Day 4...The husband

I am so blessed to be married to a man who is absolutely amazing.

Some of his FINEST attributes are:

hardworking
handsome
amazing daddy
kind
loyal
helpful

There are other lists too like Finer attributes and Fine attributes. Now there is another list of things that get on my cotton pickin' nerves. However, this month we are being thankful ;)

Josh has been around, out and in my life for 12.5 years now. That just seems crazy to me. For 9 of them we have been together as a couple. 7 of them married. 6 of them parents together. One day it feels like we have been together forever and others it seems so new.

He amazes me at his ability to keep me grounded. His work ethic is like very few I have ever seen before. He loves me for me. Large, small, tall, short, angry, sad, happy or crazy.

The following are a few pictures I snapped the other night (with my point and shoot so I apologize for the poor quality but I was really wanting to catch the moment!) while he wrestled and goofed off on the couch.





That list of cotton pickin' things that drives me crazy. At probably the top of that list is how he always has his eyes closed in my pictures!

I love this man so much and I am so grateful and will be forever thankful that he is my husband and the daddy of our babies!

Momma to 3
*Shay B*

7 years!!!

Dear Josh,

I don't know where in the world 7 years has gone. While at the same time has it been 7 years ALREADY?

We have been through so much together. Three kids, job loss, job change, home, not home, moves, bills, chaos, life changing events and yet somehow I still get that heart thumping beat when you walk in the door. I still get excited about date night (probably because it happens A LOT LESS often now). I still want to spend time with you. That has to mean something right? I sure hope so.

I love you. Even the sarcastic smart alec drive me crazy with the one-liners self. I love how amazing you are with our children. I love that you are trying to be a major part of Nolan's therapy. I love that you play shoot 'em up guns with Hudson. I love that you have no idea how to be a girl but somehow Leanna's face lights up whenever you do whatever it is that you do! I love that you will help anyone.

I know it hasn't been easy. I know that the path we have been traveling seems long and crazy and full of bumps, potholes, spike metal tire popping things (whatever they are called) but I know that there isn't another man on this planet I would want to be traveling along it with.

I love you. Whether the next 7 are as crazy as the first or not I am really thankful that they are going to be with you.

Love always and forever,

Shay

the KIDS in my life brought to you by the MAN in my life...

I know I blog about my kids A! LOT! However those three beautiful babes didn't happen magically. There was another partner involved this guy...



He may leave me over this picture being posted by the way :) He HATES having his picture taken and was being sarcastic to me so he totally deserves this.

He is pretty good guy. I love watching him with the babies. He is so funny with Leanna her know it all attitude completely comes from him right down to the smirk of AWFULNESS! Hudson gets his hands on behavior and want to "fix" things from him. So far Nolan just has his Dad's rugged good looks.

I love watching this man with our children. He is so good with them.

Some examples...






I am so thankful for a man who loves his children the way my man does. He works hard and comes home and tries to work hard again! So glad God gave me him. Such a great worker and daddy and husband.

Have an awesome Friday everyone!
Momma to 3
*Shay B*

Just some updates...

So it has been a minute and I thought I would run through some updates of things going on in our lives....

Clear out the clutter.... Still working on it :) Pictures will happen. I need to find ten (cotton pickin') minutes that I don't have kids diggin' things out of the trash pile saying, "but momma I love this scribbled on piece of paper that I haven't touched in one whole year" and hiding it back away!!!

Leanna needs to see an optometrist to register for Kindergarten apparently that is a new state law. Who knew? Well not me obviously so I am working on that and a few other things to get her registered.

Hudson, well one day he makes me sad and the next he makes my heart smile. I love him! He also has recently learned how to spell his name. He can tell you it and will several times over know if I could only get him to try to write it :)

Nolan is having surgery on Friday to have tubes put into his ears. To help alleviate some negative pressure in his ears. Not to mention to drain the fluid that is ever present and is further hampering his already hampered hearing abilities :) He is honestly one of the happiest kids I have ever met. He smiles and laughs and is just a joy to be around.

