How I met your father...

Okay, so Lavar isn't the most romantic man on earth and he refuses to celebrate Valentines Day because he says it is only a Hallmark holiday.  I agree and I honestly don't really care.  I do, however, like to give him a hard time about not celebrating it.  But actually, last night he came home with pizza and ice cream!  He swore it wasn't for Valentine's Day, but hey, I'll take it!  Anyway, in honor of the day of love, (even though it is a day late) I thought I would share with you how I met my husband.  I think it is a cute quick little story. :)  Our entire love story is a little too long and dramatic for one post, so just how we met will do!

We both attended a small, Christian college called The Master's College in Southren California.  He played basketball and I played volleyball.  Lavar remembers the first time he saw me, what I was wearing, and where I was standing.  I, however, cannot remember Lavar during the first semester for the life of me.  I went to every basketball game, home and away, and still, not a clue.  I do remember being at a friends house and hearing two Bahamians talk and I could not understand what they were saying.  I actually asked someone if it was another language.  Little did I know how much that 'language' would be a part of my life.

Second semester around Feburary or March I was kinda sorta dating another basketball player.  We were sitting in the lounge area of the dorm when one of his friends (Lavar) brought us lunch.  I saw him walk in and the first thought I had was 'oh my gosh, he is so cute!  I wish I was not sitting with this guy right now!!'  We were introduced but that was it.  I didn't talk to him after that for a while.  Meanwhile my relationship, and I use that term loosely, with the other guy ended. 

At this time my volleyball season and his basketball season were finished, I was involved in intermural basketball.  I played in high school and decided it would be fun.  So after one of the games, my best friend Lindsey and I were sitting at the top of the bleachers and my friend Darren came up to us.  I had known Darren since early first semester and he was also a friend of Lavar's.  {little did I know, this was all set up by Lavar}  Right after Darren came over, his big, cute, black, Bahamian friend came over too.  Darren introduced us and all four of us started talking.  I don't remember how it came about, but it is very consistent in our personalities, Lavar and I made a bet.  {side note ~ he won't make bets with me anymore because now I never pay up. The beauty of marriage! haha}  We bet that Lindsey and I could beat Lavar and Darren in volleyball by more points than they could beat us in basketball.  It was on.  The next afternoon we were in the gym.  We did beat them in volleyball (Lavar is horrible) but they did beat us in basketball too, by more points... So our first date, I paid.  We went to a steakhouse, Tony Roma's on CityWalk and Lavar got ribs and chicken and a smoothie drink, while Darren was nice and ordered a simple meal and water. 

After that night we were inseperable, for a while anyway.  We have had ups and downs and have known eachother as friends, dating, not talking, dating other people, you name it.  There has been a lot thrown our way, but we wouldn't change it for the world because it has brought us to where we are now!  So happy Valentine's Day to my husband.  Love you!

Oh and I have to mention, before Lavar left the Bahamas for college he declared to his friends that he would NEVER marry a white girl!  HA!  I guess that teaches you to never say never (love JBeibs) and, well you know, I guess I am awesome like that!

What I am soooo Lovin' about Wednesday!

If you didn't know, the blogging world is huge. I don't very often link up to any other blogs or anything, but today, I felt like I had to because Jaime at This Kind of Love is hosting something called 'What I'm loving Wednesday'  And today, I am LOVING that tomorrow I leave for London!!!!  Without the kids!!! By myself!!  Without the kids!!!  I am excited.

I am so loving that I get to take this trip by myself.  I love my boys and I love my family, but momma puts in work and man, it is time for a vacation. 

I am loving my seriously awesome husband who is facilitating this.  He is keeping the boys throughout the weekend and he even has a basketball game Friday night.  He is awesome.  And hot. :)

I am loving that the friend that I am going to see is a young married with no kids yet.  So if I would have had to bring the boys, it just would have been a little harder.  I am so stoked for the fun we are gonna have!

