Day Nine: Whatta Man.

Monday was my husband's thirty-fourth birthday.  When we first met, he was twenty two.  Damn, that's a long time.  If you've read A Borrowed Blog, you have a pretty good insight of our story.  If you haven't read it, I definitely would encourage you to - it's a good read if you're into love stories and happily-ever-afters.  I'll wait if you want to go check it out. 

--waiting--

--still waiting--

Hey, you wanna hear a joke?  Nevermind, that will just distract you - and me, I'm sure.

--waiting just a little bit longer--

You're back!  Great!  So, now that you have a background on me and M (or as you just read RayH7), I can proceed.  Our story gives you ups and downs and facts, but it didn't really talk about the people behind us.  You've gotten to know me through my writings, and through "Dino Who?"  And I tell you stories about M and our daughter G, but in honor of his birthday, I want to take the time to share with you the man behind the letter M.

When I first met M, I had just turned eighteen.  We met - online - the following month for the first time.  I had just broken up with this other dude, and was still pretty comfortably sitting on the I-hate-men bandwagon...at least as comfortable as an eighteen year old senior in high school can be.  The last thing I wanted was another bad experience with a member of the male species.

Me and M hit it off right from the start.  He was different than other guys.  We shared the same faith foundation, and for me, that was the number one must have in a man.  He also took the time to really get to know me - my likes, my dislikes...what makes me laugh, what makes me cry.  He was a friend...a real friend.  Building on top of our shared faith, came the honesty of friendship from which grew love.  Our official journey together began in 2001, and we've been together ever since.  I've watched him grow from a twenty two year old college kid into a very well-rounded, respectable man. 

Together, over the past almost twelve years, we've experienced highs and lows just like any other couple.  Through it all, we've endured.  M has been my rock.  He's been my best friend when I had nobody else.  He's seen me at my absolute worst - emotionally, physically, psychologically - and loved me anyway.  He's loved me through the many screw ups I've made in our relationship, or in my own personal endeavors.  He is the most hard working man I know.  Honest.  Trustworthy.  Loyal.  He's a wonderful father to our little girl.  He takes care of us.  He's respectable and respectful.  He cooks.  He cleans.  He does laundry.  He's my comic relief...my therapist...my best friend.  He stays positive during the hard times.  He knows when to hold his tongue.  He stands up for what he believes in even when it's not popular.  He owns up to his faults, and he's man enough to apologize when he's in the wrong.  He provides for his family.  He's genuine.  A lover.  A fighter.  A football fanatic.  He's smart.  He's strong.  He's gentle.  He's a good man.  He's mine. 

I love you, Mr. M. 

Day Eight: Freedom.

Daddy.

So often when people here the words freedom or liberty or any word that's remotely patriotic, their brains go immediately to politics.  And people get ugly over politics.  I mean, ugly!  Well, you can relax and keep reading...this isn't going to turn into a political debate.

I've been thinking about this post since the beginning of November.  I knew when I started my series on A Month of Thanks, that once November 11th rolled around, I wanted to write something special in honor of Veteran's Day.  Now that the day is here, I've got a serious case of blogger's block - it's like writer's block, but different.  And yes, I made that up.  Cheesy.  Because of the brain blockage I'm experiencing, I've decided to start typing and hope that my fingers say what they're supposed too.


Military careers run deep in my family.  I have a hand full of uncles who have served, along with cousins, my father-in-law, grandfather, my husband and my dad.  Combined, they represent the United States Army, USAF, Marine Corps and the Navy.  I'm partial to the USAF since that is the branch my husband served in, but at heart I'll always be a bigger fan of the U.S. Army.  But, shhhh!  Don't tell my husband.  HOOAH!

Daddy back in 1968, Vietnam.

My dad was in the Army - that's the branch I grew up hearing about which would explain my love for it.  My sister, brother, and I have heard countless stories throughout the years - of battle and war, of sacrifice, of the price of freedom.  We weren't the usual military brats that most people assume.  My dad was out of the service before he even met my mom, so we never got the chance to fit the military brat stereotype.  Such a shame.

My dad served in Vietnam in the late 1960s.  In his faith testimony he always pokes fun at the Army's slogan Be All That You Can Be...he jokes, "Or in my case, it's be half of what you used to be."  When he enlisted, he was 6'7".  When he was discharged, he was 4'4".  Dad lost both of his legs from a claymore mine explosion.  He tells us he was walking along, and then there was a flash of light, a ringing, and heat.  The heat from the blast was actually a blessing in disguise - it cauterized the arteries in his legs, which in turn saved him from bleeding too death.  He spent several months recovering in Walter Reed Hospital before going home. 

