Answered Prayers and Sore Throats

Have you ever heard it said, "Be careful what you pray for - you might get it." Well, it's true. And I'm sick.

Last week, most of my family had a cold. Stuffed sinuses, sore throat, some coughing. The only one who hadn't gotten it yet was Hubby. On Wednesday, just as I started to get ove mine, he started to get stuffy. But he had two more days in his work week. So I prayed.

I asked God if He could not let my husband get a cold. Even if he were half dead, I knew my husband would go to work. And I worry about him because you really shouldn't be running power tools and balancing on roofs when your body is concentrating on getting better. So, I asked God if someone really had to be sick for the next few days, I would take Hubby's share of the cold. AND GOD ANSWERED MY PRAYER.

I have been sick - so far - four days longer than anyone else. And Hubby didn't get sick at all.

But yesterday at church, Hubby told everyone why I'm still sick. Everyone. From the pulpit. I was so embarassed. I could feel myself blushing. Do you know how long it has been since I felt all the blood run to my face and set it to glowing in front of everyone? I told Hubby I will never tell him about my prayers again. :)

Ah, My Valentine's Present

In a comment from my previous post, one of my faithful readers asked what I ended up getting for Valentines Day. So here's my Valentine to remember.

My husband took me literally when I told him that the banquet was enough. He came home from work and graciously accepted my gift of a card and a pint of Phish Food ice cream. He then asked if he had been supposed to get me something, since I HAD made that comment about the banquet. I assured him it was fine and it was. This meant I could go get what I REALLY wanted.

So, after dinner, I headed into town for a pint of Haagen Dazs (they were out of coffee :( I ended up with chocolate peanutbutter, my second choice) and a romantic movie. I was - truly - happy.

Until we watched the movie. I had rented "City of Angels." Since all my friends have a habit of telling me the entire movie when I ask about one, I hadn't asked anyone. And in case you have not seen it, I will not tell you how it ends. Just let me say, a wife with a red runny nose is not the greatest Valentine gift. Poor Hubby.

So, last night we watched "13 going on 30." Much better. So, I guess my Valentine gift ended up being that he sat through TWO romantic movies in one week. Four hours of time. Not many gals get that. :)

How We Met

I enjoyed the post by Mamalicious so well, that I am going to join her in telling the world how I met my husband. I'll try to post a link to her blog in case you want to read hers, too, but I'm not promising anything. I'm computer challenged.

How we met. Well, I have a photo of my husband in kindergarten with my little brother. And I do remeber him from that time frame. A cute little boy with big, brown eyes and glasses - not quite coke bottle. But, then he moved.

Fast forward fifteen years. I was a single mom, getting my act back together. My newborn son and I were attending the church I had grown up in. One week, a young man was sitting a few pews in front of my sister and I. White shirt, tan pants, and leather braided suspenders. Honestly, the first thing about my husband that I was attracted to was his butt. It's still pretty tight, too.

Anyway, another gal in our church took a liking to him. Poor guy. I can't describe this girl without being unkind, so I won't. But the second thing that attracted me to my husband was how kind he was to her. He was the first guy I had ever known who was patient with her flamboyant advances. He even accepted a Valentine card graciously. Yet to this day, when I say her name he shudders.

Oh, a second girl had taken a shining to him - my sister. He is a good looking guy. So, one Friday evening a bunch of us were getting together at my place and she talked me into inviting him. I left a note on his apartment door. I was a single mom, had no real interest in dating and was more than happy to help my sister hook up with a cute, church-going guy.

Only things didn't go that way. As we got to know him, we discovered that he wasn't the goody-two shoes that we had at first suspected. He actually fit very well into our crowd. So he started spending more and more time with us. And it happened, he started flirting with me. Whoa! Wait! Stop! I talked to my sister. She said she didn't mind if I decided to date him. So, after much consideration, I decided to go for it. Within weeks, he was at my house every evening for dinner and playing with my son as if he were his own.

We got engaged in July - five months after we started dating - and were married in October. My son said "Daddy" before he said "Mommy" and we had our first child together before our first anniversary.

Oh and a few years after we got married, my sister told me that she's glad I'm the one that "got stuck" with him, because she would have killed him. Honestly, I'm glad I got stuck with him, too.

So, there it is. And I'll repeat Mamlicious' question - how did you meet your sweety? By the way, I got a link to her blog, but that's all I could figure out. Sorry.

The Perfect Valentine

Every year, about February 13th, our Pastor says - "We should have a Valentine Banquet." Well, this year I remembered that in January. And my husband gave me the perfect Valentine.

When I first mentioned it to Hubby - "Should I talk to Pastor about a Banquet?" He didn't seem very enthused, so I dropped it. A few days later, he said, "Did you talk to him?" He then spent a few minutes encouraging me to do it, and listening to my ideas.

So, last night, we had a Sweetheart Banquet - complete with a small gift for each couple and a nice photo op corner with red, pink and white balloons. Besides planning the event, I made my dress out of some material I'd been saving. And the church presented me with a dozen roses as a thank-you for the evening. All because my husband encourages me to use my talents. I am floating this morning.

Plus, and this part is amazing, he got me a corsage. I never mentioned a corsage to him, but when I thought about the possibility that he'd get me one, I thought that I'd like a wrist corsage. Unlikely since he's never gotten me one for my wrist.
Lo and behold, as we're leaving for the banquet, he hands me a corsage and says, "I hope you don't mind that it's a wrist corsage." Wow! The start of a perfect night.

Great Valentine Gift Ideas

"There's always the obvious - flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep." a favorite misquote from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

My list of wonderful - and inexpensive - Valentine gifts.


A Back Massage

A Full Body Massage

Rent a Romantic Movie - and watch it with me

Help with the dishes one night

Any chore around the house that you don't usually do

A Pint of Haagen Dazs (sp?) coffee ice cream

A Walk

Tweny minutes of uninterupted time spent talking - or quiet

Those high heels I was looking at at Payless

A new nail polish that you think might look good on me

Help making dinner

You could fill my CD player with my fave romantic CD's for me to listen to all day (it still has the kids' Christmas music in it)

A Card with a heartfelt note in it

A photo of you


There's a few - anyone have any other ideas to add?

Poor Valentine

Poor Hubby got a revelation last night. We're on this new Spending Plan thing, and he asked me last night how much money he had to spend on me for Valentine's. I responded, "You've got your spending money for the month, don't you?" "That's all I have?" "Yep." There was a long silence. "I guess we'll find out how creative you are," I said. He reminded me that I already know that. He's right. But I'm not bending. We need to quit spending money as if we're dying tomorrow. And I'd rather get nothing for Valentine's Day if that's what it takes to get him to figure that out.

I do have a definite advantage, though. I am very creative. So he'll still get a gift.