How having children SAVED my marriage!

I am sure NONE of you have picked up on the fact that I am SELFISH.
Stubborn.
Greedy.
Rude.
Human.
SO, when I thought " I'm gonna marry this boy and he will surely CHANGE to better me!" You probably wouldn't have been surprised!
Well, when that plan didn't work, what was I left with?
Sure he's a frickin' stud. But, dang. He is TOTALLY missing the MARK OF PERFECTION, I had expected him to reach by NOW! * StOmPs fEeT!*
What's left to do when you finally wake up and realize this?
( Other than the OBVIOUS ~ I needed to change!)

Have babies. Right?

Actually, Right!

I'm not gonna lie, babies are hard. The hardest.thing.ever.
They push you. They drain you. They scream and POOP a lot! A LOT!
But, they grow you and teach you.

In our culture, television soley focuses on the fact that kids are what 'causes divorce'. Now, I am sure there are certain situations where this may be true. Very few,I would venture to say.

Children can add stress. So can a job. or a puppy. Don't go there with me.

Children can add chaos. But, so can relatives for Christmas. Or driving in Wisconsin snow.

Children can add challenges. But, so can everyday life. And if you're reading this, you haven't stopped that yet! ( So glad, by the way!)

But, here is something TV won't tell you when they are complaining that the old 'ball and chain' is too tired for sex and that the kids ruined something, yet again, or that they are sick of changing poopy diapers or that they are broke because Junior needs braces...

KIDS FREAKING GET IT!

They are simple. They are amazing. They are what you and Baby Daddy created together, with a big old helping of Jesus Christ making it happen. They won't tell you that when you have your first baby things get different, but thats because you see your husband in a way that causes greater love to grow between you. You feel closer to the heart of God. They are so pure in heart and innocent. You start to see the world through their big blue eyes...forgiving. Kind. Colorblind. Accepting.

Which in return, helps your marriage.

There are sacrafices. But, when you make those as a couple, you appreciate, so much more the impromptu date nights and the cuddling on the couch when for one blissful moment they are actually playing peacefully together, or as I like to call it, ' probably doing something they are not supposed too!'

Not to mention the laughter! Laughing as a couple is awesome, especially at your kids...that doesnt sound nice, but it is! Kids are hysterical! If you don't laugh about the things they say or do in public ( Like the time my daughter so loudly pointed to a man wearing a patch over his eye, in the grocery store and said, " Look Momma! A pirate!" He was not amused!) you will surely go insane. So laugh about these things ~ with your spouse!

And the nights when they are up sick, be thankful your husband sleeps right through the puking and diareha, as you wage warm against germs and bacteria...wait...just kidding. Poke him in the ribs, get elbow deep in the stuff together! There is no ' I ' in marriage...well, not that kind of I anyway :) (tEaM wOrK)

If I hadn't had kids, I would never have seen just how horribly selfish ( still working on that!) I was and how amazingly wonderful my husband was. We are BY NO MEANS perfect. We still have arguements and disagree. We still can bother each other, and get on eachothers nerves. But, theres no way he's getting rid of me! I'm in it for the long haul!

PLUS ~ I could NOT handle these crazy, five monkies on my own !!! Haha!

p.s. Note how I didn't pick the picture perfect family photos! This is the real deal, folks! Babies crying, middle child making grumpy, disinterested faces, first born lovin' up the camera! Oye! God is so good though! And my husband still has a few hairs left to boot! :)