3 Ways Slumber Parties Prepared Me For Marriage

Sounds interesting, doesn't it?  ;)  

Y'all just have to go over to sweet Alison's blog to read the post, though!  And make sure you snoop around and learn more about the SoKool's while you're there, because they're awesome.  

So...if you want to know 3 ways slumber parties prepared me for marriage, you should click here.

June Date

The First Date of Christmas:  JanuaryThe Second Date of Christmas:  FebruaryThe Third Date of Christmas:  MarchThe Fourth Date of Christmas:  AprilThe Fifth Date of Christmas:  May

The Sixth Date of Christmas

After I got home from work on Friday, June 22, we headed over to the beach for our 6th date.  Mr. R had chosen this day to go on the date, but by the time the day rolled around I was really wanting a night on the sofa.  I got my self together anyway, and off we went.  

We had dinner at an over-priced little Italian place.  That's the beach during tourist season, for you.  The food was good, though.  Plus, there was the added bonus of the restaurant being worked by actual Italian people.  I started with an Amaretto Sour and my hubby downed a beer.  Mr. R inhaled half of a loaf of garlic bread while I nibbled on a salad.  Later, I had the lasagna that was only okay and Mr. R had chicken parmesean.  He implied for a moment that it was better than my chicken-parm, but quickly changed his story.  =)  Then, we went to a comedy show. 

It was absolutely hilarious.  The show we saw was a lot like Who's Line Is It Anyway? but it's live, not recorded, and performed in a shopping mall.  It's fantastic!  My bridesmaids took me to the show for my bachelorette party last August, and they made the entire show about me/my wedding.  Then we went on a double date in February, and now on a date with just us.  It's been different every time, and hilarious all three times.  =)  Here's a clip from one of the games they played... 


The Game:   Good Morning, Myrtle Beach
The Rules:  TV Morning Show format, but the guys can only say one word at a time while interviewing the girls who can only talk in unison.  =)  The audience came up with suggestions and they are selling full body latex.  Haha!  Think of one big condom for your entire body.  

   

We laughed the entire night, and it was a great way to take our minds off of everything crazy that's been going on in our lives lately.  Date nights are so much fun, and laughter is the best medicine.  =)  If you're ever in Myrtle Beach, make sure to check out Carolina Improv Company for a good laugh!  They have adult shows, family-friendly shows, classes, etc.  
Can't wait for our July date!  =)  

Marriage Monday

Welcome to Marriage Monday's ~ the one day out of the week where I discuss what's going on in our marriage, good or bad.
We had such a wonderful & relaxing weekend, other than going to church on Sunday.  That kind of sucked, actually.  Yes, I know...what a horrible thing to say.  Our church is just not a happy place to be right now - there is so much tension in the air and everyone's emotions are running at an all time high.  I have some more news for y'all on this later this week, but if you don't know what I'm talking about...you can read the whole story here.  Even though some unpleasant things are happening within our church right now, having a godly husband has made all the difference.  He's had some really great advice through everything and he's been strong for me.  
Yesterday when we left church, I just got into the car and started sobbing.  I can't seem to wrap my brain around the things going on right now, and Mr. Robinson just drove us home and let me cry.
We've been married for a little over 9 months, and we've been together less than a year and a half total.  We still haven't reached the point in our relationship where I feel like I can cry to him.  When I cry, the poor guy has no clue what to do.  Sometimes he gets angry, sometimes he fusses at me, sometimes he ignores me...none of those things make me feel any better.  But it's hard to hold it against him since he really doesn't know what to do and we haven't been together long enough or gone through enough hard times for him to know what I need in those moments.  But this Sunday, he just let me cry.  He didn't say anything, he didn't do anything.  He drove.  I cried.  And in some weird, twisted way...it was nice.  It was nice just to have him there.  It was nice to cry in front of him, because I usually run into the bedroom and hide when I feel tears coming on.  
When we got home, I leaned into him for a hug with my face turned away so that I didn't get makeup on his white shirt.  We went inside, got the dogs, and went to my parent's house for lunch.  When we returned, we laid on the sofas and watched House until it was time for bed.  We didn't go back to church last night ... 
I felt uneasy all day.  I still feel uneasy this morning.  But I know my husband is there for me, and it makes a world of difference.  

