Oversized Asian

I have yet to introduce my husband...much like my daughter...he is very difficult to define.

Jay-Bob and I are very what-you-see-is-what-you-get...

Oversized Asian...hhmmmm...the preconceived notions begin instantly just by looking at him...we have heard ourselves say more than 10 times...no, he's not mexican...no, he isn't hawiian...yes, he is the biggest japanese person I've ever seen...

He's also gorgeous...and despite the fact that just a few days ago I told him, "we have got to work on your social skills!" He steals my heart EVERYTIME I watch him with our kids!

I never dreamed of marrying someone like him...preppy, jock, never read a book (even the required ones in school AND he bragged about this!!??), video gamer (I cannot really comment on this as it's still a bit of a shock to me), GORGEOUS (the day of our wedding my best friend came running back to me and breathlessly exclaimed, "Gosh, Heather, he's HOT!?!?"...note the shock...hmmm...maybe in my quest to be deep ((dating the guy with the hippie tie dyed van...it was then I learned I cannot stand the smell of a man living in his van with his dog...no matter how cool the life seemed)) I might have overlooked the fact that nice-looking men can be deep, too) .

Our Pastor warned us on our wedding day not to have expectations in marriage...and I understand more and more why not...because God gives us what we NEED not just what we want...

I always prayed for a hippie (hhmmm...then neither of us would bathe), muscian (tried that...no thank you to being second best to inanimate objects), philosophy major (tried that too, he was gay...leaving that topic alone), writer (see philosophy major comment), spiritual giant (my ideas of what these look like have changed considerably over the years), etc...

God answered my prayer by giving me a MAN who is willing to admit he needs a Savior, who loves his family fiercely, who is so excited about now reading books that he requested his "own book shelf "...to put his latest-reads on (it houses five of his books and 25 various kid's book and games...hey, it's a start!), who is able to teach himself how to play guitar and piano pretty much over-night, who listens to me go on and on and on about whatever it is I am going on and on and on about, and who is willing to ride around on our kid's mini-push car in circles through our living room just to make us laugh...OH, and he can kick anyone's butt!!

As I read over this, I realize that I am here to be real...real about marriage...the reality is in my experience and soon to be 8 years of learned wisdom...marriage, like motherhood is hard. If I would have realized in advance the difficulties and the sacrifice required, I would have probably opted out (kindof like the marathon I hope to run someday...but I know too much in advance the pain and sacrifice that is needed...and I am not quite disciplined enough to do so).

My husband is amazing...yet so often I take him for granted. My husband is beautiful...yet so often I see the things that irritate me...I have to stop myself...close my eyes...and pretend like I am seeing him for the first time all over again. We've had a hard year, and I am sure, at times, we have both wanted to run away. I am blessed that instead we have run to God and in doing so been able to run back to eachother...sigh...I am blessed...deeper sigh...really...really...blessed!!