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NYC…continued

July 24, 2012 Filed in friends,just the two of us

i am not planner….i don't like to be the one who makes the schedules.
i don't like to be the one who decides what everyone will be doing.
on trips or in groups i tend to just go with the flow.
or at least i try.
so the only thing i think i said besides "i want starbucks" when deciding where to go
was "i would love to see Fishs Eddy in real life.

i got my wish. 

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i was in love at first sight.

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major hot burning passionate love.

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i loved EVERYTHING in here.

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this picture is overexposed but those mugs look like notebook paper!!!
(if only they weren't 12 oz. mugs…i need a big mug)

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for reals…vintage linens just like at the barn in kansas!
i prefer my barn prices to fishs eddy.  
🙂

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a million milk glass cake stands.

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sour apple green hutch?
fabulous.
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i loved every detail in this store.
every display piece.
every hand painted sign.
every dish and cup and tea towel.

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i could have easily spent another hour here.
EASILY!
but of the four of us….i was the only one freaking out on the inside about how
completely amazing and REDONKULOUS this store was so i bought a t-shirt and we left.

i did not want to.

also i said "i'm going into anthro…" when i found it.

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we don't have many fire escapes in kansas….

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 we walked to the 9/11 Memorial.

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it was very quiet in here….right in the middle of the city.
the waterfalls and pools are so big.

i can't imagine what it was like for people in New York City on 9/11.
i looked around and was trying to comprehend it….
all i could think was "i hate that day"
i was far away from new york and i hate that day for me.
i was so scared for my children and my husband.
so i just can't imagine how the people of new york feel.
the people who saw it with their own eyes…who lost family and friends….
i hate that day.

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the memorial is beautiful.
it is a lovely place to honor the people who lost their lives.
but it's sickening that it has to be there at all.
evil.
evil in this fallen world.
but i was thankful for that beautiful quiet place.
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we took a ferry boat to the statue of liberty.

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she's lovely… just like i thought.

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storms were rolling in.

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after the statue of liberty we also took a tour of Ellis Island. 
and it poured rain outside.
POURED.

i did not stay dry.

and i didn't stay very chipper about it either…..

i am a girl.

i don't like to get rained on. 

we ate dinner in Little Italy.
it was so weird…they hassle you to get you to come eat at their restaurant?!
begging you to come in…try THEIR food….whadda ya lookin' for tonight folks?
with heavy new york accents.
 we chose the ONE place that didn't do that.
and it was yummy. 

one more new york post tomorrow.

:) 

 

add a comment

Kami - I too did NOT want to leave that store! Isn’t New York so amazing?!
Did you come home and roll around in your backyard when you got home? I did. As much as I love to visit NYC I LOVE to come home too. 🙂
ps. Your photo of the Statue of Liberty is beautiful!!

Martha - OMG…Fish Eddy’s. I NEED to go. That place looks amazing!!

Jenna - I have loved every single one of your NYC pictures! Thank you!!

Kelly - I do love Fishs Eddy! I have polka dotted drinking glasses from there.
I like Lombardy’s in Little Italy. Kelly

tiffany gardner - My brother has lived there for the last 20 years and my hubby and I lived there after college. Thanks for bringing back some memories to me today. NYC and its people hold a special place in my little oklahoma heart.

Cari - Oh my gosh! I have been obsessed with Fishs Eddy online for years!! How stinking cool you got to go to the store! Yay for you!!

Donna R - Awesome pics on my hometown. When I go back now I love to stop in Fish’s Eddy. Don’t you just wish you could pack the whole store up and take it with you?? 😉

Kimberly Dial - Loved your pics … lots of fire escapes … I hate 9/11 too … it’s the only day as an adult that I was afraid to go to sleep that night … eerily quiet … not sure what the morning would bring. I’ve been to NYC (prior to 9/11) & I hope to return some day to see the memorial … so many sacrifices made that day … God help us :/

karen gerstenberger - I would have stayed in that store with you for another hour!
Thank you for posting about the 9/11 memorial. I have never been to NYC and your photos – the perspective in your photos AND words – are some of the clearest and most personal I’ve seen/heard. Thank you for that. And I loved your Statue of Liberty photos!

jennie - I was at Ground Zero yesterday and Fish’s Eddy this morning before catching the train home. I would have been too, too excited if we had been there at the same time. Hope you had a great trip. Couldn’t you have sifted through the piles of dishes for hours?

Kimberlee Jost - Let’s go soon.
Like tomorrow.

Patty - Oh my…that store. Wow. I need to go. That’s for opening my eyes! What a treat.

Janine - I hope you made it to Puglia’s in Little Italy. Great food and such a fun place. The whole restaurant comes together and parties – standing on chairs waving napkins, singing, table war chants. I live so close and haven’t been in a while. I’ll have to trek in and be touristy one weekend. Your pictures are beautiful. That statue of liberty pic could be a post card!

Rebecca - Oh, my kids go to school in the big silver wavy building! I lived 6 blocks from the WTC on 9/11 & it was shitty, shitty, shitty, awful day and really hard time to follow. Thankfully the neighborhood is back bigger and stronger. I still haven’t been to the memorial. Just not sure how I feel about being right in there.
Fishs Eddy is an awesome store.

Leah - Amazing pictures! I feel like I’m in NY. And I seriously just teared up and started crying looking at the 9/11 Memorial photos the Statue of Liberty. I depicted the memorial beautifully. Thanks for the reminder of freedom – both from 9/11 and the Lady Liberty!

Christi @ the brown shed - I love all of your photos! We went to NYC at Christmastime. It was grand. Fishs Eddie was on my list, but after I see your photos, I am almost glad I didn’t make it there. I would have gone totally nuts! I did make it to ABC Carpet and Home… did you go there? That was fun. We ate at the best place in Little Italy. Da Nico’s. Ferrara’s bakery is just down the street from there, and it was soooo good. We also loved Magnolia Bakery. I can’t wait to go again someday.

Tracy Fisher - love that shop. had never heard of it. so, thanks! what fun. one day i’d love to visit nyc. one day 🙂 -tracy

Dara - love the fire escape pictures! I’m in kansas too – where are you? I would love to visit the barn you mentioned!

Sarah - You are beautiful. I love that shot of you in front of the Statue of Liberty and that last shot?! Stinking amazing! Perfect.

happygirl - Wow, what great shots. I haven’t been to the 9/11 monument yet. I can’t believe I wrote about 9/11 in my blog post today. Weird how things like that happen. I’m going to NYC in Feb. I’m sure all my shots will have a gray sky. 🙂

vicki - I am weak in the knees over Fishs Eddy. Oh love….

jan - Love your pictures of New York! My husband and I were there at the same time you guys were… we were visiting our oldest son who moved to the city in April. Like you, we visited the 9-11 Memorial. Our first trip to NYC was in December 2000… just a few months prior to that evil day. We have pictures of our boys on the top of the World Trade Center, so standing in that same spot was very sad. On a happier note…. where in the world is Fishs Eddy, and WHY did I not know about it??? I did find Anthro though… I do love their displays and styling! Thanks for sharing!

Cynthiaj - I discovered Fishs Eddy by accident in 1996, wandering in there while on a trip to NYC chaperoning the church youth group… I almost died, I loved it so. I’ve made an effort to go back on subsequent trips and have ordered stuff online. Should have known it would be right up your alley! (The store across the street, ABC Carpet and Home, used to be such a fabulous funky place, but it has gone seriously upscale and it’s no fun to visit anymore.)

Pamela Gordon - I am enjoying your posts on NYC. I am going there in November (not the nicest time of year) on a choir tour (we’re singing with a mass choir at Carnegie Hall!!!). I’ve never been there before so in seeing your photos I am getting excited. I will take photos of buildings too, and signs and people and fire escapes, because that’s what I’m interested in. We’re staying on Times Square! Woot!!! Thanks for sharing these awesome pics! Pamela

Dianne - Love your NYC pictures. Will visit Fishs Eddy if I ever get a chance to go there! Would love to see the t-shirt and hear more about your apartment arrangement. I have a large family and sometimes staying in a hotel isn’t a great fit for us. Our family drove through Kansas last week and stopped in Wichita for lunch. Pretty country – a lot like my Oklahoma, but nicer roads and amazing windmills and silos.

jill - Not to make you crazy jealous, but I work 3 blocks from Fishes Eddy. Then again I live in a 900 sq foot apt with no outdoor space, so every place has it’s ups and downs. I drool over the barn stores you get to go to! Anyway, even though I’ve been to Fishes Eddy many times, I really enjoyed seeing it through your eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever paid that much attention to the display cases, next time I go there, I will look at them and think of you. =)

Mindi - Oh I forgot to tell you yesterday in my comments, we are going to an Avett Brothers concert in Central Park while we are there! I think you like them, right? They are my husbands fav!

Kim - i have heard about this Fish’s Eddy place, and caught glimpses. but those mugs.
i need to book myself a flight to NYC just to get one.

Stephany - Thanks for sharing.
I would love to go to NYC someday.
I’ll definitely find Fishs Eddy,,,

seriously sassy mama - I must have the collanders. I love the pics of the city. I have never been to New York.

Shannon - great pics of New York and that store, Fish Eddy’s looks amazing! I’m sure I would spend way too much time admiring all their goodies

Juli - Years ago my two teen daughters and I were in NYC for a dance week. The two highlights: I got to take a dance class at the Alvin Ailey school, and our hotel was right around the corner from Fishs Eddy. I’d never heard of it before our visit–what a treat! Like you, I loved every single thing in the place.

Ashlyn@Pinecone - I love Fishs Eddy soooooo much. We are living in upstate NY now, and every time we go into the city I have to go there. It is always the issue of how much I want to walk around with all day though – so I usually get a new dish towel or something. Makes me happy ;))
Great photos!!!!!!! xo

angela - love love your blog (i’ve said it before) but this post. the 9/11 tribute, your words. Gosh, thank you so much for sharing!
i was in NYC (first.only) in july of 2003 – and the site was a hole – but very silent and moving….thank you for giving me a glimpse of what is there today.

Rochelle - What a fun trip! I’m reading a fascinating book right now about 9/11 called The Harbinger. It shows the relationship between the prophecy of Isaiah 9:10-11 and the events related to 9/11 in novel form. You should check it out!

KirstenP - What is the tall white building(or maybe it’s two tall white buildings connected to each other) with the wavy sides? It’s cool. It’s the photo above the one with the tall red metal sculpture.

Lacey - I’ve never even heard of Fishs Eddy but it looks like it’s going to be a new favorite. I see more city than I do corn fields in Atlanta. I was in Indiana two weeks ago and was blown away by barns, soy bean fields, and dirt roads and this week you are in the super city. It’s amazing how we all live in such different places. I love this world. Great pics!

Tiffany - Fishs Eddy is prolly like your barn shops jacked up on Mountain Dew for you. I love how they brought the barn to NYC though, love that. Very colorful vibrant shots of NY.

Terrie - I love all of your NYC photos. I’ve never been there and would love to go.
I would love to go to that shop! Oh.My.Goodnes.!! How did you get out without buying one of everything?!
And your photos of the 9/11 Memorial brought tears to my eyes.
Our family has a connection to one of the families…because our son wanted to donate to a family.
I blogged about our connection last year….still breaks my heart.
Someday, I want to go and pay my respects to the families who lost so much.
Thanks for sharing!!

Mandy - Fishs Eddy?? Oh my goodness!! How did I not know of this place? I could’ve have spent all day in there. I clicked on over to their site and I’ve already made my Christmas wish list!!!

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NYC

July 23, 2012 Filed in friends,just the two of us

last week craig and i got all our kids off to three different places 
and we hopped on a plane to New York City. 

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we were meeting chicago jen & dave for four days together.

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we ate at very fun places.

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it was dave's 40th birthday.
letterman's guests were Roseanne, audrey plaza and Jeff the brotherhood.
it was SO cool to see that show IN PERSON after watching it my whole life.
really cool.
dave had been working on tickets for months for us to get to come….thank you dave!!

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and we popped into the hello deli.

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times square.

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dinner at R Lounge overlooking times square….very fun!

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dessert at carnegie deli….cheesecake.
(sorry carnegie… pam's cheesecake is still better)

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we rented an apartment through vrbo.com so we could have our down time together instead of 2 hotel rooms.
it worked out well!
this is the view off the roof…pretty sweet.

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how do you feel when you look at that picture?
i wanted to go straight back to my little farm house and take a nap.
🙂
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i will share more pics tomorrow.
it was great to get away.
it was great to come back home.
and always so good to see our chicago friends.

 

add a comment

Yaz - I cannot believe you were in NYC…. I live a quick train ride away:) great pics

Kelly - So fun that y’all did this and great idea to stay in an apartment! love the dress as always! Kelly

Audrey - Beautiful pics!!! Could definitely use one of those milk glass cake stands, or one in every color! Heading over to their website now!
http://www.SpilledMilkStyle.com
A blog for stylish moms despite all the spilled milk!

Mindy Harris - megan that looks like a BLAST! i have never been to nyc but want to go so bad!

Jessica - I feel like I was right there with you. You are an a.ma.zing photographer Meg! I love all the pictures and can’t wait to see more!

laura b - That pic with all the cabs was CRAZY! I can’t even imagine. I haven’t been to NYC, but it’s on my bucket list. Can’t wait to see more photos!

Julia @the BackLoop - Awesome! I’m trying to get 3 days in NY to hang out with my sister before November. Once my little lady is completely weaned (we’re thiiiiiiiiis close) my husband has given me the green light to go to New York BY MYSELF!

