@mytoesareblue tagged me.  Gosh.  Seven wild things about me?  How about seven regular things about me?  

1. I'm not a phone talker.  I think it started when my kids were all littles.  I would get on the phone and they would eat the potting soil in my house plants.  The fertilizer didn't kill them (thank god!) but it sure made me fret. 

2.  I hate coats.  A huge perk that comes with living in the south - wearing light jackets in the winter.  Coats = barf. 

3.  I love Rich Mullin's music.  Pure beautiful take you somewhere heavenly poetry.

If I stand, let me stand on the promise that you will pull me through.
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace that first brought me to you.
If I sing, let me sing for the joy that has born in me this song.
And if I weep, let it be as a man who is longing for his home.

4.  I love Josiah's littleness.  By number five, the sad lesson has been learned really well.  They grow much too fast. 

5.  I love to craft it up but I'm totally a cheater/slacker taking any and all shortcuts. 

6.  I love my pajamas.  (Local friends, call before you visit!  lol)

7.  Coffee = blek.  Tea = yum.

Now, it's your turn -

@fourkidsonemom

@redladybug18

@betheelou

@zanyzeal

P.S. @mytoesareblue, I had no idea you were so tall.  Lucky girl.  My pants are ALWAYS too long. 

Reposted each year because I want to remember:

He kept insisting that we go for a walk.  In February.  In the cold.  In the mud.  I’m not much for cold.  I’m not much for mud.  So, I was less than enthusiastic.  I feel awful about it, now.      

We walked along and talked. I looked out across Big Cedar Creek towards the mountains and when I turned back to him, he was on his knee, in the mud, pulling a ring out of his pocket.  “Will you marry me?”  Oh, yes!  

Engaged February 10, 1996.  Married August 10, 1996. 

We’ve had joy and happiness.  Been blessed beyond measure.  Laughter and love.  Lots of love. 

We’ve also had sadness and hurt. Trials and difficulties.

We’ve had bill paying, diaper changes, bathroom scrubbing, career changes, furniture moving, potty training, homeschooling, and teenagers.  

We’ve had disagreements.  Even fights. 

Six pregnancies.  Five babies.  Rocking, holding, hugging, and loving.  Worrying.

Through it all, I love him more.  So much more than that muddy knee day.

His audience is completely captivated. 

I've been thrifting for a smallish square dining table for our smallish kitchen since we moved in a year and half ago.  I finally found the perfect size, shape, and priced table.  It came with two chairs and I just so happened to have two smaller black chairs that I salvaged (for free).  The top needed refinishing and the chairs needed reupholstered.  I used leftover upholstery that someone gave me and I was inspired by We Are THAT Family to use chalkboard paint for the table top. 

The kids LOVE it's functionality and I love the whimsy!  I don't want my house to be super-serious. 

Thanks Chief for being my sander/painter. 

Batman t-shirts are cool.

(Collage made and emailed to me by teen pictured above.  )

Saw this polish on Pinterest and just so happened to find it at our Dollar General a couple days later.  Really love it over black polish.

Served up this cheese danish on Christmas morning.  It was yum-my! 

So excited that this book from my Wish List was free!  (Kindle and Nook editions)  I've been sorting and organizing ever since. 

Also pinned this to my wish list and loved loved loved it!  Katie Davis is my hero!  

Another wish list pin.  The SpaceSaver highchairs are awesome.  Thanks to a gift from some friends, I purchased this for our newest lil' one. 

(Follow me on Pinterest so I can follow you back!)

Marriage is worth fighting for.  It's worth sacrificing, apologizing, humbling yourself... It's worth the effort, the hard work, the time set-aside, emotions held in check... Marriage is worth the discipline to do what is needed to enjoy a lasting marriage. 

We have found some valuable resources to help couples invest in their marriages.

Check out the 5 Love Languages Assessment. 

This assessment gives valuable insight into how you feel loved and will give insight into how your spouse feels loved.  We knew a couple on the brink of divorce.  After assessing their love languages we discovered that the wife's love language was gifts.  She loved others and felt loved by giving and receiving gifts.  This was not at all the husband's love language.  He was very frugal and loved to save money.  Which unfortunately meant he gave very few gifts to his wife.  She was left feeling utterly unloved.  This assessment gave the husband the knowledge to love her in the way she feels loved (even if it did require that he spend money, it was a worthy investment) and showed the wife that he needed love in ways other than gifts. 

While you're there, check out all the valuable resources available, including assessments for children and teenagers (yay parents!). 

A second resource is a Weekend to Remember Marriage Getaway. 

Life has a way of overwhelming a marriage. Jobs, kids, activities, errands. Before you know it, checking your e-mail is more important than carving out a date night. FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember® marriage getaway is a chance to make a change. It’s a time to rediscover each other and find more intimacy in your life together.

If you are local to our area, Weekend to Remember Marriage Getaway is coming to Hilton Head Island, SC, February 17-19.  See the website for complete details. 

Marriage is worth investing in.  It is worth fighting for.  It is worth maintaining.  May we guard our marriages closely and may our efforts be abundantly blessed! 

This book has been on my "to read" list for months.  I was thrilled when I discovered the nook and kindle editions are now free!  Yippee! 

Remove the Mess, Add Meaning
Simplicity isn't about what you give up. It's about what you gain. When you remove the things that don't matter to you, you are free to focus on only the things that are meaningful to you. Imagine your home, your time, your finances, and your belongings all filling you with positive energy and helping you achieve your dreams. It can happen, and Organized Simplicity can show you how.

Remember, even if you don't have a nook or kindle you can still enjoy this free book by downloading the application to your computer (also free).