Our Lucky Love Day

If I were one to believe in luck over God’s Providence…this would be one of those times. What better day to experience the Luck o’ the Irish than on St. Patrick’s Day? Eight years ago today, I met my love for the first time. I often go back to that meeting and sit in awe of God’s handy work.

Just the other morning when my alarm went off, I heard this song for the first time. Rather than rolling over and hitting the “off” button, I just stayed there and listened because it really did take me back to that place, to that time, to those first few weeks and months.

I’ve  explained our story. I’ve explained that the week Nate and I met was the same week doctors found he had a brain tumor… in a place where even a biopsy would’ve been risky. He opted for me to “get out now” but I wouldn’t go that easy. Within days, God was molding us to be a part of each other forever. I would not go.

We would be going to MRIs, CTs, and doctor visit after doctor visit. And then…it was gone. Just like that, no more tumor. No chemo, no operation, not even the risky biopsy. Just when the CT was being completed to figure out how they were going to go in…it was gone.

The next several months were spent following up. The next several years were spent dealing with the fears. He would often wake me up at night because he felt a knot on his body or something just was not right. I wish I could go back and be more sympathetic because I can’t imagine the things that he went through…the fear he had when his life was almost over and then suddenly he miraculously had it back?

God eventually gave him peace about his anxieties. And Nate showed me he wouldn’t let go either. Through heart break after heart break and through one of the most emotionally draining times of my life, he stood by my side. He held me when I couldn’t stand and led me when I thought one of the most important people in my life was on the verge of death. He continues to hold me and walk by me through heart break, through stressed days, through not being enough… and at the end of the day, in some small way he assures me I am enough.

Happy “Day We Met” Anniversary, to my love…

Pillow Talk

Since being married, we have become accustomed to situations such as these. At one time, we would turn to friends and family to settle our “quarrels.” We began to see the stress this caused others and decided we should find another outlet to settle our “situations.” Should you visit our home, it would not be surprising to see a dictionary out on the table…or even witness one of these occurrences.

See, as surprising as it may seem, Nate and I have disagreements. Usually these disagreements pertain to some factual information such as the pronunciation of words and often the mere existence of words. This is seventy-five percent of the reason I own a smart phone…to prove myself right. For example, relaxment is not a word. And fun, funny, funnier, and funniest…are not derived words of the same base. We did, however, have to pull over on the road because when he finally realized what he was doing we couldn’t stop laughing.

So, either way, that is a little background to give you a view of how this following incident took place…

While watching AFVs, as we do do nightly, Nate looks at me confused when a lady couldn’t break an egg with her gluteus maximus. (Why she was trying to do this is beyond me.)

He says: “You wouldn’t think it would be hard.”

Me: “Well, you can’t break an egg with the palm of your hand, so it may be hard.”

(And this is my favorite part, that look like I’m the most insane person in the world.)

Nate: “You’re full of it! I know I can break an egg with the palm of my hand.”

Me: “Really. Well, let’s go try. There is scientific proof that you cannot do it.”

After a little wager and a little more "discussion", we made our way to the kitchen. Note the move of the fingers at the end of the video. He did not just defy scientific fact.



I love it when he says, “Well, I’ll be.”

The Piece That Holds It All Together

The past couple of weeks I have painted a picture of order and peace with a splash of beauty. I have shared the way I manage to accomplish things and why I think order is such a necessity in family life. However, as I finish off this series of post, I must add the most important part… the awareness that no home is the same, no situation is the same, and no mom personality is the same. For a good look at different personalities, check out A Slob Comes Clean; this is a recent find of mine that I love…she has a great way of keeping things real and in perspective for the anti-procrastinating, neat freak type like me.

I was also reminded of how different situations can be as I spoke with my very pregnant friend a few weeks back. She has three times the amount of children I do and her husband leaves very early and comes home a little later because of his drive to work. As I spoke of my little orderly world, she reminded me of exactly how blessed I am on a day-to-day basis because of one reason.

See, I have something some of you may not have…it’s that guy we refer to as “Nate” on this blog. Without him, the order and peace would be a lot harder. First and foremost, he supports what I do as a homemaker. He lifts me up and praises me. He makes my life easier by usually having a pleasant and supportive attitude. He gives me that support because he believes as much as I do that home is where the wife and mother belong.

