A Night Out with the "Girls"

A lot of times when we go on a date night, it's a rushed thing. We run to dinner, or maybe a movie or something. Usually we're only gone a couple of hours. Our free babysitter is typically at home with something she'd like to be doing, so we get home quickly.

But yesterday we had plans to make it a long one! Our anniversary was Tuesday, but we had not been able to properly celebrate. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday at 3:50 p.m., so Rick came home to take me. We got the "girls" checked out (all's great, btw!) and then had the rest of the evening to ourselves. 

First we ran by Old Navy because I had some shorts I wanted to return. Rick was in dire need of some new jeans (that is a whole story that I wish my camera would have been charged for because that post would have been F.U.N.N.Y.!!) I exchanged my shorts for a really cute little cotton sundress and Rick got his half priced jeans and a belt.

Then we went down to Utica. Since we didn't want to eat with the blue hairs like we usually do, and it was 4:55 p.m., we just held hands and walked around for a while. Then at 5:30 we gave in and headed into Olive Garden. You know, you have your choice of table at that time of evening! But we opted for the bar instead. We each ordered a drink, got some breadsticks and an appetizer, and had the best time ever! We talked about when we first met, about our first few dates. Rick told me when he first fell in love with me. We sat close to each other and just talked and enjoyed our time. There was an older couple that came up to the bar and immediately started talking to the bartender. He knew "their drinks" and they shared stories. I told Rick that when we're old that's what I want us to do. I want us to have a place where we frequent like that. It was just cool!

After about an hour or more we finally went and got a table. We sat in a booth in the back of the restaurant. We sat on the same side of the booth. I got to thinking .. who does that anymore? The table was just so wide that we couldn't have a good, private conversation without other tables hearing us. So, we snuggled in one booth and talked more about our marriage, the early days and how we've grown (spiritually, emotionally and physically, I'm afraid). We talked about how we have changed. I told him that I think he's gotten sexier with age. I mean that, too. I have a balding fettish (like I love, and I mean love, Vin Diesel and Chris Daughtry and The Mummy because they are bald, and for no other reason.) Rick takes on a more mysterious look the older he gets, too. I can't wait for him to be an old man. And now that I have new perky boobs, maybe he can't wait for me to get old, either. Ummmm .. or maybe he dreads it, you'll have to ask him. Somehow women don't age quite as well.

Anyway, we finished our dinner and realized we had been at Olive Garden for 3 hours!!

We headed back to Owasso to do some shopping. The idea was to get me some new shirts to go with my new "look". I am thrifty, frugal, or maybe just tight, but I always have such a hard time spending money on myself, even when Rick is just grabbing things off the rack and saying, "You'd be cute in this!" without looking at the price! I ended up buying 3 tops. Rick, on the other hand, was literally skipping (and I mean literally) while pushing the cart with all of his new purchases! Good grief you take that man to Kohl's and he goes berserk!

Let's just say he will be looking fine at work, in his leisure time and when he's playing volleyball at the Y. He's such a girl and I love him!!

Luckily for him I am frugal, and asked the cashier if there were any coupons out that I didn't know about, so she gave us 20% off our entire purchase!

I still have the $100 he gave me for our anniversary, so I'll be able to shop "my way" and just pick up little tops that are on sale as I find them. I always have trouble shopping under the pressure of finding something. To be honest, I have so much more fun picking out things for him anyway.

Oh, I did do one thing fun at Kohl's. I tried on bras. Everyone has been asking what size they are. I honestly did not know. Well, now I do. Wow.

After our Kohl's trip, we headed to Target because it was the only thing left open. We didn't find anything for me there, so we headed home. It was a fun, fun night out with all the girls .. my new ones, and the one I'm married to.

Rick Rocks ~ Because He Makes Me Feel Like I Do

Welcome to my first "My Husband Rocks" Friday post sponsored by Katy Lin @ The Great Adventure.

I can think of a million things about Rick that I love, but I am a little nervous to write this for fear I won't do him justice.

Encouragement, compassion, support .. those are my weak areas. You can ask my kids, you can ask Rick, they are just not natural gifts I have. I really have to work at them!

So it thrills me that Rick naturally has these qualities. And it thrills me even more that I receive the immense benefits of them daily!

I have often told people that I am a spoiled princess. Don't get me wrong, I work like a dog .. but not because Rick expects me too! In fact, he tells me often, and means it, that he wouldn't care if I took the entire day, every day, just for me, even if it meant sitting and relaxing all day! He makes me feel so loved, so special, and so pampered! Oh how lucky he is that he really didn't marry a woman who was content sitting in her robe all day eating bon bons watching Soaps. Some days I wish I was that woman.