I've given you just a glimpse of my dad's story.  He, like so many other brave men and women, have served and fought - proudly - for our country.  As civilians, many of us can't begin to grasp the level of sacrifice that our soldiers put forth every day.  My dad's sacrifice was his time, his blood, and his ability to walk.  For others it's the sweat of their brow, time away from their families, and putting themselves in harm's way.  And then their are some who give the ultimate sacrifice - their lives.

I could write for days on my love for our country, for our men and women in uniform, and for the freedoms we practice in the United States.  But I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes,

"For those that will fight for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected shall never know."

This Veteran's Day be thankful for the freedom we have, but most importantly be mindful of the ones who have sacrificed so much to give us that freedom.  

"American Soldier"

by Toby Keith

I'm just trying to be a father,

Raise a daughter and a son.

Be a lover to their mother

Everything to everyone.

Up and at 'em bright and early

I'm all business in my suit.

Yeah I'm dressed up for success

From my head down to my boots.

I don't do it for the money,

There's bills that I can't pay.

I don't do it for the glory,

I just do it anyway.

Providing for our future's my responsibility.

Yeah, I'm real good under pressure -

Being all that I can be.

I can't call in sick on Monday,

When the weekend's been too strong.

I just work straight through the holidays,

Sometimes all night long.

You can bet that I stand ready,

When the wolf cries at the door.

Hey I'm solid, 

Hey I'm steady, 

Hey I'm true down to the core.

I will always do my duty, no matter what the price.

I've counted up the cost,

I know the sacrifice.

And I don't wanna die for you, 

But if dying's asked of me

I'll bear that cross with honor, 

'Cause freedom don't come free.

I'm an American soldier, an American.

Beside my brothers and my sisters

I will proudly take a stand.

When liberty's in jeopardy,

I will always do what's right.

I'm out here on the front line

So, sleep in peace tonight.

American soldier, I'm an American soldier.

Day Seven: Weekend Getaways.

On day four of my Month of Thanks series, I wrote about my love for weekends.  The only thing I can think of that's better than a regular weekend is an extended weekend.  And the only thing that could make an extended weekend better is a weekend getaway.  This weekend, M and I are blessed to have not only an extended weekend, but we're also going on a weekend getaway.  And I can't wait!  We have not been able to have any kind of miniature vacation or escape since our honeymoon - over four years ago. 

We've had this little escape planned for about three months.  Earlier this evening, I dropped G off with her Grandmom and Poppy (my parents), and M and I went into immediate vacation mode.  We had dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant to kick off the weekend, and first thing in the morning we will hop on the road and head north.  Not only will we be able to catch up on sleep, a little lovin', and conversation, but the best part will be the quality us time.  We'll have no computers (which means I'll be on blogging hiatus for a couple of days), no crying baby, no dishes to wash, no cats to feed, no distractions whatsoever.  Just me and him.  Together.  Focused.  The way it's supposed to be.

Me & M on our last getaway - our honeymoon in 2007.

 

T-Shirts for Turkeys.

One of my favorite radio stations is The JoyFM.  I have listened to them since I was nineteen - over ten years now.  Their slogan or catchphrase, if you will, is "Helping You Find Joy".  And they do just that.  Stationed in Sarasota, Florida, they reach cities all across the state.  When I moved from home to Lakeland for school, I was happy to find a local broadcasting station.  These days, while I do listen in the car, most of my listening takes place in my office via their Listen Live tool on TheJoyFM.com.  It's a great source of encouragement especially on days when I'm dragging. 

Putting aside the music, encouragement, and goofiness that is shared over the airwaves, one of the biggest reasons I love this station is for the outreach.  For the past eight years, the people behind the JoyFM have headed up an event called T-Shirts for Turkeys.  What is it?  They set up at different locations within their listening area, and collect turkeys in an effort to feed the hungry during the Thanksgiving season.  This year they will have booths set up in Ocala, Sebring, Gainesville, New Port Richey, Tampa, St. Pete, and many other stops around central Florida.  All of the locations are at Publix Supermarkets, so they shouldn't be hard to find.  Not only will they be accepting frozen turkeys, but they will also accept "paper turkeys" - a ten-dollar donation to go toward the turkey fund.

If you'd like to help in a great cause, buy a turkey or bring a paper turkey, and look for the JoyFM booth in your area!  Please visit their website for more information:  T-Shirts for Turkeys. 

Day Six: 30 Years.