Kori - NYC is my favorite. FAVORITE!! 😀

jeri - I wanted to go to NYC but after seeing those pictures of all those people I think I will stay in quiet Denver! Cool pics though.

Barbara - YAY Craig and Meg! So happy for you that you got to get away and celebrate with your friends! Looking forward to seeing more pics tomorrow.

Kristin S - Brilliant to rent an apt through VRBO! All I ever think of is the beach or the mountains for them. Brilliant!!!
Loved seeing your Instagram updates.

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - I love trips like that. Looks like you had a great time. I know what you mean, New York is such a fun place to visit, but wouldn’t want to live there 😉

Heather S. - I think I got hives from those photos! Ha! I’m a *live out in the county* kind of girl. I have found that I really like some cities, like San Francisco…but NYC just looks…well, dirty and cramped. I’m sure there is a lot of cool things to see and do, though. So glad you got to spend the time with friends. We are taking a 4 day trip to the Smoky Mountains with our best beds this fall. I’m REALLY looking forward to that!

Leslie Davison - We went to NYC in March, for the first time. We took the whole family. I just uploaded some of the pics to my facebook today, coincidence :). Looking at your pictures was fun! Thanks for sharing.

Mary - Looks fantastic! Will you share which vbro apartment you rented? We’re looking to do the same thing and would love a recommendation.

Kimberly Dial - I <3 NYC! One of my favorite places in the whole world! That pic made me wanna go ... and I can't ... and that makes me 🙁 How awesome that you got to visit spend time with your Chicago friends in the Big Apple. YAY you! Thanks for sharing ... I can't wait to see more.

Lisa - My only time visiting NYC was when I was 22 yrs old. A loooong time ago. 😉 Such a fun, crazy place to visit. But a bit of sensory overload! haha! Glad you had a getaway!

Lisa - An apartment instead of hotel…genius! Looks like a great vacation. Times Square looks like it was made for you – all that color! Thanks for sharing.

karen gerstenberger - I’m so happy that you got to make this trip with your sweetie and your good friends. Love the “Soup Nazi” – I mean, “Soup Man” photo (I hope you’re a Seinfeld fan and get that reference)!

Melanie - Glad you had a good time, but after seeing these pics of NYC, it only confirms my notion that I have absolutely NO desire to ever go there!
Hugs,
Melanie
(from the Chicago ‘burbs)

BriBedell - Looks awesome!!

kerry - Wowza’s what an awesome couple of days! You are such a cute couple – I’m coming over to NYC for my 30th next year.. can’t wait xx

Mindi - How fun! We just booked a trip to NYC for our 10 year anniversary! I am a small town girl too and I am a bit anxious when I think of being there but am so excited to get away with my man.
Would love to hear any tips or pointers and places to definitely not miss!

Christy - My home state woohooo!! I grew up on the Island with lots of trips into the city 🙂

seriously sassy mama - An apartment in the city is the way to go. I love the pics of the city. The pic of the traffic is excitement to me. I love all the business and colors.

Tiffany - WHATEVER! You were on the East Coast, hope it was good to you. A little grown up time never hurts.

Kae - I live in NY! Bummed I didn’t bump into you!! Love the photos as well….your photography just gets better & better!

Dani - I get all happy when I see pics of NYC. Years ago (before hubby and kids) that is where I wanted to be. Right in the middle of all the chaos! Now I look at my husband and three kids and realize I am right where God intended for me to be. Yes, I’d love to visit… just not live there!

shiela - luv nyc!

Paul - Wow! I’d love to visit New York one day!

Alicia @ La Famille - wow! that taxi picture gives me an anxiety attack!! i would love to visit there, but not to live. looks like a great time!

Lacey - Looks like such a great trip. I really want to go to NYC again soon. I haven’t been in such a long time. Looks crazy busy in most of those pics. Thanks for sharing I love all of the pictures you take.

aimee - oh, you were here! so close by! and how wonderful that you managed to take off together sans kids… that time alone is essential! glad you enjoyed your trip. xo

Jenna - I really do “love NY” … the pictures made me smile!

julie - So rad to get away. Especially with your best friends. The apartment is geniuse. Love vrbo.
New York stresses me out a little, (a lot) but someday I would love to go.

Sarah Wolfe - I went to college in downtown Chicago. Leaving my little country home, it was a little bit of a shock. But I grew to love the big city, and there’s a part of me that will always feel at home in a big mass of people. Never been to NYC, but want to some day 🙂 Great pics.

Dawn from Alberta - Love New York City and really love your perspective and photos. Thanks! What I really want to know is……did you buy one of those Statue of Liberty knickknacks?

happygirl - I <3 NYC so much. So cool you got to have a getaway time with friends. I couldn't have done the Letterman show. He makes me nuts. I love your pics. And I can't believe you have a cardigan on. Was it chilly? Fun fun fun.

Gina in Louisville - How on earth did you make arrangements for all of your kids for four days? I am amazed and honestly a little jealous. My husband and I need something like this so badly. We were planning a trip but had to cancel because of money but also the stress of placing the kids. We have two teenage boys. It seemed so much easier when they were younger. It was so easy to make them happy and going to the dollar store was an adventure.

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sunday/monday

June 19, 2011 Filed in just the two of us,random

craiggers took me on a hot date last night.

how awesome it is to get a break from being mom and dad and just be US!!
we sat at a quiet outdoor table.
we finally relaxed about halfway through dinner. 
we were really free spirited and wiiiiiiiild……we went to eddie bauer.

then we went to see the movie SUPER 8. 
Super-8-movie

You can watch the trailer here.   and watch 6 minutes of the movie of there too if you like that kind of thing!
i resisted going to see it because i don't like "alien" movies.
but i am telling you now…..THIS MOVIE WAS GOOD!!!
it was like ET and Goonies and Signs all mixed together.
REALLY good.
i was freaked out and squeezing craig's hand so hard.  
and at one point i jumped so big i hurt a muscle in my leg….not kidding.

i will say the boys in the movie had a little bit harsh language for their age….in my opinion.
one of my least favorite things to see in a movie….swearing kids.
but you are a grown up and you can handle it right?

go see it.
but i don't know if you should be as crazy as us and try BOTH eddie bauer and super 8 in one night.
not everyone can handle that kind of HEAT.  

ha ha ha. 

………………………………………..


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this is my FAVORITE dress of annie's.
i love love love it.
it's from target last year.
i wish it was in my size.
if you have any idea WHERE to buy that fabric please share.
i know it's by Liberty of London and i doubt it's available….but if it is…..tell me where.
it is just the best thing ever.

********holy cows it's $28 a yard**************yikes.
thanks for looking for me girls.
i knew you'd find it for me.

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it makes me want to draw and paint.

i am going to make it into a craft thursday project.
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faker.

🙂

we see this face A LOT but this time it was fake.

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sean and talby got home from camp.
they had a GREAT time.
thank goodness.
seriously.
i was so happy to see their faces!
sean took a huge box (like that you buy for a concession stand) of airheads candy to camp.
i told him if he found any rainbow ones in the box to save one because i really wanted to see them sometime!
he got home from camp and opened his suitcase and handed me this. (it's a BIG package)

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i got excited and said "WOW!!! this was in that box???"  he said "no….i got it at the snack bar" 
and i smiled and handed it back to him.
he said "mom…i got that for you."
"for me? you spent your money at the snack bar on that for ME??"  
"Well yeah mom…i knew you wanted them"

and then i wiped the tears from my eyes.

it's so silly but i felt loved and validated and heard and proud all in that one sentence.

.……………………………………….. 

 

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this time it was scott who left for camp.
i feel completely different about that.
no worries at all.
he will have a BLAST.  

………………………………………… 

my talk about wanting more babies in the previous post may have made mr. duerksen look bad.

it sounded like he made the decision alone to not have more kids and didn't ask me what i thought.
he didn't.
at the time i agreed….i signed the forms….i went to the doctor with him.
i had a newborn in my arms and had just moved from IL to KS and was exhausted in every way.
and now that i am not dead tired….i wish we had discussed it at a time when my mind was clearer.
aka….more sleep.
does that make sense? 
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sooooo…..bottom line….i changed my mind and he hasn't.

i am the "problem".
not him.

God is big enough to deal with any issues i have i my head and heart the way that HE wants to.
i am ok with whatever God wants for my family.
and i know God would not want me bashing my husband all over the internets. (and the googles)
so i felt i needed to make it clear.

should i just shut up already?

ok. 

………………………………………… 

REGISTRATION OPENS MONDAY AT NOON CENTRAL TIME!!!

we sold out.
oh my.

it's awesome. 

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it's going to be such a fun time.

we have planned such a fabulous time for the girls who will be coming!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

add a comment

טרה קיסריה - I like all pictures above. I like most this sweet baby face expression. All are very wonderful and interesting. Please keep it up because the internet needs someone like you spreading the word.

anonymous - My husband and I have three children and I was pregnant with the third when my husband had a vasectomy. I remember the doctor looking at us both and asking us if we were sure… “You don’t have this done thinking you can get it reversed one day.” That was 7 years ago.
Welllll…. lately I have felt as if somehow we have prevented children from being born that would have been ours, that God had planned to be ours. It has torn me up. Never would I have imagined seven years ago that I’d have these feelings…

Stephanie Howell - so much to say on this post.
1. i really think annie and sadie would be besties. they remind me lots of each other. including the hair and the faces. 🙂
2. you guys make such a good looking couple. if we lived closer i’d let you hold one of the twinsies to soothe your baby fever. i could use an extra “holding” pair of hands right about now. 🙂 after i had cate and lucy i did a blog post debating if we were “done” or not. i got SO many comments from women saying to WAIT until the hormones and exhaustion were gone. still debating…talking about adopting (shhh, you are one of the few people i’ve told that!)
3. i SO wish i could come to the crafting weekend. i’d be SO shy and starstruck…hahahahhah!

Jenn Thomas - London just saw Annie’s dress and said – “I want that dress, it is so pretty, maybe she will give it to me when it is too little for her” Very cute! Too bad the material is so expensive.

Wren - I completely understand, but in my case its the opposite. The Former Hubby had a vasectomy, but he wants more kids, now that our marriage has ended– I still don’t, but I do feel a bit bad for him.
I’m psyched for the grandkids in about…10-15 years 🙂

danielle burkleo - i love you, friend! and i am praying for you as your heart aches for another baby

april - You should definitely make a pillow out of that dress when Annie out grows it 🙂

Tracy Fisher - Just wanted to let you know that I get all the “baby talk”. I feel the same way. And I too believe God has fun plans for me. So, I say, get ready world… here I come… and I am going to be an awesome Grandma some day… okay, my kids are young… I mean some day in the future. haha. I love your honesty and big heart. Don’t ever change.
Tracy Fisher

Kimberly - Somebody might have already mentioned this but my Target had those rainbow sour candy strips in the dollar bins today. I bought a whole bunch of them. I saw someone make rainbow cupcakes with them on pinterest so I thought I’d try that. You might check your target on your next trip if you are wanting more. It was the first time I have ever actually seen them in person.

Amy jupin - The fake pouty pic of Annie is my most favorite ever.
I can hear her voice when I look at it, and it makes me happy.

shauna - you are a good mom and a good wife.
i think a boy that thinks about buying his mom a treat at camp is the sign of parenting and teaching gone right…
and i can tell you love your husband.
it shows on your blog.
no one who is married and honest with themselves thinks that a couple could EVER agree on all ideas about their families.
i like how you are honest about your feelings and not trying to present false same-ness, but very loving and respectful.
i appreciate that.

Lynne - I couldn’t place the fabric when I first saw it, but I actually had a wallet with it on it from Target last year. It was so bright and cheery and made me happy! I have moved on to a new one, and hopefully can find it to send to you!

Andrea@KnittyBitties - Hi Meg,
I was just going to tell you that Hobby Lobby (do you have one near you?!?) has a couple very ‘Liberty-ish’ prints. They stopped my sister & I dead in our tracks a few weeks ago and we could have sworn it was a ‘knock off’ of one of the prints they used in their Target line.
If you don’t have one let me know … I’ll take a pic while I’m there and hook ya up if ya want ;).
Happy Day!

heatherp - oh my goodness! he bought you candy while at camp…so not only did he think of you and know you wanted it, he was thinking of you while you were not with him. AND he spent his own money!! i would have cried too!!! so sweet!

Lisa - Sweet! I L-O-V-E Libery of London stuff. I love Sean’s gesture. Makes me want a son. I love being a little girl mom but there is something about a boy’s love for his mama. Precious.

james - her dress is so cute. i can’t believe the fabric is that much…wow.
so sweet of your son to remember you and even spend his money on you when it wasnt in his box. i can’t believe they let him take the candy. when i went to summer camp…well a while ago haha…we were not allowed to bring candy.
having another baby is an on going discussion with hubby and i. he doesnt want another infant. he would love to adopt a toddler though. now that i have a toddler i just want a baby and skip the toddler stage 🙂

mary - i want more babies. i have 4 sons age 5,4,3,1… i agreed and drove too. i had a 3 week old in the backseat. is this really agreeing?

Sarah @ This Farm Family's Life - You have some great kids!

Emily - I love your blog and tell everyone about it. It makes me so happy everyday. I actually had a dream last night that you hired me to be your nanny…but I didn’t do a very good job because I lost one of your kids! You do an amazing job 🙂 Now that summer has begun, I would love it if you did a blog post about your typical day. I wonder how you keep yourselves entertained all day long!

