My husband Dan’s book, Choosing Joy, came out back in November and though I meant to do a holiday-inspired giveaway back then, life in a new town, pregnancy, and the normal Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year’s craziness all thwarted my best efforts. But I’m finally getting my groove back (cheesy, I know) so I thought I’d do a fun Father’s Day giveaway!

What’s up for grabs?

• A $100 Amazon gift card!
• and a signed copy of Dan’s book, Choosing Joy!

(Here is the Introduction in full if you’d like to get a taste for the tone and read Dan’s thoughts on why he wrote this book.)

Call me biased, but I think Choosing Joy would make the perfect Father’s Day gift for any and all of the guys in your life. I know a lot of men are wary of spiritually-themed books (and often rightly so) but this one truly is written in a way that makes it accessible to all. It’s not loaded with platitudes or chock full o’ saccharine and it doesn’t give easy answers or pretend that life is all sunshine and roses.

So, what is his book all about?

I think Jen Fulwiler summed it up best in her review:

“It seems like a lot of folks I know are struggling right now. Some are having financial problems, others family problems; some are dealing with physical or mental health issues; others are just bummed out about the state of the world. Many of them report that the worst of it is the impact it’s had on their spiritual lives. “It’s one thing to face this endless stream of one problem after another,” someone I know said recently, “but by far the hardest part is that all of this has made my spiritual life like a barren wasteland.” She seemed to feel guilty as she lowered her voice and added, “My relationship with God doesn’t bring me happiness anymore.”

If you feel like this, or even close to it, read this book. It doesn’t offer quick-fix solutions (Dan points out that Christian joy isn’t an instantaneous thing that happens the moment we believe: “Joy is not a flag Jesus plants in us; it is a fruit Jesus grows in us”). There are no promises that it will make all your problems go away and leave you in a peppy mood for the rest of your life. It’s better than that. It’s a field guide for wading through the thorny trails of earthly life, and finding the only thing that is real and true underneath it all. It’s a detailed instruction manual for making your soul fertile soil for the seeds of the Holy Spirit, from whom all true joy springs.

This is one of the most needed books to have come along in years. It answers just the right questions, in just the right way, at just the right time. You won’t be sorry you read it.”

(More of Jen’s thoughts on Choosing Joy here.)

I hope you all get a chance to read it. I just know you’ll love it.

To enter, simply help us spread the word about Choosing Joy on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

Ms. Rafflecopter has all the details below.

Thanks, sweet friends!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We moved to Charleston during my first trimester, my second trimester hit right in the middle of the crazy holiday season, and my third trimester found me melodramatically lying on my couch.

Why am I sharing this with you? Simply to explain why it took me no less than nine months to feather my new nest. Our home was so spartan that visitors couldn’t help but comment. In a nice way, of course, but still. They noticed. And though Jen’s fantastic post tried to assure me that this was not a result of my laziness, I have to admit to being pretty relieved when the home decorating bug finally hit me last week.

My Dad happened to be visiting from California and wanted to buy me a birthday present (so sweet!) so we headed to my favorite thrift store while my awesome husband watched the kids. To say that we hit the jackpot might be a little bit of an understatement.

Here, take a peek at my five favorite thrift store finds:

1.

My Dad and I didn’t end up buying this one when we went shopping but I did send Dan a picture and then wouldn’t stop talking about it so he took it upon himself to pick it up, bring it home, and give it to me for Mother’s Day (along with those gorgeous tulips).

He’s the sweetest.

And an amazing writer. (Excerpt here! Awesome review here!)

I just love him to pieces.

1.

This one was a birthday gift from my Dad and brings me such joy for the promise it holds. Can’t you just hear it crying out, “Your children will never lose their coats or shoes again!!!”? Or is that just my imagination? (Shhhhh! Don’t break the spell!)

3.

Another gift from my Dad! I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this dinette set. Sitting in front of that big picture window in the morning with sweet Charlie, a book, and a cup of coffee has filled my mornings with such sweetness.

4.

Wish me luck (or pray your little hearts out) as I attempt to turn this into a chalkboard! I’m not exactly the crafty type. I just hope I make up for it in enthusiasm because I’ve got buckets of that.

5.

This picture doesn’t do this shelf justice. The color is simply gorgeous in real life. It currently sits to the right of my new dinette set and opposite the mirror above. I’m thinking of perching chalk on the top of it but if you have any other ideas for what it could hold please let me know!