So my goal for this week is to be a better wife to him, too.  I told him my plan this morning and he responded with a "Well, we have to start going to bed at 8:30."
I leave for work every morning at 8:45 am to be at work by 9.  Mr. R hasn't made any money in the past few weeks because it's easy for him to get distracted once I leave the house.  From what I can tell, he usually spends some time in the word, watches ESPN, and just kind of hangs out.  Sometimes he visits with a friend of his, sometimes he comes by my work and talks to me or my dad.  I've done nothing but make the problem worse...because when I work all day and come home to find him laying on the sofa, and the house looks a mess....the next morning, I leave him a list of chores.  My logic is that if he's going to spend all day at home, he might as well do some housework to help lighten my load.
And yes, if he's home all day he should help out around the house.  I come home and housework is done, so I'm happy.  The problem here is that I'm being selfish when I should be encouraging.  I told him this morning we're going to start waking up at 6 am instead of 8.  We'll spend some time studying the Bible together, have coffee, and get ready.  Hopefully if we start our day off productively, that pattern will continue for the rest of the day.  So...our bedtime has moved from 10 pm to 8:30, I suppose.  =)   It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make so that we can start being better friends for each other.  He gave me exactly what I needed by letting me cry in the car, and I should be giving him exactly what he needs too.  

Anxiety, House Hunting, & A Call To Serve

I feel a little nervous writing this post, but I'm not really sure why.  Perhaps it's because I feel like there is much to be said about our marriage right now.  
Tomorrow at 2:15, I have a doctor's appointment to address my anxiety problems.  I've been thinking about this a lot lately because it's caused problems in our marriage and I hate that.  My mind is just going, going, going...and when I think about it, I can't seem to shake that anxiety that just rattles me to the core & makes my hands shake and my mind race.  The first time I ever experienced anxiety problems was during wedding planning, which is ridiculous because wedding planning is supposed to be fun and we hired a wedding planner.  There were some issues with different family members that I couldn't put off on our planner, but my stress level really should have been at a minimum as far as brides are concerned.  It put a strain on me, it put on a strain on our relationship and on some of my other relationships.  I ended up going to the doctor and he put me on anxiety medication to help me manage my feelings, but we both assumed that the emotional problems I was having was just a side effect of wedding planning.  As soon as the wedding was over, I stopped taking my medication.  Things calmed down, and although Mr. Robinson and I had a rocky start once we started life together, we both attributed it to problems associated with being brand new newlyweds.  After being married for a little over 9 months, we've noticed that we seem to get caught in a rather vicious cycle.  Mr. Robinson will do something that bothers me and I'll flip out.  Usually, the "thing" he does isn't a huge deal, but it bothers me in a huge way.  I fuss and complain and get super emotional and irrational.  His response is to get angry & lash out.  He says hurtful things that reflect the way he feels in that moment, which only make me more emotional.  Then the next few days get really awkward as we try to coexist without crossing paths because both of us are hurt and angry.  It's no fun to live like this, and last time we went through these motions, the thought occurred to me that "maybe I need to get back on my medication" and I said it out loud.  Mr. Robinson said "maybe you do."  Later, once our emotions had calmed down, we had a long talk and made up...but decided to at least talk to my doctor about it.  Anxiety/depression problems run in my family and have caused pain within my family.  If that's what this is and I catch it early, I should consider it a blessing.  But it's hard not to be angry at the fact that I may need medication to balance myself out.  I don't want these problems, even though they don't pop up very often.  Maybe once a month - sometimes more, sometimes less.  But they leave a lasting damage that I don't want.  So, we'll see what happens tomorrow.  Then Saturday, I think, we are meeting with a pastor/friend and his wife (who happens to battle anxiety and depression) and get an opinion on that side.  Hopefully we'll get some answers this week...it's just scary and annoying and embarrassing.  
Like I said, I've been thinking about it a lot lately.  If you've read all about my past, I allude to the fact that I spent part of my life "experimenting" with drugs and alcohol.  I abused different substances in different ways, but in reflecting...I'm starting to think that maybe my desire for those substances was coming from a desire to self-medicate.  And that makes me sad.
My main concern is my marriage.  We both say and do things in a moment of passion that leave permanent damage.  We can't take our words back, we can't take our actions back, and we can't erase memories.  Big fights have a way of haunting us...and I hope that by seeking professional opinions we can prevent those ghosts from finding us.  
Meanwhile.... back at the ranch....
We did some light house-hunting yesterday.  With the issues we have going on at church right now, the possibility of us finding a new church home has become rather real.  With that idea also comes the idea of relocating.  Nothing too drastic, but a move nonetheless (even if it would just be a move to a home 30 minutes away).  It was fun, but we realized how spoiled we are with all of the space & privacy we have in our current home.  We didn't see anything we liked enough to pursue, but it's always fun to daydream.  
In addition to all of that, Mr. Robinson is feeling a strong calling into the ministry.  And while at one point in my life a calling for him to be a pastor would have terrified me, I'm actually pretty cool with it this time.  Does it change my big "life plan?"  For sure.  But God's plans always turn out so much better than mine, anyway.  Back in January I wrote a post called Frying Chicken Never Saved A Soul.  It was about my husband's call to serve God and about my fears - because I felt like I had nothing to offer, no usable skills to serve God with.  But, the Women at Crossroads conference really changed my opinion of myself and my ability to serve God.  I'm at the point now where I think I could make a good Pastor's wife - with HIS help!  So...we'll see what happens next!  

