It's ALMOST Friday....Close Enough!

Haha!  I'll take what I can get...but I am ready to call an end to this week!  When school is in session, it seems like getting to Friday is like a race to the finish line.  If I can get thru the usual morning chaos and everyone out the door on time for school Friday morning, then I have broken thru the tape and can breathe a HUGE sigh of relief!  You all know how abnormal my schedule is, now Zachary has play practice several nights and on Saturdays, Josh is doing JBQ at church (meaning he has to be there at 5:30), Ava has ballet 2 mornings a week...but poor Sarah has nothing extra!  (I'll just keep her home and work with her on writing her name!  She is actually doing very well in school and loves it!)  Anyway, throw into the mix I have a current car "issue" that is probably going to leave me without a vehicle for several - well , probably more than just "several" -- days.  A tractor trailor backed into me so my front bumper needs a little TLC!  It could have been alot worse, so I really can't complain.  Makes me shudder to think what would have happened if I had been in Charles' car.  His car is so low to the ground, it probably would have come thru the windshield!
So anywho....tomorrow is Friday and then Saturday Sarah has a birthday party, Zachary has practice, friends for dinner, Josh is spending the night at my mom's new digs...yea her!  She finally moved out of her house and into her own little apartment!  She is sooooo thrilled!  Her old house held lots of bad memories for her, and the neighborhood just isn't safe for a single woman (at least I don't think so).  Now, instead of being 30 minutes away, she is only about 5 minutes away.  It is a "win-win" situation for all of us...ha!

You know, I really am just rambling nonsense here....just kind of the mood I am in I guess.  Waiting for the last 30 minutes of my day to pass so I can clock out and head home.  We got a new kitchen table today and I can't wait to see it!  Finally...after all these years...we have a kitchen table all 6 of us can sit at!  Before, the only way could all sit together was to sit at the dining room table, and we just are not "dining room" people...you know?

So - speaking of dining room (which makes me think of meals -- which makes me think of Ava -- stay with me people)...I was thinking the other day...my little Ava ~ God love her ~ Ava is my spirited strong willed child.  I find myself saying things to her I don't remember having to say to any of the other three.... "Ava, get your feet off the table", "Ava, don't pick your feet at the table", "Ava, get your fork out of your nose", "Ava, get off of Bernie [our Shih Tzu puppy]", "Ava, go put your underwear on NOW!"  I promise, I am not making any of this up.  There is always something to laugh (or cry) at at our house!  I hope ya'll have an "Ava" you can relate to, because she sure makes life more interesting.  Well, all my kids do really.  I love them so very much, and am so proud of the people they are becoming.  I listen to Zachary and as he relates the events of his day and conversations he had with his friends, it really makes me proud that he is so strong in his beliefs and so confident in himself.  That is pretty awesome for a 6th grader!  Josh still reigns supreme in his own little world - population "1"!  He is so funny, so sweet, and so cranky when he doesn't get enough sleep.  Sarah is my little princess who has transformed from "toddler" to "little girl" in just a couple of months.  I'm so amazed by her!  I miss her so much now that she is in school all day.  Now, it is just me and Ava - each of us getting some well-deserved one-on-one time with each other.  It probably is a good thing it is just the two of us, because she WEARS ME OUT!!!!  Haha...

So did I lose you?  Did you stay with me til the end?  I told you I was in a rambling kind of mood!  More later...not sure when...so just be ready!

Re-Runs Are Good Too!

(I am seriously behind on my blogging...having the computer upstairs makes it much harder to just stop and blog my thoughts for a minute.  Then there is the puppy...and of course Ava...point being I just don't have much time these days, but I promise to do better!  It is my therapy you know!  Now on to the blog.......)

I love re-runs...heck....if it weren't for re-runs (or DVR) I would never see anything on tv.  I love to watch"Friends", "The Office", "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Home Improvement", "That 70's Show"... I would be in heaven if there was a channel dedicated to to nothing but re-runs of these shows (my own choosing you understand).  I saw a glimpse of a recent "Two and a Half Men" and nearly choked when I saw how grown Jake is now!  I am REALLY behind!

Anyway, the point of all this is....I originally posted this blog in November 2008 (has it really been that long?  WOW!)  My husband is pretty special, and I had written this to just fill ya'll in on some of the things you don't get to see.  He is amazing in so many ways and I am so very blessed to have him as my husband.  We have a crazy life, yet he takes it all in stride.  I decided to re-post it because it is WAY overdue, and to tweek it just a bit.  He deserves to hear it...more often than every 2 years too!  So here you go....just a few reasons why I am so in love with my husband:

1) He loves his family. Charles is 100% hands-on with the kids. With my work schedule, I am gone 3 nights out of the week, so that is 3 nights he is home alone with 4 kids and a puppy and having to manage homework, dinner, baths, and bedtime. There aren't many men who would do that - or can do that - much less be good at it!



2) He does little things to show me he thinks of me. On days he knows I am driving his car the next day, he'll set the CD player to my favorite CD, or he'll send me an e-card for no reason. He doesn't hesitate to make me feel special.


3) He is always quick to compliment if he thinks I look nice, or even on dinner (when I am able to cook!)  And he is a pretty good grillmaster if I do say so myself!


4) He voluntarily helps out around the house. He will give the girls a bath while I do dishes or vice-versa. I never have to ask him to help me.


5) He has no problem with me having a "girls night" every now and then - even when I am gone other nights of the week.  I don't do it very often because that is another night away from home, but if I do.....


6) He has a tender heart and is soft-spoken. He never yells and never talks down to me.

7) He has the best arms in the world! When he hugs me, it is the best part of my day...aaahhhhh!


8) His attitude in a stressful situation is so comforting. He is my rock for sure.


9) He is great at making me see the "other side of the story". If I get upset about something he'll say, "Well, from their perspective, they probably meant......"  Sometimes it makes me want to slug him...but I know he is right.


10) I love how he hums in the shower.


11) He'll bring home Nestle Tollhouse ice-cream cookies when he has to make a night trip to Wal-Mart!  Or make a batch of Girhadelli brownies...YUM!


12) He will sew his own button or iron his own shirt.


13) He makes the BEST lasagna, the BEST cheesecake, and the BEST home-made oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies!


14) He still opens my door for me.


15) We ALWAYS end a phone conversation with "I Love You". Even if he is miffed with me, he'll still say it! :-)


16) He'll bring me flowers "just because".


17) He works hard. He has a full-time job and still works for his dad. It stinks sometimes -- okay -- lots of the time, but he still does it.


18) His family comes first.

19) If you are lucky enough to be his friend, then you have a friend for life.


20) He is the most patient person I know. I don't know how he does what he does!

21) He'll give me his "crispy" part of his fish and take my "thicker" part. (I don't like thick fillets!)


22) He knows that I like honey mustard with my onion rings, lemon in my tea/water, no jalepenos on my " Spud Ole", my eggs hard scrambled, and he knows (better than I do I am ashamed to admit), how I like my coffee!


23) He'll arrange for someone(s) to watch the kiddos so we can have a "date" every now and then.  It doesn't happen often, but we try!

24) He decorates an amazing Christmas tree. I am not the creative one here...he is so good at that kind of stuff! Thank goodness the kids have him around to help with projects and stuff!

25) He is faithful ~ enough said.

I could go on and on.  This is just the tip of the iceberg people!  He is the perfect example of Christ's love for the church.  There are so many times I can't understand why he puts up with my craziness, moodiness or stubborness, but it is all because he loves me ~ unconditionally.  It's just that simple.  Just like God's love for us ~ it's unconditional!  Yeah...it's pretty awesome! :-)