10 Ways the Hubbs and I Are Alike

So yesterday, I told y'all about the differences that keep my marriage interesting. (That would be here.) Today here are some of the commonalities that keep the marriage strong. Some are deep and some are silly, but they are all what make the Hubbs and me "us."

10 Things the Hubbs and I Have in Common:

1.) We love music (especially country), me to a different level than the Hubbs, but it helps keep the car rides civil.

2.) We both agree on gender roles in our relationship. Basically, we should've been born in the 40s. He brings home the bacon (sometimes literally--he's done work as a butcher) and I cook it. It's not for everyone, even some of our closest friends, but it works for us.

3.) We are both children at heart. My husband likes to play with toys, and I like to be silly and pretend. Luckily, we have three kids who the Hubbs uses as an excuse to push all the "try me!" buttons in the toy department.

4.) Food. We both love to eat. I love that I can make whatever I want for dinner, and he won't think twice about it. Which probably works out well, since I'm Asian and sometimes there can be some pretty suspicious things on the table.

5.) We have a low tolerance for idiots. There seems to be a severe shortage of common sense in the world today, and unfortunately we have to interact with a lot of idiots in BFIowa. Which leads me to the next thing we have in common:

6.) We are both sarcastic asses. I can't tell you how many conversations at our house start with, "Oh. My. God!" or "You will not believe what the h*ll happened today!" Which makes you wonder about:

7.) The Hubbs won't admit it, but he can be a real softie. Lord help us when a kid shows up on our doorstep with a fundraising catalog. We won't turn anyone away if we can help. (Case in point: Just yesterday the Hubbs offered a ride to a guy that just got out of jail. Unfortunately, we were going the opposite direction, but he still offered.)

8.) We love animals. It's probably a good thing that we want to move to the country, because I would live in a zoo if I could. (The movie "We Bought a Zoo"? OMG, I want to live that movie!)

9.) Bonfires. We love everything about bonfires. The smell, the warmth, the food (especially s'mores!), the drinking, and the bonding. 

10.) Probably the oddest thing we have in common? Hardware stores. We love looking around hardware stores. He loves power tools & I love interior design. We once spent over 3hrs in a Menards, and we didn't see all that we wanted to, lol.

Opposites do attract, but you've got to have some things in common to keep the relationship working. What do you and your love have in sync? Link it up!


Oh, and check out the bestie's list here. She also did a post yesterday.

Much Love,

10 Ways the Hubbs and I are Different

June is pretty much the Month of the Hubbs. Between his birthday, Father's Day, our anniversary, and the anniversary of his graduation from Boot Camp, the focus is on him a lot. (Which he cannot stand!) How perfect that The Pioneer Woman did a blog post about the differences between her husband and her. I'm already thinking about my man, what's a little more blogging about him going to hurt? (Besides your eyes, for which I apologize. ☺)
You can find Ree's original post here.



Differences Between the Hubbs and Me:

1.) He loves working with his hands & doing "manly" labor.
Give me a book and a couch, and I might not move all day.

2.) If he had his way, inside our house would be ALL WHITE.
Simply put, I like colors. (He is not allowed to pick out paint, he is sent to the lumber yard with paint sample in hand and specific instructions, lol.)

3.) The Hubbs loves video games. I have been a Call of Duty: Black Ops widow on more than one weekend.
While I love Bejeweled & other Facebook games, I'm bored within twenty minutes. (Please refer back to #1.)

4.) The man likes bananas, yogurt, oatmeal, and Jell-O.
I have texture issues. All of the above feel nasty. Yuck!

5.) The reverse of #4: I love, love, LOVE spicy foods.
The Hubby is a big wuss when it comes to the spice. My mother will make special dishes just for him when we eat at her place. (Such a wonderful mother-in-law!)

6.) I think my husband can count his friends on one hand, and only a few know how he feels about them.
I cherish my family and friends. I have no problem letting them know it, either. (He makes fun of me for telling people that I love them--well, I do!)

7.) I enjoy cooking, especially for others.
My husband is not allowed in my kitchen.

8.) I love information and learning.
If the Hubbs wants to know something, he'll ask me. He knows that if I don't know it, I'll look it up.

