What wedded bliss looks like at 11 years

Just a few short years ago, 11 to be exact we were saying "I do" then heading to Pagosa Springs, Colorado to enjoy a week away as Mr. & Mrs. Valentine. It was a chilly one with a jetted bath tub that after 3 minutes of boiling water switched to water that had to have been piped in from the icy cold springs. Thankfully I married a man who could build a good fire to keep us cozy in our Hummingbird Cottage after recovering from my arctic bath. I am just now thinking that "Hummingbird" was the first step towards a Nest & there is a little heart above it since we are the Valentines ; ) 

Each year has been special in it's own way. Anniversary #10 was celebrated with a weekend away. We had a blast making our ten top ten list for our first 10 years.  This year looked a little different. Yesterday evening I was at the grocery store & remembered our anniversary was today so I bought two 1/2 gallons of Blue Bell. I got home & said "tomorrow is our anniversary!" He said "oh my gosh it is!" Haha, how we were both so surprised I don't know but it made us laugh. We did celebrate last weekend with our first Sushi night since Arlo was born. Robby said it was a gift to him to watch me enjoy raw fish & hot sake since I had missed out on it for the prior 9 months. It was a gift to me to have a moment away from my favorite five people I spend countless hour with everyday. 

About two weeks ago when we moved Arlo into the guest room I spent a night in there. Robby & I both slept so well we decided to do it again the next night. Now it's been two weeks. We have a two year old that forgot how to sleep through the night plus a few others that wander into our room like zombies to go potty in our bathroom (even though theirs is closer) sneak into our bed for an extra cuddle or just plain scream about who knows what. Add a newborn in the mix & we were dragging every morning. So with our new arrangement we are both getting more rest. That said we had a good laugh about how we are like two separate families sleeping under the same roof. A single dad with four kids & two dogs and a single mom with an infant. Even after we talked about how sad it was that at 11 years we don't even sleep in the same room anymore, we kissed goodnight & wished each other good luck for the next 8 hours. I think I might move back in tonight since it is our anniversary. 

This morning I walked into the kitchen, gave him a hug & said happy anniversary as he was lifting the trash bag out of the can. Ha! We sat at the table with our crazy bunch & laughed about how 11 years ago we could not have even imagined what blessings the Lord would bestow upon us through the joy-filled ups & downs. Year 10 has been full of sweetness & our favorite part was growing to a family of seven when Arlo was welcomed into our arms. It has been six weeks since I made this video of his birth & first days at home & figured this would be a great opportunity to share it to help others understand why our anniversary kind of snuck up on us this year. 

Click on link below to view:

 WELCOMING ARLO

Ten Top Ten at 10 years of marriage

Robby & I just returned from a LOVELY three night getaway to Wimberley, Texas to celebrate anniversary #10. I can hardly believe we have been married ten years but it's true! The night before our trip we watched our wedding video with two excited little girlies that were obsessed with seeing each & every kiss which made us laugh. Wednesday morning Grammy & Papa picked up the Fab Four plus a four legged baby & brought them to their house. We took off to Central Market to stock up on cheese, crackers & wine before heading south. It took about 3 seconds to switch into vacation mode & we were as relaxed as we would be riding without our little Valentines in the car. We found a cabin in the woods about 15 minutes outside of town that was the perfect "Nest" away from the "Nest." I actually picked it over another one because of the rustic birdie decor....I'm a sucker for bird houses & miniature nests scattered about! We loved sleeping in a bit, reading books, sitting on the porch for hours looking out into the hill country, a little simple cooking, eating on our own schedule & a Christmas movie or two. The shops were adorable & provided a few things to take home. It may sound silly but it was really a treat to finish a cup of coffee while it was still warm ; ) Such a lovely time to rest & enjoy spending (uninterrupted) time together.

One idea we had was to make Ten Top Ten lists at the 10 year mark. It sounded like a simple task but we were surprised with the length of conversation our little game provoked. What a gift it was to laugh as we revisited our time together & recorded lists of silly things along with more serious moments. Without further adieu, here we go!

I have a feeling it is going to be long ; )

Our Top Ten....

