Why I Married Him

Today I'm going to talk about my wonderful husband.  Yesterday we had a little scare.  You see, my husband wants to be healthy and in shape (and lose a little weight) so he's been exercising on a regular basis for the past 6 months.  He tried working out with a MMA instructor but now he's resorted to doing Insanity.  This is a video workout that REALLY lives up to it's name.It's 6 days of intense workout.  Recently, he felt his heartbeat doing some funny stuff at the height of his workout so he scheduled an appointment with his cardiologist.  Much to his surprise, he failed the treadmill stress test.  He went the entire 15 minutes (which is impressive) but it did show some depression which can be indicative of heart disease.  He then had to take a thallium stress test which we found out today was negative for heart disease.  We are so thankful and relieved.

   Because of this scare, it has caused me to pause and to appreciate my husband for all that he does for us.  He is such a good daddy.  He really tries to spend quality time with each child. They are much more responsive to him than me.  He is also a sensitive and compassionate guy.  Even though he doesn't always love the responsibility that comes with being a doctor, he is always good to his patients.  Even in the middle of the night, I've been amazed at how patient and kind he is.  He's so good to me also.  Really, he spoils me.   He has really stepped up and become the spiritual leader of our family.  He has a great sense of humor.  He's quite goofy, really.  He complains that I don't laugh at his jokes anymore, but I tell him that I've been hearing the same ones for 22 years now.  

Just a few fun facts about him include:  He's an avid Cowboys fan.  He's afraid of heights to put it mildly.  He sings in a Gospel Quartet.  He loves to golf, and still plays a little basketball on occasion. 

He hates to have his picture taken so I don't have that many of him.  I've already informed him that we are taking family pictures Thanksgiving, so be ready.  He hates to be in the spotlight so he would be embarrassed to know I am writing this.  Oh well.  We'll let it be a surprise!

My Heart

My daughter, Emily, has always encouraged me to write a blog.  The pressure is on now since she wrote such a nice introduction for me.  When I have told her that I wouldn't know what to write, she instructed me just to write about my family and post lots of pictures.  So here goes.  I'm going to try to share my heart with you.  My family is my heart.

Meet My Mom

Hello... again, I am not the author of this blog.  I have come over from Emily is Smiling in order to introduce my mom to the blogging world. 

Blogging can be such a joy.  It's a way to capture moments in life so you can look back on them and smile.  It's a way to share snapshots of one's family and lifestyle.  It's a way to share and gain information and it's a way to open your heart and thoughts to the world. 

I have been blogging for a little over two years now.  My mom is an avid reader of my blog (especially now that I live ten hours away from home at college) and I figured it was time for her to make her own.  Of course, she didn't know how to actually make one, so I did that for her.

I'm probably not the one who should be writing the first post for this blog.  Perhaps because I don't like calling my mom "Pam," which is what a good guest-blogger would do... because she's "Mom" to me.  I suppose I could share about her heart.  My mom and dad have been married for my entire life, which is a rare and beautiful thing.  About fourteen months ago, they embraced my best friend Ali into our home.  Through this experience, I've been able to see the magnitude of love my mom has in her heart.  She isn't just "my" mom.  She has the heart of a mommy and is willing to share her love with those who God has put in her life.  My mom is a stay-at-home-mom, so she's been an active part of my life since I was a baby, which has been such a blessing to me and my siblings.

My family has grown to be fairly big.  It consists of my dad (Jeff), my mom (Pam), me (Emily, age 19), 15-year-old Amy, 12-year-old Luke, and now 19-year-old Ali as well.  We also have three precious dogs: Buddy, Boo, and Jack, who frequently add entertainment to our lives.  We also have an obese cat named Oreo and the occasional fish.  We've been blessed with grandparents who are an active part of our lives, so expect to read about them occasionally as well.

I named my mom's blog "Optimist by Choice" because this is a quality my mom has displayed in her life for as long as I can remember.  She is a big believer in making a choice to be joyful and optimistic.  She is a true example of an optimist by choice.

I'm only a guest writer on this blog... the "real" first post will come sometime soon.  Hope you enjoy your new blog, Mom.