Thursday, April 28, 2011

I originally wanted to make this about how I am the coolest wife ever, but I'm going to talk about my husband, instead. Because he's WAY more interesting.

This is my husband, CAPTAIN Fisher.  I gave him this bushido blade as a gift, when he was rather suddenly promoted from lieutenant to captain earlier this month. (That blade is the reason I'm the coolest wife ever!)  I used to call him my "saxy lootellan" (know the reference?), and I was sad about losing that term, until I realized I could now say I had my very own Captain Moroni.  More on that later.

Here is a picture of us on his promotion day.
He accuses me of leaning away from him on purpose when we take pictures, so we always have to have one where I REALLY lean away.

Ah, this is more like it. . .
Every couple needs a good kissing picture.  We're still working on it. See here, he's not really leaning into me, so THERE, Captian! I'm pretty sure this is illegal, though, because he's in uniform and he's technically not supposed to show any sign of affection (I can't even hold his hand!!). Oh well.  We kiss. Get over it, Army!

Now I'm going to acquaint you with some of the many reasons my husband is the coolest husband ever!

My husband LOVES his children.  He never hesitates to play or spend time with them.  I'm so blessed to be married to a man who unabashedly adores our children as much as I do. 

I'm married to a man who is committed to me as a wife and mother.  We can aim to be on the same page, and he defends me.  He also opens my doors.  Unless I'm irritated and beat him to it, but he still goes through the motions, and it usually makes me smile.

I'm grateful for a man who's willing to talk.  And we talk about EVERYTHING!   My husband has a gift for counselling, and trust me, he uses that gift frequently with me.

I'm grateful to be married to a man who is honorable, clean, and virtuous.  He sets the best example for our son, and I will be extremely happy if our daughters catch husbands like him.

I'm so blessed to enjoy spending time with the Captain.  We love talking, watching movies, playing board or video games, and especially reading together. 

Did you know that he's a MATH NERD, too?  I totally DIG math skills!

Importantly, my man works.  He works at a job that he likes but doesn't always love, and he does it so we can have a sufficient living.  I'm especially grateful to stay home with my kids.
The one thing I haven't mentioned is how very handsome my Captain is.  The first time I saw him without facial hair, I nearly fainted.  Eight years later, he's as handsome as ever-- well, more so because he's a MAN now.  My favorite of his features?  His smile wrinkles, his manly jawline, and his sexy, manly hands.  And, he smells good. 

Add to all this his faithful spirit. He truly is a man who can answer all my righteous desires.  These verses of Captain Moroni describe my husband perfectly:
11And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
12Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.
13Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
I am so grateful for a man who is willing to serve not only his family, but our friends, too. He is a man focused on keeping his covenants with honor and perfection.  He is a true and devout follower of Christ, my very own Captain Moroni.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Your failure to plan is not my emergency.

We were having a family over for breakfast and games one Saturday when a girlfriend called and asked if we could babysit for her within the hour (it wasn't for an emergency).  I regretfully turned her down, and I felt guilty about it.  I like to be there for friends when I can.  When I told our guests about it, the husband said point blank, "Their failure to plan is not your emergency."

I am in no way being critical or passing judgement on my girlfriend.  His comment was brutally honest, but it got me thinking about planning.
Planning is so important that without it, life won't go where I want it to. 
  • I can't teach my children without a thinking about what I want to teach them.
  • I can't fulfill my visiting teaching assignments without calling my sisters and setting dates for visits.
  • I can't fulfill my callings unless I plan ahead, making announcements and teaching others about dry-pack canning.
  • I can't go to the temple without scheduling a baby sitter.
  • I can't have a happy marriage unless I put a little thought into things, planning dates, writing letters, thinking about what my husband would like.
  • I can't give gifts unless I think about the person I want to give a gift to.
Last year, I let life slip me by.  I planned and scheduled almost nothing, and thus, I got almost nothing accomplished that year.  I gave in to the misconception-- whether mine or from some outside influence, I don't know-- that it didn't matter when I got out of bed, whether or not I worked out or read scriptures or kept to a routine.  Because of that, I got lazy and developed habits that now I strive to break.  And it's challenging.

I don't want this year to be the same way.  It's already April, but it's gone by in record time.  I can say the only habit I've changed is working out-- I am now accustomed to working out five days a week for nearly an hour, and I've adapted to waking at 6am (I'm working to 5am) in order to do that. 

Here's another realization I had:  anything I do for myself during the daylight hours is taking time away from my kids.  So I want to work out and get ready for the day BEFORE my kids awake, so that I can focus on being a better mother for them.  (My problem now is learning to go to bed before 11pm.  Six hours of sleep is not enough!)

There are so many things I want to get done.  Now I just have to regiment my day so I can get them done.  Next year I want to homeschool our four-year-old, and in order to do that, I need to be structured.  I'd better start making progress towards that now!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

I'm a ruby in the rough

Do you know Proverbs 31? Well if you don't, it's worth reading.  Suffice to say, I'm not a wife whose price is greater than rubies--but I try.

I haven't ever been very good about blogging.  I am not one of those uber-talented women who can decorate a home, be perfectly organized, blog every day, take perfect pictures, make creative desserts, sew, cook, AND home-school her children, all while working full-time, and volunteering with the local PTA, and baking homemade bread, and making/buying her friends awesome gifts for every major and minor holiday on the calendar.

In fact, I've come to think of myself as a nobody.  And nobodies don't put their thoughts out for others to hear.  And I've felt my brain shut down.  Thinking becomes something more and more foreign to me as I struggle to survive and just keep my house moderately sanitary whilst attending various social activities for my three young kids, balancing our budget, trying to clip coupons, and cooking homemade hearty meals from scratch, all the while hearing pleas from my four-year-old to "be a kid and play!"  WHEW! 

Proof I do play with my kids. 
Here, I'm posing while my four-year-old takes pictures of the donkey-bride,
Curly-Shirley, and me on her wedding day.
I do have thoughts running through my head.  I've just never considered them important enough to write down.  Lately, though, I see my fault.  Recently, I brushed away the thought to say something, and that one thing I didn't say affected the course of my week-- and my family's immediate future.

So I'm going to write.  And while I might not always say the most interesting or concise things, I do want to practice putting my thoughts into words in an entertaining and purposeful manner--something I sorely need to practice doing.  I'll be the first to admit my communication skills are more than rusty--they're rotty. (Is that a word?)  And I--a technical writing graduate of Utah State University!  I cannot let this be!

So here's to using my brain to think of creative ways to share my thoughts!