There are many days when I take for granted being married to this man for more than 18 years.  Today is not one of them.  January was a whirlwind of getting back into the busy swing of things back home in IL, yet not a day went by that I wasn’t filled with genuine appreciation for his unwavering commitment to me, love for our big family, hero status on the job, and creative talents that he generously taps into upon my sometimes unreasonable requests.

After returning from CO, our three boys decided unanimously that a room switch was in order.  Ethan would move into Gavin’s room, and Gavin couldn’t wait to take over the top bunk with Braden hanging in the bottom.  Ethan was stoked after spending time snowboarding in the mountains, and couldn’t wait to convert Gavin’s little cowboy room into a snowboard haven. 

On our first weekend back, I informed my busy husband that our first day would be filled with scout pinewood derby car building while I took my oldest son downtown to snatch up some “super-clearanced” Burton snowboard decor.  He willingly decorated all of our kids pinewood derby cars while Ethan and I snatched up the last of the clearance Burton snowboard bedroom line, and created some fun wall decorations and shelves.

Day two was spent sending our kids, along with the other family we will be going with, on an afternoon scavenger hunt of gathering clues to retrieve our final clue, a home-made movie. The movie was filmed and edited by my talented husband a few weeks before to reveal our big plans of taking the kids to Disney World over spring break.  Check it out at https://youtu.be/Cgu_ZRKnpqA.  We sure are looking forward to that!

To top it off, celebrating Martin Luther King allowed us to soak up a third weekend day.  After collecting several cans of discounted $5 paint cans, my next vision was in place.  With little hesitation, Chuck agreed to take on my next endeavor, a wrap-around mountain room mural for Ethan’s new snowboard-themed  bedroom.  In one day, this amazing guy created a peaceful mountain getaway for a very happy Ethan.  I helped as much as I could, but mostly, I just sat there, jaw down in awe of the talent he can revive, watching my vision come to life, even better than I imagined.

 

Even after a difficult circumstance this month brought on by me, this man continues to offer nothing but support and comfort to me.  January is also our summer planning month, and I loved knowing that as I got stuck in places unknown, he is right there to find a new destination and get excited about a new adventure together.  He is my “home and adventure all at once.”  I don’t think it’s possible to know if a spouse will be capable of all of this when you choose to marry your first love right out of college, but I am so thankful for the man he is, and every blessing we have been given since spending life together.  I love sharing so many memories together and I know it’s cliché, but I truly couldn’t ask for more.  I’m shocked that at this point, we have spent more time together than we spent growing up before heading away from home for college.  As Valentine’s Day approaches, I reflect on the fact that we’ve known each other almost longer than we’ve actually known ourselves, and life just gets better together every day.  I couldn’t have dreamed of this “home and adventure” of a lifetime.