Welcome to day 20 of The Thankful Project. Today's prompt is: Something About Your Significant Other or Best Friend. To learn more about The Thankful Project, find the list of prompts and join in the fun, click {here}.
I'm linking up with Kenzie at Chasing Happy for this post.
On June 11, 2011, I met my husband and on August 18, 2012 we were married. Yep. You read right! I've only known my husband for just over 29 months! That's barely 2 years!
Crazy how much our lives have changed in that short time.
We got engaged.
Got Married.
Had a baby.
Just did a complete 180 of what single life looked like and the lives we 'thought' we were living!
During this time its crazy how much more I have gotten to know my husband. How different he is from the person that I 'knew' that day we met and even that day we got engaged and then got married!
My husband is quite the man.
He cares about being involved as a father.
He wants to give Christian a bottle from time to time.
He wants to change diapers, give baths, calm Christian when he is fussy.
He even wants to help pick out Christian's clothes.
And he is very particular about some things...
like... having nothing {and I mean NOTHING} on the kitchen counters. No knife block, no spices, no kitchen appliances or utensils {you know, just the normal kitchen counter things...}
He hates clutter.
But hey, I have my crazy things too...
like... instead of hating clutter, I'm actually a bit of a hoarder. So I guess its a good thing that I married an anti clutter freak or you just might have seen me on the next episode of Hoarders!
Anyway, back to my husband and what I am thankful for about him.
There is seriously so much about my husband that I am thankful for
{despite all his little quirky habits/traits that can drive me crazy}
I'm thankful for who my husband is.
His persistence, dedication, and intentionality
When he says he is going to do something, I know he is going to do it and with full commitment. He may have stumbled over the "faithful" part in our vows on our wedding day {ha ha ha}, but he is the most faithful and committed man. I see that not just in our relationship, but in everything he does. He pushes us to communicate and be intentional in pursuing our continued relationship as husband and wife.
Who he is as a father to our son.
This man is the best daddy I could ever ask for for my kids. He is fun, playful, loving and INVOLVED. He changes just as many diapers and spends just as much time calming our little guy as I do {minus the time he is at work and then its all me}. But that doesn't keep him from helping out at home and immediately spending time with me and Christian as soon as he gets home from work. In fact, a lot of our squabbles are now about who got to put Christian to bed, feed him dinner, or give him a bath! This man loves our little boy more than words can express and I'm so glad Christian gets to call him Daddy!
I could go on and on for days about this man. He's the best. Just this morning after I was up a ton with Christian in the night because our little guy has a cold, Jim let me sleep late and took over with Christian. Not only that, but he folded all the laundry AND did the dishes.
I know. He is the BEST. But he's mine! You can't have him!
I'm so lucky to be doing life as a family of 3 with this man!
I LOVE YOU!
What is something about your significant other or best friend
Welcome to day 4 of The Thankful Project. Today's prompt is: An Experience. To learn more about The Thankful Project, find the list of prompts and join in the fun, click {here}.
I'm linking up with Kenzie at Chasing Happy for this post.
Maybe this is more of a place than a memory, but it's the memories that I have at this place that I am so thankful for.
The Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City. This had always been a place that held magic for me. Maybe it was the association with Christmas, but still. I dreamed of one day ice skating at this rink. Now, I'm no professional skater or anything like that, but I do love to ice skate. As I would day dream about someday getting married and going on a honeymoon, the ice rink would always be part of these dreams.
I wanted to go to New York City for my honeymoon someday.
I wanted to see the beautiful Christmas tree all lit up in Rockefeller Center and skate at the ice rink hand in hand with my love. I also wanted to get all dressed up and go to the New York City Ballet and see The Nutcracker. To some extent, I guess I figured the only way I would probably ever get to do something like this would be to go there for my honeymoon. So that was the plan. Then I met Jim.
Jim grew up in Upstate New York. He invited me home with him to meet his family the Thanksgiving after we started dating. And guess what!?! Since we would be fairly close to New York City he suggested we take a trip there during our visit to New York. I was beyond thrilled, especially when he said we would even be able to go ice skating at Rockefeller Center!!! I still remember standing in his kitchen {now our kitchen} making dinner as he googled things for us to do in New York City and found out that the ice rink would be open when we would be there!!
