Sappy Alert....

We've never been big Valentine's Day people around here.  Except for Abbie.  She uses any occasion to "do something."  She is going to be one of those people who make their Valentine's from scratch and decorates the whole house for each holiday.  Which is fine.  It is good.  I awoke early this morning with our kitchen/den aka The Great Room, decorated for the day.  She and James stayed awake and hung banners and put cut out hearts on everything.  And then they fell asleep on the couch.  And I looked at her in wonder because she is so full of life and enjoys it to the fullest.  I LOVE that she gets excited about cutting about 200 little paper hearts and coloring each one.

Her mother-not so much.

I prefer watching things like this video.  It made me cry.  I think I might have posted it a long time ago, but I can't remember and don't want to spend time looking it up.  It doesn't matter though, because it is that good.

You see, I got to see this lived out right next to me. This is one of the reasons family is so important.  Not only did Mark and I see commitment lived out day in and day out, but our children saw it too.  And it matters. 

If you watch have some tissues ready.

For Mark....

We just had a monster of a monsoon and it flooded our pasture in a matter of minutes.  Abbie and James grabbed the kayak and off they headed.

Mark, thank you for working so hard so the kids can have days like this. Just think of the memories they are making.

And for everyone else, they both had school this morning. Promise.  This was right after lunch.  Abbie still has her language to finish up and she will do it as soon as she gets out of her wet clothes. 

Oh and Matt wanted me to point out that this was HIS kayak.  Since its our only kayak I'm not sure why he thought it would need clarification, but Mark, this is Matt's kayak.

For Lovebirds Only....

 Yesterday was our 18th anniversary, and since Mark was out going to be out of town, Abbie and James treated us to a "Lovebird Breakfast" Saturday morning.  Abbie was the chef and James was the waiter.  They provided us with a menu which stated was "For Lovebirds Only" and we had our choice of eggs, pancakes, or oatmeal. 

 They had set up the table the night before with very clear instructions for us that we could not go in that room.  They even made their momma's day by placing mini-Hershey bars on our plates as we entered. I didn't get to eat mine because James wanted it, but it was a nice thought.

 James did double-duty and played the piano for us while we ate. That was very interesting since he knows no piano except for the little bit Abbie has taught him which consists of the "da-da--da-dummmmm" that you hear on scary movies.  But he looked really cute anyway.

The "lovebirds" with the youngest baby bird.  It got the morning off to a great start and it only took us three days to get that room back to normal.

Love these children!  And love the man who married me 18 years ago!

Monday Morning....

I heard a rumor that there is a little holiday coming tomorrow called Valentine's Day?

You know, after being married for 17 years things like Valentine's Day take on completely new meanings. Its fun to do sweet and unexpected things for each other, but its real love to do the same ole same ole day in and day out for each other. And knowing that every night he will be home with me and our family and that he will fight for and protect our family no matter what is worth far more than flowers and chocolates. Ladies, if you have that kind of man, find a way to show him this week how much he means to you.

Source: ny-image0.etsy.com via Wendy on Pinterest

My New Most Favorite Blog In The Whole Wide World....

(Not that I might be a little overly dramatic about this one, or anything)

Okay, somehow I came across this blog and I laughed and laughed and then I went back and laughed some more.

