I’m so thankful that God chose to work a miracle and keep our family together six and a half years ago, even though we were seemingly determined to destroy it. We have learned so much about what a husband and wife are supposed to be, and it’s truly a beautiful thing when both spouses are committed, loving, and working hard to be the spouse God wants us to be.

Before our absolutely fabulous date on Friday night (the day of our anniversary), we tried to get Britta and Jarvis to take a picture of us. Here’s what we got…

Um, yeah, none of our children plan on becoming professional photographers. lol

Yesterday’s menu:
breakfast – sliced strawberries, dry Rice Chex (yum?), hot green tea (not the best b’fast, but my energy levels are just starting to return after being sick, so I had something that one of the kids could easily grab for me ).
lunch (see photo above) - baked wild alaskan cod filet (olive oil, fresh lemon and lime juice, minced garlic, sea salt, pepper, dried cilantro), fried sweet potatoes (fried in olive oil with sea salt to season), more sliced strawberries, water
dinner – stir-fry [shrimp, broccoli, onions, garlic, zucchini, carrots] served with quinoa, fresh sliced pineapple, water

~snacks were things like peanut butter, carrots, and… I can’t remember anything else though I’m sure I had more than just that~

So yesterday was my first experience with quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). I’ve been meaning to try it for a while since it cooks up quicker than rice and it’s also more nutritious. I liked the taste, it was similar to rice. But there was something no one warned me of! When quinoa cooks it leaves small circles along the top of the pan that look like something you’d find at the bottom of the sea, and the actual cooked quinoa looks like a big pile of bug eggs or something grosser. That was difficult for me to get past. I had to chant “this doesn’t look disgusting, this doesn’t look disgusting, this doesn’t look disgusting” in order to get that first bite down. lol. I’ll eat it again though. I’m all about getting more nutrients out of my food!!

Obviously I’ve added some things to my diet since my last elimination diet post. Peanut butter and rice don’t seem to bother me. Potatoes don’t bother me either. Last night was my first foray with shrimp since I started this diet and it didn’t seem to bother me. I have discovered that dairy definitely bothers me (!), which is what I suspected was the main culprit but had been in denial. That makes me a sad panda, but it’s nice not to be in a fog! There are a few fruits that I can only eat every other day, but I can live with that. I’m trying to have more of a variety in my diet anyway. Oh, I added another snack in as well – Kettle barbecue chips. They’re my big treat.

In other news, Paige still isn’t walking or trying to walk. She has her 15 month checkup on July 9th. I’m pretty sure she *could* walk if she wanted to – she just doesn’t want to. She’s perfectly content to be carried or to crawl or to walk alongside furniture as she holds on.

She is saying a few more words now and then (‘uh-oh’ is her latest favorite word), but she really doesn’t talk very much. I mean, she makes noises and she grunts and points as she demands we bring her where she wants to go, but actual ‘talking’? She can’t be bothered. She does understand a LOT of what we say though. And she knows the signs for “eat” and “bird” so she can tell us if she’s hungry or if she sees a bird. Both very practical.

Jarvis and Darby are hitching a ride with our good friends, Mark and Kim Lilley, to Tennessee tomorrow. They’ll be visiting my parents for a week, and then Grandma and Grandpa will bring them home. They’re excited to be going someplace without the rest of the family (as are most kids that age). I am not a huge fan of having my kids gone, but I like for them to do fun things so I’m happy for them that they get to go on a little vacation.

Justice shoots ball as often as possible. I actually took a couple of photos today. He starts drivers ed in a week and a half. Oh yeah, and I need to call again about the basketball camp next month. They weren’t organized last time I called and told me to wait a month and try again.

Andrew is home for a four-day weekend so I’m super excited about that! I love having him here. He still rocks my socks after all these years. I don’t think we’ll ever run out of things to talk about or stop being attracted to each other. I love our marriage. Love it! I’m still so amazed and grateful when I think of all we overcame. If you are reading this and you think your marriage is over and there’s no hope – please call me! I have a story of hope for you. Us! Nothing is impossible for God!! He heals – not just illness but relationships. So awesome!

In case I don’t get a chance to blog again over the weekend (although I have big plans to blog every day – hahahahaha), I hope you all have a wonderful weekend of celebrating our country’s independence!! Happy July 4th!

In honor of the day of love (but really, shouldn’t EVERY day be a day of love?! It actually is in my world – I hope it is in your world too), I’m going to make a list (because I *love* lists) of things that I love. Aren’t you excited?! You should be… I know you are.

Things I love on February 13, 2010:

1. God
2. Andrew!!!
3. Brittany, Justice, Jarvis, Darby, Jacob, and Paige
4. my house and it’s non-white walls (after 15 years of renting, it’s SO nice to have color on my walls!!)
5. Trader Joe’s
6. chocolate-oatmeal no-bake cookies
7. Hydraulic bluejeans
8. my new jacket that has holes in the sleeves for my thumbs
9. my Honda Pilot
10. green tea
11. TV on DVD (currently: Gilmore Girls, Pushing Daisies, & Seinfeld)
12. good music (currently: Barlow Girl, Brandon Heath, Tenth Avenue North, She & Him, Patsy Cline, & Cat Power)
13. baby hugs and kisses (nothing like it!)
14. dreams of my office/craft room being finished – all my craft stuff is boxed up and it’s kiiiiillllliiiiing me!
15. facebook
16. the Wii Fit Plus
17. the way God constantly shows Himself to me through His mercy, love, and grace
18. my camera
19. dreams of upgrading to a fancier schmancier camera
20. being healthier than I’ve ever been, and on the road to being even healthier
21. fabulous friends
22. good movies & good books
23. having a baby and toddler at the same time as having two teens (for real – I really do love it!)
24. that I can still enjoy food after taking so many things I thought I couldn’t live without out of my diet ~ and really, I enjoy it even more because it doesn’t make me feel raunchy anymore when I eat!
25. fruit smoothies
26. Giovanni cucumber song lotion
27. Burt’s Bees tinted lipgloss
28. my comfy bed
29. funky socks
30. knowing that I never have to worry about anything because my God is in control… I just have to let go and let Him ~ so peaceful
31. hearing my kids laugh
32. hearing my husband laugh
33. that Andrew still loves me and wants me even though my belly is kinda flabby, my hair is turning gray, my skin is in terrible shape, and I’ve had years of bad health… He seems to be blind, but that’s okay with me

There’s so much more that I love right now, but those are the things that came to me off the top of my head. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I hope you have someone you love to share tomorrow, and every day, with! Life’s too short not to love and be loved.