Nate also has a little awareness of how weary a mom can get doing the tasks of the homemaker…especially when you add in godly character training for the children. We see him most every day for lunch. After work and on the weekends, he doesn’t go off with his buddies frolicking like so many other men. He is home with us because this is what makes him happy. He doesn’t want to miss his children grow into adults; he wants to be there for it all. He even once said, “I can’t wait to come home every day.” And not only is he home, he is involved.

After dinner, when most moms have the entire load of kitchen and baths and bedtime to handle, Nate is there with me. Every single night I can count on him to give the babies their baths and entertain them before bed…which leaves me time to clean the kitchen and pick up the house from the busy evening. Because of that consistency, every night from 6:00- 7:30PM, our children know that Dad and Mom will be spending family time with them. And Mom knows that everything will be taken care of before bedtime, so I can just relax and have fun.

I know that without him, maintaining my vision for a godly home would be a lot harder. My patience would be thinner and I would grow much wearier. So all that order and peace, he is what holds it all together…or maybe he’s just what holds me all together.

The Home Series

Order in the Home

A Taste of Home

Why Order Is Important

The Piece That Holds It All Together- this post!

To My Beloved Boss

For your birthday, what better form of expression than publicly announcing my love for you? (And you say I’m not affectionate. Psfft!) I have so much to be thankful for as we celebrate another day together. Our marriage is yet another sign of God’s grace on His children. I am often times so undeserving of your love and yet you continue to be an amazing husband and father.

Thank you for being my companion. Thank you for being my best friend…my ear when I need to talk…my shoulder when I need to cry. My guide when I am on the wrong path. The one who reminds me when I forget who I am without Christ. Thank you for coming home every night to your family. Thank you for always wanting to hug me even when I don’t want to hug back. Thank you for always giving the kids a bath so I clean the kitchen. Thank you for going to work every day and providing for our family. Thank you for being the security that I have longed for my entire life. Thank you for always bringing me drinks at nighttime when I am exhausted and just want to kick up my feet. Thank you for calling me during the day so I always know we are on your mind. And most of all thank you for humbly leading our home.

On your birthday, you should be receiving all the gifts…but is us who is blessed most of all. We love you…(all four of us!)

Where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part you and me. Ruth 1:17

Resolution #5: Check

After one and a half months of training, our Memorial Day morning was spent running an 8K-road race…in the sun and the rain. Number 5 has been accomplished and two weeks earlier than expected!

After two weeks of what felt like near pneumonia, I managed to run right into the finish line at 51:00 minutes. (This is two or three minutes LESS than what I expected!) I came in about 10 minutes after my darling husband had crossed the line. Somehow, someway, I placed third in my age division with Nate finishing second. AND…we won a Last Will and Testament from a local attorney as a door prize!

We’ll be running two races each in July. Run! Run! Run!

You want me to eat what?

Food is a serious issue around our house. We love it! We live to eat all the way. We love bacon and sausage and pancakes and roast and fried chicken…you get the point. Southern comfort food is a must! Saturated fat is a food group in our home. But that is changing…

Nate recently had to undergo some testing due to some liver issues. There was a little blood work, an ultrasound, and ultimately a biopsy. The diagnosis was on the better end of liver problems. Best-case scenario was nothing…next best case was fatty liver. And that is where we landed. Medically speaking it is steatohepatitis. Basically, fat has accumulated around his liver and caused inflammation. His doctor has prescribed prednisone, but I have prescribed a diet overhaul. Apparently, fatty liver disease is becoming pretty prevalent due to the rise in obesity and diabetes. One site I found even referred to it as a “rich country disease.” Apparently, our food group of saturated fat hasn’t been pairing too well with Nate’s liver.

So, with the power of food in my hands at home, I am off on a mission. In our seven years together, we have had small journeys of eating healthier. Usually those journeys are short-lived as he longs for something greasy and I long for something sugary. His health is serious though. He has too many things going against him not to get healthy…and I could lose a few lot of pounds, too.

I know the best way to do this is Clean Eating. If you haven’t heard about it you can check it out HERE. I did this about six months after having Lily to lose weight...until J.J. decided to make his presence known and I quit. The general idea is to eat foods that are as whole and natural as possible. Processed foods are horrible for our bodies and one of the main reasons our country is suffering so much with nutritional and health issues. (I know lots and lots about nutrition and fitness and yet put none of it into action.)

