"I have been crying, and it has done me good."

That's a line from a book I've never read, The Romance of Judge Ketchum by Horace Annesley Vachell.  I was looking for a nice line about crying, and that one came up.

“I have been crying," she replied, simply, "and it has done me good. It helps a woman you know, just as swearing helps a man.” 

Do you ever get overwhelmed?  I do.  Except lately, I've been overwhelmed by happiness, and with joy.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all.  I can't really put into words how stinking awesome it is to feel grateful and happy and loved and just plain amazed by all the wonderful things God has given me.  I mean, obviously I don't feel like that all the time -- I'm not sure that's possible without being heavily medicated.  But lately... Yeah.  It's been really great to be aware of the positives outnumbering the negatives.

The only thing is, I tend to cry when I feel happy.

So I've been crying a lot.

Watching my daughters make up their own handshake.  Sniffles.

Seeing a man bring his elderly neighbor's trash can up from the road so she doesn't have to.  Tears.

Anytime I see an older couple holding hands.  Sobs.

And for all I know, it could be an adulterous octogenarian couple, really.  But I'm still going to cry happy tears thinking about the possibility of two people being in love and together for so many years.  And then I'm going to cry some more as I think about being that age and still crazy in love with The Husband, and holding his hand as we shuffle through Target (because any good date ends at Target), and then maybe we can bring happy tears to the eyes of a middle aged woman who sees us.

So if you know me in real life, and you see me with tears streaming down my face, don't worry too much.  I probably just saw a baby smile or something.  It's all good.

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  James 1:17

Not a fan of Valentine's Day? I love you, anyway.

Last week during the Super Bowl, my news feed on Facebook was at war with itself -- almost every single post was about the halftime show, and people either loved it or hated it.  There was no in between!

Apparently, the same goes for Valentine's Day.

I. Love. Valentine's.

No, it's not because it's the ONLY day The Husband and I celebrate our love.  We do that every day.  No, no, no, not like that!!  I mean, he does it when he goes to work, because I know he works to provide for our family.  He knows that my taking care of the house is an expression of love -- in our home, love is never having to say, "Babe, I'm out of shorts."

There's a zillion different ways we express our love.

But what's wrong with going a little above and beyond on one special day?

I mean, should we wait until Mother's Day to tell our moms we love them?  Father's Day for our dads?  Birthdays to celebrate that someone is alive?

Psh.  No.  Really, we should be doing those things all the time.  And sometimes we don't.

So what's the harm in having that one day to make a big fuss over it?

NO HARM AT ALL.

Just like there's no harm in Valentine's, my friends.  None.  Some people need Hallmark to say what they can't.  Some people need to hold a box of chocolates or some flowers to know that they're being thought of.

And some people just want an excuse to do a little extra to show someone special how much they care for them.  Because, frankly, I don't want The Husband to bring chocolates out of the blue on a random day.  I mean, I have to prepare for special occasions with the right amount of planning my meals around the calories I'll have if I eat out!  If I get a box of chocolate out of nowhere, I just get really frustrated, and he knows that! And I don't want him to get me a card every other week or something, because dude.  Have you seen how much cards cost now??

Aside from that, it's great day to celebrate LOVE in general.  Don't have a significant other?  Do you have friends?  Celebrate the love you have for them.  I've been single on Valentine's Day before.  I got together with other single friends and had a great time!  My daughters don't have boyfriends but still enjoyed getting cards for all of their little buddies!  No friends?  (Really?)  You have family.  Break from the mold and tell your parents or your grandparents or your favorite aunt you love them on a day other than designated holiday.

But if you still think Valentine's is made up (which isn't true), or something Hallmark has exploited (gee, a card company wanting you to buy more cards, SHOCKING!), I hope you have a Happy Monday and enjoy celebrating the love in your life every single day, since that appears to be what you do.  You're an inspiration to the rest of us!

Can I get a patent on this?

So we all know that moms aren't supposed to get sick.

I was thinking about that today as I tried to sit still and rest my injured back.  As I tried to take 15 minutes to lay down with a heating pad while my darling girls played together peacefully, without making a mess.

As I actually did laundry, dropped the girls off and picked them up from school, maintained order and generally did everything I would normally do, only under the influence of ibuprofen and wincing in pain with every movement.

So moms can't get sick.  

So you know what we need?

Walk-in clinics just for moms.

Except there would be no doctors, because moms already know what's wrong with them, what to take for it, and how long they need to rest before they're back to 100%.

What there would be... Individual rooms set up with Sleep Number beds and Memory Foam pillows, and down alternative comforters (no feathers in case it's allergies that have brought you there).  There would be Snuggies and fuzzy socks.  

There would be laptops and televisions that have Nick Jr., Disney and PBS blocked.  (And, just for good measure, ESPN.)  On the nightstand, an iPad with Pandora, Kindle, and a wide selection of games that you loaded on to your own smartphone "for the kids".

Worried about the kids or their dad calling?  Fear not.  The receptionist collects your phone as you enter and screens your calls.  Your phone will only be brought to you for true emergencies.  The receptionist will be able to provide phone numbers for a variety of take-out places for your family's dining needs in your absence.  Or tell your husband exactly how long to put the chicken nuggets in the microwave.

There would also be room service.  The menu would be super thick.  And since this is my dream, calories would be removed.  Every meal is delivered by a husband-type waiter who smiles sweetly at you as he sets up your table and asks you how you're feeling and if he can get you anything else.  

The words Mom, Mommy, Mama, and Mother are forbidden.

And then, when you're feeling better, when you're feeling rested and refreshed, you simply leave the room.  You don't strip the bed or put the Snuggie and fuzzy socks in the laundry, you don't tidy up the dishes.  You just leave the room, get your phone from the receptionist, and head home, ready to return to life as Mom.

An Adorable Christmas. Even though Santa Claus died.

A while back I mentioned that I wasn't only slacking on this blog, but my family blog as well.  So I introduced my girls, otherwise known as The Adorables, to this blog.

They're ba-aaaack.

And.

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE CUTE!

Li'l Bit & Mini Me share an excited hug as they wait to hang ornaments on the tree.

The Husband put up our tree, and the girls hung the ornaments.  They did a great job, too!  Mostly because they are excellent at following directions.  I pointed, they hung, and everyone was happy.

This past weekend was the children's Christmas concert at church.  Mini Me's dance class performed once, and she also sang with her choir.  She has come a long way from going up on stage and turning her back to the audience! (True story.)

Li'l Bit was in choir for the first time this year, but it wasn't her first time on stage attempting to sing.  At her preschool Christmas concert, in front of fewer people, she cried until she was able to sit in her teacher's lap.  At the end of the year concert, she didn't cry, but she also didn't sing.  This year...

She sang, and she looked so incredibly sweet doing it!  And to top it all off, she managed to make it through the rest of the concert without making a big fuss.  That may have been because I let her play Chuzzles on my phone part of the time, but you know, whatever.

So, if you read my last post, you know I said that we do Santa here. Turns out it's not going to be that easy.

Last year was the first year that we had a tree and did presents for the girls.  Mini Me had just turned 6 at the time, and although she didn't seem to make a big fuss about Santa coming in the first place, she was very curious as to how I was able to return a gift that Santa had brought them.  

Oops.

Mini Me was told by a friend last year that Santa isn't real, but it didn't phase her.  She heard it again this year and started asking questions.  The Husband decided that he would tell her the story of St. Nicholas to try and explain where the idea of Santa Claus came from.  Not a bad idea, right?

Well.  What Mini Me has held on to from The Husband's story of St. Nicholas is that

SANTA CLAUS IS DEAD.

He was a man who lived a long time ago and he was really generous, and he is dead.

She has told a friend at school that Santa Claus died a long time ago, and I am just waiting for the parent of that traumatized little girl to call me.

I told The Husband that I think we're going to have to come clean, and do a much better job explaining the whole St. Nicholas thing.

Because it's one thing to have the kid that tells everyone that Santa isn't real.

It's quite another to have the kid that's telling everyone that SANTA CLAUS IS DEAD.

You're a mean one, Mrs. Grinch.

Now that the love-fest for The Husband is over (on the blog, at least -- not in real life), and we're now in December, I suppose I have to start thinking about Christmas.

Yep.  I suppose I have to start thinking about Christmas.

For some reason, it's been a challenge for me to get into the Christmas spirit the last couple of years.

Conversations like this one might have something to do with it:

(By the way, no, that's not supposed to be Sarah Palin.)  I do not understand why we have to have heated debates about things like that.  If you don't want to utilize Santa, then don't.  If you do, go ahead.  I believed in Santa, and I never felt deceived by my parents, nor did it shake my faith in anything else.  But if I thought that one or both of my girls was going to question every single thing I said to them because I LIED to them about the reality of Santa Claus, then I would rethink my position.

But the thing is... Does it really matter?  REALLY?  First of all, every family gets to pick for themselves what they're going to do.  Will they decorate in order to win some kind of contest for their neighborhood?  Fine.  Decorate because they're throwing a party for Jesus' birthday?  Good for them.  TO EACH HIS OR HER OWN.

Second... What the heck kind of picture of Christianity are we showing when we're going to pit ourselves against each other over something so trivial?!?  Especially at this time of year!

Like, the whole "happy holidays" thing.  Do you really expect retailers to only say "Merry Christmas" when they want to take money from all consumers, including the ones who only celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Winterval?  Saying "happy holidays" is safe for them! 

Instead of griping about it, why not spend time actually making someone's holiday, whatever holiday that may be, happy?  Bring a little comfort and joy into someone's life.  I'm pretty sure that's one answer to the whole WWJD question, right?

As for me and my house, Christmas is about Christ.  It's about God sending His Son to this earth for us.  For me.  Telling our girls about the greatest gift ever.  Singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.  

And for the next few years, it's also going to be about the excited voices coming from the back seat every time we pass a house that's all lit up.  Teaching them when to sing "like a light bulb" or "like Pinocchio" during Rudolph.  And seeing them tear into their three gifts each.

And hopefully, thinking about others who don't have a merry anything at this time of year.  No, not just thinking about them, doing something for them.  Appreciating what we have and being so grateful for it, and wanting those less fortunate to have something to be grateful for.

Day Thirty. IDK, my BFF?

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives

"...This is my beloved, and this is my friend..."  Song of Solomon 5:16b

Today, the final day, she talks about appreciating the wonder of his friendship.

The Husband is my best friend.

But do I treat him the same way I do my other friends?  I make time for my girlfriends.  I look forward to spending time with them.  I try to be on my best behavior when I'm with them.

And you know what?  Even my closest, dearest friends haven't done for me all that The Husband has.  

He should get the best of me.

And I am so glad that he is my best friend on earth.  I don't ever feel like I have to wear any masks with him, I can tell him anything, we can have fun no matter where we are or what we are doing.

My Husband, on November 29th, 2002, I married my best friend.  But even then, I didn't have any idea just how amazing of a friend you would be to me.  Or how amazing you would be to me in every way as my husband.  I hope you've been able to tell just how incredible I think you are over the past thirty days, and I pray that I will be able to keep showing you how much I love you and how grateful I am for you.  In the way I talk to you, in my actions, and maybe a few more blog posts now and then.  :-)  Thank you for being the kind of man who makes a challenge like this so dang easy.

I love you so so so so so much.  

To read what this is all about, click here.

Day Twenty-Nine. Flee youthful lusts.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives

"A prudent man foresees evil, and hides himself; the simple pass on, and are punished." Proverbs 27:12

She asks if The Husband recognizes and avoids evil.  She asks if he turns his back on pornography, sexual temptations, and the urge to lie and cheat.

I am very, very thankful that I don't worry about what The Husband does on our computer.  I am very, very thankful that we're content watching movies on TV, where they're edited.

I am very, very, very, very, very thankful that when The Husband is sent away on business, I know that when he's done with work, he is back in his hotel room and he is alone.

And in case any Debbie Downers are reading, I know there's no way for me to know that he's alone, but...  You know what?  Poo on you, I do know he's alone.  Because I trust him and I know that being faithful and steering clear of temptation is important to him.

I know that he doesn't lie to me.  I know that he doesn't lie in general, to anyone.  I can't even imagine it being an urge to him in the first place.

What a weight off my shoulders -- to not have to think about those things.

My Husband, I can barely put into words how grateful I am that you are a man who recognizes evil and avoids it like the plague.  That I can trust you to not look at things on the computer or on TV that would make your mind wander.  That you don't put yourself in situations where you are likely to be tempted.  Thank you for living in a way that brings me such peace.  For living a faithful life intentionally, to be obedient to God and to show me so much love.

Happy Anniversary, Baby.  I love you more than words could ever express.

To read what this is all about, click here.