Tyson + Sharon sittin' in a tree...

...k-i-s-s-i-n-g! *blush* I am not normally a PDA (public display of affection) kinda person, but Tyson and I just had our pictures taken last week by our friend Kim, at A Greenfield Photography, for our soon to be 13 year anniversary in December. I was barely 19 yrs. old (try 5 days into it) when we were married. It is hard to believe that we have been together that long, but at the same time it feels rather short.

Want me to explain?

Ok, here goes. It feels long because the memories of our dating, engagement, and wedding days are still so fresh in my mind and I really still mentally feel I am young.

To self in mirror: I am young! Repeat after me, "I AM YOUNG!" or, wait, "YOU ARE YOUNG!", or ... better yet, just say my name then "is young." :) I feel better already. Moving on...

Then it feels so short because all at the same time I feel that we have known each other forever because we know each other so well. We can even finish each others sentences, tell how the other will handle a situation and many other interesting things that two people can do when they are in tune with one another.

We could stop the story there. It sounds perfect, blissful, peaceful and like it is our "Happily Ever After", but...

It hasn't always been an easy road. It hasn't always been fun and games. Some days I loved him sooo much that I wanted to hug him tightly. Other days I just wanted to squeeze his scrawny little neck. ;)

There were several times that I wanted to call it quits (and to tell you the truth, almost did), but when I calmed down and prayed about the problems that we were facing, I was able to think more clearly. I was also able to understand that relationships aren't easy and if I thought he was hard to live with at times then I am sure he had a hard time with me too. We spent many a day and late night talking through personal struggles, frustrations with one another and having to take what the other one said and mull it over in our minds - even if it made us mad. In order for the marriage thing to work out we each had to be honest with ourselves and with each other. When we were honest with ourselves we could see why the other person struggled with something we had done or said. It helped us to see the "beam" or "mote" in our own eye (so to speak) before pointing out our partner's weakness.  We also had to be honest with the other so that whatever needs we had that we felt weren't being met could be met. Otherwise the problems would fester and become so huge that they couldn't be resolved because we were too angry and hurt to try.

So there you have it. We aren't perfect. We don't have a perfect marriage, but we do have love and respect. Love and respect are what help us to jump life's hurdles. They help us to stay humble enough to work through things and never use the "D" word (divorce). Why? Because we have what is worth fighting for, like Samwise Gamgee and Frodo towards the end of The Two Towers.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.

We do have something good, like most married couples do, but the key is fighting for it.

13 Years Ago on Labor Day

If you really want to know the history behind labor day click here. It surprised me cause I had no idea what it was really all about and how it started. It is kind of sad not only because of the circumstances that led up to the holiday and the fact that our own military was involved, but because many of us aren't taught about it to remember the lives that were lost during the "Pullman Strike".




Now onto happier "Labor Day" thoughts...

This is in the wee hours of the morning. So excuse the way we look. :)

13 Years ago on Labor Day.

Well actually the 1st of Sept, but that was Labor Day then, but this was on Labor Day.

My brother, sister and I were at a friends house all day enjoying some awesomely b-b-qued meats and side dishes. After dark we returned home and I slipped into my jammies ready for bed when my brother comes in telling me that I needed to get dressed in something nice cause we were going out. "But its late!" I protested (it really was only 9:00, but I was gran-ified when I started my job), but my big brother is  6' burly big and could snap me in two with his thumb and forefinger...I was scared  very persuasive.

After getting all dolled up he blind folded me. "Hey, this wasn't part of the deal and you're gonna smear my mascara! Are you listening? What are you up to?" As I sat blindfolded waiting for my brother to escort me to the car I thought that maybe Tyson was up to something, but only maybe (we had only been dating for 2 months) and called my brother in for help, but he was supposed to be too busy to see me that day. It was going to be the first day of our dating life we hadn't seen each other. *whimper* Later he told me that it was a last minute decision after his own Labor Day celebrations with his family.

Then after what seemed FOREVER, my brother walked me down the apartment stairs, told me I wasn't to speak AT ALL and placed me in the car. The door to the driver's seat opened, he got in and then we were off. Do you think I obeyed? Ha!

After taking off I thought "This is soooo not the way Doug drives! He is a bit smoother on the road and with turns." Then we hit a few bumps and took some sharp turns a little too fast, "This really ISN'T my brother! It has to be Tyson!" He still drives like that too. :)


After a few more twists and turns, which I found out later was his way of throwing me off  the trail to where we were going (as if blind folding me wasn't enough in my new somewhat unfamiliar town), we finally stopped. Then my blind fold was taken off to see a beautiful bouquet of pink roses (love 'em) and Tyson right behind them. He escorted me to an island on Lady Anne Lake and we sat under a weeping willow as the stars twinkled above.

Then he sat next to me slightly leaning forward to look me in the eye and asked me to marry him. I sat and thought. And thought some more.

I had always grown up dreaming of that white dress and the whole proposal thing thinking I would say something groundbreaking, earth shattering, but instead said, "Yea, I guess I will."  NICE! I know it was lame. *hand slap to the forehead* Definitely wouldn't make the cut in a movie script, but he still took me! And here we are 13 years and 5 kids later.

Well on Labor Day, we decided to drive the kids to "Lady Anne Lake" to see this little Island with a bench under the dreamy willow tree, but was sad to find out that it isn't so dreamy anymore cause the willow tree is gone.

I am thinking that someone really needs to plant a new one in our honor. Hmmmm...