So anyways, Nate is completely aware that I’ve been working on new menu plans and trying to find a plan for his new healthy liver! I’m a planner and when I start planning…it’s all about business. So, I get my stuff together and I’m somewhat ready for my grocery trip. Let me repeat, Nate is completely aware that I’m going towards a whole foods eating plan. We discussed this while I spent two hours on the couch Monday night making meal plans. We did discuss gradually easing into the plan. For example, really focusing on drinking only water. (Which I’ve been doing for about one or two weeks now.)

So, how we both found ourselves in complete and utter shock when he met me at the grocery store yesterday I will never know. He arrived and I was pretty much finished with my shopping at Food City with a cart full of fresh fruits and vegetables. This was good stuff and I was pumped! He looks at me with this glazed look and said, “I thought we were going to ease into this?” And I say, “We are. We’re not completely clean eating.” So, he requests for my meal plan. “Well, it looks like we’re completely clean eating to me.” And then I say, “I told you I was working on a plan and this is just preparing us. You sat there for TWO hours while I talked with about meals that would be OK with you.” So, he’s just bumfuzzled. “So, what part of this is not clean?” My reply (snicker, snicker), “Well, I’m not buying bee pollen and we’re not doing natural nut butters, yet.”

So, I admit it. I have a plan and my test subject is not being compliant. Apparently, he declares he has a food allergy to whole foods. So, after a day of good clean eating meals and snacks, he gets some meatball subs for dinner to make him feel more like he's easing into it. (BTW- 44% DV of saturated fat...makes me SICK! Food labels should definitely be a MUST in all food facilities.)

And besides, when have I ever eased in to anything? Remember…?

My Husband Left Friday

I can honestly say I knew what I had before it was gone. Did that make sense? What I’m trying to say is the opposite of “you never know what you had until it’s gone.” I’m talking about dear ol’ Nate, my bubby, my Nay-Nay. This has been one LONG weekend without him. I’ve had a great opportunity to reflect on all the reasons I love him being around.

Before this weekend, I knew all of this. And before this weekend, I have tried my best to never take it for granted. My Nay-Nay is a rare catch and I’m so happy to call him my own.

It all started Friday. We had plans to go to his mom and dad’s for dinner with the babies. At 1:00PM it started to snow, but no big deal, plans were still on. By 3:30PM, plans were off. At 5:15PM, he called to say he was not coming home and I knew what that meant. He works for the local electric company and when the weather gets yucky, they are there to make sure folks are getting their power back on. And when it snows, that means it could take days. On Friday, I knew it might be Monday before I saw him again…and it almost is just that. He got to come home Saturday morning for a quick nap and was back to work at 2PM, home at midnight, back out by 7A, and still not home. Luckily, he works in the office. The guys actually working out in the field don’t go home at all until the power is back on. Enough of that…the blog is about him not his work!

I “aggravated-ly” missed him Friday when I had to rush to get the kids fed, the dog in out of the snow, the dog cage cleaned out, and the kids ready for bed all alone. (Thankfully, my neighbor came to hang with the kids while I got the dog and all his “stuff.”) I missed him with my heart Saturday evening when I was cutting up their spaghetti. It was an “awww…” moment.

You see, he is so my partner when it comes to the kids. When he comes home I have dinner ready. He helps fix the plates and get everyone at the table. (And he always cuts up the spaghetti for them just right.) After dinner, he plays with the kids while I clean up. And when I nurse and put JJ to bed, my Nay-Nay is there to hang with Lily. Then, while I clean up toys in the family room, he gives her a bath and puts her to bed. Not to mention all the things he fetches for me and catches for me while I run my evening routine. On the weekends, which this was, he also cooks breakfast and lets me chill with the babies; something I never do during the week because of my morning routine. If we don’t go out, he also will cook lunch or dinner AND clean most of the mess.


Needless to say, some things got left behind this weekend. My normal cleaning routine was a little skewed because if I did all I normally do, a two-year old and an 8 month old might as well have taken care of themselves! Cleaning the kitchen took longer because my Brutus thinks he has to climb on everything. As a result, in between the cleaning of each dish I was fetching a screaming baby from wherever he just fell from. I swear, the bruises on either side of his head are making way for his horns. I am so lucky that my two year old is completely self-entertaining and calm. She would quietly play while I got the baby ready for bed every night. She got stuck with Mommy for bath and bedtime. We would say our prayers for the lineman out working and all the people without power. Tonight, I had to make up a song about Jesus and Daddy helping people that were cold. How funny!

