8.14.2012

An Excellent Contractor


Photo by our friend and photographer, Rhyanne Ketron.

Hey, chicas.

Leslie, here.

(Obvi. Who else would be here writing this blog?)

This has been one crazy week that, to be honest, may not lend itself to a terribly large amount of blogging, but that's just how the Funfetti cupcake crumbles sometimes. Work is busy, which is always a good thing. And we're gearing up to welcome little Ruby into our household on Saturday afternoon. (Eeeeep!)

Anywhoodle, thanks to all (978!!) of you who have submitted a survey. This Type-A personality appreciates that very much! Your diligence and follow-through will be handsomely rewarded.

(Just as soon as I win the lotto.)

.........................

Gaw. I was thinking today about the fact that S and I have been married for almost one year. A YEAR. It feels like we've been married for about five minutes. (Well, some days it feels like it has been a bit longer, but you get the picture. Ha!)

Next month, September 17, we'll be celebrating 365 days of being wed. Man and wifey. And I love it.

Someone asked me a couple of days ago if I had "learned" anything. I'm assuming she was referring to  lessons I'd learned since getting "hitched". (LOTS of quotation marks today, apparently. That's what Tuesdays are for, no?)

And, per usual for a writer, it got me to thinking...

1. I've learned that sometimes it's better to wave the white flag and just admit you were wrong. The argument won't stop until someone does and, since we're both bull-headed, we have to take turns.

2. I've learned that sometimes people don't start snoring until after you're well into a year of marriage. Surprise! (I'm sorry honey. I just had to.)

3. I've learned that, although she is really fabulous, Ina Garten's recipes are never something that can be "whipped up" after a long day of work in hopes of surprising one's husband with one's mad cooking skillz.

And really, who keeps organic white truffle oil in her pantry anyway?

4. I've learned that #3 usually leads to an emergency call to Pizza Hut. Program the number into the phone and memorize it just to be thorough.

5. I've learned that he will make you SO MAD.

6. But he will also make you SO HAPPY.

7. I've learned that after a couple of babysitting experiences together, we should probably stick to dogs for a few more years. (We love our niece and nephews, but MY WORD. Stamina, those children have!)

8. I've learned that the "I'll have the cleanest house on the block" mentality (that I had going into our co-habitation) was for the birds. Clean as you go. Do the best ya can. But don't kill yourself because there's spaghetti sauce stuck in the grout. It's not going anywhere.

But the fifteen minutes of time you could have spent laughing on the couch together is more precious that any sparkly grout on the plant.

9. I've learned that love really does only grow. Your heart - I'm positive that it enlarges.

10. I've learned that the best abdominal exercises come from laughter. The sort of laughter that occurs  after one of you accidentally uses "lip stain" instead of "chap stick", because the tubes looked the same.  (Shame on you, Burt and your Beeswax.)

(You should have seen the look on my face that night we crawled into bed and I looked over at my manly-man of a husband, only to realize he was wearing my Burt's plumping lip stain. A lovely peachy-pink shade. He'd grabbed the wrong tube in the medicine cabinet. It took me a solid 15 minutes of cry-laughing before I could tell him what he'd done.)

..................................


More than anything though, I've learned that his imperfections are the things that make him the most perfect, (in my eyes, anyway.)

-The little scar above his left eyebrow, the result of crashing through a coffee table as a kiddo. The way it peeks out, just so, from underneath his baseball cap.

(All men should bear such sexy reminders of the past.)

-The way he makes the coffee just a little too strong. (I've grown to love the extra caffeine buzz.)

-The way the always uses the wrong cleaning solution on the granite countertop. (I've learned to love it. I call it the "Stephen Streak".)

-The way he tracks in dirt and grass from outside. It reminds me of my daddy and the farm. Two very good things that make me not mind the mopping one bit.

.......................

I love our cooking messes. I love our Saturday pancake-a-thons.  I love our boating adventures. Our loud and rowdy SEC football-watching...my, how we get carried away.

So, when my friend asked, "What have you learned so far?",  I told her this:

"I've learned that God is an excellent contractor."

She looked at me quizzically.

I continued.

"He's an excellent contractor. Just when you think your heart is so full it can't possibly grow another inch, he expands it. Builds on. Makes room for more."

Be blessed, lovelies-

28 comments:

  1. Love this entire post. You're adorable. :)
    www.forallthingslovelymr.blogspot.com
    Megan

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  2. Love this from start to finish!

