Andyman the fisherman

The thing about Andy is, he's a fisherman--with all that entails.

A patient man, quiet man, soft-spoken and mild, Andy could sit by the water with a fishing pole all day. Even if he caught nothing, he would count it as time well-spent.

"Fishing isn't about catching fish," he often tells me. Fishing, for him, is about being still, thinking, and just BEING.

And, as the saying goes, still waters run deep. His placid surface hides a deeply thoughtful, kind man who loves to play pranks and tell stories. He is quietly stubborn, invariably kind .Patient and a "go with the flow" kind of guy, he is also the most steady, stalwart, strongest man I've ever met. He survived leukemia and now views life with a zest and child-like joy. In fact, he is currently winning a tickle fight with our two kids, and laughing just as much as they are.

My fisherman

 My day isn't complete without one of his big, squishy hugs that squeeze the air out of me. Life hands us our lumps and throws us our curve balls, but I know as long as I have my Andy by my side, all will be well. He's my rock, my calm in the storm, my best friend.

Happy tired

It has been a busy day of dog rescue! As some of you know, I help out with with my sister's animal rescue. It is a challenging and rewarding endeavor. Today, I gave a ride to a sweet boy who is so, so happy to be with kind humans. It was a great experience for my whole family, even though we only had him a few hours. Helping even just that one sweet soul gave us all a boost.

Still pondering our options as far as the homestudy. Dunno.

Restless

I've had so much going through my brain...too many thoughts screaming too loudly for attention all at the same time. I can't keep myself from thinking, planning, worrying, wondering. Only way I've found to slow my whirling thoughts is to listen to music (of course). Today, I've been through childhood favorites:

Stuff to dance to (or watch Lizzie dance to):

More childhood favorites:

And music that defines the aching in my soul:

Luckily, my kids are used to any and all of my music tendencies. I hope they're being exposed to a wide variety of music, like I was. Even more, I hope they learn it's okay to take some time to reflect, to sort through your thoughts and emotions, to worry and wonder ... and still come out the other side, whole and well and ready for the journey ahead.

One by one

A friend of mine wrote a blog post about her blessings today. She asked, "What are your blessings?" Well, I have to say, I have too many to put just in a blog comment! :)

At church, we have a hymn that says, "Count your many blessings, name them one by one ... and it will surprise you what the Lord has done." What are my blessings? Glad you asked.

First, my sweet, loving, compassionate husband.

Yeah, he's so cute!

Andy pulls me through the tough times and is my quiet harbor in any storm. Corny? Don't care. Totally true. Twelve years of marriage, and I have to say I wouldn't have made it through some of them if it wasn't for him.  He's the guy my kids run to with wide smiles and calls of  "DADDY!" He's the guy that makes my heart skip a beat. Love him more than air!

Then I have my beautiful and wonderful children:

Nate the Great

Miss Elizabeth

Without their birthmom, I wouldn't even know these amazing kids. I am thankful for her every day. Witty, wise Nate and funny, sweet Lizzie are the greatest joys in our lives. 

Then there's my family and Andy's family. We're all a little bit nuts, but we all love each other anyway. So many different people, different opinions, different views...but at the end of the day, we're still family. 

I have a cozy house that keeps us warm and dry and a yard where my kids can run and laugh and be kids. I have some truly awesome people in my life I'm lucky enough to call friends. I have a running car (if you knew our luck with cars, you'd be thankful, too). 

I have a knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father who knows me as an individual and is aware of my trials and triumphs. 

I am blessed with a heritage of faith and and strength. 

So, now the question is: What are YOUR blessings? Name them one by one. The list will go on and on, and you really will be surprised by the things your take for granted every day.