But, this post isn't about me, but about Rick and how he makes me feel so loved and appreciated! Many days Rick asks me if I know how appreciated I am. How many husbands actually do that? He not only asks me, but makes so many tangible efforts to show me. Even last night, as we were laying in bed just talking, he told me how happy he was in our life and how he just couldn't live it without me. He makes me feel, truly feel, how important I am to him in his life. I am special to him!

And talk about being supportive and encouraging! I can't think of one hair-brained idea (and there have been many) that I have had that he hasn't jumped right behind me! In fact, it probably annoys him that I have so many ideas and then don't follow through on them. But I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that if I decided today to put all things aside and start writing that teen novel I've been thinking about for years, he'd move mountains to make sure I was able to accomplish it.

So today I want to say that Rick Rocks !!  because he always makes me feel like I do!!

I love you, Rick, and I can't wait for our date tonight!

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today  ~  June 18, 2009

Outside my window... IT. IS. HOT!!!

I am thinking... that I should never watch "So You Think You Can Dance" when I am having an emotional day. If you don't watch it, you should! Jonathan and Karla's contemporary piece to "Falling Slowly" had me bawling like a baby. I am now obsessed with that song (as you can see from my Playlist below because I have two different artists singing it .. in my opinion, Kris Allen rocks on that song!!!) Wow I love that show!!

I am thankful for... the creator of stool softeners, who may just be God Himself. That's all I'll say about that.

From the learning rooms... (from Eli) Step 1. We do not touch the coffee pot.  Step 2. We do not bother mommy when she is going potty.  Good rules to live by.

From the kitchen... I'm blasting the music on my Blog's Playlist.

I am wearing... my p.j.s

I am creating... a grocery list and perfecting the kids' summer point system.

I am praying ... for friends who are in pain, both physically and emotionally.

I am going... to have a good day today! It all starts with the attitude.

I am reading... "Secrets" by Jude Deveraux.

I am hoping... I am able to increase my range of activity and start to sleep without so much discomfort.

I am hearing... Jon Schmidt rock it on the piano, and Eli playing upstairs.

Around the house... are all those household chores I can't do because of my surgery. Upstairs are 4 preteen boys still sleeping at 10 a.m. and Eli playing. The girls are babysitting next door.

One of my favorite things... is the aroma of my container garden! The tomato plants smell so good combined with the basil, oregano and rosemary! I currently have 4 tomatoes, one green bean and one zucchini.  Can't wait for them to ripen!

A few plans for the rest of the week... I'm going to go get groceries today and am looking forward to spending time with Rick tonight. Tomorrow I have my second post-surgical doctor's appointment in the afternoon and then Rick and I are going to go out to dinner and do some shopping.  On Saturday Kyndal is babysitting in the evening, so we'll just plan to spend some time together at home during the day.  Sunday is Father's Day.  Since Rick's birthday and our anniversary were disappointing to me (because I was down and out) I'm going to fix his dinner of choice and shower him with love, love, love!! We'll have our second "Taulman Team Meeting" at 5:00 p.m. sharp and then share dinner together. 

Here is a picture thought I am sharing..

Eli's very first trip down the big twisty slides at Big Splash!!! Big Day!

I Must Print a Retraction

After hours of tense interrogation and a polygraph, the truth has come out! Brynne broke the coffee pot!

Last night, after her and Kyndal went upstairs for the night, Kyndal continued the questioning and they came down for the confession. Apparently Brynne got the small bathroom stool, which wasn't tall enough, so got the three step stool. She climbed it and started to pour Eli a cup of coffee into his sippy cup. She splashed hot coffee onto her thumb and dropped the coffee pot. It shattered. She ran.

The interrogations lasted for 12 hours, but the suspect finally broke!

You know how you look into the eyes of your children and think, "Which one of you is going to be the one?" I think we have our answer.

We have apologized to Eli for accusing him of this crime. 

Rick and I are avid watchers of "Lie to Me". If you haven't seen it, you should! After this experience we determined that we could have known the truth simply by watching their facial expressions. And, he stuck to his story to the letter. Hers began to change almost immediately. On that note, here's a parenting tip: Ask your child to tell you what happened in order. Then have them tell it to you backwards. Liars do not rehearse their story backward and can't put it in order! (We learned that on that show!)

Here's to a better day!

My Husband Rocks, Does Yours?

In my funk today I was doing some blog browsing and came upon a great blog that, on every Friday, posts a story, or photo, or quote about how and why her husband rocks. She invites us to do the same and link up to her blog to share in the stories.  I loved that idea!

