Love and Marriage

A little background on my little family prior to my actual blog:

I met the man that is now my husband when I was 15 years old. I met him through my cousin one night on msn messenger and from that point on we talked every evening online until the one day he finally let down his guard and gave me his phone number. We continued casually talking on the phone and through msn messenger until one day when I was lounging around my house and my cousin gave me a call and told me that she had brought Shaunn over to meet me for the first time. I quickly darted downstairs to my room and threw on a less than modest shirt and some overalls. I did a quick check of the hair and make up and ran out to meet my mystery man. When all was said and done and they had driven off I called my cousin and told her "Autumn, I'm going to marry that man." She giggled and called me crazy and next month we will be celebrating our 9 year anniversary.

I am writing this particular blog because as life goes on and we find ourselves drudging through the day to day sometimes we forget to stop and take in all the wonderful things in our lives. I am blessed with a wonderful husband that while yes, he does have faults, is a damn good father and husband. I have taken him for granted in the past and even caused him deep wounds. Our marriage is like the tide, ever changing, sometimes it's calm and other times it's rough. Right now we are at a very good place in our marriage. I find myself at the end of the day awe struck at how great my life is.

My husband had a friend over tonight for a friendly game of pool and while sitting in the garage he said something that almost brought me to tears. He told his friend that I am amazing and that he appreciates how hard I work. Hearing him say this made my entire year. As a mother and wife my work does seem to go unnoticed and that is a tough pill to swallow because my work is constant. I find myself trying harder and harder to be the "perfect housewife" I want to be that wife that he can brag about taking care of him. I want him to never run out of clean clothes, have the clean house, and a wife that can cook him meals every night for dinner.

Kc has provided me with a great source of inspiration. I look up to her in so many ways. She has inspired me to work harder as a mother and wife. She never stops amazing me with how dedicated she is to her family. She puts so much love into everything she does and even though most of it goes unnoticed she still wakes up before the sun and does house chores, makes breakfast, wakes her husband up with hot coffee and a steaming shower, cleans all day, and makes her husband an amazing meal which she then has to clean up.

I don't believe in the perfect marriage. I don't believe that anyone can sustain a marriage without hardship and the occasional disagreement. I do however believe that if you love someone enough that even the hard stuff can be worked through. I am a quitter in most things in life but the one thing I will continue to fight for is my family and my marriage. The day I said I do, I meant it. I meant every word. I will stand by his side until death do we part. I will honor him in sickness and in health. He is my other half. We balance each other out with our differences and strengthen each other with our similarities.

Trust your spouse. Believe in the power of marriage and in God. All things are possible in faith and Christ. Take a time out to remember why you are with your spouse. Remember all the amazing things about them that brought you together in the first place. Having children and working full time definitely allows a gap to wedge between two people but as long as you find that place for just the two of you love can prevail. For Shaunn and I that place is in bed when our feet just magically find one another, or camping when we can relax and just take in the fresh air, or even on the couch snuggled together watching a good movie. It doesn't matter what that place for you is. Just make sure you take the time to find your spouse. :D

Good night and God bless!