Choosing Love and Forgiveness

A few nights ago, I was pretty tired and grumpy with my husband just before bed.

I knew the grumpy words exchanged before we went to sleep were my fault, so when I woke up in the middle of the night I left a sappy note on his sink. 

 It led to his usual kiss on the forehead before he left for work.

 

Then, later that morning I text him.

ME:   Truth - Sorry, I took my mood out on you. Have a good day.

HIM:  Dare - I dare to love you through every annoying time and fantastic time. Hehe, love you!!!

  ME:  LOL! I Double Dare you baybay!

...from there we sent a few jokes back and forth and it ended with...

 

HIM: LOL! I love you!!!!

   

Funny isn’t it? 

How silly little things, like being tired can affect our mood with each other and how we have the option to let those little things turn into BIG things or to swallow our pride and resolve the issues immediately.

When it comes to our relationships, we can choose pride, stubbornness and anger, or we can choose love.

It takes something as simple as one person choosing to apologize and acknowledge when they are at fault, and the other person choosing to forgive, instead of holding onto a grudge.

Truth: My marriage is not a perfect marriage, but because of the lack of stubbornness, the willingness to apologize, the ability to be silly with each other, it sometimes feels like we are close!

It is flawed, but it is also forgiving.

 
It is fallible, but it is also uplifting.

  

Our Father gives us the knowledge we need and the ability to do the right thing when it comes to making choices that will foster healthy, happy relationships.

  Our relationships will never be perfect, because as people we are not perfect.

However, our relationships can be filled with so much happiness and love.

When we work towards learning to love each other as the Lord desires us to, it becomes a habit to focus on the positive qualities of others and to cover their flaws with acceptance!

Christ has taught us to keep forgiveness in our heart at all costs.

We were made to love each other.

It’s an expectation that may not always be easy as easy as we'd like, but how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to love and be loved. 

Marriage Mondays: Keeping Score

Even when my husband is having a tough day,

one would rarely be able to notice,

because of the way he treats me.

He kisses me good morning and good night.

He hugs me hello and good-bye.

He thanks me, and compliments me throughout the day.

 

 

I did not ask for it.

I did not expect it.

In fact, I didn't even know this much kindness

in a relationship was possible.


He has taught me so much!

 

 

When I think of the way he loves me, I feel a little guilty.

I haven't really done much to deserve all of this sweet treatment.

However, I fully accept it!

 

 

He loves me more than enough,

and I am constantly attempting to make him feel just as loved.

I believe that this is the perfect example of when
"Keeping Score"

in a relationship is healthy.

 

 

Keeping score should not be about women and men keeping track of whether their partners “work” as hard as they do.


We all need to know that our partners are just as dedicated to making the relationship work, but when one spouse is overly concerned with making sure that the workload is distributed equally between the two, it gives that person less time to worry about the love and consideration that he or she is giving to the other spouse.

 

 

Men and women who are worried about “fairness” in their relationships, can tend to put little to no value on what their spouses contribute to the marriage. 

 

 

Keeping score should be about women and men loving their partners to their fullest abilities.

 

 

If we are going to keep a mental checklist, let it be of all the wonderful things that our spouses do for us so that we will to be more considerate and loving towards them.

 

 

The kind of relationship where a couple is less worried about what “you can do for me” and is more concerned with “what I can do for you” thrives beautifully!

My husband and I don't rotate responsibilities.

Saying prayer with the kids, doing the dishes, washing the laundry, getting up with the children, keeping the pantry stocked…are things that I would do regardless of whether I worked outside of the home or not.

I do these things because I take pride in my role as the woman of the home.

 

 

My husband did not “expect” these things of me in the beginning of our relationship, but he was always certain to tell me how much he “appreciated” what I did, and his loving affirmations worked.

 

 

While I have always had these expectations of myself,
because I know that God expects us to be “diligent and fruitful,”
I now do it even happier,
because I have a husband who often shows appreciation for the things that I do.

 

 

I am constantly reminding myself to thank him for the things that he does,

because I know that I am lucky to have him here to help.

 

 

So today's challenge is to...

Think of a few things that our husband (or wife) does to make our lives a little easier 

and send him a text thanking him! 

A Brand New Year!

It's a brand new year!

There is something magical about New Year's Eve.

We have one night left to celebrate the end of a year...

it's the passing of the good times, the not so good times and all the days in between.

Then at the strike of 12...

