You know love, I was just thinking about it and I want to tell you a few things I have on my mind.
I feel like the last few days we've been particularly close. I think it's partially in part to our anniversary having just passed and that giving us a moment to contemplate the last couple of years that we've been married.
Well I just wanted to tell you that I love you with all my heart and I think you are such a wonderful, wonderful man. I absolutely love that you are my very best friend. Looking back now, I can appreciate God's divine plan in the way we came to be together. Before we ever dated, we shared a beautiful friendship that grew strong over a number of years. I wasn't afraid to show you my true self during that time because you were my best friend and it wasn't a superficial relationship we had where I put on a facade in order to impress you or try to win your admiration. Then during a later time when I struggled through a heartbreaking relationship, you were there for me and I found comfort in your voice.
And even though I didn't know it at the time, you loved me through it all. You loved me when I was first afraid to give us a chance, when I broke your heart and was inconsiderate and mean to you. You loved me when I wasn't a best friend to you. When I loved someone else. But my favorite part and the one I most love to remember is that you STILL loved me years later when I was realized that I loved you.
You are so wonderful.
I love you more now, than I ever have, because, like I told you yesterday, you are my hero. I admire you so much because you work so hard to provide for our family while struggling to get enough sleep during the day. All that while helping me around the house and with Ella. You are the husband I've always wanted and I believe you when you tell me you will love me for always. I don't doubt you. You've never given me a reason to. Quite the contrary, actually- you've always been most trustworthy, because you've taken care of the heart I've given you. You love me so passionately in the way you hold me, the way you look at me, the respect with which you talk to and about me. In the simple acts of service you do for me, just because you know it's my love language.
I love you more now than I did a year ago or when we were first married because I see how great a daddy you are. Ella is so blessed you have you, not only as a daddy and playmate, but because you will be the standard with whom she compares young men as, one day, she starts to date. She will grow up seeing that you are a strong man, with strong faith who leads our family in the way of the Lord. I knew in high school, even, that you would be a fantastic dad one day; I think several people told you that. I'm so blessed to have seen that come to fruition and much more so that it has been with our daughter.
It still takes me aback at times that I was the woman you chose to marry and spend the rest of your life with- out of all the girls you could've picked. And to think we have a daughter together and a son on the way <3 There's no other person I'd rather grow old and raise a family with.
You are my wonderful man of a husband, best friend, father of my children, and the person I trust most in the world. I can't begin to tell or show you how much I love and respect you.
Thank you for being my everything and loving me so deeply in return. You are the epitome of the verse that instructs men to love their wives as Christ so loves his church.
I love you, Samuel.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
A good day
Today is going to be a beautiful day. I can tell already. The weather is gorgeous here and I plan to take advantage of that. Maybe Ella and I will go for a walk later :)
I need to post pics of Ella's birthday party. She looked the part of the birthday princess in a little pink tutu and everything.
I changed up the look of my blog. Guess I was getting tired of the same old thing. I really like this background. It's very serene-like.
Mine and Sam's anniversary is coming up on the 18th. We'll have been married 2 years <3 I can truly say they've been the best two years of my life. I couldn't have asked God for a better husband, partner, best friend, and teammate. I love you, Samuel- truly, madly, and deeply.
Hope everyone has a great day. I'm going to try my hardest to make it the best it can be!
I need to post pics of Ella's birthday party. She looked the part of the birthday princess in a little pink tutu and everything.
I changed up the look of my blog. Guess I was getting tired of the same old thing. I really like this background. It's very serene-like.
Mine and Sam's anniversary is coming up on the 18th. We'll have been married 2 years <3 I can truly say they've been the best two years of my life. I couldn't have asked God for a better husband, partner, best friend, and teammate. I love you, Samuel- truly, madly, and deeply.
Hope everyone has a great day. I'm going to try my hardest to make it the best it can be!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Update
I am planning to update soon, just have been very busy! I haven't yet finished my post for the Bible study on salvation. Need to get things organized so that it'll make sense to someone other than me.
