Two Lessons That Changed My Marriage

When Jason and I lived in Arkansas I attended MOPS. For those of you who don't know, MOPS stands for Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers. It met twice a month at our church and was something I looked forward to every Friday it met!
The concept behind MOPS is, very briefly, to give moms a chance to be with other moms while the children are cared for. Every meeting consists of some time for fellowship, a craft, a speaker, and then some group time to discuss what the speaker talked about. Speakers could come and talk about anything from Baby Massage to Birth Order. How to plan meals or how to start traditions. No matter what it was, it was always GREAT! I was a young mom and was a little sponge just soaking up the wise words of these older Mentors.
As my kids began to get a little older and I had been in MOPS for a few years, I decided to get involved in the leadership team of MOPS. When you are a leader you are then given the opportunity to go to the Annual MOPS leadership conference. I think I attended two of these conferences but it was at one that I learned my first little bit of information that slowly started changing my marriage.
The speaker at the conference was Elise Morgan who was the President of MOPS at the time. She spoke about how our role as a mom is very important but went on to talk about our roles as wives. When you are young mom you give and give to your young kids. All day long they NEED you. I mean literally NEED you. Without you, the mom, your children could not feed themselves, bathe themselves, clothe themselves or change their own diaper. They would not climb into their own crib and take a nap or make sure the diaper bag is packed before you head out the door. There is laundry to do, beds to make, clothes to change, dishes to do and diapers,oh the diapers! So much time giving all day long to this little person! I remember the analogy she gave so clearly. She said that moms are like little Juice Boxes (the Capri Sun kind that inflate in themselves). All day long your little person is sucking more and more out of you. Diaper change (one little suck), breakfast, lunch and dinner (a few more sucks). All day long the child is taking taking taking and you are giving giving giving!
Then, 5pm rolls around, daddy is now home and you have been sucked dry. With just enough of yourself to get dinner on the table, you and your little juice box self are empty! You get the kids into bed and there is your husband looking over at you with those eyes. You know the eyes I am talking about! The ones that say he wants to go in the bedroom for fun and you just want to go in the bedroom for sleep! But Elise went on to encourage us and challenge us to remember this analogy and to remember to make sure our own personal juice box doesn't get sucked dry before our husbands come home at the end of the day. We all know the demands of children can be exhausting but we need to save some of our giving for our husbands as well!
That little analogy stuck with me so well. Even after over 8 years I can still hear Elise, see Elise and feel like I am right there. It was also a good analogy because with toddlers in the house, at the time, I was constantly filling that sippy cup! It helped me remember that I had to save some "juice" for my husband at the end of the day.
Was it always easy? Nope! Did I ever fail? All the time BUT I will say that little by little it go easier to make sure I had enough of myself to give to my husband each and every night (I'm not talking about having to have sex every night, just being able to give of myself to be with him and not be selfish at the end of the day.)
God was still working on me, this little analogy had been placed upon my heart but God had one more little tidbit to teach me....but that will have to wait until tomorrow! :-)
So keep your juice boxes with a little extra today, just for your hubby when he walks in the door tonight at 5 O'Clock!

Nicholas's Prayer

Nicholas prayed at dinner tonight and said, "Thank you God for making daddy's flight get canceled so he had to stay home a whole extra day!"
We all said AMEN! :-)

How I feel about my hubby

Some of this song is about a guy and girl who aren't getting along BUT the chorus, I love the chorus. I know that there is more to this life than just my relationship with my husband BUT I do know that after God, there is nothing I treasure more than just being with my hubby, laughing and loving! I really do love him so much! :-) (sorry about the bold font, I couldn't get it to turn off!)

Life After You lyrics
By: Daughtry

Believe me I won't stop at nothin'
To see you so I've started runnin'

All that I'm after is a life full of laughter
As long as I'm laughin' with you
I'm thinkin' that all that still matters is love ever after
After the life we've been through
'Cause I know there's no life after you

All that I'm after is a life full of laughter
Without you God knows what I'd do, yeah

My new favorite picture

Since yesterday was Lexi's birthday I spent some extra time in her room before bed. Just hanging out with her, tickling her, and telling her about the day she was born. We were laying on the bed giggling when I knew I had to capture the moment. Using the camera on my cell phone, I took this picture of the two of us! It quickly became my new favorite! I LOVE BEING HER MAMA! :-)

Happy 8th Birthday Alexis

Alexis 1 day old



















Alexis now, dancing with her Daddy!