Little did I know, getting to visit the ice rink and go skating would be just the tip of the ice berg!
Jim and I had been talking about getting married. We knew that we were each "the one" and that God was leading us towards marriage. But I was fully under the impression that Jim was planning to propose at Christmas {2011}. So as we were ice skating and they asked the skaters to clear the ice, I was not even on to what was going on when they started to play our song.
That's right. Jim and I were skating all alone in the middle of the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink while they played "Wanted" by Hunter Hayes. When we finally made our way to the center of the ice rink {after several protests from me to leave the rink} it finally dawned on me what was happening... Jim was proposing!!!!
It couldn't have been a more perfect proposal. The Ultimate Proposal. In fact it was actually filmed by The Ultimate Proposal and aired on Yahoo. So {with a few edits} we have the whole proposal on video! And following the proposal we also had a {rainy} horse drawn carriage ride through Central Park.
Oh. And The Ultimate Proposal flew our family and one of my best friends in to share the day with us!
If you are curious and want to see the video {click here}. For even more of the story {click here}
Fast forward about a year {Christmas 2012}. Jim and I had been married for 4 months and were expecting a baby in May!
This year we would be spending Christmas in New York. Sooo once again we decided to take a little trip {Baby Moon} to reminisce about our engagement the year before. After we boarded the plane to New York, Jim handed me a card with some clues in it. It was a surprise! We were going to be getting an ultrasound done at Goldenview Ultrasound in New York City!
At first I was cautious and concerned. Was this place reputable and safe? Duh! My husband is a pro researcher, so of course he had found us a great place and gotten us a super good deal! Our medical ultrasound wasn't supposed to be until January 2nd, but we had wanted to know the sex of our baby for Christmas and we were going to get to find out!
That night, we went to our appointment. Our baby was a little shy at first and kept his legs crossed so we couldn't see the goods right away. But after a little jumping and shaking him around, he uncrossed his legs and voila!
But we didn't find out right then and there. No, no, no. We had to do something more exciting than that. Instead, we had the ultrasound tech write the sex on the back of a Rockefeller Center post card that we had brought with us and also asked her to include a picture that showed us the sex (as well as our millions of other amazing pictures). We then took the postcard and pictures in an envelope to the Ice Rink.
And there we stood, facing the rink where our lives had started an amazing journey together just over a year ago. Slowly, we pulled out the post card...
It's a BOY!! We were having a baby boy! Such a magical moment and a beautiful memory.
To read the full recap of our Gender Reveal and Baby Moon {click here}
I'm so thankful for these memories and especially for my husband going the extra mile to make these special memories for us. I can't wait to some day go back and skate as a family with our little boy, Christian James, and tell him all about our story and how we found out he would be a boy!
Welcome to day 4 of The Thankful Project. Today's prompt is: An Experience. To learn more about The Thankful Project, find the list of prompts and join in the fun, click {here}.
I'm linking up with Kenzie at Chasing Happy for this post.
The job that I am most thankful for actually isn't even a job that I have had. Instead, its my husband's job.
I am thankful for the job that my husband has at Best Buy Corporate. My husband has worked at Best Buy for 10 years now. He has actually worked his way up to where he is from the very bottom. Just over 10 years ago, he started working at Best Buy as a Seasonal Employee. Little did he know that this would eventually become his career. His role has changed over time and he has had several promotions to be where he is today now working at the Corporate Office.
My husband loves his job. He looks forward to going to work every day and enjoys the difference that he is able to make there. The work that he does impacts all Best Buy stores and employees...which is a lot of stores and people! And even more, he is GREAT at what he does.
I'm so thankful that my husband is able to use his gifts in his everyday work. I'm even more thankful for all that Best Buy has done to shape my husband into the man and the worker that he is today.
But even more than all of this, I am thankful for my husband's job because it allows me to fulfill my dreams of being a stay at home mom. I would have said this is the job that I am thankful for, but I don't being a stay at home mom isn't a "job". It's a way of life.
I don't get vacation days or sick days or any days off.
Lunch breaks are non-existent.
Pay is low and days are long.
I do get "nap times"...for now.
But the benefits of being with our little boy every day and getting his every smile and being able to snuggle away his every tear is the best thing I could ever ask for.
And for that I am so thankful.
What job have you had or do you have that you are thankful for?