Anyway, quick update: life is great in the Baumguardner home, except for me being sick the past few days. I don't know if it's allergies or what, but I've had a runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, and throbbing head. I finally got some Claritin today. That, by the way is crazy! The generic brand of Claritin with the same dosage strength and number of tablets cost $4. The actual Claritin brand was $23.99!! What?! That's just insane to me. Yeah, I went with the generic :)
On another note, Ella's getting so big! She's still got the same six teeth since my last post with no new additions, but they're big! Lol, it's weird to see her with big teeth. Her birthday's coming up on Wednesday. Bianca and I decided to have the parties separate, as our family schedules were conflicting. I have a lot to do before the party on Sunday.
Anyway, I'd better go. I've got several things around the house I want to get done today. I can't wait for my post on salvation coming soon but want to make sure it's done right :)
And while I did work this weekend, thought I'd share this just because it's cute!
Anyway, quick update: life is great in the Baumguardner home, except for me being sick the past few days. I don't know if it's allergies or what, but I've had a runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, and throbbing head. I finally got some Claritin today. That, by the way is crazy! The generic brand of Claritin with the same dosage strength and number of tablets cost $4. The actual Claritin brand was $23.99!! What?! That's just insane to me. Yeah, I went with the generic :)
On another note, Ella's getting so big! She's still got the same six teeth since my last post with no new additions, but they're big! Lol, it's weird to see her with big teeth. Her birthday's coming up on Wednesday. Bianca and I decided to have the parties separate, as our family schedules were conflicting. I have a lot to do before the party on Sunday.
Anyway, I'd better go. I've got several things around the house I want to get done today. I can't wait for my post on salvation coming soon but want to make sure it's done right :)
And while I did work this weekend, thought I'd share this just because it's cute!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Salvation
I've had discussions in the past with friends with difffering opinions from me about salvation. I actually really like discussions like this as long as everyone is courteous and respects other people, regardless of their beliefs. I don't usually post much on why I believe what I believe, but since this one is of particular importance to me and it's been on my mind, I'll share.
I'm wanting to do a bible study today and I think it'll be based on this topic. Sam gave me this great idea to make one post with nothing but scripture about salvation and whether or not a person can lose their salvation. The next post will be exactly that- not my opinion, but exactly what scripture says. I'm thinking of adding something to that post that includes what the early Christian church believed. While I understand that many people believe only what the Bible itself says, I think it's important to correlate both Scripture and what the early church believed and practiced. That way I can understand scripture in the context in which it was written and try to understand it as the people of Jesus' time did. Not only that, but it helps me to see how Christianity as a whole might have moved away from what Christ originally taught.
I think I'll include that after all, though I'm not sure it'll all be in the next post. Anyway, just a heads up as to what's to come. Please feel free to ask questions or leave a comment as to why you believe what you do. I welcome all discussion as long as everyone is courteous to one another.
As a side note, I am very interested in apologetics, but more than being able to justify why I believe what I believe, I always keep in mind that is is more important to show Christ's love than to show how right you are. Like the song says, "... And they'll know we are Christians by our love."
I'm wanting to do a bible study today and I think it'll be based on this topic. Sam gave me this great idea to make one post with nothing but scripture about salvation and whether or not a person can lose their salvation. The next post will be exactly that- not my opinion, but exactly what scripture says. I'm thinking of adding something to that post that includes what the early Christian church believed. While I understand that many people believe only what the Bible itself says, I think it's important to correlate both Scripture and what the early church believed and practiced. That way I can understand scripture in the context in which it was written and try to understand it as the people of Jesus' time did. Not only that, but it helps me to see how Christianity as a whole might have moved away from what Christ originally taught.
I think I'll include that after all, though I'm not sure it'll all be in the next post. Anyway, just a heads up as to what's to come. Please feel free to ask questions or leave a comment as to why you believe what you do. I welcome all discussion as long as everyone is courteous to one another.
