Main Squeeze Monday

As Josh and I were laying in bed last night, he brought to my attention that I had not written about him yet on our blog!  I hadn't realized that I had forgotten him!  I guess I was so wrapped up in redefining my life with 2 kids that I completely glazed over on writing about the true inspiration for this blog... my sweet husband.

Josh and I have been married for 4 years now.  We speak often about how it feels much longer than that, all while loving each other as if we had just met.  It's crazy how time plays tricks on you like that.  In our 6 years of knowing each other, we have met, dated, gotten engaged after 4 months, gotten married, bought a house, and had 2 kids.  Whew!  That's a lot!  And, no, I would have never expected it would have happened like that.  (But some of the best things in life are completely unexpected.)

Last night Josh asked me if he was "my type" when we had met.  Honestly, no.  Not because he wasn't my type, but because the guys I had dated that I thought were my type had turned out to be completely the opposite, so how was he going to be any different?  At the point I met him, I had given up on finding the right guy and had completely given it to God.  Clearly, I was unfit to pick a mate.  Two weeks later, I met my Mr. Right.  Who'd a thought?

It took a while for me to realize that, indeed, Josh was my type.  I had always wanted a funny, motivated guy who was really cute and smart.  I had met many of them (some lacking in some areas, I will admit).  But, over time, I began to realize that "who cares about me" was left of the list.  I think that's what most unmarried women seem to forget about... putting themselves on that priority list (Married women/moms forget to put themselves on a different priority list, but we'll save that for another post.).

When I met Josh and our relationship evolved into dating, he put me on his priority list-- a new feeling for me. His love for me showed up in such interesting and unexpected ways.  The biggest was that he went to bat for me.  He was right there when I needed him, always.  And, although sometimes we didn't see eye to eye, he would ALWAYS try to see it from my perspective.  He made/makes me feel important and valued by listening and compromising and making me feel heard.

Now, after 4 years of marriage, it has gotten better and better... and it was great to begin with!  He knows me soooo well and brings things to light that I never knew about myself.  For example, he knew my "love language" was words of affirmation loooong before I figured it out.  He has also taught me so much about being a good grown-up in general, not to mention being a better wife and mother.  The biggest change in me since we met is that now I can see it from a different perspective and realize that life doesn't revolve around me (although sometimes I think it should!  Ha!).  We are a team with this HUGE support system of family and friends.  Blessed beyond measure!

Of course it isn't all roses and butterflies around here!  Don't get me wrong!  While we have it very good here in the Sweeney house, there are times when I want to strangle my husband.  Granted, it's for dumb stuff like leaving his clothes on the floor, or needing help finding things that are right in front of him.  But, all in all, it's quite awesome.  We have something that I always wanted but never knew existed.

Now, in his honor, I'm going to give "Main Squeeze Monday" a shot and, pending free time, I hope to tell you 5 things about my sweetheart that makes me so grateful for him.  Big things.  Small things.  Crazy things.  Lovely things.

Here are the things:
1.  We eat healthier together.  Healthy dinners almost always are eaten at home.  Without him, I'd still be eating fried rice and spaghetti weekly.
2.  He is great at making our yard look awesome!  It's always so neat and tidy!
3.  He pats my butt when I'm in the kitchen.  Old people in love do those things.  :)
4.  He works so hard for our family.  Sometimes he dislikes his job and carries it as burden for the hours he's at work, but when he comes home, he leaves it at the door and is present with us.  That's a really hard thing to do but he does it everyday.
5.  He makes me laugh like crazy-- all the time!  He used "doo doo" in a sentence the other day and I cried I laughed so hard!  It still makes me giggle!

Josh, I love you so much and I am so glad to have you!  You are a great husband, dad, friend, son, etc!  I admire you!  Thanks for loving me!

Who'd Thought?

You hear from parents all the time about how much they love their kids... a whole different kind of love than spousal love.  It's an organic love-- definitely hard to explain but so simple in theory.  I love my kids like that.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is very little in life they could truly do wrong to make me un-love them.  I used to be so quick to criticize parents when they were suckered into stuff by there kids, but now I see how easy it is to be suckered, or should I say "blindly led".  I find myself laughing at my son when he is so CLEARLY manipulating me and I am so falling for it!

But, that kind of love is not what this post is about.  I became fascinated today by something indirectly related to that love.

I found myself amazed that I love my son sooo much and am so grateful to have been chosen by God to create such an amazing person.  Yet, somehow, I was tempted to leave him on the side of the road because he had pushed me too far!  Of course, I would never have done that, BUT I DID ENTERTAIN THAT THOUGHT FOR A SPLIT SECOND, LET ME TELL YA!

What pushed me to that edge, you ask?  Well, as he was eating snack in the car, he told me he was finished and held out the bag.  I reached back to take it from him in the same way we always do.  He looked at me in the rear view mirror and dumped that bag ON TO THE FLOOR!  What!?  Are you kidding me?!  Then, I said he should never do that again.  Then, he looked at me square in the eye and threw his cup on the floor!  WHOA COWBOY!  I was so angry!  I began looking for pull-off to have that all-important stern talking-to! Uh!

You know, I am aware we were up against naptime and lunch and all that all-important stuff.  And I'm aware I should have planned my day differently.  And, yes, I can admit that if I had been truly conscious of all this and gone earlier, I could have been spared this toddler behavior, BUT STILL!

Now, once we got home, he went potty... normal, right?  Yes, until he walked out of the bathroom with a match-box car in his hand.  He said, "Mommy, I got pee on my car."  SERIOUSLY!?

With that comment, it became very, very clear.  All these behaviors had one common denomenator.  He's his father's child.  :)

(Love you, honey!)

New Pictures of the Fam!

It's been a while since I've uploaded pictures of our clan!  We've had a great time with our new addition.  It's like we have always had her, yet somehow she feels brand new!  Our big guy is loving being a big brother although he is having a hard time sharing Josh and I with her.  Outside of that, life is going really smoothly!