Marriage Matters 5.30.16

This week I am especially  thankful for our marriage... it may be because I have begun the deep breathing and positive self talks  & reciting verses that remind me The Lord is my shepherd and my protector etc... each second - as I prepare to say goodbye to Matt and Harrison and Hannah this coming Sunday, Lord Willing.... each trip apart is hard...
this one seems easier due to the insane busy-ness that the end of my school year will bring, mixed with the fact that I get to keep little Hudbud here too.. so I'm not allll alone for 2 weeks.. and the fact that once we fly to WA to meet up with my crew on June 22, we will be together in an RV ( itty bitty living space) and then road trippin' for a month +... soooo i'm assuming we'll catch up on lost time then :)

But lately I've had to work really hard on my part of our marriage... & it's been on my heart to share some reality... so here it goes and I hope it encourages you my dear reader friend :)

I'm thankful that 1st- we have a common love of God.
I seriously have NO idea how couples have a healthy, happy marriage without God being involved. In a BIG way.



I'm thankful that Matt is patient... endlessly patient with me...and the kids.
I'm thankful for our team work attitude.
I'm thankful that we are on the same page with raising our kiddos.
I'm thankful that we share alot of the same goals and I love his dedication to those goals.
I'm thankful that he is super social and meets new people.
{He met another stay at home dad this week and oddly enough he is the chef in their family too & now maybe they can start a support group ;)}

Those positives being said... I am also thankful for the squabbles and the times where I literally just shake my head and move on. Those times where I am super frustrated but by God's amazing grace, learned to "keep it shut".
I am thankful for  those harder times only because they always make me turn Heavenward & keep taking the "me" out of  me!
http://www.langstaffgospelhall.com/missionary-conference-2008
(This link will take you to a listing of speakers from 2008, and once you find Paul Thiessen's "Selfless Discipleship" sermon, you need to take the time to listen. It's a game changer.)

This year of role shifting, where I work and Matt is at home, has been a huge blessing... but also a huge challenge. Matt has been spoken to by how HARD being a full time parent is. He is so much more understanding than before ( although he has always been a great hands on dad), he gets the day to day annoyances now. {Those times I would call him and just vent... and he would wonder if I was losing my mind... because our kids would "never" be like that.... ohhh now he sees :)}

He also shares in the joys that the parent who stays home does- like the big smiles after an award show, or the talks to and from school, or the silly selfies while waiting together... and I have had to really ask God to give me peace as I miss out on those memories.

Thankfully Matt is also the chef for our family & rocks our meals on a nightly basis even with his gospel nights too. It's pretty cool & delicious :).Satan doesn't think so. His darts fly... and hit hard... whether it's with my own insecurities, or by other people's influence, or by just getting annoyed with each other... hard times come.




But ... I love that word...

 But... we keep at it... we keep working to be the best US we can be.... we don't give up... we don't let the annoyances and the unmet expectations and the daily failures get to our hearts... it's tempting... really tempting... but God is good in all those times & makes us truly come out of each hard spell, in a stronger more unified way. My dad loved how Matt & I had a good "reset" button. I love that too. :)

{I hope if you are reading this and wondering about the time, the energy, the everything it takes to keep at it in your marriage... I totally am not claiming to have all the answers or any answers that fit your situation... but I can tell you- it IS worth it. It IS exhausting. It IS work. It IS God honoring and beautiful & normally a ton of fun.}

 

Thankful for this guy. So he won an Academy Award for "Best Book turned into a Movie". He and I loved working on his book report. 

(Gold glitter paper and chocolate chip paper background, was so fun!) 

He wanted to win really badly. We prepped him on the unlikeliness of that, seeing there are five 5th grade classes, all with hopeful kiddos also wanting to win... and there were only 20 award categories... we also couldn't make this event .. but yay for Mimi...who recorded his winning speech!!

"I'd like to thank my mom, my teacher and the author. My mom for helping me with this project. My teacher for giving me the assignment and the author, well if he didn't write this book I couldn't do my assignment". 

Seriously. You had me at " hey mom it's Tuesday and my assignment's due tomorrow". :) 

Here's to many more projects together in eek... Middle School! 

Thankful for Kindergarten's creative ABC end of year countdown. Letter U was Unbirthday Day, where summer birthday's got recognized!

Thankful for bonding time during Hudson's speech therapy. 

Thankful for trash day! 

Thankful for the "cheese" face 

                                                      Thankful for this encouragement.