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  3. My husband and I are also in our first year of marriage and my word does this post hit the spot!!! Truly, madly, deeply in love with every inch of him and his being!! :) Also good to know I'm not the only wife who waves that white flag ;)

    Thanks for keeping it real.

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  4. You've brought me to tears sister. I completely agree and appreciate all your honesty and love exploding here.

    Blessings to you & your marriage!

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  5. leslie, this is perfect! and He's the perfect contractor, because HE lays out all the perfect plans. everything is as it should be. if i truly believe that God gave me jeffrey, then i believe he gave me ALL of jeffrey (Even the parts i'd rather not have - haha!) because i know there are parts of me that aren't so "perfect" either, but that's what makes us "perfect" for each other ;)
    love this post - stephen is a lucky man :))

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  6. Very sweet post! Got me thinking about the things I've learned since I got married, also. Your heart really does grow, doesn't it? :)

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  7. Loved this post! Love ending my day with your spunk!!

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  8. Such a sweet post! I can't wait to be hitched! :)

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  9. Just loved this, especially the thought of seeing the puffed up peachy lips....sooo hilarious! I've been married 19 years and I have to thank you for renewing the love I have for my special guy. I'm thrilled you have found the wedded bliss I found so long ago!

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  10. This entire post made my mouth and my heart smile! Everyone should have that kind of relationship. and never settle for less.

    :)

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  11. Beautifully written. I love "God is an excellent contractor". This is true for so many things. And I believe you got yourself an extra day in your first year of marriage. It's a leap year! Lucky you!

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  12. Couldn't possibly love this more than I do. What a great lesson, especially with the start of our marriage 6.5 months away! Can't wait to learn my own love lessons too! :)

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  13. This is one of my most favorite posts ever. Thank you for this! Makes me think of all of the things that I love about my hubby, and it is true...the heart does grow. Beautiful words.

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  14. Oh this just makes me tear up--I am such an emotional sap lately! So precious. I love this and CANNOT believe it's already been a year!!! Times flies, huh? So happy for the cutest, sweetest couple ever!

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  15. Amazing amazing post. God is good and so glad He has blessed you with an amazing hubby!

    xoxo

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  16. Leslie, WHAT an awesome post! I took the survey, and have to say that I have now completely changed my mind. This is my favorite post of yours. Ever. Hands-down. Love it. I feel the same way about my husband. We've been married just over a year. And he has a lovely habit of getting spaghetti sauce everywhere when he cooks...I still don't know how he manages it. But I love him anyways:) Thanks for sharing!

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  17. I reeeeally really loved this post! Mostly because it's all true. Marriage isn't perfect, but that's how it works, and that's how you laugh and grow together. It's so fun. :)

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  18. After 17 years of marriage, I've learned that if you're wrong, admit it. If you're right, shut up about it:)

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  19. we have approximately 65 days until we tie the knot and i cannot wait to reread this post in a year and remember all of these wonderful details. you and stephen are perfect for each other and i couldn't be happier for you to find such happiness. look at us girl, from single to {almost} married with hearts that grow larger every.single.day.!!

    we are blessed. and i've learned that god is an excellent contractor as well.

    xo :)

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  20. what a sweet post ! i love reading your views on marriage - after 4 years of being married, it's nice to be reminded of how special those little 'quirks' are , b/c with kids & jobs etc. it becomes too easy to get annoyed by those, so THANKS !

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  21. My hubby has a sexy scar above his eyebrow too. Love it! Happy 1 year. It does seem like your wedding was just a few months ago still!

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  22. Oh geez, that was sweet- I'm sitting here eating a pizza and tearing up.

    My husband and I will sometimes just sit and talk about the circumstances that God used to bring us together and how easily we could have missed each other and never met- it is amazing how He works!

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  23. I am laughing so hard about the lip stain! That is just the funniest thing ever!

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  24. I am selling Thirty One now! Thirtyonegifts.com - email me for info!! timkelly@tds.net (They have "game day" stuff!!)

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  25. What a beautiful post! Made me stop and think of all the things I have learned in 17 years of marriage and it made me appreciate my husband even more.

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  26. This made me tear up! I am getting married in 3 weeks and I hope that my heart continually expands and grows and that I love my future husband more and more.
    Thanks for this post!

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  27. What a great post, and something for you to look back on each year of marriage. I just got married in October and have learned SO MUCH about the man I dated for six years before we married. It is truly a lesson in patience, love, and dedication. Cheers, love your blog!

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