If you are pregnant and sensitive to smells, you may want to wait to try this recipe out ;) I would cry every time my hubby would want to make it when I was preggo... But its seriously delish!
I know I have been promising you this recipe for a loooonnng time now! But guess what!?!
It's finally here!
Guess what else??
I can't really take credit for this delicious recipe. It's ALL my hubby's delicious work! It's actually a New York thing...or maybe just an "out east thing". Either way, we don't have anything like this here in Minnesota! Except, that is, in the Foote house when the hubby is cookin'!
Ingredients:
1 bag of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle of Wishbone Italian Marinade
1 bag of Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
1 good looking guy to cook it up for you ;)
(buns or bread to serve)
This is what you are looking for for the marinade. You DON'T want just Italian dressing.
Directions:
Cut up chicken into small cubes, removing all and any fat. Put chicken in a large skillet and cover will a full bottle of Italian marinade. Boil chicken in marinade until chicken is cooked through. Remove from stove top and transfer chicken to a microwave safe bowl. Cover chicken with shredded cheese and microwave until melted. You probably could just keep heating the chicken on the stove to melt the cheese and save a step. But my hubby does it in the microwave. Once the cheese is melted, your speidis are ready to serve!
Serve on top of bread or buns in a sandwich style.
YUM!
P.S. Can I just say I have the best hubby ever??
Last night he came home from work with bags of groceries and decided to make up 4 different freezer meals for me to have on hand for days when I just don't feel like cooking. We can just pop one of the meals in the oven and have a yummy, semi-healthy meal! Love him so much!
Chicken Speidis was one of his meals.
Here is my chef ... and the loads of food he miraculously found space for in our breast milk filled freezer! :)
I could have included this in my post about our trip to New York, but I felt it deserved an entire post of its own...I think you'll see why :)
When we go to New York, we always have to visit the Waterworks. My hubby used to come here a lot as a kid and feed the ducks. Unfortunately, Christian was sleeping when we stopped this time, but we can't wait to take him when he is older!
On this trip, we fed the ducks french fries...they didn't seem to mind.
Between the french fries and the "duck calls" they were happy campers!
Check out the video to see our adventures at the Waterworks...and why I love my hubby so much! :)
Quite often, hubby loves to take our little boy out for a "Daddy/Son Date"!
He likes to take him out and "make memories". Seriously, he is the best daddy! And he would probably take him out every night and every weekend! But we like family time too :)
A few Saturdays ago I was supposed to have plans, but they fell through, which meant Daddy and Christian still had their Daddy/Son time and I got some "mommy time".
Whenever they leave and I'm home alone, I seem to always come up with a million different things I want to work on and get done...but usually I just end up blogging and maybe get a few other projects accomplished.
So while I was blogging on that Saturday, Daddy and Christian did some Christian shopping.
Christian LOVES being forward facing in the carrier so he didn't mind shopping one bit!
And what do you know! He even fell asleep in it!
Check out their great winter find too! Isn't this just the cutest hat!?!
He is going to be so stylish this winter!
Now Christian is all ready for winter!
So glad to see that this snow suit is going to be plenty big enough. I bought it last winter for like $7!!!! And was just completely guessing on size...but it should be perfect for all winter long! :) Gotta love good deals!
When Daddy and Christian got home, he of course did this fashion show for mommy and then both daddy and Christian zonked out and took naps! Which meant more time for mommy to get stuff done and work on her blog!
Dads don't get enough credit. Here's some thoughts from the best dad I know, my hubby! Definition of a Rant from Urban Dictionary:
To speak aggressively about something, or to take on your own tangent about a subject and talk for a long time about it in a passionate manner.
I just want to becrystal clear on what this post is about. This is dedicated to everyone. If you are questioning if this post applies to you.. guess what it probably does!!!
I work my butt off for my family. I am the main breadwinner in our family not because that is the only thing I am capable of doing, it’s because it’s the right choice for my family. Just because I am not home all day with my son like my wife is, and I don’t have breasts (or breastmilk!), doesn't me I am not a capable parent.
I am a dad, and I AM A CAPABLE PARENT.
It’s not the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s or even 00’s anymore. This isn't your old school generation.
If my baby boy is crying… I’m a capable parent, believe it or not, I can calm him down!
If my baby boy is fussing… I’m a capable parent, believe it or not, I can calm him down!