Happy favorite-ing, friends!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I have family in town so gorgeous Grace has sweetly agreed to play hostess this week. Head over to her place tonight (or tomorrow or the next day or the day after that) to link-up your Five Favorites posts! See you all next Wednesday!

(And one of these days I might even post a non-5 Faves post! I just need to sniff Charlie’s delicious newborn neck and chrism-covered head one or one million more times first. He’s just so yummy!)

1.

Lancome Mousse Radiance Clarifying Self-Foaming Cleanser

Lancome’s Mousse Radiance is everything I’ve ever dreamed a face cleanser could be. I’ve been searching for my ideal face wash for the longest time and have never been perfectly satisfied until now. This deliciousness feels like foamy velvet (which sounds weird, I know, but trust me – it’s so very good), smells incredible, rinses off easily without leaving a bit of residue behind, and keeps my skin clean, healthy, and not the least bit dry. I love this product. If they ever discontinue it I will cry.

2.

Overcoming Anxiety in Marriage by Elizabeth Duffy

You wrote in chapter 4 of the book Style Sex and Substance: “I hung my life on my husband’s fidelity, but I knew he would go to work and see prettier, more outgoing women than I.”  This is exactly my case!  I stay at home with my two young children while my husband travels for work.

On top of that, my husband told me he is attracted to a woman he works with.  I was very glad that he felt he could share that with me.  But at the same time, it made my fear take hold of me, and I have been very, very anxious about it.  I pray a rosary every day, but when issues come up, I just have these moments of sickening fear.

How did you overcome this?

Elizabeth’s response is fantastic. A must-read.

3.

Folex Instant Carpet Stain Remover

Does everyone and their mother already know of the miracle that is Folex? Why didn’t anyone tell me??? I know it claims on the bottle that it’s a no-rinse formula and that stains will simply disappear into thin air, but who actually believes those back of the bottle sales pitches? I guess I do now. I pretty much wasted $50 on renting a Rug Doctor this week because after pre-treating our carpet every single spot is gone. I wish I had before and after pictures to show you because this stuff is crazy.

Mothers of the world, do yourself a favor and buy a lifetime supply. (And if you do pick some up for yourself, make sure you saturate the stains and let them sit overnight. A couple of my really bad stains needed to be sprayed twice but they all came out eventually.)

4.

My new Le Creuset Salt and Pepper Shakers

I discovered the cutest little kitchen store around the corner from my house this past weekend. I wanted to buy all the Le Creuset things (they had a million!) but my pocketbook would only approve the purchase of this sweet salt and pepper set. Aren’t they darling, though? As Rachel said on Instagram, “every kitchen needs a signature S&P.” How very right she is. :)

5.

Blue Tile Backsplash

Isn’t that the most gorgeous shade of blue? I can just picture myself happily cooking for hours in a kitchen like that.

Take care, cuties!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

1.

3floz.com

Take that, TSA.

So the last time I traveled for a speaking engagement I realized with horror that my beloved hairspray would not be permitted to accompany me on the plane. (Yes, I have told this story once before, and yes, I’m still processing.) Being left with no other option, I stopped in at Ulta upon landing so that I could purchase new hairspray – new hairspray which ended up being used a total of two times before I had to get back on the plane to head home. But no worries – I found a good home for said sweet hairspray. I’d never thoughtlessly leave her in a hotel room trash can. That would just be cruel.

All this is to say that I clearly have a problem.

Ha. No. All this is to say that I think I’ve solved all of our problems, fellow loyal-to-your-beauty-products-until-their-dying-day gals!

Meet 3floz.com.

All of our fave products presented in 3 oz. packaging? Brilliant. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Alexi and Kate!

2.

Antique-Framed Magnetic Chalkboards

There is a very fine line between “need” and “want.”

Sigh. Do you know why Etsy hurts me? Because when I find something absolutely stunning (like the above chalkboard that I’m currently obsessed with), I know that I have no time to pinch my pennies and save up to buy it before someone comes along and snatches it up!

I am absolutely smitten with this particular Etsy find but since she simply can’t be mine I thought I’d share her with all of you lovely ladies in case one of you would like to give her a good home. Just promise that I can come and visit her on occasion, okay?

3.

“FYI…This was NOT made with love.”

Honesty is always the best policy?

Humorous things that take the sting out of loving when you’re not feeling it? L. O. V. E.

4.

Presents.

I ♥ presents.

Word on the street is that it’s in bad taste to admit that you like receiving presents. Really? Whatever. I love presents. Presents are definitely one of my favorite things. If you give me a present you, too, will be one of my favorite things. ;)

(The beautiful box of Sephora goodies above arrived on my doorstep earlier this week thanks to a gift card given to me by Dan for my birthday. He’s the sweetest. All of his sandwiches are definitely made with love.)

