Never let a day go by without telling each other, "I love you."

Jack and Bernice Wein

Married: February 23, 1946

Jack and Bernice's sense of humor is legendary. "Bernice said if I bought one more car, I'd have to sleep in it," Jack says, grinning. "I told her a man should have more than one bedroom!" "Instead of arguing, let the man think he's the boss," Bernice says with a wink. "Eventually he'll come around to your way of thinking."

_________________________________________________________________

Every spouse has a deep need to feel cherished, valued, treasured. Daily reminders of love and affection will fill your hearts and lift your spirits, nurturing your relationship and causing it to thrive like a lush, well-tended, sunlit garden. And just as a beautiful flower garden harbors many colorful varieties of annuals and perennials, there are countless ways to express love.

A special favor, a helping hand with the chores. A card, a bouquet, a tasty treat. A touch, a hug, an impromptu slow dance. A listening ear, a real conversation. A shared memory, hearty laughter, a walk in the moonlight. A wink, a smile, a compliment. And don't forget to speak those three little words, "I love you!"

Words are powerful. They can build you up individually and strengthen you as a couple. They can encourage you and remind you of your lifelong commitment to each other, of the reasons why you chose to journey through this life together.

"I love you." Poets and songwriters of every age have searched for compelling words to communicate the depth of such emotion, but none has found better way than this simple, heartfelt phrase. It never wears out and it never goes out of style. Take a moment to hold hands, gaze into each other's eyes, and whisper it today.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold

in pictures of silver.

Proverbs 25:11 KJV

Turning One Is Fun!!

So my sweet Angel turned ONE on Thursday!! I can't believe how quickly the year went by and how much he has grown. He weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 19.75 inches. Today he is 25 lbs 4 oz and 32 1/2 inches tall!! Unbelievable!! Especially for someone who still refuses table food and sticks with jar food! As of today he will eat Puffs, Mum Mums, Cheerios, Tortillas with queso, Tortilla chips, Bean Soup and refried beans (just the mushy part, not the bean) and occasionally I can get him to try a Teddy Graham, string cheese and shredded chicken. I'm getting worried. One of my mommy friends suggested a food therapist. Our Dr. said to give it another 4-6 weeks and if we are still concerned then she'd refer us to a food therapist. I told my mom about this and she said we go to a yuppie doctor. I hate telling her anything!! Time are changing and things are way different from when she raised me. I'm sorry if I'm concerned that my one year old will not eat anything!!!! Anyways, back to his b-day.

When he woke up we sang Happy Birthday to him and then after he was all changed let him open some presents. Played downstairs and ate breakfast. Mommy made him some Banana Molasses Oatmeal. After he had eaten we took him upstairs for his birthday surprise, a new KITCHEN!! He loves it. Loves all the cabinets and things to open and close. After he played for a while we got him ready and took him to Pump It Up, Jr. for the first time. He was a little hesitant at first, but once mom and dad got in with him he loved it. He especially loved going down the big slide with mom and dad. After PIU, it was back home for a nap. After his nap mommy began to start lunch. He likes Mi Cocina refried beans so I decided I'd make some. Well, that didn't go over so well. Guess they weren't up to par with Mi Cocina and he gagged and threw them up on the first bite! So annoying!! After lunch we took him to Yumilicious for some birthday frozen yogurt!! We ran some errands and then ended the night a Mi Cocina for dinner. Hugo and the manager Francisco (Yes, we go there A LOT) arranged for some candle lit flan and sang Happy Birthday to him in Spanish!! It was amazing!! Most perfect day!

Saturday we had his birthday party at Gymboree. It was awesome! He had tons of friends come and celebrate with him. We didn't get to really talk to anyone because we were too busy trying to make sure B was having a good time and Miss Linda had him in the spot light a lot, which I didn't quite know how he'd handle, but he was perfect!! Great first birthday. Glad we went all out for his 1st, next year will most likely have at house since by then all his friends will be walking and can have games and bounce houses. Can't believe I'm already thinking about his next one!! After the party, family came over to open presents.

Sunday we did his smash cake. He didn't quite know what to do so we helped him. He only tried a crumb of cake though! That boy! Next year will be tons of cake eating!!

So that was it. A whole year has gone by! CRAZY!!!

Where has the time Gone?

At 3:25 A.M., my sweet baby boy will be a "baby" no more!! I can't believe that just a year ago my sweet prince surprised us by coming a week early. He was 7 lbs 13 oz and 19.75 inches. It's been a whirlwind of emotions and learning experiences. I've cherished each and every coo, ooh and the occasional shriek, although not so much of the latter. Looking back at pictures seeing how much he's grown and lost a ton of baby fat and transformed into this beautiful creature is just amazing. He definitely has my stubbornness and Quinton's allergies, but he's still perfect to us. I love that through him I've met some super amazing women and babies that without him I would have never met. They are the rock to sanity and, of course, the ambassadors of fun! Feel so blessed!