9.) The Hubbs can't stand anything small. I think it has to do with his Alpha-manliness.
Give me something mini, junior, or a baby anything and I will squeal like a schoolgirl.

10.) In a word: Memory. (I'll let you guess which of us has issues remembering things.)

Those are only a few of the differences between us. They make life interesting, and some of our differences are complimentary. Like when we go out to dinner, he doesn't like tomatoes and I can't stand mushrooms, so we switch. If we had everything in common, we'd probably get bored. That's not to say we don't have some things we agree on, but that's for a later post.

This was such a fun thing to think about. So what about you and your significant one? What differences do y'all have? Link it up!

Much love,

Bringing Memories to Life

Today is our anniversary. The Hubbs and I have been married for seven years. We just finished brunch, and funny enough, he asked me if I have the ability to make memories come alive. The short answer is yes, I can.

Little does he know how often I relive the moment that we met. I can smell the smoke in the air of the bar, the cold chill and sweet smell of smoke machines. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, and not knowing if it’s from the bass in the music, or from the rush of adrenaline as I tried to work up the nerve to walk over and say hi. I knew the second that I laid eyes on him, that he would be significant in my life. I can’t say I knew we’d be where we are today, but I remember thinking

“He is going to mean a lot to me.” And he does. He has given me my world.

I remember the look in his eyes the first time he told me that he loves me, and asked me to move in with him. It’s the same depth I saw when he was down on bended knee asking me to marry him. When he proposed, my breath caught in my chest. I had tears threatening at the corners of my eyes. Today, I feel the same shortness, the same tears threatening. I’m smiling.

The day we were married, everything was a frenzy. My family arrived early, my mother brought food (as always). My best friend was a witness. I remember how honored I was that she would take the time on her birthday, her own special day, to be a part of my happiest day. I was so emotional, so harried, that I know I didn’t even convey half of my gratitude for her.

When Medium was born, the Hubbs tried to stay with me as much as possible. I was so scared when he couldn’t stand to be in the room for my epidural. I was so disappointed in myself for not being able to withstand the pain. It broke what was left of my resolve that he left me with the anesthesiologist and nurses. It meant the world to me when, after he came back into the room, he told me how proud of me he was.

He is my strength, my rock. He’s the one that keeps me grounded. I’m a kite constantly reaching for the heavens, always dreaming, sometimes going off half-cocked. The Hubbs is the one that keeps a steady grip on my string, making sure that I don’t fly too high. Making sure that I will always find my way back down to him, and make my way back home.

I see our daughters in his chair with him, snuggled under pink and purple blankets. Everyone snoring, in what look to be the most uncomfortable positions possible.

I smell cupcakes, cookies, and cakes fresh out of our oven. With little hands reaching for icing and sprinkles decorating treats just so for Daddy. “For me?” he asks. “Yes Daddy!” they cry excitedly. “Oh thank you. They look yummy!” he answers.

The girls are running across our yard, hair catching the sun, to ride on the mower with him. “Daddy! Daddy! I wanna ride!”

We are all on a blanket, shaded under a tall tree in the backyard, enjoying a picnic of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese curls, Kool-Aid and popsicles. The girls make sure everyone has napkins, even Daddy (although he protests that he has pants for napkins), they giggle at his silliness. After lunch, there is a large tickle fight until the girls run off to play on their play set. The Hubbs and I watch them, in their youthful enthusiasm, grins on our faces. I find myself wondering if they’ll feel the same butterflies, pounding heart, and breathlessness I did when I first met their father.

So yes, Papi, I can make memories come alive. Happy Anniversary my Love.

Photo courtesy of Mary Decrescenzio Photography.

30DPC Day 27

Day 27: A picture of yourself and a family member

Since I'm usually the one behind the camera, about the only person I have pictures with is the Hubbs.

I love him, anyway.

This amazing photo courtesy of Mary Decrescenzio Photography.

Happy Snapping!

30DPC Day 14

Day 14: A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

Without a doubt that person is my husband. My Papi. The father of my children. The rock I cling to when life's waves threaten to knock me over. My protector. My sugar daddy. Defender of my honor. Most importantly, he's the little boy that watches my colorful kite flying high & holds tightly to the string, keeping me securely grounded.

