Game On

Ok, it's T minus 11 hours until game time. My lunch is made, my outfit is picked out, little people arrangements are made for before school and after, I've read Chapter 12 in the science book, and I've moved past the nerves.

Let me tell you, Chapter 12 is a snooze.  Would it be bad for me to tell the students that?  Does the periodic table excite YOU?

Anyway, I'm ready.  My hubs gave the best pep talk ever.

"Tomorrow you will go to work, you'll be lost all day, you'll come home.  You'll be tired.  Your feet will hurt.  But you'll be fine."

You gotta love him, right?  He tells it like it is, for sure.

But he's right.  I won't have any idea what's going on tomorrow.  But I'm entertaining the idea of giving each class a 1-minute question-and-answer session.  I've used this before with kids.  They can ask me anything (within limits) and I will answer inside a 1-minute time frame.  Then we will move on.

Of course, I've never used that with 8th graders.

May be problematic.

Either way, I'm excited about my new adventure.

They're just kids.  And kids are still kids with the same insecurities and needs, no matter how much money their parents make or what kinds of jeans they wear.

So I'll tackle tomorrow with the same fervor I had 12 years ago when I entered the doors of Floyd Middle School.

And hopefully these kids will love me (and learn from me) as much as those kids did!

Take My Mother. Please.

OK, OK, before all you nosy family members jump on your phones to tell my mom I'm talking about her, you should keep reading.

I mean this in the nicest, sweetest, most loving way possible.

My mom is awesome.  She is beautiful and kind.  She has a loving and patient heart.  She is a dedicated hard worker.

And for all of these reasons, she absolutely does not deserve to be alone.

Now that I know for sure she doesn't want to be alone, I'm putting it all out there.  I wish I could write her profile for the online dating sites.  I'm fairly certain she hasn't said all the things I think about her -- and that so many other people feel.  If I wrote her profile, she'd be fighting them off with a stick!  Honestly, I believe if my mom put herself in the right situations, she would meet someone.  She's been trying the online stuff for a while.  She's made several "matches," but nothing ever seems to pan out.  I wish she had more time to devote to meeting people -- and not just men.  I think she would be a happier person if she had a group of friends to hang out with -- to go to the movies and dinner.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I've said it before -- I love having her available to babysit at any time.  And if she was dating, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be able to do it.  But the kids are getting older, and I don't mind taking them with us when we have to if we have a date night or something like that.

What I do mind is how my mom has so much on her plate -- she works 4 days a week, 10 hours a day.  One day of her weekend is devoted to spending time with my grandmothers at the nursing home.  She also visits one night during the week after work.  She gets up so early for work that she's exhausted when she gets home from work.  She has this crazy dog that has kidney problems and costs her an arm and a leg, and she pees and poops (the dog, not my mom) all over the house, which doesn't help with Mom's stress.  She spends her days and nights worrying about her mom (my grandmother in the nursing home), her sisters, her brother, me and my family, my brother and his family ... and I know, that's what moms do..

But I want her to think about herself.  I want her to be completely selfish.  I want her to not have to worry about what the other people in our family think about this guy or this new outfit or the paint color or the new furniture.  But with her big heart comes big worries.  I don't know where her low self-esteem comes from.  She always puts herself down when I talk to her.  She asks me why, after 6 1/2 years, no one has approached her; no one has asked her out.  I don't know what to tell her.  I don't know how to explain that the world must be blind.

She said something to me on the phone two days ago after I told her a friend's mom was getting married for the 3rd (or 4th) time.

"How does this happen to other people?  What's wrong with me?" she asked.

It took me a little off guard.

There's is nothing wrong with her.  At all.

"There is no way that the one man I married is the only love I was meant to have my entire life."

OK, that one threw me for a loop.

He was a damn good man, though, Mom.  Some people marry 4 or 5 men who don't even come close to totaling her 1.

And while I pray every night for her to find someone else to share the rest of her life with, I know he won't be as awesome as the first love. ;)

So here are the requirements:  (Yes, I'm campaigning.  And not because she's desperate or because she asked me to.  In fact, she'll probably be upset when she reads this.)

He must be at least 5'10" tall.
He must be a Christian.
He must have something to offer -- she can't support him forever.  I'm hoping for a little money because she'd like to retire ... eventually ...
He should be handsome.
Tim would like for him to be Harley man.
He should have strong shoulders to help carry the burden.
He should be accepting of the crazies in my family.
It would be nice if he has kids and grandkids as well, so he can appreciate the worry she provides.
He should be honest.  No liars.  No ladies' man.