Letters to Erry'body! =)

This has pretty much been how I've felt for the past week.

Dear Readers,

There are seriously no words to describe how grateful I feel for all of the encouragement you've offered me this past week.  In the past seven days, I've posted  1...2....3 really depressing posts.  And y'all left comments and sent e-mails and prayed for me & my husband.  Thank you endlessly...know that what y'all said to me helped.  And I promise this post is happy.  :)  Y'all are the best and even though my husband things I'm crazy, I'm so thankful for this community that I sort of stumbled into.

Dear Mr. Robinson,

I just love you.  It's been a rough week for us & I know I don't have to tell you that.  We've both felt some not-so-happy things.  But right now, in this moment, I'm just thankful to be on this journey with you.  There are lots of things on the horizon for us, perhaps even you becoming a Pastor someday, and it's exciting to think of all the possible adventures we could be starting soon.  I love you.  I support you.  You are the man.  I'm overjoyed to know that we will not let Satan win & that we are in this fight against him together - for better or for worse.  And also, I'm so glad (!!!!) this week is over.  Haha! 

Dear Momma,

I am pretty sure you don't read my blog.  But I've told you about it and given you a link, so it's possible.  Anyway.  Thank you for all you do for me.  Thank you for always having the best advice and for  being able to put me in my place by telling me when I'm wrong...because sometimes I' can't see it.  I love you & I'm thankful for you & the wisdom you speak into my life.  :) 

Dear God,

My prayer all week has been that you will heal my marriage, and now I'm praying that you will heal our church.  There is just so much going on right now - we are tired of trying to wrap our brains around something we may never understand.  We don't want Satan to win the battle for our church, and I don't want to give up on the souls within that church.  Maybe walking away from it all would be letting Satan win, but how can we stay associated with a church that's adding to the Bible?  Where is the line?  The victory is not ours to win... so I just pray that you'll guide our thoughts and actions so that we glorify You.  Your will be done, not ours..and I pray that You just reveal to us what You'd have us do in this incredibly difficult situation.

Satan,

Listen up.  You've been at my house, you've been at my heart, you've been at my church.  And you can take it somewhere else.  Do what you will to me, my family, the people I care about.  We will not stop serving our Father.  We will not turn from Him, because He is faithful and you are destructive.  You have nothing to offer.  I have no interest in you - I have no interest in entertaining you.  Consider yourself kicked out.  

Dear Church,

I have called you home for as long as I can remember, even when I was running from God I considered you my home church.  And I'm confused by learning things about you that I don't really think are very Christ-like.  There are so many things right now that I just don't understand.  I'm sure your opinion of me has changed.  I'm sure some of you think less of my husband and my parents.  But why?  I mean, how can you expect more out of us than Jesus does?    

 Dear Yoda,

You are turning out to be such a good dog!  I'm so happy we adopted you.  :)  You are slowly becoming house-trained, we are learning each other, and it's fun.  Your personality is so different from Zombie's.  You are very hard to photograph since you are solid black.  You have a fat tummy and you eat more than I would have guessed.  You're afraid of doors, which is weird.  You copy everything Zombie does and it's funny to watch.  It's fun when people compliment you - you have already been chosen over Zombie twice.  I think Zombie is a little jealous of the attention we give you.  Plus, you're really hyper and I think it gets on his nerves sometimes.  You're all puppy, and while that's fun...I do look forward to your "adult" years.  :)  A few things to remember:  mommy's a crazy driver & you're just going to have to adjust; stop taking Zombie's treats from him or you'll never be friends; stop making our home smell like really rank poo.  I love your floppy ears.  I love that you stay close when we're all outside.  You're a happy boy.  I'm happy you are ours & that we are yours.  :)  Welcome to the nut house family!  

Dear Zombie,

You'll always be my "first born."  We love you.  You get to snuggle at bed time and do things your little brother will probably never do.  I know you feel left out because of the attention Yoda's been getting.  But we love you.  You are enough - we didn't get another dog because you weren't enough for us.  You are!  But he needed us.  And I hope one day you like him!  =)

Dear Self,
Am I crazier for writing letters to you or for writing letters to two dogs?  The world may never know.  :)

Happy Friday Erry'body!

Oh, and I'm trying to do better about using Instagram to capture stuff since I've not been blogging as much lately.  So...if that kind of thing interests you, find me.  My insta-name is "KRob8fo3"  Kbye. 

The Fog

This morning on my way to work, it was very foggy.  I only live 5 minutes (or less) from the place that employees me, so it was a short drive through the fog.  I really wanted to take a picture of the fog because it just looked the way I feel right now, but taking a picture would have meant pulling over, getting my maxi dress & toes all wet, looking like an idiot, waiting on a moment in time where NO cars or tractors or grandmas in robes were in the picture, and ultimately being late for work.  So I decided to pull this picture off the internet, instead.  So, this is pretty much what I saw on the way to work this morning, but without the snow because it's summer in South Carolina.  

Anyway.  It got me thinking about how I feel like I'm driving through the fog right now.  This is a life analogy, so just stick with me.  
I can't see in front of me.  I don't know what is going to happen, I don't know what is next.  I have no clue and I feel like I'm driving blind.  Marriage is tough right now.  I'm dealing with some emotional, chemical, or mental things right now that I don't even want to talk or think about.  There are some really difficult things going on at our church that are scary.  Through the women's conference, all of these doors are opening in front of me and it's so overwhelming.  Do you know what's it like to have so many things right in front of your face, but all you see is fog?  It's a horrible feeling.  
My prayers right now are that God will heal my marriage, heal me, protect our church and lead us in His path, and guide me in the future.  While the fog itself is scary, I know God is in there.  I just hate the fog.  I hate it so much.  Like I said yesterday, I have no interest in having these problems but here they are.  
I was talking with my mom earlier today.  She reminded me that the devil is not all-knowing, so he was probably surprised by how wonderful Women at Crossroads turned out to be.  People left blessed & encouraged, not because of me, but because I obeyed God.  Now all of these doors are opening, giving me opportunities to reach more people by serving on a committee that organizes youth rallies and revivals, speaking to young teenagers to help prepare them for high school, speaking at high school functions... Satan sees these opportunities.  He's angry at me.  Satan has moved in my life through drugs & alcohol abuse and I'm using those things against him and for God.  He's angry.  I caught him off guard with Women at Crossroads, but I won't catch him off guard again.  Cue the marriage problems, the emotional problems, the stress from church, etc.  If Satan starts ripping at the seams that hold me together, will I still be so willing to serve my God?  If my life is in shambles, will I continue to praise Him?  
To be honest, nothing about my past says that I will.  But in talking to my mom this morning, I feel a new sense of motivation to not let any of this beat me.  Satan has been putting all sorts of lies in my head.  He's been messing things up left and right, and I'm letting these things get to me.  If I am defeated, Satan has won.  And I've decided that I'm not going to let that happen.  It doesn't matter what I can or can't see ahead of me.  As far as I'm concerned, the fog can go hover elsewhere because I'm not going to let it intimidate me anymore.  
Yesterday, Mr. Robinson saw a church sign that said "For every Goliath, there is a stone."  I think it brought him some peace... we're still having problems.  We're struggling.  To be totally honest, things are really awkward at the Robinson house right now.  We're in the thick of the fog.  God is with us, with a big stone to throw at this big "Goliath" if we let Him.  
I was listening to Pandora Praise & Worship this morning...and I've heard this song dozens of times, but it just gave me strength today.  :)  For some reason, I'm not able to embed a video in this post today so just click here. 
I just want to my heart to stop racing...I want this anxiety gone.      

Happy Birthday, Mr. Robinson!

Today is my sweet hubby's 24th birthday.  I've tried my best to make his birthday super special this year... I didn't do very well in that department last year.  I tried - but failed!  
His 23rd BirthdayWe were engaged, right?!  I gave him lingerie (for me) that he was to hold on to and bring along on our honeymoon.  I thought it was a cute idea.  He did not, haha!  He didn't understand why I bought him clothes for myself for his birthday.  He's convinced that lingerie is for the girls - "whatever, honey!"  The point is, as cute as I thought the idea was, the birthday boy didn't like it and reserves that right.  So, here we are, 2012. Take Two!
His parents were able to come the weekend before last to celebrate with their amazing son.  He's a wonderful man and regardless of our differences, I'm thankful for the job they did in raising him.  They gave him a WeedEater, which was much needed and appreciated.  I made "You Rock Cupcakes" out of my new favorite cookbook, 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know.  They were perfect & easy Vanilla Cupcakes!  While he parents were here, I gave him one present to add to the festivities.  Swimming trunks for our trip to Mexico this summer!  
In an effort to repair the damage I did last year, I planned a week long Birthday Feast for Mr. Robinson, featuring all of his favorite foods!  =)  To top it all off, he gets a present EACH day.  I'll share the week with you after it's over.  For now, I'll leave everyone with a birthday letter to my main squeeze.  :) 

  

"Whatever"

 
I've decided to start using Monday's as a day to write about our marriage.  :)  Not that my "marriage" posts will be limited to Monday's only.  I'll probably write about marriage-related things more than once a week, to be honest.  This is just to sort of help me to remember to write about what's actually important versus my latest manicure or recipe or picture of Zombie.  Those are a dime a dozen.  ____________________________________________________________
Is it just me, or is the word "whatever" a pretty terrible word?  The word itself is basically a lie.  How many times have you said to someone "do whatever you want" or "whatever, I don't care" or "whatever you say" and not meant it?  Try every single time.  Haha!  So, there, the word "whatever" is a liar because you say it when you mean anything but "whatever."  Maybe you aren't guilty of this, but I certainly am.  I rarely use the word "whatever" and a smile at the same time and I honestly thought that most people could say the same thing.  Until we were at Mr. Robinson's family's Easter dinner.  The men were in the living room watching TV and the women were in the kitchen.  I'm still not completely at ease around his family and larger groups tend to intimidate me a little, so I was not really contributing to the conversation.  I  can't remember what they were talking about, but I'll always remember what his Aunt Robin said.  With a smile, she said "Sometimes you just have to tell them 'whatever' and go along with it.  Let them do what they want so that when they make a mistake, they can't blame you and when they miss out on something good, they can't resent you."  
How 'bout 'dem apples, y'all?
Her words have echoed in my head on several occasions sense our Easter lunch with my husband's side of the family.  To be perfectly honest, I'd never said "whatever" to my husband because I actually wanted him to do what he wanted to do.  I still wanted my way.  I still wanted him to do what I wanted when I said "do whatever you want."  Then, last week, my mom jokingly asked me if I ever let him win.  It was a lighthearted conversation that made me think about how often I let him win versus how often I'm driven by my need to win.  So, I've consciously been trying to let him win more often.  I've consciously been trying to pick my battles because not everything is worth the fight.  Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don't.  I can think of a semi-recent example of a success and of a failure.  
As many of you know, I've made a lifestyle change and am eating much healthier than the old me.  Well, one day we were in Wal-Mart doing our monthly grocery shopping extravaganza and Mr. Robinson starts eyeing the cases of Mt. Dew.  We exchange a few nervous & mischievous glances.  He picks up a case of Mt. Dew.  I tell him no, we aren't keeping soda in the house because I can't handle the temptation.  Besides, he goes to at least one gas station every day - can't he just buy his daily dose of Mt. Dew then?!  He says that he can't.  It results in a wrestling match in the middle of the aisle over a case of Mt. Dew.  Yes, I won!  But was it worth the public fight?  Probably not.  Failure.
This past weekend, however, my husband wanted to go into town and compare AT&T phones and plans to Verizon phones and plans.  For some reason he suddenly became unsatisfied with his iPhone.  I thought it was silly.  I tried to talk him out of this waste of time.  I mean, AT&T is clearly better.  He tells me all the time that we need a MacBook because Apple makes the best products.  Why you'd trade your said Apple product for a Verizon product when you're an "Apple Man" is beyond me, but there was no talking him out of it.  He went into town.  He called me later and asked for the last four digits of my social security number because he was taking his cell phone off of our family plan and opening up his own account with Verizon so that he could get the phone he wanted.  At first, I was mad because he didn't really discuss it with e and it was a waste of money and I could go on and on.  He knew I was mad.  But I built a bridge and got right over it because it wasn't worth the fight.  Whatever, Mr. Robinson  Get whatever phone your heart desires and when you come back to AT&T and want another iPhone because they're the bomb dot com, I'll try not to say "I told you so".  Success!     
That's the change I'm trying to make on my side of the marriage these days.  As for him, who knows what's going on in that brain of his.  If you want to know, cast your votes for a Mr. Robinson to start a blog of his own.  :)  He's actually been thinking about it!  You did not hear that from me.  Then, Sunday at church we had Resolution Sunday.  People got to sign up in advance and then their names were called, they went before the church, and signed resolutions as a couple or as a family based off of the movie, Courageous.  I thought I'd share what the resolutions consist of.  :)  And before you even start reading, no we are not pregnant.  

Mr. Robinson's Resolution:

I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.  I will love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.  I will be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.  I will bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.  I will train them to honor authority and live responsibly.  I will confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.  I will pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.  I will work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.  I will forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.  I will learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.  I will seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.  I will courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.      

My Resolution:

I do solemnly resolve before God to embrace my current season of life and live with a spirit of contentment.  I will champion God’s model for womanhood and teach it to my children.  I will celebrate my God-given uniqueness and the distinctions He has placed in others.  I will live as a woman answerable to God and faithfully committed to His word.  I will seek to devote the best of myself to the primary roles God has entrusted to me.  I will be quick to listen, slow to speak, and esteem others more highly than myself.  I will forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.  I will not tolerate evil influences in myself or my home but will embrace a life of purity.  I will purse justice, love mercy, and extend compassion toward others.  I will be faithful to my husband and honor him in my conduct and in my conversation, and will aspire to be a suitable partner to help him reach his God-given potential.  I will teach my children to love God, respect authority, and live responsibly.  I will cultivate a peaceful home where God’s presence is sensed.  I will make today’s decisions with tomorrow’s impact in mind and consider my current choices in light of future generations.  I will courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory. 
There are several parts of the resolutions that involve children and families.  Here's my/our opinion on that.  We are a family whether we have children or not.  These are good resolutions to make, good promises to make, and we can apply every single part to each other - even the parts directed toward kids.  For example, Mr. Robinson resolved to "bless his children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength" and we don't have children.  But the Bible calls men to be the spiritual leaders of their homes.  In my opinion, my husband is called to be like a Pastor to me.  He should know more of the Word than I do.  If I have a question, I should go to him and if he doesn't know, he goes to our Pastor on my behalf.  My husband should be my first pastor.  So, he should bless me and teach me by example to love God with all I've got.  An example from my resolution is where I resolved to "champion God's model for womanhood and teach it to my children."  Again, no kids - what do I do?  Well, I'm not sure what all God's model is for me, but I will learn.  And I will teach it to my husband so that we both know what I should be doing and when I should be held accountable for my actions or inactions.  
I'm so excited about these resolutions that we made.  I'm thinking of starting out a gallery wall and incorporating our framed resolutions?  Maybe?   We'll see.  The point of this post was to hopefully open someone else's eyes about when to let the fight go and that's it is possible to say "whatever" with a smile and with sincerity.  I also want to remember learning this because who knows when I'll have to learn it again!  =)  

Never Being Alone

My husband and I have some of the craziest dreams.  Don't get it twisted.  When I say "crazy dreams," I'm talking dreams that involve crimes or dreams that resemble bad mushroom trips.  Things get a little crazy in Robinson Dream Land.  I've been known to cry in my sleep as well as yell at the bad guys.  Who knows what those crazy neurons are up too, but I want to tell y'all about the dream I had last night.  
*
I woke up this morning when a most ridiculous dream ended.  I sort of stared through the ceiling for a while, feeling kind of sad.  In my dream, I had graduated from college.  I was so happy to walk across the stage and get the diploma I'd spent a lot of time working toward.  A lot of time, even if I wasn't working very hard the entire time.  I was all dressed in my cap and gown.  I received my degree.  When the ceremony was over, everyone scattered.  Everyone had family there to hug and smile at.  Everyone except me.  My husband wasn't there.  My parents weren't there.  My sister wasn't there.  My grandparents weren't there.  I stood in a crowd full of people hugging and rejoicing and beaming, and I stood there alone.  
*

I'm one of those weird people who are affected by their dreams.  I've had dreams where my husband beats me (which he does not do in real life) and I wake up mad at him.  I've had dreams where I've killed people and I wake up feeling guilty.  I've had dreams were family members die and I wake up in tears.  I've had dreams where I do something that makes me happy and I wake up in an exceptionally happy mood.  My dreams affect my reality.  So this morning when I woke up, I was feeling pretty sad.  I had graduated college and nobody bothered to show up to congratulate me.  
Well, in real life, I'm not a college graduate.  I attended college for four and a half years and am still miles away from earning a degree.  When I first went off to college, I was amazed at how hard everything seemed.  In movies, college was a party.  I was prepared to party, not study.  I mean, who does that?  I never had to study in high school and I came out with A's and B's.  Instead of being responsible, accepting that college is different from high school, buckling down & studying...I decided that I'd have the party I'd been dreaming of anyway and my degree would take care of itself.  Well, my degree didn't take care of itself and I chose partying over an education.  Luckily, I have a godly father who forgave me because Jesus first forgave him - and daddy offered me a job in the family business (which was the plan all along).  Even though I have the same job I would have had after I graduated college, I still want my degree.  Someday.  When life calms down and I find a balance between my husband, family, God, church, work, & being a wife...I'll go back to school.  I will graduate like I always dreamed.  I will graduate just like all those people I'm jealous of.  And I'll have an education.  A complete education.  And maybe I'll go back for even further education, who knows.  But I'll graduate college and when I walk off the stage and into the scattered masses of people..somewhere out there will be my husband.  

Marrying him means that I'll never have to be alone.  As long as God lets me keep him, I will have him by my side through good and bad.  When I graduate, he will be there.  When I cry, he will be there.  When I cook something new, he'll be there to taste it and tell me what he thinks.  When I do yard work, he will be there for me to brag to.  (Don't act like I'm the only self-proclaimed princess who hates being dirty so much that when I actually do something that gets dirt on me, I decide it's worth bragging about.)  When I'm mad about traffic or work or insurance and need to take it out on some poor unsuspecting bystander, he'll be there.  When I need attention or a compliment, he'll be there.  And it's so great!  It's just so, so great to have that.  God has blessed me so much through my husband.  I  can't imagine walking through life without him...without always having someone there.  I'm so happy to know that I'll never have to be fully alone.  Not for the rest of my life.  
And yes, sometimes I just want to scream that I need some alone time, but when I need to scream those words...he'll be there to listen and give me what I need.  Because he's awesome.  And because when God created him, He created him for me and He knew what I'd need and so he put those things inside Mr. Robinson.  Just like He filled me with things that Mr. Robinson would someday need.  I wonder what else we'll pull out of our hats...I wonder what skills I'll discover in myself simply because my husband needs me to be there for him a new way.  
Gahhh...I love being married.  =)  

Coo Coo Kachoo, 

Mrs. Robinson

Motivational Cough Drops & Mr. R's FIRST SALE!!!

This week has been killer, so to say that I'm happy to see Friday is an understatement.  Work has been so crazy busy... life in general has been busy.  We are almost completely out of food in our house.  Am I the only one who waits until the very last minute to go to the grocery store?  I don't know why I wait so long, because I love Wal-Mart and that's usually where I shop.  Anyway.  I made this really cool mega-list of all the dinner's we'll eat in the month of May with my daily exercise matched up depending on how long it takes to cook that night's dinner.  Last night I whipped out my handy-dandy meal & workout plan and wrote out a menu for next week.  How CUTE did it turn out?!  I love it!  

Side Bar:  Y'all have got to get some of these markers if you have a chalkboard in your house.  For real.  They are amazing and will change your life.    

The little framed chalkboard is just an old picture frame I had lying around.  I painted the glass with chalkboard paint when I was working on this project and got a little out of control.  It happens.  :)  Then, I worked on making my shopping list for the month of May based on my meal plan for the month.  Hopefully, I won't have to grocery shop again until April!  If you'd like to use an adorable little shopping  like the one below, click  here  to get your own.  

Meanwhile, everyone is sick.  Me, my husband, my dad, my co-worker, and my grandpa.  Stupid head cold came out of nowhere!  Thank GOODNESS for the motivational cough drops!  They're totally saving the day.  And my throat.    

Everything mentioned above here is completely irrelevant.  It's just every-day stuff that tickles my fancy, but the REAL point of this post was to tell y'all that.....
my....