5.

The Gram.

Sending out an SOS.

I’ve been making an effort to take more photographs with my Canon for posterity’s sake but I can’t lie – my heart still lies with Instagram. Why? Well…

1. I find it easier to capture fleeting moments like the one above with my iPhone. (You are right to be afraid, Charlie. Very afraid.)
2. I appreciate not having to upload photos in order to share them with friends and family.
3. It has those filters that make this sleep-deprived mama look not quite so scary.
4. Captions are fun.

Instagram blessings abound.

Kisses!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This next guest post is by cutie pie Jenny Uebbing who blogs at Mama Needs Coffee (thank you, love!). Jenny currently lives in Rome with her husband and two little men (and I currently live vicariously through her). She is equal parts sweet and sassy and I’m really quite smitten with her. Just look at those pictures below! Isn’t she adorable? Adorable.

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Somewhere post-baby number 2 in year number 3 of ’till death do us part, it occurred to me that I was perhaps a tad preoccupied with my offspring, to the detriment of my beloved spouse. Now I don’t mean that in a creepy, overly-involved-with-my-children-can’t-make-time-for-that-bum-who-contributed-half-their-DNA kinda way, but simply that I had become so consumed, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually, with the gargantuan task of keeping small humans alive, that I had only scraps to toss Daddy dearest’s way when he returned home in the evenings. (Now if that isn’t a PSA for wedded bliss, I don’t know what is.)

Now, it comes as a surprise to no one that family life, post-partum, is rough. The entire orbit of our little solar system becomes disrupted by a new little body in the mix, and as we scramble to find our new homeostasis, there is barely controlled chaos. For a while. But within the chaos, I began to catch glimpses of the new normal, and what I saw was not pretty. While my kids were growing and developing relatively on schedule, as many neurotic searches via Babycenter and numerous mommy blogs reassured me, my marriage wasn’t exactly flourishing.

Perhaps some real-life examples will serve to illustrate what I mean:

Scene one: 5:45 pm. Both kids screaming for dinner, which has not yet materialized. Begin frantic flurries of text messaging campaign for takeout. Forget our budget, or the very reasonable decision we both arrived at to spend x dollars per month on y. It was suddenly almost 6 pm, and somehow dinner had failed once again to plan and prepare itself, despite my being very handsomely clad in dirty yoga pants which had taken me to the supermarket that very morning.

Scene two: 9:20 pm. Both children are, temporarily, asleep in various locations throughout the house. The husband and I have 30 minutes of uninterrupted alone time. Naturally, I slide into bed … with my laptop. Time to mindlessly surf the internet!

Scene three: 4 am. Someone is screaming. It’s either me or it’s one of the children, but it’s too dark to tell for certain. I angrily hoist my tired, jiggly body out of bed and make my way to the source of the disruption, mentally railing against the injustice of it all, and silently cursing myself for telling my sweetheart to stay in bed and let me handle the midnight intruders, since he had to be at work the next day. “I never get to ‘escape’ to work,” I grumbled mentally, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a ‘break’ every day, to be in an office again.” I’d fume while nursing a demanding newborn in the semi-darkness of our bedroom, growing more and more resentful at the sound of light snoring coming from the other side of the bed.

Get the picture? I think the above drama perfectly encapsulates the first 6 months of life, post-partum, that is our little family’s existence, and it ain’t pretty. Somewhere along the bumpy ride, this time around, I began to realize those areas where I did, in fact, have more control than I had imagined, and wouldn’t you know it, when I stopped seeing myself as the victim of my circumstances, things began to change.

First, I saw concrete choices that I was making throughout the day that negatively impacted my relationship with Dave, namely, my absolutely empty reservoir of patience and resources when it came to him. I had been drawing it down to almost zero with the kids all day, and then snapping at the first hint of even minor adversity where he was concerned. He wanted a hot dinner after a day at the office? Instead of planning and throwing some simple ingredients in the crock pot in the morning, I frittered away minutes-turned-hours via Pinterest and Blogger during my moments of downtime during the day, and suddenly I had failed plans because I’d, you guessed it, failed to plan.

Second, I was not taking time to pray for patience and grace in my first and primary human relationship: my marriage. I threw occasional prayers heavenward for my kids, for their needs, for my ability to meet those needs…but I had stopped praying specifically for my husband and for our marriage. Surely God knows what I need in that arena, I must have rationalized…but when had I stopped speaking with Him about it? A few minutes of intentional, specific prayer for Dave and for our relationship during the day make a tremendous difference in how we relate to one another. Imagine that.

