Joy of Love: Day 14 "Wedding Band"

It was my very favorite Christmas. Mike's employer at the time was behind on his pay. We had waited for this check for weeks so begin our shopping, and finally here it was...two days before Christmas! I was so excited to get off work on that Christmas Eve. Mike picked me up and we quickly learned that we were too late for shopping. Even Walmart was already closed! Feeling defeated, we thought to try KMart before calling it quits. We pulled into an overcrowded parking lot and saw that sign still lit up. Christmas was saved!
Almost running, we cheered our way into the store. I had my list and my shopping boots on. Mike had an arsenal of coffee and gum. And we had 3 hours until closing time. Whew! Let the fun begin. We had the most fun we've ever had on a shopping trip together. Laughing until we cried, arguing over gifts and prices, and breathing a huge sigh as each name was checked off the list. As it came to an end we realized there was no money left for each other. No big deal we agreed. Although, Mike did not know that I had sneakily added a cordless drill into the cart with his name on it. I thought it was going to be so much fun to surprise him!
We got "the phone call" at 5 am. My baby sister wanting to know when we coming over to watch them open presents. After a long night of wrapping and sorting, we drug our bodies out of bed and woke up Cody. As Mike was loading the gifts into the car, I grabbed his drill and put it strategically in his way. He sat down on the floor and opened it up. I was so excited I almost ripped the paper for him! I sat down next to him and chattered on about how sly I am and that I just couldn't help myself. When I suddenly realized he had a small box in his hand. Right there, sitting on our floor together, he proposed with the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. I was so surprised! Mostly because I had quit smoking two weeks earlier and was questioning whether or not he would even endure another week with me, let alone the rest of his life.
Well, obviously I said yes and here we are today. I could not imagine how my life would have turned out without this incredible man. I love him to no end and thank God every day for putting him in my path when I least expected it.

Joy of Love: Day 13 "Their Routine"

I am incredibly frustrated with these pictures! They did not come out at all as I had hoped. Somehow it seems as if my photography skills are getting worse instead of better. Oi vey! I guess that's what learning is all about though, right?
So Cailynne's favorite part of every day is no doubt her bathtime. Just about every time I change a diaper I have to wrestle her down to the ground while she yells "SHOWER! PWEEEASE!!" My little water baby would take 3 baths a day. I adore watching her in there, playing and laughing at her toys. Not to mention that it gives me a small window of peace. Just knowing that she is not at this moment climbing the baby gate to the stairs or sitting on top of her sister is quite relaxing!
So I was trying to capture her fun, but neither she nor the lighting was cooperating.

Joy of Love: Day 12 "Their Eyes"

The eyes are the window to the soul. Have you ever noticed that even if your best friend is smiling, you can usually tell that something is wrong? Our eyes give us a way! I think it is especially true with children because they wear their emotions on their sleeve as it is. I love when my children are happy and you can just see that joy radiating through their eyes. So for this project I thought it would be fun to share some of the looks I get around the house daily.

"Mom I love you enough to do what you tell me, but inside I am actually quite annoyed."

"You're my best friend"

"I will never understand why you put me through things like this."

"Cupcake...you complete me." 

"I love the noises you made when you put this hat on my head!"

"Now I'm starting to get a little irritated with your loud mouth."

"SEND IN THE GUARDS!!!" 



Joy of Love: Day 11 "Their Dreams"

Every married couple knows what it means to have a pet peave. No matter how much you love your spouse, there is undoubtedly things about them that drive you insane. My marriage is no different. Mike cannot walk into the room without commenting on my choice to watch Food Network for the fourth night in a row or the fact that I have washed every bit of laundry, and here it sits with me on the couch begging to be put away. I cannot stand the fact that as soon as he walks through the door, he ditches his dirty boots right in the middle of the doorway. And don't even get me started on the status of my bathroom sink after he shaves!
But truely, for me the pet peaves are bittersweet. As much as I complain as I wipe up a pile of beard hairs, I know that these things symbolize the fact that Daddy is home. And I love them for that. I can even go so far as to say I miss them when he's gone.
When I asked him today what his dreams in life were, his answer was so unexpectedly simple. I was thinking of places I'd like to go, and people I'd like to see. Maybe there is a lottery win in our future! He, without so much as a moments thought, said "I dream of a job that will keep me home". Sometimes I get so caught up in how hard my life is without him here to help me, I forget how hard it is for him to be out there on the road without us. I couldn't dream a better dream. To know that every night when I roll over, I will find more than an empty pillow. So right now I want to pray for my husband and his future. And I would appreciate if you joined me.
Father God I pray for my husband's dreams. He is an amazing man and an amazing father. He works so hard to give us the best life he can provide at this time. We thank you so much that he has the ability to work, and for the steady job that you have provided him. Lord he wants to be at home with his family, and we want him here. I pray that you would open up a road that would bring him closer and closer to that dream. I believe that your will is for him to be able to be here for his children as they grow older, and not to miss out on their childhood. Lord your will is our guide, and where you lead us, we will go. Above all we want to be in your plan for our future. Amen.

