dont cry over burnt chicken

Does this burnt chicken look appetizing to you?

Spoiler alert: it wasn't. 

Here's the thing, despite my best efforts, I have not scored well in the category of cooking in my journey to become the best wife in the world. Accompanying this burnt chicken was a pot of extremely lumpy mashed potatoes and over-peppered gravy. The canned beans turned out fine because all I had to do was open the can and heat them. The worst part is that I REALLY try. I look at cookbooks, pinterest, and try to channel my inner woman that will magically just know how to cook. None of this has worked well. When I follow a recipe I usually always forget one part or it takes me hours because I am going so slow measuring out everything perfectly. WHY!? My elder family members keep telling me that I will get it eventually but I'm not so sure. 

After spending an hour in the kitchen preparing this disaster, I called Judson to come in and look at the damage. I began to explain that I accidentally burnt the chicken, under cooked the potatoes, etc... as I'm explaining I start crying. I'm crying and crying and saying how I just want to be able to be one of those wives who can cook! Judson sweeps me up and sits me down on his lap and tells me I'm the best wife and then starts praying for me. He then mushed up everything I cooked on his plate, salt and peppered it to an unrecognizable state, and ate two servings of it. Bless him. I gathered my weepy self together and ended this fateful event eating a pint of ice-cream. 

the power of words

I feel loved most by words of affirmation. FOR SURE. Well how boring would it be if my husband's love language was the exact same as mine? So boring. We have to challenge ourselves to do what the other one needs in order to feel loved. He needs acts of service to feel loved. So even when I'm so exhausted at the end of the day and I'm telling him I love him or how great he is over and over again, I realize I need to get my butt up and go make dinner, wash the dishes, or tidy up the house for him to really feel how thankful I am to be his. And that's just fine with me. I won't ever complain because my husband... well, my husband does things like this to make me feel loved, treasured, valued, important, etc.

Instant joy to my core. Words make life so much more enjoyable. Use yours wisely to someone else. Don't ever use words as a sword, but instead as a vessel to spread light this world so desperately needs. The way I feel when Judson does these types of things for me is something I pray into the hearts of everyone. What if YOU could make someone feel this way with your words. The power is yours!

Our first child

Okay, okay let's just get real here and say that I used to hate this dog. Judson already had her when we started dating and she was always ruining the moment. On our first walks together this dog was jumping all over me while I was trying to be really cute and graceful. Get my outfits all muddy while I'm trying to impress this boy! Our first kiss was on one of our walks and this dog wrapped around me on her leash and made me trip. Awesome Rylee! You suck.

Judson asked me to marry him, so I guess we were getting pretty serious and I realized crap... I have to like learn how to tolerate this dog. So when judson would go to work I would babysit her at my house. She was crazy. She pooped on my floor. Vomitted on my floor. Peed on my floor. Blah. Then judson and me had to try and find a house with a backyard to be able to keep this crazy animal.

Then, something happened. Judson had to have a bachelor party. Soooo as a kind soon-to-be wife gesture, I said, "hey darling, I will keep Rylee at my parent's house with me in Graham for two weeks while you go have your fun." Well... it wasn't really worded like that, but let's just pretend. So, she came home with me and I decided to get her fixed. HALLELUJAH! This dog turned into little angel baby to me.

She was so sweet and calm in her painful, post surgery form. Is that wrong to say? But she needed me!! She would lay in my lap for comfort and follow me around everywhere! She was the sweetest thing in the world. 

And so, we bonded and fell in love. Now this dog is such a wonderful part of our lives. She is like having a toddler. She doesn't really mind all the time but everything she does is so darn cute. She makes us happy and reminds us to have joy when we are so exhausted. She wakes up full of life and READY for the day! It makes us want to be that way too, ya know? When we argue she just runs back and forth between us till we are laughing so much at her we forget our silly arguments. Awesome Rylee! You rock.

I also seriously suggest to newly married couples to raise a dog before a child, if you can. We learn so much about each others parenting styles from the way we treat Rylee. I'm a push over about things he really wants her to do (play fetch correctly) and he's a push over about things I really don't want her to do (always get on furniture). When one of us says "No Rylee, no people food for you this time." the other one feels bad for her and sneaks her some under the table. We're a mess, but we have each other! We are a happy family of three and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Judson kind of looks challenged in this picture.. yes?

Also, she does things like this when one of us leaves. COME ON! so so so stinking cute. 

Excuse the mess... 

And being married rocks. But there will be more on that later.