Anything else, Mom?

So if you know any men like this, send me their names and numbers.  We can play match maker.  My mom needs and deserves some happiness in her life.  She's given me so much; this is my way of giving back. :)

Favorite Photo Friday

Mr. and Mrs. Morris - July 29, 2000

I talk about my wedding all the time, so I won't rehash anything here.  But, in the wake of my TEN YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!!!!, I wanted to share one of my absolute favorite pictures from our wedding day.  While I had kissed Tim plenty of times before, this was, by far, the best kiss he ever shared with me!

The To-Do List

In college I lived by post-it notes. I had them all over the place - in my day planner, on my mirrors, in my car on the speedometer. Of course, I'm not sure why -- life was so much simpler then and I should've been able to remember what all I had to do. Let's see, get up on time, eat breakfast that was prepared for me, go to class, come back and eat lunch prepared for me, go to class, study, eat dinner prepared for me, chapter meetings, watch TV, talk to Tim, go to bed.

Life was so much simpler then. If only we'd known.

Anyway, I digress.

So when I started working, I also had post-it notes everywhere. My students used to tease me when I walked around with post-its stuck to my clipboard. Sometimes I even had them stuck to my ID badge because I knew it would always be with me.

Now I find myself falling back into this old habit -- making lists. I guess it's not really such a bad thing. At least I stay organized when Mommy brain takes over. I have my list for our weekly menu, my grocery lists (two stores = two lists), my list of things coming up at school for Kendall, my points/things I've eaten list, and the ever-growing TO DO list.

Oh, the to do list. I hate it.

And it seems that even when I think I've reached the bottom of the list, there is always something else lurking that needs to be done. Today the list consists of do the kids' laundry and a load of darks for the grown ups, go to the bank, get a cashier's check to buy Tanner's birth certificate, mail the request and check for the BC, pick Kendall up from school, watch Brady, marinade chicken for dinner tomorrow night, cook sloppy Joe's for dinner tonight, watch American Idol, and go to bed.

Then there are the "other" things that fit between the things on the list -- the things that Tim forgets about ... the other thing that take up my day. Take a shower (which is not easy feat with Tanner around), fold laundry and put it away, change several diapers, feed the animals, let the dog out several times, make the beds, wash the dishes, empty the dishwasher (I LOATHE THE DISHWASHER), blog, check email and facebook (OK, so Tim knows about those), make lunch, eat lunch and clean dishes, pick up Kendall from school, empty backpack and get her to do homework, clean up dinner dishes, bathe kids, brush their teeth and get them in bed. And the list goes on.

Then, about halfway through brushing my teeth I realize that there is something else that needs to be done.

I hope Tim doesn't hate me for sharing this, but this is what blogs are for.

It's been bout a week since we've had sex. So add that to the to-do list.

I hate to even say it that way ... but after talking to some of my friends, apparently this is one thing that does seem to be "put on" the to-do list these days. After taking care of the kids and the house or working all day, sex seems to be the last thing some of us moms want to think about. At least sex at home in our beds. If we were in some far away place where the thoughts of tomorrow's to-do list were not lurking in our heads, we would probably be more eager. It's not that I don't enjoy "quality time" with Tim, it's just that sleep is more of a priority. And boys and girls are just built differently, I believe. (And I've read a lot of books that agree.) Men need that physical relationship to feel appreciated, loved, and close to their wives. But, according to most of the wives I've talked to, women feel more loved and appreciated when their husbands or significant others help around the house, wash dishes, fold the laundry, or change the diapers.

So tonight there's one more thing to add to the to-do list. Because Tim works hard, he needs it and he deserves it. And I love him and want him to be happy.

Quitters

I feel like I am surrounded by quitters. And crazy people.

Well, not immediately surrounded ... but my life is engulfed with them.

Tim and I got some upsetting news this morning about yet another family member who will be getting divorced. These are particularly "close" family members, as were the last two we heard about, so I am truly upset about the situation.

I mean, what ever happened to "til death do us part?" "In sickness and in health?" "In good times and in bad?" Do these people not remember that they stood before GOD and promised to stay together FOREVER???

Lord knows Tim and I have had our rough patches. Yes, plural. We've been "together" for 16 years, so naturally we have had our own growing pains through our journey together. But we are still in it for the long haul. And the fact that others don't view their marriages the same way really disturbs me. You can't just throw away those years ... and in this case it is 20+ years. I mean, what was the point? Really?

