Ten Years

Ten years today. We've been through a lot and I won't lie, sometimes, it's been a struggle... But I don't think anything worth fighting for is easy. I hope you know that I still love you with every inch of my soul, and I wouldn't want to live my life with anybody else. We have an amazing little family, and I am so proud of what we've overcome to create it. Thanks for sticking it out with me.

So many people have told me before that they don't know how we've done it; we were so young when we started, have been through so much, and had so many chances to walk away... I always smile and think to myself that I don't know how we wouldn't have. I can't imagine walking away and being able to stay away. I'm drawn to you and love you with the kind of passion that makes me want to fight for it. For us. For everything we want to become, and for our dreams- yours, mine, ours. Our little girl's. It still sets my heart a-flutter when you compliment me, and I still think you're a sexy beasat ;) Love changes over time... Things have settled down, for sure, and it's hard when you realize that the initial flame you had has somewhat died down... But it's settled into something that's really irreplaceable. Into something that I can fall back on when I feel like I'm losing it, into something that I can rely on, something that I know is more solid than any two-week flame of lust. Thanks for being my rock, and a better Dada Ruggle than I could have imagined. Here's hoping for ten more...


xoxo~~

Your wife. 

PS: We need to get more pictures of us together. Notice the one I used? It's from Easter 08... lol! ;)

Life Goes On...

I haven't had a lot to say here in the past week or so. I don't know what's been up, I guess I've just been in a bit of a writing funk... But I did want to post a quick note to you, Bendy Ruggle, about some of the things we've been up to lately.

*****

Your Dad's old friend Duncan is visiting NH from Hawaii right now, so last weekend we went down and picked him up to hang out for a while. He was amazed at how smart you are! You warmed right up to him and let him push you on the swing :) We hope to eventually be able to visit him in beautiful paradise- it would be the first time we ever got to see it in person, and I know you would just love the big flowers, beautiful weather, and fresh fruit!

*****

We also planted some herbs in our pots on the porch last weekend- you are such a good helper! You wore the gardening gloves, put the dirt in the pots with me, and also helped me spread the seeds. The bulbs we planted about two weeks ago are starting to sprout through the ground, and you love counting them with me when we go home and helping to water them. I admit, I'm pretty excited, too! I usually have a black thumb that kills everything, but my plants this year are doing surprisingly well. I think it might be because I have a little helper with the magic touch ;)

*****

The past few days you have started telling us knock-knock jokes, which is pretty hilarious. The funny thing about it is that you don't really *get* that jokes have punchlines. I think that some of the kids at daycare must have been telling these jokes and you picked up the beginning of the jokes from them. So you would start by saying "Knock knock" but then when one of us would answer "Who's there?" you would just seem puzzled and say "Knock Knock" again! I tried telling you a couple of the old ones I remember (banana, banana, banana, banana, ORANGE you glad I didn't say banana? AND boo, boo who? Don't cry, it's only a joke!) and of course you didn't get them, but at least now you TRY with the punchlines. Your latest joke goes something like this:

Bend: Knock Knock!
Mama: Who's There?
Bend: Ilyana is orange banana! *giggles maniacally*
Mama: *giggling too* Ilyana the orange banana who?
Bend: Knock Knock!

*****

Today is your Mommy and Daddy's NINE YEAR anniversary. Nine years that we've been together... Nine years since the day your Uncle Mitchie snuck up the stairs to my room and said sheepishly "Mom wants to know if you guys are going out yet." Nine years since your Daddy looked at me and said "Well, do you want to?" and totally caught me off guard. Nine years since I said yes. Nine years we've been loving each other, struggling through the tough times and sticking it out, nine years we've been leaning on each other, and sometimes fighting with each other but always knowing in the end what matters. Nine years, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Our dreams have started to come true the past few years, with you finally arriving and making this a family.

Nine years, and life goes on... Even when sometimes your Momma can't think of anything great to say about it.

Silly Slacker Girl...

Soo... I apologize for not having updated in a while, things have been crazy and frankly I decided that not many people view my blog anyway, so it's been on the back burner. Now, though, there have been some new developments in our lives which I thought I'd share, because we're really excited that life --finally-- seems to be heading in the right direction for us. On that note, here's what's new:

(1) Dada found a job! He starts this coming Monday, the 30th and will be the new shipping manager at a small printing company in the next town over. I'm so proud, and also happy for him that he has found a job that has room for growth and will take advantage of all his computer skills. No more busting butt laboring, being on top of roofs and ladders or breathing in yucky chemicals that make him feel gross. On top of that, my boss said I can rearrange my schedule so that the two of us can carpool (we work about 5 miles from each other) which will save on gas (how important is that right now?!?!) and also make my morning drive more interesting.

(2) Due to #1, Bendy will be starting daycare on Monday also! We have found an awesome, reliable, and affordable woman to watch her-recommended by my boss, which cuts down a lot on our worry as parents. We went and met Carol, the new sitter, last week- she's an older woman who was an elementary teacher for a long time, but has been doing daycare for about the past twenty years. I really think Illy will love it there, even though I'm sure she'll miss being home with her Dada... There are about six kids, and one of them is a two year old girl, so she'll have at least one little friend that is around her age. Now we just have to worry about all starting to get up early enough to get us to our destinations on time! :)

(3) Will and I had our eight year anniversary! Didn't do anything special, because we're broke and it's not really a significant year... but it still blows my mind. We have been together for exactly 1/3 of my lifetime now. Craziness!

(4) Ilyana has learned the rhythms to all of her favorite songs and started to sing along with them... Most times, she doesn't get the words, just sings out the rhythm with a "da" sound, but the other day, we overheard her sing "Backyaaaarrrrddddigans". lol.

(5) She now says "ouch", "uh-oh", and "whoa" all the time. They're her new favorite phrases. That's okay with me... I'd rather "Whoa!" than "No!" :P

(6) She PEED ON THE POTTY! TWO TIMES!!! And totally unprovoked- on her own! I wasn't home, but I hear it was rather amazing. I was told she went over to her potty and sat on it with her diaper on and started bouncing, so Dada asked her "Do you need to go pee on the potty?" And he took her diaper off and she sat right down and peed! Then she did it again a few minutes later. She hasn't since then, but we're not pushing it- she's so young to be doing it now, we're just psyched it has already happened once! WOOO Bendy! You go girl :) Prior to this, she was just using her potty as a place to store her extra animal crackers. So she's definitely making progress... lol. The pic below wasn't from the day she peed on the potty, it was just one of the times she was hanging out sitting on her potty, drinking juice... You know, like all of us do.


I think that sums it up, although later I'll probably be hitting myself saying "Why didn't you think of that?!?" That's the nature of my scatter-brain. C'est la vie. Have a happy Thursday and a wonderful weekend!!