Happy Birthday to my youngest baby Alexis! I can't believe she is 8 years old today! My baby is getting so big and since she is our youngest I will always think of her as my baby! Daddy's little Princess and my brown eyed girl!
Alexis was my fourth baby and was supposed to be an easy labor! Her older brother is only 15 months older than her and had been as quick labor of 4 hours. He came so fast I had no time for pain medication! The Dr and everyone else told me that my Fourth baby was going to be a SUPER FAST labor and that I had better get to the hospital as soon I was in labor....some how labor never goes as planned!
With my 4th pregnancy my water broke and labor started slowly. I walked around at home for a while and didn't go into the hospital until I was sure my water was leaking and I was in labor. Once at the hospital they confirmed that my water was broken and that I was in labor. I told them about my previous labor going fast and that the Dr. was to be put on red alert. I think I was about at a 5 or 6 when I went into the hospital. They called the Dr. to come in and when he got there I was only an 8. I labored and labored at that 8cm and swore to God that I was going to be stuck at an 8 for the rest of my life. I even had one of those moments where I broke down and started crying and telling them that I couldn't do it! After being at the hospital for 8 hours little Alexis finally made her debut into the world. 4 hours of labor at home, 8 hours of labor at the hospital, so much for a quick delivery!
I have heard it said that your labor can mimic the personality of the child. Nicholas was a quick 4 hour labor and he is my go getter. That child wakes up in the morning and is ready to go. No time to dilly dally, the day is a wastin'! Lexi on the other hand is very patient and laid back. She can sleep in until noon if I let her and is very content to sit and snuggle with Mama on the couch! No need to rush around with Alexis, things will get done but there is no hurry. She is the youngest of 4 children with 2 older brothers. She is totally girly and likes her hair just so, but has also learned how to be tough and keep up with her older brothers! She likes to get manicures with mommy but doesn't mind digging in dirt! She LOVES LOVES LOVES our two dogs and is generally good with all animals! She has a heart of gold and makes her Mama and Daddy so proud! God knew what He was doing when he blessed me with that little girl and placed her in my life 8 years ago today! What an honor to be her Mama!

Side note: When it is one of our childs Birthdays they get to pick what they want for their Birthday dinner. Lexi's request this year. Roast Turkey, Cranberry sauce, Jell-O salad and French Fries! Ha-ha! No mashed potatoes for this girl, she likes French Fries! What can a Mama do but serve French Fries and Roast Turkey! :-)

Happy Anniversary

After looking back at my previous year posts, I found that I did not write about my wonderful husband on our Anniversary last year! Shame on me! So now I have to make up for it and post today, on our 15 year wedding Anniversary! Wow! 15 years! I can't believe we have been married for 15 years! I remember being 15 years old, let alone having been married that long! It has flown by, I mean just soared! All though our marriage is not perfect, I will admit that I have found it quiet easy to be happy and stay married to my husband Jason. So, since I have yet to share on blogger world how Jason and I got to be the Happily Married Couple that we are today...let's take a trip down memory lane!

May 1993
It was our Junior Year of High school end of year party. We were all at a friends house and the guys were playing football in the front lawn. I don't exactly remember how or why but my best friend Christine and I were actually in Jason's truck sitting outside watching the boys play football. (All though Jason had always been an acquaintance in High School, it still intrigues me that we were in his truck. I don't remember ever thinking of him as a friend so I don't know why we would just hang out in his truck). Anyway, as most High School girls do, we started talking about how that next school year we were going to Seniors in High School! We talked about how much we had done and how far we had come since being such young immature Freshman! As we watched the boys from our class play Football we talked about how the boys had changed, gotten cuter and what boys we thought were now good looking as compared to our Freshman year. I remember that both of us thought Jason had gotten very good looking and was actually pretty cute compared to Freshman year, but that was it. Just a little thought, quick conversation and that was it. Junior year was over, summer time came, and the boys of our High School class were put on the back burner while we enjoyed summertime!

PICTURE 1 - Me and my two best friends Junior Year of High School. (L to R: Christine, Me, Danielle)



















August 1993
So now we are back to school mode. I was a big time Senior in the High School and I was out to rule the school! Okay, maybe not really, but I did feel pretty cool knowing it was my last year in High School. Starting to get back into routine and I notice Jason, once again, as the cute Senior that I remember saying was getting pretty good looking just 2 short months ago. I knew that he was a wrestler and I knew he wasn't dating anyone at our High School but I had no idea what his life was like outside of school and whether or not her had a girlfriend. So, being the wise a mature Senior that I was, I decided to call one of his friends and do some reconnaissance. I called a friend of his named Mike and refused to tell him who I was (because I was "under cover") and tried to get the scoop on this boy named Jason. According to Mike, Jason already had a girlfriend that didn't go to our school so I was out of luck. He then told me that he knew it was me and laughed as we hung up the phone! (That wasn't very nice!) I went back to school the next day and some how, everyone knew that I had called Mike and that I had a crush on Jason. I think I sent Jason a note or something and told him that I knew he had a girlfriend and that I was not going to make a big deal out of this. Come to find out, Jason DID NOT have a girlfriend. Mike just made this up to help "protect his buddy"! NICE! So after a few notes and maybe some phone calls

September 1993
Jason asked me to go on a date with him after one of our half days of school. I still remember what I wore that day. Burgundy jean type pants, a black long sleeve body suit with a cream crochet type sweater over the top of the bodysuit! Oh yes, I was HOT that day! We went miniature golfing near school and had a little lunch outside at the miniature golf place! He drove me back to school and gave me a very polite hug and then we departed ways. I had the time of my life and was already planning our future together. He-he-he! Jason, on the other hand was not so convinced. After a few more phone calls and conversations I was feeling like Jason, wasn't that into me! :-( I found out he had his eyes on a tennis player and that he wanted to keep his options open. :-( I was heartbroken but still not deterred!

