Realized Something

Though the title of this blog is "The Everyday Life of a MilShelb Mom" and I do take pride in my MilShelb mothering abilities, I am, above all else, a wife. So, I thought that since I normally focus on MilShelb I would take a second to say how wonderful Jake is. lol!

Jake is a good man. I am amazed each day at how absolutely brilliant he is. I know that sounds like I am being sarcastic and those of you who know me personally know that I am a pretty sarcastic person, but I am being honest. Jake is just so smart. He says and does things sometimes and I am like "wow. I would have never thought of that!" lol Among all of his great qualities, Jake has a gift that will help us through life- he can make me laugh. It's true (and there's no denying it) he knows how to make me the maddest I have ever been, but in the middle of the chaos he can turn it around and cause me to laugh until I nearly cry. He always has these silly little stories and things to tell me. He (to my surprise) got me a birthday card this year. He doesn't always do this because I think he thinks cards are a waste of money... but he bought one. When I opened it and read it I thought it was cute. It said on the front "Happy Birthday to my wife." And on the inside "the woman I love to monkey around with." He explained to me that he had a hard time finding a card in Target that didn't have mushy stuff or nasty stuff in it. lol I thought that was so funny! Only he would feel the need to explain a card.

Jake has a way of keeping me grounded. It's not that he's bossy and tells me not to do stuff... it's just that he lays it all out there. He makes me see that, yeah I can spend that money on this whatever... but since neither of us have full-time jobs right now the best thing to do would be to keep the money for those silly things like paying bills. lol I'm still learning, but he is working with me on it... poor guy.

If you're reading this, Jake, I want you to know something. I want you to know that forever and ever what I said on our wedding day remains true- I choose you. I love you more than life itself.

I'll Stop for a Moment...

(Such cute little cuddlers!)

Time has FLOWN...

Milly and Shelby have truly enjoyed the holidays! They had a nice time with family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Their cousin Kodi came into town for the holidays with their Aunt Morgan and Uncle James. They were so excited to see him! :)

We had family pictures taken on Monday and MilShelb did not participate... but I have decided we will have to get their pictures made when it's a little warmer outside. They could love it! Shelby loves the camera anyhow. :)

Here's the family on Christmas!:

Here are a few of the professional pics we had made by Kimberly Wyatt. She did an AMAZING job!:

A Few Thoughts

Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart. - Gandhi That is so true. It is so important to have your heart fully involved in your prayer. Simply saying words does not make a prayer. I truly believe that you can pray without words, after all, God knows your heart. The sermon this morning was wonderful. Jeff talked about how many people are focusing on the fact that 2009 is almost over. And, boy, is it. He talked about how some people were glad it's nearly over and they can put it behind them and start new in 2010. He talked about how some people had a great year and would be sad to see it go. He also said that we are not promised 2010... we're not even promised the rest of today. We are promised the here and now- the present moment. We must choose wisely and not wish it away. In true "end of the year" fashion, I'm writing a blog to all of those I love because, after all, we are not promised tomorrow. 2009 has been a trying year for me. A year of big ups and downs... more like a roller coaster than any other year of my life. There have been wonderful days that I will remember forever and horrible days that I'd just assume forget... but these are the days that have made me who I am, that have somehow formed my life, and therefore, I am thankful for all 365 of them. To say that I am a blessed person would be an understatement. Many of you know my struggles and just by reading past posts on here you can learn more about them, so my saying that I am blessed and having a positive attitude at the end of this year is really a big step for me. It dawned on me during church today that I have been very lucky this year. Though I have not had all of my prayers answered in the way I would prefer I have not had any tragedies either. I am truly coming out on top this year. First of all, it would not have been a truly special year without July 18th... the day I became Mrs. Timothy Jacob Hall. He is an amazing man and though there are days I beg Ida to take him back (lol) I truly would not trade him for any other person on the planet. He is not my other half, (many of you know I have a strong opinion on that and I believe that we are two whole people all on our own) he is my whole heart. I thank God every day for him. I don't know what 2010 has in store for us and I have no doubt that our struggles are not over, but as I tell myself often- if we can get through this, we can get through ANYTHING... so bring it on 2010. We're ready! 2009 has also shown me that I am much stronger than I imagined. I am thankful for the trials- I know now that I HAVE IT! I CAN TAKE IT! lol There's a quote that says that "I know God won't give me anything I can't handle, I just wish He didn't trust me so much." God has trusted me with a lot this year- but He is the one who knows me best. I know he has wonderful things waiting for Jake and me. I can't wait! I have an awesome family... both my side and Jake's. They are truly selfless people who would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it... and wouldn't think twice about it. I just really can't say enough good things about our families. I realized recently that not everyone is blessed to have parents who always go the extra mile and siblings who lend a hand and never ask questions. I am so thankful to them for everything. Hands down, I have the best friends on this earth. They encourage me, support me, inspire me, and pick me up when I need them most. They keep me laughing. I am so glad to have such wonderful friends. I come home every single day to two sweet smiling faces who just want me to sit on the floor so they can kiss me! They are the most amazing examples of unconditional love that I have ever known. They love me no matter what. I cannot believe they will be 3 years old in 2010! Times sure does fly. It seems like just yesterday I was watching them waddle up the driveway to meet Jake for the first time. They were so tiny. I miss those days! Just writing this brings tears to my eyes. I love them so much. It's so true- pets leave paw prints on your heart. My grandmother has been amazing this year. She has helped me and supported me (and Jake) both emotionally and financially. I would not have made it without her generosity this year. I wish everyone could have a grandmother as sweet as mine. I just love her and her silly comments and funny faces and... I could go on for days. I truly want to thank everyone in my life. You have made a difference more than you know. I am still praying each and every day that things will get better... but, you know, it's hard to get much better than this! (With the exception of a full-time job, of course!)