If my baby boy needs a new diaper… WOW I’m a capable parent, I can do that!
If my baby boy is hungry… I know how to hold a bottle, WOW I’m a capable parent!
If my baby boy is in an unsafe position or is in danger… WOW I’m a capable parent I can recognize that!
Please STOP saying ‘I think he needs Mommy’, ‘I think he wants Mommy’, ‘Here is Mommy’.
Don’t get me wrong, I have an amazing wife! She is an ‘uber mommy’ that can handle any situation that comes her way. I am so incredibly proud of her and thankful that she is my partner in life and the momma to my baby boy.
But please, watch what you say… don’t demean me, especially in front of my wife, let alone my baby boy. I’d love a little encouragement and support, but don’t assume I am not capable.
Even if you can’t embrace that a dad can be a truly capable parent, that’s ok, because this rant isn't for you. It’s for me. It will be a reminder to me of the type of parent I am, and always will want to be. These will be the values and sense of responsibility I will pass onto my son.
Jim and I were sitting outside of Red Lobster waiting for a table for dinner.
We were celebrating being married for 4 WEEKS!
As I mentioned before in {this post}, Red Lobster has become a special place for us mainly because of this night one year ago.
Jim and I knew that we wanted to have kids and were excited to start a family. We had chosen to wait to have sex until we were married and decided that we wouldn't use any birth control. It had taken my mom a long time to get pregnant with me, and since I have hypothryroidism, I was worried it might take us awhile too.
We knew there was a chance that we could get pregnant right away, but we were ready if that did happen. In our excitement, we had taken a couple pregnancy tests a few days earlier, just wondering if maybe I was already pregnant. They both had come back negative.
At dinner this night ONE year ago, we were talking about life over the past 4 weeks and Jim just had a strong feeling that I might be pregnant. I wasn't a fan of the idea of taking another test. I was okay if we weren't pregnant yet, as we weren't really trying...we just weren't preventing. But it was still disappointing to see those negative tests every time. Needless to say, Jim convinced me to take another test that night when we got home...after I had had a drink at dinner! Ooops! :/
Notice how faint that second pink line was?? We stared at that thing unsure if it was real!! And then googled like crazy about faint lines!
And then rushed to the store to buy more tests as that had been my last one! I still remember how nervous and excited I was and how pale white hubby turned!
WE WERE PREGNANT!!!!!
And now, one year later, we have the most adorable baby boy! Never knew my love for another person could keep growing so much!
Such a smiley happy boy he is the light of our lives! :) And this day, one year ago, forever changed our lives! Love you baby boy!
To read about my pregnancy with Christian, click {here}.
Name a Brad Paisley song and I can almost always relate it to my relationship with my husband.
We danced to this song for the first time as a married couple and now, every time I hear it, I am taken back to that moment in time, wrapped in my new husband’s arms staring into each other’s eyes, so in love and so naïve...but not in a bad way :)
August 18, 2013 marked our 1 YEAR Anniversary!
WOW!
It’s not that I didn’t think we would make it to the 1 year mark. No, we WILL make it last a lifetime.
I’m just in awe that we have been MARRIED for 1 full year and how much has changed in the past year. How fully this song truly describes our relationship but not in the ways that I ever thought…its so much better.
We did life together and couldn’t have asked for a better year. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to be by my side through it all. Through the fun and the tears, Jim is the best supporter, friend, and husband and now I’m so lucky to call him the daddy to our baby boy.
Through all this past year has brought (and it has been a great year full of many wonderful memories), my view of “love” has changed. I can very distinctly remember giving advice to friends telling them “love is not just a feeling, it’s a choice.” I don’t think I fully understood what I was telling them until having lived this past year.
Through our story it is so obvious to me that God meant us for each other and his hand was ever present in bringing us together. Even though this was always so clear to me, with my raging hormones from pregnancy, those strong feelings of love weren’t always 100% present like I assumed they always would be.
“I thought I loved you then”… To me when we picked this song for our first dance, I thought it meant that my romantic feelings for my husband would just automatically grow stronger and stronger every day just by being so close together. HA HA!
I seriously laughed out loud as I read what I just wrote.
Love. Is. A. Choice.
