dad and grandma and grandpa and my brothers...and anyone else who may be scarred by that thought...) So...

It's coming upon scenes like this: That steal my breath away. A sleeping baby girl atop her (*swoon*) scruffy (*blush*) daddy's lap? Dads with their daughters make me smile from the inside out.

The other day, Mr. Wonderful was getting ready to make supper (I worked that day, supper was his duty!), cleaning the grill...he was gonna make some pork chops. I was minding my own business when I heard an odd sound. Kinda like a door slamming...followed quickly by, "Holy sh#$!!!!" Alarmed, I looked out our bedroom window, onto the deck...where I saw my handsome husband looking down curiously into his hands (or so I thought)...fearing something terrible, I ran outside, and saw this: Well, what the hey is he lookin ' at??? Upon closer inspection I saw this... Whatevertheheck is that on his arms???? Oh. My. Gosh. It's hair. Singed arm hair. And that odd sound...was our grill...apparently malfunctioning, so my beloved tried to light it with a lighter. Ahem . Not gonna say anything more on that, lest I want to get divorced. He also had some nicely singed eyelashes too...brows were saved, but the lashes on his left eye have seen better days! There was an odd smell of bur...

Okay...so, I have this awesome husband...not sure if I've mentioned him before or not. Mr. Wonderful? Yup, him. He truly is an awesome guy. Loving, patient, kind, thoughtful... ahem ... thoughtfu l?! My man is not known for his gift giving abilities...he is a spur of the moment, run to the grocery store and pick up a houseplant and a bag of Skittles, kind of a gift giver. He's an amazing man (just ah...lacking in sweet gift giving skillz...) and sometimes I pinch myself 'cuz I think maybe, just maybe ...he's a little bit too perfect. But, don't be alarmed my friends!! No...no...no need to be alarmed! I am going to tell you a little story about how the Mister joined the ranks of mere mortals like the rest of us! (Shhhhh...don't tell him, but I'm actually a teeny tiny bit relieved to know that he's got a little bit of normal in him!) On my Baby Girl's birthday, a delivery truck shows up. "Oooooooh!!! Goody, goody, goody!!! A gift for ME!!!...