The Good Life

I'm kinda bad about the compare thing.  I hope it's human nature and normal.  I hope it's easy to get sucked into.  I hope it's not just me.  I recently learned during an adult study at my church that it's a sign of pride.  Pride?!  Whatta what?!  (But that's a post for a different day.)  I think social media has made it worse.  Facebook:  Look at me/my life/my kids/my husband/what we're doing/where we went/who we're friends with.  Pinterest:  Look at what I'm going to do/build/make/create/wear/decorate.  I can sometimes forget what's going on in my own home, with my own family, with my own life.

And as He always does, God sends me a little message just a few days before Valentine's Day:

AMEN.  Such a great reminder--and unfortunately, something that I need more than I want to admit.  And a few days later when the "good" husbands of the world were sending/delivering flowers and planning romantic dinners at fancy/schmancy restaurants, I was able to step back and appreciate the good life in my own house.

R came home and immediately started rolling out some dough for his famous grilled pizza--and battling the cold outside (hey, at least there wasn't snow on the ground.)  We ate dinner with our babies and then sent them on a little scavenger hunt.

Note to self:  make it harder or longer next time. . . they were ALL over it but it was all OVER way too fast.

  

Who knew that finding new jackets would be this exciting?

Kidz Bop and Frozen CDs! 

And R had planned the rest of our night.  While I would like to say that we make time for each other, having kids has made date night a little more difficult.  I know we go out more than my parents ever did, (who could afford a sitter for our brood?!) but living away from family has proven to be tough.  I love our teenage sitters but I hate to pay someone to hang out at the house while the girls sleep.  So needless to say, date night gets pushed to the side way more than I expected or wanted.  We've tried to do something at home after the girls are in bed, but unfortunately we don't always make the effort to carry through.  (Daddy is watching a game on TV--does a season exist when there are NO games?--and Mama is curled up on the couch with her quilt, a book, and her phone.  If that doesn't ooze hot romance, I'm not sure what does. . .)  Anyway, back to Valentine's Day.  R brought home three different kinds of wine and cheese.  Cheese that is not squirted from a can or comes from a yellow cardboard box!  Happy squeal!  AND. . . for those who don't know my husband,  this is HUGE.  He's a Miller High Life guy.  He's a Jim Beam and water guy.  He's NOT a wine guy.  

And of course, it wasn't a fancy/schmancy, sophisticated wine-tasting.  Because that's not us.  We headed to our (still unfinished) basement, played darts like we used to in college, and listened to some red-dirt country (including one inappropriate song thanks to my brother-in-law about pool hall chili that makes me giggle EVERY time.  Thanks, D.)  Did I mention that we were wearing flip flops OVER our socks?  (It's cold, the floor isn't finished and it's just easy to slide the flip flops on.  Again, HOT.)  But we had SO much fun.    

I do think it's easy to try to define our lives by looking at someone else's.  And unfortunately, we miss out on the life that He's given us.  Twenty years ago, I would have never considered the "perfect" Valentine's Day to include darts and flip flops over socks in an unfinished basement.  But having a guy who's willing to try something I love, who makes me laugh like crazy, and whom I enjoy spending time with makes me realize how blessed I am.  (And good news--he discovered that maybe he IS a wine guy!)  I realize that there's no need or room for comparing in my house.  Unless we're talking about another wine tasting night.  And I'm totally off the couch for that!