Friday 22 February 2013

Romance in Marriage...

Hi! :D I just read a married couple's courtship story on a blog. It got me reminiscing so much that I wrote a long response about the beginning of my love story with Miles. :)

I am SO IN LOVE with Miles! :) He is amazing! Oh sure, there are little things he does that drive me crazy (on occasion - as I'm sure there is with any couple). And we really have challenged each other here and there through the years... No one is perfect. :o But aside from the normal little bits of shear humanness that exist in all humans - and after many years of refining and some extra amazing refinement in the past couple of years ( ;0 lol) - this man of mine is simply AMAZING! :D

This should have been WHITE! :O
Still laughing! :)

Honestly, in SO MANY ways, he shocks me with truly AMAZING moments!  And I love that these wonderful moments grow more frequent. It is fun to watch a person grow. Lately I have been blessed to witness some very Christlike actions through Miles. Miles does things FOR ME - in his heart and mind - displaying unheard of patience, lack of judgingseeing the best in me... we are talking about pure and simple CHARITY... things that I don't even dream of doing to such an extent until I see him do it - and then I pray to be that way too.

And he adores me... I really appreciate that - when he really treats me like he adores me! I am just so blessed to have such a husband! It is by no merit of my own. Well, he thinks I'm pretty special. :) There are moments in which I bask in his love - and know - I'm blessed beyond imagination! :) (I hope you aren't puking yet - there is still so much more mush to come! ;)

We camped in the Olympic National Rain Forest for our Honeymoon ~ 24 years ago... :)

Sliding around on a frozen pond together (with our kids) a few years ago...
~ An old winter family tradition ~

OK. Time to bring this to a close. I think I'll first share with you the comment I put on that blog post I mentioned (reflecting on our love story). I made just a few small alterations here (I am the author after all :) ~ I hope you enjoy it as much as I do... :)

"This story is BEAUTIFUL! :D How wonderful it is that you have your first conversations IN PRINT (I would love to go back in time and record or write ours down)! :D Your love story with your husband reminds me of my husbands and mine in so many ways (no previous marriages - but the almost "instantly in love" I can relate to! - In fact, "our song" starts out 'I knew I loved you before I met you. I think I dreamed you into life.').

"My husband and I hit it off immediately. But we didn't have text phones back then. We talked on the phone. For HOURS. Before our first date, we both already had that gut feeling that we would be married. On our FIRST date he looked into my eyes and sincerely told me, "Corine, one day I'm going to marry you." I laughed out loud (for sheer delight! :D) but couldn't believe I was thinking what I was thinking. I mean, I was only 18 and this was my first date with this dashing young man; how could I even CONSIDER thinking such things? :o So I 'pretended' NOT to consider such things. And as I laughed I said to him, 'yeah... right!' And then I thought to myself, 'He Really IS going to marry me! :D' And my heart leapt for joy. :)


"That was 24 years ago. Oh, and by the way, we were officially engaged two months after that first date, and married two months later in the Portland Oregon Temple. :) We now have four teenagers, and we are the best of friends.

"We have had our ups and downs. There have been serious challenges and we still have a few hang-ups to overcome. Life has had it's share of thorns among the roses. But the life I see Miles and I creating together now is so worth every single thorn! I just keep falling in love with this man OVER AND OVER AGAIN! :D 

"I know how much Heavenly Father has blessed me by giving me this sweet man, just as I knew when we were engaged to be married how blessed I was. I wish I had remembered that always - as the newness faded and the trials came, I sometimes forgot...  I'm thankful  though, that - I never can again. He is the other half that makes me whole. He is my eternal friend... :)


"Wishing you many wonderful years together, now and throughout eternity..."

PS. To couples who "want" what we have (I get that.. People tell me that)... Give it time. Love, with all your heart. Love unconditionally and with patience. Learn to see the glass half full. Don't get discouraged by your spouses imperfections and hangups - or your own - Just focus on the best and keep moving forward! Know that every great relationship has it's struggles. Feelings can change from good to bad in an instant - they can go from bad to good in an instant as well... It takes work and a positive outlook to make and keep a marriage good. And especially, remember that with a great deal of forgiveness and unconditional love, any marriage can be GREAT!  :) ~ I hope you HAVE A HAPPY DAY and enjoy adding romance into your marriage! ~

Corine :D

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Valentines Day - I Love... :)

I realize that everyone is different. Not everyone celebrates Valentines Day - especially with their families. And some people are greatly disappointed on such days - as they may have grand expectations and a loved one who is not so into the whole thing. I saw one of my adopted daughters (she may not know we adopted her) declare on FB what an awful day it was and how she hated the holiday. I felt sad for her. I also saw that my sweet husband had already gotten on and told her something that I thought was really wise. He said (emphasis mine...),
Just go out and show love and see what happens. I never give with any expectations and if something wonderful happens then great if not then I feel good for giving the gift of love. Christ showed the ultimate love yet he was crucified... but still on the cross he said "forgive them for they know not what they do." I wish I had that kind of love... I am working on it. (Name of friend here) you know you are loved by our family so right now I want to wish you a wonderful Valentines Day!
I didn't add a comment, I figured he had said it all! And how wise and true. But I did tell her I love her on her homepage.