Happy Snapping!

Find the list of all the challenges here.

30DPC Day 7

Day 7: A photo of your most treasured item

Yes, it's totally cheesy. Yes, I'm taking the mommy's way out. Yes, my most treasured items are my children. These little buggers ladies make me laugh every single day. They are the reason that I get up everyday. (Seriously, before kids I used to sleep for an entire day at least once a month--now I'm lucky to get 4 1/2hrs a night.)

This is what most days at our house look like.
If you've ever visited, you know this is true ...

Happy Snapping!

30DPC Day 5

Day 5: A photo of your favorite memory

The Hubbs and I have so many fun memories, but the night we got engaged is my favorite. Apparently, my Papi had been planning on proposing for a while. I don't know how I never noticed. He bought a ring and managed to hide it from me. (I did the man's laundry back then ... again, how did I not see it???) He made reservations at a restaurant up at the lakes (in November) that we had to reschedule three times. The night we finally made it out to dinner, there was a blizzard. I was ready to just stay home, but the Hubbs was determined to make it. (Yet another clue I should've known something was up.) It took forever to get there, we had a fun dinner in a deserted restaurant, and we had a long drive home. By the time we made it through the door, I just wanted to throw on some pajamas and zone out at the computer. Which is exactly what I did. 

But the Hubbs had other plans. While I was at Pogo.com, he came over (I thought he was going to ask if he could get on the computer--I am so oblivious.) and put a little red box in front of me. My exact words were, "Are you serious?" I looked over at him, and he was down on one knee. He said his schpeel, and I said yes. The rest is history. I'm the woman who was proposed to while playing computer games. It's a great story we'll tell the grandkids.

Not everyone can have a computer game engagement.

Happy Snapping!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 28

30 Days of Thanks

Day Twenty-eight: A Gift

I have been given so many wonderful gifts throughout my life,

but I’m afraid I’m going to have to be cheesy

and romantic for this one.

I am most thankful for the gift of the Hubbs’s heart

(and more materialistically, my engagement & wedding rings).

The Hubbs had said he never wanted to get married.

With the way marriages are today, I didn’t blame him.

But, I told him that for us to be in it forever, marriage was a definite for me.

Ring or nothing.

The man caved and proposed--ha ha!

In all honesty, though, around about our third anniversary the Hubbs told me

getting married was the best decision he’d ever made

& he would do it again in a heartbeat. ♥

30 Days of Thanks: Days 21-25

We were lucky enough to have Large with us over the Thanksgiving break, so I fell tragically behind in my thanks. I have to add that I am thankful we were able to have our little family whole over the holiday. ☺

30 Days of Thanks

Day Twenty-one: A Disappointment or Fear

I think I have the same fears as any mother. I’m afraid that my children will not be well-rounded, educated, and well-mannered members of society. Jesse and I have seen some of the brats running around the schools and playgrounds, so we try as hard as we can (without being dictators) to bring our children back to the way we were raised.

You know, like back in the good ole days.

Day Twenty-two: A Book

I don’t think I could narrow it down to just one book! I love almost all of them--especially the serials that I read as a kid. I can’t wait to share them with my girls:

The Babysitters Club

Nancy Drew

The Boxcar Children

Sweet Valley High (when they get a little older)

Goosebumps

Fear Street

Anne of Green Gables

The Little House on the Prairie

And some of my favorite non-series:

Little Women

Where the Red Fern Grows

Charlotte’s Web

How to Eat Fried Worms

anything by Roald Dahl,

Beverly Cleary,

or Judy Blume

Day Twenty-three: A Feeling

I love the feeling of romantic anticipation.

Which is definitely different from sexual anticipation, mind you. I’m talking about butterflies and your heart skipping a beat.

I’m happy to say that after almost a decade together,

I still get those butterflies when I’m waiting for Jesse to come 

home to me.

Day Twenty-four: A Photograph

With my best friend being a photographer,

this is easy to answer. I actually have more than one favorite:

my favorite photo of daddy and his little princess

my favorite photo of the girls -- this totally shows their relationship

my absolute favorite picture of the Hubbs & me

Day Twenty-five: A Luxury

Anyone that knows me,
knows that I am, basically, in love with our wood-burning stove.

