Thankful

It's the last day of November. I didn't write all the "I'm grateful for..."'s on facebook, but I wanted to take a quick moment to tell you something that I am very very lucky and blessed to have in my life.
His name is Craig. And he is my best friend. And I'm married to him.

(hands off, ladies, he's mine!)

Last week I was on another photoshoot rampage and I called home to ask Craig about something, I can't remember what. When he answered the phone he was laughing and I could barely understand a word he said because it was interjected by screeching children and loud bumps and thumps. The kids were crawling all over him and playing with him on the living room floor. It didn't really matter what he said because my heart was warm and I was so immensely grateful for him at that moment, that I could go off and do what I need to do and he's got things covered at home. And he enjoys spending time with his kids. And he's happy. I reflected on this later when I was talking with a friend about hubbies and was just again filled with that gratitude recognizing how much he has grown as a husband and father in the few short years we've been together. What an amazing blessing it is to be married to a man like that. Truly.
I want to share something else with you. We're not perfect.

(this is one of our happy engagement pictures 7 and a half years ago!)

I know that comes a shocker. I just wanted to implant that in here because I'm going to share a story with you and I don't want anyone, anyone out there thinking that life is all peaches and cream over here. I share good moments on my blog because I want to remember them. Sometimes life really is a kick in the pants, but when I look back on these, I want to remember all the good things. That's what being grateful is all about.

I have read a number of Craig's papers over the years for his schooling. I've helped him write quite a number more. This has been a battle between us for some time. Why? Because, duh, I have to catch up on all my Scramble and SongPop games on my phone, I don't have time to read a paper over. I watched the kids all day and maybe baked some food and sorta cleaned...a little..I've earned a break, seriously, I can't read a paper right now! Two nights ago I came home from shopping with a terrible case of the chills and bad aches all over my body and a climbing fever. I tried to eat a little food after Craig got the kids down and then went on to immediately started welcoming the Priests from church (16-18 year old guys he's in charge of from church) to work on some scouting into the living room. It wasn't working out so well, and as soon as the boys left, I told Craig I was going to hit the sack. Timidly as I was climbing the stairs, Craig turned to me while pulling up his homework on the computer and said, "Hey, ah, I have this paper...."...and sort of trailed off when he saw my "I'm sick, does it look like I want to read a paper right now?" grumpy stare, and he then replied, "...can you read it for me tomorrow? It's due on Thursday." and I said, "Yes, I'll read it tomorrow." Well tomorrow came and I was down for the count. I spent most of the day in the bathroom and spent the rest of it cursing my wretched stomach, which seemed to have tied itself in a giant painful knot. Craig graciously took over seminary for me, got the kids ready for the day, and helped out as much as he could before he left. My blessed mother in law took the kids for me that afternoon as I got worse, and then Craig promptly took over as soon as he got home from work so I could rest. By the time 10:00 rolled around I was desperate for some relief, so I asked Craig if he could give me a blessing. For those of you who aren't familiar with this, Craig, using his priesthood authority, which he has the privilege to administer to those in need as a member of our church, laid his hands on my head and gave me a blessing of healing. According to our doctrine, just as in the times of Christ, it is by the faith of those giving the blessing as well as the faith of those receiving it that grants the fulfillment of the healing, according to the will of God. I felt such a calm peace rest over me as he gave me the blessing and I knew that everything would be okay. By morning time I was feeling immensely better and again had very warm feelings of appreciation and deep love and respect for that man I am married to for all he does for me and our family, and particularly for the fact that he carries himself according to God's will so that he was able to perform that blessing for me.
So that paper that was due on Thursday did not get read. When Craig came home from work, halfway through cleaning up dinner, I remembered and started apologizing to Craig. "Don't worry!" he said, "I read it over and turned it in today." "I'm sorry I forgot, was the paper okay?" "Yes, it was fine, don't worry about it!" I let it go and moved on with the evening (I really did feel bad, I know it means a lot to him when I can check over his work for him, even when it interferes with my superior schedule...). After the kids were in bed and we were winding down for the day, Craig asked me if I would at least look that paper over for him to check for mistakes. Obviously I didn't feel bad enough about not reading it because my response was something along the lines of this: "And you already turned it in?! Noooo thank you. As much as I enjoy editing your papers, I don't do it for fun. It's turned in, there's nothing you can do about it!" Craig patiently persisted, "I really think you should read this, just look it over for me please?" to which I again replied with a dramatic roll of the eyes and a "Seriously?". "Yes. Please. It's like a page and a half, it's really short" *exasperated sigh from me*...."Okay fine, I'll read it."
I sat down at the computer and began to read. It was a short extra credit essay on who was a hero in Craig's life. He began by explaining it wasn't a famous person or an athlete or a respected teacher or leader or anything like that.
It was me.
His wife, Chelsea, me, was his hero.
Tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over as I read the rest of the paper. He talked about our friendship, my qualities as a mother, my kindness, the many things I had overcome in my life and the good things I've been able to do despite that, my talents and my sacrifices to stay home with our kids, our marriage, and my example.
All I could say was, "I'm a scum bag. I. Am. A. Scum. Bag." It's a good thing he was sitting behind me because he might have been a little alarmed at the pain on my face- a good pain. A grateful pain. I turned around finally and he was smiling sweetly at me. I wanted to ask him how on earth he could let me treat him like I do, but I didn't, and instead I said thank you. Especially when he brought me a tissue.
I don't want anyone telling me I didn't make the right choice when I did. I wouldn't let this man go for the world and he is the largest influence for good on my life, hands down. My marriage to him is the greatest blessing I have ever received and means more to me every day. His love for me is a testament of God's love for me, and if you want a perfect life, a real one, that's all that matters.
Thank you, Craig, for making me happy in every sense of the word. I love you. 