It's the beginning!

Not just a new day,

...or week,

...or month,

It's the beginning of a whole new YEAR!

A chance to open ourselves up to change, and possibility,

and to whatever the future may bring!

Possibility makes me happy! :)

This year my hubby and I entertained the idea of 

"someday"

 celebrating NYE in Times Square,

but since it wasn't happening this year, 

I decided to bring the city to us.

It was a simple night spent in my parents garage,

playing, singing and eating. 

It was just as good, if not better, than Times Square, 

because there is only one place my

*New Years Kiss*

has to be to make it perfect...

on his lips, in his arms, surrounded by the people that I love~

Of course! ;o)

Wishing you a wonderful New Year!

May we go from one good thing to the next,

appreciating, learning, and growing

all the days in between!

Frazzled, but Grateful

Frazzled.

It would be the perfect word for me this morning.

The time changed in many other states over the weekend, but not here in Arizona.

And yet, for some reason my phone decided to change the time on me.

As my daughter and I were sitting down to eat breakfast she glanced at the clock and said,

"IT'S 9:00!"

Oops.

So we grabbed our sweaters, hopped in the car and left.

With a bed head full of frizzy hair, wearing my lovely pj's,

I had to sign her in late for the first time this year.

What a treat I must have been for the office and other late parents. :)

I'm grateful though.

It's definitely another word I would use to describe myself today.

My husband comes home tonight!

He has been out of town since Friday and I sure do miss him when he's gone.

The other day as I was listening to the radio this song came on.

It reminded me of my love.

Relationships are so wonderful when the other person inspires you!

My husband definitely does that.

He inspires me to do the things I used to do,

 but lost somewhere along the way.

He inspires me to be who I want to be,

and sometimes...more.

This is going to be a great day,

even if I got off to a late start.

It is a day full of possibility!

I have a very important appointment today,

that could be life changing.

Our Wonderful Men

Yesterday, I watched another Dr. Phil episode, (yes, againJ!) The last one I caught had a woman on it who was so fearful that she was going to be attacked in her own home that her family had spent over $16,000 on home security. The thing that caught my attention though, was not the fact that she had an out of control phobia, it was her husband.

How he loved her! When he was asked questions about his wife, he told Dr. Phil that he felt like a failure, because he could not make his wife feel protected. He actually had to pause, because he got tears over the fact that he felt like he was not doing his job. He wanted to protect his wife and make her feel safe, but nothing he had done had been successful.

He was doing all he could for her. Her phobia was out of his control and yet, he felt like he was at fault.

It was such a sweet thing. It made me think of my husband, and the men in my life, who care so much about their families.

So many men go through such lengths to love, protect and provide for their families.

They endure so much stress. Especially during times like this, when so many companies have been forced to close their doors or have had to layoff employees. Times are tough.  Luckily, our men are too, but this husband was a reminder that sometimes they are not as tough, as they let on.

Men take it hard when they are not able to provide everything they would like to for their families. 

It is so important for us wives and mothers, to not only be supportive during the difficult times, but also to be appreciative and remember, that our men always provide us with the most important thing they can - love.

A tender moment between my brother & his daughter

(1 Timothy 5:8, 1 Peter 3:1-7)

Just another day to be thankful...

Happy Friday friends!  

...For that I Thank You (Marriage Mondays)

Dearest Matthew,

If I have not told you lately, let me remind you, that you, my love, are the best thing that has ever happened to me.

The day that we became a couple, the world was transformed into a great big ball of happiness.

My life became more beautiful, and no, it is not cliché. It is a fact.

If anyone were to look back through the archives of my life, they would see that it has changed tremendously.

The sun shines a little brighter. The world seems a little nicer. The grass is a little greener. Music sounds a little sweeter. Smiles come a little easier. Days seem a little shorter.

At the end of each day, as we lay in bed, I never want to go to sleep, because I know that the next morning when I wake up you will be gone. Yes, you will only be at work, but I miss you!

You have been my best friend for three years now, and I cannot even tell you how much you have changed my life. Although, something tells me that you know, and yet, you say not a thing.

Instead, you continue to make me feel as if I am the one. As if I, have changed your life.

When you smile, I can hear the words you have shared with me many times. And I know, deep down to the depths of my soul, that you love me, still.  

When you hug me, I can feel your strength. When things get tough, for us, or our family, you just grin and bear it, for all of us. You hold me, as if you are trying to shield me from the world, and the truth is that you do.