As a side note, I am very interested in apologetics, but more than being able to justify why I believe what I believe, I always keep in mind that is is more important to show Christ's love than to show how right you are. Like the song says, "... And they'll know we are Christians by our love."
Monday, March 7, 2011
:sigh:
I feel exhausted. But my house is clean. Mostly.
No plans for today, but I hope it's a good one.
Hope I get over this feeling of tiredness.
No plans for today, but I hope it's a good one.
Hope I get over this feeling of tiredness.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Just some thinking
Life has been fast paced lately. I worked extra last Thursday to make up for a day I was sick the week before. Then I worked my normal Friday and Saturday but spent all Saturday night and Sunday sick with food poisoning. Uggh... It was horrible. Went back to work Wednesday and Thursday and hardly got to see Sam at all. That's the not so fun part about him working nights and me days. I'm so blessed to be able to work only two days a week. I don't know how we'd do it otherwise. I still feel that even with two days a week of me working I don't see him as much as we want. We've decided it would be best for him to switch to days a while ago, but alas, a position just recently opened up. He's going to apply, and I really really hope he gets it. The only iffy thing is that the requirements said the position would require frequent traveling between labs, and the other lab is in Maryland. That might not be so much fun.
Other than that, life has been pretty great. Ella baby now has 7 teeth!! She got her first tooth February 6th, the day she turned 10 months. I can't believe another 6 have come in since then! It's really cute; she has 6 on the top and 1 little loner tooth on the bottom :) Melts my heart when she smiles. I want to put so many pics and videos of her on my blog, but our computer is super slow at uploading. Bummer. We're thinking of getting. A new one soon, because the laptop we use now is the one Sam bought right before college, like in 2005. He's wiped the hard drive a couple of times already, and it runs fine most of the time. It's just really slow when it has too many processes going at once.
Well we find out the sex of our new baby March 16th hopefully. I'm so excited! Everyone keeps asking if we want a boy or girl, but honestly, I don't know that I'm leaning one way or the other. A boy would be great because we don't have one :-b On the other hand, a girl would be wonderful too, because then Ella would have a close sister. I'm the oldest of three girls. My two little sisters are 16 months apart, and I am 2 years from the middle sister. It was really nice growing up with someone, in my case two someones, close to your age. My sisters and my husband are my best friends. I want that for Ella, too. I guess boy or girl, she will have a close sibling, and that's what's important to us.
The weather is supposed to be in the 70's today. I think we'll go forma walk at the park and let my legs catch a few rays :) I think pretty soon I'll go for a pedicure and buy some nice brown sandals to show off my toes. I'm so glad it's getting warm now!
Bianca and I need to start planning the babies' birthday party. Levi and Ella both turn 1 April 6th. I absolutely cannot believe she's about to be 1. It's amazing how fast time goes by. I so love her and love being a momma :) One of my favorite parts of the day is when I go to pick up from her crib in the morning and she gets so so happy to see me. It's like she knows who momma is <3
Anyway, back to the party stuff, we really ought to get started on the planning. We don't want anything really big or fancy, because they're not going to remember it anyway. But I do want our family and a few close friends there to celebrate with us. The question has become how
much family to invite. Sam thinks we should keep it between our two immediate families and grandparents. I feel bad doing that though, because we get invitations to o to all of my cousins' kids' parties. Everyone invites everyone. The thing is that I have a lot of cousins. At least 25 first cousins on my mom's side (that's being conservative) and probably another 15 first cousins on my dad's side. At least.
While I know they won't all be able to come, it'll still be a big crowd. We're most likely going to have the party at our house. We're thinking of
renting those big inflatable jumpers for the kids and making burgers or something. We have a huge backyard, so we'll have more than enough room. I just don't know. Sam wants to keep it small and I can understand. But to me, family is family. I'll have to ask Bink what she
wants to do.
