The Perfect Relationship

Romance is nice. But it is biological in origin. That dizzy head-over-heels feeling is a species of losing your mind, and most of the time it lasts only as long as the chase. What we keep forgetting is that in marriage, as opposed to romances, you aren't marrying the thrilling wonderful perfect Someone you're looking at right now. You're marrying the man who decides not to have the dazzling career with the high salary, refusing promotions and transfers so the kids don't have to change schools. You're marrying the woman whose body doesn't bounce back after the third baby, so she's no longer slim and attractive by the standards of the magazines. You're marrying the migraines and the hemorrhoids and the heart attack and the cancer; you're marrying the irritable, forgetful, lazy, thoughtless, sarcastic, distracted, too-busy days as well as the Kodak-happy ones.

You're marrying the one who works with you to raise the crippled child, or stands with you at the graveside of the child who dies. You're marrying the one who can't find work after the company folds or he's laid off; you're marrying the early Alzheimer's, the diabetes, the obesity, the pain of conflict and the struggle of forgiveness. The foundation of that isn't some ideal of romantic love. It's a commitment based on the goals you share. And real love, married love, is not what you start with--it's what you create together along the way.

--Orson Scott Card

A friend of mine posted this quote by Orson Scott Card I think it's one that everyone who is married, considering marriage, or in a committed relationship should read and think about. I am SO glad that I have found a man who I can share goals with and have created so much together already! I look forward to all that we will yet do and create together!

Together

I am so thrilled that today is the last day my husband has school!!! Which means more together time! As of right now he's not planning on doing any more... which means we should be at the end of him working full-time AND going to school full-time! HOORAY!!! We finally reached the light at the end of one tunnel! Yes, that is right we reached the end of one tunnel only to realize we are standing in another tunnel. Isn't that just how life works though? We can only hope that he passed the big test he took this last Saturday... and hopefully he will find a new job quickly!!! He has his first interview on Monday... my fingers are crossed, I'm saying prayers and I'm thinking I should consider looking for a clover or a rabbits foot!

Hope {for a favorable outcome}

My husband has been preparing to take a major test and soon it will all be over! Our biggest hope is that he will pass and this may be a HUGE change for us. I have learned as he has been preparing for this test how little people know about this test and how much of a difference it can make. I didn't know anything about the test until he signed up to take it. Now I realize that this has the potential to change our lives (for the better). He is only taking the first level of three right now, but even passing this first level will make him SO much more appealing when applying to companies... which means he'd be ten times more likely to find a new job that would make it so we could be miles closer to fulfilling our dream of owning a home. So I'm crossing my fingers, toes, and anything else I can cross! He's been studying and working so hard for this... please oh please let him do well... we won't find out until mid-January... so we'll see!!!

Dream {a cherished aspiration}

I would like to share with you a current dream I have! I don't care to ever become a "famous photographer". I don't need to have my photographs published in a magazine or anything like that. With photography my biggest dream is that people will be very excited to book appointments with me... and that I would have my "regular" clients... the other aspect of this is we need to stay in the same place!
Right now we don't know what will be happening come January. My husband will be done with school in December... and we don't even have a place to live come January (that's when we get kicked out of student housing). I know something will work out... it's just a little nerve wracking! Anyways, I look forward to some day being really established with photography and having all the supplies that I dream of having. Some day this dream WILL be mine!

No more your and mine, just OURS

My husband and I have been married for over 3 years now and last week we finally bought OUR first car! When we got married we each had our own car, then since we were a little strapped for cash we got rid of my husband's car and kept mine (since mine was paid off). Last week we sold my baby... yes that was the first car that I bought. It's kind of bittersweet letting go... but it had to be done! That car needed a couple thousand dollars worth of work, and I am planning on driving up to Sacramento for my little sister's graduation from Sacramento State, so we wanted to make sure whatever I was driving would get me there safely! And now we have a car that will save us on gas too!

It's a 2005 Hyundai Sonata and can I just say I feel so grown up with having this kind of car? It looks so professional... I LOVE it! But what I love the most is that we no longer have the car my husband brought into the marriage or the car I brought into the marriage... just OUR car! I thought it would be a lot longer until we had a nice car like this... but what can I say it worked out and Dreams do come true... you just never know when it will happen!

Becoming Something More

Have you ever sat down and thought how we are always becoming something more... more than we thought we would? Yes, there are ways that life isn't quite what we dreamed it would be, but would you change it? I wouldn't! I love my life with my husband and my two boys. I do still feel that there is a little girl that is suppose to be a part of our family. Whether she is my next baby or the child we adopt... there is a little girl who is suppose to be in our family! I often wonder is there any one else who gets that kind of feeling?

Dream {a cherished aspiration}

Do you have a dream that you had as a child, but you are now so far from? I did. When I was in Elementary school I drew pictures ALL the time and I remember telling people, "I am going to be an artist for Disney some day." What's funny is if you asked the majority of friend's that I have now (that I have known since I got married, about 3 years) if I can even draw... well, they most likely would say, "I don't know." I do still love to draw, but I just don't do it as much as I once did. Some how that dream I had as a child has just slipped away. But there are new dreams that have taken it's place!

I love being a mom and my dreams have now changed to be dreams of how my children will change the world!

What dreams did you have as a child?