Dates

1. Cagles Steakhouse- Lubbock, TX - Our first date. Shortly thereafter we began to contemplate marriage. 
2. Maxey Park- Lubbock, TX - We spent many an afternoon eating a picnic lunch & studying or goofing off....probably more goofing off. 
3. Mingalones & Aida the broadway show- Houston, TX- My gift from Rob for my 20th birthday & within that trip was the first time for him to meet my family. We returned to Mingalones for our Rehearsal Dinner in 2004. 
4. A steakhouse in Sydney, AU- We celebrated getting engaged & my 21st birthday in the same night. I wore heels & my feet were blistered by the end of the night so my knight in shining armor carried me from the train station back to the home we were staying. 
5. Gaylord Texan - Old Hickory Steakhouse-Grapevine, TX- We spent Rob's birthday at the hotel & enjoyed the most delicious meal in what seemed like a Wine Cellar. We tried to recreate this date at the Gaylord Palms Old Hickory & decided to never attempt to recreate again ; ) 
6. Epcot- Oralndo, FL -pre kids & specifically Food & Wine Festival in the fall. We spent many a night wandering around after dark people watching or riding rides with no lines ( a Disney favorite).
7. Hotel Avia- Savannah, GA- We took a trip here for our 5th anniversary with a sweet baby Charlotte in tow. We ate fish tacos for room service about 4 times in our weekend away & I told Robby for the next five years that I would pay him the big bucks if he would drive me there on a whim to get another plate full of that delicious meal!
8. Bonefish Grill- Orlando, FL- the place where we opened an envelope to find out we were having a second baby girl. 
9. Cantina Laredo- Orlando, FL- We found this place when I was pregnant with the buckaroos & went after many an appointment. We shared many meaningful conversations here regarding struggles in pregnancy & about Bennett the day before he died. 
10. Sushi Sake- Richardson, TX- Too many dates to count at this diamond around the corner from our home here! We wish is were cheaper ; ) 

Things I swore would never be a part of my life but thanks to Rob, I have ventured out

1. Pitbulls + letting them sleep in my bed
2. Kayaks
3. Firearms
4. a sip of Whiskey here & there
5. Riding a motorcycle
6. Broadening seasoning horizons & using anything but Lemon Pepper
7. Indian Food & Sushi
8. Coffee
9. Eating the side sauces that come with dishes
10. Homeschooling

Baby Names that didn't make the cut

1. Benjamin
2. Samuel
3. Brennan
4. Arthur
5. Banjo (totally Rob)
6. Madelyn
7. Nora
8. Eleanor
9. Lillian
10. Ruthie

Ways we have seen God work

1. Always providing what we need to serve others in our lives- having Jenny + our friend Elizabeth, her two kids & a dog live with us in Richardson or the ability to support friends who are serving the Lord outside of our immediate circle
2. Quick selling of our home when we were Florida bound & God's provision in Rob's company allowing him to work from the Land of the Mouse.
3. Perseverance in Orlando when we had few friends & were far away from family & through the addition of little ones to our life.
4. The growth in number of people & more so life change in individuals through the care of the Celebration Community Church family.
5. Our marriage deepening when things feel tough instead of us growing apart.
6. For all ten years (& prior)- Singles, couples & families who have displayed a life devoted to Christ, and provided encouragement & joy as we have "grown up." 
7. The gift of four children in a short period of time & God's care for them as we have transitioned to living in Texas. A few specifics for each- Charlotte- seeing her giftings & sensitivity to God & others. Eloise- beginnings of feeling sadness for her sin & seeking repentance & forgiveness. Owen & Anson- saying "God" when asked "who made you?" & overall seeing them "healthy & strong" at nearly two years old which is what so many prayed for. God answered. 
8. Parents who gave endlessly to help us in our journey back to Texas including flying back & forth to help, transport kids, drive a vehicle or preparing for us to be roomies for the first couple months here. 
9. Last December Rob felt the Lord telling him that 2014 would be a lean year. This was prior to having any knowledge of his company slowing down & eventually ending. God provided patience through months of indefinite income, exactly what we needed when we needed it, ability for me to work & pitch in on the cash flow followed by me being out of work for a few months due to my recent diagnosis & even in that, now we are thankful to be recovering through unexpected means. 
10. Again, family & friends who have served endlessly through all of our unexpected medical issues that have required many doctor visits.

