True Love

You know it's true love when the husband and wife greeting goes something like this:

Wife: goes in for a hug after a very long and tiring day, "You stink. Time to reapply the deod!" Husband: lovingly, and with an equally sour face, "Umm...What did you have for lunch?"

If that's not the definition and embodiment of true love, I don't know what is.

Lazy Days?

The other day my kids were discussing the (obvious) torture of the job chart and lamenting their daily toils. My 5-YO boy said, "Yeah, and Mom doesn't have ANY jobs. It's not fair!"

Okay.

I got to thinking about our July and all of the jobs I've (not) been doing, which don't happen to be listed on the job chart. Since school ended on June 24, my unwritten job list has included the management of:

8 doctor/dentist/orthodontist appointments

1 eye surgery

1 birthday party

3 different campouts for 3 different children (and the attending early-morning wakeup calls)

1 Youth Conference (and its attending early-morning wakeup calls)

6 teenage girls borrowing my showers during Youth Conference

1 large youth group gathering in my home

2 volunteer full-day babysitting gigs for 2 sets of children

5 days of swim lessons (and counting)

6 hours of driving child #1 to EFY (another youth camp)

1 week of husband travel

6 kids at the pool almost daily

2 friend parties

26 days x 3 meals x 8 (give or take a kid or two)

6 kids in various states of emotional upheaval

2 weeks of major adjustment

3 electronic-free Wednesdays (I highly recommend them)

Piano lessons

Archery lessons

Youth and adult church activities

Playdates

Kid coordination/babysitting swaps

My misplaced sanity

I must be doing something right if that 5-YO thinks I'm not working. Maybe I just make it look effortless and graceful all the time. That must be it. I'm a duck.

Lazy days of summer? Not yet. August, where are you?

Marriage

I have been thinking recently about marriage--the good, the bad and the sad--as I've seen a couple of friends' marriages in trouble lately. Out of respect for the sensitive feelings involved, I won't make much commentary, other than I have seen miracles happen when couples turn toward God to help them solve their issues. You've probably already seen or heard about the "Marriage Triangle", but I think it's a good reminder how to maintain a good relationship of any kind. The closer we draw toward God and the Savior, the closer we get to each other.

I love this particular illustration, because it's exactly what my husband and I looked like on our wedding day. :) Go here to see the original author/illustrator's post.

And here's a video for Em! If you want to see more videos that will brighten your day, go here.

In case you need a reminder on a hard day