For my husband on our 10th anniversary

Tomorrow....on July 4th..... my husband and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage....and almost 14 years since we met.  While I truly feel that the day we met is the day our lives changed.....him putting up with me for 10 years legally warrants a HUGE recognition.

We got married on the 4th of July because the places we booked offered a discount, and on a Sunday we could have a Catholic ceremony without a full mass.  We joked...and still do....that we would always have our anniversary off.....someone would be having a party.....and there would always be fireworks.

After we booked the date, we realized that the colors I'd chosen were red....white...and.....blue.  Not on purpose.  My dress was white with red roses embroidered on it.....and the lot of bridesmaid dresses I'd gotten were navy blue.

For me, our wedding was magical.  The day was hot, no family members killed each other, we could see the fireworks from the reception, and the "worst" thing that happened was that we were locked out of both of our cars and had to borrow clothing and toothbrushes....and had no clothing on our wedding night or the morning after.

The past 10 years have been nothing like I expected.....nothing I imagined.....and exceeded anything that ever crossed my mind.  There have been ups and downs, but I wouldn't change a moment.

So, for my sweet, wonderful, amazing husband.......

Ten Things from Ten Years

1.  Our story is always being written and re-written. Who we are together and for each other changes from one day to the next…..from one week to another….and from year to year and beyond. Sometimes we even change from one minute to the next.
2. You know when to let me be “right”….and how to tell me when I’m wrong.
3.  In addition to being the great stepdad I thought you would be….you are a great father.
4.  At the end of the day, our differences make us stronger together than our similarities. Together we are stronger than the sum of our parts.
5. We should never work on the same part of the same project together at the same time. We make a great team in the end, but the bits in the middle are sometimes worked out better separately
6. While we have some major philosophical differences, we agree on the most important…and they are what binds us together.
7.  A sense of humor is key…..not only for helping to get over the rough parts, but to help us feel “together.” You are the second funniest person I know (me being the first…..as long as I’m laughing, it’s all good).
8.  I am married to my best friend….and my other best friend approves.
9.  You calm me and center me in a way that I never was…and never could be….without you.
10. 10 years of marriage….and almost 14 years together…..we still make other people nauseated. I am proud of that fact.

I I love you.  I love our life.  I love our family.

My Thoughts on Father's Day and Fatherhood

I have two sons.....ages 21 and 7.  They have different fathers.

I had my first son about 15 months after my mother died.  There is a definite correlation.

His father and I had very little to nothing in common.  I rebounded from my mother's death into the wrong relationship and I have a child.

I WOULD NOT CHANGE ONE THING about the whole situation.  But 21 years later, I'm able to see where I went and why.

My son was lucky and his father met his current wife when my son was 5.  They are still together and have been a positive situation for him for most of his life.

When my son was 8, I met the love of my life.

I never really let my son spend time with people I dated.  I didn't want him to have a string of men running through his life.

When I met "the one," I knew the difference right away.  Three months after we met, my now-husband met my son.  This morning we were smiling in remembrance of how the 8-year-old boy met the man that became his step father.  He first introduced himself....then his favorite character necklace he was wearing.  I still have the necklace and we all still have the memory.

That night....after the introduction, we ate pizza.....watched an episode of Double Dare that my husband was in when he was a teen...and went to see Christmas lights at a local arboretum.

From there on out, the rest is our family's history. My husband is a wise man and he allowed the relationship with my son to develop on its own.

We got engaged a year and 3 months later.....married a year after that.

A year and six months after we were married, we had another child....together.

Both my boys love each other.  Both of them love my husband endlessly.

Today, our grown boy called his step dad to wish him happy father's day.  I did not nudge.  I did not text.  I did not nag.  He did it on his own....because of the relationship they made together.

So, on Father's Day....maybe it's not all about biology.  Sometimes it's about chemistry and good old fashioned engineering and hard work.

Last week's menu got thrown in the trash

I always allow some flexibility in the menu, but last week, I went rogue and decided that my family and I needed some time together.

Since we had nothing big scheduled for the weekend....and my big boy was available....we decided to get away.  I threw out all the menu stuff, grabbed some easy-to-make/quick stuff, and hit the road.

REALLY enjoyed the time with all of my guys at the same time….and most importantly we relaxed and bonded.

So, this week, I have some refugees from last week’s menu….several.  

Wouldn't have changed a thing!

Check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com for ideas.

Monday

Chicken cutlets with Tarragon-Mushroom Sauce and quinoa with toasted pine nuts (page 70 Cooking Light April 2013) – one of last week’s refugees

Tuesday – baseball game (packable dinner)

Chicken gyros – cooked ahead/served room temp and PBJ for the boy 

Wednesday – soccer practice/PTO meeting (dinner needs to be ready-to-go and self-serve)

Ham and bean soup (never did make it)

Thursday – baseball game (another packable dinner)

Grilled pork (served room temp) with carrot salad and roasted beets

Friday

Fish tacos http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/fish-tacos-recipe/index.html another refugee

Saturday

Soft tacos - one of the quick and easy meals I picked up that didn't happen because we went out to eat

Sunday

Swedish meatballs - chosen by the 7 year-old for this week's cooking lesson