How many of your blogs are saturated with money-saving ideas, pics of your kids, or in my case, gulp, loads of narcissistic stories about yourself. How often do we devote anything to our husbands? I am guilty. With our recent marital recommitment I thought this would be an excellent way to show my husband, and the world, how great I think he is, at least once a week! Plus, what a great way to start the weekend ??? 

So starting on Friday, I'll be devoting my Friday posts to how I think Rick Rocks. Join me if you'd like! (Well, you can post about your own husband if you prefer, but I'm sure Rick would love the compliments if you chose to post about him instead!!) You can check out Katy Lin's blog here.

This has actually been going on for a full year and she is having a Birthday Bash with great prizes! Check out her blog to get all the details!

Good Days, Bad Days

My sweet husband kissed me good-bye this morning, while I was still snuggled in bed, and said, "Have a good day!" I smiled and said, "I will .. you too!" And I believed it to be true. So when exactly did it turn into a bad day? ... before I actually got out of bed, when the first obstacle of the day occurred, or was it just meant to be a bad day?

I was told by the nursing staff that I might experience a post-surgery phenomenon that would be unpleasant. (As transparent as I am, I seriously will spare you the details.) I don't know if I forgot about it or underestimated it or what. But, it occurred this morning.

I got up and put on a pot of coffee, checked e-mails and my blogs, drank 3/4 of a cup of coffee and then it started to occur. Eli, my 5 year old came in and asked for a cup of coffee and I fixed him his concoction in a stainless steel travel mug like I always do. A few minutes later he came to me, in the room where I was beginning to experience sickness, and handed me his sippy cup. I took the lid off and asked him to get his own drink and bring it back to me to put the lid on. Then I commenced to get seriously sick. A few minutes later I heard a crash, but no crying or anything of the sort. I yelled, "What happened?" but not response. The older kids were asleep upstairs and couldn't hear me from where I was. And I was not in a position to go check on things. I listened, and waited, and finally decided I had to check on them. I braced myself and went to the kitchen. I found two stools up to the counter, a broken coffee pot and coffee everywhere. The only thing missing were the children who were hiding in the bedroom. I yelled to Kyndal to please come downstairs and hurry! I told her I was really sick and to just keep them away from the kitchen.

An hour later, when I was feeling a tad better I went back in. Apparently Eli did not know that I had fixed him his coffee and thought I wanted him to get his own when I handed him his cup, although I have never, ever suggested such a thing or given them anything coffee related in a sippy cup. Anyway, although I could not get them either one to admit to what really happened, I put the clues together and deduced that Eli was on the taller stool, Brynne was on the little bathroom stool. He pulled the coffee pot out, it hit the counter because it was heavy and broke, and Brynne's thumb was burned by the coffee (although you can't even see a mark). 

This all happened in the first hour of being awake.

And I just don't feel good today. Why? Because I did way more yesterday than I was supposed to do and am suffering today. I hate to sit still!!! I have enlisted the help of the older kids with housework, and I'm trying to let them do it. But I hate not feeling well enough to do anything, or worse feeling okay but knowing I can't or I'll hurt myself. It actually depresses me. I don't feel like e-mailing, or blogging, or talking or anything. Yesterday was our anniversary and it occurred to me when we went to bed that I didn't get one picture of us on our anniversary. That didn't help my mood.

I so need to go grocery shopping this afternoon, but honestly, I'm just not going to. I just don't feel like it. I'm sitting in bed, typing this post, with no ability to get up and do anything. I hear Eli and Brynne arguing in the living room and I just hope it doesn't end up physical. I don't have the energy to go in there and creatively help them deal with their conflict.

It's a bad day.

And the Best is Still Yet to Come

I didn't post my menu yesterday because, honestly, this week it's nothing but convenience foods following my surgery. I'm feeling much better, but still not able to prepare full meals yet. On Friday Rick and I are going out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary, that is today.

Eight years ago, at 10:00 a.m., I made the most significant walk of my life.  With a 6 year old on one side and a 4 year old on the other, I walked down the aisle toward the man who would forever change our lives. It was a crazy wedding in some respects, but all I cared about was devoting my life to a man who loved God as much as me and who I knew loved me above all others on earth.

When I woke up this morning I was so grateful to by lying next to that man, a man I love more today than I did 8 years ago. I thought about how today could be such a different day, how I could be waking up alone with so many regrets, with so much sadness. Sure there have been bumps in the road, and we have even been faced with "that" decision here recently as to whether it's all worth it. With God's love, care and forgiveness we made the decision that it sure as heck is, that there is nothing more important than being together and raising our family together. We have never been as happy as we are right now, or as close as a family, and I am so grateful! 

We have been told that the 8th anniversary is the year of new beginnings. And, that rings true for us. Nothing tragic has happened in our marriage. But we have learned how complacency can creep up without our knowledge and small wedges grow large over time. Making our marriage the most important thing in our lives, under our relationship with God, is paramount!