Trips

1.  Australia- 2004 when we got engaged & again in 2007 to visit friends
2.  Honeymoon to Pagosa Springs, Colorado -2004
3.  Garner State Park with my family soon after we married- 2005
4.  Minneapolis, Minnesota for multiple Desiring God Conferences
5.  Visiting Orlando as we considered moving -2007
6.  Savannah, Georgia for our 5th anniversary- 2009
7.  Blue Ridge Mountains & Big Canoe, Georgia - 2010
8.  Crested Butte with the Ellis family- 2010
9.  Michigan & Smoky Mountains, part of the trip with the Valentines & where that egg was split on the zipline ; ) -2012
10. Wimberley, Texas- 2014

Homecooked Meals

1. Chicken Tacos
2. Smoked Brisket & Pork
3. Turkey Taco Pasta Skillet
4. Fettuccine Alfredo
5. Steak, baked potato, mushrooms & spinach
6. Jalapeno poppers
7. Stuffed Flounder
8. Pazole Soup & all the other soup we make & freeze after Turkey day
9. Chimmichuri Steak with sauce & black beans
10. Lamb Burgers

"The Office" quotes that are often heard -SO hard to only pick 10

1. Michael to Jan -"Good luck paying me back on your zero a month salary plus benefits babe!" We have laughed about this one a lot lately when I spend money & am not working ; ) 
2. Jan "Remember it isn't just a pattern, it's a pattern of disrespect & inappropriate behavior." Michael "Disray .My friend Disray got news specs. Disray spect."
3. Michael "How dare you! You know I have soft teeth!"
4. Jim "Question. What kind of bear is best?" Dwight "That's a ridiculous question." Jim "False, Black Bear." Dwight "That's debatable. There are basically two schools of thought.." Jim "Fact. Bears eat beets. Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica."
5. Pam "What was the food like in prison?" Michael "Gruel sandwiches, gruel omelettes, nothing but gruel." Sometimes when the kids are relentless in the morning we say "alright kids, we are eating gruel, nothing but gruel today."
6. Michael "Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me."
7. Pam "Oh, I can help starting dinner if you need it." Jan "Oh no, it's just the Osso Bucco needs to braise for about three hours. Everything else is done!" Pam "Three hours from now or three hours from earlier like 4 o'clock?" Jan "You know Pam, in Spain, they often don't even start eating until midnight." - We say this when dinner prep is taking way longer than expected. 
8. Michael "Presents are the best way to show someone how much you care. It is like this tangible thing that you can point to and say 'Hey man, I love you this many dollars worth.'" 
9. Dwight "I never smile if I can help it. Showing one's teeth is a submission signal in primates. When someone smiles at me, all I see is a chimpanzee begging for its life."
10. Stanley "Boy, have you lost your mind? Cause I'll help you find it!" We could say this about every 10 minutes in our house ; ) 

Meaningful Moments

1. When Rob proposed
2. Walking into the first home & me crying
3. Chris's phone call to ask if we would consider moving & the entire process of moving
4. Finding out about pregnancies & welcoming babies into our family
5. Charlotte singing "Peace, you give me peace" to me in the car when I was completely bawling following one of our earlier visits of finding out about concerns with the boys growth
6. Holding Owen & Anson in the NICU for the first time
7. Reconciling after fights
8. Robby's years of working from home & the times each of us got to interrupt his day with snuggles or spinning in his chair
9. How Eloise tells Rob EVERY morning when he is about to walk out the door "Daddy, you look soooo handsome!"
10. The moment we smile at each other in the middle of complete chaos which means two things... One- we are experiencing the reality of life with four sweet children that offer lots of excitement. Two- we look at each other like "We are in this together buddy! Don't leave me!" 

Family Traditions

1. Annual squirrel hunt & never firing off a gun...at a squirrel
2. Donut Day- used to be every Saturday until we got tired of the crash after the sugar high...we are down to twice a month
3. Dance parties in the kitchen after dinner
4. Thankful Tree
5. Putting up Christmas decor the day after Thanksgiving
6. Snackies with just about every family celebration
7. Resurrection Eggs
8. Pierogi Day
9. Valentine cards instead of Christmas cards
10. Giving imaginary gifts to each other. For our fifth anniversary I wrote Robby a note telling him he could buy the gun he had his eye on without realizing it cost $1500. Ha! He still tells me how much he likes his imaginary gun ; ) For my 30th birthday Robby said he was working on getting my entire blog printed into books...until it crashed his computer & he realized that we had a 3 year old, a one year old & 2 month old twins that required every millisecond of his free time.