Deputy's Wife - When we had my step-daughter and two sons, my husband asked if it would be okay that we stopped there for children. I felt that there might be a possibility I would want more, but my husband rarely asks for anything. He is a “go along” kind of guy. For whatever reason, he felt that our family was complete and I thought so did I. (Two toddlers and a pre-tween girl, I was VERY tired too!)
One day, after drooling over a friend’s newborn baby, I asked God what his plan was. I knew my husband did not want anymore, but I wanted maybe one more. I asked Him how in the world could this be solved with both of us happy? Our answer came a year later. Jack took us REALLY by surprise. And in the end, we were BOTH head over heals happy and in love.
We both can’t imagine a moment without him. Now we are OFFICIALLY done. I can honestly say I have now more baby pangs. (I say this as middle child just tackled youngest child on the hardwood floor. Sigh.)

Vonda - I love Annie’s dress! I actually have a shirt from Target in that same fabric! I missed most of that line when they got it in and I was very upset with myself! They had the best lampshades too. My daughter also has a very cute shirt from that line. I too wish we had talked a little more about having more kids. We have 4 wonderful children, and when the youngest was about 6 months it was crazy busy and we decided we had our 3 amazing boys and adorable baby girl and a flower shop with my Mom and a dairy farm and life was way too busy to add any more! Little did I know that we would be moving off the farm and closing the flower shop both a few years later! Then when it’s quiet you have time to think. I have a lot to be thankful for, but I do so love newborns!:)I love your blog and I so wish I could go to your craft weekend!

Jenna - Very sweet things you say about your hubs. I always try to be careful how I make mine look too. But, sometimes I just open my big mouth and make him look like an idiot when really it’s me. oops 🙂
Jenna

Flower Patch Farmgirl - 1. You and I both know the real reason you went to see Super 8….
2. Adopt a baybayyyyyyyyyyy! Our social worker just told us about the monumental demand for families to adopt AA newborns. It’s a big, big need. Maybe Mr. Duerksen just wasn’t aware that there was such a need??? That’s what I think. Because I know the two of you SO well.

alice h - I loved Super 8 also! We actually got to go see it for FREE 2 days before it came out. And I thought to myself that I wouldn’t like it and I loved it. I also agree with the kids swearing. I don’t like that or when they smoke/drink or do you know. Young kids (even actors acting) shouldn’t be exposed to that.

Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - Love her dress. Wanna sell it to me when she outgrows it? My K would love it:) It reminds me of a vintage sheet-you could totally sew/make yourself a dress from one(a clean one obviously)if you found the right one!
xo

Kirsten P - Maybe you’ll have to get http://www.spoonflower.com to recreate the beautiful sunflower fabric for you. OR write a personal letter to Liberty of London and attach a photo of Annie in her dress and suggest they make a mom’s dress!

Kelley - I have a shirt from Target with the same fabric as Annie’s dress that I bought last year. I keep waiting for Liberty to release a new line at Target so I can find more cool shirts or dresses in fabulous fabric. I wonder how long they will make us wait. It’s not right.
Glad you had such a great date night now with Craig!

Jamie - A DATE. Hubba! Hubba!
I too shed a tear over the rainbow Air Heads. I am extra sensative today because my handsome boy turns 5-TODAY! He is very thoughtful and would probably do the same.
Took your rainbow cake idea and made cupcakes for him today. He was THRILLED! I wasn’t sure if rainbow cupcakes are hip when you turn 5 and are a boy, but it was. THANKS for the inspiration.

Joy - Meg,
Thank you SO much for saying that you wish you had waited and made the decision when your mind was clearer! I have said that a million times. I feel like we were pushed into the decision after 2 preemies and my mind was not thinking clearly either. It was sleep deprived, crashing from a long hospital stay, crazy from the beeps of a heart monitor, apnea monitor and an oxygen machine. I would have never have decided that if my head had been clear. I think they should tell couples to wait at least 9 months before making the decision. Just sayin’…

Jessica kiehn - ok I would absolutely cry if my son said that to me. just think of his sweet little mind, busy with friends at camp, and then thinks of his momma at home and that she mentioned liking something and then BUYING IT FOR YOU! it just doesn’t get any sweeter.
also, nothing you could say could make Craig look bad to me! he’s obviously such a good husband and dad. not enough of those in the world today…

jen - I too love that dress, when she out grows it, I think it should become a pillow! As for the snip snip, I know EXACTLY what you are saying my hubby was sooo against having that area cut on, and with my 4th pregnancy nearing it’s end and me having to be monitored for pre term labor, because as the dr. so kindly put it “my shocks were shot” I begged him to get a vasectomy… He agreed so when I was 8 1/2 months pregnant he did it… Ended up having a TERRIBLE experience not numbing on one side and then passing out due to PAIN… Ooops TMI? and to this VERY day I REGRET that choice… My baby will be 9 this year, I think it took… DARN… When I ask if he would consider a reversal, you can imagine the “look” I get…

Ashley B. Chandler - A little girl wore that dress yesterday at church and I fell in love with it all over again! As soon as I saw your first photo with it (in this blog post) I knew what it was. Just yummy!!!! I have no idea why I didn’t buy it for my daughter last year! Maybe it didn’t come in toddler sizes? Maybe they ran out of it? Hmmm… serious regret now.
That story ab Sean and the airhead brought tears to my eyes! That is the best sort of feeling.
Also, I just adore your blog, you, your kids…. Everytime I look at my SUMMER MM mag I think “My friend is in this!” and then I remember you are only my virtual friend. But, I do think of you as my friend.

casey - I LOVE the fabric of her dress and oh how cute is she!! and I’m glad you mentioned super 8 because I want to see that this week!

Necole - I feel the same way about wanting another baby, but I am the one that got fixed because I knew it was the best thing for our family. Anyway, we would probably have another girl, which would make four girls, and my sweet husband does not deserve that torture. lol

Amy - I am so excited about craft weekend!!!! Is it sad that I just sent my oldest 2 off with my parents for a few days and I plan on entertaining my 2 y/o at home so I can stalk the craft blog….I mean, be ready for noon registration?!?! I could be accomplishing lots w/o two extra kiddos…instead I’m setting timers so I’m not a minute late. 😉
By the by, my last date night was a rushed dinner followed by a trip to Lowe’s. We’re just 2 wild & crazy kids.

Sugar Mama - My husband and I made the “decision” in the EXACT same way. We had recently moved from NC to IA and I had just had our third child… I was 23. WAY too young to make a decision for no more children, but at the time we were just exhausted (and broke) ;o)
Now that I’m in my 30’s and I have a child graduating from highschool in a few years I’m sad about our decision. I changed my mind a few years back, but the husband never did. And that’s okay. I do daycare in my home to get my baby fix.

staci amy - I love date nights and getting to just be”us”!!!! More importantly….I am so bummed bc I won’t be able to put my name on the list for craft weekend =( we will be in the plane flying home from Philly =( ugggghhh!!!! Do you KNOW how sad I am about that?? But I would be more sad if me trying to use my cell phone to post a comment made the the airplane crash =( sooooooo….I am just hoping this will be the first of many craft weekends!!! Can’t wait to see who gets to come! Good luck everyone!

elz - In the same boat as you with th ebaby- we both made the decision. In fact, I forced him to go. But now, well…there are times I REALLY want another baby…
I loved the Girls Liberty for Target stuff so much last year that I bought that dress in a blue for ME! I got the largest size and wear it all the time. It’s super stretchy! I’d suggest searchign eBay and waiting for the dress to pop on sale and see if you can patchwork something together.

Shauna - I thought that was you and your husband…Noah and I were on a date of our own. We were driving by and you were crossing the street. I saw craig and was like, I know him from somewhere…I looked over and saw you and it hit me! I leaned over to Noah and said Thats Meg! The gal that took our pictures last year!
you both looked quite lovely!!!

Lela Pohlmann - I understand the baby issue far too well. I have a 12 year old and an 8 year old and secretly wish I had another. My second child had a horrendous case of colic and we both decided we were done when he was a baby and hubby had the procedure done. There are days I wish I wouldn’t have been so hasty!

Shana - saw the dress in church yesterday and loved it.
swear i had the same pattern on something as a kid – maybe it was my mom’s wedding dress! ha.

heidi @ wonder woman wannabe - we saw super 8 just before the weekend. we had pretty much the same reaction you did – esp. comparing the ‘feel’ to that of goonies/ET/signs. we also thought it was GREAT!
my hubby ‘did the deed’ this spring to ensure our family will not be growing biologically. i’ve got my hands FULL at this point in time and my pregnancies were really hard (VERY sicky) :/ and our 2nd born was sooo very colicy that those few issues combined were pretty good birth control – ha!
just think, one day all those beautiful kids of yours will be filling your arms with multitudes of grand-babies! I’m counting on both my boys giving me plenty of girls to dote on one day! 🙂

Lauren - Not sure if anyone would have that specific fabric, but True Up has a really nice source guide for Liberty of London fabrics: http://www.trueup.net/liberty-of-london-fabrics-source-guide/
Hope you find it!

shelly - You guys are Wild—our dates usually end up being chipolte and groceries!
Our oldest bought me a birthday present at camp…seriously…like a really cool book…I’m shocked! (But not as shocked as I was that he didn’t blow all his money the first day!!! I’m sending candy next time–Genius idea!!!)
I totally understand the baby thing. The ol’ snip snip was my valentine’s day present after our youngest was born…get it V-Day–too funny!!! Now I just want someone to hold..who Neeeeeds me…and that baby smell! (Although I hate being pregnant..puke all 9 months..I’d adopt or foster or something!). But…my hub says No more babies…even though I SEE that twinkle in his eyes when he holds a baby…he thinks he’s so tough 😉

Katie - After having a 4 and 2 year old my Auntie had twins. My Aunt and Uncle decided to have surgery to not have any more children, she was 34. She said she ached for a baby until she was 45…but she knew it was the right decision. She is the best Auntie…always willing to watch anyone’s children, even now at 60!
We know you love your husband and it shows even more wanting to just “make sure” we all know the story. It is my most favorite thing about you that you love and respect your man!!!! What an example for all of us! Even though marriage is hard at times for everyone you really inspire me to love and pursue and cherish and respect my husband more! Thank you!

linda anderson - the story about sean brought tears to MY eyes!! he is such a sweet boy…
🙂 linda

Kim - I feel the exact same way with our baby situation. I have three beautiful children that I love with all of my heart…but that is all I will have because we had the same procedure. While my head knows is a good decision for our family..I don’t think my heart will ever get on board…so my youngest is just going to have to deal with the fact that I am going to want to still carry him on my hip when he is a teenager…..;)

Holly - Sounds like a good movie! Love Annies little dress!

Secret Mom Thoughts - I can’t wait to see Super 8. Love that dress too. Cute photo of you and the Mr.

leigh - if annie were littler you could make her cute pillowcase dresses…have you heard of them? you could probably get some super cute prints in those. target doesnt have anything from LoL anymore- it was a limited thing :(:(

happygirl - I wanted to adopt and my husband didn’t. I really think you can’t pressure someone into more children, especially an adopted child. I know God is big enough to handle this. <3

Kimberly Dial - I’m so glad you were able to have a night out with “Craiggers”. Some times we seriously need some alone time to reconnect! BTW, I didn’t sense any hubby bashing at all. When you’re a natural nurturer that’s what happens … we would love to fill houses with precious babes if our hubbys didn’t say “whoa, wait a minute”! 🙂

Kimberly Dial - I’m so glad you were able to have a night out with “Craiggers”. Some times we seriously need some alone time to reconnect! BTW, I didn’t sense any hubby bashing at all. When you’re a natural nurturer that’s what happens … we would love to fill houses with precious babes if our hubbys didn’t say “whoa, wait a minute”! 🙂

Jen - I think this is it, no? I love that fabric too 🙂 Also love that you had a wonderful date night! http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=3479e766-83f4-4fc8-9305-203654f4d60e

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - Hi Meg, I wish I could sign up tomorrow for your craft weekend. I live way too far away and I really don’t do much crafting so I guess that would be silly of me. The being together with other bloggers and meeting you would be super fun, but hard to justify a craft weekend for someone like me that doesn’t make anything and has 2 of the 3 kids in college and lots of bills to pay. Good luck tomorrow…hope everything goes super well.

georgia - I don’t think anyone would ever think you would be bashing craig about anything online, your so in love its sweet. 🙂

Kat - Aww bless that beautiful Sean.
One of those simple, yet magical parenting moments.
Hm, date night must be an American tradition, as I see very little of it here amongst my friends (and myself) who are married with young children.
Mind you that does not mean we don’t need to be going on dates with our Husbands, because I am more than a little envious of that time you had!!
Gorgeous dress.

Elizabeth - Meg,
This line you wrote made me laugh so hard…
“i was freaked out and squeezing craig’s hand so hard.
and at one point i jumped so big i hurt a muscle in my leg….not kidding.”
My boy took me to see Super 8 on Saturday night as well, and there were moments during the movie that made me jump so hard that I actually injured myself. I told him afterward (while he was laughing at me) that at one point I actually managed to pull a muscle in my chest.
I thought I had a broken rib, Meg.
THANK YOU for writing this and making me feel less stupid! x

Terrie G - We almost went to see Super 8 this weekend. We got rained out of mini-golf & go-karts instead. 🙂

Leah - I hear you on your date night. It’s a BIG night for us when we go to dinner AND a bookstore. I know, hold us back!

jennibell - “it’s so silly but i felt loved and validated and heard and proud all in that one sentence.” PERFECT. It’s times like that that you know you’ve done a “good job”. That it’s all going to be o.k. My 12-yr-old was at soccer camp (day camp) every day last week. On the last day, when I went to pick him up, he was concerned about getting a t-shirt for his friend that had an out-of-town family death on Wednesday and wasn’t able to finish the camp. Then, he spent 15 minutes in an over-grown field looking for a friend’s soccer ball that had been kicked back there after the friend had left. I was so proud of him, looking out for his friends like that. I’m glad God gives us “sneak peeks” like this every-now-and-again. . .it’s what we need to continue the race, yes?

alicia @ la famille - hey ms. meg. i have to say i thought super 8 was an icky, creepy, killing show…but signs and et?! that sounds good!
and way to rock it on the eddie bauer AND super 8.
you two are crazy!! 🙂 haha!!
glad your kiddos made it home from camp, too!