Weenie!!

To enjoy the fruits of your labors, you must wade through some muck sometimes. Some pumpkin muck, to be specific. 
Chloe: "Mom, can't you just scoop the pumpkin yuck out for me?"
Me: "NO"
Because Daddy did it for me. And also it's a rite of passage until you become a Mommy and have earned a Daddy to do it for you.
Actually, I don't mind the guck so much, I just am too much of a perfectionist because I try to get every single little stray stringy thing out of the pumpkin and I sit there forever. Craig gets it done a lot faster for me. 

Odell was a little freaked out. But she recovered, don't worry. 

 Yeah, that's right. My pumpkin is clean.

 Workin' hard!

The finished products!! While, as mentioned previously, I kind of have an OCD problem with getting all the stringies out, I kind of like how Craig was lazy with his and let them be. I can be okay with it just this once.

So, typically I got out each year and take pictures of the kids in their costumes- this year was no different. Except for the fact that it usually goes off without a hitch, and this year it didn't. I had Chloe and Odell outside and had just gotten Odell's makeup done when Chloe whipped out her light saber and hit Odell in the face with it. And the makeup came a smearing down her face with her tears. I had just gotten her calmed down and re-make-upped, I got a few shots of her while I could and was about to move on to Linus when Chloe ran up to me and through panicked tears said that her stomach hurt really bad. I assessed that she wasn't dying, looked like it was likely just gas, but she wouldn't let up about it. I had her sit down, then go inside and get a drink of water, then lie down for a bit, and finally after her extreme insistence that it was the costume that was bothering her, I let her take it off before I got any decent pictures of her in it. After she got it off, I tried to see what was wrong with her, and explained that if she really wasn't feeling well then she needed to rest for a bit and I would take her into the doctor if it hurt that bad (which would likely mean no trick or treating). Magically the pains disappeared within about ten minutes, just enough time to wear Linus and Odell out enough with pictures that it was time to come inside. Nice. Oh well, I can always dress them up again on another warm day when we have nothing else to do, I'm sure I won't get any complaining.
Odell is "Queen Amida-wah", although I went a little over-board with the red dots and she looks more like a geisha. Still cute either way, though, and she was so excited to wear make up just like mommy. Or something like mommy anyway. 

 Here is stomach-ache Chloe. Who was replaced quickly by "I want to go trick or treating!" Chloe. She played Ahsoka from Clone Wars. She knows nothing about her except that she's a cool jedi and also she's a girl. 'Nuff said.

 Feel the rage, Darf Dater.

 Protecting the geisha at all costs.

I want YOU to join the dark side...

Guess which ridiculously good-looking family won best themed family costume award at the church Halloween party?
Aw yeah. I know you are jealous of my dread-lock wig turned Leia buns wig. And my jedi moves. And my sexy Han Solo. How come Leia didn't have the force?