Well, usually I am hurrying around frantically trying to get the family ready for dance Saturday mornings.

But. Today. Stella is sick.

She actually started to get sick on Thursday and laid around the whole day just miserable and then was up until midnight just out of it. And then yesterday she was a bit better but oh so cranky that I almost wished for the lethargic little girl that only wanted to snuggle... :) But then last night she was up again not feeling well (Obviously, I felt terrible for feeling nostalgic over feverish Stella....) and today she has declared that she is much too sick to dance.

I am still a little doubtful. Plus our first competition is only a couple short weeks away, and I'm expecting Stella's four year old team competing against all 8 and unders to make it to EVERY final. Just kidding!!! But they sure will look cute trying!!!

But since Zach took Scarlett to go get a special breakfast and Stella was invited along and refused on the grounds that she couldn't possibly be expected to leave the house in her condition, I conceded the fact that Ok, she really doesn't feel well.

So. She is laying down.

Stryker is slowing down and getting ready for his morning nap.

And I have a few minutes to myself!

What is this? I know. It happens so rarely I actually have to do a pros and cons list to see what I want to accomplish in this 45 minutes.

I could clean up the computer room, which is the last room in my house that needs work and has to be done before the big old birthday party tomorrow.

I could dive right back into City of Ashes which is most definitely calling my name.

I could play with my birthday present from Zach that he gave me a whole week early because he knows I hate surprises and wanted me to have it. It's a Kindle Fire. I'm obsessed already!!!!!!!!

Or I could blog.

Which is obviously what I decided to do.

I could have thrown a shower in there, but I didn't want to raise anyone's expectations.

Besides, I have most of the day to clean this darn room. Which is exactly what I said yesterday and guess what did not happen????

But today it will.

It has to.

There's family coming over tomorrow and I don't have much of a choice. I can't just shut the door and hope nobody finds out that I'm like a closet hoarder or something!

Anyway, I decided to blog because on Valentine's Day this year I ended up being extremely busy. Extremely busy. We had a birthday party in the morning, an important errand directly after to the liquor store for Zach's Apple Pie and then home to quick clean as much of the house as I could. Because let's be honest, it was a disaster. A relative plague zone.

And what I decided to blog about is the greatest man I know, my hubs. Yep. Usually, I do something horribly sappy and cheesy with great accolades of love for him every year. It makes Miriah sick. Except this year, since she has her own disgusting love story to vomit over maybe she won't be so judgmental!!!! :) Just kidding, M!!!

So, last night, Zach, whilst I was struggling not to fall asleep on the couch at the late hour of 9:15, snuggled up next to me and handed me my birthday present.

Yep.

A whole week early.

A Kindle Fire!!!!!! (Like I said earlier.) But I have had my eye on one of these for months now. Well, pretty much since the day it came out. Ok, I'm not that hip, like probably the third day it came out and I finally got with the program.... But. I LOVE it.

Love it.

I'm not super tech savvy. But I adore my kindle. Anytime I don't have to drop everything I'm doing to go to the book store, juggling three kids to get the sequel or just a new book, but instead can purchase and peruse from the safety of my couch in my pajamas is pretty much heaven to me.

I don't need the feel of paper between my fingers. Or the old books smell. I don't even need a binding to bend.

Nope. Just give me cold, hard plastic and the easy convenience of 99 cents books and I am perfectly happy.

But he is a better man than just good gifts.

This whole me-writing-thing has been a SERIOUS adjustment for our little family.

I have always been the stay at home mom. Well, I mean there have been jobs in the past, but not jobs that made me neglect my house or family.

Until now.

I have yet to find the delicate balance between furiously working every spare second of my life and maintaining a well organized household!

I'm not used to responsibilities outside of my family. Or deadlines. Or emails that need to be responded to. Or future planning. Or interviews that need answering. Or whatever the case may be. I'm not used to it.

And my poor house suffers the most.

And the dinner hour.

And Zach.

There are times when all he wants is a path from the front door to our bedroom (Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration...) and dinner on the table at least before 9 and I can't give him either. We are definitely sacrificing a little for this change.

It's worth it.

But I think we all feel it.

I've always said I spoil Zach. And I do. Not that it's not mutual. Because it so is. But I like being the wife that has everything ready for her husband before he needs it. His cabinets stocked with deodorant and his favorite kind of soap. His clothes always washed and hung up. His house cleaned. His children obedient. His dinner ready. And his life organized.

I used to be that wife.

Now. We've entered the Twilight Zone where consistency and organization have turned into chaotic natural disasters. Our life used to be pretty much one note, and now we have climbed onto a roller coaster speeding out of control.

And we're loving every minute of it.

Every minute we can forget that my bathrooms need to be cleaned, everyone's out of clean underwear and we will be eating peanut butter and jellies AGAIN for dinner.

:)

So whilst I adjust to this new lifestyle and struggle to find my balance, Zach has stepped in to help carry the load of our life.

He has always cooked meals during the week. I'd say we used to be fifty-fifty, but recently, it's more like seventy-thirty him. And the thing is, I think he's better than me!!!!!!!

He certainly tries harder.

Granted when I cook a meal, it's important to me to include all important food groups and balance our diet. He is more concerned about culinary adventures and explorations. He is a genius in the kitchen.

While I am satisfied to come up with delicious tasting meals and even conquering every ethnic dish I can get my hands on, Zach's more concerned with finding the literally hardest thing he can accomplish and then sets out to make it perfect.

Did I tell you he cooked me Rack of Lamb for Valentine's Day????

We don't have laundry where we live, so once a week, I have to haul every dirty piece of clothing and cloth from our house, over to my moms and spend the day with all the kids working on laundry.

It's awful.

Although, it wouldn't matter where I do laundry. Because I HATE IT ALL...

Oh, sorry. Where was I??

So that is where we were Thursday when I got the call from Zach telling me that he would cook dinner for the family. Since we weren't going to be home until 6:30 that night, I think I screamed something like, "Oh, praise Jesus!!!!!!!!"

I then asked: So what are you going to make???

And he says: Oh, some like Chinese Pork thing.

Oh, sounds yummy. I reply.

And in my head I picture rice, and BBQ pork and chopsticks.

We get home. And this is what is waiting for us.


Homemade Egg Rolls. Homemade Crab Rangoon. And the pork!!!!! Doesn't it look amazing???

I could never do that in a million bazillion years.

Nor would I be brave enough to try!

Here's another picture with my flowers. The ones on the left are from Scarlett for Valentine's Day and the ones on the right are from Brooke for my book release! Both set made me cry! Aren't they beautiful!!!???


He blows my mind.

And I just love him.

He's the best kind of man.

His sister totally believes that Avalon was written after him.

Which is Ok with me that she thinks that since she has never known Zach in a romantic setting.... But really, it's not even like I could say he is Kiran or Jericho. He is a piece of every boy I write. He is the Great Man in my life. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. And I will never stop thanking God for orchestrating our relationship.


Oh we're way too cool for school.