So I'm upset.

And even more devoted to making sure Tim and I WORK ON KEEPING IT TOGETHER.

S and T ... I love you both and I hope you come out stronger after all of this!!

Learning a New Language

Did you know 40% of 1st marriages end in divorce? And 65% of 2nd marriages end in divorce? And 75% of 3rd marriages end in divorce?

I'm not getting divorced ... nowhere near it. But I still think that is a very scary statistic!! And I don't want to be a statistic. So I'm being proactive ...

Tim and I have a great marriage. He knows me like no other. He takes care of our family, he works hard to make sure we have a gorgeous roof over our heads and some extra money to "play" with. While we have certainly made some poor decisions when it comes to our money, we have, I feel, learned from our mistakes.

But our marriage, NO MARRIAGE, is perfect.

Don't hear me wrong -- I'm not complaining at all about my life. I love my husband. Probably more than he will ever know. He will never know that happiness he has brought me. I love my children ... I truly believe they are the reason God put me on this earth. But every relationship needs work -- work to keep it strong and thriving. Just like you have to practice to be good at a sport or a musical instrument, I think you need to practice to keep relationships healthy.

So in this new endeavor of practicing and nourishing my relationship with Tim, I picked up a book from the library called The Five Love Languages. I haven't finished it just yet, but my brain is already working overtime, thinking about all this book has to offer. In its less-than-150 pages, this book has completely changed the way I look at my marriage. It discusses how, after the initial "in love" phase of a relationship dissolves (usually around the 2-year mark), many people find themselves unable to feel the love they once did when the excitement was still there. Now Tim and I certainly were well past that "in love" 2 year phase when we got married ... we were engaged for 3 years. And before we had kids, I don't think we ever had a problem with communication. We had more energy to focus on each other and what each other needed/wanted. Now that these two aliens have taken over our lives, we hardly have one ounce of energy to devote to each other.

And that's not right. At all.

So I've read this book in hopes of finding a way to help Tim and myself communicate our feelings in a better way.

It basically says (in a nutshell) that everyone has a primary love language, whether it be needing to hear that you are appreciated (Words of Affirmation), needing a good one-on-one talk at the end of the day with no distractions (Quality Time), needing to be touched (Physical Touch), needing flowers or cards to feel loved (Receiving of Gifts) or needing help washing and drying dishes a few nights a week (Acts of Service). If you do not know your spouse's love language, then you probably are not making him feel loved the way he needs to feel loved. And, in return, your spouse may not know the right way to make you feel loved. I was intrigued once I started reading.

So my goal now is to get Tim to at least read the portion about my love language (Acts of Service). If I can figure out his love language, then we will be on our way to filling each other's "love tanks." (I know it sounds super cheesy, but I'm willing to do anything and everything to make Tim feel loved and appreciated.)

I Still Do

Nine years ago I was running around frantically, waiting for the rain to stop. I was putting finishing touched on my makeup and hair. I was trying to keep people from taking pictures of me in my robe. I was trying to explain to my wedding coordinator that there was no "rain plan." I was looking at the dozen roses my fiance had sent over. I was admiring my choice in the Whitlock Inn -- what a gorgeous place to be married. I was looking out the window and watching as people arrived for the wedding I had been planning for 3 years. And I knew that it was going to be perfect.

The wedding.

The honeymoon.

The life.

And I was right. The wedding was perfect. Though it rained the entire day (and hadn't in 2 months prior to the day), it stopped just long enough for the carriage to drive my ring bearer, my flower girl, my daddy and me to the aisle. My dad walked me down the aisle, we said our vows, my best girlfriends stood beside me, Tim's best guy friends stood with him, and we said, "I do."

The honeymoon in Jamaica was equally as perfect. We stayed at the Sandals, ate and drank to our hearts' content. Shopped. Laid on the beaches. Loved every minute of it.

The life, while not always perfection, has been everything I could ask for. We have a strong marriage, two gorgeous kids, a smelly dog, and a beautiful house. I can only hope that we have 50 more years of perfection together.

