well, this blog is looking a little neglected! i don't have much time right now, nor do i have a lot to say, but i just want to quickly document a bit of our relationship. right now, our relationship is AWESOME. we went through some tough weeks during the newborn stage- the last time i wrote to you was right before June was born. we definitely went through some of the normal post-baby angst- adjusting to our new family, sleep deprived, no sex for 6 weeks, etc. etc. and we fought kind of a lot, but it was SO much better this time around than it was when Johanna was a newborn. i remember the first year after Johanna was so hard. i do, of course, remember the sex was incredible after such a long time of meh sex (pregnancy and 6 weeks postpartum) and that was such a highlight for us. but we fought so so much. this time around, we are really working so well as a team- we are doing a great job communicating our needs and trusting each other and working to build each other up. we are being careful not to speak to each other's fears and instead to encourage each other and allow the other to grow and take time for themselves. a few days ago, you got home from work and started watching a timbers game with Johanna and told me to get out and go to Goodwill and grab dinner by myself and you watched both girls! It was such a great time for me- i even found the shoes i needed for Alex's wedding- i came home feeling refreshed and ready again to tackle the day to day. you have been working a lot of crazy hours and i *hope* i have been doing a great job of allowing you the flexibility you need and supporting you by not asking a lot of you at home, packing your lunches, playing games with you, etc. we have been really enjoying each other lately- WOW my favorite yet. i love how that part of our lives just continues to get better and better as we know each other more. i can't wait to see how incredible that part of our lives is in another 10 years! and you are so excited about your new job(s). you just invested $2,000 on SNAG golf equipment for Jr. summer camps and i haven't seen you so excited in a long time. i need to work a little harder to show interest and let you show me how to golf! this summer is certainly going to be a time of growth for us as you work long hours between golf and the farm, but i pray that we can continue to invest in each other and put the other person first. we are both doing a great job of meeting each other's needs. love how marriage is teaching us to selflessly serve each other and trust the other one to meet our needs. you are my brave and magic- i trust you so much and i thank God for giving you to me to navigate life with. you are such an incredible father to our kiddos and you do such a great job of loving us and making us happy. you provide so well for us- i am so thankful for you! honestly, our marriage is the only part of my life that i feel like i am rocking right now! balancing the needs of both kiddos and household chores during the day is kicking my butt and proving to be really challenging, but the 1 hour i get with you every night is the HIGHLIGHT of every day and the time we spend together is my favorite. i love you, my sweet husband! i hope you are enjoying your little nap since you had to wake up at 5:30 to work. both girls are napping now too, so i get to sip on coffee and blog- what a rare treat! thanks for allowing me to spend my free time doing this instead of making sure every dish is washed or the toys are picked up- you are my dream come true. you bring out the best in me by teaching me how to relax and enjoy life and i will always thank you for teaching me that! xoxoxoxo