Amber - Hi there! I looove your blog! I have a 2 yr old and a 3 mo old and it makes me so look forward to the days to come! Your children are beautiful!
Also….Liberty of London fabrics are now at fabric.com!! I just did a quick search and didnt see annies dress fabric…but there might be something similar.

sam - Now that I look at it, it’s not as bright as Annie’s dress. Sorry. 🙁

Amber - Ok you have thoroughly convinced me on seeing super 8! And seriously that dress is awesome! When she grows out of it you must make a few pillows from the fabric!

Jennifer - Way cute dress! I sure wish they had them in our size, too. 🙂
And best wishes (and hugs) to you Meg with regard to the whole wanting another baby. I can understand how the heart can yearn so deeply for a child that it literally hurts. My hubby and I have never been able to have children of our own and we have been trying to adopt a second child for over 4 years now. It has been a long and difficult road…and yes, at times, it has left my husband and I at different sides of the fence. As much as he would love for us to have more children, it is difficult for him to watch my heart get broken when an adoption doesn’t work out. So much that I think he would probably be okay if I one day decide to just walk away from the adoption journey. I think he would be okay with us just being a family of three. But for me, I just can’t seem to bring myself to let go of my dream to be the mother to more children (just yet).
A loving God will tell your heart and mind what is right for you and your family, I’m sure of it. 🙂
Hugs to you…
jennifer

Talysa - Fabulous pic…love written all over it. Oh and I’m digging your hair. You cut it right?

Julia - Thanks for the movie rec’. Do you think a 5 yr old could handle it?
I lurve that pic of A. Scowls are so cute!

Sharla - Love that dress and fabric! Seriously, I look at so many little girl clothes and wish they were in my size. And I’m not being silly – I seriously think, “WHY don’t they make that in my size?!”
Love the story about the airheads – I hope my kids think of me sometimes . . . and I know they will. Sometimes I just wonder if that day will come.

Amanda - The story about Sean made me so happy. I know that feeling and it IS something to be proud of because you raised him to think of others that way! It’s a beautiful quality in a person!

deb meyers - oh yeah, super 8 was good : ) and a mashup of ET and Goonies and Signs, just like you said, that’s what we said in the car on the way home! Only we added Close Encounters to the mash. Though why all Spielberg’s boys have to potty-mouth ? …they could pass on that, please.

Short, Sweet Season - That picture of Annie rocking her baby…so awesome and beautiful. I love it!

Holly Cox - I live in Dayton, so I’m quite psyched to see Super 8!

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so needed.

April 10, 2011 Filed in just the two of us

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we are chillin.
away.
alone.
and we were so ready for a grown up break.

thankful for the kings of leon giving us the perfect excuse…..oh yeah.

i rocked out in tulsa, oklahoma with my newest obsession. 
and my favorite man….craiggers.

kings of leon were….in a word…..AWESOME.
it was SUCH a great show.
i loved every single song….they opened with my favorite.  :)

we stayed here.…and so did sam bradford!!!

i bought something for one of you….can't wait to show you.

feeling full of renewed energy to parent and love.

back to reality this afternoon.

oh….it was so much fun. 

add a comment

Suzanne - Wow, I’ve been a Kings of Leon fan for about 5 years – back when it seemed I was the only one who had heard of them. LOVE them!!!!

Logan - What fun for you both! And probably fun for the kids and grandparents too. 🙂
Your legs look freshly shaved and you did your toes! How romantic is that?? Ha Ha!

Sugar Mama - I’m from Tulsa! Haven’t been back in a while… reading that you were there makes me miss it. Kings of Leon I love!

Sheryl - i received my “joy” print in the mail this weekend! i LOVE it.

danielle - so fun! hope you enjoyed your time and your man!
i’m just a little jelly.
september will be our five year anniversary…gotta get my man planning.

Gemma @ Musings of a gem - Love this picure….I am sooo ready for summer! I would love to go to a concert…never been to one before : )
P.s – that hotel looks LOVELY!
Gemma x

Toni :O) - How fun!!! I absolutely LOVE Kings of Leon and this song is just awesome! I could use some time away with my hubby…we try to do it every year but since I’m unemployed right now, I think it will be put on the backburner for now. Maybe later this year…one can hope! Glad you had a nice time…as parents to five kids, you totally deserve a break!

Kat - What a luxury for you guys!
We have 4 young children and are lucky to get the Grandparents to babysit so we can go for lunch, little own a night away.
I am jealous, although my youngest is only two and not ready to be away from her Mamma.
So glad you had a great time!

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Oh, so glad you had a great time!

Melanie - Out 20th anniversary is coming up and I can’t wait to getaway either:) Glad that you had a good time. I love Kings Of Leon too.

julia - Oh my gosh….I can’t believe you got me something.

karen - too cute that pic! craig and his sneakers! you guys are soooo cute!

Tricia - Such a great thing to take a little trip with your husband! I’m glad that it was such a fun weekend for you. Have a great week!

Kristin S - Oh, Meg, you two are so wise!
I have so many friends who say they don’t have time to prioritize their marriage over kids. I can say until i’m blue in the face that I’ll watch kids and they need to get away.
But I’m single and I quickly get the “you don’t get it” look.
It makes me so sad. Marriage is first. Well, second after God of course.
Anyway, so glad you two CHOSE to get away for grownup time.

Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - I love that picture! And cant wait to get somewhere away with my hubby.We’ll be celebrating 10 years of marriage this July. I dont know where the time went!
xo,
Sarah

Sara - Sounds awesome Meg, every lovin’ couple needs some good times together!! Happy for you!

Amy Jo - I live in Tulsa! 🙂
I love this blog, FYI, and I LOVE my “Whatever” print I got in the mail from you this week! Yay!

sarah - I saw them leaving their hotel on friday morning as i walked into work. Had I not had plans to head to dallas this weekend I would have been right there with you. They are so wonderful!

LAURA PHELPS - thinking of you lots this weekend…so happy you got to get away
you and crag are my absolute favorite love story
how’s waffles hair?
ok
I am rambling in comments again…
back to my coffee…
welcome home
hope the kids treat you well 🙂

Alicia @ La Famille - hey meg,
i’m new to your blog…as in i found you friday 🙂 i spent an embarassing amount of time blog-stalking you last night, but what a treat! you are such a sweet mom and i love all your projects. excited to be a new reader 🙂
oh and KOL?! love, love, love them…and guess what? here’s a little useless trivia…did you know these bad a** rockers were homeschooled?! funny huh? well, maybe i just think it’s funny cause i also homeschool my hoodlums 🙂 glad you had a fun getaway!

Cari - Ahh!! Tulsa! My home away from home. Love that place. Miss it terribly! When I clicked on the link where you stayed I saw the redirect to PW’s site. I thought, “She stayed in The Lodge?! How awesome!”. Then I saw you took her hotel recommendation. Ha! Hooray for alone time. It’s always needed!

meaghan - so glad you guys got away! i live in colorado (i know, i’m rubbing it in) so hubs and i just went skiing this weekend alone 😉 so i TOTALLY want you to vlog!!!!! please please vlog!! and jenny is adorable. is she stoned? no, she’s adorable 🙂 hahahhahahahaa!

Valerie F. - Yay for T-Town! Hope our little city showed you a warm welcome. We love it here.

Tonya - Cute pic, I noticed there were actually leaves on the trees there
……sigh….still waiting here.

tam - Awesome weekend for you!
Much deserved.
🙂

Sarah @ this farm familys life - Glad you had a good time!!!;0)

Rachel - How nice for you and the hubby to have the opportunity to refresh and renew. Grown up vacations are great and leave you with the feeling that anything is possible!

www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawl3fcOwlq7KDhbTFXvercn3aQetxwYRaVk - Nice! I think we might give that a try, if we ever grow up :0) In the meantime, just gonna try to laugh at the mayhem of this crazy life.

happygirl - I guess I know I’m old now. I only know one Kings of Leon song. And I heard it when they were on SNL, ’cause I fell asleep before the second song. aaaaaarg. I hate getting old.

Kris - My husband LOVED Kings!!!

Michelle - Good for you two! I am hoping sometime this year we will be able to escape 😉 hope you had a blast!!

stephany - Good for you!
My hubby and I have not had a grown up break for a couple of years. Good to know we may be able to get one in the future when the kids are a bit older!
Glad you had a good time!

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thursday.

February 17, 2011 Filed in crafts & art,just the two of us

as in craft thursday.

i looked through the deep space sparkle website looking for something colorful.
i found it.

remember this book?

A-color-of-his-own-leo-lionni-cover

 
its cute.
and colorful.

we read the book and then we made our own chameleons.

first we drew a big chameloen….then outlined it with sharpie or oil pastel (but right now we are out of oil pastels)

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after it was drawn….it was time to paint.
we used our favorite watercolors.

each of them made their chameleon have "a color of his own"….all colors.

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after they dried completely we cut them out and glued them to construction paper….makes them POP!

IMG_8106

IMG_8108

IMG_8109

IMG_8107

this project made me really happy.
happy to see smiley chameleons with curly tails….good stuff.

************************************************************************************************* 

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and last but not least…..danielle asked me to participate in her february series of "love stories".
if you'd like to see our really lovely wedding pic in 1994……
you can read it here.   

 

 


add a comment

Lauren - Your love story is amazing, Meg! The fact that your love story started so young and is still going this many years later (and is stronger), well, that is just inspiring 😉 Thanks so much for sharing with us!

Michelle - Wow, we have very similar stories. Your words are so well put. My hubby and I just celebrated 14 years of marriage last week. We have been together since I was a Sophmore, he was, and is still, my only boyfriend. I found out I was pregnant in August after I graduated high school. I was 17. A painfully sad time in my life. Such a change of plans in our lives, and my parents not supporting our marriage- they didn’t even attend our wedding, its nothing short of a miracle that we are still together and loving each other more today than ever. We have in a sense grown up together, and changed in so many ways, God has definitely kept us together through it all.
Anyhow, I just wanted you to know, that I have loved your blog since the day I found it. I appreciate your honesty, and am glad to hear someone else say the things I feel. Raising kids, a daughter who in so many ways is more like my sister because of our ages, is tough. Your blog is such a happy place, even on the bad days their is a rainbow around somewhere 🙂

Vonda - Meg you and your family are awesome. I don’t know if there is a perfect love story. I think some sound that way, but we all have things we go through…some things we think we would change, and then we look at what we have and smile! 🙂

Val - Your response to JR’s comment was perfect. It’s what I would expect…I love your blog. Live life happy…that’s what it’s all about…can’t let those that aren’t get you down. Thanks for the happy reads.

Val - Hi Meg,
I tried to email you, but I can’t get it to work! I had a question about your Africa pictures. I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I used some of them for a school presentation on malnutrition in Africa. I will have a resource page with your blog name to credit the pictures to you’re okay with me using some of them.
Thanks! Please email me back if you are okay with it!
(P.S. I’ve been a loyal blog reader for over a year and love it!)

Sugar Mama - Meg, We have even more in common now than I ever thought before. I read your “love story” and mine is about the same except I got pregnant while in highschool. It was scary… and not what I ever expected for my life at the time.
And the chameleons? Love them!

Susan Freeman - John Rambo came to my blog too and left an ugly comment. I posted about it today. I hope that you will come to visit my blog and read my post in praise of American Women. This is my first time to your blog and I am glad that I found you, despite the fact that it was under such distasteful circumstances. Your post is so charming and what great fish your kids created!! Love your blog and will return often.
Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Karen - Meg;
I have been reading your posts for a few months now, and you are great because I can always count on you for a lift in spirit and a reminder of how great life really is. That is such a gift that you have to be able to inspire so many people in that way.
I just read your love story, and I found it so touching and real and beautiful. Thankyou for sharing something so personal. I guess that’s why I read your blog. You give us all yourself. Thanks.

Heather R. - Love the pictures. Rainbow chameleons make me happy, too. 🙂

Lisa - Ok, now have to go read your love story, sound wonderful.
p.s. I got a comment on my blog once that was rude and nasty, only unfortunatley it wasn’t a spammer, it was my EX husband!! lol!!! notice emphasis on the “EX”!! He and Mr. Rambo would probably love each other, hehe!!
Thanks for always putting a smile on my face, I never miss a post from you 🙂

Carol S - Darn, those turned out cute! I must be too old to know that kids book though. Hungry Hungry Caterpillar I recall which was similarly colorful?

jen - Yep. You got spammed Meg.

Jilly - Leo Lionni and Eric Carle are favorites at our casa…even though they are all teenagers!

amanda - Ladies, don’t you get it? John Rambo is using classic reverse psychology. Now none of us “American women” can stop thinking about him and with a name like “Rambo” you know he must be a hottie! jk, I get comments like that a lot in the “spam”, though they are mostly about owning my own business or finding a mail order bride, none quite as interesting as Mr.Rambo, aka, Rocky 1,2,3,4,5 and 6. 🙂

nic - make that irresisIble. spelling, shmelling.

nic - ah, art projects like these make my heart sing. (do you paint alongside your kids? because i would totally be making my own curly-tailed chameleon right here. irresistable.)

