Conditions were just right for some beautiful hoarfrost this morning.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Plymouth Ice Spectacular
The kids and I made a quick trip downtown to the 26th annual Plymouth Ice Spectacular on the way to Cranbrook since they had the day off school. Although the event doesn't officially start until tonight, we have been watching them sculpt all week.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Chivalry and Homemaking
So what do you get when you cross old fashioned chivalry with the quintessential housewife? My husband.
I am not always as outwardly appreciative as I should be for all the things Mike does for me, the kids, our family, etc. I certainly never fail to keep my complaints to myself (blush)and though I do try to make a point of paying him compliments regularly, I think sometimes it’s easier to hear the loud complaints than the quiet thank-yous. (Shocking I know, but I tend to be a person of extreme moods, either ranting aloud and going off when things are going right or quietly content when they are).
Anyway, Dr. Laura says you should choose wisely. I’m not entirely sure that I did that. Don’t get me wrong, Mike was definitely the right choice, but I didn’t make my choice based on logic at the time. I knew I would marry Mike after one of our first deep conversations early in our dating relationship. I’ve rarely experienced anything like it before or since, but there was a point in an early conversation that we had where I literally saw our entire life together flash before my eyes. I can’t recall any images, just the sensation of my whole life flashing by: jobs, children, good times, bad ones. Mostly what I recall is the feeling of warmth and the deep down inner knowledge that should I choose this path, it would be more good than bad. I had a feeling of destiny. I wouldn’t have said it at the time, but to put it in language that makes sense to me now, a sensation that pursuing this relationship would be the fulfillment of my vocation from God. This was who was meant to be for me.
So, my Dr. Laura point is, I didn’t intentionally choose wisely. I went from the gut. I made my decision with my heart, certainly not my head. But thankfully God was watching over me and has always had a presence in our relationship. Even when things were rocky and well, let’s just say it, certainly the worst of ‘for better or worse’ both Mike and I and our marriage has remained in God’s hands and He has seen us through and rewarded our faith in Him and in each other.
So, the title of my blog comes about as the result of many mornings of reflection in the past week or so about how much Mike does for our household, our family. Surely, I am out all day in an effort to ‘bring home the bacon’ but Mike is also doing a little bit of that and is certainly the only one in our household ‘frying it up in a pan.’ Other women complain about how little their husbands help around the house, how they have to beg/nag them to do things. Now certainly, Mike and I have a bit of role reversal in that I’m now working and he’s staying home, but I have to admit I never had that complaint about Mike in our whole married life. Mike has always helped around the house. Before we had kids when we both worked, he did the “man” stuff and I did the “woman” stuff for the most part. Then, after we had kids, certainly I changed more diapers, did more dishes, did more laundry, but as I also worked, he too did these things and as our roles have gone from him out-of-the-house to both of us working/parenting 50/50 to Mike being home and me working out-of-the-house, those diapers, those dishes, that laundry and something I admit I was never good about doing, cooking, has all slowly but surely moved into the realm of what he does more of…if not all of.
My point is, I’m just blessed. When I come home, almost always (especially now that I’m pregnant) there is a meal waiting for me. Very rarely am I stuck doing the dishes after a long day at work. Mostly, the dishes are done, at worst there may be a basket of clean laundry waiting for me to fold and put away…which typically sits there for 2-3 days anyway…
Mike not only is a great homemaker but also has all the chivalrous qualities of an old-fashioned gentleman. I can always count on my gas tank to be full, the van to be vacuumed, the walk to be shoveled, the car to be started and warmed up, etc.
I’m telling you. There’s nothing like a guy who takes care of the baby, feeds the kids good healthy food, changes the diapers, washes the diapers, and will fix the leaky pipe under the utility sink when the drain gets plugged and the diaper water goes all over the laundry room floor.
I love you honey. And here’s my declaration to the world that YOU ROCK!
I am not always as outwardly appreciative as I should be for all the things Mike does for me, the kids, our family, etc. I certainly never fail to keep my complaints to myself (blush)
Anyway, Dr. Laura says you should choose wisely. I’m not entirely sure that I did that. Don’t get me wrong, Mike was definitely the right choice, but I didn’t make my choice based on logic at the time. I knew I would marry Mike after one of our first deep conversations early in our dating relationship. I’ve rarely experienced anything like it before or since, but there was a point in an early conversation that we had where I literally saw our entire life together flash before my eyes. I can’t recall any images, just the sensation of my whole life flashing by: jobs, children, good times, bad ones. Mostly what I recall is the feeling of warmth and the deep down inner knowledge that should I choose this path, it would be more good than bad. I had a feeling of destiny. I wouldn’t have said it at the time, but to put it in language that makes sense to me now, a sensation that pursuing this relationship would be the fulfillment of my vocation from God. This was who was meant to be for me.
