The Things You Do For Love

The things you do for love...

1. I listen to my husband talk about his old black Jeep all the time. He loved that thing and put a lot of sweat (and a lot of money) into it. We fell in love in that Jeep. Something magical about those long Sunday drives down the back roads of southwest Missouri. There is something about bundling up in a cozy sweatshirt, with the top down, admiring the beautiful fall colors and sipping on a Starbucks hot chocolate that just can't be duplicated in a car, no matter how many windows you roll down. We shared some great conversations, some great music and some great memories in that Jeep. When we decided to start a family, we decided we needed something a little more practical (not to mention I couldn't climb in the darn thing because of the monster tires and the huge lift!). I know this was a huge sacrifice for him to make! Thank you R! The things you do for love...

2. Since I am 8 1/2 months pregnant, I can no longer see my feet, let alone, reach my toes. When Richard saw me struggling, he just smiled at me, grabbed my nail file, and pulled my feet up in his lap and went to work. I honestly think feet gross him out, but he didn't even hesitate or complain. The things you do for love...

3. I endure my husband's gas and sometime neurotic behavior. Oh, and I love his cat Henry. The things you do for love...

Blessings and Birthdays

This past weekend, we celebrated my grandmother's 98th birthday. If you knew my grandma, you would know what an extremely special lady she is. She laughs every day (even more after her nightly glass of wine) and her attitude that each day is a gift is something to be admired. 98 years old... I can't even imagine all in life that she has experienced! God is good to have blessed our family with her! Love you Grandma 'Note!

And, tomorrow is my birthday... My husband has booked me an hour long massage and I CANNOT WAIT! At this point in my pregnancy (only 3 more weeks to go!) I feel like a massage may be more of a necessity than a luxury. It's funny, birtdays used to seem like such a big deal, but when you are actually preparing to give birth, then the only thing that seems to matter is your child's birthday (hmmmm, wonder when that will actually be). Can't wait to meet our little man!

More blessings... too many to count or list, but here are a few of my recent favorites:
1. Thankful for family! And, especially thankful for sisters and mom's!
2. Blessed to have a FABULOUS husband... Not just fabulous because he booked me a massage, but fabulous for lots of other reasons too (althought the massage definitely won't hurt).
3. Thankful for modern medicine. Have I mentioned I am scared for childbirth? I keep telling myself that people used to squat in the woods to have babies, so surely I can do the whole birthing thing in a hopsital with an epidural, right?
4. Big Brother... I know it probably kills brain cells after I watch an episode of it, but I'm hooked. It's my guilty pleasure... and being 8 1/2 months pregnant, I can indulge in as many guilty pleasures as I want (minus the cold beer and hotwings).

More Blessings

I used to be really good about keeping a gratitude journal. For those of you who don't know what a gratitude journal is, it is kind of like a diary of things your are grateful for. It's a great way to recap the day and not lose sight over what is truly important in life. Some times entries are 'deep' and very thought provoking. Other day's I'm thankful for things like Orange Leaf (I'm still a big fan!) and even that I'm just grateful that the day is over!

A few things I am grateful for this week are:

1. That my husband is a clean-being. After being away for several days, it's great to walk into a clean house! No dishes in the sink, no sticky spots on the kitchen counter... He's very considerate, and I am very appreciative.

2. I have great friends!

3. I have a great job ~ and work with some amazing people.

4. I'm thankful for low sugar products.

5. Found some baby lullabies of 80's music and pop songs... Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Heart... Excited to share some of my favorites with him!

6. As this baby gets closer to arriving, I'm beyond scared about giving birth ~ we're talking SERIOUS anxiety! To who ever invented the epidural, I would just like to say thank you in advance.