I have felt so blessed to be able to be a part of Tom’s life for the last several years--he is such a pleasant and encouraging person to be around. I know many people who would agree with me that just talking to him cheers them up and brightens their day. His good character never ceases to amaze me, especially since he acts just the same at home as he does when he is with other people. There seems to be no greater test of a person’s true character than when things aren’t going right, and there is no one around that they have to "impress". When Tom and I were preparing to get married, people would warn me that after you get married, things change, and the "real person" that you married comes out. I tried to prepare myself that he wasn’t always going to be so amazing—that he would have bad days as well as good ones, and he wouldn’t always be so totally loving and thoughtful. The months started passing, and I never saw him change. Almost three years of marriage have passed now, and I’m still waiting! He still has not changed. He remains so extremely patient, thoughtful, loving, and gracious. It has been very special for me that he is so gentle, too, and has never once in all our married life gotten angry. Do you think I’m exaggerating? Then come live with us for awhile. ;) I have not for one second felt worthy of marrying such a man!
"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." ~Proverbs 16:32
"Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?" ~Proverbs 20:6
Happy Birthday, Tom!!!
On Saturday we had a birthday party at our house for Michael and Bethany's birthdays with some of Tom's extended family. It is kind of convenient having both their birthdays in one month! :) It was a lot of fun, and we were blessed by all those who sacrificed their Saturday to come spend time with us.
Last week it became official that Tom is changing jobs! He accepted a job offer to be a probate attorney at our local courthouse. We weren't looking for a job change, as we were very content before, but the Lord opened up this opportunity, and we both felt like it was His will to accept it. It will be quite different for Tom to work for the government, but there will be lots of nice benefits, too--even getting off holidays like Caesar Chavez Day (who exactly is this guy anyway?)!! One of the biggest adjustments of the new job will be that he will have a strict 8:00-5:00 schedule, with a one hour lunch break. Previously Tom had been working much more flexible hours--often going to work later and coming home later. Thankfully, the court is quite close to our house, and he will still be able to come home for lunch--though we are going to have to watch the clock a little closer!
I think my rather unique ways of entertaining the children is starting to wear off on Tom. The other day, he kindly took over the task of making breakfast. With an eager, grumpy, and hungry audience, he proceeded to make scrambled eggs. The children were adequately entertained as Daddy waltzed through the kitchen, olive oil in hand, and then attempted to dramatically break the eggs one by one about 1 1/2 feet above the pan. Unfortunately, eggs don't always fall that gracefully from a height like that, and the kitchen had some "battle scars" leftover from the drama. Though the cooking show was intended for the little ones, I ended up chuckling quite a bit from my station at the sink. Whatever happens to parents anyway?
Recently we bought a car seat for Michael, and moved Bethany to his old one. We intended to use Bethany's baby car seat for the new baby, and have three car seats in the back seat. Unfortunately, when we tried to fit three back there, they just wouldn't fit, no matter how we arranged them. I started feeling some panic, but Tom just smiled and said that it will be fun to see how the Lord will guide us through this little snag, just like He has all the times before. The first thing we are going to try is to see if we can replace one of our car seats with a narrower one!
Finally I finished the project of making curtains for the shelves in the den. I never would have been able to do it without my sweet and creative mother, though! She is an expert when it comes to making rooms look more attractive on a small budget. I love learning from her! With gray plastic tubs lining the top of the shelves, and the rest of them covered in curtains, the room actually looks organized now (*gasp*). Let's not look any farther, though...I think the curtains can stay closed. ;)
On looking young, but feeling old.....
Last week I was approached by a salesperson that was going door-to-door. After looking me over, he hesitantly asked, "Are you the Mrs?" This made me chuckle, like it always does when people can't decide how old I am. Ever since I was in my teens, I have apparently looked way younger than I am. It used to bother me...after all, what 18 year old likes to hear the astonished mailman declare that they look 13? However, now it is just a source of great amusement for me. My grandma had the same problem when she was a young mother, and would have to explain to the person at the door that no--her mother was not home--she was the mother! I have not been asked to get my mother yet, but I have been collecting a small repertoire of phrases from different people--"Are you the lady of the house?"..."Are you the Mrs?"...and my all-time favorite from the plumber who needed me to sign something--"Are you 18 or over?"! :)
Though I am enjoying looking young, I must say that the rest of me is not cooperating with my outer appearance. With the busy days we've had recently, I think my sleep-deprived brain is getting the best of me. Today I was working in the kitchen, and found myself putting a pan of leftover lasagna in a kitchen drawer!! I wonder--am I safe to have around?!
This week is looking like it will be a little more slow-paced. An extra hour or two of sleep would be much appreciated...I guess I will have to talk to Michael and Bethany about that! :)
As I think back on what was happening in our lives exactly one year ago, I can't help but feel so grateful to the Lord for all He has done for us! Bethany Anne was born at 4:20 AM, and only about 12 hours later, she was admitted to the NICU. It was so horrible to leave her there--our precious little girl! The Lord gave us so much grace, though, as He always does when we face trials. In fact, as I look back on Bethany's time there, I can't believe how much comfort the Lord brought us. He gave us so much strength physically and emotionally. He is so good and loving to us! We are so grateful to Him for our beloved little girl!
Sweet little Bethy is sick today with a cold and cough, which also brings back memories of last year (only she was a lot sicker then!). I guess I will have to put a limit on how much cake she eats tonight! :)
Bethany has been making us laugh recently by how much she likes a certain lace doily in the living room. She loves to put it on her head, or drape it around her shoulders like a shawl. She is definitely 100% girl! It is amazing and funny to us how you don't have to teach a girl to be feminine and a boy to be masculine! It is inborn! Today when she put the doily around her shoulders, I snapped a picture of it. :) She is so much fun for us!
We had a special time celebrating Good Friday last week, with a time of remembrance in the evening, focusing on Jesus' amazing sacrifice and love for us. When I was growing up, my family would set up a cross made out of branches or wood around that time. I always enjoyed that tradition, and did the same for our house this year. For Easter, I decorated the cross with white lights and pretty fake flowers.
Since Michael and Bethany are sick with colds, we didn't go to church on Easter in order to not share our germs. Tom's parents' wanted us to come over anyways, though, as we had originally planned. Before we left that morning, Bethy delighted us by taking her first step without holding on to anything! Around lunch time we piled in the car and headed to Grandpa and Grammy's, where they had a special meal waiting for us.
Because Easter is around Michael and Bethany's birthdays, we also had a little party for them on that day. Tom's mom had made two little cakes--one for each of them. Michael surprised us by blowing out one of his candles (we didn't think he knew how!). Bethy's reaction to her little cake was extremely funny--especially in comparison to Michael on his first birthday (he had cried when he got frosting on his fingers from touching the cake.) Bethy's reaction to her first birthday cake was very different. She picked up the whole thing (candle and all), and tried to stuff it in her mouth all at once!! :) It was so funny watching her try to cram it all in! After cake, the children opened some presents from Grandpa and Grammy. They got some really nice toys! Probably the highlight of that time was seeing how much fun Michael had with the new little basketball hoop! :)
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