Friday, July 31, 2009

"Happy To Be Stuck With You"....

(A song from the '80's by Huey Lewis & the News)

Ten years ago, on this day, I married my best friend. Ten years is a "milestone anniversary", but we've actually been together for 18 years now.

Neither of us is afraid to admit that our marriage has not exactly been a fariytale, and we both agree that nothing could ever come between us, ever. Over the years, we've learned a lot and gained a lot too. Yes, weight included! haha

I still get giddy and watch or listen for Dennis to get home from work. I do miss him while he's gone, but since having cell phones, he's sure to call me every day while on his lunch break. (I think he misses me, too!)

Dennis has the ability to make me laugh as well as cry. He has also learned how to deal with me at times when I couldn't understand myself.

Last year, he did something he doesn't like to openly admit to too many people. He took me to a Kenny Chesney concert, and we had a great time. As much as he dislikes them, he also goes to my family reunions and tries so hard not to show me how much he really doesn't want to be there. He does it for me. It isn't just a one-way street. I've made many sacrafices to make him happy too, but when I think about it, I probably haven't done near as much for him as he has for me. (Got to work on that!)

He's my mechanic, handyman, carpenter, "pool boy", landscaper, grounds keeper, bread winner, plumber, provider, best friend, comedian, teddy bear, partner in crime, love of my life, my better half (hey, Brad! A Keith Urban song there!), my knight in shining armor, etc.. etc. I could go on and on. All that, wrapped up into one big package.

I am so blessed beyond words, even when we have our "bad" days, deep down I still love him. We both agree, and just can't fathom the thought of us ever being apart. Coming from divorced parents, and knowing others that have gone through it, we will both do everything possible to stay together and there is nothing that would even make us want to part. We're in it for the long haul. :)

After 18 years together, 10 years married, and 4 children later, we still are in awe about how we feel about each other. We never imagined it could be this good and hasn't gone stale. There are always new adventures awaiting us and there's really nothing that we can't or haven't conquered on the way. I look forward to more "milestone" anniversaries and growing old with him. I love you with ALL of my heart, Dennis!
I love this pic of the two of us...we really do laugh a lot! :

Dennis STILL carries this pic of us in his wallet. It was taken about a month after we'd met:

Thursday, July 30, 2009

"The Heat Is On"......

(Had to do this for Brad. It's a Glenn Frey song.)

The past few days we've finally got a good taste of summer. We've been waiting for summer to arrive, since it had been so rainy and the temps had barely reached 80 degrees for so long.

Today, I think, has been the warmest. The heat with the high humidity made today just barely tolerable. Tomorrow, the weatherman is predicting rain. Great for the garden, but it won't help the tan!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

This one's for you, Brad!

Did you notice that the last 2 entries had no song titles?? Hahaha!!

Sleeping arrangements...

The boys were pretty rough on the old beds that were given to us from Uncle Larry. One bed was broken beyond repair, thanks to my over-active and bouncy boys. My mom gave Brad a double bed and we decided to give Brad's old bed to Corey and Collin. They know the importance of this bed, since it is the very bed that their dad slept in when he was young. Collin knows this and was telling Corey all about everyone that has used that bed in our house. He knew that Brad had it just before they did, and Trevor had it before Brad. He told Corey that I slept in it before that and his dad slept in it first. (There we go again....I think they see us as siblings?? lol)

At first, they were pretty good with having the old "different" bed. They'd alternate each night until Corey decided they should sleep in it for a week at a time before they'd switch again. That was alright for a while, too, until they forgot what day of the week they'd started with.

Tonight, I got a bit frustrated by all of the bickering. Collin came to me asking if whoever cleaned the bed off (tons of stuffed animals!) to sleep in it should be "the one" that gets to sleep in it that night. I thought it sounded pretty fair, at first, until I asked who'd slept in it the night before....Collin did!

We were "brainstorming" how to solve this problem. Bunk beds were mentioned and I told them that bunk beds wouldn't change much because they would both want the top bunk and they'd fight over that. They each gave each other reasons as to why they should get the top bunk. Corey told of how he would not be afraid if the Johnson's made a zip-wire from the roof of their house to our pool, he would not be afraid of how high up it would be. Collin told Corey that he is not one bit scared of heights. It became a competition until Collin decided that 2 sets of bunk beds would solve the problem. He even showed me where the bunk beds would be positioned in their room.

So you see, my boys can fight over things that they don't even have. I'm not quite sure just how we'll fix this problem and I'm sure there will be many more fights over it until we figure it out.

Oh, and in case you were wondering who got "the" bed tonight.....it was Corey!

A twinism......

I overheard a conversation between Corey and Collin tonight. Corey was asking Collin what would happen if one baby is born at 11pm and then the other at 1am? He didn't say it in so many words, but I think what he was getting at was, would they still be considered twins? They then began to talk about Dennis and me. I'm not sure if they see us as twins too, or maybe even siblings? lol Dennis and I are pretty close in age, born the same year and about 3 weeks apart. Because of the closeness in age, I think that is why they think we have to be somehow "related" to each other? I often wondered when they were so small what they'd think of them being twins or if it would even mean anything at all to them. It's quite obvious that they know that they are twins themselves and kind of neat that they talk about their "twin-ness".

Saturday, July 18, 2009

"On the road again"........

("On The Road Again, Willie Nelson)

A big "thanks" to Trevor's biological father for helping him out with some cash to purchase a "new to him" car. Trevor bought it from a friend and I called the car insurance the day before to get quotes to see if it would be better for him to stay under my insurance or if he should go on his own.

I was surprised, and it ended up being a win-win! YAY! Trevor's insurance will only cost him around $60/month (less than half of what he was paying before), and my premium will go down a little over $800!! Yippee!!

His car is a 1995 Cavalier and even though it's not in "show room" condition, it's the nicest car he's had yet. (Please pray that he takes care of this one, thanks!) Let's hope I won't have to play "taxi" anymore or be stuck here without a vehicle. :)


Here's his car: