I have heard it said many times before that a woman will often marry someone exactly like her Dad. It's true. This happens often and it is either a bad thing or a good thing. Over the past couple of days, I thought about this a lot. I thought about a lot of the guys I dated before marrying Jeremy. Almost all of them were self absorbed and not really interested in me. I never knew where they stood. I never knew if they really did care about me or love me. As soon as any type of trouble came, the relationship would end. During those years of dating, I began to feel that it was impossible to meet someone that would be crazy about me and treat me like I deserved to be treated. My single years led me down a road of bad choices. I constantly made bad dating choices. Just because you date someone that is Godly and loves the Lord, doesn't mean they will be the right one for you. I am so thankful that the Lord protected me. He protected me from making the worst mistake of my life, marrying the wrong man.

This past weekend was long. We had lots going on. Actually we had so much going on that I maybe got seven hours sleep total for the weekend. Friday my brother's fiancee was in labor and I walked all over the place with her during her labor. Being seven months pregnant myself made that a little difficult on me. My niece was born at 5:03am Saturday morning. I did not leave the hospital until Saturday at 8pm. I stayed with Desiree during that time so she wouldn't be alone. I was exhausted! Also I was gone all day this past Thursday for my baking business that I do during the Holidays. Then Friday began the long, long, long weekend. Jeremy was a trooper. He did not complain once for being tired and having to take care of our two kids and Desiree's son who is seven. Jeremy had been up pretty much all night and day too but he did not complain. Yesterday when we got home, my strength was gone. When I am tired, I get grumpy, emotional and so much more. Plus being pregnant did not make my exhaustion any better, it only magnified everything. When we got home, Jeremy told me to lay down and rest. So I did. He did laundry, cleaned, and took care of the kids. Since last week was so busy, I was behind on a lot. I felt like a failure in many ways because my house was totally out of sorts. There was probably six or seven loads of laundry to do. Jeremy did it all.

When I was a kid, my Dad did not do anything. He hardly worked, he sure as heck didn't do house work or laundry. He didn't do anything. I never witnessed him working on cars, doing yard work, building shelves or building anything for that matter. I never heard him pray over me or my brother, I never witnessed him being happy. My husband, my Dad, they are nothing alike. There is not one thing that even remotely resembles the other. Nothing! I have to say that this weekend I realized what a victory I have experienced in my life! I beat the odds! I broke a curse, I broke free! I married someone that was perfect for me and someone that takes care of me in the most incredible ways. All of those years I spent praying that I would meet and marry the RIGHT man, it worked! God truly answered my prayers and when I was twenty-five years old, I married him!

As a single adult you hear lots of people say things in order to give you hope that you will eventually marry. I hated those comments because they always came from married people. But one comment stuck with me. "The Man God has for you is more than you can imagine. He will have qualities about him that you did not even realize you needed. He will be MORE than you prayed for." I never believed it, I really thought I would have to settle. I did not think it was possible to be married to someone like Jeremy. But, I am! Praise the Lord!

I am independent in many ways but very dependent on Jeremy. He takes care of me. He organizes me. He keeps me on track because he is a planner, I am not. He is a thinker, I am more of a spontaneous gal. He helps me with the kids constantly and helps me with the house. I have known women that do everything in their home. When they are not there, the home totally breaks down. I have seen husband's that do NOTHING. I know someone right now that is so worried about a cruise she is going on because she knows her house will not survive without her there. When I am gone for a night out or a retreat or something that requires Jeremy to take control, I am never disappointed. He even puts bows in Ava Beth's hair. He does it all! Guess who gives them a bath every single night? Jeremy! And when I was in the hospital giving birth to both of the kids, he never left my side. I had food brought to me, flowers, cards, etc. And I have never changed one of my kid's diapers while in the hospital. Never! Jeremy had to teach me how to swaddle because he is the one that did it while we were in the hospital. I don't give him orders, I don't make him do these things for me, this is who he is. He is the most in touch Daddy I have ever seen. He is a diaper changer, a bath giver, and he is the one that prays over the kids every single night when we put them to bed! He is also the hardest working man I have ever seen. He has been at the same job for thirteen years! Now that was the stability my life has always needed, always craved, always desired. Some days I can't believe that I have Him. WOW!

I beat the odds! I found the most amazing, Godly, giving man you have ever seen! I have him and I am so thankful. I feel like I am the most blessed woman in the world. I am, I know I am!

Lord, thank you so much for my husband. Thank you for fulfilling my needs in so many ways. He is more than I ever imagined. That's just how you work Lord, you give us more than we could ever dream of! That's what you do! Jeremy is a man of integrity. He is fun, he is funny, everyone loves Jeremy. He has a reputation that is gold. I love that everyone I know adores my husband. Soon our family will be a family of five. The newborn days will be hard, we will miss our sleep often but there is no other man more perfect for that season! Thank you for Jeremy. Oh I love him so much. Help me to show him my love, help me to show him how special he is. Help me to show him that he is an incredible, Godly man.

God can do anything, you know-far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! Ephesians 3:20 (The Message)

(To read about my beautiful little niece, go to my Mom's blog. You will even see a picture!)