Finally, I had to learn to accept help. Both his and other people’s. When he offered to get up and give the baby a bottle in the night so I could get some extra sleep, I needed to say yes. Living martyrdom wasn’t looking good on me, particularly when I grumbled all the way to the Cross, if you will. And I wasn’t any kind of hero when I snapped and screamed at my kids during the day because I’d valiantly breastfed all the live long night and then woke up closer to dead than alive the next morning. When I took opportunities as they were presented to me, whether to have a shower while my kids played in the daycare at the gym, or to grab a nap or do my makeup while a friend watched the boys for an hour in the afternoon, I had SO much more to give to Dave when I saw him again. Amazing what a few more minutes of sleep (or a little mascara) will do for a marriage.

I pray that the next time the Lord blesses our family with a new member, I will remember this, and I will remember how badly things get out of alignment when I forget the primary player in the drama that is the vocation of married life: the spouse God entrusted to me.

So, the craziest thing happened after Charlie’s birth. I didn’t experience a single afterbirth pain. (I trust you fellow moms of many understand how miraculous this is.) Honestly, my afterbirth pains in the past have been worse than the labor itself. Which is the saddest thing ever! White knuckling it through 24 or so hours of excruciating pain while I’m trying to enjoy my sweet new baby? Unsubscribe.

I’ve always cycled Ibuprofen and Tylenol, used a variety of herbal remedies, and kept my heating pad close, but after scouring the Internet for another possible remedy I struck gold. You’ll find it in my first favorite followed by a few other things I used to get ready for the birth that were also blessings if not outright miracles like #1.

1.

Bluebonnet Blueberry Liquid Calcium

Taking two tablespoons every single hour (that I was awake) starting immediately after Charlie’s arrival and continuing through the first postpartum day or two = afterbirth pain completely and totally annihilated. Crazy. I don’t mean that they were less severe. I mean I truly didn’t experience a single one. My uterus contracted back down to size as it should but there was absolutely no discomfort.

The liquid calcium is chalky (there’s really no getting around that) but it actually tastes really good! All the reviewers say that blueberry is the best flavor and from my limited experience I have to agree. I also chose this variety of cal-mag because it has a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium which is important apparently.

I am so in love with this stuff I cannot even tell you.

2.

Floradix Calcium-Magnesium

I also took much lower dose of a calcium-magnesium supplement during the last trimester. I’d heard that Floradix was the best so I went with that. It was pretty tasty once I got used to the apple juice infused with flowers flavor. As for the benefits, I had no leg cramps, minimal aches and pains, slept better at night, and just felt generally more calm and relaxed. The fact that I went six days “overdue” and lived to tell about it really says something. ;)

3.

Gentle Birth Formula

In the past I’ve always used Dr. Christopher’s Birth Prep to prepare for labor. This time, though, I decided to try Gentle Birth after reading rave reviews in a number of online forums. I immediately noticed that this formula did not cause as many Braxton Hicks contractions as Dr. Christopher’s supplement did which was greatly appreciated. As for my labor, it really was gentle (as far as labors go). Perhaps it would have been smooth sailing anyway but it didn’t hurt me to add this to my supplement routine each day and I was very, very happy with the birth so I imagine I’ll use it again should I have another wee one in the future. (One other note: the variety I link to contains Blue Cohosh but if you’re not comfortable with that you can buy Gentle Birth without Blue Cohosh here.)

4.

MegaFood’s Blood Builder

Starting in my first trimester I noticed that I was getting incredibly short of breath when I’d climb the stairs in my house. Not just a little winded, either, but full on collapsing in a chair and sucking in air for dear life each and every time I made the climb. When my first CBC came back it showed that I wasn’t anemic but pretty close. My midwife told me that though my iron wasn’t crazy low the count could very well be too low for me.

On Grace’s recommendation I started taking MegaFood’s Blood Builder. I love this stuff. LOVE it. Within a couple of weeks (it can take some time for the bone marrow to create new red blood cells), I was once again bounding up my stairs without any trouble. I’ve also noticed that I have much more energy right now than I usually do in the first postpartum weeks so maybe BB is helping with that, too.

5.

Lavender Essential Oil

After all that fuss (wink, wink), Dan started adding a few drops of lavender oil to a paper towel and sticking it to one of our AC vents once a day or so. A subtle but delicious lavender scent filled our home and I really do believe it helped a lot to relax me during those last (“overdue”) days of pregnancy.