16 Years Ago ...

... Tim and I became an official couple. While I have a hard time remembering much about life before Kendall's birth, I do still remember Tim being my busboy at Bell's BarBQue, in his mustard colored Tshirt, earring, and Michigan ball cap. We've been through so much together over 16 years ... and yes, we did break up once or twice, but in the grand scheme of things, those little break ups don't really seem to matter. We've seen each other through cancer scares, deaths in the family, births, weight gain, weight loss, 3 homes, sending a loved one to war, job changes, and anything else life could throw at us. And we're still going strong. I love Tim like no other, and I am blessed to have him in my life, now and forever.

Nerves, Anxiety, Guilt and Insomnia

The 4 certain feelings all moms must feel when they are forced to return to the work force. I feel all of these feelings in different combinations throughout the day, every day.

This is where I stand right now. I have known for a year that this was my last year at home with my children. And I have been OK with it until now simply because, well, honestly, I thought Tim would sell a few houses and I would end up being able to stay home another year. So now here I am, filling out applications to return to teaching, forced to explain why I wish to be a teacher, why I wish to work in ___ County, and my philosophy on education. I am supposed to squeeze all of this information into 9-10 lines that are about 8 inches long.

How do I explain why I wish to work in the school system when I don't actually want to go back to work? Don't get me wrong -- I love teaching; there's nothing I've ever wanted to do more (except be a mom). And I'm a good teacher. My students generally liked me, I got along with my colleagues, I related to my parents well, and I got my work done in a timely and adequate fashion. My last day at work, I cried all day because I was fearful of what life would be like when I wasn't working anymore. I knew I would miss my friends and my students. I knew I would miss the adult interaction. I knew I would miss the continuing education .... I've always been a sucker for learning. Dorky - I know - but true.

Those first few months at home were a whirlwind -- we moved to Canton, I had another baby, and life as a stay-at-home mom began. I was depressed for a while, constantly emailing my teacher friends, asking about my students from the year before. Then the e-mails got further and further apart ...

Now I find myself here, 2 1/2 years later, embarking on this "new" phase that I'm not whole-heartedly into. Because the housing market has not been good to us, I must return to work. We cannot possibly live on Tim's paycheck alone (well, we probably could, but not in the fashion we have grown accustomed to). So I have filled out the applications, written the resume, and mailed the reference forms to be filled out. I have formulated a plan in my head for the logistics of how next year will run. I plan to get a job in Cherokee County, and I will take Kendall to either the school where I work (if it's elementary) or to the feeder school (if it's middle school). She can stay in ASP after she gets out of school until I can pick her up when school gets out. So Kendall is taken care of.

Then there's Tanner -- my sweet, uncorrupted angel-baby. Untouched by the influence of other children, he is still so sweet and kind and loving. I am terrified that he will no longer be this sweet baby boy once I go back to work. I am terrified to leave him at a daycare center. I am terrified to leave him with a babysitter. I am terrified of so many things.

So now, the once excited-to-get-back-to-the-real-world woman is suffering from insomnia and anxiety. As I go through the day-to-day activities of my home, I find myself thinking, "How will I ever get all this done when I go back to work?" I don't know how I will be able to get myself and 2 kids ready for school and work and get there on time. (I have visions of showing up at work carrying one of my kid's lunchboxes or putting on my mascara driving down the road.) I don't know how I will be able to get home from work, get dinner ready, clean up dinner, spend quality time with my family, get the kids bathed and in bed, get papers graded and lessons planned, and get sleep at night. Then my weekends will be filled with more paper grading and lesson planning -- I just don't know how I'll do it. I know other women do it all the time -- and many do it without a husband. But I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I'm built that way. I mean, I worked when Kendall was a baby -- and I remember the papers that piled up on my couch every night. And Kendall was a baby, not requiring a lot of "attention." And I was lucky enough to have wonderful neighbors who watched her right across the street. I never worried for a second during the day that she was not getting the best care possible. Those women loved her almost as much as I do. How can I be sure that someone will love Tanner that much? Someone who doesn't even know him?

So this is where I am now. Tim wants me to go back to work yesterday -- and it's unfair for me to hold that against him. We do need the money desperately, and he has worked his butt off the past three years so I could stay home. But I also know that me going back to work is going to put even more pressure on him -- to be home, to spend time with the kids, to take over some of the household duties, to put up with my stress. I'm interested to see how he feels about this trade-off after 6 months of work ...

I will continue to pray about all of this -- I've never prayed so hard in my life about something. I'm hoping that I still have a chance to stay home for one more year -- then Tanner will be old enough for pre-K and Kendall will be in 1st grade. And if I can't stay home, I'm hoping that God will help me find a way to alleviate these feelings of guilt I'm having about leaving Tanner. Either He will help me find a suitable school/day care or a suitable sitter. I'm still not sure which I prefer for him. Just one more thing to think about.