I am loving that we are going to see a movie!  In English!  I have been to the movies in months and I am excited for candy and popcorn and English.  So much fun!!

I can't wait to be able to post some of my own pictures!  I posted a few above of things we will probably see.  I am a huge history buff and I love countries that still have a monarch, like England.  I find it so interesting.  Sometimes I just sit on Wikipedia for hours reading about people and places and things.  I know, my husband told me, I'm a dork.

Stay tuned for my own London/England pictures!! YAY!

We're a team

I never really write posts about how awesome my husband is, I actually don't write about him a lot at all.  I am just feeling overwhelmed with all of the blessings in my life, my husband, my kids, our situation, I just have to let it out! 

Just to prefeace this post.  We are not perfect, we fight.  We get angry.  Sometimes we go to bed mad, sometimes we leave the house mad.  But at the end of the day, we are still best friends and we both know that the other one always comes first.  I don't at all want to come across like my life is perfect, or even close.  I have a messy house (sorry Ashley!), I am sometimes (probably more often than not) a ditz (just lost my wallet, ugh).  I sometimes say things to my husband that I shouldn't (sorry babe, working on it!), and my kids aren't always great.  Working on that too! 

Anyway, I feel overwhelmed with God's goodness today and thought I would share.  I love my boys. They are strong and healthy and loving and funny.  Such a blessing even when I am hairbrained and not the nicest mother.  I love my husband.  God made him for me.  (I mostly know that because no one really knows how to handle me...)  He is a good strong man.  He gives me freedom, as much as I need within our financial boundries.  He doesn't stiffle me but keeps me in control.  When I have a million ideas of what I want to do in life, like one day be an astronaut and the next a hair stylist (little exaggerated, but kinda not, hehe).  He keeps me grounded.  He is my reality. 

We are a team together.  Sometimes I feel a little bad because I am not the perfect wife.  I don't handle all of the household duties by myself.  My house isn't always clean and I ask him to do the dishes every once in a while.  Then I realize, I am not a martyr.  He is my partner, not my master.  And granted, I know most of the house responsibilities fall on me, for better or worse, but he is happy to help.  He tells me that my sanity (occasionally touch and go) is more important than a perfect house or dishes done.  Today he wasn't feeling well, but I was also exhausted, Eli is cutting teeth again, I got Tae off to school, he has Eli at home.  Then we both took a nap.  He got up with Eli and got Tae from school.  He made Tae lunch as I made Lavar breakfast.  It was such a team effort to get through this morning.  I just love that. 

Anyway, that is about enough.  No one will ever know how awesome my husband is but me, and that is okay.  I guess I just feel like sometimes I have to explain him because he is big and black and scary and some people think that the only thing he can talk about is basketball.  But he is actually really funny.And really smart.  I wish people would give him more of a chance, you might find out how cool he really is! 

Just thought I would share a bit because I am so overwhelmed with my blessings today.  Thank you Lord!

Fête des Lumières

This was a highlight date night for me.  I think Lavar too.  Every year in Lyon they have what is called the Fête des Lumières.  It is pretty huge and aparently millions of people go every year.  It is a place where light techies and students studying that kind of stuff can go to show their stuff.  It was so cool.  We are only 45 minutes from Lyon, but one of our French friends advised us that it would be wise to take the train because of how packed it gets there.  Lavar didn't like that idea too much, he likes to be in more control of situations with our car, but I convinced him, thinking the train would be fun!  Not only was it fun, it was completely needed.  Lavar did indeed later say, 'you were right.'  And I cherished it. 

Telling me he was going to steal my goves. I don't think so.

Still love him!

