Where You Go, I Will Go

Today is a milestone...a great feat...a triumphant event...an anniversary.  A TEN year anniversary.  10 years ago today...and almost at this very hour, I said aloud in front of a crowd of family and friends, "Where you go, I will go..." The rings were securely placed on our trembling fingers, the vows were sealed with a kiss, and together we journeyed hand-in-hand into this whirlwind we call married life.


Some would say we have the perfect marriage.  Guess that depends on your definition for perfection.  We have our moments, as do all normal couples and we fail daily...Because Christ is at the heart of our marriage, we love each other with an undying love...and that's that!


Dolan, a lot of life has happened in the last 10 years!  I'm still absolutely in love with you today.  And I'll still go where you go.  Why?


Because:

• You are my best friend.
• You are my partner in life.
• You pick out the best chocolates for me.
• You always put the toilet seat down.
• You are the perfect gentleman.
• You make me laugh....daily!
• I'd be lost without your technical abilities...I think you're a genius!
• You love our kiddos.
• You let me go out....alone....by myself.... ahhhhhhh!
• You say the sweetest things!
• You call me "lady."  (Please don't ever stop)
• You text me sometimes during the day when I know you are so busy.
• You care for others and their needs.
• You have an amazing gift of servanthood.
• You love Christmas like I do!
• You built me a garden.
• You let me be mad, but you don't let me stay that way.
• You bathe our filthy children. =)
• You're taking this Monday off, and I am EXUBERANT! 
• You are so handsome!
• You are so handsome!
• You are so handsome!
• You eat everything I cook...EVERYTHING!
• You always see the cup half full.
• You put up with my "issues" over how to make the bed and how to load the dishwasher. =)
• You always smell good!
• You belt out a good 80's song on pretty much a daily basis.
• You have given me a collection of the little boy/girl cards since we were dating! (Thank you for the one you gave me this morning...it's my new favorite).
• You listen to my dreams and you share yours with me...and amazingly, they fit together like a puzzle.
• You're you.

I hope you know how much I adore you.  Ready for 10 more? I am...


Happy Anniversary to my endless love. Where you go, I will go.

A Night in our Nest

On most evenings after supper, this is what you'll find going on in our nest...

Savannah reads to Levi while Mommy cleans the table and does dishes (and snaps a few pictures)...

 while Daddy does bath time! 

One down, 2 to go...


Noah is loving books and enjoys having daddy read to him at night after his bath.  So, daddy dresses him, brushes his teeth, takes him to kiss mommy then sits on the floor in his room.  Noah, like clockwork, closes his door and heads to his book basket to pick out a few good reads.  He plops in daddy's lap and listens, sometimes turning the pages himself...sometimes, jumping up in mid sentence to choose another book.  All in all, some great one-on-one time with daddy. (and sometimes mommy).


Once in bed, Dolan calls to Savannah and she has her turn in the tub.  Her night routine is more time consuming... washing/conditioning that long hair, then combing/drying... you get the picture. Her books are usually longer and she likes to talk....about everything!! 


The reason Dolan bathes them separately is so he can spend quality time with each of them since he is often late arriving home. And, this gives Savannah some quiet reading time.  Each of them enjoy this quality time with daddy so much! If I am doing bath time, they get bathed together (excluding Levi, of course).  


Levi is last, and super quick! Unlike his big brother and sister who dread stepping out of the warm bath, Levi is content...maybe because he knows next on the routine is a snack.  


Then, we spend the next hour or so listening to Savannah ask questions like, "How can I go to sleep?" "Can you come help me fall asleep?" "Mommy, I have a question." "What was that noise?" "Daddy, I have a question.""Who opened the door?" "Can you come cover Dordi up?" (Dordi is her beloved baby doll). "Mommy, I have a question."  We put up with this most night's, occasionally closing her door for a little while (she has a night light).  It does make watching American Idol a little difficult... But we love her, questions and all! 


Our night's can get a little crazy at times, but I'm thankful to have such a helpmate to share them with.  We make a great team! 


I hope you enjoyed a little peek into a typical night in our nest.


~k.      

Sometimes, Love is little...

In Raleigh, NC at Crabtree Mall, near the food court, across from the APPLE store, sits a little shop.  It's a sweet shop.  It's a chocolate shop.  It's the GODIVA shop.  I first indulged when I was working as a college student at Belk at the other end of the mall.  I had to pass by this little sweet spot every day on my way to the employee parking deck.  I rarely entered unless they were giving free samples, because truly...it's an indulgence...in more ways than one.  Did I mention the APPLE store is located directly across?  Fast forward 10 years or so. Occasionally, the dear husband of mine is forced to go to APPLE for, I don't know, technical "stuff." And he has been known to meander across the way to this little shop and bring me some of the little treasures.  What a treat it is to see the little gold box!!! Well...I'm telling you all of this because he did it again.  Just last week. It was a wonderful surprise, totally unexpected...and the perfect day for chocolate!!! (ok...ALL days are perfect for chocolate)  And for my little gold box tied with a little chocolate brown ribbon...

He chose the one's he thought I'd like the best.  They are all so decadently (is that a word?) delicious! But, if I must choose a favorite, here it is...

This little beauty is a "key lime dark chocolate truffle." Is there anything left to say?  A napkin just wouldn't do...had to go for the fine china! 


You need not tell me I'm blessed.  I am married to a man who is selfless, full of life, and full of love.  And sometimes...love is little.  


I love you DDW!

Happy Valentine's Day

Just like all of you, I love my family.  I love them every day of the year...but on February 14th, the opportunity presents itself to show our love perhaps a bit more.  So many take this as an opportunity to lavish gifts.  We don't want our children to look at Valentine's Day every year as a day that they will "get" something, but a day that they "feel" something...a day that they "know" even more so how very much their mommy and daddy love them.    This year, we are showing our children how much they are loved by giving them their own book.  Take a look at Noah and Savannah's little flip books.  (Levi will get his book a little later when he can appreciate it).    

~OPEN his book~ 

~OPEN her book~

And for my sweetheart, Dolan.  Well, I can't post his little "I love you" gift, since I haven't given it to him yet and he reads all of my posts!!  So, check back later and I'll post it for you to see.  On the subject of my sweetheart...I am so very grateful for that man.  Life is just sweeter with him in my life.  We are the absolute best of friends and are very much in love.  Though we may not always "feel" like being in love...ok...I know there are lots of you who are no different....we have chosen to love no matter what. And because of that, we are more in love today than when we wed almost 10 YEARS AGO!!! Dolan, you are my life partner, our family's spiritual leader, our children's father, and so many other things...and I love you with all of my heart. 


We hope you have a wonderful valentine's day and that you show those you care for just how much you love them.  Each day is such a gift...let's treasure it and remember that the most important "things" in life aren't "things."  
Much love,
Kristen