Quinton is taking the day off so we can spend it as a family. Going to Pump It Up, Jr., maybe some frozen yogurt is in his future as well, and we'll finish it off with a family dinner.

Saturday we are celebrating with amazing friends and family. Can't wait!!

I'm the luckiest, most blessed person in the world!!

Let life's experiences draw you closer together

Herman & Mary Sue Davis

Married: October 5, 1943

Herman and Mary Sue sat next to each other in high school band. "I played the sax, she played the flute- and we shared a music stand!" says Herman. Today they share many things, such as working together to compile the family genealogy.

__________________________________________________________

When shaping a vessel, potters exert equal pressure with their hands on both the outside and the inside of the clay to prevent it from collaapsing. After the clay dries, it is glazed and then placed in a fiery kiln. The intense heat perfects the clay by removing blemishes, strenthening it, and enhancing the paint olors. The once wet piece of clay is finally transformed into a beautiful anduseful peice of pottery.

Marriage can be viewed as a similar work in progress. Like the clay, you and your spouse will constantly face various pressures from life- job changes, financial stress, parenting responsibilities, and the list goes on. To prevent your marriage from collapsing, you must respond to any external pressure with the internal pressure of a powerful relationship with the living God.

Just as clay is fired in a kiln, so will your marriage go through periods of intense heat. But remember that your heavenly Father is using these times to remove imperfections in your relationship and make it stronger and more beautiful. Face the difficult times together, and let the Lord mold and perfect your marriage, lifting you to higher levels of intimacy with each other and with Him.

O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay,

you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Isaiah 64:8

Grrr and Weekend Wrap Up

So I will start this off with negative to hopefully end on positive. I just don't know what to do about Quinton's sister. Well, there is nothing for me to do, it's for her father to decide. She's just a complete mess. I will not go into all detail, as many know what she's gone through. Well, last semester she was going to Austin Community College and from what I heard (but it was from her, so who knows if it's true or not) she did well. Come this semester her dad realized that there was no tuition or books charged on her credit card and for some reason she was making purchases in Plano and Richardson a lot. Randall's birthday was on September 22 and we went over to his house to cook out and hang. He called her to invite her, but she said she couldn't because she had school on Saturday. BIG FAT LIAR!! Turns out she is living in Richardson with some guy and didn't bother to tell anyone. So here's Randall still paying for an apartment down in Austin and all this crap all over again. He supposedly laid into her, but I swear nothing gets through to her. She has begged for years and years to please let her move to San Diego or Austin to start over and her was her chance and she just completely blew it! I had sent her a text message the other week before we found out about her living here now, asking for her address so I could send her an invitation to Brendan's birthday party and she sent me some random one in Austin which of course came back Saturday in the mail. So know Quinton doesn't want her there, which I know he would never have the nerve to tell her, but like she would show up anyways. We are all supposed to be going down to Horseshoe Bay for Quinton's cousin's wedding vow renewal this weekend, we'll see if she shows up. There are so many things I would just like to say to her, but I know it's not my place so I won't. It's just time to completely cut her off!! It's sad that I think the only reason why she isn't now is because Randall fears she won't ever come around again, because he was telling me the other day at lunch she only calls when she wants something. SO SAD!!!!

Okay, so this weekend. Friday we went to our usual Mi Cocina. There was a cute little girl who was a week older than Brendan at the table behind us that he just couldn't stop looking. Such a flirt. Afterwards we had brought a blanket and went and listened to the live band playing and let Brendan play around. Saturday we went Halloween costume shopping for Brendan and it came down to Baby Yoda and Vampire Baby. I'll give you a hint on which we chose, "May the force be with you." LOL. Later we dropped Brendan off at my parents so we could go to our friends Loni and Josh's couples shower. It was so much fun. Lots of laughs and fun games, and of course cute little baby items!!! This morning we slept in until 8:30!!!! Never knew how great 8:30 was!! We did some things around the house and Q packed for his trip and then we went to pick up B from my parents. He was napping when we got there so we ate some breakfast and chatted with my parents and then I went to check on him and LOVE when I get to watch him wake up. He had just rolled over and was starting to wake up, one little eye peaked opened and I smiled and then two big little eyes opened and a BIG SMILE!! Melts my heart! After we got home we just hung out, watched the Rangers and then B went down for his last nap and Q left right after he fell asleep. Already miss him!!! Thursday night can't come soon enough!

Do everything you can to express your love

Lennie & Victoria Shane

Married January 29, 1938

A man of few words, Lennie's silence is beautifully balanced by his wife Victoria's shining sense of humor.

___________________________________________________________

True love- everyone's searching for it. Singers sing about it. Poets write about it. Novelists weave stories about it. Artists immortalize it in a drawing, a painting, a sculpture. Filmmakers portray it in images larger than life.

But how do you know if you have it?

There are many ways for you and your spouse to express your love, many ways to show each other how deeply you care. You can say it with words, candy and flowers, with diamonds and gold. All these ways are wonderful, all should be used, but none proves your hearts to be true. Not one guarantees the veracity of your love.

