One Dozen Years

Today marks ONE DOZEN YEARS of my life shared with the most amazing man I have ever met. It has been twelve years to the day from when we took our vows to live our lives as husband and wife.  And believe it or not, it just keeps getting better!

I was thinking this morning about our wedding day, how different we were back then in our interests, our personalities, our goals, or aspirations.  It is almost like we are completely new people.  At least this is what I was thinking... I was looking back at old albums of our wedding day.  Photos of friends we don't see anymore.  Doing things we don't do.   Being people we aren't.  Like looking at strangers.  That is until I came across a page in the album where I placed the vows we wrote for each other.

BBH's vows to me:
Jenny, You are my every inspiration in everything that I do. You gave me direction in a time in my life where I was floundering, and helped to shape me into what I am today. Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for sending me such a wonderful gift.
With everything that I am, I promise to always be devoted, loyal, and faithful to you. I promise to always be your shoulder to cry on and your strength when you are weak. No matter where life may take us I promise to never let you down, but above all I promise to always love and cherish you and our marriage until the day that I die.

My vows to BBH:
Never in my life have I met anyone with so much selflessness, so much honor, and so much strength until I met you. Never has there been anyone to truly show me what it is like to be cherished and loved so deeply and unconditionally until I met you. Never have I felt so safe and secure than the times I spend in your arms.  You have taught me the power and redemption in love. You have shown me that no river is too wide, no mountain too high or ocean too deep for us to conquer as long as we are together. I vow to you now that you hold my heart, my mind, my soul, and this will never change.  Today, we are embarking on such an incredible chapter of our lives, and I feel so honored and so truly blessed that we will share our lives together.  I know that there is no where on earth or in the heavens above that I would rather be than in the reflection of your beautiful eyes, because it is in those eyes that my heart and soul will forever be.

Are they a little cheesy and over the top? Yes, of course... but we were children. The thing that struck me about them was just how true they still are today.  Those people, the souls and hearts inside of the children who stood at the alter that day and promised to live our lives together, THEY are the same.

In our core, our inner being, we are connected. Our interests, aspirations, and friends may change... but the one thing that doesn't, the one constant is our love and devotion to one another. It not only seems to resist change, but grow stronger and more secure as the years pass. (Twelve, to be exact.)

So, today, on our anniversary, I want to say once again to BBH, as I did twelve years ago, that you hold my heart, my mind, my soul, and this will never change.

Happy Anniversary my Lovely Lobster! How blessed we are. How grateful I am. I love you so.

-Wife

Crock Pot Chronicles: Chicken and Wild Rice

Tried this delicious fall recipe this week.  It was amazing, and super easy.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.


Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice
(serves- 4-6)

2lbs chicken breast cut into large bites
1 can Cream of Chicken WITH HERBS
1 box Uncle Bens Wild Rice (chicken flavor)
1 can sliced carrots
2tbl bacon crumbles
1 cup Chicken Broth
salt, pepper, to taste
1tbl minced garlic
olive oil


1. Sauté garlic in olive oil over medium to high heat.  Add Chicken, salt and pepper, and cook through.

 



2.  Sprinkle bacon crumbles in the bottom of slow cooker.  Layer Rice on top.  (Reserve seasoning packet)

 

 

3. Layer chicken on top of rice.

 

 

4. Sprinkle carrots (drained) over chicken (I think you could sub yams or sweet potatoes here... or even squash/zucchini).

 

5. Mix the soup and chicken broth.  Then pour over the top.

 

6. Sprinkle herb packet reserved from box of rice.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until rice is tender.

7. Stir all ingredients before serving.

I'm telling you... delish! It is rare that I can find a recipe all four of us will eat with no argument or bribery. I sure hope your family enjoys it as much as ours did!

 

 







Binky Withdrawls

Smaller Child is going on day three free of binkies. I think the shakes have finally subsided, but the mood swings and irritability... wow.  We offered him the patch, the gum, the lozenge... but he refused.  He did say though if we could get our hands on an e-binky he might consider that as a reasonable substitute.

Hang in there SC, it only gets easier from here.