Once she was in bed each night, it came to the time that is supposed to be ours, but he wasn’t here. It was lonely both day and night. Even when he works during the week, we still eat lunch together every day and talk on the phone several times. There was none of that. My companion was gone and I was lonely. At night when he is home, mostly the TV is on and I’m on the computer, but we’re still there together. We talk about TV, blogs, God, family, what irks us, and the small things that made us happy that day. We talk about our relationship and the kids and what we need to work on to be godlier as a family.

And that’s what I’ve missed the most, our talks. We talk about everything. He listens to my jabber even when he has nothing to say. He listens about my day and what so and so said and what so and so wrote in a blog and what happened at gymnastics and what I read that day. He listens because he knows how important it is for me to get it all out of my head.

And to drive the point home, today he told me, “I’m surrounded by all these people here, but I feel so lonely because I’m not with you all.”

And in 45 minutes, he’ll be home. Thank you, God. I’ve really missed him.

I love you, Nate!

In celebration of our upcoming anniversary on Saturday, I thought it appropriate to share a little love story, our love story. We like to think our story is a great picture of the way God works in our lives. It’s about how God will take the wrong path you walk to get you to the place He wants you to be.

I have to set up our story, with a little story of my own. Before meeting Nate, I had relocated to the area moving me two hours away from my home and my family. I moved to the area because of a “boy.” I could say this was a stupid decision, but it was the best of my life. I was in an insecure, unstable relationship that would change me in so many ways. The relationship began to unravel before I ever arrived in my new city. The week before I went, I recall expressing to a co-worker, “It doesn’t matter if this doesn’t work, God wants me there for a reason.” I chose not to back out on the move. In the back of my head, of course, was the hope that this relationship would survive. This family, the “boy’s” family, blessed me in so many ways. The single mother of the three children had been in a battle with cancer. It began with breast cancer and moved throughout her body, including bone cancer, lung cancer, and brain tumors. I spent many weekends being support for my friend, his siblings, and their mother. I spent many nights in the hospice house until the loss of this amazing woman. After her death, the relationship inevitably died as well and we went our separate ways.

After this relationship, I spent much of my time in and out of meaningless “relationships” and built walls around my heart and lived my life with my cold, cold mind. I had found a job upon graduating college and was living the life of a single twenty-something female. I was an independent woman with no intent of settling down any time soon. A friend I met through work mentioned several times she wanted me to meet her brother. Her idea was that we would be good “party buddies.” Months went by and timing did not allow us to meet.

In March 2003, God’s plan rolled into place just as He had planned. I met Nate on Monday while he was in town for a job interview. He would be graduating in the spring and was making a stop by my town for a possible job offer. We met for lunch and went on our way. He was pleasant, actually, quite pleasant. I laugh about the ride back to work. His sister called and told me she wasn’t sure what I did but he was ready to marry me. That made me smile. Little did I know, within the next five days, I would have my life laid out for me.

He called on Wednesday and I saw him again on Thursday. He had come back in from school to have some medical tests completed on Friday. We spent hours talking and laughing…and believe it or not, I felt a twinge in my heart. The next day at work I received a phone call from his sister, she told me if I didn’t hear from him for a few days, she wanted me to know why. The doctors had just found a brain tumor.

That was my moment. That was the moment, I knew. God put me in his life. There was a reason God placed me in my previous relationship and that was to be able to deal with this now. After taking some time to deal with the news, Nate allowed me an opportunity to “get out” as he called it. I knew I was there for a reason and I wasn’t going anywhere. Over the next couple of weeks, tests were run and the doctors searched for answers. The biopsy itself was too risky. And then it happened; by the grace of God…it was gone. There was no explanation. The tumor never came back.

This traumatic event is what linked us. But, contrary to my belief was not the reason we were together; it was just my sign to stay. In a short period of time, the walls around my heart came down. Within eight months we were married and began our life together. Over the course of the next year, we would challenge each other’s beliefs in God and salvation. Through these challenges, we came out very different people, with a very different God than we had served before. We met people with the same beliefs. Each step of this road and each step of our roads before each other, God used to get us to a place of spiritual support we never knew possible.

