My new favorite thing...

My hubby gave me the most wonderful present for our anniversary this year. I am now the proud owner of a pair of wrap boots from TOMS shoes. Are you familiar with TOMS shoes? They are a casual, earth friendly shoe and for every shoe you purchase, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. Read more about TOMS here. They also come in other colors like the sassy red pair, pictured above. Here I am sporting my new pair of shoes.

As you can probably tell by the name, these boots actually wrap around the leg. That way they fit each person perfectly...which for me is a plus since as you can see, I have scrawny little legs. Plus they are super comfy. I love, love, love mine! And I love that someone else who REALLY needs a pair of shoes now has a pair. You can't go wrong with TOMS.

This is a really great blog about a trip TOM's volunteers took to give out shoes to children. The pictures alone are priceless! So what are you waiting for? Order some TOM shoes today! And if you live in our area stop by Bettyejanes and check out the TOMS shoes there!

Lucky 13

So today is my beloved and my thirteenth wedding anniversary. The crazy thing is, we have known each other for over twenty years now. That just seems crazy. I barely feel twenty on any given day, how can I possibly have had a relationship with someone that long?

It seems most of my reflections happen in the presence of running water. I don't know if it is the meditative noise running water makes or the sheer boredom most tasks involving running water produce... whatever the case I think my deepest thoughts around water. So this morning as I was washing dishes in the sink I was thinking about thirteen years. I feel so lucky to have Tim in my life and can truly say this last year has been one of the best for us.

Which led me to ponder some of the less than stellar years, at which point I gave thanks for them because they are the stepping stones that led us to here and now. Without the tough times we have shared along the way, I doubt very seriously we would have achieved the level of intimacy we now enjoy. Those times are the affirmation to love that says, I've known you even on your worst days and I still love you to the very core.

Don't get me wrong, we are far from perfect love. What we do possess is stick-to-edness. For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, till death do us part. I truly want to see him happy and the feeling is reciprocated. We truly enjoy one another's company. I could not ask for a better friend. There is certainly no one on this earth I can think of at this stage in the game who knows me quite so well. These are the rewards of stick-to-edness. That and some others I won't mention in print;)

I cannot say what it is like to be married twenty, thirty, or even fifty years but I do know thirteen, lucky thirteen as it seems. For those of you a little closer to the start of your journey, take this advice for what it's worth - stick around a while - even when the going gets rough... ignore that other adage about the tough get going. It should say, the tough stick together!

We got muscles baby, and we aint afraid to flex em!