Here's to 3 years!

Today Jake and I celebrate our 3rd anniversary. It has been a  glorious 3 years!

I couldn't have created a more perfect companion to spend eternity with and be the eventual father to my children. As the days, weeks, months, and years pass I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with him.

I love how you let me snuggle up on you when you are playing a game or reading. You are attentive to my needs, from just needing a hug after a long day at work or allowing me to cry on you shoulder after a personal trauma. I love how you allow me to laugh till it hurts when you do something silly or allow me to be a complete freak and love me for it. 

You are such a hard worker and are always striving to find a way to make things work. I find myself longing to see you at the end of a long day. I look forward to here the slap slap of your feet on the stairs as you bound down the stairs and fling the door open so I can greet you with a smile and a hug. 

I appreciate how you suffered through my first year of cooking of not enjoying it and pushed me to find new things to eat. You are also honest to tell me when you don't like something and express helpful ways to improve it or simply reject it and say we should try again with something different.

Even though I might not understand or make silly comments, you still want to share all the knowledge you have been learning at school. 

It makes me overjoyed that you will wait for me to finish getting for bed so we can sleep together. I am always grateful how you allow me to steal the blankets when it gets really cold (when isn't it! >_<) and wake you up in the middle of the night if I've had a nightmare or can't sleep and comfort me and let me cuddle on your chest. 

I love our inside jokes that makes us laugh and smirk. Your huge smile can always pull out of one of my funks. 

You truly are my best friend. I pray daily and express how grateful I am that we were able to make our relationship work over such a long distance and span of time. Thank you for asking me to marry you with a Scrabble board. Thank you for always being such a great example to me and to our future children. I am truly blessed to be your wife.

Rawr!

Things I have a healthy respect or fear of

Things I have a healthy respect or fear of and the reason behind it.

Semi-trucks (was involved as passenger in a car accident; emphasis on tankers)
Erroneous road debris (once again another car accident except I was driving alone)
Seatbelts (saved from above incidents with only minor bumps and bruises)
Snakes (This includes all snakes lethal and non-lethal; tormented with by my brother and told it ate my bunny when it ran away)
Worms (once again tormented with only difference it was my neighbor)
Stairs (fallen down or tripped going up; especially steep ones)
Undercooked/Ill-stored food (food poisoning is never fun)
Spiders/or bug that bite in general and cause me to swell (explanation needed? I think not)
Papercuts of all kinds (you never know it will happen and they are very painful)
Medications (Make you feel better, but always needs caution due to their inherent nature)
Fire (explanation needed?)

There are many other things that I could probably think of, but I don't want to sit here and think to long and hard about it because then I'll realize what a phobic person I am.

Clothes

I was mowing the lawn last week and this came on my Ipod. To be honest I hadn't really listened to the lyrics before I was more interested in the good beat and sound of the music. It wasn't until I actually listened to it that I realized what a great song it is. It speaks truth, especially for us girls. I just can't imagine being comfortable in next to nothing knowing people (men) are looking at your "assets". Makes me cringe.Even covered I have that problem with being as "well endowed" as I am. Ick!

 

Barlowgirl "Clothes"

Silent Clues

I have been with my husband for 8 years. This is to say from when we first started dating to being married. In those eight years we (more me then him) have developed subtle clues and habits to indicate moods and desires. I find it interesting that couples and just people who you are around a lot create these slight nudges or "quirks" to express some kind of communication that needs to be only between you and the desired recipient. It can be a quiet and unnoticeable nudge or squeeze/twitch of the hand, slight tightening of the eyes or blink, or even an exhale of breath. The list could go on and on depending on the couple and the meanings could have any number of subtle or deep connection.
It is just amazing to me that when you are around a person enough that these small acts can speak volumes about what the other wants and no one else aware (or at least appears to notice). It makes me wonder how many other "silent clues" will be created as Jake and I change, evolve, and grow as a family. Body language is an amazing language to study. The slight idiosyncrasies are what make those squeezes, twitches, and breathes all the more meaningful. It makes you wonder what messages you are sending, on purpose or otherwise, to those round you and how they are being interpreted.

Quarter of a Century

I have officially been a quarter of a century for a full day. I know that I should feel old, but I don't. My visiting teachers came over to say happy birthday and we were talking about how your feel and how you look can be in serious opposition. I had to laugh because she was all "I feel like I'm still 20, but then I look in the mirror and my four kids and remember that I'm not." The question that I had to ask was, why does it matter what you think you should feel like? If you feel like you are twenty you shouldn't begrudge the fact that your number of years may not correspond with your inner person. I say hang on to that youthfulness for as long as possible. There are times when I feel like I am still 18 and feel like I can do anything. It is only when I have those grown-up decisions do I realize I am older than my inner-self. Ick.

I guess what I am trying to get across in my random ramblings is that you are only as old as you allow yourself to feel. Don't cheat yourself out of it.