Six years later, I am amazed at the husband and spiritual leader he has become. I have watched him grow and stand up as the true head of our home. I am amazed at how God changed me to be submissive and respect my husband as I am called to do. (And unless you know me, you may not understand what a feat that is!) Our walk has been hard, especially through three years of pregnancy. Our faith holds us together through it all. We truly see how God’s hand has been on us the entire way.

Nate,

I love you more than I can show you. I thank God for your honesty and humility. Thank you for always being who you are. Please don’t stop hugging me, because I really need it. I love you for giving me the breaks I need when you come home. I love you for playing with the babies when I don’t think I can do it any more. I love all your quirks, mispronunciations, made up words, and how you can’t say “th” and instead say “f.” I can’t wait to see what the next year holds for us… let’s hope not another baby yet… I would like a break!

I’m expecting a guest post from Nate later in the week… we’ll see how that goes! BTW- this picture was taken several years ago. I chose the picture because this TOTALLY embodies our daily relationship and why I've been pregnant, nursing, and/or both for three years. He really gets on my freakin’ nerves with the breast grabbing!

Drop The Towel and Smile

For those of you ladies that have not yet had a baby, understand this now, showers are wonderful. Showers are orgasmic. Enjoy them now because after babies, showers will never be the same. In the early months, you may be happy to even take a shower once a month every couple of days. When showers do happen, baby will probably be in tow. I used the bouncy seat until I found Lily climbing off the side of it. I then used snacks and high chairs. I occasionally would close the door and open the cabinets; that keeps them busy, but results in a small additional clean up. Sometimes I would use the cage crib. At any rate, showers and small babies or children can be a task. The more you have, the more creative you must be. You find a love for the weekends when you might get a nice shower and possibly enough time to shave your legs for the year.

This was one such weekend. Baby Bear was asleep for his morning nap. Papa Bear and Little Bear were playing with baby dolls. Everything started out fine. I was enjoying the hot water and the steam. (Like I said, it becomes almost orgasmic when it happens so infrequently.) Suddenly, through the shower door I see Papa Bear and Little Bear creeping in. I obviously know something is up. The door opens and there stands Little Bear with a tall cup of cold water. She loves to throw cold water on my feet when I shower. I have no idea where she got this idea. Ahem. Anyways, she throws it on my feet, I fake scream to let her know it’s cccooooold and carry on. However, Papa Bear is not finished. He opens the door and I manage to dodge another big cold cup over the head. I don’t mind reminding Papa Bear, “I’m getting myself ready for tonight so if I were you I would think before you get anything started.” Doh! That one gets him. After saying something about that being cheap he walks away head down and tail between legs. Of course, this is not before I must endure at least one cup of the H2O. It was COLD!

Sigh. Finally, I proceed with my orgasmic shower. As I’m finishing up, I see Papa Bear and Little Bear approaching. I decide to dry off in the shower to keep myself safe. I wrap up in the towel and when I open the door what do I see? None other than Papa Bear with camera aimed and Little Bear with camera phone in hand. Now come on. All I ask for is a little peace once a week. He’s obviously upset about the towel wrapped body. I go on and remember something I wanted to tell him.

Me: So, I was talking to my mom…

Papa Bear (holding the camera with a sheepish grin, eyes darted to the left and up.): uh huh...

Me: Listen to me! Quit thinking about whatever you want to scheme about and listen to me!

Papa Bear: What! I am listening, you said….

Me: All I ask for is a little time. Is that too much to ask?

So, I drop the towel and smile. He gets the picture and him and Little Bear go their merry way. I enjoyed those few moments of peace preparing for the day.

I don't wanna do iiiiittttt!!!

Today marked a beginning of an interesting endeavor. After a wonderful weekend of hay rides, wedding receptions, and pumpkin carving, my husband drops the bomb on me. We’re happily riding in the car, I’m munching on some Cracker Jacks, and he decides to, not ask, not suggest, but to demand that we are going to start working out and eating healthier. Hmmm. My reply is simply, “No.” As he urges on, my inner Stuart breaks out to argue.

For those of you who are not familiar with Stuart, meet him here in one of my favorite clips. The video will make your stop by the blog worth it all. For years, Nate has insisted that when I don’t want to do something, I completely and utterly turn into Stuart. “Noooo, I don’t wanna do it….” And “Leave me aloooonnne.” My voice changes and I become the whiner of all whiners. I am here to tell you, when I don’t want to do something, chances are I am not doing it.