Ways we have upheld our vows

1. "Our home will be a place of laughter, joy & peace" - it is definitely full of laughter & joy but is far from peaceful these days ; ) We still make each other laugh really hard & I always tell the girls when I am crying because I am laughing so hard "It is sooo important to marry someone who makes you laugh! Your daddy is the funniest man in the world!"
2. "I will love you without reservation" - One reason we believe we have a healthy marriage is our willingness to be transparent with each other. That has been difficult at times but always worth the risk of sharing. 
3. "When you are discouraged I will not walk away" - we laughed when we talked about this one adding on "except for when you are being a jerk, then I will walk away & come back later" haha! Discouragement has come in many forms & we have been so thankful for how the Lord orchestrates our life to where we are rarely completely discouraged at the same time. This has allowed us to truly care for & encourage one another through these times. 
4. "I receive you as a gift from God"- We have found that we are each a gift to one another that is continually being unwrapped through different stages in life. There is only so much you can know about each other prior to moving in & building a life together. We have loved seeing one another change over ten years together. One specific way has been in seeing each other as parents. We also joke that we are good at receiving gifts...even imaginary ones ; ) 
5. "I will seek, serve & love God with all my heart"- Through the Lord's leading, we have been able to do this at times & experienced much joy in life. When we have failed to seek, serve & love God with all our hearts we have experienced pain & hurt.
6. "I will lead you/follow you"- This has been easy for us minus when there was some role reversal & I went to Florida & bought a house that Robby didn't see until we pulled up with a moving a truck ; ) On a serious note, leading encompasses much more than just making decisions & Robby has blessed our family immensely with spiritual leading & the way he helps our home run. Both leading & following has required much selflessness & turning our backs to our own pride. Always a work in progress but we pray that our children would see the Lord helping us fulfill what he has called us to in our marriage. 
7. "Serve you with all of my strength" I mainly think of Robby in this although we both said it. From the time I was pregnant with Charlotte & spent every evening lounging on the couch, he has been up & down to get anything I could possibly need. We went through two more 9 month segments of time but we laugh because it seems that my lounging & his serving never stopped. We are almost two years out now & every night he makes sure I have everything I could need or want....including a late night pizza or a dozen warm cookies delivered to my doorstep ; )
8. "Provide & protect" Much like leading, providing encompasses much more than the first thought of financial means for a family. He has done a good job purchasing appropriate items to protect me. I feel very safe : )
9. "Uphold you" This is something I said to Robby & he commented that he saw me majorly fulfill this commitment following his surgery in June. He was happy to have a wife that was a nurse who could provide the care he needed. I loved the opportunity to serve him following his care through pregnancies & recoveries.   
10. "By God's grace & power I will be true & faithful to you for the rest of my life" That's it, it is only by God's grace & power that we are able to celebrate anniversary after anniversary staying true to one another. We pray that God will continue to bind us together as we believe that obeying Him is the best & happiest way to live. 

Robby was a little concerned about my brain function when I said "Can you believe that on our 20th anniversary (in 10 years) we will have a 25, 23 & two 21 year olds?" Ha! I was worried too & felt much better when he reminded me that the kids will be 15, 13, & 11....which still sounds ridiculously old compared to where we are now! We look forward to making another list at the 20 year mark recording all that another decade will bring.  

We do wonder sometimes why we got married a week before Christmas since it is such a busy time of year but it just adds to the excitement & reflection. For those of you who are married & have displayed relationships that are faithful to God & one another, thank you. Thank you for helping us through your transparency & encouragement. The Lord has used you to help us make it to ten years & we are grateful for that. 

Celebrating 7 years

Well the celebrations of the 7 year mark have ceased and we are just a few days away from Christmas now.  I knew that getting married right up against a major holiday would mean a general sense of busy-ness each year but have decided that I like that.  In celebrating our anniversary in the middle of a busy time, it gives us the perfect opportunity to step back & relax while spending some quality time with one another. 