The only way to know if you have true love is to see whether it stands the test of time. Has it endured hardship, boredom, and pain? Has it weathered life's busyness? Has it withstood the pressures of job, family, and home, the stresses of midlife and old age? Time alone will tell.

If you're just embarking on the marriage path, you'll know the level of your commitment to each other by the way you live out your lives together day by day, expressing your love in every possible way through respecting each other, encouraging each other, and serving each other minute by minute, hour by hour.

You determint whether the love you have is true over time. But you being now.

Let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love.

This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality.

1 John 3:18-19 msg

Never get too old to hold hands

Arnold & Hazel Morelan

Married February 17, 1920

Arnold and Hazel were high school sweethearts. Known for their busy, loving hands, they "retired" by opening up a gift shop where Arnold cast concrete yard ornaments and Hazel stitched handmade quilts and dolls.

_______________________________________________________

It starts with a tiny fist wrapped around a mother's finger. It continues with a young hand held gently in one much larger. It endures through puppy love, adolescent relationships, and courtship. And if we are wise, it extends into marriage, through middle age, beyond the golden years, to the very end of life.

Holding hands is one of the most intimate expressions of love between two human beings.

Don't ever let this beautiful act slip away from you. It's so much more than a gesture of affection, so much greater than a mere symbol of connection. It's an incredibly meaningful communication, a deep connection in and of itself. It requires no words; in fact, no words can convey such a profound message.

Why would two people ever stop holding hands? Perhaps it seems silly, somehow undignified, when we're older and have been married a long time. We may begin to think such things were meant only for young lovers and newlyweds. That's far from true! Besides its many other purposes, holding hands helps satisfy the basic human need for physical touch, a need we never outgrow.

Hold your spouse's hand throughout your life together; don't ever let it go until the day when you've fulfilled every marriage vow and finally release it from your grasp, placing it lovingly, trustingly, into the hand of God.

I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into glory.

Psalm 73:23-24

Weekend Rewind

Let's see, Friday seems so long ago now that it's Monday, lol. Friday we just stayed home. I cooked some dinner and we played with Brendan. Saturday we had Brendan's friend, Blake's first birthday party to go to. I can't believe our babies are turning one! Get teary eyed just thinking of it. Had a lot of fun celebrating Blakes birthday and playing with friends. Afterwards we ran a couple errands picking up a few Halloween decorations and then it was off to home so B could take a nap. While he napped Q and I decorated the house (I handled the inside, while Q handled the outside) for Halloween. Looks awesome! After Brendan woke up we went to Mi Cocinia for dinner (surprise, surprise). Brendan will now eat beans soup and tortillas with queso on them. It's better than nothing right! Sunday we skipped church to be lazy bums. Went to my parents for lunch, where my dad had made mashed potatoes that he just knew Brendan would eat. It barely touched his lips before he started gagging!! We'll ate least my parents have seen first hand how dramatic he is about solid food. I just really wish he'd get there. The boy needs cake on his birthday and he's getting a super cute one!! After my parents we came home and took a family nap, well, B slept in his crib because now when I try to nap with him he just wants to play, so he's gotten to the point where he "needs" his crib to sleep. Miss snuggling up and taking naps :(. After he woke up we went to the Owen's Spring Creek Farm. Our mommy group went on Friday, but we couldn't go because of nap time. Was so sad to not be able to go with our friends, but I know Quinton appreciated getting to go with him. Brendan picked out a fabulous pumpkin, as you can see! Hope you all had a great weekend, we sure did!!

Have fun just being together

Arthur & Mabel Johnson

Married October 22, 1920

Arthur and Mabel met when he came to pick up his brother's engagement ring, which she was returning! "Six months later we were married," Mabel says, laughing. During their seventy-three years of marriage, they took lots of little day trips and numerous vacations.

___________________________________________________

A good, lasting marriage requires effort- but it takes fun too! King Solomon said, "I commend the enjoyment of life (Ecclesiastes 8:15). Have a good time with your spouse. Enjoy other's company. It doesn't take a lot of money to have fun if you think of creative ways to be lighthearted and playful together.

When was the last time you flew a kite? Grab a couple of inexpensive ones and head for the beach, where there always seems to be a steady breeze. Kick off your shoes and walk together along the shoreline until you find a good spot, then let the wind take your kites as high as they can go, while you and your spouse sit on the sand, relax, and watch them soar. Before you know it, the sun will be seting over the water, putting on a free light show to add to the fun.

As you reel in your kites, admiring the colors on the horizon, take a moment to reflect on the One who provides you with so many blessings. After all, who made the sand on the beach? Who created the air and the wind? Who made the water, sky, the glorious sunset? Most of all, who fashioned and breathed to life the wonderful person with whom you delight to share it all?

Go ahead- have some fun.

God....gives us richly all things to enjoy

1 Timothy 6:17 NKJV

While I'm all about having fun, this one is hard to relate to with no beach nearby, but I get the point. Just wish one was just a hop skip and a jump away.