When you touch me, I can feel the tenderness. Like, I am a valuable treasure that you handle with care, as not to break it. You remind me that I am worthy. I know that my words matters, my opinions count, my feelings take priority and my heart comes first.

When you come home from work, my day is complete. It does not matter what we are doing, where we are going, or what we have been through. All that matters is that at the end of the day we have each other.

That I have you. That you have me.

We make this marriage work.

But more than that.

This marriage has never felt like work. Not once.

I truly believe that our hearts were meant for each other.

I do not know what the future holds for us, but I know that
I have never been happier than I am at this very moment.

So for that,

I thank you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love,

Me

Togetherness, A Guest Post & A Giveaway

This weekend my hubby had to work out of town and since it was a road trip, and an off weekend with our kids, I was able to tag along.

It is always nice to have a few days filled with...options.  

During the two days that my husband was away at work and I was alone, I found time to write, use the motel gym, read, browse a few stores across the street and I even took a nap!

Although, I must admit, all I really wanted was my family.

I had time to do whatever I wanted and to spend some 'me' time, but I felt like I spent most of my time waiting.

It is funny, because a few years ago, I had a ton of 'me' time.

Now whenever I get it, I spend most of my time looking forward to 'us' time.

When my husband finally got back, I was thrilled!

The first night, we ended up staying in and relaxing in the hot tub, and the second night we met some friends out for dinner.

Then, yesterday we headed home.

Little getaways are always nice, especially in a marriage.

We get a change of scenery and a little extra time to focus on each other.

I absolutely enjoy every minute I get to spend with my hubby, and I appreciate the quiet times too, but I am just so happy to have my family back together.

On our way in, we picked up the kids, greeted our little dog, spent the afternoon cleaning out the garage, caught the end of the game and went for a walk.

It was not quite as relaxing as the day before, it was better.

 We were together.

After I had some help with dinner, I said, "Having daughters is awesome!"

Our daughter Trinity said, "I know, what would you do without me?"

Then she mentioned that I "would have to hang around dad all the time."

I had to laugh, because I know what I do without my family.

I spend a whole lot of time missing them, loving them and praying for them.

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Today, I have a guest post at My Crazy Adoption. Please head over and check it out. If you have a moment to peruse, please do so, I promise you will love this site!

We still have a few days left for my giveaway, so click here to enter to win if you have not already!

Today, I am linking up at Marriage Mondays.

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May your day be filled with lots of togetherness!

Marriage Mondays: He Calls the Shots

When we know love matters more than anything, and we know that nothing else really matters, we move into the state of surrender. Surrender does not diminish our power, it enhances it.

~Sara Paddison

I never really thought that I was the submissive type.

I was the oldest of six children.

I was a college grad, studious, opinionated and independent.

For a while, I was a single mom figuring things out on my own, doing everything that needed to be done for my daughter and myself.

Then everything changed.

I fell in love and got married.

Before I knew it, I got over the fear of losing myself in a relationship and I realized that by letting go, I actually found a part of myself that I never knew existed.

The Me that enjoys trusting my spouse with my heart, my future, my family, my life.

The Me that realizes that even if life gets a little sideways, temporarily falls off track, or if we end up in an unexpected situation, we will be okay.

After all, all we really need is our faith and each other and we already have that.

I have whole-heartedly surrendered.

I have faith that my husband will lead our family the best way he knows how, and he has faith that I will be there to support him every step of the way.

It does not mean that my opinions or feelings do not matter, because the truth is that we talk about everything beforehand.

When moments do come up that we do not see eye to eye or if he happens to think I get disagreeable, he straight out tells me, “Submit woman!” I laugh thinking about it!  ~ It’s only funny to us, because we both know that I like to be disagreeable on purpose at times, however, in the end he has the final say.

My role as his wife is to let him know that I trust his decisions and to pray for the outcome.

He calls the shots. I call on God.

Ephesians 5:21 -25

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church.

I am Spoiled

This weekend my husband had to work in Tucson and I decided to tag along. The children were going to be away at their other homes and so we decided to use this opportunity as a little getaway for two.

As we were walking out of the hotel to get our bags, we both stopped at the door. After standing there for a few moments, my husband realized the door was not going to open. He said, “I thought it would open automatically.”

I started giggling and said, “I was waiting for it to open automatically too!” I knew it was not an automatic door, but it has become a habit to stand there when my husband is next to me and let him open it.