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - I love your love story. God is good isn’t He!

alyssa - wow. I loved your love story. you did so good! so honest. so God-honoring. I think you should repost it here.

sara's art house - LOVE the chameleons!!!! I will def copy this..

merlin - Now, this is a craft that I might be able to do (if you provide the chameleon template), so perhaps you could add it to your list of craft projects for the crafting weekend.
Maybe you could have a crafting weekend just for the non-crafty readers, I read through the 800+ comments and was relieved to know I am not the only one.
Yes, your mission could be to gather the lost and uncrafty souls and encourage us, the others already know how 🙂 We NEED you.

Courtney Walsh - Do you ever almost dip your paintbrush in your coffee instead of the paint water?
I noticed the coffee cup right in the thick of it and remembered the time I did just that. lol 🙂
Love these!! They are sooo cute!

Lauren - Meg your love story brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you for sharing what God can do even through the tough…not so pretty….situations in our lives.

Aimee - Rambo seems like a spammer…I doubt he’s even read your blog. Twerp. 😉
Thank you for sharing your love story…I love hearing it, especially because it’s not “typical.”

Laura Phelps - I’m doing this project RIGHT NOW
seriously
now
after I make some coffee

Holly Cox - Hey Meg….
If you ever actually speak with John Rambo, not that you’d want to, You can tell him that I said {{really loud}}:
SOME MYSTERIES SOLVE THEMSELVES!
If he’s ever experienced any of his complaints about American Women, his attitude makes it very clear as to why he would have been treated that way. 🙂 Just a thought!
<3 Holly C.

Juliann - Megan – awesome love story! You did a great job sharing that; being vulnerable and honest. YOU ARE GREAT!!
also, I would love to see a guest post by Mr. Duerksen to John Rambo as to why American women are great 🙂

Lorie S. - I just saw your blog yesterday and am in love with it. I am so inspired. I sometimes get down on myself for being a stay at home mom and do I really make a difference??? And the answer is YES!!!!! What would happen to our homes if there wasn’t the mom to hold it together. I look forward to ready tomorrow.

Emily Zimmerman - Hi Meg!!! Love love love your blog!!! When I saw your post about not being able to host 870 people for a craft weekend, I thought you were exaggerating. Then I scrolled down and saw 871 comments on your post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!! You are so loved!!!!!

Phebe Roberts - Hi Meg,
Don’t know if you remember me but I was the one who forwarded the vid. Asian pineapple cutting! 🙂 Anyways, just wanted to share what you and lovely fam. inspired my 5yo son to accomplish this morning. You can see it here http://blossombucket.blogspot.com/2011/02/inspired-to-paint.html
Thanks a zillion + some

Janine - This is a great idea. And it’s educational too since it goes along with reading a book. I may do something like this next week when I have to watch my nieces & nephew.
I enjoyed reading your love story. So sweet.
Oh and the John Rambo thing – what strange spam! I missed it yesterday.

Lori in Iowa - Wow. It was refreshing to read such an honest and inspiring love story. My own love story has a twisted road but at the end was something amazing.
Thanks for the honesty.

Heather - Love the chameleons! Love your love story! Love your blog! John Rambo has some major issues, but it was great laugh. Wonder where he meets his American women for him to have those views!!?

Paula Montalvo - Meg, John obviously hasn’t read your blog AT ALL. If he did he would realize that you are a great Wife, Mother, Cook, and cute to boot! In a nutshell……….He’s off his bloody rocker!!! It was a good laugh though at how nutty people can be. Love the chameleons and the great rainbow colors! Blessings <3 Paula

happygirl - Thanks for not deleting the “funny” comment. I LOVE the colors. They really brightened my day today. And I needed some brightening. <3

Leah - I loved your love story! And you know what? It’s REAL. Real life. Sometimes I think there’s too much romatic fantasy out there. And those couples who have that, end up not working out (not all … just some). What works is what’s real. Like your story. Thank you!

Candy - Meg-I just read your love story and it brought tears to my eyes. I can see the love in your eyes and your husbands. It is such a sweet thing. I love how God can take something, that at the time, we feel, will destroy us, and make it something awesome and wonderful! Thank you for sharing your story, it spoke to my heart.

Terrie - Megan – Love your chameleons!! Wish I was one of your kids!! Or you had been my mom!! I LOVE crafts! I also LoVeD your LOVE story!!! I had tears for you…for what you didn’t have and tears for me…because I was a child of such a beginning…only my mom wasn’t like you. I didn’t get to do crafts, she barely let me in the kitchen…unless it was to do the dishes. I was told I wasn’t wanted…so I applaud you & Craig…for making a family centered on HIM. Your story blesses me like you will never know. I love that the two of you chose LOVE & family even when it was hard! I LOVE our God & that HE has BLESSED your family! I too am Blessed beyond measure…only through Him have I been able to overcome and be a better mother than the example I had. You, Meg, are a wonderful example to your readers!

Jen - Awesome book! My daughter’s preschool teacher asks that in lieu of bringing treats for the students, each child provide a book for the classroom on his/her birthday. My daughter chose this book and we are just about to order it. I will have to have her do this craft as well (she will LOVE it)… gearing up for her *rainbow* birthday party. Yahoo for rainbows!

Karen Gerstenberger - This posting (about your marriage) is one of the many reasons I love your blog…you are REAL about life and REAL about God. Thank you for being MEG, every day, and not putting on airs or trying to be someone else. The world needs MEG – God clearly saw that and made you! May His love continue to bless you and your family. xoxox

Heather - I went and read your story and came back to say IT IS AWESOME all that God can accomplish when we give ourselves and our relationships to Him! It makes me think of “At the Foot of the Cross”, when we sing “now I can trade these ashes in for beauty”. I LOVE that. I feel like I’m still learning that, every day. Thanks for sharing the testimony of your marriage. 🙂

lauren - i personally am just really hoping his real name is john rambo. because that would pretty much make my day. 🙂

Lisa - Beautiful story! Thanks for sharing.

Gevay - Love the crafts! Your love story is beautiful God is amazing and faithful! Thanks for sharing it.

Danielle - Bwahahaha! What do you want to bet John just got dumped by an American woman:)

sara @ it's good to be queen - love this fun colorful craft. How the heck do your water colors stay so nice and clean??? is it because you have girls? or do you wipe them out each time? after one use, ours look crazy…colors mixed, paint all over the whole container, etc.
okay, now i’m off to find john rambo’s comment and read your love story….

Amy - Just read your love story…truly heartfelt. A romantic proposal does not necessarily lead to a healthy marriage. To me a, good marriage is built on love, respect, tenacity, and faith. It isn’t important how you got there. I very much enjoy your blog and appreciate your story. Happy Thursday to you!!

Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - Ah Fooey on “John Rambo.” This is obviously a person who’s got some issues.
I love your crafty Thursdays. You’ve inspired me to get more involved with my girls, make a mess, and not worry about it! Kids are meant to be kids not perfect robots. And you know what? Im having fun letting loose right along with them. Who knew Id been missing out for so long?;)
XO

Lori H - John Rambo’s comment has appeared in another blog I read, Jen On the Edge. He obviously has too much time on his hands, and thinks any one of us cares! 🙂

Ashley - Some people just like to spam perfectly wonderful blogs. He did give a good crack up to so many, though.
Love the chameleons! I’ll try it here this weekend (or even while trying to cook tonight.)
Off to read your love story!

Angie M - Love your story. Thank you for sharing. I find it hard to share my stories. One day……

RLG - I’ve seen that same post (by John Rambo) on another blog.
Don’t take it personally. Some people are just freaks.
xoxo

Flower Patch Farmgirl - I got the same comment yesterday! ???
I like this project.
I like the title even more.

Elissa - john rambo is …….yup….somethin. i like “jerusalem’s” response though. made me laugh. as always, love your your blog and the stuff you share….

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Oh my heavens. I remember a while ago when you were answering questions, posted your wedding pic and mentioned that you would share your story some day.
Wow. Meg, you are truly beautiful. Thank you so very much for sharing your story. Really. Your family is beautiful.
Our God is so amazing.

Hannah - megan-love your story! i have a slightly similar one…except my guy didn’t stay..and THAT was absolutely god’s blessing…and so is my daughter…we met my husband when she was only one and he adopted her…as she used to say…”we found daddy together…god sent him to us” 🙂
god’s forgiveness is amazing! 🙂

BULLYMAMA - I think the title of your blog is the perfect response to his comment “Whatever”!! Clearly it had nothing to do with you as you don’t even fit into any of the catagories he listed…bizarre and his post was at 3 something a.m. one only can imagine what else was going on with him at hour!!

karen - I think Rambo dude wants to boycott American women because they have already done so with him. HA! Good Riddance!
Great chameleons!
I bought some water colours yesterday..but found no doilies. The hunt is on.

Patty - What great looking chameleons! I just want to know one thing: how do you keep the watercolor pans so darn clean? Thanks for linking.
Patty (Deep Space Sparkle)

Shana - oh! you tricked me with your crazy title for this post!
darn crafts.
but – they are very cute & your story is awesome.

Sarah - thank you fore sharing your love story…a needed reminder that God takes our messes and makes them beautiful. We ALL make bad choices (even as 30-somethings)…the consequences are rarely easy to walk through…only our God could take even them and use them for HIS glory. He is such a GOOD GOD!

Joy - Oh Meg, that was a beautiful love story. Love is hard. You did a good job!

Gabrielle - Meg, I started following your blog when I found its link on We Are the Friesens (I’m a friend and former co-worker of Sarah’s). I too enjoy your crafts, family stories, and sense of humor – but your love story was what made me actually drop you a note. It is wonderful on every level.

Juli - “John Rambo” is most likely the pseudonym of a person who’s a little…unhinged. Why don’t you just take that rant off your “Comments” list? It has nothing to do with your lovely blog, or your lovely self, or any of the lovely women you know.

Heather - I had to go back to read John Rambo’s comment. You know what I have to say about that?
(wait for it…)
Whatever!

Tiffany - Meg Said: God took our two little broken lives that we dedicated to HIM and made beauty from the ugliness we began with.
And Tiffany’s heart just stopped. I got so choked up in it. What a beautiful story. Im gonna ask my husband to read it too.

Karen H. - Snort! Laughing at Hoosier at Heart’s comment!!!

Tiffany - Really John Rambo. Really. Ur readers really rock though, right. I’m off to read ur luv story 🙂

Karina - I sure hope John isn’t coming to Canada any time soon.
Beautiful chameleons! The colours are so uplifting.

Jessica - I just read the John Rambo comment. Bahahahahahaha…totally cracking up right now.
Did I ever tell you that you are my favorite blogger?
Well, you are.
🙂
Have a great day!

purejoy - oh my gosh. i feel like i owe you an apology. i’m pretty much sure that is my brother bob, masquerading as john rambo. that is exactly the kind of rant he makes. completely unrelated to any kind of context to a situation.
my brother, i’m afraid, is john rambo. i don’t know how he found your blog. seriously… does he just blog hop and paste his “thoughts” in every one he comes across??
on another note, completely captivated by your creative prompts and your childrens’ willingness to participate. what a fun activity. makes me want to make my own!

Dawn - Love the chameleon craft! I’ll have to do that with my kids on their next snow day, since I’m sure there is bound to be more!

Katie Sellers - Thanks for sharing your love story!

pam - I love to start my days with your COLORFUL world. So thankful you know the One who redeems all our messes….we all have them. The Duerksen love story may not have started as you wished but I think it’s beautiful up to this point…
As for John…thank God American women are safe!

Lydia S - I read your love story. It made me cry… at work…
I love reading your blog and I’ve never commented before, but I just want you to know that I feel like we are friends (albeit one sided). I just got married this year, and we don’t have any kids yet, but someday I hope I can be as great a mom as you! Laundry piles and all! Thanks for all that you share.
And I really do hope you do a craft weekend. I would be there and we could be real-life friends!

Tracey @7294cottageway.blogspot - Love that project!

Jenny Logan - Those chameleons are adorable!
I loved your love story! You can tell how much you love your husband & family. It made me smile. =)

colleen - Sweet Meg, i lovely love your love story 🙂 Immediately thought of Revelation 21:5 “He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said “Write this down for these words are trustworthy and true.” Isn’t it just like our precious Lord to make our ugly,sinful,dead mistakes; new? Thanks for “writing it down!” you blessed me this morning!

Shannon - Sounds to me like John is doing American women a favor!

Erin Ward - Love it! And love that book. Might have to steal that idea for my classroom. 🙂

Ginny - I just read your love story and it touched me and gives me hope because it reveals the same feelings I have. Just 3 years ago I never would have guessed I would be with a one year old and married. I also have longed for the romantic proposal the lavish wedding that took months and months to plan. All the excitement that builds up with the planning. But at the same time I am happy where I am and what it has brought me and know that God has had his hand on my little family and has brought us and will bring us wherever we are meant to go. Before I felt alone in my feelings because I don’t know any who has felt the same, so to read your story made me not feel so alone. I just wanted to say Thank you. 🙂

Hoosier at Heart - Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, I wonder what John looks like. I’m too afrid to check out his blog. I am happy that you left his comment there for everyone to read and didn’t delete it, what a hoot! Gotta go now, it’s getting late and I need to go get fat and cheat on my husband.