Josh had a birthday on the 18th. His 27th to be exact. We had a nice time. He got a new BBQ grill and a couple of new movies. Some yummy poke cake and a good old fashioned game of freeze tag while Nolan was napping in the play pen. He is also testing for a promotion tomorrow or today depending on when I finish writing this post. So hopefully (and praying) that it goes well.

I am sleepy :) Okay... when am I not sleepy? I am trying to keep things together and not lose my sanity. However I don't know any other moms that aren't trying to do the same things :) It is going. We are looking at trying to get that house (mentioned in post below), get things organized, clear things out, get a camping trip in here somewhere and enjoy the gorgeous weather.
We have been outside A LOT! Bike rides, walks and trips to the park. Anything to be moving and exerting our energies outside. The sad part is that the inside of my house... well... with the next 4 days consisting of pretty much rain, I will hopefully get things done! Hahaha or string up the small people who will be bouncing off the walls. Shockingly I actually have some projects to hopefully keep them busy the next couple of days while I work. We will see how that goes.

So basically we are well.... living life. It is crazy, it is chaotic and yet some where in there with the grace of God, love for each other and love for Jesus we manage to hang in there, love one another through the faults and find contentment in the chaos (or at least try to) and the majesty in the mundane.

May God continue to help me see the beauty in the beast, the creation in the crazy, the love in the small things, the good in the bad and may He continue to forgive this momma who just doesn't seem to always be able to pull it all off. Thank you for your son and the grace you give me even when I don't deserve it!

Momma to 3
*Shay B*

Mushy Gushy ??? Maybe...(Pictures!)

I love Valentine's Day. I am not a gushy person by any means...I am a funny girl I love to laugh. But something about Valentine's brings the "gushy mushy" out in me. It gives me a chance to be all gross and sweet. Hey I am sorry but I believe sarcasm is one of my love languages/spiritual gifts (really I do).

So some gushy stuff that is kind of uncommon for me.

Dear Husband,

Keeping the gush to a minimum... 13 reasons why I love you "like a fat kid loves cake".

1. You are one of the most sarcastic people I know. I appreciate that.
2. You are an AMAZING Daddy. Our children love you. You let them climb on you so I imagine you like them too *Grin*
3. You work SOOOO hard. I love that I never have to feel like you aren't doing your best because I know you are.
4. You eat anything I cook and never complain about it being "weird" or not up your alley or whatever.
5. You hug me. Not loose arm crappy ones. The full on bear hug of awesomeness.
6. *Giggles* You make me laugh.
7. You will run to the store for me at 10:00 when I HAVE to have something for the next day and (usually) you never complain.
8. Leanna thinks you are an awesome Bendaroo maker.
9. Hudson thinks you are better than the jungle gym at the playground.
10. You deal with my weird perfectionism stuff and well sometimes knock me back to reality. (figuratively people!)
11. You play playdoh and it is awesome.
12. You hold my hand. All the time. Grocery Store. Hockey Game. Walking. I love that.
13. You love me. 'Nuff said.

I love you,
*Shay*



Dear Leanna,

7 reasons I love you!

1. You get the giggles. FOR NO REASON. I end up with the giggles too. We can't stop. It is awesome.
2. You tell me you love me as "Big as the whole world". It makes my heart melt. I love that you and brother both have a different way to say this to me. (See below)
3. You are funny. Dead-pan straight faced. And still you make me laugh.
4. You are soooo kind. For being 4 you amaze me how often you think of others. It is a trait I hope you always keep.
5. You play with your brother. You have your moments but you play with him. Often.
6. You snuggle. I love this. I know there will be a time when it won't be "Cool" anymore so I am eating it up right now.
7. You don't care what other people think about you. You are your own girl (most of the time).

Love you,
Momma



Dear Hudson,

7 reasons I love you!