What Advice is Good Advice?

I have this friend. She's a really good friend. She's been married to her husband for almost 10 years. They have children. They live in a beautiful house with their beautiful dog. From the outside, she appears to be really happy and "together," much like so many wives and moms would like to be.

This is why it is so hard for me to listen to her talking about the lack of trust in her marriage. At least I know she's having a hard time trusting him ... years ago, her husband strayed. He had a little fling with a co-worker. It didn't last too long, but when my friend found out, she was devastated. Now it's been years, and she's still having a hard time handling the situation. She, her husband, and his fling still run in the same circle of friends. They live in the same city ... hang out at the same restaurants ... and occasionally, they have run into this girl. While her husband swears that there is nothing going on now, my friend knows he has talked to the girl on a few occasions, whether it be on the phone or in person. My friend desperately wants to trust her husband. He is the love of her life, the father of her children, but she still finds herself wanting to check his email and cell bills. These thoughts have almost become an obsession of sorts. So she asks me what she should do.

I don't know what the right thing is ... I don't know what to tell her. I could tell her to just give him the benefit of the doubt; however, when she did that before, he broke her trust. I could tell her to confront him, tell him her feelings. But she is afraid of "rocking the boat." Like I said before, from the outside her life appears perfect. She and her husband always seem happy to others when they are out. They even seem happy to each other when they are at home. But it is so obvious to me after talking to her that she is so very unhappy. She goes out of her way to make sure he is happy all the time, but it doesn't appear to me that he reciprocates. She hardly ever gets time to herself, while he goes on guy trips every few weeks. There are so many things about her marriage that bother me ... but I don't want to give her the wrong advice.

Part of me wants to say, "Lay down the law! Tell him that if you find out that he has seen or talked to her again, you are taking the kids and leaving!" Another part of me wants to say, "Just talk to him, tell him how you feel." Then another part wants to say,"If he says he's not talking to her, then you should trust him. What's a marriage without trust?" I'm torn.

So I come to you, my very wise readers. What do I do? What do I tell her? I am the only person she has confided in; all of her family and friends live elsewhere. She is waiting for ME to tell her what the next step is. She has printed emails and phone bills with the forbidden phone number on them, and she doesn't know what to do with them. Can you, oh wise ones, please impart some wisdom? (She does not read my blog, so be as honest as you like.) I appreciate it!

All in the name of fudge!

Well, seeing as it's been a few days or so, and I'm not finding much to talk about today, I guess I should say something about my anniversary trip to Chattanooga. I know all I've talked about is the theft of my rings, but there were some very enjoyable moments Tim and I shared as husband and wife, not Mommy and Daddy.

Day One: We checked into the Chattanoogan, one of the top rated hotels in Chattanooga. It was a very nice room, cute decorations. Best part was that there wasn't a toy in sight! Once we unpacked our stuff (we can't live out of a suitcase), we settled down on the bed and checked out the package of tickets we had also purchased. Our site-seeing tickets, if you will. It was 4 PM, and we had not a thing to do. It felt very strange. No dishes to wash, no laundry to fold, no cat box to clean.

We couldn't just sit in the room, so we decided to go to Ruby Falls and get that out of the way. Ruby Falls, if you've never been, consists of a lonnnnnnnng walk through the tightest, darkest tunnels inside a mountain. Not for the claustro-phobic, for sure. I enjoyed it, but Tim got irritated about halfway though. I enjoy hearing the guides talk about the history of things; it's the teacher in me. The lonnnnnng walk ends with a view of this glorious underground waterfall. And the picture I took actually does look like the postcards!

Best part: Our guide; he was excellent and energetic.

Worst part: The couple in front of us. She had on heels, trying to walk on these slippery rocks. Very irritating!

We had a relaxed dinner at Sticky Fingers, famous for ribs. Delicious!!