You know all those Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" posters up on Pinterest? Well, some very smart hilarious woman has made them into Ryan Gosling Homeschool "Hey Girls" and they are very clever and hilarious. My personal favorite so far is the, "Hysterical child on the phone who won't do his math assignment" one. Go ahead, check it out and come back. Cause I have an idea.

~~~~~~
See? Told you they were great.

Now, Ryan is cute and all that, but he doesn't have a thing on my Sweet Hubby. Not a thing.

So, last night I had an idea. I am going to print out pictures of Mark, put these homeschooling quotes on them, laminate them and they are going on my fridge, my planning notebook, my mirror, on the washing machine (cause you know it has a crush on me, right?), wherever I go throughout the day. This way I can oogle my very own-good looking man and laugh.

How about you? Would your hubby make a great homeschooling "Hey Girl" guy?

Love and Marriage, Love and Marriage....

A couple of nights ago I asked Mark what was his favorite thing about me.

He thought for a little while and then said, and I'm not kidding,

"You try hard."

That wasn't really what I was looking to hear.

After he explained himself I got what he was saying and even though its not the most romantic answer I understood what he meant.

And then, because I can't leave well enough, I said,

"Well, what's the second best thing you like about me?"

He thought and thought and then said,

"You mean well...."

So there you go ladies-I am MamaHen and I try hard and I mean well. Nice to know you.

Sorry Ladies...

But he is mine.

This is one of my most favorite pictures of Mark and our kiddos.

When I saw him 18 years ago, sitting in the cafeteria at our college, I knew.

I didn't know the details, the how or the when.

But I knew.

What a man, what a man (and kiddos too)...

Okay, IF I EVER proceed to ToysRUs on the Saturday before Christmas~~you have my permission to come to my house and slap me silly. And I'm not kidding.

This morning I set out bright and early to do our shopping for the kiddos. Mark and I usually go together, have a nice dinner together, and then divide and conquer in the stores. It just wasn't going to work out this year so we decided Mark would stay home with the kiddos and I would go it alone.

Ya'll, it was crazy. I went from either being mad that this is what Christmas is~just a bunch of gifts and spending money that could be spent on something more worthy. To being excited I was finding the gift I was looking for, and then anxiety-ridden as I worried about the gifts I could not find and could not even think of what to get a certain child in my household who is the HARDEST child ever to buy for. To feeling all claustrophobic as more and more people tried to get down the little aisles with buggies loaded to overflowing.

Every year I vow not to do this anymore. And I hate it that I do it over and over again. There has got to be a better way.

Okay, end of complaining.

After the shopping I was tired, grouchy, and my foot hurt. (I tripped over the cat the other day and hurt my foot). Walking a lot did not help. I was dreading coming home (not to the family, but to the mess). And lo and behold my family had given me the best gift ever. My hubby knows me so well and he knew how I feel when things are out of control in the house.

He and the kids worked the whole time I was gone and my house looks awesome! Will someone please come visit me tonight? Please? I need this to be documented. They scrubbed, they moved furniture and cleaned out from under it. Mark even mopped!!!!! Words can't even do it justice to how clean it is.

Abbie cleaned the kitchen like nobody's business. She even got an old toothbrush and scrubbed the edges of the kitchen. Mark scrubbed the stove so hard it scrubbed the numbers off my stove dials. But I'm not complaining. The boys worked so hard too. It looks so good I don't want to do anything but sit and look.

But, I'm off to find something super-special to fix my man for supper tonight. And he might get some smooches too!

Rita and Lenny (a love note to my hubby)

It's raining here at my house and even though it is 7:46 AM three of my four are still in the bed. I am just enjoying some computer time and listening to the rain. Eventually we will have to get started on the morning and start school, but for right now I am enjoying the peacefulness. I was looking through the archives at Holy Experience and came across this. I had to share it.

I hope you get lots of time with your Lenny this weekend. Smooch him and hug him and laugh with him. My Lenny is having a lot of stress this week and I am going to try to make this a relaxing weekend for him.

I love you my Sweet Hubby!

16

Mrs. Wendy Clark, Mrs. Wendy Clark, Mrs. Wendy Clark..........

Today I have been Mrs. Wendy Clark for 16 years and I still like writing that on my checks. The first time I wrote it on our new checks (with both our names on it!!!!) I was thrilled.

And I am still thrilled today.

Happy Anniversary Baby!

Happy Bday to My Sweet Hubby

Today is Sweet Hubby's (aka PappaRooster) birthday. And we are celebrating like it is....

well Friday.

He had to work today and we are doing school. But don't worry Sweet Hubby. The kids and I are cooking something up for you tonight and I am fixing your favorite beef stew. And cherry pie.

I'll be kind and won't mention how old he is, but I will say that I am 37 and he is 6 1/2 years older than me.

Love you honey!

Honeymoons