Beth @ Dirty laundry - Hi Meg,
I LOVE your blog. I am constantly inpired by you. I finally decided to try one of your crafts and blogged about it here:
http://wolfepack129.blogspot.com/2011/02/feeling-crafty-yet-grumpy.html
I love the chameleons! I’ve been thinking about doing a craft based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which would involve doing a lot of finger painting, letting the fingerpainted pics dry, then cutting apart pieces of them and gluing them together to make a picture. I bet you could do this (I will probably get to it sometime next winter…)
Beth

Beth from odd girl out. - First, John Rambo is an arse.
Second, those chameleons are awesome.
The end.

julie f. - Megan,
You wrote your love story amazingly! What a testament to God and how he has used a “broken” situation and redeemed it into something SO beautiful. You have a beautiful family and God-honoring marriage. Thank you for that example!!

Alysa - what i LOVED was lori in iowa’s comment after Rambo’s comment. too hilarious.
oh, and the cameleon’s – great, fun, easy project. we might pull that book off the shelf and do that today … after all, it’s thurdsay. =)

Shivaun - We should probably warn those foreign girls about Mr. Rambo.

Jenny Joy - I love the chameleons! What a fun project! 🙂

Nicolle W. - I LOVE that craft. I love that book! Don’t worry, I have seen that John Rambo comment on numerous blogs. Weirdo! 🙂

CathyC - Your love story is fantastic!
(I actually think “John Rambo” is probably a 20 something yr old GIRL. Very wordy and female-ish. I don’t know any REAL MEN that would waste their time).
Cathy

Nicole Q. - Fun simple craft . . . i can do this! have a happy thursday – we are seeing amazing temps this week ; I’m loving it!

Peggyrice@gmail.com - Oh, John Rambo;) Have you heard of Chris Lee, the shirtless Congressman? I say we American women start our own boycott of delirious, ridiculous, aging men. Cheers.

melissa rice - How hillarious that He is posting on a womens blog that defies everything he just stated. Meg is creative slender beautiful inside and out adores her family of, ahem, 5!!! Is silly and romantic with her husband and cooks!!!! Geez. I laughed anyhow…

deborah@applesinwonderland - i just posted after poor poor john rambo. i had no idea your “whatever” blog was also a place to find a wife. awesome, meg. you really do it all:)
the gaggle of chameleons, or herd or school or litter…are way cool, too.

Jennifer in VA - Love the chameleons, too busy with school and sports to do Craft thursdays with my kids now – but I’m seeing this as a summer thing for our Summer fun list!
And John?, wow! no. words. But a good laugh – is he real? Or your husband and/or brother’s alter ego, playing a joke on you?

Lindsay - Love these! And I’m sorry, you’ve probably addressed this somewhere along the way before, but are your kids ALWAYS so willing to participate in a craft with you? I’m so jealous, I clearly messed up big time at some point during my son’s 7 years of life!!! 🙂

danielle - what the what is that comment by john rambo?
and happy to have your pretty self over on my blog today. yeehaw 🙂

Kelly - OK John Rambo, boycott American women in favor of what? Mail order Russian brides? Too funny! At least his comment made for an early morning laugh:-)
LOVE the chameleons, by the way.

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thoughts on staying connected.

October 21, 2010 Filed in just the two of us

i have had several people ask me how craig and i stay "connected".
 
i asked craig what he thought and we discussed it for awhile.

so…..i will give you my answers but please be sure to know that i am not saying we are perfect.
i am not saying we have all the answers. 
i am not saying we have it all figured out.

but this is what is working for us:

1.  we make time to be together.
     alone.
     no kids.
     pretty often.
     sometimes it's going out to dinner….sometimes it's overnight….sometimes it's a whole weekend.
     once it was a whole week and we both would say it was the best week of our entire lives.
     i am serious.
     most times it's after the kids are in bed and we are watching our favorite shows together or a movie.
     that counts.
     (netflix is so good for in-home dates)
     our relationship comes first….above the kids…above every activity we could get involved in…FIRST.
     it's the top priority.

2.  we treat each other with respect.….we are thoughtful, kind, loving, encouraging & patient.
     we both try not to say anything hurtful to each other.
     we do not criticize each other in front of our children….and try not to at any time.
     we compliment and thank each other for even the small stuff…as often as possible.
     "this dinner was great babe"  or  "thanks so much for bringing down the laundry"  etc. 

3.  we are on the same team with our parenting.
     the kids don't get one answer from me and a different answer from him.
     trust me they try.
     they try to ask for things when the other parent isn't around but we have decided to answer with
     "i will talk to dad" or "i will talk to mom about it"  before we give our answers.
     of course not about everything….but bigger things like sleep overs or dances or money kinds of things.

4.  we laugh together A LOT.
     life is funny….so we laugh at stuff all the time.
     who wants to go through life being serious or angry all the time?
     we are constantly cracking each other up.

5.  we have trusted our marriage to God.  
     He has control of everything…we give our marriage to HIM.
     He created the whole world…He can handle us….He knows.
     He has plans for us and a future.
     God gave us a guide for how to love each other in the bible….how to be a wife…how to be a husband.

************************************************************************************************ 

that is what works for us….right now….in this season of life.
we still fight…sometimes.
we still disappoint each other…occasionally.
we are two flawed people trying our best to love each other in an imperfect world.

it's not always easy but it is always worth it.
 
************************************************************************************************ 

IMG_7177

good books on marriage:

For Women Only by Shaunti Feldman

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

The Power of the Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian

Enhancing Your Marriage bible study guide by Judy Rossi    (i really enjoyed this one!)

if you have other book suggestions please feel free to share a favorite book in the comments.

add a comment

Jenn A. - Love this post. “For Women Only” is a wee little book that completely changed my understanding of my husband. It is a powerful one. Thanks for being honest-it means a lot to read about the real deal.

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - There is a beautiful book called A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Van Aucken. It talks about building a hedge between your marriage and the rest of the world… true story… tragic… amazing… beautiful.

pam - I loved all the books mentioned. How is that?
My favorite though – Sheet Music – by Kevin Leman. I think every couple getting married should receive this for a wedding gift. It will eliminate much struggle.
Eric would say hands down this marriage series by John Piper – http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/series-index/marriage-christ-and-covenant-one-flesh-for-the-glory-of-god – was life changing. It was the first time he had heard this approach. All the books previously by other authors were ineffective to him because they were too much about feelings or “you’re in control…self help”. They were more centered on what we can change about ourselves. But the Piper series takes the focus off of us and gave the glory to God.
You and Craig rock! I’ve learned a lot from both of you!

Tara - Love this post…I say yes and AMEN to all of it!
we’ve read those same books…loved them all…

Amac - Thanks for this post! I love your blog! I wanted to chime in on book suggestions and say that “Creative Counterpart” by Linda Dillow has been a very helpful book for me. It has lots of advice on how to be the wife God intends for us to be to our husbands. I love it’s practicality.

Amber - Created to be his Help Meet. I’ll admit the author made me mad at first. And I still can’t agree with everything she writes. But overall, a great read. Changed my attitude.

Michele - Thanks for sharing this. Simple and straightforward. My husband and I have been married for eight years, and I’d like to think some of the same things you listed are what have helped us have a good marriage. You know, after eight years of marriage he’s still the person I want to hang out with the most. We have fun together and genuinely like each other. Of course, we love each other, but I think he’s a really cool person, too. The last line is my favorite. God gave us a guide on how to be a husband and wife…the Bible. Amen!!!

Debby Graber - Men Are Like Waffles; Women Are Like Spaghetti. Great book! One couple (who you know well) say it saved their marriage – not sure if they were joking or not, but we have used it with our different young marrieds groups.

Kjeldredkanoza - Meg, you are a highlight of my day! Your family is beautiful and ALIVE! 🙂 Happy belated 35th – 35 was a hard one for me for some odd reason but that lasted like 2 seconds and then I forged on! I love your relationship with your babes – love your sense of style etc etc etc (I could really gush forever). On this post about how you keep things alive – and this is a bit personal, but how do you keep thins ALIVE, if you know what I mean – sometimes I feel so spent at the end of the day and harried that that being ALIVE (;-)) is the last thing I want (I work full-time for attorneys (love/hate relationship with them but it is my profession) and have a 9 year old and 3 teen step children that are very much a part of our lives. I just feel like I’m letting my husband down. Heck, I’m letting me down – I want a sliver back of our days gone by. 🙂 Oh, and if you wouldn’t mind posting some of your favorite holiday crafts. I so want to get that started with my kids. Thanks!

Shelley - ok..i thought it was about time I stop stalking your blog and leave a comment. I just adore your blog and its in my top 3 favorites. I dont know what I love the best…your passion for Christ..your passion for your family..or your passion for color and decorating. i just adore your blog…i wish you would post like 3 a day..haha. Be blessed my friend

Melanie - This is a great list. My husband and I are like that. We still laugh together (after 19 yrs.) We enjoy being together, I greet him at the door each night, and we are just kind to each other. We like each other and I think that that is very important.

Brooke - Love and Respect is an amazing book.
Someone may have said it already. But it talks about how men receive love through RESPECT. Where as women receive LOVE through LOVE (romance, kind things, etc.). Men need to feel RESPECTED much more than they need to feel loved by their spouse. This was a new feeling for me. Because if you asked me, I would say I need to feel loved above respected. Very interesting.
PS. I love all your thoughts on marriage. I agree. I love that you put each other first. I LOVE the book “Five love languages” ….very insightful. I feel like it’s important to realize there are always new things to learn about your spouse 🙂

elisa - The Proper Care And Feeding Of Marriage…..life changing.
I’ve been married 27 years and I wish I would have read it way back in the day. It would have helped tremendously.
Great post…..we all need strong families like yours in todays society.

Sarah@Clover Lane - This is SO beautiful! Better than any kind of lovey dovey thing I’ve ever read…it’s real and honest, and totally RIGHT.

Tanya @ Life in 3D - This is a great post, thanks…for realz 🙂

Courtney Henson - Okay, I totally printed out what you wrote to show my husband AND to hang it on my chalkboard in my kitchen…I think I need a daily reminder! Thanks for the great advice…stuff we all know but don’t always live by…

Lindsey@ Piecefully Home - Such a nice, encouraging post. Thanks for sharing that, I’d also say the book Sacred Marriage is fantastic. I borrowed it from the library, but I think I NEED to own it.

mandy friend - Yay Meg! God is so good. Thanks for the testimony, I’d reccommend Love and Respect as well!

Ingrid Blanchette - lose this post…thank you for sharing! i’m married to my best friend and he is truly wonderful…but we’re both human and fall short. we’ve been married for 2 amazing years and have many many years ahead of us. but in the 2 years we have endured much pain. lost 2 babies – one ectopic and the most recent when i was 6 months pregnant. i lost my job when recession hit and we’ve also moved (to a beautiful new house which we love) but moving is still stressors! through all this…we come together, pray together and remind one another that we’re on the same team. we’re currently reading ‘How We Love’ discovering your love style by Yerkovich! It’s much like 5 love languages but goes deeper to what is rooted in us from our childhood. How my past hurts work with his…it’s good and I’d suggest it to anybody! Thanks again for your post! Love your blog…

Andria - Meg,
I have been married almost 20 years. I think the single best you gave is to treat each other with respect and kindness. It is amazing to me how many married people talk to each other in a way they wouldn’t talk to anybody else. Saying please, thank you, thanking each other for the small things, and not criticizing in front of others is HUGE!!!! Thanks girl!!!!

Amie - I’ve been together with my husband for 10 years this Dec. and married for 5 years this past May. We have 3 kids. 12 year old Ready-Made from my husbands previous relationship, a 3 year old and a 17 month old. I love how you said “you put each other first- above the kids-” For a lot of couples I know they think this is horrible- How could you put your kids second? Ghastly! But it’s so true! Without the love, support, connection from each other- we wouldn’t be the best for our family. Laughter, and a partner in crime are essential to a lasting relationship.
Love your site, your colors, your wit… Amie

Jen - I LOVE it, and I say DITTO… On Nov 10th my hubby and I will be married {20} TWENTY years… We married the day after I turned 16 {he was 19} I have been with him since I was 14 years old and my parents believed my heart and LOVE for him and after MUCH prayer agreed to allow me to marry… We waited a few years before starting our family, after all I need to graduate from high school… hahaha, I am even more in love with him today… and “they” said it wouldn’t last… HA

Julie - I second For Women Only ~ great book! #5 is the most important for us (we don’t do as well with the other 4), but we have always believed that the 3rd person in our relationship ~ Christ ~ was the glue to our marriage. Just had an interesting conversation with my sister about how we discover holiness through marriage ~ thus Holy Marriage.

julia - good post.
lunch (no kids!) is my favorite time together.

shauna - good book ideas!
i love Love and War by the Eldredges and Love and Respect by Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs.
both are great.
I think Love and Respect is a bit more of a masculine perspective on how to change your marriage.
And Love and War is a bit more about inspiring the heart and a bit more feminine.
thanks for sharing, Meg.

Shoppin4Sophia - Thank you for the reaffirmation of everything God intended marriage to be. I have been trying to live the Fruits of the Spirit as a wife and mother – not always successfully – but I’ve been trying. And you know what…..I see a change in me, in my marriage, in the way I parent my child. God has given us the compass, the direction manual in the Bible for all parts of our lives! That is so AMAZING to me. Thank you for this blog post today.

Whitni - I am getting married in May and I am currently reading the five love languages. We’ve only been together for three years, so obviously the love hasn’t lost its sparkle yet, but any relationship could always use a revival. This book has helped me to think about what he needs from me instead of what I need from him. It’s so awesome, our relationship has definitely matured. We have a long way to go, but I’m glad you mentioned those other books because I want to work as hard as I have to to beat the statistics of 50% of all marriages ending in divorce.