Valentines Day caused my husband and I to both let her know we love her on a day when, perhaps we might not have without it - so I love Valentines Day because I love people! I only wish there was a way for me to show ALL of my friends and family that I love them on Valentines Day (there is only so much time in one day! :o). Thank the lord there are 365 days in a year! :)

I want to say something about part of the comment Miles made to our dear friend, for I believe it to be a key to enjoying life and feeling thankful for your many blessings... 
Just go out and show love and see what happens. I never give with any expectations and if something wonderful happens then great if not then I feel good for giving the gift of love.
Miles is always happy with every holiday, because he truly has no expectations! Occasionally, circumstances are such that I don't do something I might usually do for a particular occasion. I may feel bad about it and he just assures me that it is OK and that all he needs IS ME. :) Everything I do for him is some wonderful and unexpected bonus in his life! He is truly amazing! He has been a great example to the "idealist" within me and I keep working on being more like him in that way! :) By the way, I also love knowing that I don't have to feel trapped or pressured into doing something for him, so the gifts I give him truly are gifts from my heart. One can't give something which is demanded...

OK Enough of the philosophising, and on with the family memories... :)

Hadn't yet gotten the syrup on the table when this photo was taken. I also made sugar cookies. :)

As for how most people celebrate Valentines Day, I think that usually when people do celebrate it is between themselves and their romantic mate. But as you already know - I am an nontraditional girl in many ways. :) At our house Miles and I usually have a personal celebration with each other AND a family celebration as well (but not always on the same day). When the kids were little they made valentines for each other. One year, one of our sons, Dausen, spent hours making a huge PILE of Valentines for our family (several per person!); We all loved it! :D I hope he knows how much that meant to each of us!

As the kids have gotten older, it seems that they stopped making valentines for each other, but they still enjoy a FAMILY ONLY - Valentines Day party! :) 

This year I made a big valentine for each of the kids while my husband made little hearts with messages of love. I planned on making little Valentines with him, but he got done before I did and the kids were waking as we finished, so he was the only one who got to do the little hearts. As we heard the kids stir from their slumbers, we quickly taped the valentines and hearts all over the kids doors and walls near their doors. I also made heart shaped pancakes and had some fun drinks to go with them - and little heart candies all over the table for that extra little touch. :) I just wish we had not procrastinated so we could have gotten valentines to some of our "adopted kids" away from home.




By the way, this year Miles and I also made cards for each other and went out for lunch together. :D It isn't in the budget to go out to eat very often, so this is a special and rare occasion for us. It's nice to just get out together and enjoy a nice meal in quiet with just the two of us... :)

I sincerely hope those of you who do celebrate Valentines Day had a good celebration, and if you didn't - that next year, or today, or tomorrow - will more than make up for it! :)

Love you all ~ 
...Corine :D

Sunday 17 February 2013

Be Right Back... :)

Hi. :D

I'm over at my other blog today. But I will be back here with my weekly post soon...

love ya!

Corine :D

Sunday 10 February 2013

Dances, and Youth Who KNOW...

I share with you now, a couple priceless gems from this past week… :)

*Devry went to the prom... (I'm so thankful that the sickness came after the prom!) I know I showed off the gifts he gave to his girlfriend on the last post. On this post, you get to see a couple photos of them together, on the evening of the prom...


Aren’t they cute? J
They are such good kids! :)

*I was reminded (yet again) that the youth of our day - though they may seem quite ordinary - are even more extraordinary than I supposed! They KNOW and embrace truth, even during trials and when it requires sacrifice to do so... (In this case, the amazing and awesome Levi reminded me of this. :D He continues to amaze and delight me! :)
 
Me and my extraordinary 14 y.o. Can you tell I LOVE him? ;) 
After arriving home I found out that Levi no longer had a ride to early morning seminary, as the person he had just started riding with switched to release time at the start of the new semester (while I was away). So I asked him if he was waking his father to drive him to seminary. He told me that since his dad gets off work so late at night he didn’t want to wake him – therefore he had been WALKING, in the COLD, DARK early mornings – leaving at 5:30 AM…This fine, 14 year old boy - (while his mother was out of town and completely of his own accord) - woke himself, showered, got ready for school, and then left the house BY FOOT – at 5:30 AM with a heavy backpack on to study the scriptures with other youth before school…Levi, I am SO PLEASED with you! :D

There is no doubt about it… Despite the problems and wickedness abounding in the world on every side – There is still SO MUCH BEAUTY ALL AROUND – I am so enjoying, looking for evidence of the truth to what President Uchdorf told us at the last General Conference:

“No matter our circumstances – no matter our challenges or trials – there is something in EACH DAY to embrace and cherish. There is some thing in each day to bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it. Perhaps we should be looking less with our eyes, and more with our hearts.”
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
General Conference 2012


I think I'll leave you with an inspiring media which shows another youth who knows...




With such diligent, beautiful people in the world, this truly is a wonderful time to BE ALIVE! :)