The name may be “average,” but my Joe is anything but!

(I can’t remember what he was talking about in this picture, but it is so quintessentially Joe, isn’t it?)

Yesterday, we celebrated 7 years of wedded bliss, and I’m so thankful to be married to a man who loves the Lord and desires to lead our family in a way that honors Him. There are many things that most people know about Joe. He is:

• funny and witty
• a great dad and husband
• a guy with a ridiculously fast metabolism
• a faithful believer
• a talker
• a listener
• easy to talk to
• a quick learner
• a perfectionist

The list could go on, but here’s a list of things you might not know about Joe:

• There is no middle ground when it comes to things he likes or does not like. For example, he does not like mayonnaise or cottage cheese, and he will not knowingly eat anything that has one of those in it.
• He doesn’t cook much, but he is a good cook. I especially like his over-hard eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, ice cream creations, pancakes, burritos, etc.
• He makes up silly songs. Probably every day.
• He is a great singer and guitar player.
• He’s great at most things, but will never admit that.
• He takes about 3 minutes to get ready in the mornings.
• In high school, he was voted “Future Superhero.”
• He once beat me in a limbo contest. Ouch.

I’m so blessed to be married to him. He’s an all-around great guy. Even if he doesn’t like mint and chocolate together…

As I was preparing lunch today, look who “rolled” in to see me:

Yes, that is one of my hair clips on his face. (He likes to get in my bathroom drawer). And he’s riding on a truck that’s not meant to be sat upon. First, I laughed. Then, like any good mom, I ran to get the camera. Then, I told him that hair clips are for hair. Not faces. If Joe had been here, he would have strongly emphasized the part that hair clips are for GIRLS!

We just love being parents, and this stage in Evan’s development is so fun. He is constantly repeating what we say or giving a running commentary on what we’re doing. We are constantly laughing at the random things he says, and today was no different. My conversation with Evan at lunch today went something like this:

Evan: “Evan is a BIG boy.” (said while patting himself on the chest)

Suzanne: “Yes, you ARE a big boy.”

Evan: “Evan is Mommy’s big boy.”

Suzanne: “You are my big boy.”

Evan: “Evan is daddy’s big boy.”

Suzanne: “You are daddy’s big boy, too.”

Evan: “Jesus is a big boy.” (said while nodding his head with a look on his face that said, “I know, without a doubt, that this is true.”)

Suzanne: “Jesus is my homeboy.”

Okay, so I didn’t say that last sentence. Okay, I did say it in my head, not out loud. (Have you seen those shirts/hats/etc. that have that phrase on them?)

So there’s a peek into a 2 and 1/2 year old’s mind. I do pray that the name of Jesus will be spoken frequently in our home; not in vain, of course, but in a way that reflects our deep need of Him who died in our place. We are so blessed!

I got back on Saturday night, and look what we woke up to on Sunday morning:

Brrrrrr! Most of that has melted away, but I hear there’s more to come this week. Hello, Winter!

Whew! I got back yesterday from a whirlwind trip to visit family. Joe and I were talking about how I was in 6 different states in 2 days. I started out in Idaho, where we attended our annual GoodSeed Staff Bible Camp. From there, we drove to Washington to the airport. I had a layover in California, a stop in New Mexico, and landed in Texas. From Texas, my brother and I drove to Mississippi, which was the final stopping point for a few days to visit my sister and family. We had a great visit, but we were so busy that I hardly took any pictures. Here are a few:

Here’s my 14 month old niece. She’s beautiful:

And here’s the twin boy. And boy, can he eat! He wins for loudest burping baby I’ve ever heard! We laughed so much at the noises that came out of that little body. He is so adorable, and he has the prettiest lips I’ve ever seen on a boy.

And here’s the twin girl. She is beautiful, and she has the prettiest lips I’ve ever seen. I really wanted to put lipstick on them!

They were just starting to smile a lot, which will definitely lead to future spoilings by Aunt Suz. How can I resist?

As you can probably guess, my sister and brother-in-law have their hands full with 3 little ones. I loved every minute of taking care of all 3 kiddos, but I was EXHAUSTED after just a few days. Just look at the number of bottles to prepare each day:

Thanks J & L for a great visit and for having 3 of the cutest children ever!