Joy of Love: Day 10 "Where They Are Comfortable"

It was a matter of seconds that my head was turned. During which time Cailynne managed to dump out the dog's water, empty every pot out of the cupboard, and fill them with dog food. "Cailynne! That is a no no!" Laughing maniacally, she runs out of the kitchen and straight to the toilet, at which time I notice she is carrying my cell phone. Tripping over 2 baby dolls and a potty chair in a desperate attempt to save the phone from the drowning it was about to receive, I seriously considered introducing my daughter to the swirly!
I truely believe naptime is more for the mother than the child. Sure, we want to make sure our kids are getting their much needed rest. But our sanity needs the rest as well! I love little Cailynne's sense of adventure. More often than not she has me rolling with laughter at her daily shenanigans and stubborn attitudes. But I cannot hide the smile on my face when naptime comes around either.
For one thing, Cailynne is so excited to get in her crib. She loves it! She has all of her loveys to snuggle with and her favorite blanket. She smiles, kisses everybody goodnight, and waves goodbye as I lay her on her pillow. I don't really even know how this happened. I always say she must be a long sleeper like her Grammy.
The other reason I love naptime so much is that I know when she wakes up, I'm going to get a guaranteed 15 minutes of snuggle time in the rocking chair. I treasure each and every one of those 15 minutes. She kisses me a million times and hugs me with her whole body. It's heaven! And just when God has reminded me how very precious being a mother can be, we hit 16 minutes. And then we're off...right back where we left off....the toilet.

I had super crappy lighting to work with so I had to use my flash.

Joy of Love: Day 9 "Their Passion"

My husband is an incredible artist. In almost every spare moment he gets I can always find him sitting at the table, drawing random things. Admittedly, I am a tad bit jealous. I do not have one artistic bone in my body! Now I can copy like nobody's business. But to just sit and picture something in my head, and then draw it? Not a chance. He can draw, paint, and even tattoo.
I would say his heart is in the tattoo business more than the others. He will spend hours watching videos on the internet that help him to learn more about his craft. I absolutely love to watch him tattoo people and see his portfolio grow with each one. Hopefully someday he will be able to do this for more than just a hobby.
I will tell you right now that my heart was just not in it this time around. It's been just a crazy day! You know, one of those days where you suddenly realize your child is running around with a nail in her ear and your sister is wearing a potty seat for a top hat. You've all had those days right? No? Well I had it in my mind to capture him actually doing a tattoo and that was not an option, so next time he does one I'm going to re-do this assignment.

Joy of Love: Day 8 "What They Have Done"

My son, Cody, is now 7 years old and he is the apple of my eye. He looks just like me, he acts just like me, he even has a touch of OCD, just like me. He has a phenominal sense of humor and keeps all of on our toes, but is still a bit reserved around new people. He has such a tender heart and is a fabulous big brother. I am so proud of him!
For reasons that I will someday later explain, Cody has never met his biological father. And he didn't have a healthy father figure for the beginning of his life. Cody came to me when I was not living the life that God had planned out for me. It was always so hard to explain to him why I made the choices that I did, and there is still so much to explain one day.  He changed my life, but I was never able to give him what he needed from a man. I always worried how that would affect him and who he would become.
When my husband, Mike, came into the picture, Cody was very concerned about this new man in our life. He gave him a hard time, and challenged his authority. But Mike remained patient with him. He told Cody he loved both of us more than anything and would never leave. When we got married he asked Cody to be his best man. One day Mike just started asking a bunch of questions about Cody's paternity. And then told me he wanted to adopt him and give him the same last name as the rest of the family. My heart melted!
He asked Cody how he felt about it, and of course got a big hug of approval. And so began the rest of his life! I am so in love with this man, who would do this for my child. And not out of obligation or as a favor to me. It was in his heart. And because of that, my Codeman has grown miles with his Dad. And I am confidant that Mike will help mold him into the man that God wants him to be.
I would have loved to take a picture of them together, but Mike is out of town. So here's some of the many faces of Cody :)