As I prepare to spend Valentine's Day evening and night ALONE, I am begrudgingly thankful for my husband's job. This job has taken him away from us for COUNTLESS holidays, most weekends, and at least half of all weekday dinners. It has been an enormous source of stress for my husband at times, and has provided plenty of drama in the past 11 years. It resulted in me basically raising my first baby alone, with her at one point calling her daddy and asking if he'd like to come spend the night at her house.
It has also enabled us to buy a beautiful home and furnish it, buy our very first certificate of deposit at our local bank, and save for our childrens' futures. The same boss who has kept my husband away for each of our ten anniversary dates gave us extra cash to pay for every single meal we had to buy while our daughter was in the hospital for ten days last year. That same man that I've cussed and mumbled about gave my husband a full week off each time we had a child, with pay. This job that I sometimes despise enabled me to stay home with my children, attend college, and graduate with my bachelors last year.
So while I may be a teensy bit bitter and jealous that all of you are being pampered by your sweethearts this evening, I am thankful for my husband's job. It's hard to see the benefits at times like this, but I know that tomorrow my honey will return with a little special something for me and we'll celebrate Valentine's Day together, even if it's not on Valentine's Day.
Music plays a vital role in most of our lives. It is everywhere. I want to hear the ONE song that is you. The song that whenever it is heard, you smile. I am not looking for the soundtrack of your life, just that one song. Your friends hear it and think of you. You can post the video, the lyrics, the wav file. However you want to post it is great.
I had a rather hard time with this assignment. I love music, and I have lots of favorite songs. What I feel describes me changes so much depending on the twists and turns of life, but this is a song that all of my friends would probably say reminds them of me. It's from my very favorite movie, and it's the song I typically find myself belting out in the shower when I'm trying to be all dramatic. It reminds me of my amazing friend who I lost 2 years ago. Miss you, Tonya.
Crank up the volume, enjoy, belt it out, and then head over to Ooh, a shiny pen for the list of other participants.
I look forward to Thankful Thursday every week, and today I have TWO Thankfuls to write about! I woke up this morning with one, but by noon I knew I had to write about the second one...
My first Thankful is that I have a son. I love having a daughter, and never imagined I could love having a son as much, but I really do. When I was pregnant with him, I secretly wished for another little bundle of pink. But gosh do I love that boy. He's always making us laugh, and in true male-fashion, getting himself into trouble. Yesterday was a prime example. He spends the night with my mom once a week or so because I substitute teach for the school district. We meet after school halfway between her town and mine, which is a little podunk place with nothing but a mechanic's shop, a restaurant, and a post office. I pulled up to our little meeting place last night around 6:00, and she pulled up directly after me. Typically I see Gavin smiling and waving through the backseat window, excited to come home. Last night I saw him with a very long face, lip stuck completely out. My mom rolled her window down and said "LOOK what he just did to himself!" I noticed that he had taken the shoulder part of the seatbelt and wrapped it twice around his neck. Now his car seat is tethered, so the actual seat belt is never used in my mom's car. He loves to reach over while riding in the car and pull that seatbelt out and let it pop back in. Apparently he did a little more than that yesterday.
I realized immediately that this wasn't something that was going to be easy to take care of. The seatbelt had locked, and it was VERY snug around his neck. It wasn't affecting his breathing or anything, but as soon as he realized he was STUCK, he began to fall apart. He kept trying to move, and anytime he did that the seatbelt pulled tighter around his neck. So there we were. In the middle of nowhere. With a half choking and frantic 3 year old. I called my husband, who didn't answer. I called my dad, who called the dealership because he's friends with the mechanic there. Long story short, we were told to cut the belt. Did I mention this is my mom's 3 week old 2008 Yukon Denali? :( I ran to the mechanic's shop, and he came back with me and freed the boy. Poor Gavin has what looks like strangle marks all over his neck.
So I'm thankful he's okay, of course, and that he keeps us on our toes. Little stinker.
And last but not least, I'm thankful for this gem of a husband that I have. Trust me, he didn't start out that way but I'll save that for another day. He was a little short with me this morning because we were disagreeing about something. He called after he got to work to apologize, but since I am a full fledged stubborn woman, I just tried to keep the little argument going and basically pushed his apology aside. :/ Fast forward 15 minutes, and he knocks at the door. I opened it ready to continue our heated discussion, and he's standing there with his cute little lip out holding one long stemmed rose. What a guy.
Have you heard of The Bucket List? Well, that's what I want from you! Make a list of things you want to do before you die. It must be at least five items - and you can make it as long as you desire. Photos are optional. And let's hear about some of the wackiest, most bizarre to-do's on your Bucket List! Wow, what a deep assignment. I'm not capable of being deep this early in the morning, but I'll try.
*Go to the beach again. Sounds simple, I know, but we just never get around to planning it. :/
*Write heartfelt letters to everyone in my immediate family that they will be able to look back on after I'm gone.
*Love my body. Every ounce of cellulite, every stretch mark, every pound over what I used to be. I want to love the skin I'm in!
*I want to learn to sew. I've always wanted to make a memory quilt for each of my kids using their baby clothes.
*I want to leave the country on a vacation. I'm not picky. Take me anywhere.
*I would like to have a successful teaching career and make a difference in MANY childrens' lives!
*I want a chance to meet and hold my grandbabies.
*I want to be unafraid of death. I'm a Christian, but I'm still very fearful of the unknown. I want to be one of those people who is completely at ease with dying because they know with 100% certainty where they are going and how wonderful it will be there.