Happy favorite-ing, sweet friends!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Today’s guest post was written by my beautiful friend Cate Roberts of Dainty Cate. In addition to having super cute hair (look at those Victory Rolls!), she is unspeakably sweet and has a passion for life that never fails to inspire me. Thank you, love!

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I have a deep love of the very ideal of a vigil: A waiting, a watchfulness, an alert anticipation. The most well-known vigil of the year has just ushered in 50 beautiful days of celebration for the church. Easter Vigil is the pinnacle of the Catholic liturgical calendar. A beautiful service where the faithful keep watch for Christ’s return and all of the catechumens are received into the church after their long commitment of study and reflection. It marks an important anniversary for me and my husband for several reasons. It was at the Easter Vigil in 2009 that I came into the Catholic Church, an emotional experience that changed me forever. Easter Vigil of 2010, I watched through joyful tears as my husband was baptised and entered into the fullness of the faith, and that very same night our marriage was convalidated in front of our family, friends, and the whole group of freshly minted Catholics from his RCIA class with whom I had the privilege of sharing the faith for the previous 9 months.

Smaller vigils have touched my heart in the past several years. It was during my months in RCIA that I discovered a deep devotion for Eucharistic adoration. We are fortunate at our parish to have perpetual adoration, and I’ve found myself often stopping in out of the blue during the busiest and most stressful moments of my life. As my mind rebels at the thought of “doing nothing” in the midst of a chaotic schedule, I never fail to fall to my knees before the exposed host without Christ’s words echoing through my mind: “Could you not watch with me one hour?” And in that quiet little side chapel, my thoughts are eased and I hold my own small vigil for Him.

Life has been hectic during this first year with our newest addition. As her sleeping schedule moved from four awakenings to one and then fluctuated somewhere in between, and her naps grew ever shorter until she gave up all but one, my energy levels have been sorely tested. Add to that my constant shuttling of our oldest to various obligations, practices, and meetings, and my own evening classes at the dojo, and I’m understandably ready to collapse into bed the moment the girls are tucked in. A month long illness took an even greater toll on my energy reserves, and many evenings I found myself relinquishing responsibility of our girls to my husband as soon as he walked through the door from work so that I could medicate and take my fever and aches straight to bed.

It was just before Easter with vigils prominent in my mind, and while I was finding my way back to health, that my husband texted to see if it was possible for him to head out for a happy hour that had been planned as a reunion for a group of his former co-workers. Though I quickly assured him that he should attend, my shoulders slumped with the weight of the idea of a long day and evening ahead alone with the girls. I looked around at the house, which had become a bit more untidy than usual while I had been recovering, and felt overwhelmed by how much seemed to need my attention. It was in that moment that I thought of my husband, working so hard for us each and every day and then coming home through an hour of traffic to the chaos of an untended house, an exhausted wife who headed straight for the consolation of her pillow, and our girls grumpy with sleep but needing a full bedtime routine whether they were in a cooperative mood or not. I was struck by how long his days must have seemed lately, and that spurred me to action.

I got the girls fed, bathed, and in to bed in record time and then tackled the house with enthusiasm. Surprisingly, the activity perked me up and by the time things were sparkling, I felt I actually had enough left to stay up and read. I had been curled up with a book on the couch in our bedroom for about ten minutes when my husband came home. Within moments, I heard him bounding up the stairs. He had a huge smile on his face and exclaimed, “Hey! The light is on!” He gave me a big hug and remarked on how beautiful the house looked. “It is so amazing to come home and have everything already done and to come upstairs and see the light still on and you still awake! Thanks for waiting for me!”

I realized again how important one hour can be. Making the extra effort, regardless of how busy or fatigued or ready to quit for the day you may be, can be a huge blessing to your marriage. We were able to spend a quiet hour together just catching up, reconnecting, and best of all laughing together. By the time we headed to bed together, I realized that I was actually feeling more relaxed and more rested than I had in weeks. Wrapped up in my own little crosses and feeling rather low about myself in general, I had forgotten what a blessing my husband sees in the small act of my being present (and how much joy I receive by seeing his own). It wasn’t the clean house or the children already down for the night or even the opportunity for a night out with old friends, but the simple act of keeping vigil for his return to our personal space, our one-on-one time, that truly brought him joy.

Since then, I have made it my goal to offer up that little hour of my day, to hold off sleep, to keep the light on, to be present and waiting when the kids are put to bed and my husband returns to me, to our coupledom, to our marriage. Keeping vigil has blessed our lives in so many ways, and I have a chance to re-live that daily.

