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Today Rob and I celebrate 10 years of wedded bliss. Okay, bliss, maybe not all the time, but I wouldn't change one moment of the last 10 years for anything. When I was 19 people told me I was to young to get married and I didn't know what I was getting into. True...but would I have ever been "ready" or "known"? NO! Marriage has it's trials and tough times, but I am a better woman, wife, and mother due to all of them. Marriage also has it's AMAZING times. Intimacy, laughter (and lots of it), children, vacations, in-laws, and someone to wake up to each morning. No one in this whole world challenges me the way Rob does. No one in this whole world knows me better than Rob does. (With the exception of maybe my mom. But even Rob knows things she doesn't.) No one loves me in the whole world like Rob does. He knows my good and bad qualities and loves me anyway. He is one special man and I am truly blessed to call him mine over the last 10 years and can't wait to celebrate many more with him!

Best. Christmas. Ever.

This Christmas was so wonderful. I have been thinking over the last couple days why. And now that we have dug our way out of the Christmas throw-up I am beginning to realize why. Was it because I got this? I mean, yeah, I love it and am totally addicted to it! But that was it. It wasn't because we started some new tradition, because we didn't really do anything different than last year. I really think it was the kids. They were so excited about everything. Going to Grandpa's and church on Christmas Eve. Setting out cookies for Santa and writing him notes. Playing with Rob's new Polar Express train. Talking to Grandma and Grandpa on the web cam. Going to my mom's and grandma's. It was so fun to watch them! Christmas morning we took our time. The kids unwrapped a few gifts. Then we would take them out of the box and play with them. We had a fire, coffee, cinnamon rolls. It was such a nice morning.

So a couple days after the fun and madness, I am ready to move on with the winter. Rob is off for the rest of the week and we have some fun things planned. I am ready for New Years and 2011 to start. Oh yeah...and to celebrate our 10 year anniversary...

Merry Christmas!

I have been thinking over the last couple days about this time of year. It took me awhile to get into "the Christmas Spirit." Whatever that means. Shouldn't we be in that "spirit" all year long? Anyway, once I was there, I was really there. I have had so much fun with my family, making cookies, looking at lights, decorating, shopping. And all the things that go along with the season. Thinking that we are only 2 days away from Christmas makes me a little sad. Before I think about Christmas being over thought, I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite things about this time of year.

*Making cookies

*Listening to TSO

*Watching home videos from years past with my family

*the smell of our home (Christmas cabin from Scentsy)

*a fire burning in the fireplace all day long

*hot chocolate

*playing in the snow

*getting the kids way more than we should!!!*

*hearing the kids ask me 100 times if we can go see the dancing lights, AGAIN

*Remembering that Jesus did not have to come to this Earth, he chose too. For me. And he is going to come again. For me.

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Rob, Amy, Broderick and Carys

Life is good

You might be asking yourself, "Why doesn't Amy update her blog more?" Then again, you may not care. I care, because this is the place I journal all the things we have been doing and some of my thoughts. Broderick started wrestling a few weeks ago and with practice 2 nights a week and Saturdays, House church, cub scouts and all the other things I have going on (grocery, cleaning, subbing, Carys, etc.) it has been busy. Good, but busy. It has been weird for me to adjust to Rob and Broderick being gone 2-3 nights a week. We don't really eat dinner as a family anymore except on weekends. It is only for a season though. And we are having so much fun with wrestling and cub scouts. All that being said, I never posted about Broderick's party. (or Rob's birthday! I love you, honey!) We did his party at a very cook arcade near us. It was fabulous on my part, show up with cake and kids. The kids played the Wii on giant screens and had time to play normal arcade games. Broderick loved it!

We also had his first wrestling match this weekend. It was so fun! He had 3 matches. He won the first one and lost the second 2, but put up a great fight!

Above: Shaking hands with the kid after he beat him.
Below: I want to draw your attention to the intensity in Broderick's opponent. It is very clear that this kid has done this before. I don't think Broderick knew what was coming! This kid picked him up and slammed him to the mat. Then had him pinned face down. I could see that Broderick was crying. I looked at Rob and said, "he is hurt! He is crying!" Needless to say, Broderick did loose this fight, but I am so proud of him. He said last night before bed, "I am glad that other kid won!" How sweet is that!!! While I felt very sad that Broderick was hurt and hope I don't have to watch him cry on the mat again, he is learning so much! He did a wonderful job and I can't wait to watch him again!

{seven}

How does a baby go from this....

to this? I will tell ya how, quickly! Very quickly! I remember when Broderick was a baby, screaming his head off all the time, and I would be out with him and older people would say, "Enjoy this time, they grow up way to fast." At the moment of standing in the check out line with a crying baby, leaking boobs, and feeling completely exhausted I would think, "Not fast enough!" So here I am seven years later thinking, "Those people are right! This past seven years have gone super quick, and in just seven more he will be 14! Then what am I going to do?" I know, be looking back at pictures thinking, where did the time go? I love this boy like none other! God has used him to teach me more about being a mom, a friend, and a christian the past 7 years through this child than anything else! He pushes me, challenges me, forgives me, shows me unconditional love, and teaches me all day, everyday! So as I wipe my eyes, I wish him the best birthday ever, with many more to come!