1. You give these smiles. You know the one I am talking about. It says... "hate me, want to beat me, but I know you love me anyway". God gave you that smile so I wouldn't kill you.
2. You hold my hand. You get this from your daddy. I love it. It makes my heart sigh.
3. You crawl into bed at 5:00 in the morning...(shhhh....don't tell Daddy) but I like this sometimes too. Especially when you say "It's not wake up time I be still okay?".
4. You are crazy. You will try anything and everything once if not twice(sometimes three). Including flying. You don't believe me that you cannot.
5. You tell me "I love you big as the moon and stars". It melts my heart. I love that you and sister have a different way to tell me this (See above).
6. You play with sister. You have your moments but you play with her. Often.
7. You make me laugh.

Love you,
Momma


So I wanted to put these in my blog so that I won't forget how much and exact reasons (other than they are mine and I love them no matter what) why they make me smile and make me feel warm. I love these three people more than life itself. They make my world go round. Plus when Leanna and Hudson are 14 and 16 respectively I want to be able to show them these. I think i will do this every year. I want them to know what made me smile and laugh and love them more (if that is possible) and I want to remember. Cause well by then I will be old and stuff. I have to stop writing now. I am tearing up thinking about them being old and me being older.

Happy Valentine's Day my friends. Appreciate it and make sure you tell the someones in your life why they are special to you.

Silent Saturdays! The Hubinator...

*Note: Please ignore bluriness from camera shake. Just look at handsome husband and me (yuck) it was fun testing out different settings and he actually took a picture with me which is awesome!*

TYGF....

So it is time for another edition of Thank You God For...

Josh.

Yep I know seems generic again right? Well nope!

He is such a good dad. That is the specifics this week. He is a good dad. He loves his kids. He spends time with them and plays with them.

If he gets home in time he loves giving them their bedtime bath. The kids love it too because well I love him but he is a pushover at bath time. They splash and laugh and have WAYYYY to many bubbles in the tub (see why mom isn't fun at bath time). We have races to get them dressed into their jammies (which normally end in a tie).



He picks them up and carries them on his shoulders (even Leanna and she is a big girl now). He tickles them and watches cartoons with them too. (X-men and Spiderman being his favorites but he watches Dora and My Little Pony all the same).

So thank you God for sending me a man who loves his babies. Who plays tea party and crawling races. Thank You for sending me a man who has Jammie races and plays horsie (being the horse). Thanks for letting me have this man who my kids call Daddy!

Join me today in being thankful and expressing that. You can't be angry and worry about things when you are expressing thanks. Cause usually what you are thankful for is a happy thought and makes you smile! So what is it you are thankful for?

Thanks YOU for reading!
*Shay*

Are we really one of the few?

"My husband and I have never considered divorce... murder sometimes, but never divorce."
- Joyce Brothers

5 years.

5 years has passed since I looked into the gorgeous brown eyes of a young man of 20 and told him I would love him for the rest of my life.

Josh and I totally missed our anniversary again this year. It IS important to us but I guess when life throws 2 kids and 2 full time jobs and a "NICE" hospital stay and the wedding of a sibling you tend to forget.

It has been a fun five years and a short five years and at the same time it has been a ridiculously HARD five years and a LOOOONNNNGGG five years. Isn't it amazing how it can feel like so many things all wrapped into one big giant ball of AHHHH.

We were sad to find out that out of all the couples that got married "around" the same time as us, a couple before a couple after etc. Only like 4 of those couple (out of 10) are still together. Two or three of those couples are probably reading this blog and the other we haven't seen or spoke to in almost 2 years and are assuming.

I guess I just missed the train on where it became so easy to stop loving someone. I missed the "easy out" way of thinking I suppose. I love Josh more than the world MOST of the time but there are those rare occasions where we grate on each others nerves and want to walk away...... for a few moments ... not forever.

My heart breaks for those couples who have already walked away. Sadly one couple made it one year and that was it. People say it is age, maturity or the infamous "these things happen". How sad. How truly sad.