So, this morning when I woke up next to Rick I was happier and more content than I have ever been in my life. I felt so alive and so happy and so grateful for this life I have, and for this marriage I treasure, for this man I claim as my own.

So, my sweet Rick, I want you to know today that I love you more than anything in this world. I thank you for loving me, for choosing to love me, for the children we have together, for the children we raise together, for your devotion to us in your career and your leisure time. There is no man on this earth I would rather be with and to be alone, without you, brings tears to my eyes to even imagine. You are the true love of my life and without you I am nothing. I love you so much! And to think ... the best is still yet to come!  Happy Anniversary Babe!

Happy Birthday to My Best Friend!

Rick playing golf in Bermuda last June

I would like to wish a special Happy Birthday to my best friend in the world, my husband Rick!

He is such an amazing husband and friend and daddy!

His work ethic and selflessness amaze me and I know he underestimates his importance to me and his children. We honestly couldn't make it without him.

Playing golf is his favorite thing in the world to do.  And I don't like to play.

But I had planned to make a tee time for him for yesterday and go ride the cart with him, then take him out to eat at Outback Steakhouse.

Instead, because of my delayed surgery, he spent the day taking care of me and the kids, doing extensive work in the yard and even stayed up late last night catching up on work he missed while he was home with me last week.

And it's pouring down rain today.

Great birthday, huh?

But, that's the kind of man he is. He wouldn't have missed those things for anything.

I'll reschedule our birthday date, and I'll do as much as I can today to make the day special for him, even though we'll be couped up in the house.

More than anything I just want him to feel how much he is loved.  Because he is so loved!

Happy Birthday, babe!  You are the love of my life and I cherish you beyond measure!

Thank you for all you do for me and for the love you have for me!

Woweee .... Oweeee !!

I'm past the three day hump now, which I was told would be a milestone. And it is. For the first time since Wednesday I am off all of my painkillers except just ibuprofen and I'm still taking an antibiotic.

Let me recap ...

Rick and I arrived at the Surgeon's office at 6:40 Wednesday morning.  We talked with the surgeon and the anesthesiologist and then they took me into the operating room.  They put in an IV and then started the general. They told me to take four deep breaths. Then I woke up in recovery. That is the weirdest feeling ever! I was fully dressed and everybody was staring at me.

I guess it took me longer than normal to come out of anesthesia and my blood pressure was really low and they couldn't get it up, so I was in recovery longer than normal. They finally let me go. The ride home was HORRIBLE! Every bounce or turn was torture! Rick got me home and somehow into our super-elevated king sized bed. The pain was definitely more than I bargained for. I slept decent on Wednesday night, although Rick had to set an alarm to wake me up to give me pain medications and help me go to the restroom. Getting in and out of the bed was definitely the worst part.

Then on Thursday I started throwing up. Try to imagine that. Imagine which muscles you contract when you vomit. Oh my!!

Yesterday I felt a tad better. I was able to get in and out of bed a few times by myself (although it was extremely painful) and was up in the chair in the living room most of the day. My bestie Steph spent the day with me so Rick could go to work. Last night I slept pretty good, although I woke up every hour for no reason. Maybe I was just tired of sleeping.

This morning I feel pretty good. My back kills me when I sleep because I can't sleep on my side yet. So I got up early this morning and came to sleep upright in the chair in the living room. But I believe I'm completely off the pain meds today and I can move around pretty good. So, things are good.

So for the good stuff .. they look awesome! My surgeon did a great job! Was it worth the pain? I would say yes, as of right now. My family and friends were a great help and now I'm ready to get back to living!

Well, the "big" day is tomorrow. (Sorry, just had to say it!) I must say I'm a little nervous! Last week, when I thought my surgery was going to happen, I wasn't nervous at all. This week I am nervous! Maybe it's because I'm using a different surgeon than I had planned on using. Or maybe it's because I am just plain exhausted from today! Today we had a Broker's Open House, and I had lots of preparations to do for that. This came right after a whirlwind weekend to Missouri. Then I had to be out of the house during the Open, so I took Eli and Brynne to Big Splash for about 3 hours. We came home to receive a phone call from a real estate agent that he wanted to show our house tonight at 5:30 p.m. So, we took the little guys to "Chick Away" (Chick-fil-A). It's 8:00 now and we're giving baths so we can, hopefully, get to bed at a decent hour tonight. I have to be at the doctor's office at 6:40 in the morning.

So, I won't be blogging for a few days, if my drugs work the way they are supposed to. Hopefully I'll be in a dreamlike, comatose state for at least the first 24 hours. Then I'll update you on how things are going.