My favorite thing about him is how thoughtful he is. When I use the word "thoughtful" I don't think anyone out there really understands to what extent I mean. For example, if he knows I'm going out sometime he pulls our family vehicle into the garage before he goes to work, and he even goes so far as to clear his work stuff off the seats and to arrange things so it will make my drive easier. He would never give me a hard time if dinner was sub-par or if the house was a little chaotic. He helps me with the housework before I even get desperate enough to ask. I am so grateful that he was taught how to do dishes and to sweep and mop because I can't tell you how many times I'll come down to breakfast and see he's already swept the floors and done a load of dishes. Do I even have to add that he spends his early morning hours doing a paper route and instead of going back to bed when he comes home he waters the yard and trims bushes and STILL he has the time to help me? In short - he's amazing.
Next there's My Joseph.
This kid definitely takes after his daddy. He's so observant and so very thoughtful. He is actually a little daddy clone. He's constantly turning lights off and saying, "Mommy, the sun is our light" and lining everyone up at the door so that we can all run out in one fell swoop. He reminds Rosie to turn off the light after she uses the potty and whenever he uses the toilet he always remembers to put Rosie's step-stool back in place for her. Otherwise she panics. He has magical hugs and the sweetest kisses. He frequently offers to "help" me in whatever I'm doing. He can be quite the troublemaker, but his sweet spirit is overwhelming. I just can't stay mad at him. He loves to be read to, especially Junie B. Jones and Narnia #1. I remember the first time he caught a glimpse of the first Narnia movie as he was going up the stairs for bedtime. He saw a great lion roaring and he knew instantly who it was. He shouted, "ASLAN!!!" and made us all jump out of our skins. :) He loves trains and he loves to build things.
And now, My Rosie.
Isn't she beautiful? She is such a sweet, sensitive girl. Often Justin will take Joseph to do "man work" and Rosie and I will stay at home, just the two of us. That's really the best part of my week. I love all my kids and my husband, but being able to play with Rosie one-on-one is completely different than playing with her and Joseph together. She just glows with happiness when she gets mommy all to herself. She loves to color and to dig in the dirt. She has always been our big "reader". I think she just likes the feel of books because from the time she was 18 months old until this very night, she falls asleep with a book in her arms. Mostly she likes the books that feel like mommy's books. You know, hardbound books written for children, but look fancier (for lack of a better word). She doesn't really enjoy being read to because she wants to "read" it by herself. She's very independent. Joseph often asks me to help him color, but Rosie would throw a fit if I made one mark on her page. Just like any girl, she likes pink and she likes to be pretty. :)
Last, but certainly not least, is My Marilee.
We've only known her for 3 months, and we're madly in love. Already she's smiling and she's just beginning to grace us with the most amazing giggles. It just lights up my day when I can get her to giggle. She is always cooing and making beautiful sounds. Even her cries are pretty (usually). Most of the time she's just mildly upset and she makes a sound that's halfway between a coo and a cry. She's a very happy baby and an absolute JOY. We are so happy to have her in our family.
As for me, I am your average, everyday, homemaking hero. Or so my family tells me. Dishes, dinner, laundry, diapers. That's pretty much my life. But as you have read above, I have 3 of the most amazing children and a husband who makes me exquisitely happy. I must be the luckiest lady in the world. In case you noticed there's no picture of me, it's because I don't have many (or any) just me pictures. Don't worry, I'm working on that. I have a sister-in-law who's a magician with the camera and I have another sister-in-law who, believe it or not, is able to make me look and feel pretty. So between the two of them, maybe soon I'll get over my camera-phobia and when I do you'll be the first to know. :)