Shoot, it can be cold and windy with a windchill in the single digits,

but it’s a balmy 80°F in our house.

It costs more money to cool our house in the summer,

than it does to heat it in the winter.

(It’s a good thing the Hubbs is awesome with a chainsaw!)

30 Days of Thanks: Day Twenty

This one was especially difficult to do ...

30 Days of Thanks

Day Twenty: A Keepsake

My post precious possession is a tiny, gold baby ring.

In late summer of 2005, I had a miscarriage. I didn’t even know I was pregnant. Jesse and I had separated (this was before marriage). I had moved in with my mother. Things were basically a mess.

One morning, shortly after my mom had gone to work, I woke up experiencing the most excruciating cramping. I remember thinking at the time, that it felt a lot like labor.

(Later, I found out why.)

It hit me hard.

No one could get a hold of Jesse. Turned out, he had hit the road as soon as he got the first voicemail.

Before I was discharged from the hospital, a grief counselor visited me. Among all the information she gave me, was a card. In the card was the tiniest gold ring. I’m not sure if Jesse knows it, but I still have that ring. Every once in a while I visit it, and remember the child that I never got to know.

All babies are precious,
especially the ones we don't get to meet.

30 Days of Thanks: Day Eighteen

30 Days of Thanks

Day Eighteen: A Saying/Quote/Scripture

Today, there are two quotes that I live by. Both are very relevant to my life every single day:

--The Golden Rule. It doesn't get more basic than that.

1Corinthians 13:4-7 --Those in serious relationships
know that you must live this everyday.

30 Days of Thanks: Day Fourteen

30 Days of Thanks

Day Fourteen: Something New

On this day, I’m thankful for the new additions to our family. As of late last month, I have a new sister in law and nephew. Not that they weren’t considered family before, but now it’s official!

Welcome to the Jungle, Monica and Angel!

The Happy Family last winter -- (BB: before Bubba)

My adorable nephews

Much Love,

L Schueder

I've Fallen In Love

I have a confession to make:  I have fallen in love. Sometime during this last week, I have fallen head over heels for a man. He has given me butterflies. He is strong and caring, funny, smart, and incredibly sexy. He’s my husband.

That may sound funny, since my husband and I have been married for more than six years, but I know what I’m feeling. I have a crush on my hubby.

I’m not sure that he did anything, and I’m not sure when it happened. I woke up one morning the happiest woman in the world. I could not believe that I am lucky enough to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. Yes, I’m swooning.

Military wives will tell you that they’ve felt the same thing, probably more than once. Usually it happens that second night after they’ve headed out to the field, or after that first phone call when they deploy--letting you know they’re at Cherry Point or in Canada. And sometimes it happens at 2200 when he’s on duty.

It happens when you’ve been separated long enough for all of his annoying quirks to escape your memory in favor of the way he smells fresh out of the shower. How he wrestles with the kids. He sends you flowers at work, so all the women know he loves you. He holds your hand while he’s driving. And he gives you that private smile (and wink) that lets you know that you’re his.

While my husband is definitely unique, I have to admit that he’s not one of a kind. Since he became a Marine, I’ve had the pleasure of learning that there are many men that share my husband’s better qualities. They still hold doors open for women and the elderly. They carry the heavy grocery bags and take out the trash. They change diapers and trade off middle-of-the-night feedings. They kill spiders and fix leaky faucets.

But Jesse is so much more than chivalrous. He would rather work two jobs, than have me work at all. He wants to build me my dream house--and he could do it, too, literally. As much as he cares for our kids, he puts me first (even before himself). I never worry about anyone hurting or taking advantage of me (you do not want to cross my Papi!). And, I’ll admit, he sometimes fights my battles for me.

Yes, I call him Papi. It’s probably silly for an Asian girl to call her white hubby that, but I do. It comes from two things: (1.) When I think of a guy called Papi, I think of someone smooth. (Which the hubby can be when he wants to. You should see him sweet talk a waitress!) Papi is a man that lets his woman know she’s desired. It might make me sound like property, but I like being Jesse’s “Woman.” No other man will ever get close to me. (2.) Jesse’s Bro-crush is Will Smith. Do you remember his song “Miami”? There was a woman that riffed, “Ay, Papi!” Sometimes I say that (in that voice/accent) just to mess with him.

