I am no Cinderella

It is Chris' off season and our summer together has begun. I couldn't be more excited! We started off with a Memorial Day trip together to Lido beach. It was amazing. We got sun burned and of course ate way to much. The greatest quote from the entire trip was from my one of a kind husband... "Hold on a minute while I change into something more appropriate for a pregnant woman." We always eat to much on our trips together. It is just what we do. On our honeymoon, January 2012, we both gained 7 lbs! It was terrible. Every time we get back from a vacation we begin watching what we eat trying lose what we have gained, only to gain it back again on our next expedition.

The most wonderful feeling in the world has to be when I know Chris isn't leaving for a while. It is amazing. I am often envious of the women who know their husbands are coming home every night. I wonder how that must feel. I can't imagine never worrying about rather or not to lay anything out for dinner or buying to many groceries at the store that will just spoil because Chris goes off to fire for two weeks. Even the small things like not getting to make dinner for my husband after planning to are sometimes just devastating to me. But, for now it is my turn to be content. I don't need to worry! Because the season is through. He is MINE ALL MINE... for a little while at least.

Although my main complaint (as you know) is always about my husband being gone life isn't always sunshine and rainbows when he is home. It is an adjustment for sure. We have both grown accustom to living our own lives. I have grown content during the fire season with sleeping in my big, white, fluffy, king size bed with my Oscar (husky dog). Then hubby comes home and crowds Oscar and I in the bed. We can barely move! On the other hand Chris has grown accustom to acting like a mountain man. He is spitting, chewing, and occasionally stinky. He also enjoys partaking in what I, with an early childhood education degree, like to call potty talk. I am probably not as excited as his road wives are about having full conversations based on poop.

Another thing that I struggle with is expectations. My expectations of my husband rise tremendously when he has time off. I want him to be everything. He should be a house maid, a lover, a cook, a chauffeur and a best friend for me. Considering he is gone and misses so much of our life he should have to do all of this for me in the short period of time that he is home, right?

I feel like Disney truly did ruin our expectations of men. It also doesn't help when I see people on Facebook claiming to be married to Prince Charming. First of all Prince Charming does not exist. No one can be perfect all of the time. We all get annoyed. I know that I am no Cinderella. As much as I would like to, I do not have fair flawless skin, beautiful blonde wavy hair, and a 18" waist. I also do not have time to go around singing and dancing all day. So why do we expect men to be so dreamy? As women we need to get real. We can't lie to one another about how glorious our husbands are all the time. Do not get me wrong I love to brag about my husband, but our relationship is not shear perfection.

Men are not women. They will never think on our level. End of story. Sometimes I get so aggravated because my husband doesn't just look around the house and see what needs to be done. I mean I can do it, why can't he? Well the answer to that questions is that he is not me. We think differently and that is ok. Chris may not notice everything that I do, but he is a great man. I know he loves me. Not because he acts glorious and wonderful 24/7 but because he is genuinely great. He does what he can for me and I do what I can for him.

So, I am challenging myself to begin focusing on the good that my husband does and to not focus on what he does not do. To remember what is most important and what is not important. To lower my expectations a little and remember that I am no Cinderella. To pray for our relationship and our future children. To hope that I can someday raise a boy that loves the Lord, respects his wife, and has a fighters heart just as my husband does. And to occasionally pretend to listen to potty talk without complaining.

Breakfast at Lido Beach

Me and Oscar

"I may sound old-fashioned, but I want to think all women should be treated like I want my wife, daughters, and granddaughters to be treated. I notice today that good manners—like standing up when a woman enters the room, helping a woman with her coat, letting her enter an elevator first, taking her arm to cross the street—are sometimes considered unnecessary or a throwback. These are habits I could never break, nor would I want to. I realize today a lot more women are taking care of themselves than in the past, but no woman is offended by politeness."
-Frank Sinatra