The Puzzle (On the fifth day)

We are entering a sad time in our marriage. It is when we had kids.

NO, having kids did not make us sad. (Okay, maybe a little bit, sometimes.) But, we officially stopped taking pictures together. One of us was always behind the camera and the kids became the focus. I struggled to find ANY pictures of us together for many years. Here is a good example.

See, this picture wasn't even taken near our anniversary. But it was the best picture I could get of the two of us for that entire year. Kids literally took over our lives. So, for the next few posts, that is just the way it is. It tells a story in its own right. (That is June and Foot, by the way.)

So, I highly encourage you to take a picture with your spouse. Every year. Heck, even every six months. It doesn't have to be fancy, but capture a moment or two, and remember how your family started. You know, with just two people.

Tyler tries constantly to remind me that he was the first one I loved. He is very romantic! (Character trait of the day.) As a mom, it is easy to get focused on the kids, but Tyler pulls me back and makes sure I give him kisses or clean his ears. (Yes, that is a sign of love and affection. I don't clean just anyone's ears.) Tyler has interesting ways of showing affection. I get pinched and groped often, but I honestly feel lonely if I bend over and he walks by without taking notice. I promise that too much affection is better than none.

We end every conversation with 'I love you.' The guys at Tyler's work make fun of him a bit, but I don't think he really cares. Tyler still opens doors for me and holds my hand. He writes me sweet notes and gets me random gifts. He knows when I have had a hard day and he shoos me out the door, or locks me in my room (figuratively speaking since our bedroom door doesn't actually lock....stupid door.) He takes kids, does hair, drives littles, and basically is the best dad ever. And what woman doesn't find that romantic?


A lot of Christmas traditions have gone by the wayside this year to make room for our anniversary. The kids haven't really noticed (thank goodness) and I am still trying to keep things interesting for them. However, we did get our Christmas puzzle done. I could not find a good Christmas one, so I opted for one of the Savior since in my mind, Christmas and Christ are kind of the same. 

The girls helped a bit more this time around, and I think we might do another one when Grandma Dargan comes to visit. I find that I really enjoy doing a puzzle every now and again. (As long as it isn't a weird 3D one.)