I’m his Babe, and he’s my Papi. Right now he’s working the evening shift. He doesn’t get home until after the kids and I are in bed. It’s not the military, but I’m still going to bed alone. I’m not falling asleep snuggled into my favorite spot in the world, which makes me love it even more. Which makes me love him more. Which makes the butterflies take flight.

Just Say No

There are times when I like to pretend that I am Superwoman. Why not? I am a stay at home mom. I take care of all the kids, the animals, my husband, and the house. I run errands for family members. I try to help my friends with their businesses whenever I can. And my favorite thing to do (aside from writing) is to volunteer.

But just like Superman (and probably Superwoman, I don’t remember exactly) I have a kryptonite. An almost debilitating weakness. I cannot say no to my husband. I do what I can, and what it takes to keep my family healthy and happy. But, when it comes to that man, no matter how ridiculous the request, I just can’t say no.

He could ask me to ride a water buffalo bareback, naked, backwards and eating a dill pickle and I would probably say yes. If he winked when he asked, it wouldn’t even be a question. I am retarded when it comes to my husband.

But, people do all sorts of crazy things when they fall in love, you say? Consider then, the fact that my husband and I met almost eight years ago. We’ve been married for over five years. We have two daughters together. We are not even close to still being in that starry-eyed honeymoon phase.

Then how does he still get me to answer his every beck and call? I honestly can’t tell you. Maybe it’s that goofy smile he puts on when he asks me for something silly (“Since you’re already up, would you get me a pop? Pretty puh-leeze?”). Maybe it’s the random bear hug he’ll give me while I’m cooking his dinner (Yes, I make his plate for him. No, I don’t cut his meat into tiny pieces.). Maybe it’s the knowledge that, after so many years together, he still has to snuggle when we go to bed or he won’t sleep well.

I spoil the man rotten. I really do. I can’t seem to stop myself.

But then again, he spoils me just the same. I almost always have a nicer vehicle to drive (he says it’s because I drive with the kids more often, but I know it’s MY safety he worries about). I buy whatever I want when grocery shopping, and we always eat what I want to cook for supper.

The house is decorated solely in my taste. I got the smartphone and cell plan that I wanted (so superficial, I know). I got the high efficiency washer and dryer set I liked. And when I park at Starbucks, to pick up Angela from her dad, he knows good and well that I’m going to buy a drink for the ride home.

Then when I get back home, all hopped up on Frappuccino, if he asks me if I want to buy a pistol, I find myself saying, “Yes.” Budget be damned, I tell the man yes. In my caffeine haze, I forget to realize that buying a pistol doesn’t just mean the price of the pistol. It means, of course, a case of rounds and sales tax. Somehow, “I only need about sixty dollars,” turned into $100.

Here I am, kicking myself in the ass, experiencing a horrible case of buyer’s remorse. Dang him and his boyish grin.

How did I get sucked into the thought that I need it for protection? We live in tiny town Iowa! Who the heck is going to break into our house? And for that matter, how the heck are they going to get into our house? Bella growls when she hears a car door slam down the block. And it’s not like Jesse isn’t going to be here. He’s not likely to deploy any time soon. Last I heard, 1st CIV DIV doesn’t see too much action.

The darn butterflies in my belly have gotten me into trouble more than once ... they got me to say, “of course I’ll marry you,” and “go ahead, babe, enlist in the Marine Corps,” not to forget, “sure buy that fixer-upper, you can do all the work yourself. It’ll save us so much money.”

Oh, and the puppies. The dear, sweet puppies. “Solomon found a pregnant pit bull wandering his neighborhood,” and “Let’s buy a purebred dog. We can breed her and sell the puppies.” If I remember correctly, I was the one sitting in the whelping box both times. I swear, the man could sell me the Brooklyn Bridge.

No more. This is it. I will learn to Just Say No to my husband. I will think before I say yes. I’ll install a filter between my heart and my mouth. I will tell him I’ll think about it. I’ll tell him that I have to check my calendar. I will say, “No!”

Well ... maybe once I’m done painting the house I told him he could buy ...