 We started off the evening dropping off our boys at our friends house who, wait for it, watched them overnight!!!  Then we headed out to the train station.  It was C.O.L.D.  I offered Lavar a pair of gloves and he said he was fine that he would put his hand in his pocket.  Then I said "what if I want to hold your hand?"  He then replied "I'll hold it in my pocket."  Well, not to gloat or anything, but his hands were freezing and once again, I was right.  This night was lookin' good for momma!  (I do love my husband, and was sad that he was cold, but he should have listened to me. haha).  We started our night at a steak house.  Nice because it is kinda American.  It was in the center of a main shopping area in Lyon.  It was lovely.  I found a STARBUCKS!  Then we headed out.  I tried to take pictures, but the camera I was using wasn't all the great at night pictures.  Or opperater error, who knows.

Lighted birds

Waiting for dinner

Yep, Starbucks!

 Starbucks is a must have in a country where the coffee is basically shots of espresso.  Lavar didn't care so much, but he took the photo.  And he kept not getting Starbucks in the picture, so I was standing there for a good 5 to 10 minutes.  I know the French were thinking 'stupid american' on that one for sure.

This was supposed to be a face that you could see with the light in the steam.  not so much

 The lights were mostly pretty but seriously, nothing all that spectacular.  There were lines waiting to get into certain things, but we didn't wait...  The regular shows on the street was good enough for us.

More bird lights

Some 'street lamps'

something on the wall...

This one was kinda cool, they used a statue in the center and the horses all had green eyes.  The lights came on and went off.  It was neat.

Just in case you needed to know.

Man, it's blurry.  But a ton of people.

He looks huge! haha  He really isn't that scary, I promise.  Even though I am sure he would like you to think so.

lovey dovey

I'm trying to be hard core too... not so much

silly boy

Overall, the night was awesome.  Just us, train ride into the city, beautiful lights, just us, starbucks coffee, just us, getting out of the house, did I mention it was just us?  lol, all you moms out there understand what I'm sayin'.  I love my boys, but momma needs breaks every now and then!  Thank you to our friends who watched the boys!  We actually have another date night tonight!  A lot more simple, just dinner, but much needed.  Oh and to all my French friends, I would definitely suggest not taking the kiddos.  I did see strollers and the like there, but it was freezing and it just doesn't seem like it would be nearly as fun if you had to be worrying about the kids and such.  Just FYI.  But date night, awesome!

Happy Birthday Husband!

We are starting the birthday weekend!!!  Game tonight.  Please, please win!!!  This would definitely help the mood of the weekend.  Then Lavar is going out with a teammate tonight to Lyon.  Tomorrow is family day all day starting at McDo's then to Centre Dieu for some shopping and Christmas festivities.  Then home to clean and cook.  We are having some guys on the team over, so you all know that means I need to make some food!  Then Sunday we are off to church, home to nap and then family day complete with a movie all cuddled together in Mommy and Daddy's bed. 

I never knew I could love Lavar so much.  I am so blessed to have him as my husband.  Even in his imperfections he is wonderful becuase he is always working to be a better dad, a better husband, and a better man.  What more could you ask for?  I think that sums it up.  So Happy Birthday Husband!  I can't wait to make him feel as special as he is to us. 

Juggling

I have a lot going on.  I can't stay still and I need to learn to manage my time better.  I have two wonderful boys.  Tae is just a bundle of energy who needs to spend most of the day outside.  Then there is Eli who doesn't do much yet, but today he gave me a run for my money!  Lavar is out of town a lot lately and I am running a business!  The problem is that I LOVE all of those things!  I love love love my husband, I love love love my boys, and I love running my business.  I didn't feel like I could put another two loves on business, because they really don't compare to my boys.  But it is fun and it is another way to bring in a little money and flex some independence.  So I am juggling.  Waking up early and staying up late and trying to spend all the in between time with my family.  I know I need to focus on my boys mostly for now because they wont' be this age forever.  And they are fun, and it is fun to make them happy.  Such as the life of a mommy.  I feel like I am constantly trying to find the balance between all these things so that no one gets jipped (sp?).  Maybe that is why I married my husband.  He takes life one thing at a time and never really over extends himself.  Talk about opposites.  Keeps me sane though!