This year's celebration might have been one of my favorites for multiple reasons....

One, no one in the family had a stomach bug SEE PREVIOUS ANNIVERSARY POST HERE.
Two, we had discussed waiting until January to celebrate but someone who knows I LOVE surprises totally surprised me.  I was in the middle of one of those afternoons where the girls woke up from their naps early & I was just staring at them thinking, what am I going to do now? I must have looked a little depressed or something because Robby asked me the typical question "Are you going to make it?" "I'm not sure" I replied. Ha....does anyone else ever feel like this? Anyway, he then asked me if I needed a surprise & I am sure my eyes lit up.  He took Charlotte in the other room & I heard him tell her, "go give this to mommy."  She handed me a piece of paper that had this printed on it..... 

Underneath it said, "You & me, dinner & a show, Friday night?" - RV." I could hardly believe it I was SO excited.  Then he said that it gets better.....Hugo & Juanita were going to keep the girls over night & I could sleep in as late as I wanted on Saturday morning!! Seriously, with the previous weeks leading up to our anniversary, the total days of a waking time prior to 5:30 am far exceeded the days where we slept till 7. I told Rob that sleeping in might be as good as dinner and a show ; )

So, we dropped the girls off around 4:30 with Juanita, the supermom who took care of 2 two year olds & a 6 month old until her hubby got home.  We went back to the house to get ready for our night out & here is how we turned out.....

We decided to eat at Bongos Cuban Cafe in Downtown Disney.  It was delish! I have no shame in saying that I really enjoy eating a meal without helping a toddler behave & nursing a baby at the same time. The food just tastes so much better & I seem to be in a more relaxed mood ; ) We went all out & got appetizers, drinks, the main course, dessert, tea for me & an espresso for Rob.  

Fun fact about me, I am 28 years old & had never ordered an alcoholic beverage until we were on this date.  I was looking at the menu & one caught my eye so I ordered it! It was just a simple berry mojito that I enjoyed every tasty sip of.  I think I may have been a little silly for about 30 minutes which is why I don't order drinks like that ; )

All that to say, dinner at Bongos was fabulous as we sat outside (me under a heater), took our time eating, chatting & listening to a group sing Christmas music at a stage next to the restaurant.  After dinner, we strolled down the walkway along the water then headed over to the theater for Cirque du Soleil. 

Neither of us had seen a Cirque du Soleil show before so we were very excited.  It was incredible!  I kept thinking that surely someone would fall & break their neck while performing all these crazy stunts.  Thankfully everyone survived & we were wowed over & over again.  There were multiple favorite parts & I would say to anyone who hasn't seen one, put it on your wish list!

We got home, took the pups out & then put a fan on in our room to insure a good nights sleep for me.  I do remember thinking I heard Eloise crying multiple times....why does that happen? I did sleep well though...right up till 8:45 when I woke up & then laid in bed looking at the ceiling until I felt like putting forth the effort to roll out of bed & stand up.  This is SO different than jolting out of bed to nurse a screaming baby!  Robby had my hot tea waiting for me at the kitchen table where we sat and discussed further how absolutely crazy the people we saw in the show were.   We then did a "clean as fast as you can & as much as you can in 30 minutes" at my request before picking up the girls.  That was an anniversary gift in itself!

Char & Elo received a great report from their honorary mother, father & sister while we were on our date. Thank you heaps & heaps Hugo & Juanita! We headed home feeling reconnected as a couple & ready to jump back into life with 2 babies in the house.

It was a happy anniversary for sure, spending it with my sweet Rob that I vowed to share every part of my life with on December 18, 2004.  I am thankful that God has been gracious to us in deepening our love & affection for one another & for Him.  Onto the next year!  

7 years of Wedded Bliss

Don't ask me how seven years have passed since I walked down that aisle to give my hand in marriage to the man of my dreams!   I say 7 years of wedded bliss....it has not all been bliss but it has been a joy filled journey & I love this man more each & everyday.  I thought it would be fun to upload the video that Robby surprised me with for our reception.  He actually took me up to the church & let me see it the night before the wedding. That was a sweet moment in the midst of a busy couple days.  More wordiness about marriage to come but for now, here we are as youngsters in love.....