Sugar Mama - You hit a good one… trusting your marriage to God. That’s all we can do is trust sometimes. I once talked to a lady at my church that had been married for years (to the same man I should add) and she told me that not every day will be sunshine and rainbows. Some days she looks at her husband and doesn’t know how they stayed married for so long, but more of the days she looks at him and knows that’s who she wants to be with for forever.
And knowing that you aren’t perfect and things don’t have to be perfect is SO important!

Nina Diane - wow Meg….that was like reading a page out of my marriage! Johnny and I have been married for 31 years and believe me, all 31 have been fantastic! And I credit that to the very same things you listed on your blog!!

rebecca - mmmm. good advice for a young married girl! my hubz and i joke about how we are just like rihanna and eminiem’s song where they describe their relationship as “a tornado meets a volcano”! 🙂 we try to lessen it to “a strong wind meets a soft bubbling of lava”
really have been meaning to read power of a praying wife for quite sometime now… thanks!

Juli - I haven’t read the 4th book. I will have to check that out. I agree with another post mentioning “Love and Respect”.
You can pratically SEE in your photos these things lived out. Like making each other laugh…I’ve seen photos where y’all do that!
I think a big key point is not to compare your marriage to others, too. I have struggled with that in our 16 yrs. I look at a friend’s husband and wonder why he comes home & play with the children for hours in the backyard. I’ve wonder with another family how they find the money to budget for a Disney trip each year when all of ours goes into savings! Also, my husband is very smart and his brain is always working. He has a very strong need to exercise that muscle so he is currently going back to school for yet another Master’s degree. On top of his FT & very demanding job, he doesn’t have a lot of time left for us. I have to let him do that. I’ve haven’t seen him happier in a long time since he started back. He comes alive when he can use that brain!
Each family looks different. We have an excellent marriage but our relationship looks very little like yours. My husband would never be jumping into the pool from the trampoline (he’d say that was dangerous) he’d never be silly (just not him) and I can’t remember the last time we had a “date”. However, he makes me laugh, he loves me, he wants nothing but the best for me & the kids and works so hard to give it to us at the expense of himself. I wouldn’t have him any other way! Not comparing has been a hard lesson. I think we all have a tendency to do that but it is not productive.

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - thanks for sharing that meg. it seems at this age i’m noticing more and more friends calling it quits with their marriages. just little tips like this can really make someone stop and think…to try a little harder. we pretty much share the exact same philosophy with our marriage.

Rachel - Oh my gosh – I could have totally written this because I loved every single point you made! 🙂
Thanks for the suggestions for marriage books – I have been looking for recommended ones!

Tammy - Great advice!
We really got a lot out of the book Love & War by John and Stacy Eldridge

Sara - I love what you said about spending time together.My hubby and I like coffee dates and “netflix” dates rock!!!!!

Deanna - Love and Rect by Eggreich (sp?). Very very helpful book! 🙂

Mindy Harris - Thanks for touching on this subject. As a mom I am very focused on providing a solid beginning for my babies, and oftentimes my marriage to Shawn falls by the wayside.
Fortunately, we still think each other is hilarious and cool. So that’s something! Ha….We are looking forward to a date this Saturday night!

Sarah S. - Thanks for sharing! My husband and I try to do these too. Respect and consideration are so important in marriage! A book that was really helpful in our marriage was Gary Chapman’s “Five Languages of Apology.” It actually really helps in any type of relationship!

se7en - Fabulous post!!! I have had a similar one lurking in the back of my mind – but I would rather leave it up to the experts!!! We love Shaunti Feldman too… though I never thought I would, she was right on in everything!!!

heather - I love that you shared this…such a great reminder for all of us. Looking forward to my anniversary getaway this weekend, minus 4 kids! Woohoo!

Elaine - The best thing we can give our kids is the model of a loving marriage, after all, home is where their story begins. I would be lying if I said that after 20 years of marriage, hubby doesn’t get on my nerves 🙂 Or that I have not failed many many times when I have not treated him with the respect he needs.. I can only do it with God’s help… which He always gives when I ask!
Another good read is His Needs, Her Needs by William F Harley Jr. A classic. His needs are sexual fulfillment, recreational companionship, an attractive spouse, domestic support and admiration. Her needs are affection, conversation, honesty, financial support, and family commitment. Are we opposites or what???!!!

Flower Patch Farmgirl - LUV this. Amen. And bring on the no-kids weekend.

Diane - you are right on with all of your advice. We have been married 27 years and everything you said is true.

Phoenix_Rising - With a full heart, I have to say I LOVE YOU BOTH. No, I don’t know you IRL. Doesn’t matter. I love you guys. I love your honesty. You are refreshing, so truthful and wonderful and magnificent.

Lisa - Sounds like you have this marriage thing pretty figured out, it’s nice to hear. I am divorced, but I can still appreciate a good marriage, it gives me a little faith that there are happy couples out there……

RLG - Respect is a BIG one for us. And laughter. Great post, Meg.
LOVE your Blue Lily picture. We had our pic session on Monday. Wendy and Tyler are AWESOME. I was laughing so hard, I think I’ll probably look like a donkey in EVERY picture. xoxo

Gemma - Hi Meg!
Great advice. I’m still young & not married but these tips are always good to keep in mind…especially alone time!!
Gemma x

Laura Phelps - 🙂
thanks

Lindsay - Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. My husband and I can be fighting and I can be soooo mad and once I pick up this book and even read one page, I feel like all I want to do is love him. He does a good job of incorporating scripture in and really focusing his book on that. It’s VERY good.

Katie - Thanks for being real. We have enjoyed some of the books mentioned and also When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey (talks about mercy and grace). Also we have what we call “in dates”. We usually get take out and eat together when our little children are in bed…a good time to talk and connect!

Jill - Great post! And I totally agree about the Five Love Languages being an awesome book to read. My husband and I read it and so many things became so obvious to us about how we needed to be treating each other, it completely changed our marriage and really helps us meet each others needs so much more effectively now. Thanks!!

Sara @ It's Good to be Queen - i love this, we do all these too.

Suzann - Wonderful advice.
I struggle here, so I appreciate this post.

Holly - Sometimes I look at my husband and I love him so fiercely it hurts. Marriage is not always easy, we are so different. I try to learn his ways, appreciate his ways and he does the same for me. I love his familiar face, his familiar hand in mine.

becky @ oursweetpeas - Love and Respect was another powerful book for our marriage. I am blanking on the author.
I find it scary that even one of my 3 yr olds will say “but Dad said yes”. You gotta love that sin nature. 🙂 Yikes!

cecilia - Thanks for the tips, and the reminders. I think sometimes we get so caught up in “being parents ” that we lose sight of the fact that we are still a couple… We also dont have many options for sitters except to pay for one and that can be costly nowadays. Thanks again, this is something I will try to keep in mind!

Tracy - Aww…. I love these. Our kids are both almost 17 years old now so my husband and I are actually getting to start spending a lot more of our time together – which has been so nice for a change. We have always taken time for “us” such as every other year we would take a “us” vacation and the following year it would be a “family” vacation. It was really hard on us when the kids were young like yours because after the 2nd day we would both be missing them and wanting to get back home to them something terribly. Now, we really enjoy our “quiet” time. Thanks for the book suggestions, I am going to look into those! :o)xoxoxo

Kat - Thanks for the timely reminder that my husband and I need to make more time to be together as a couple.
It is really tricky with 4 young children and not much of a support network for childminding.
I think we have spent the last two years just surviving sleep deprivation and juggling 4 kids.
Lucky we can love and laugh together lots too, even if we have only been on one date this year.
You sound like you have a great marriage.

Nikki - Excellent tips. I agree, you need to spend time together… alone. My husbands work schedule is flexible, we go out for morning tea or lunch most days.
Find a hobby to share…we recently got a double kyak and have alot of fun paddling up our local canals.
Great marriages take work!

pam - We have always encouraged young couples with kids to put God first but then be the best “couple” you can be and you will then be the best parents for your kids. Some things are so simple…but do take that commitment to follow through.

Yolanda - I love this post, thanks for sharing. “Sacred Marriage” by Gary Thomas is another great resource.

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - Thanks for the tips on keeping a strong marriage. It’s so important especially in today’s society to make marriage a priority and WORK at it. You do have to make a conscience decision to keep your marriage together. Thanks Meg for keeping it real.

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things to do when your kids aren’t home….

September 6, 2010 Filed in just the two of us

besides the obvious….
Anncolage

leave the computer logged in 24/7.

wear a halter top.

leave a bowl of m&ms out on the counter for three days and still have m&ms in it.

stay up late watching "Outlaw Josey Wales"

leave my make-up bag UNlocked for three days straight 

wear heels for a date!

martinis and steak.

see a 2.5 hour movie and not have to drive a baby sitter home when you get home after midnight.

eat ice cream at 12:30 at night.

watch an entire U2 concert dvd in the morning…..REEEEAAAALLLY LOUD.

yard work that would take hours with kids….takes 1 hour total.

sonic happy hour…for only two.

eat salads as the main course of a meal. 

stay in pajamas until 1:30 in the afternoon. 

watch the simpsons. 

sleep in until 10 am.

watch a PG13 movie on the living room tv in the middle of the day. 

hang curtain rods in the dining room.

hit balls at the driving range on a sunday afternoon.

grocery shop together.

RELAX.

 

can you tell we had a great weekend?
we are refreshed and ready for the kids to come home.
yay!
thanks to the grandparents for watching all our of tribe.

when was your last weekend "getaway" with no children?

add a comment

katherinemarie - Serious slice of HEAVEN!!! What a weekend. I need one of those!!!!

Sarah D - My hubby and I celebrated out 9 year anniversary by going to Six Flags, NJ! It was amazing. It was the place where I got him on his first roller coaster over 13 years earlier when we were dating! We had my in-laws watch our 3 kids for a few days. Then we went to NY to see the Statue of Liberty. It was so amazing to finally see her up close. Had THE best pulled pork sandwich too 🙂
It was just a relaxing time alone w/ my husband. Much needed! So many couples don’t take that time together and it is very important to keep that spark going. Glad you had a perfect time alone!!!

Karen - Are you kidding?! We just got ‘rid’ of the kids and now it’s grandkids! But it takes my mind off the fact that hubby is a work-a-holic and I can’t remember (literally) the last time we had a date, much less had one that he was ‘mentally present and engaged’. Sigh.
But Yay for you! You keep it up, and then I can live vicariously through you!

jaz - Oh. My. Gosh. I am so happy for you! Woohooooo!!! What a great weekend, kid free!!!

Tami - We get a night by ourselves every once in a while. But our favorite time together is one long weekend in the fall and one long weekend in the spring. We go to Tybee Island and just lounge on the beach. We are headed that way in weeks!! Woo Hoo!!!

cindy mandernach - you can leave them with other people????!!!????
i think i’ll try that sometime…. 😀

Melissa Morrill - I don’t know how you do it, and I only have one!! What a treat to have to whole weekend!!!

Haydee - Weekend one??? Never, but this past weekend I went to the theater solo, by choice & it was pure bliss.

Julie - wow, that is AWESOME!!

Jen - love it! it’s wonderful how much you can get done and still relax when you have a little time to yourselves!
since I don’t like to leave the kids under 2 overnight, we took a little one night getaway a couple months ago, before baby #3 was born. the kids went to the grandparents while we enjoyed a romantic night at a nearby lodge & spa!

Carrie K - i dont know why but that little lock next to your makeup bag cracked me up…lol
congrats on such a fabulous weekend…you look really really happy 🙂

Britanie - The last week of July 2010! Each year my Mom invites all the grandchildren to her home for Grandma’s Week, this year’s theme was “Grandma’s Gone Wild” and was based around jungle animals and safari. We had the best week: organizing, eating out, girls nights, crafting, late night movies, good food and eating it when we wanted. There’s nothing like some time without children to recharge and really appreciate them when they come home!

Melissa Lynch - Love it! Which one gets in your makeup?

Bec - Ok, the lock on the make up bag is cracking me up! Super smart idea.

Gemma - Your weekend sounds great!! Love it 🙂
Gemam x

kristine - sounds uh-mazing!!!!!!!!!

krystall - My oldest is almost 9 and I’m still waiting for my vacation from my life…..pretty sad really!

Michele - Looks so fun! Last weekend my kids and my husband were gone for one night so I was a bad girl and made chocolate chip cookie dough and ate it while I watched Julie and Julia!?!? Don’t tell my bootcamp instructor!! Our anniversary is coming up in a week and we’re going for a small getaway…you reminded me we didn’t golf once this summer, maybe we’ll squeeze that in too.

deb meyers - just had to laugh at this. I watched (and took into my heart as a new fave) “(500)Days of Summer” while kids were away this summer. Wouldn’t even want to explain why I can watch it and they can’t.
great times for you!\
deb meyers

edie - the lock on the makeup—genius! i see you’re a mac girl, which makes the lock even more important. and the shoes–to die for.
what a wonderful, beautiful gift. y’all are so cute together!
lots of love,
edie

se7en - Wow!!! You guys were so busy – you just about did everything except eat the M&M’s… you must have been looking forward to it for ages!!! And will remember it for even longer!!!

Kirsten J - Just so jealous.

jimaiemarie - omg, i love that you have to lock your make-up! LOL! My mom isn’t a girlie girl at all and doesn’t wear makeup so this idea would never occur to me- you are genius! haha! I love it.
Congrats on your alone time, I bet it was just heavenly 🙂

Rosemarie Carroll - Before the baby was born, we tried to get away alone at least every other month. We have grandparents FIGHTING over who gets the girls – we are lucky. Now that we have a 10 week old, he stays with us while the girls go – but that’s OK!
Glad you guys got some time alone – it’s so important!