We can even choose to feel those romantic feelings. I remember talking with a close friend who is wise beyond her years. I told her that I didn't always get “butterflies” anymore and that little things like holding hands just wasn’t as exciting... I just expected it! I loved my husband and wanted to be with him, but it was different. I loved him in a REAL way, not just a romantic way any more.
Even more, I realized that its okay that the romantic way doesn’t just happen any more. This same friend advised me that 'romantic' is how you define it. You can choose to feel romantic towards your husband when he holds your hand or gives you that little kiss as he walks by. He doesn’t have to do those things and is choosing to do them as well...and so should I!
When we were dating and even engaged, we were so wrapped up in the newness of our relationship, the way we felt with one another. A year into marriage, that newness has faded somewhat and that excitement doesn’t just happen. It has to be nurtured and kindled daily. That, and we also jumped out of the "honeymoon phase" and right into real life with a baby! And we are so glad we did!
GREAT MARRIAGES DON’T JUST HAPPEN.
I have learned a lot in the past year:
How to get out millions of different stains from my husbands clothes...from left on stickers to mustard!
White carpets + Baby + Dog + Husband who drinks red wine + me who likes to keep my shoes on = Not the best combination
I’m not always right. Shocker, I know!!
Just because it's not my way, doesn't mean it's the wrong way.
Don’t bottle up your feelings. Communication is key.
Compromise.
Enjoy each other.
Fight….but don’t yell or be silent...Have "discussions" as my hubby calls them :)
Pray. Pray often.
Choose love. Choose romance. Prioritize your relationship….even if it means getting a babysitter!
“And I thought I loved you then”…but now its more than just romance…It’s romance coupled with that covenantal love that is so much deeper. It’s an “I need you and I choose to love you and can't imagine my life without you by my side” love. A love that is a choice is just so much deeper and real, one that is not fading. “And I thought I loved you then.”
Can’t wait to see how much deeper this love will grow through all that is to come in the next year!
So...with all that we got to experience in our first year, we definitely needed to celebrate! And celebrate we did! My hubby surprised me Saturday night (the day before our anniversary) and took us to dinner at Red Lobster as a family (Thanks Grandma Strickland!). Red Lobster seems to be our favorite restaurant and where a lot of big things happen for us...celebrating our 1 month marriage anniversary, deciding to take a pregnancy test, celebrating our 1 year marriage anniversary, New Year's, my birthday, the list goes on and on!
But before we went to dinner, my sweet, romantic hubby took us on a "tour" of important places in our relationship:
My Apartment...and he had me get out of the car and walk down from the apartment doors and get in the car like I would when he would always pick me up for dates :) I was bawling at this point!
The park we would go walking at.
On Sunday we went to church as a family and then had some friends babysit while went to dinner at a rooftop restaurant in Uptown...the same restaurant we celebrated our 1 month anniversary at when we were dating :)
Family picture at church outside of the room we were married in...exactly 1 year ago
Enjoying this yummy sangria without having to worry about when I needed to feed Christian next
My yummy meal! The sun was blinding me so I kinda didn't get the best pic...
Hubby's yummy meatball sandwich
Then we were planning to go kayaking on Lake Calhoun, but due to wind they weren't allowing water rentals...bummer. So we chilled on the beach and walked around a bit and then hit up some mini golfing! Apparently that is becoming our thing! haha We didn't keep score this time, but we had lots of fun!
My hubby thinks he is a golf model :)
Striking a pose...
And another...
And another... :) looking hot ;)
Looks like he hit a hole in one...but he didn't....I DID though on hole 7 :) That's right. We didn't keep score because hubby was afraid of losing this time I think...
Blue ball to match my pretty blue nails!
Then we headed to pick up our sweet little boy who made us the cutest card ever!!
Christian talking to Nora while she showed him how to play with toys :)
He was pretty tuckered out from playing with his friend Nora all afternoon, but was able to stay awake long enough to sit with us while we ate our wedding cake! Which to my surprise was still quite delicious! Sooo not good for my weight loss....oops.
Then we reminisced and looked through photo books and photos and all of our wedding and honeymoon stuff.
It was a very special day for us...then Monday came. The day that one year ago we were leaving on our honeymoon to the bahamas...bummer...
Maybe a 5 year anniversary and we can return!? :)
Can't wait to do another year with this amazing man! LOVE HIM! So blessed!