{wait for it}
husband......
{wait for it}
MADE HIS FIRST SALE!  He's officially made money now and I'm so proud of him!  He sold his first policy and got paid and I love him and am proud that he has stuck it out this far!  He works hard and isn't compensated until someone buys a policy from him - so keep him in your prayers as he continues to build his business.  So, his first clients were....us and my parents.  But what we bought from him was really inexpensive.  The payment he received was spectacular!  In one day, he made about half of what he made in a week at his old job.  We are excited!  I'm SO proud of him!  I love him so much!  I know God put us here for a reason...and this is his first taste of new-job-success.  So many of y'all have left comments saying you'd pray for us...even more of you have e-mailed me and let me know that you've been keeping us in your prayers.  Thank you so much!  They are working.  :)  
And one more thing....today after work, my mom + me + my dad's mom are going to the beach for the weekend!  =)  Girls night(s)!  Pop bottles!  Not.  We're going to a Christian women's conference and I'm super duper excited about the possibilities!  It's going to be a blast and I'm curious to see how the hubbers does without me.  Considering I was so pitiful when he left me for business trips...haha.  I won't be home until Sunday afternoon.  Sunday night at our church I'm addressing the congregation to fill them all in on the women's conference WE are hosting in June...so wish me luck!  I'm not a public speaker.  
So yeah.  That's life lately.  :)  

Coo Coo Kachoo, 

Mrs. Robinson

A Short Story About Long Leg Hair

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have already seen this.  Last night, this happened...

It's been really cold here, you guys.  I don't see the point in shaving my legs if the hair is going to grow back as soon as I get out of the shower and get covered in goosebumps.  Also, I've been on my period & don't see the need to shave my legs during that time for obvious reasons.  So maybe my leg hair got a little long...

Okay.  That's all.  I'm done justifying my leg hair.  Haha!  Have a great day! =) 

Coo Coo Kachoo, 

Mrs. Robinson

Part Seven: Bride & Groom Pictures

[Part One] [Part Two] [Part Three] [Part Four] [Part Five][Part Six]

  

.

 And after we smooched on each other for about an hour, we finally got around to making it legal on the hood of my daddy's 1957 Corvette, which will get it's own post later.   

So..there they are!  Which one's your favorite? =)

Coo Coo Kachoo, 

Mrs. Robinson

Loving or Unloving? Respectful or Disrespectful?

Many a date-night-ago, Mr. Robinson and I went into Lifeway.  It's pretty impossible to go into Lifeway without spending a trillion dollar, and we ended up walking out with a nice stack of books.  Well, my reader eyes were bigger than my reader belly and I didn't have time to read the books I picked out right away.  I'm just getting started good on the first book from the stack, but it's amazing.  

If you are single, dating, engaged, newly or oldly married you need to read this book.  Let me share one quick thing with you that I've learned so far.  

"Everything, for a man, is viewed as respect or disrespect. For a woman, everything is seen as loving or unloving."  This is so incredibly true.  Honestly, every thing my husband is does is run through the same filter.  His actions trigger one of two reactions:  "He loves me!" or "He doesn't love me at all!"  I got my Mister to read the little section on wives encouraging their husbands respectfully and he said he agreed 100%.  Hopefully he will read the book when I'm done with it.  But him agreeing means that everything I do is run through a similar filter.  My actions trigger one of two reactions:  "She respects me!" or "She doesn't respect me at all!"  Just something to think about.  

Our church has Revival meetings this week.  Big things are happening at our church and I'm definitely excited about what God has in store.  

Oh, and one more thing.  I've come across my new favorite artist.  Francesca Battistelli.  Check her out!  =)  I'm just not discovering Christian music, so if I'm a few steps behind...forgive me & send me some tunes to check out.  =)  

    

Coo Coo Kachoo, 

Mrs. Robinson

Our Love Looks, Tastes, & Smells Like....

{follow me on instagram, @mynewwifelife}

There are so many different faces of newlywed love, isn't there?  We've been married for 7 months and 6 days.  Sometimes we cuddle, snuggle, giggle, and hang all over each other.  Other times, we get into screaming matches about which kitchen cabinet is for glasses and which cabinet is for plates.  It's so fun, isn't it?  :)   

Today I'm guest posting for Bronwyn at Our Beautiful Blessings.  You can read all about what our newlywed love looks like, tastes like, and smells like.  Don't worry, it's nothing gross or inappropriate.  And while you're there, check out Mrs. Bronwyn's digs!  She is my newest blog friend and you may have noticed her button on the side of my page.  She was included in my April Bosom Buddies because she has a really cool name, her & her hubby are Christians just like us, and she has a heart for missions.  We have the best time e-mailing back and forth, discussing our faith, and getting to know each other.  AND she just opened a new Etsy shop!  

 ** So, go check out Bronwyn and my awesome guest post!  **

Try to have a good Monday!  :)