Don't you just wish you could go back to your 21 year old self for one hour and tell her all she needs to know to get through the next 15 years with grace and style? I was 21 years old when I got married. And a very sheltered 21 year old (for which I am very thankful), but I didn't know a thing. Mark wanted to go a a cruise for our honeymoon. I was too scared. I just knew the ship would sink. Mark wanted to go to the beach. I hated the beach. (Just the fact that Mark would marry me still after he realized how much I hated the beach shows how much he DOES love me. He loves the beach and would live there if he could). I am lily-white and I just knew I would spend my honeymoon sunburnt and miserable. And plus, I don't like to be hot and sweaty. Mark really is not a big mountains person,but he would have went to the mountains, but I just knew Mark would be miserable and who wants a miserable husband on their honeymoon. Has anyone caught on to how much I "knew" at 21?

So, two weeks before the wedding Mark is still trying to figure out the honeymoon location. I'm sure at this point he would have settled for anywhere, just so he wouldn't have to call me anymore and say "What about....?" He finally settled on New Orleans, it was still on land, there was no beach, and he had been there before so he KNEW he would not be miserable.

We went and had a wonderful time. As an aside, did ya'll know I called my daddy from the hotel to let him know "we had gotten there." Even in college it was so ingrained in me to call someone when I got "there" I called MY DADDY FROM THE HOTEL to tell him I had arrived in MY HOTEL ROOM WITH MY NEW HUSBAND. It did not seem awkward at all to me, but I'm sure it did to my dad, so sorry dad. And I'm sure Mark was like, "What the heck is going on here?"

There is a lot to do in New Orleans, Jackson Square, the aquarium, all the wonderful restaurants. But ya'll in August it is HOT. Even hotter than Birmingham if that is possible. In all the pictures we look like limp dishrags from the heat. But, we had a good time and we would like to go back and see the restoration. But not in August, no thank you mam.

We stayed for 6 days and then came back to the real world. But I loved my real world, our little four room apartment and me cooking dinner after school each day (we were married the summer between my junior and senior year) and Mark coming home to me each night. Four, and hopefully soon to be five children later, it just keeps getting better and I love that Mark still comes home to me each night. Its not always roses, and pretty, and sweet, no marriage is, but it's good for us.

So tell me, where did you honeymoon, and did you call your dad when you got there?

Well It's Wednesday

It's been Wednesday all day long and it's been a loooong one. We started mini-school back yesterday and so far so good. Everything went very smoothly. Usually we have a few glips in the system as we get started.

Child Fuss and Child Fight have been at it for about the last two hours. It has ranged from, "He's looking at me!" to "She put her foot over in my section of the couch!" They are either going to be the most-prepared young adults for marriage or the most ill-prepared. It literally makes me tired to hear it all the time.

But, the good news on the homefront~James is sleeping today. Yesterday he stayed in the bed for two hours playing with his little toys and looking at books. I am not really complaining, because I think it is wonderful he can entertain himself for two hours and get some rest time, but at 6:30 last night it was rough. You know how they want something, but even they don't know what it is, and there is nothing you can do to make things right for them. He was so tired he was stumbling around. So, today should be better.

No news on the adoption front. We are just waiting. I am excited, but I have a quiet confidence (most of the time) in God's timing. I am trying to, as Rebekah says, "let God's timing be His perfect gift to me." I can't wait to see her and begin to learn about her and have her in our family.

Don't forget to go over to Jill's blog and enter to win her giveaway. I'm not sure how long she will keep it open, but she is giving away a gorgeous purse.

Well, enough rambling for now.

This will be Pappa Rooster and me after 62 years of marriage. Except we don't play the piano. But when the lady falls down and the man just looks at her and carries on, that's us...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI-l0tK8Ok0

Sunday

This was a good Sunday. All the kids were excited because today was Promotion Sunday at church. Abbie was especially excited to see her new classroom. The sermon was a guest speaker today and it was so good. It was about forgiveness and how it relates to our relationships, especially marriages. Even as Christians our actions are so marred by sin I think we must be in a continual mode of forgiveness, or the bitterness and resentment can become so strong. It was a good sermon to hear and one I need to hear over and over.

After church I froze some peas and made some fig preserves. Oh, my goodness, it is just like eating candy! I would like to think they might have retained some nutrional value, but after all the sugar I put on it I doubt it! When James got up from his nap we all went outside. Mark and I sat in the swing and watched the kids play. And then, best of all Mark grilled hamburgers so I had no cooking and very little cleanup. Mark can make some excellent hamburgers! I ran inside to get my camera b/c the kids were having so much fun.