Other than that, life has been pretty great. Ella baby now has 7 teeth!! She got her first tooth February 6th, the day she turned 10 months. I can't believe another 6 have come in since then! It's really cute; she has 6 on the top and 1 little loner tooth on the bottom :) Melts my heart when she smiles. I want to put so many pics and videos of her on my blog, but our computer is super slow at uploading. Bummer. We're thinking of getting. A new one soon, because the laptop we use now is the one Sam bought right before college, like in 2005. He's wiped the hard drive a couple of times already, and it runs fine most of the time. It's just really slow when it has too many processes going at once.
Well we find out the sex of our new baby March 16th hopefully. I'm so excited! Everyone keeps asking if we want a boy or girl, but honestly, I don't know that I'm leaning one way or the other. A boy would be great because we don't have one :-b On the other hand, a girl would be wonderful too, because then Ella would have a close sister. I'm the oldest of three girls. My two little sisters are 16 months apart, and I am 2 years from the middle sister. It was really nice growing up with someone, in my case two someones, close to your age. My sisters and my husband are my best friends. I want that for Ella, too. I guess boy or girl, she will have a close sibling, and that's what's important to us.
The weather is supposed to be in the 70's today. I think we'll go forma walk at the park and let my legs catch a few rays :) I think pretty soon I'll go for a pedicure and buy some nice brown sandals to show off my toes. I'm so glad it's getting warm now!
Bianca and I need to start planning the babies' birthday party. Levi and Ella both turn 1 April 6th. I absolutely cannot believe she's about to be 1. It's amazing how fast time goes by. I so love her and love being a momma :) One of my favorite parts of the day is when I go to pick up from her crib in the morning and she gets so so happy to see me. It's like she knows who momma is <3
Anyway, back to the party stuff, we really ought to get started on the planning. We don't want anything really big or fancy, because they're not going to remember it anyway. But I do want our family and a few close friends there to celebrate with us. The question has become how
much family to invite. Sam thinks we should keep it between our two immediate families and grandparents. I feel bad doing that though, because we get invitations to o to all of my cousins' kids' parties. Everyone invites everyone. The thing is that I have a lot of cousins. At least 25 first cousins on my mom's side (that's being conservative) and probably another 15 first cousins on my dad's side. At least.
While I know they won't all be able to come, it'll still be a big crowd. We're most likely going to have the party at our house. We're thinking of
renting those big inflatable jumpers for the kids and making burgers or something. We have a huge backyard, so we'll have more than enough room. I just don't know. Sam wants to keep it small and I can understand. But to me, family is family. I'll have to ask Bink what she
wants to do.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Love it
A Happy Spouse Is A Happy House By Colleen Martin
Posted by Colleen Martin on November 27th, 2010 in Columnists
So then why am I so busy trying to make myself happy at his expense? I like to think that for most of the month, I am a nice, affectionate, sweet, and understanding wife. But there’s that one stupid week per month where I can act like a total witch, and unfortunately, my husband bears the brunt of all that angst.
Suddenly, he’s not helping out enough, even though he does everything he possibly can. Or maybe it’s just that he’s not doing it correctly, or fast enough, or reading my mind. I’ve even argued with him about splitting an english muffin with a fork. I maintain that they are already fork split, you just have to pull them apart, but he thinks to maximize the nooks and crannies, you need to use the fork to split them. He sees potential yumminess, and I see another dirty fork in the sink.
Speaking of dirty dishes in the sink, I was recently heard singing “It’s a magical sink, a magical sink, where everybody puts in their dirty dishes and they come out clean. Don’t worry about cleaning them yourself because it’s a magical siiiiiiiiiiiink!” Pathetic song and even more pathetic attitude.
Why do I feel the need to bark at him about helping with the laundry, when he has never once asked me to mow the lawn, fix the faucet, take out the trash, or work full-time to support the family. Why do I see what he isn’t doing instead of all the things he does for us every day?
