Seven Random Things

Seven things I did before I was a Mom?

1. Worked my first ever job at The Loussac Library with my sister Kotya.
2. Shared an apartment with my friend Karen, who is now also my sister-in-law.
3. Learned to crochet.
4. Oil painted.
5. Learned to knit.
6. My husband and I flagged mobile homes on the highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks for more money to pay bills.
7. We also delivered floral bouquets to help make ends meet.

Seven things I do now that I know Jesus really loves me:

1. I want to please Him.
2. Try to learn more about Him so I know how to please Him (Bible reading).
3. Try to be a light to those I come in contact with so they can know Him too.
4. Go on the occasional gospel team trip with my husband and share my testimony.
5. Let Him be my defender by not being defensive when wrongly attacked.
6. Sharing the blessings He has given to me.
7. Go to church.

Seven things I would like to do!

1. Travel the Lower 48 with my husband (while we are still mobile).
2. Visit more of Alaska.
3. More bead work.
4. Be with Millie when she first begins to talk again.
5. Be with Millie and see her smile again.
6. Totally landscape (or hire it done) our 13 acres!!!! haha
7. Go on a Mediterranean cruise with my whole family!

Seven things that still attract me to my husband!

1. His sincere gaze, and then his awesome smile.
2. How he is so careful of me, and so worried when I fall down or hurt myself!
3. When I see him studying God's word.
4. When I see him spend time with the kids and the grand kids.
5. His love for the outdoors and me being in it with him!
6. He always considers my opinion as important when decisions need to be made.
7. How he plays his guitar even though he has one useless finger.

Seven favorite foods?

1. Coffee
2. Cookies ... with coffee.
3. Bacon and eggs with coffee.
4. Fried chicken!
5. Mashed potatoes.
6. Apple pie with fresh ground kona coffee.
7. Baked salmon with rice.

Seven things I say most often:

1. "Oh my word."
2. "Who called?"
3. "Hi"
4. "Bye - bye"
5. "What you wanna eat?"
6. "Wanna go out to eat?"
7. "I'm so hot!" (Doug always says, "Yes you are." haha)

Seven people I would like to pass this Creativ Blogger Award to:

Slimpickin's
Jettie
Marie
Karla
Sandi
Faith
Joanne
Farrah

I got this award from e-Mom. thanks e-Mom! Now I am passing it on to seven. Like e-Mom said, only do this Seven Random Things "if you have the time." I know it's Christmas time and hard to do even more, but hey... you're already just sitting there at the computer anyway! Oh my word! I listed EIGHT, hehehe.

Marriage Monday-Why Romance Matters

Picture is of Doug and I before we got married.

It's Marriage Monday with e-Mom today. Join us for this months topic "Why Romance Matters."

Consider writing about your favorite restaurant, your favorite song, or the little things you do for one another throughout the week. What tones down the tension, and tunes up the tenderness? How do you encourage your husband to nurture the romantic side of your marriage? I want to know! C H R Y S A L I S

Doug is my fantastic husband and if you've been reading along at my blog you have probably already picked that up. Doug is a man of integrity, hard-working, a great Dad and Grandpa that is loved, conscientious in all aspects of married life and work, dedicated to our family, loves God with his whole heart - but I've noticed that he needs some help in the romance department!

When I was young.. that was a problem. Because when I was young I did not value the more important character traits my husband was developing as a married man! As time happened I realized, oh my word... what a splendid husband my God has blessed me with!

With time, I have valued my relationship with Doug above others and found that I must work to protect it from ruin. Previously, at times I became disgruntled and ungrateful and began to keep track of those things that were not in our marriage such as... romance! Long walks on beaches, lingering glances over candlelit dinners, quiet moments alone, etc., etc., while they can be fun the other more important aspects of marriage should be valued more than those movie-style romantic encounters.

What ever in the world is romance anyway? My idea of romance (and it's absence in our marriage) was triggered by the worlds movies; TV shows; even advertisements. Those ideas did not build up our relationship but made me feel like something was missing in it. Romance is elusive and when I think we have something like romance it just makes me giggle and feel silly.

There was a time in our relationship when Doug and I seemed to co-exist. Do we all go through such times as that? I believe we both took our marriage for granted, and we did not realized it needs to be protected. We both did things that jeopardized our continuing marriage relationship. In my own case, and without realizing the consequences of developing my own friendships, my faithfulness was tested. The evil one works to destroy all that God has called good. He called our marriage good and the evil one worked hard to destroy it while I made relationships outside of my marriage too important. I am happy today to say that both Doug and I realize the value of each other and our marriage relationship. I am thankful and grateful that God protected us from evil - when we needed to be protected.

My advise today is that we, as couples, must value the relationship we have with each other above the silly notions of romance. There is nothing better away from each other, there is just more of the same. We need to keep on building on what attracted us to each other and made us get married in the first place. And there are more important things in a relationship than romance.

Yes, romance does matter, and a bit of it can bring happiness... but we also need to examine what we think is romance and whether or not we are letting this notion interfere with the wonderful marriage we may already be blessed with!

I've helped my husband with romance by buying roses for myself and then telling him what a wonderful guy he is to think of buying me roses! He loves it. He says that I make him look so good! Then we have a good laugh together and I get to enjoy the beautiful roses while they last. When our children see the roses and ask, "Who are the roses for and for what?" For me, just because... from Dad." They giggle and say, "Ahhhh Dad, how romantic!"

This week... he brought roses home for me all on his own, for no reason at all!

That is romance, isn't it? I love you, Doug.

I also love the verses that e-Mom posted and post them now again for you.
"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden." Prov 30:18-19