Day Two: We woke to a misty rain, so we decided to hit the Tennessee Aquarium and IMAX theatre. I thoroughly enjoyed the aquarium. I found myself thinking several times that the kids would love it. There was tropical rain forest room, complete with a blue hyacinth and sting rays you could touch. Tanner would have loved that. Next we walked through a butterfly solarium, which Kendall would have loved as much as I did. Butterflies were everywhere, flying free. Tim said that they take in injured butterflies and repair their wings. It was really cool. A special new exhibit at the aquarium was the penguin exhibit. MY FAVORITE PART!!. It was just like watching Happy Feet!! They stood on the rocks and performed. They swam. It was awesome. E also saw jellyfish, sharks, and some very interesting fish with strange mouths. The IMAX theatre was a little over-rated, I thought. We saw a movie about whales and sharks. The 3D aspect of it was lacking a little for me. But pretty informative; sort of a special service announcement for saving the whales. After our tours, we decided on dinner at the Big River Grille and Brewing Company. They brew their own beer, so we had some yummy samples. I got to feel like a grown-up for a few hours and just enjoy my husband's company.

Day Three: It was still a little misty in the morning, so we thought we would hit the Warehouse Outlet across the street. Ummm, we think it was under renovation because there were only two stores. We were very irritated to pay 4 dollars for parking and not even get to buy anything. After lunch, the rain had passed so went to Rock City. I LOVED Rock City. It was a lot of walking, but a lot of fun things to look at. There was a swinging bridge, some fun gaps in the rocks with names like "Needle's Eye," and a romantic spot called "Lover's Leap."

Best part: A tie between the view of the Seven States and Mother Goose Village.

Worst part: Only one place to eat real food, and the line was very long with no air-conditioning. (Also, this was the day that my rings were stolen from our hotel room, but that's another story most of you have heard!) After the trip to Rock City, we were tired, but still wanted to "experience" Chattanooga. But we also wanted beer ... so where did we go? Taco Mac. We sat at the bar for hours, drinking beer and eating queso and then wings. I haven't ever done that!! It was great!

Day Four: We packed our things and headed out. Naturally, we stopped at the outlets in Calhoun and spent entirely too much money on our children. And the looks on my children's faces when we got home was priceless!! I don't want to leave them again for a really long time!

Lasting impressions from the trip? What did I learn? I learned that I should always wear my wedding rings! I learned that most residents of Chattanooga are overweight because the only thing there is to do there is eat! I learned that Tim and I actually still have things to talk about. I learned that we still enjoy each other's company and are still very much in love.

Happy Anniversary, Love!

Well, folks, today is my 8 year anniversary. Yep, we made it past the 7 year itch!! I was worried there for a little while, but what married person doesn't? Anyone who tells you that they NEVER worry about their relationship with their significant other is a BIG FAT LIAR!!!

Tim and I have been married for 8 years, but we've been together for - hang on, let me do the math - 15 years?!?! Wow ... Some of my friends today knew us then. If you didn't, here's a picture. Back in the day ...

So we were together all through high school. It's hard for me to remember a lot of that time. I guess it's kind of like how you forget the pain of child birth after the fact. Seriously, we had our ups and downs and downs ... like all high school couples do. Everything is more dramatic, nothing is what it seems, everyone is jealous all the time, and you think you'll DIE when you break up or see them with someone else. We went through all of that for 3 years, then went our separate ways my senior year of high school. For those of you who knew me then, you know why that's a GOOD THING!!

In college we reconnected (don't remember how, neither does he). I showed him what kind of life he was missing (ha ha), and we were engaged 3 months later. The rest, as they say, is history.

So what does married for 8 years feel like?

It feels unbelievable. Hard to believe I've been with this man for half of my life. Hard to believe that we've been through some of the toughest times in our lives together. And the happiest. I lost my dad with him. We've been though 2 battles with cancer with his parents. We've moved 3 times. We've conceived and birthed the 2 most beautiful children. Unbelievable ...

People often look at me strangely, as if they feel sorry for me, when I say that I have achieved all the things I wanted for myself. Well, don't feel sorry for me. Yes, I married my high school sweetheart; but I have missed out on nothing by not dating others. Yes, I'm a stay-at-home mom, and I was "only" a teacher before. But I would not trade my time with my kids for anything right now. I "only" have a bachelor's degree, but it's from one of the greatest universities, as far as I'm concerned! I lived out of my suit case in college, but still managed to make some of the best friends in those 4 years. And I don't feel like I've missed out on one thing in marrying early and having my kids in my 20's.

So 8 years have come and gone. And, Lord knows, they weren't perfect. But they were ours. And I'm sure that when I look back in another 40 years or so, I'll think, "Man, we had it all then." (Alan Jackson's song, "Remeber When" keeps running through my head!) And I'll be as thankful then for my wonderful husband as I am now!!

Happy anniversary, love!