That is why I love that quote above. Murder sure! Divorce never! He is stuck with me. Or at least until I off him.

Now I jest. I make light of what I don't understand and what I can't fix. In all honesty it is a hard and hurtful and ugly truth. To be honest I am sad. To be honest I am happy. Happy that it has been hard work. Happy that Josh feels the same that I do that our love is worth that hard work. Thankful that Josh is willing to walk away and walk right back. Here's to another 5 years. To the couples that I speak of my heart breaks for you it truly does. For the couples I know are reading this Happy 5 or almost 5 years and congratulations sadly/gladly we are truly one of the few.

TYGF

Good morning to the two or three people who read my blog.
Today is Friday so that means... TYGF...Thank you God for...

The ongoing post that happens every Friday. To list off something that I am thankful for (please feel free to join me and let me know what you are thanking God for).

So today's post is an interesting one.
Thank you God for....

STUBBORNNESS.

Now why would Shay be thankful for that you say?
Well because I am please to announce to the blog world (my few but magnificent readers) that Josh and Shay Brewer have not purchased cigarettes in a week.

Josh is having some struggles but he is working very hard on quitting as well. So if you think of him say a few prayers for him please!

Now Shay hasn't smoked in 5 days. Due to sheer stubbornness and because I refused to look like I was a liar again. I know that I have said several times that I was quitting. I never followed through. My will power was no good. My stubbornness was not up to par for the course so to speak.

I wanted to do this for several reasons. One I have determined I don't ever want my children to do it. Two, I don't want to waste the money doing it anymore. Three, I want my husband and I to be healthier and around for a long time. Four, I want to be an example to the rest of my family (there are several that smoke) that if we can do it so can they. Finally, I want to make sure that everything I am doing is honoring and pleasing to God.

So this week I prayed for Stubbornness. Not patience or peace or to take the want away no for sheer will power and stubbornness. It hasn't been easy and it sure is easy to fall to the temptation when I see someone else or smell it somewhere. So stubbornness is what I needed for this.

So I am thankful for Stubbornness! What are you thankful for this week?

Super Secret Surprise Saturday

So this weekend turned out to be GORGEOUS. I love Fall. It is my favorite time of year!

Anyway back to the title of today's post. Josh and I decided this weekend was to beautiful to pass up sitting in the house. So we didn't. We declared the first ever Super Secret Surprise Saturday. The kids were really excited we didn't tell them anything except to get dressed we weren't going to be home ALL day.

Josh has really been wanting to drive through Lone Elk Park so we did that first. It was really peaceful and the kids got to see Bison and Elk and Geese (we didn't see any deer :( however) they thought it was awesome. I was so into it with the kids I forgot to take pictures though.

Then we went to a friends house for lunch. Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Nacho Cheese Doritos. Yummy! Then they learned the next secret surprise. Heather and Baby Hannah would be joining us on the next surprise! (Again left camera in car so no pictures sorry).

Then we went to the ZOO! Which is of course my kids favoritest place to be ever. It was such a beautiful day out that almost every animal we wanted to see we saw and more! It was very exciting. We got to see the baby tigers they were out and not just out but playing we laughed and pointed and talked about them for almost 1/2 an hour. The were "wrastling" as Leanna calls it. Hudson's favorite part was either the baby elephant who was being given a bath by his mama or the penguins (who we saw get fed). I was so busy again I didn't take many pictures but here is my favorite couple.
A family picture doesn't happen often for me so it is definitely a favorite! I love that man and look at those babies!
I love when I can get them to be still together.

And the best part is the day wasn't over! We decided to swing by my Granny's house and see if the aunt's were home with the cousins. They were...well kinda... Christopher wasn't there so Hudson had to play with just girls (and dad) but hey he had fun. We then proceeded to play games for the rest of the night. We played red light green light, Simon says, freeze tag and duck duck goose.

While all of those things were fun. My favorite part of Super Secret Surprise Saturday? Spending a great day of fun (free fun mind you) with my family. I love great Saturday's don't you?