And “I don’t’ wanna do ittttttt” is the way I feel right now about being healthy. I have not always been this way. Actually, the opposite is true. From my late teens until I had my first baby, I was a pretty active and fit person. Let me take a glory trip for just a moment to state my case. I started lifting weights and working out when I was seventeen. I was an amateur runner completing a half marathon in 2004. And the very week I conceived my first child I received my black belt in Taekwondo. I loved to workout. Although not a materialistic person, I was obsessed with my body image. I tracked calories in and calories out constantly. I have notebooks everywhere with food plans and workout plans. I even did the South Beach diet, which worked very well by the way. I know what it means to clean eat and at one time would have loved to be dedicated enough to do a fitness show.

After having Lily, I still had the longing to get myself back together and managed to run a 5K about eight months after she was born, even though I wasn’t sure I would ever function at all until about month six. I worked out pretty good until month ten when I found out I was pregnant again. It’s been all down hill from there.

I, honest to the Good Man above, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES want to workout or eat healthy. I have not a single cell in my body that desires to workout. I, for the first time in my life, am perfectly content eating chocolate continuously throughout the day. I am perfectly content being active only when I’m chasing my two year old and six month old around. I am for the first time, perfectly content being me. I do plan on working out again at some point, just not now. I know I need to be healthier and could lose twenty. (BTW- I’m at my pre-preg weight but the body changes so much during pregnancy that it appears my body has morphed into a floppy sack of fat.)

Let’s go back to the endeavor. He wants a week. One week he says. He says one week and if I still feel this way, I don’t have to do it. And all I can think is…. “I don’t wanna do iiiittttt!”
I’ll keep you updated.

When Just A Hug Is Not Enough

Let me start by saying, I have a wonderful husband. There is absolutely nothing I should complain about. (Note: I said should, not that I actually don’t complain. There are several things I complain about on a daily basis, but that does not mean I should.) My darling husband loves to hug and touch. Those who truly know me know I’m not much of a touchy-feely type person. It takes awhile for me to warm up. Granted, after six years of marriage I’ve warmed up to hugging, but just a hug is not enough for my big guy.

It’s a family thing. The first time I met Nate’s family was a true initiation. I thought I would be meeting his parents and grandparents for a Wednesday evening at church. Little did I know, Granny lives BY the church and every person in the immediate as well as extended family either attend the church or go to Granny’s to eat after church. And every one of those people, like to hug… whether they know you or not. I felt as if I was in an episode of the twilight zone. (Honestly, I sometimes still feel like I’m in an episode of the twilight zone.) My discomfort level at that moment was off the charts. I’ve managed to accept the hugging over the years. Now after Sunday dinner or cookouts, I can handle hugs. Sometimes though, I can manage to sneak away with only a couple.

Let us get back to Nate’s hugs. I like hugs. Quick hugs. Nate, however, I swear would stand in one spot hugging me for hours. I have no idea how he manages to block everything going on around him to enjoy that moment. I wish I could do that, not just with hugs, but also in every moment.

This is the story of our hugs. Nate comes by and grabs me, usually when I’m washing dishes, cooking, or cleaning something, anything. Heck, JJ could be hanging upside down off the changing table and he would want a hug. So, I hug him because I know this makes him happy. I’m ready to move on and he continues to hug. So, I stay to give him a little more of what he needs. Meanwhile, my brain is racing as I look around. I see Lily about to conk JJ in the head with a hard object, JJ is crying because he needs a diaper change, I have a little time and I still need to fold some laundry, finish these dishes, and the pasta is boiling over! Oh dear God, I could even be going to the bathroom to pee right now! He continues to hold on!! I KNOW he is doing this because he can sense how antsy I am right now!

Antsy or not, I have a problem. I’ve forgotten how to live in the moment. I don’t know how to realize that the kids aren’t dying and the chores can be done tomorrow. Or even in 30 seconds, because really, even though the hug seems like an eternity, it’s probably not even a minute. This is my mommy problem. I’m so caught up in order that I can’t stop to appreciate what is around me. There’s always something to do and even that few seconds is too much for me to spare. I have a great husband, who most women would love to have, but mommyhood comes first and being a wife comes last. And I know for my babies AND my husband, it would be best if I moved that wife thing up to the front, at least a little…

Um… this was supposed to be about the funny awkwardness of our hugs. I apologize for the change in tone it underwent! I guess when we try to laugh at ourselves we sometimes see the truth.