“Spoiled.” He teased and well, it is true.

I am grateful for him every day. We are constantly thanking each other and reminding each other how blessed we are to have our relationship. We don’t let the kind deeds that we do for each other go unnoticed, but this was different…it was like an “ah-ha” moment.

Ah-ha, I really am a creature of habit and it has become a habit to let him spoil me!

My husband always opens my door when we are out running errands, at dinner or just getting into the car at the house. He is a gentleman and I noticed it right away after our first few dates.

On our first date, I met him at a restaurant. That day he waited for me in front of the restaurant, paid for dinner and after dinner, he walked me to my car.

On the second date, he brought me a single rose.

On the third date, he brought me chocolate pretzels. I didn’t even remember telling him they were my favorite, but later he told me he read it on my About Me section on Myspace and wanted to surprise me. He was paying attention to things that I did not even expect!

On the fourth date, he stood up each time I rose up from my chair to walk away from the table and he offered to help me drive my grandma home.

He spoiled me. He made me feel like a lady and he still does.

Even on the days that I have no makeup on, paint in my hair, stinky morning breath and mismatched housework clothes he tells me I am beautiful. I do not always believe him, but… it is the thought that counts!

As I was unpacking our Christmas ornaments this year, I came across the very first ornament I bought him. It was a boat and when I bought it I had our names printed on it along with the year and the words “Cheese and margaritas.” The boat reminded me of one of the very first moments that his spoiling me caused me to realize…whoa, I am falling for this guy.

He took me and a few friends out on his boat during the first summer that we were dating and while we were out, like a true gentleman, he kept offering us food and drinks from the icebox.

At one point, everyone was eating sandwiches and as I was drying off from the water, I said aloud to my friends that I was not hungry and would probably just have a drink and some cheese. Two minutes later, my husband was handing me an opened drink fresh out of the icebox and an unwrapped a slice of cheese.

He was listening. I was his number one priority that day… and have felt like it every day since.

It wasn’t the things that won me over, it was the thought.

He listened and paid attention to my needs from the very beginning. Even when I had no idea that he was listening, he was.

Romance is an important part of any new relationship, but because of my history, I had learned to look past the initial “wining and dining”. Any man can tell a woman what she wants to hear, and any man can buy a woman a few small gifts to make her feel “special,” but not every man truly gives from the heart.

My husband did. He lived the best he could and most importantly, he was a believer.

After being together for 3 years, my husband’s courteous behavior and considerate ways are strong and show no signs of fading. He continues to make me feel special each day, using some traditional tactics, like opening my door and in other ways, when he gets creative and tries to surprise me.

The way he loves me has made me realize that his love for me is about much more than…well… ME…

I Peter 3:7, teaches that the husband is to honor and love his wife.

Because my husband is a believer, he honors God.

Because he honors God, he also honors me!

These values are instilled in him. They are a way of life, and because of that… 

I am spoiled.

Today, I am linking up with Julie at  Marriage Mondays 

Second Chances

Yesterday morning as I was doing a few things around the house, I had the radio on. The song, “Broken Road” came on and made me think of my marriage.

“Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you”

That song has so much meaning to me. I had a broken heart…I was lost along the way…until I stumbled across this man. Okay, maybe I didn’t stumble, because neither of us thinks our relationship was left to chance. In fact, we truly believe God led us to each other! I know with all my heart that God led me to this man that knows how to love me.

Later on in the day, “Unanswered Prayers” came on.

“Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talking' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers”

That was twice in one day, that I was reminded my life worked out, that God had plans for me. Years ago, I was praying for my first relationship, hoping that things would get better and we would have a healthy and happy relationship, but those prayers did not work out. My husband? He was praying for his previous marriage and his prayers didn’t work out either.

Whew!

Our unanswered prayers led us to each other! I can’t even begin to imagine how different my life would be if I had never met my husband.

I don’t know what the future holds for us. I don’t know if my husband and I will have 50 more days with each other or 50 more years together. I don’t know if we will have another child together or if our blended family of six will remain this size. I don’t know if my writing will take me on a new journey or if something else will come along.

I do know that I will continue to pray for the things that I think that we need, and that more than likely many of my prayers will go unanswered… but I am okay with that.

Life always works out and His plan is much better than any plan I could have ever dreamt up.  I am thankful for the broken road I traveled on and for the prayers that went unanswered.  

