Be My Valentine ~ I Will Praise You in this Storm

Are you joining us for the Be My Valentine Challenge?

I must admit that I am not a mushy person by nature. I don't get upset when my husband doesn't buy me a birthday present. I don't expect roses on our anniversary. I don't even like Hallmark cards.

To me, Valentine's Day is just another day. I don't need a man made holiday to remind people to tell someone you love them. I believe you should tell them all the time. I believe that you should go out of your way to make everyday special.

But, I do believe that marriage is important. I do believe that a husband & a wife should do everything they can do to make their spouse feel special & loved. I do believe that we should go out of our way to not neglect those we love.

As I was thinking about this marriage challenge & how I could praise my husband, I couldn't get Praise You in this Storm out of my head. I love this song by Casting Crowns. I love the images it invokes of God reaching down when we need him the most.

It seems that when I am at my lowest, my husband is there to pick me up. He encourages me, reminds me why I started this journey in the first place, & prays for me.

Justin is my best friend, my cheer leader, my confidante. He is my reality when things get crazy, my comic relief when things get serious, & my rock when I start slipping. He's my shoulder to cry on, my ear to talk off, & my heart to have faith in.

Justin works hard to make our dreams come to life. He's there, not only for my family, but for our friends, our church, and anyone else who might ask him to be.

I love him more & more everyday!

I couldn't ask for more!



Cupid is NOT my Favorite Man in a Diaper

I admit it, I'm not your typical mushy gushy female. I don't have to have the romance, sappy cards, & red roses. I KNOW that my husband & my family love me. They don't have to buy me presents or pick a special day to tell me this.

I guess I'm a little bit cynical. I believe that Valentine's Day is a "holiday" that was invented by Hallmark & Hershey just to earn a few extra bucks.

That being said.... my Valentine's day started out ok, then took a nose dive, but was saved in the end. I took the kids out to eat at the Coffee House. My western omelet was yummy!

Then it was time for my monthly grocery trip. I HATE having to take the kids with me, they get bored, I get confused, & everyone ends up frustrated. Today was no different. I ended up leaving halfway through my list in a VERY bad mood.

As punishment for their crazy erratic behavior in the grocery store, we did not go to our Valentine's party. This punished me too! I was looking forward to it, but I have to stand my ground. Sometimes it stinks to be an adult...

When we came home, I slaved them out. They did all of their farm chores before lunch. While they were working, I was trying my best to think of an appropriate punishment. Aha - writing the Ten Commandments! Its tedious enough to be a "punishment", but its not pointless sentences.

So after chores & while I was fixing lunch, those little stinkers set up a scavenger hunt for me to find my homemade presents! Its hard to stay aggravated when they are so cute & loving! They still had to write the Ten Commandments. They weren't getting off the hook that easily.

So, after a haircut for me & Kenzie, & after Justin got home, I finally went back to the grocery store - BY MYSELF. Off course, I spent more money than what I should have because of getting so wound up & not being able to focus on my list.

When I got home, my WONDERFUL husband had cooked a dinner that would rival any fancy restaurant & my WONDERFUL (most of the time - LOL) children dressed up & waited on me. It was incredibly sweet!



This was actually the kids Valentine's
present, but I pretended it was mine!