No More Guilt

I have found myself, in recent years, shying away from gushing about my husband (could be that I didn't have a husband until recent years, but I digress).  There are those moments that EVERYONE wants to know about whether it's your family member or the waitress who just took your order...you know those moments...how you met...how you started dating...how you got engaged.  But then nobody seems to want to know what happens after that.  Is it because for a lot of people those moments end?

I've had this scenario happen to me several times:  I'm having a conversation with a group of women and our conversation sparks my memory about something wonderful my husband did for me.  So I proceed to tell the story that just popped into my head...and then it happens...I watch as their faces change to disappointment (or some other expression)...and slowly they disengage from the conversation and return back to their work or whatever they can to show they're done talking.  Several times it has seemed like they're disappointed with their own husbands so they just aren't interested in hearing about a great husband.  (I can say this because women are pretty verbal when it comes to...well, everything...and the subject of husbands comes up pretty easily, so you generally know when a husband is slacking in the romance department).  So what normally follows is that I feel guilty.....WHY???

Why should I feel guilty for  having such a wonderful husband?  I DON'T think I SHOULD.  I no longer want to feel guilty that I picked a good...excuse me...ROCKIN' husband.  God knows I prayed for a good one since...I don't know...I played with Barbie and Ken?  So no more.  My husband is an amazing man who has continued to give me several wonderful moments since we were married, and I WANNA SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOP (I'm not gonna, cuz I live in a top floor apartment and the roof is a little high).

So here is my latest favorite from the wonderful things my hubby has done for me...story, sans guilt:

Words and love notes mean A LOT to me.  I recently wrote a couple of quotes on my side of the mirror for inspiration.  Over the past couple weeks my side of the mirror has completely filled up with messages from my husband (I had to move to his side to do my makeup).  Every couple days I've walked in to the bathroom to find another message that completely warms my heart and makes my eyes tear up.  I don't think he knew just how much it meant.

SO, ALL YOU (3) PEOPLE THAT READ MY BLOG!  I want to know some of your moments since you've been married...or started dating...or fell in love with Jesus (for the singles, oh wait, I don't think any of you read my blog, oh well).  I would love to hear about something wonderful your significant other did for you in the comments section....sans guilt.

From The Past Friday

"DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING"

Another tribute to the good 'ole days. Dancing was a big part of our lives even before Tim and I were "Tim and Amy". I dug up some pictures from our dancing past. About a week after arriving at college we saw a poster advertisement for dance lessons through the University of Georgia's (UGA's) ballroom dance club, and we both signed up. It started as a class, then we made it into UGA's ballroom apprentice group, then eventually the ballroom performance group. We taught ballroom dancing classes together for extra money in college, and had a wonderful time waltzing for our first dance at our wedding. We found a dance partner and a partner for life...(insert "ahs" here). Enjoy the pictorial tribute to our dancing past! (you can click on the pictures to make them bigger)

Taken after the very first dance we ever attended in college.  We did the box step for every single dance, because that was all we knew how to do.

One of the many friday night dances on campus.  I include this one because Tim makes fun of my rockin' outfit.  It was a great outfit and I still stand by it.  :)

Please note Tim's bow tie.  It was his grandfather's, I believe...and is green felt and has sequins :D

UGA homecoming parade 2005.  Can I just tell you that it is very hard to march and dance at the same time...but we made it happen.

Tim danced with the UGA Ballroom Performance Group to "Moon River" at the Athens Classic Center.  "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was one of the movies playing at the film festival that weekend.

We were blessed to have some teachers come all the way from Brazil and teach us the Samba de Gafieira.  Our Brazilian teachers would refer to Tim as "Teem" and motion to their chins referring to his gotee.  Some of the people we danced with still do this when they see Tim.

The lift we worked endlessly on.  Tim got a couple elbows to the face.  I think he only dropped me once.

Because you can dance anywhere,  including the beach.

Hope you enjoyed these fun memories. Next time you see us dancing, please take pictures. We find it very difficult to dance and take good pictures of ourselves at the same time.

Orienteering...say what?

When I told some people that we were going to go orienteering this weekend, I got some confused looks in return. I completely understand since that was my response when Tim told me that orienteering was what he wanted to do. Orienteering is the "international sport of navigation using a map and compass". So today we headed out to one of the two permanent orienteering courses in Georgia at Sweetwater Creek State Park, and met up with my dad. Tim taught us some basics of orienteering and we headed out on the four mile course. The first half of the trail was along a river, and the second half of the trail led us more into the woods.  Along the way we got to see the beautiful river, a cotton mill ruins, and swarms of butterflies. And since you're reading this post, it means I didn't get us terribly lost with my amateur orienteering skills.  Enjoy the pictures!

Tim and Amy by the river

Dad at the "control post".  Yay! We went the right way!

Cotton Mill ruins

Tim and Dad skipping rocks on the river

Some butterflies huddled together

View of the river

From The Past Friday

WHY WALTZ ON THE BEACH? BECAUSE WE COULD!

I was blessed to be able to take Tim to Washington State to visit my family for Spring Break 2006. This video was shot on the beach in Ocean Shores by my aunt. For those of you southern folk who are wondering why we have coats and gloves on at the beach, well...that beach pretty much requires a coat year round. For those of you that don't know, Tim and I got to know each other better while taking ballroom dancing classes in college. So why were we waltzing on the beach? Because we could! :)

Geocaching With a Side of Birthday Cake

This weekend was Mary's (Tim's mom) birthday, and we took it as a good excuse to visit Savannah!  We enjoyed a full weekend of visiting with our wonderful family, got to see a great concert by Call the Cops (the AWESOME band that played at our wedding), and went with our nieces and nephew.  Geocaching, simply put, is treasure hunting with a GPS system.  Basically all the girls needed to know was that we were going on a treasure hunt.  Mary, Penny (Tim's sister), and our nieces and nephew (Ava, Sophia, and Joey) and I set out on Skidaway Island to find our treasure.

Penny and Joey excited to go geocaching

Joey didn't last very long :)

Uncle Tim, Ava, and Sophia

We forgot that even though the GPS compass says 0.5 mi west, when you're at a state park you can't blaze a straight trail to the geocache.  We were a group of tired kids and adults at the end of it but we had a great time.  And we found our treasure!

During the weekend we celebrated Mary's...echhem...35th birthday. The giant gift bag we used for Mary's gift turned out to be to the toy of the day. Ava and Sophia took turns climbing into the bag, covering themselves with the tissue paper and jumping out to yell "SURPRISE"! They played with it all weekend, repeating these steps probably 100 times. I couldn't believe the bag held up.

Silly Girl #1

Silly Girl #2

And no, you're not going blind, the pictures are fuzzy. I don't have the talent of making a 4-year-old and 2-year-old stop moving so Aunt Amy can take a picture :). We also enjoyed some yummy yummy birthday cake. It was a great weekend!

Yummy Amaretto Chocolate Castle Cake

"Maga Mary" blowing out her candles...Sophia helped