I'll take Plan B any ol' day. ;o)

I believe in second chances and my marriage is just another reason that leads me to believe that God does too.

 

2011 is the perfect opportunity for a second chance. Is there something you prayed for that went unanswered? Are you holding onto guilt or shame because you feel like God will not forgive you? God is a God of forgiveness and a God of second chances. All you have to do is ask.

 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

Psalm 30:2  “God, my God, I yelled for help and you put me together. God, you pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out.”

Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”

Today I am linking up with Julie at Marriage Mondays 

Are You Waiting on a Hero?

A few days ago, I posted a link from Focus on the Family. Where Dr. Juli Slattery asks, Is There a Hero in Your Husband? I absolutely love what she has to say about women and what we can do for our husbands and our marriage.

As my week went on, and I spoke with a few friends, I began thinking about Heroes.

Most women love a good romance. In fact, we all begin as young girls in love with fairytales. We love the idea of getting swept off our feet and finding ourselves lost in love. The perfect example of how young that dream starts would be my seven-year-old daughter, who has adored the Disney Princesses for most of her life. She is obsessed with those little princesses that all have one thing in common; they were all damsels in distress that were saved by men, their princes, their heroes.

A hero, “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities." Who doesn't want to be saved by a hero? What woman at some time in her life hasn't fantasized about a man who would come and wrap his arms around her and be her hero? Her knight in shining armor that would comfort her when she was sick, tired, afraid, hurt or just lonely. We all desire to be loved and protected at all costs.  

Some of us believe we have found him. A man that loves us and makes us feel like he truly is our protector. However, for many, a hero has yet to come. Many may have thought that they had found their hero only to be betrayed, hurt or abandoned. Left, only to realize that he was not the man he said he was or the hero she thought him to be. Others have been waiting to find him for years, their whole life even. Waiting for some man to come, change her life, love her unconditionally and give her everything that she felt she was lacking.

If you are one of those women who is waiting for your Hero, I am reminding you that your Hero has already arrived. He loved you so much he came especially to save you! Maybe you did not notice, because you did not feel his arms wrapped around you, but he did something even more amazing than that, He wrapped his whole existence around you!

Let Jesus be your Hero.

Your Savior. Your Healer. Your Protector.

There will be many times that us women will feel weak and in need of a hero, but we must always remember that we already have a heavenly one! One who has promised us many things.

“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” Luke 6:21

Life can be messy. Sometimes it hurts. What can we do about it? Pray! …full disclosure, because our Hero is listening. Whatever it is, that is causing us distress at this very moment, He will be there to listen and bring us peace. God has a plan for each of us. Sometimes His timing does not coincide with our plans, but He has not forgotten you. Everything will fall into place!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; Proverbs 3:5

On the very first Christmas that my husband spent with me and my family, he read from the book of Matthew at our reading. The words that meant the most to me were, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you…”

My entire life, I longed for a special kind of love, a hero, but I never fully recognized the Hero that stood before me. Now I do.

Today, I am linking up with Julie at Marriage Mondays

Words Hurt, Choose Wisely

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can break my heart. Maybe that is how the song should have gone. Words do hurt. We love ourselves; we think we are so great! When someone does not agree with us or says something that contradicts my opinion of ME, it hurts.

Loving ourselves is not always easy. We can be hard on ourselves.

Am I good enough?  Am I smart enough? Do I make my loved ones proud? Am I good wife, a good mom, a good cook? What could I be doing differently?  We question out intelligence, our looks, and our capabilities.

Our toughest critic will always be that voice in our head, but somehow, we manage to do it. We learn to accept our flaws and weaknesses, but more importantly, we learn to love our talents and strengths.

Then it happens, someone has to come along and say something that makes me question ME.

Usually, when an outsider gives us feedback or says something to us we can look at it as constructive criticism. We can continue a conversation with them and reevaluate our situation or ourselves but have you noticed that it is not always the case in marriage?

After being in a relationship, and spending so much time with the same person, we expect them to love us for us. So when they express something that they are not happy with about us, we sometimes get argumentative, angry and offended.

There are many times when my husband will tell me things that I do not like to hear, and even though I want to get mad (and stay mad,) I do not. I know that he needs to express his feelings and usually it is necessary, because sometimes I need a reality check! And yes, the same goes for him.

Sometimes things need to be said.

