Gladly Home Alone

Dave and I are having more and more chances to practice being empty- nester's.  We are sitting here watching the Stanley Cup Hockey Final.  Or rather, Dave is watching the final and running out between periods to water or clip a hedge, and I am playing on the computer.  Christina has gone off to a concert with her boyfriend, Jordan is at school then off with her boyfriend,  Malaina is permanently (sob) off in L.A. finding a cure for Alzheimer's.  My husband and I have so much to talk aboot (deliberate Canadian accent).  

• Did you know that the Vancouver Canuck Goalee a man named Roberto Luongo, pictured above has broken the "Goalee Union"?  Apparently he gave negative commentary about the Boston Bruin goalee Tim Thomas.  A big no-no
• Then in the very next game, the above goalee was yanked from the game because he sucked.
• Then tonight  is game 7 so we shall see who wins the most important game of the Spring/Summer.
• I have found out that all four of our sprinkler valves to the sprinkler system are working now!
• But most importantly, he told me tonight that when he saw my picture in my most recent post, his heart went flitter/flutter, and he said he thinks I am still beautiful.  WOW!  I think I am going to like this empty nest business:)))

See?  Dave and I have communicated so well tonight that we have revitalized our marriage with just a few nice words and a hockey game.  Yipee!!

24th Anniversary Today

October 1984, I think this photo is the day before we got married. Our wedding pictures are in the garage in my cedar chest, that is still packed away.
I had Dave scan this for me. I am embarrassed to admit it is quite dusty from the frame I have had it in. I think my housekeeping skills need improvement. Most marriages can benefit from an occasional dusting off too don't you think? Sometimes life's challenges can make us so busy that we forget to keep the cobwebs off of those parts of ourselves that make us who we are. My marriage to Dave has made me the woman I am today. With ne'er a discouraging word, he has been my other half in every way.

This is our first family portrait, from January 1988. Dave has seen me through THICK and not so thick. But mostly thick. Here I am 6 months pregnant with Malaina. Jordan is just one year old. Dave still uses this blazer he has on. (He has been the same size pant/shirt our entire marriage.) It is one of those examples of frugality that Dave has. Why should he get rid of a perfectly good blazer? Even if it is 20 years old? I am loving my hair in this photo. I think I'll do it like this again! It looks like half the women in the Tabernacle Choir! Don't you just love the yoke's on our dresses?

Here we are last Valentine's Day 2008. We are in possession of a few more pounds, a few more wrinkles, a few more gray hairs, and loads and loads of wisdom. This is a marriage based on love and respect for each other. That there also exists, patience and understanding goes without saying. Our marriage works because we respect each other's privacy and we have complete unselfishness. I don't begrudge him his man time, and he turns the other cheek when I come home with yet another pair of shoes. We have taken 4 vacations this year and none of them have been together yet, but, we are getting away next weekend. We don't have to spend every spare minute together, but when we do have that alone time, we really have so much fun together. Ask him about our experience at Sam's Club last Saturday, NEVER a DULL MOMENT!

Raise your imaginary glasses with me everyone: Here's to the next 24 years!

Confessions of the Glad Housewife

Do you know that it takes a lot of work to be married? Being "glad" all the time is pretty much impossible. Case in point; this picture is a good image of two people who were not very happy with each other that day. Can you see the strain in my face? Can you see the forced smile on Dave's face? I insisted on taking this picture here, before our beautiful clematis lost its incredible bloom, much to Dave's chagrin. Even though we took several shots this was the only decent one. I am convinced it is because we just weren't "feeling it" that day. We had a rather nasty disagreement before church, that we forgave each other for right after Sacrament, but there were obvious ripples in the water that hadn't calmed because we hadn't had the chance to talk about some of the things that were said.

As I have read many blogs, I haven't ever read a post that touches on the realness of a marriage. Real things like rotten days that every couple shares! Ugly disagreements that can foul up a day or weekend or, even in our case this time, 4 or 5 days. Real things like two people who still love each other at the end of the day and know that they have screwed up, and, have let lawns, children, laundry, money, church, neighbors and the house, come before each other for a bit too long. Life is good for us, we don't have a lot of worries, but sometimes it is "life" that gets in our way.

A successful marriage isn't one where couples don't fight, I am convinced of it. A successful marriage is one that both partners make even more incredible after the fight. Both partners have learned from the disagreement, fix the problem, thus making the marriage able to sustain the next issue it faces. And it will face issues. There is my confession, I don't have a perfect life, I don't profess to have a perfect marriage, but it is perfectly great for me, us,our family!

If I am wrong, and you and your spouse don't fight, I am so happy for you, but you are missing out on the making up part;-)