Kim from 3 peanuts - Ummm let me think…NEVER! You cannot even know how lucky you are. We don’t have grandparents to do this for us and we SO need it!
Glad you had a great time.

jody - This is soo depressing!! We’ve had ONE date in five years – we have four boys under 5…and we know we need to take the time to do this but we have no family close by & know no one who has 4 kids to swap nights out with!! (don’t feel right swapping with other parents that have 1 or 2 kids!!) And finding a sitter? No luck again. Anyways, our 10th anniversary is this week & he is still my love.
What will we do on our anniversary? Hmm…get Chinese or Mexican take out?? Maybe watch TWO episodes of Mad Men?? Ha! so pathetic maybe but at least I have him next to me!!!
Thanks for the blog & fun photos to inspire us ALL to enjoy the beauty in life – no matter how small or trivial the beauty may appear to be.

tasha roe - very cool! now….just need to find a place to stick my kids for the weekend. lol

Tanya @ Life in 3D - Kay..the lock on the makeup is hilarious and genius!! I liked Inception a lot and I’m diggin’ the heels and the M&M’s.
Last time we had time to ourselves…earlier this summer. We got the heck outta the homestead and booked it to the big city and went to a giant concert and stayed in a hotel and then did sight~seeing. I find my husbands jokes a lot funnier when I’m not humoring toddlers all day…why is that? 😉
Your time sounds like it was wonderful!! 🙂

theheavensdeclare@yahoo.com - Love it, Meg! That’s wonderful that you were able to spend some great down time together 🙂
We have some friends about 10 years older than we are that really stress the importance of “creative” time alone – sometimes they’d swap babysitting weekends with another couple or plan a grandparent visit to coincide with two nights out for them. They’ve never had family close by, and they’ve had to really plan & think outside the box, but they’ve done it regularly (2x a year) for a while now. They have 8 kids – they *have* to work at getting special time alone 🙂
We’re inspired by their example, but with family close it’s easier for us. We were out for a long weekend sans kiddos in February, but we’re planning for another 3day/2nighter later this fall.
~Jacci in Ohio

Amy Lynne - Sounds like a great time to me. I am glad you both had a good rest!

jennibell - This sounds like the *perfect* anniversary weekend! And what makes it so perfect is that is was so normal. . .at home. . .mixture of laziness and productivity. Love your pictures and that your hubby remembered the roses 🙂 Every marriage needs one of these every once-in-awhile for sure. Last time we were home alone. . .??? Can’t remember. Honestly. I know two years ago for a combined b’day/V’day gift his parents came to our house for the weekend so we could get away to Nashville. . .that was nice. But I have to say home alone would be better!

Sandy - Sounds like a wonderful time! A lock on the makeup bag…we learn something new about you everyday. I’m curious if that is to keep Lauren or the little ones out? When my older brothers were teenagers my parents had a lock on the refrigerator. Seemed silly and embarrassing at the time, but now that my son is 16 I understand. 🙂

Jessi - Still haven’t had one.
And I think it’s hysterical that you lock up your makeup bag.

Flower Patch Farmgirl - Oh, how I pine…

josephine - I am so jealous right now…

Rachel - Too funny! My husband and I tried to go on a “date” last night, to a movie, but our daughter decided she wanted to tag along. She’s 18 – you’d think she wouldn’t want to hang out with the old folks!
p.s. LOVE your shoes!

Shawna - LOVE it…the first line killed me {besides the obvious} – you’re great!
Loved that you took time just for yourselves..and that you have to lock your make up bag and just about everything else! Glad you rocked each other this weekend!

Niki - Sometimes it makes me laugh seeing how much we have in common. Outlaw Josey Whales? Are you kidding me? “I reckon, not.”

Irene - Look at all your pretty MAC makeup! I see why you lock it up! I think we both have an addiction in common…

Melanie - Sounds like a GREAT weekend. I am in the process of moving and I have had no internet for two weeks. Just got a MIFI card and I am back in business. Can’t wait to get caught up with all my blog friends.

terri - i love those ruffly heels! very sexy!

Jen - Can I ask WHY you lock your make up bag??? I guess I am clueless. My kids never got into stuff like make up, etc!
Looks like you had a great weekend–and you deserved it! Why no pic of the halter top though?? 🙂

Jessie - I LOVE those black heels! Where did you get them??? And I laughed when I saw you locked your make-up! I had only thought about locking the cabinet, not my actual bag, genius!!

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Oh it sounds perfect… I think date nights should be a manadatory thing for married couples. I really miss the grandparents close. We used to get whole weekends too. Pure bliss:)

Lori - Glad you had a great time! We used to have weekends alone more when the kids were little, because they LOVED going to the grandparents’ houses. Now that they are teenagers, they still love their grandparents, but they do NOT want to spend the weekend at their house anymore. Not cool, I guess. But we also are only 3 years from being empty nesters, so we try to enjoy the time with our son still at home, with an occaisional date night.

Gwyn Rosser - How wonderful ! I’m giggling at your locked makeup case….how clever is that? Love it.
Gwynie Pie
@The Pink Tractor
http://www.gwynrosser.blogspot.cm

Nikki - Wow, you had a wonderful kiddie free weekend! Our last weekend getaway was about 4 years ago… I think we need another one!
Do you really lock away your makeup? My girls are 7 and 6… so it’s not an issue yet.

Elizabeth@BlueClearSky - Sounds like you had a lovely, and refreshing, weekend!

Lisa - That sounds PERFECT! Glad you enjoyed the weekend. And I’m wondering why I have never thought of a lock on my makeup bag. Last getaway without children…June to Chicago for our 10th anniversary. Pure bliss.

Kimberlee J. - Last weekend I was home alone for 24 hours. No husband. No kids. Too short. Much too short.
I’m so happy your anniversary weekend was a spectacular one.

rhonda - DEFINITELY getting a lock for my makeup bag! YES. I have 2 boys and I have issues with the makeup.

Stacia - This sounds amazing. Like everyone else, I love that you lock your makeup bag. We haven’t had more than a night out since the kids were born…

Beth - Getaway with no children? Wow, you all are SO lucky!!! Sounds like you all have fun. Sorry I can’t say I’ve had one, but it sure begs to be looked into 🙂

tam - wow! sounds like a wonderful weekend! Your shoes are wicked cute. I find it amusing you lock your makeup bag 🙂 Um, the last time we had more than one night alone was almost 5 years ago. Now when we do have a baby sitter, it’s because we have a wedding or something. I would LOVE an entire weekend HOME, without concrete plans.

carla - U look about 25 in that photo u know. Anniversary weekends obviously you :-). Ours are too little to leave yet so it’s been a while since we had time alone but it’ll be fun when it does happen 🙂 I’m afraid the m&ms wouldn’t last two seconds here ‘no’ matter where the kids were lol

Hannah - cutttee shoes! you should do a whats in your make up bag post!

Dawn - I really love reading your blog each day. Your pictures are amazing and it sounds like you too had a lot of fun.

Lorie - I love it! Although I am not sure that there would be any M&Ms left….and then I wouldn’t be able to blame the kids for eating them!!

melissa - well, hubs has been in the desert for 6 months. before that, we had an evening at the army ball. ummm…can’t recall a time in the recent that we’ve had just the two of us. maybe next year when he gets home??

going to be bankrupt - Let me know if the grandparents are available for my children next weekend…because i hired a sitter for the entire day/evening.
That will cost a good $150…and won’t include my meal.
Not funny.

Catriona - We had a hectic night away from our 2 last year so we could go to a wedding but it wasn’t a relaxing break. Now we have 3 (5, 3 and 3 months) and are building up to a proper weekend away for our 10th wedding anniversary next July. Already looking forward to it! What a blessing to have willing grandparents who understand what a great gift they are giving you by looking after the kids.

jeana - Oh how fun! So simple and relaxing. We went to Boston for four days in June. FIRST time ever leaving the boys that long. My sweet parents kept our 3 boys and had a blast. I’m so glad you are renewed, have a great week!

Jessica Kujawa - sounds like heaven! so happy you enjoyed yourselves!

kathy Eller - I think I honeslty thoguht that i was the only one whose maeup gets moved around. I have four boys and one girl 🙂
Sounds so wonderful and like you really made the most of your time.
BUT I bet you sure missed them:)
This is something that I ahve been praying about. We shoudl be celebrating our 15th anniversary next week. I say should be becasue we havent celebrated any tohers they just come and go as we pass liek ships in the ngiht discussing financial, health and children dilemmas. I keep wondering if time together just isnt goign to happen for us in this season or if I need to MAKE it happen. Still praying:)

Nicole Q. - So glad you had a good weekend.
I never thought of an actual LOCk on my makeup – that needs to be on my to do list.
Our last getaway weekend was in July. I’m in need of another one and I love the idea of it being at home!!
Love your highlights in the pic of you and Craig!!

Dana D@BoysMyJoys - Sounds like a fabulous anniversary weekend!
My father-in-law has let the boys spend most Friday nights with him for about 6 months now.
That can only be described as sheer bliss!
We can go out for ‘hot dates’ to the local hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint and have dinner and margartias for less than $20!
Cheap, hot dates!
woohoo!

bobbie - I took me a minute to get the obvious. I’m such a dork. It’s hilarious that your makeup bag is locked. I’m going to be there too one day since I have three girls.

merlin - Happy for you, sounds wonderful.
Now, the self-pity, not really, just reality.
Our oldest is soon to be 17, we’ve never had any time alone since we became parents…zero support for a day or night together without children.
We will do it differently when our kids are married with their own kids, we know how important it is for a marriage to be nurtured and the cost of not nurturing the relationship. Everyone in a family is better off when the parents have looked after themselves.
Even without my kids at home the bowl of M&M’s would be empty….just a confession 🙂

Stephanie - That sounds heavenly! I’m jealous! lol It’s been a LONG time since we’ve had a day and night to ourselves. It’s much needed! 🙂 I’m glad you guys had such a great time!

jill - I was lucky to have 5 glorious days to myself, in my own home just last month….what a luxury!
xo~Jill

sara's art house - super, super, super fun! Good for you!!!! I had to laugh that you have to LOCK your make up case! 🙂 🙂

Lisa Cash - I see I’m not alone in wishing I had thought of a lock for my makeup bag! LOL! What I really needed was a lock for my closet. My daughter has left for college, and just yesterday I found ONE of my lonely shoes in her bathroom. I didn’t even know it was missing. No telling where the other one will turn up!

Debbie S. - My husband and I left our four kids with my parents last September and flew to Lake Placid New York for a destination wedding. That was the very first time (in 13 years!) that our kids have ever stayed the night away from us. It was pure bliss 🙂

Ali - My in-laws had the kids a couple of weeks back. We painted two rooms and made as much noise in the evenings as we wanted. Ate lots of kid-unfriendly food with loads of chillies and didn’t do any laundry at all for 3 whole days!! The most striking thing was the spontaneity of life – kids just seem to come with planning requirements. Though it was good to get them home too.

Nina - a lock for your makeup bag! man…wish I had thought of that when my girls were younger. Well, before you know it they will be all grown up. Our’s our grown now and what you describe is our time, all of the time…..it will be here before you know it so enjoy!

Julie - Never and we need one!!! Glad to see you guys do get those (aren’t grandparents wonderful!) and that you had so much fun together!! It’s why you’re still married and loving it! Good for you!!!!!

Tanya H - First week of August actually! It involved work, but we were away from home, kid-free! We went to a play at 8pm and dinner twice and lunch twice and it was lovely! It was our early anniversary celebration and perfect. 🙂
I like your weekend too! I prefer alone-time at home for that whole food, daytime movie thing too. giggle

Holly - so glad yall had a good weekend! I love that you wear a halter top when the kids are gone. Sounds like something I would do because we all know halter tops are NOT appropriate with kids around,lol!

Amber - Wow, I can’t remember the last time I got more than a few hours away from my child. I’m a single mom and babysitting is expensive so it’s usually only a couple of hours of separation.
Wait, does school count? In that case, the last three weeks I’ve had like six whole hours to myself LOL
Next time you are childless would you like to come over to my house? I like all those ideas you shared and would love if I had someone to do them with LOL

Beth - huh? Weekend getaway without the kids? What is that anyway? I thought a 1 1/2 hour picnic away from the kids was doing good. Can’t imagine a whole weekend . . .
Looks like you enjoyed it!

Emily - we have never had one. in 5 years. we have never even done anything special for our anniversary…in 5 years. not even gone out to dinner. So this year we are going to Chicago for the weekend, staying at a fancy hotel, and having dinner on a boat to watch the New Years fire works. it’s going to be glorious

Emmylou Hart - A lock for your makeup bag! Why didn’t I think of that. I would love to not find my son had poured water in my mineral powder or my daughter had put mascara all over her face. Looks like you had fun! But I bet you missed them a little

Krista - Love those shoes, perfect for a date night! You really accomplished a lot, amazing what you can do when you don’t have to listen to “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom” nonstop! Looks like you had a great weekend!

virginia - cute shoes! inception was such a good movie.

Melissa @ the inspired room - You did all of that in one weekend? Wow, amazing what two can do when they are on their own for a couple of days! Bliss!!!!

Mary Ann - Hmmm … both of us, without our son? Before he was born (3 years ago). Wow … that’s too long! Something needs to be done about that! Fun post! Thanks for the ideas!

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