In order to have a healthy relationship, we need to be able to communicate our feelings. However, I have learned that sometimes it is not what we are communicating, but how we communicate it, that makes all the difference in the world!

We are with our spouse day in and day out. We get comfortable. Sometimes, we say things we do not mean, or perhaps we mean them but they should not be said at all. Sometimes we say things that need to be said, but we do it in a way that attacks or puts blame on the other person.

Instead of saying things like, “You never do anything that I like. You don’t spend enough time with me. You, you, you…) We should try saying, “Can we do something I like this weekend? I would like us to spend more time together. I feel overwhelmed lately, and would really appreciate more help around the house. I, I, I…)   

It is so important for us to think before we speak. We do not like when people talk to us critically, and so the best thing to do for our marriage is to lead by example. I try to think… if he said this to me would I be offended? Is this issue something that needs to be addressed or am I just grumpy because I did not get enough sleep?

If you feel you must say something, choose your words carefully and if you slip up and it ends up sounding rude or offensive, apologize. I can’t even tell you how many times I have said "I'm sorry" or sent my husband apologetic texts. Sometimes when dealing with parenting issues or other things, I get frustrated and let it affect my mood with him and later after I have thought about it, I apologize. There is no room in marriage for pride.

It is amazing how happy we are when there aren’t hundreds of little negative statements floating around the house and even happier when neither of us is holding a grudge. Communication is essential for a healthy marriage, but in order for the communication to be effective, let us choose our words with care.

Today, I am linking up with Julie at Marriage Mondays 

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“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits…” M. Gandhi

Be compassionate and courteous. Don't seek revenge… Speak kindly… Peter 3: 8-11

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs (1 Cor. 13:4-5).

The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid.  ~Author Unknown

Plans That Didn't Work Out & Other Blessings

This weekend, my husband and I were planning a slumber party for our daughter Trinity’s birthday. On Friday, I went to the store for the food and gifts, prepared the ornament crafts and put the candy bags together. Jocelyn and I stayed up late drinking hot cocoa, listening to Christmas music and wrapping individual smores for the party. 

A few hours after going to bed on Friday, I woke up feeling terrible. On Saturday, my hubby and Jocelyn completed the remaining chores for me. They cleaned up the kitchen, baked the cupcakes and helped me decorate when I finally made it out of bed. I knew that I wasn't going to be much help, but I was hopeful that we would still be able to pull it off! Unfortunately, a few hours later my husband started feeling just as sick. We decided to cancel the slumber party. We knew that there was no way we could care for, feed and hike the mountain with ten girls!

We managed to pick Trinity up and drive over to my parents' house to sing to Happy Birthday to both dad and Trinity. My husband didn't make it and slept in one of the bedrooms during the dinner and gift opening, and I barely moved from my spot on the sofa. The girls did get invited to spend the night at their cousins’ house so things still worked

out for them.

Yesterday, while my husband finished up some of the chores, I was thinking about how lucky I am.  I have a husband who willingly picks up where I leave off. Had he not gotten sick, he would have been happy to assume all responsibilities for the party and would have gladly taken the girls on the hike alone the next day.

I knew how disappointed our daughters and nieces were going to be when they found out the the party was canceled. Then a few hours later, I felt so blessed,  because my brother Ernie and sis-in-law Vanessa offered to take our girls home so that they could still have a fun night.

When I picked the girls up they were tired, but were happily  sharing stories about the fun they had. The best part is that in four days they will get to have that fun all over again on Thanksgiving. A holiday that is designed for families to come together to focus on their blessings. However, if we are wise, we are grateful for these things everyday, all year long!

It was raining just before I left to pick the girls up and on my way I came across a rainbow. Rainbows are my absolute favorite miracle! I never get tired of sharing the fact that years ago, I went through the end of one with my grandma. Because of that experience, I always look at the rainbow as a very spiritual reminder of how blessed I am.

It is not hard to find blessings. In moments of sickness when nothing seems to go as planned, we can find them. During the months that we are scrambling to pay the bills, we can find them. When we are having relationship difficulties with spouses or other family members, we can find them. 

Plans do "have a way of falling down in midflight" and life doesn't always work out exactly the way we hope, but it does work out. Whenever I am in need of a reminder to show me just how blessed I am, I don't have to look very hard to find one. In fact, most days I just open my eyes and one is laying next to me in bed.   

Today I am linking up with Julie for Marriage Mondays.