Lucky 13

Thirteen years ago tomorrow, yes, tomorrow, April 1....no foolin', I got married.
I agreed to share my live with my best friend, my hero, my strong, God loving and faithful husband.

In this time span we have moved across the country and back again, weathered the loss of old, dearly loved, pets and the gathering of new, dearly loved ones.  We have bought and paid for our piece of property, named Shangri La Ti Da, and built the shell of our new home.  We have worked and retired and worked again....but most of all we have loved steady and sure and strong.

God sent this man for me...he is my dreams come true, my happily ever after, my gentle giant.

Don't we look happy?

Happy anniversary, my little husband. 

 I love you for always!

Oh, sorry I turned all your hair gray!  :-)

Hello Yellow!

So, even though it is still March and I have had to give up all hope of snow and put away the winter clothes and my sweet new snow boots....I have to admit to enjoying the changing of the seasons...as I always do.

If you remember, back in the fall, Stevie and I planted LOTS of bulbs for just this time.  If you don't remember, you can go here and read all about that adventure:
http://donna-homebuildingcountdown.blogspot.com/2011/11/spring.html
(I don't know why it didn't turn blue)

Here are the fruits, or flowers, of our labors!

 I didn't plant forsythia at Shangri La Ti Da yet...but I want to.

 This one is Colt's Foot.  Does it grow where you live?  It is usually the 

very first flower to show its happy color.

And everyone's favorite 'weed'.

 Couldn't ignore these lovely purples....

Last, but not least, is this tree...a tamarak?  I think that is what it is called.  It looks like an evergreen all summer and then looses all its 'needles' for the winter.  They are just now coming back.

How is spring looking in your neighborhood?

Self-less-ness

Spent Friday evening and Saturday with my dad again.
As we were sitting after eating some soup that we made together, I realized that this time with my dad is when I am the least selfish.
I know I am a selfish person...working on it, but still not there, except, it seems, when I am at dad's.

When I am there I don't have any plans.  I don't care what we watch on TV.  I don't care how many times he tells me the same thing.  I don't try to organize things or be in charge in anyway.

I am there.
I sit with him.
I listen if he wants to talk.

This time he told me a sweet story of the day I was born.  He was still in college and had a speech to give in class that exact day.
He was at the hospital, got to say hello to me and then raced back to class.  When the professor was explaining about who would be giving their speeches when,  he finished by saying, that is how it was going to be unless someone had a VERY good reason for it to be different.  Dad said he figured he should give it a shot, so he explained that his little girl had just been born and he wanted to get back to the hospital.  The professor decided that was a VERY good reason.  Dad went first and came back to hold me.

Self-less-ness.
It didn't even hurt.
My heart was full.

And I can't imagine doing any of this without my hero of a husband there beside me.

A Friend's Good News!

My sweet friend, Kristen, writes books!  I know, right?  How cool is it to have a friend who writes books?  A little bit intimidating when you are communicating with her in a written format, but she is still and always very sweet.  The good news is that she has a brand new ebook out, which I just read and LOVED!  But, she is doing a giveaway and I want one of this hardback books....signed by her, in my library of real books...so, go now and read this.  Please.

http://www.ponymoon.com/PonyWorkshop/2012/03/news-and-a-giveaway/#comment-1698


Thanks.

ps...I get EIGHT, count them, EIGHT extra entries if one of you buys the ebook...
Do you love me that much?

Happy Birthday...

...to the best gift I ever received!

 A nice hot home cooked meal waiting for him after a 12 hour day.

(this might not seem that HUGE, but for me, it is...he's a meat and potatoes guy and I'm a soup and salad girl....makes meal planning hard, but for special days I try...)

 Creamed chicken over smashed potatoes and biscuits...and I used the same chicken in my white chicken chili!  That's a good plan, right?

Tired, but happy...I'm kinda crazy about this guy.

Oh, there were 2 slices of cheese cake, but we ate them so fast, I didn't get a picture.  

And, thank you Wal-Mart for packaging them in a 2 slice package.  

Otherwise, he would have been having a donut or muffin!

I love you for always and for ever, little husband...happiest of days to you!

Sprung Spring? Or Not.

In honor of the springing of Spring, my newly acquired knitting skills and my general love for all things lambkin, I completed my first knitted creature.

Hi!  Wanna play?

Her name is Hope.
As in Springs Eternal....

And while Hope is springing eternal, the season is still a bit waffly....this is what I found on my car this morning.

Yes, my little husband loves me!  And I love the little ways he shows me....

So, today was cold and snowy and blowy, but by Wednesday it will be in the 60s again....yep, that's pretty much the springing of Spring in this neck of the woods.