Date Night

Photo...and peek into my love life, courtesy: Chad...eldest child and peeping Tom! ha ha!

My hubby and I went on a HOT date last Thursday. It was a much needed date night seeing as my hubby is a slave to his job has been working major overtime for the past four weeks. He clocked in 140 hrs. in a two week period. He would either go to work from 8 am to midnight or 8 am to about 6 pm then go back in around 8 pm returning around 2 or 3 the next morning. I am happy to say that he is back to "normal" work hours at least for awhile and that I enjoyed my late nights with "Merlin". I am ready and now waiting for Season 3. Can you tell that I really need to get a life love this series? Once again hats off to single parents! I don't know how you do what you do and not go insane in the process.

For our date we enjoyed sushi and a movie. Well we enjoyed SOME of the sushi. We decided to be "adventurous" or plain crazy, I'll let you be the judge of that one, and tried some raw squid on rice. It was iiiiinteresting...ok if the truth be told and putting all diplomacy aside, it was GROSS! DISGUSTING! Just plain NASTY! Let's just say that it was HARD to swallow and Tyson got a good kick out of the face I made with every bite that seemed to take an eternity! No joke! I thought we were never gonna be leaving that restaurant because I wasn't going to finish the meat that *boinged*. Not sure if that is a term I can use to describe it, or if that is a description that is appetizing or even really a word, but that is the only word (made up or not) I think that can do the yuckiness of it all justice. I can't leave any word that can describe my disdain for this particular sushi that I had, unturned, or better yet unused. So, no I do NOT recommend it.

On to the more fun and less adventurous part of our awesome date night...we enjoyed watching "Inception" with Leonardo DiCaprio. I have to say that I am not normally a huge fan of his, but was really impressed with his and his fellow actors/actresses skills. They really did a great job. This movie kept me thinking the rest of the evening and you know its a good story when you wake up the next morning still thinking about it. :) So, if you haven't already seen it, then you are missing out and really should go see it! I give it two thumbs up and totally recommend it (if you couldn't already tell)!

My "Free" Time

All the backpacks are packed and ready to go. All the kids are in bed with their clothing laid out and all are eager and ready for morning to come.

As for me? Well I am ready to PAAAARTAAAY! So what am I going to do with all my "FREE" time?

Yep a REAL party here people! *dripping with SARCASM*

So FUN! *sigh*

Ooooops! How did THAT get in there!?!?! :)

I am not usually a fan of television shows, period, but I have to say that so far I LOVE "The Adventures of Merlin"! It is an entertaining, updated version of the Arthurian Tales, with good acting. I also love the characters.

Now if only I could somehow manage to learn the magical abilities that Merlin has to get all my chores and projects done. ;-)

Ahhhh , to be young again

Tonight I had a party at my house. A party with several 16 year olds. I am their teacher at church and I have to say that I LOVE them. They are great kids in so many ways. All of them.

After my kids spent the first ten mintues or so showing off to the "cool teens",  we moved into the living room where we talked and laughed. We joked, laughed and watched a movie. Then we told stories, laughed and played a game. Then to top it all off we ate ice cream and laughed some more.

I wish that I would have taken pictures, but I was having too much fun to even think about it. We watched the "Samuel the Lamanite" Liken the Scriptures DVD...so good! They even liked them too. Then we played a review game of all the things that we have learned so far in our Sunday School class from the Old Testament. I had played this game once before with my kids in a Family Home Evening to review the subject that we had been learning that month. It was a success and my kids amazed us with their ability to remember everything that we had taught them because the subject matter was pretty heavy for their ages. More on that another time.

I took index cards and wrote bowl, spoon and topping on them. Though I omitted the topping one from tonight's game so that it went a little faster. Instead they automatically got a topping.

Then made enough index cards labeled "Bowl" and "spoon" for each person playing so that each had a chance to earn those things by answering the question correctly. All of them had to answer one together to earn their ice cream. They got a couple of lifelines (a friend and a scriptures one) and were timed when using those (gave them 2 min.). In the end only one went without a spoon, but after him being such a good sport, I let him have one. :)  We even played a game called "Signs". This one takes longer to explain so if you want to know the rules let me know and I will do a post on it.

We somehow got on the subject of year books and they wanted to see mine because I told them that I have one with some very embarressing and incriminating stuff in it. Such as "I love Danny" or I wrote to myself as if he had written me and plagiarized his name. Now THAT is embarrassing! :) I was in the fifth grade. So no judging people! ;)

Me in 5th grade. I am top left.

Hmmmm, can you guess which one is Danny? lol I first met him in second grade. We were boyfriend/ girlfriend for awhile or rather on and off through those years (so much male/female drama at such a young age), but somewhere along the line in fifth grade he met another girl named, Brandy. It was so sad. 

Oh, and the kid circled on his left was my boyfirend, Shane, in 6th grade. Ha ha! I think I had more boyfriends in Elementary and Middle School than in High School. Now that is sad! :)

  I have a yearbook for every year since that grade. It was neat to take a walk down memory lane and see myself as a kid and my friends at the time. They had fun looking at that one and my senior one. I don't usually have an excuse to go back down memory lane like that, but it was fun and I am sure now I will have to do a little more of that with my kids getting older.

Here is me my Senior Year. Top row, second from right.

We all agreed that we should definitely do another party because it was a hit! It is weird to think that I am almost double their age...I am OLD!!! Ahhhh, to be young again! :)