FIFTEEN YEARS

Remember the game MASH?  The one where you picked your husband, his occupation, the car you would drive, the kids you would have, and the place you would live?  I always tried to pick a business professional, driving a volvo stationwagon, with 2 kids, living in New England.  In reality, I am married to a self emplyed landlord, driving a minivan (had to give up the volvo after 2 kids), with almost 5 children, living in Kansas???

And… I wouldn’t change a thing.

Today marks our 15th anniversary!  Difficult to believe that we’ve gotten this far already!

“Opposites Attract” would be the best way to simply sum up our relationship and it’s ability to happily stay intact.  The first year of our marriage (1st month to be exact) Nathan said a few profound statements that have stuck with me and gotten me through times when I would have otherwise been insulted:

1.  “Heidi, you can keep talking, but I’m going to go to sleep”

2.  After asking him why he never asks me any questions, he replied, “Heidi, you already tell me anything that I would ever want to know”

I laugh every time I think about those statements and how they are still true today.  He didn’t mean to be mean or insensitive (I don’t think) but it was the truth!  I can now happily spend time with him without saying much (if I wanted to :))

Some of the facts:

• We’ve lived in 5 houses (the first 4 were in our first 2 years of marriage), but I’ve signed papers and closed on another 60 or so.
• Driven 10 different cars (Nathan says no more new ones for me until all the kids stop using sippy cups and the neighbors stop playing baseball with it as the backstop)
• Owned 1 dog, 2 turtles, 2 frogs, a short stint with a snake, 6 fish, and 2 hamsters – NONE of which are still alive (note to readers, We will pet sit for you if you need someone 🙂
• Have 5 children (Ok, technically this fifth one will be appearing in a few weeks)
• Owned 3 different living room couches – Nathan hating all of them.  I promise our next one will be leather and comfy!

Ok, if you are still reading, just a few more funny insights into this sweet guy:

• Just 2 DAYS AGO, while I was away on a short trip, I came back to witness that he had slept on my side of the bed.  I asked him about it, and he replied, “I always really like your side better, but I ‘ve never told you”  Fifteen years on the left side and I now sleep on the right side of the bed…
• A few years ago I mentioned wanting to make butterscotch cookies.  He went on to exclaim (ok, maybe that is too strong of a verb for Nathan) that those were his favorite cookies – now I wanted to know, WHY HAVEN’T YOU EVER TOLD ME THAT???!!!  If I had a favorite cookie and someone at home to make them, he would have known the first week of our marriage about it!
• We are about to have our 5 th child.  We think it will be a 4th girl.  We discussed names (last week) and came up with one we were both really happy with.  After deciding, he said, “That one has always been one of my favorite names!”  Again, why didn’t I know this when naming the other 3 girls???!!!

None of those stories are to give him a hard time.  If he was as vocal about his likes and dislikes as me, we probably wouldn’t be as happy as we are!

Praying that God would bless us with many more anniversaries together!!!

TODDLER VOCABULARY

You might get bored, but if I don’t write it down, I know I will forget!

Sam, I love that you say:

• “yittle” instead of little
• “trans” for changing something (you got it from the word transformer)  “mom, I am going to trans this guy into a truck”
• “It will be ok” for anything you do wrong.  “Mom, I peed in my bed, but it will be ok.”
• “I’m going to take a nap” when it is time for bed at night, and when I say it is time to take a nap you say that it isn’t dark yet.  I can’t seem to make you understand.
• When Daddy wants to take you to work with him, you always say, “Daddy, maybe I’ll go tomorrow.”
• “Hi” and wave to anyone you pass by – in the grocery cart, on a walk, or running in the stroller
• “You’re my best mommy”

Nevi, I love when you say

• “Hello Meow, Meow” for Hello Kitty.  You call every animal by its sound, and correct us when we don’t.
• “Ry” for cry.  Elli was in bed crying the other night and you came in and said “Why Eyee ry mommy?”
• “I freem truck all gone”  You are deathly afraid of the ice cream truck.  The other night after you went to bed, I heard the music a few blocks away and you started crying so hard – we have no idea what started this.  Yesterday I was kidding with you and said, “Nevi, I hear the ice cream truck!”  You looked at me with huge scared eyes, and after I told you I was kidding, you put your hand on your chest and said. “Oh, you fared me mommy!”