October 1993
I honestly don't remember how it all happened but Jason and I kept talking and eventually he asked me out on a second date. I don't remember what I wore that night BUT I do know that we went and saw the movie The Program (which later had to be edited because of one part in the movie where the kids go and lay down in a busy intersection on the road. Kids started copying the movie, so it had to be edited and that scene taken out.) He then took me to a nice dinner at Olive Garden where we got the Tour of Italy and shared it! (Little did we know, this would become our Olive Garden tradition!) After dinner, when he was driving me home, he asked me if I wanted to "Go Out" with him and he gave me his class ring. Awwwwww! The rest my friends is History! :-)

PICTURE 2 - Jason and I at our Senior "prom"















January 1995
After a brief year and a half (give or take) of dating, Jason and I were married. Friday, January 13, 1995 to be exact! It was the BEST day of my life! I remember going to bed the night before and thinking about how the next day I was going to be Mrs. Jason Granstrom! It gave me butterfly's and I was sooo excited! My sister Kim was my Maid of Honor and then my sister Liz and my best friend Christine stood up on my side! Jason had his brother Ray, his best friend Dave, and his brother in law Mike on his side. It was a small wedding of about 100 people with a nice reception at AWANA headquarters in Streamwood, IL. Afterwords, Jason and I headed up to Lake Geneva, WI where we stayed at The Abbey Resort for the weekend. It was short honeymoon but Jason needed to be back to work on Monday. We had a GREAT time up there and someday we are going to go back and relive our time up there!

PICTURE 3 - Jason and at our Wedding Reception














January 13, 2010
What started as young love has blossomed into a meaningful relationship. What started as 2 people has now become 6. We have gone from IL, to AR, to GA. Jason got a degree in Engineering and I have become a full time mom and wife! I love my life and wouldn't change any of it (except being apart today, on our Anniversary!). I truly can't wait to see what the next 15 years will bring and just how much more I will grow to love this man of mine! God has blessed me and I couldn't be happier! I love you Jason soooo much! Who knew that one little conversation between two Jr. girls in High School would turn into this!

PICTURE 4 - J and I today (2010)















PICTURE 5 - The 4 additions to our family! (Christmas 2009)

The English Language (with apologies to my friend Becky who is an English teacher)

No I am not going to write about Noun, Verb agreement. I am not going to talk about how a preposition is "anything a cat can do". I just wanted to talk about three little words that over the past week have come up.

Word number One: Balsamic
I LOVE Balsamic Vinegar! I mean love, love, love it! I will pay excessive prices to have the stuff on my shelf because I think it is THAT good! I recently bought a bottle of Creamy Balsamic salad dressing to try! Well the other night was that night. So, with all of us at the table Alexis (my 7 year old) watched me pour dressing onto my salad. She couldn't help but notice the creamy chocolate type color and was intrigued. She asked what kind of dressing it was and when I told her it was Balsamic she sat for a minute and then said, "Balsamic...I like the sound of that word!" Maybe it is just me, but that tickled me. How grown up sounding for her to say something like "I like the sound of that word!" Hehehe! I thought it was cute!

Word number Two: Eccentric
Without admitting it, how many of you know the meaning of the word Eccentric? Webster defines it as a : deviating from an established or usual pattern or style b : deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct especially in odd or whimsical ways . I like to use this word to describe myself at times and used it the other day with a our Schwans man. I was telling him that sometimes I come across as a little Eccentric for some people. He paused for a minute and said, "that is a big word what does it mean?" I chuckled and he then said, "I'm serious, what does it mean?" Hmmm, I did not quote Webster but told him that sometimes I can be a little bit too outgoing or have bolder thoughts than some people. He accepted my "definition" and we went on to getting me my good food! :-)

Word number Three: Commiserate
After posting on Facebook that my husband is going to be gainfully employed again, one of my High School friends posted how she was glad for me but understood the situation by saying that she could Commiserate! Who would use the word Commiserate? A very intelligent friend of mine that I went to High School with, that's who! Thankfully, I did not have to consult Webster to know the definition, I understood what she said! :-)

All of this to say...finally the point!
I sometimes wonder if we are losing some great words from our English language as time goes by?! Not that Balsamic, Eccentric, and Commiserate are such profound words BUT, it makes me sad to think about how many people out there probably don't know those words or what they refer to? Instead they use 4 letter words and contractions like ain't, nothin', and gonna!? Nothing wrong with those words, I just wish we could be a little bit more proper at times...somewhere between, Pride and Prejudice English and Today's English (or what is left of it!)