Today, I celebrate a milestone - my thirtieth birthday.  I can't believe it.  For me, it feels like your teens and twenties last forever.  Thirty seems so far away....until it's not.  My twenties were good.  I left home at twenty two, and moved three hours south, with my sister, for school.  Living on your own, you learn a lot about life...a lot about yourself.  I learned some things the hard way, and some things I learned from watching others.  I've had a lot of great experiences, and still have a lot of things I want to do - my bucket list grows every year.  In honor of my birthday, I've decided to make a list of thirty things - things I've either done, experienced, or describe the woman I've grown to be; and things I'd like to experience before this journey ends.  Some are silly, some are serious, some are just for laughs.  But no matter how you want to take it, here's to another thirty years! 

Cheers. 

1. I've fallen in love.
2. I traveled to the other side of the world - Japan to be exact.
3. I married my best friend.
4. I've given birth.  
5. I want to go to Greece.
6. I've gone skinny dipping.
7. I want to buy a house. 
8. I've been in a car accident that I should not have walked away from.
9. I grew up immersed in the world of wheelchair sports...particularly wheelchair basketball.
10. I want to have more children - soon.
11. I've never dated a white guy.
12. I didn't get my driver's license until I was eighteen. 
13. I want to visit all fifty states. 
14. I'm afraid of the dark - I really am.
15. I met my husband online.
16. I prefer rainy days over sunshine most of the time.
17. I've never been drunk. 
18. I'm a pianist.
19. I collect magnets.
20. I've learned that your Mom really is always right.
21. My husband was my first kiss.
22. I'm over six feet tall.
23. I've never carved a pumpkin.
24. I've lived in Florida my whole life. 
25. I want to go to the Olympics before I die. 
26. I went snorkeling in the East China Sea.
27. When I was nineteen, I was diagnosed with a bleeding disorder.
28. I'm a natural blonde.
29. My daughter has two middle names.
30. I've learned that true love does wait.

Day Five: A Day At The Park.

This past Sunday, my husband, daughter and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and headed to the park.  Seeing little G laughing and completely enjoying herself got me thinking about blog topics.  I thought about writing on the innocence of children, or child like faith, but as I flipped through the pictures I saw that they told the story better than I ever could.  Enjoy!

 

 

Day Four: Weekends.

I don't know a single person who doesn't merrily greet the weekend.  Personally, I've always been a fan of them, but I never really learned to appreciate them until my senior year in college.  That trend has carried on into my later years, as well. 

I majored in music, and we were always required to take a gazillion credit hours.  During my senior year, particularly my senior semester, I was taking nine classes (which added up to eighteen hours), working two jobs, preparing for my senior recital (I'm a pianist, so this required at least twelve to twenty hours of practice a week), interning, and planning a wedding.  My weeks were jam packed.  I remember days where every minute was scheduled - I'd start at 8:00a.m. and finally be home by 9:00p.m.  From class to work to my internship to the practice rooms to more class to more practicing...I barely had time to breathe let alone eat or sleep.  Man, I'm glad those days are over...but they were good days - some of the best I've ever had.  Although I was busy seven days a week, I still lived for my weekends.  A good portion of my Saturdays were usually spent sitting at a piano for hours on end, but I always made time for me, even if it was just a couple of hours.  Sometimes it was meeting up for coffee with my sister, Nutmeg...other times it was practice all day, and then date night with M.  Ahhh, dating my husband before he was my husband - those were good times.  I'm smiling at just the thought of it - I guess I'll be writing about that soon.  Back on topic...

Weekends were always different from the rest of the week no matter how busy they were.  It was a different kind of busy.  That mindset has carried over into my married life and mommyhood.  These days, Saturdays are usually full of grocery shopping, running errands that were avoided during the week, and cleaning.  Sundays are church, good food, and more often than not, finishing up any errands that weren't completed on Saturday.  Sometimes, especially during this time of year, we are visiting extended family on weekends or making plans with friends.  It's rare...like endangered species rare...that we have a weekend where nothing is going on - a weekend like this weekend.  This week, I was blessed to have Friday off.  In an effort to make Saturday and Sunday completely stay-at-home-days, I made sure all the shopping was done on Friday night.  And oh how great it felt to not have to go anywhere today...no errands to run...no groceries to buy...no tired and screaming baby in the back seat...no sitting in traffic...no nothing - just absolute hang-out-in-your-sweat-pants-with-no-makeup kinda day.  It was fantastic.  I got to spend the entire day with M and G - it was a family affair.  And the best part?  I get to do it all over again tomorrow.  I could definitely get used to this. 

God bless the man who invented weekends.