Thank you all so much for the sweet congratulations on Charlie’s arrival! He really does have the yummiest cheeks, doesn’t he? With scrumptious cheeks in mind, I’m now going to head back into my babymoon cave and leave my blog in the hands of some of my favorite writers. They’ve kindly agreed to share their reflections on that crazy little thing called (married) love and I am ever so grateful for both the blogging assistance and the fabulous reading material. (You girls are the nicest! Thank you!)

First up is the ever-adorable Ana Hahn who blogs at Time Flies When You’re Having Babies. If you haven’t yet met Ana, prepare to fall in love. She’s all heart and funny to boot.

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

A huge thank you to Hallie for inviting me to guest-post on her fantastic, and even Sheenazing, blog. I must admit I was equal parts flattered and intimidated when she asked me to write a little something, but the combo of loving Moxie Wife and always wanting to help a fellow mom blogger keep things going after a newly birthed babe did me in. Congratulations to the whole Lord family on your sweet new addition, and way to go, Hallie!

I never would have labeled myself and Mike “opposites” early in our relationship. I knew we had personality differences, but throughout the dating and engagement period those differences were mostly obscured by the stars in my eyes. I would say I was pretty naïve going into it all and was mostly focused on imagining what I thought marriage would look like after we finally said “I do.”

Well, it did not take long to realize that things would not be looking how they did in whatever romantic comedies I had been watching and using as my mental model. Aside from the obvious personal adjustments required by a honeymoon conception and a big move to a new city and new job (grad school!), the simple fact of actually living together after we got married made the reality that we are opposites set in quickly.

Mike is a planner, an organizer, an on-the-ball kind of guy. I am a procrastinator, a “we don’t need to look on google maps before we leave, we’ll just punch it into our 7 year-old GPS with no updated maps and it will surely get where we need to go” kind of girl. (It never does get us there, by the way.)

Mike puts all his clothes away immediately after he changes, his hangers are facing the same way in the closet and you can actually open his drawers to put things away because- shocker- his clothes are all FOLDED! My side of the room looks consistently like a hurricane hit. The difference can always be seen:

Mike looooooves to-do lists and gets a huge thrill from crossing off items when they are done. On the other hand, I get really overwhelmed by to-do lists, because I feel like they’re constantly telling me what a failure I am for not getting to the things that aren’t done yet. Seriously, it’s like they’re talking to me and criticizing me. It was when I started talking back to them that I was told by the people the people at the clinic to stop making lists. True story? You’ll never know.

If we’re ever having company over, Mike is generally thinking at least an hour or two beforehand about how we’ll set things up to eat and what needs to be done around the house before the company arrive. If it were up to me alone, we’d probably be scrambling to get crap done last-second, we’d be completely frazzled when our company arrived, and dinner would be at least a solid hour late.

Mike gets all bent out of shape when I try to cross the street when cars are headed for me, whereas I figure that cars need to learn that pedestrians have the right-of-way. Or maybe I’m just not good at paying attention to where I’m going.

I think you get the picture.

Although I am not without my own very wonderful qualities (such as remaining calm and collected in the face of laundry chaos and oncoming traffic), our five years of marriage have taught me both to appreciate our oppositeness and to recognize how much I desperately need someone NOT like me in order to save me from myself.

This might just be me being dramatic, but I am thoroughly convinced that if I had not married Mike, I would be lost in a ditch somewhere that was on the way to the place I was trying to get, probably naked because I couldn’t find any clothes in my unorganized drawers, with broken bones from getting hit by so many cars, and chunks of hair gone from freaking out over stuff not being done when company was coming over the night before.

Mike definitely brings out the parts of me that are capable of being organized and controlled. And I would like to think I bring out the more laid back aspects of his personality, while simultaneously driving him crazy.

Opposites truly do attract.

Well, this should be easy… 

1.

Charlie!

2.

Charlie!

3.

Charlie!

4.

Charlie!

5.

And Charlie!

Our sweet roly poly boy finally arrived at just 15 minutes shy of 41 weeks on April 4th and weighed 9 pounds and 2 ounces. The labor was as lovely as labor can be – six hours in total, four of those active, two pretty intense, and just five minutes of pushing. (God even hooked me up with a rainy night and flowers!) My husband is my hero, my children are the sweetest of sweet peas, and I am one happy, blessed mama. Thank you all so much for your prayers!

With so much love and gratitude!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