I think many of us wives can admit to this sort of bad behavior from time to time, and I’ve been looking for ways to overcome it.
First, I put myself in his place. Would I like to come home to a nice dinner and a clean house, or to a nagging spouse who complains about every detail of his day? Would I like to get a thank you for all I do, or a list of things to do? The answer is easy; treat him as I want to be treated.
Secondly, I learn to love him in the language he hears best. For my husband, that is with physical touch. Although at the end of a long day, I sometimes feel “touched out” by the babies, a hug or back rub shows him just how much I love him.
Another way to become a better wife is to change my attitude in my daily chores. I recently read a wonderful article that suggested replacing the “have to” with “get to”. For example, I don’t have to take care of my kids; I get to take care of them. I get to go to work to help our family’s financial situation. I get to make a wholesome dinner for my husband and children. It truly gives my priorities a much needed makeover at times.
Finally, I can offer it up. This month of November, as we pray for the Souls in Purgatory, we can offer up all our daily nuisances for their eternal salvation. It’s not easy being a good and holy woman, but it’s a lot better to suffer here on Earth than in Purgatory. So carry your cross with grace and with a smile on your face.
These are some of the things I have been trying to do to make my spouse (and house) happier. What are your tricks for having a happy spouse? I’d love to hear them!
Copyright 2010 Colleen Martin
Source:
Posted by Colleen Martin on November 27th, 2010 in Columnists
So then why am I so busy trying to make myself happy at his expense? I like to think that for most of the month, I am a nice, affectionate, sweet, and understanding wife. But there’s that one stupid week per month where I can act like a total witch, and unfortunately, my husband bears the brunt of all that angst.
Suddenly, he’s not helping out enough, even though he does everything he possibly can. Or maybe it’s just that he’s not doing it correctly, or fast enough, or reading my mind. I’ve even argued with him about splitting an english muffin with a fork. I maintain that they are already fork split, you just have to pull them apart, but he thinks to maximize the nooks and crannies, you need to use the fork to split them. He sees potential yumminess, and I see another dirty fork in the sink.
Speaking of dirty dishes in the sink, I was recently heard singing “It’s a magical sink, a magical sink, where everybody puts in their dirty dishes and they come out clean. Don’t worry about cleaning them yourself because it’s a magical siiiiiiiiiiiink!” Pathetic song and even more pathetic attitude.
Why do I feel the need to bark at him about helping with the laundry, when he has never once asked me to mow the lawn, fix the faucet, take out the trash, or work full-time to support the family. Why do I see what he isn’t doing instead of all the things he does for us every day?
I think many of us wives can admit to this sort of bad behavior from time to time, and I’ve been looking for ways to overcome it.
First, I put myself in his place. Would I like to come home to a nice dinner and a clean house, or to a nagging spouse who complains about every detail of his day? Would I like to get a thank you for all I do, or a list of things to do? The answer is easy; treat him as I want to be treated.
Secondly, I learn to love him in the language he hears best. For my husband, that is with physical touch. Although at the end of a long day, I sometimes feel “touched out” by the babies, a hug or back rub shows him just how much I love him.
Another way to become a better wife is to change my attitude in my daily chores. I recently read a wonderful article that suggested replacing the “have to” with “get to”. For example, I don’t have to take care of my kids; I get to take care of them. I get to go to work to help our family’s financial situation. I get to make a wholesome dinner for my husband and children. It truly gives my priorities a much needed makeover at times.
Finally, I can offer it up. This month of November, as we pray for the Souls in Purgatory, we can offer up all our daily nuisances for their eternal salvation. It’s not easy being a good and holy woman, but it’s a lot better to suffer here on Earth than in Purgatory. So carry your cross with grace and with a smile on your face.
These are some of the things I have been trying to do to make my spouse (and house) happier. What are your tricks for having a happy spouse? I’d love to hear them!
Copyright 2010 Colleen Martin
Source:
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