So, my Dr. Laura point is, I didn’t intentionally choose wisely. I went from the gut. I made my decision with my heart, certainly not my head. But thankfully God was watching over me and has always had a presence in our relationship. Even when things were rocky and well, let’s just say it, certainly the worst of ‘for better or worse’ both Mike and I and our marriage has remained in God’s hands and He has seen us through and rewarded our faith in Him and in each other.
So, the title of my blog comes about as the result of many mornings of reflection in the past week or so about how much Mike does for our household, our family. Surely, I am out all day in an effort to ‘bring home the bacon’ but Mike is also doing a little bit of that and is certainly the only one in our household ‘frying it up in a pan.’ Other women complain about how little their husbands help around the house, how they have to beg/nag them to do things. Now certainly, Mike and I have a bit of role reversal in that I’m now working and he’s staying home, but I have to admit I never had that complaint about Mike in our whole married life. Mike has always helped around the house. Before we had kids when we both worked, he did the “man” stuff and I did the “woman” stuff for the most part. Then, after we had kids, certainly I changed more diapers, did more dishes, did more laundry, but as I also worked, he too did these things and as our roles have gone from him out-of-the-house to both of us working/parenting 50/50 to Mike being home and me working out-of-the-house, those diapers, those dishes, that laundry and something I admit I was never good about doing, cooking, has all slowly but surely moved into the realm of what he does more of…if not all of.
My point is, I’m just blessed. When I come home, almost always (especially now that I’m pregnant) there is a meal waiting for me. Very rarely am I stuck doing the dishes after a long day at work. Mostly, the dishes are done, at worst there may be a basket of clean laundry waiting for me to fold and put away…which typically sits there for 2-3 days anyway…
Mike not only is a great homemaker but also has all the chivalrous qualities of an old-fashioned gentleman. I can always count on my gas tank to be full, the van to be vacuumed, the walk to be shoveled, the car to be started and warmed up, etc.
I’m telling you. There’s nothing like a guy who takes care of the baby, feeds the kids good healthy food, changes the diapers, washes the diapers, and will fix the leaky pipe under the utility sink when the drain gets plugged and the diaper water goes all over the laundry room floor.
I love you honey. And here’s my declaration to the world that YOU ROCK!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
easy bake
well, mom has been feeling a little 'out of it' lately. as in...separated from the family. between nit picking every other night and being gone all day working, it's like there is no quality time to be spent with the kids. so, tuesday after class, i cashed in the snack drawer change from work and bought some cake mix, frosting and sprinkles so we could bake cakes together. as you can see, everyone enjoyed the activity!i even got some time to sew a little craft i've been meaning to work on since Christmas. it was meant to be a gift given to my secret saint nick from my online boards sent at Epiphany as a reveal. well, that ship has sailed, so now i'm working toward a Fat Tuesday reveal. it turned out really well. i'll post a picture later assuming i actually am able to mail the reveal gift!
these are just some random pictures of the kids. mikey loves to cozy up with his sisters when they are under covers. he's such a little snuggle bug.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Las Señoritas
The girls were so excited to put on these dresses again that they got from their cousins when Maria went Spain in the summer 2005.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Weekend update
Pretty much our usual routines. Maria went to a roller skating party with her friend Katherine from school. Carmen had a swimming party the next day, Sunday, but the timing wasn't good and it was out in Dexter so we did not make it. Although, LeighAnne and I got a chance to go out to eat out after mass last Sunday thanks to a gift from Christina and Kevin. We had some great calamari, steak and shrimp and have enough money left over to go again two more times. Maria finished a school project yesterday on healthy and unhealthy foods. We spent the evening cutting out photos from magazines and grocery store fliers. I got a chance to do lunch duty at school last week also. It is amazing how well behaved the kids are at school. The girls had the day off from school yesterday so they had a sleep over at Grandma Paula's which gave me a chance to do some work. We're planning to visit Grandma Alice this weekend and possibly Grandma Rose & Grandpa Bob too if they end up going to Sturgis.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Saturday, January 05, 2008
sledding at the park
A few years ago Maria and Carmen went sledding down this hill when there was just a thin coat of ice and went about twice as far, stopping just short of Tonquish Creek as we watched helplessly. No one else was sledding at the time so we had no idea how far they would go. Maria thought to stick her feet out and stop the sled just before they went in. Just one of the many times their Guardian Angels help them. Naturally, they wanted to go right back down again.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Happy New Year
We can add shovels to Mikey's list of toys along with vacuum cleaners, brooms and all electronic gadgets.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)