(Truth: These are engagement photos. Er, ten pounds lighter ago sevenish years old...we need some decent current pictures of us).
At first glance we invite the obvious joke of age difference, that's thirteen years folks. But after that, what else? My hope, what I want for us, is to be a couple that loves and is real. And that's not always pretty. But I want us to be ourselves and to love others. If it's warm outside, and Mike's working locally, there's a good chance you'll find a bit of a gathering at our house. Not every day, but lots of days. Atascadero is like that. It's kind of an 'open door' policy. At least, in our group of friends it it. We are blessed to live on land and we spend the warm nights outside, with our family and friends. Show up with a tri tip, 6 pack of beer, or simply on your own, and you'll be greeted with a smile and pointed to the BBQ. Once you get there, one of us will ask you how you are, and we'll really listen to the answer. So that makes me think, we've got to be half way there.
I always want my house to be relaxed, loving home. The kind that you know you're welcome in, especially if it's a 'stop by,' but you're really hoping you'll be asked to stay. There are many things I admire about Mike's parenting, right now I'm talking about his older kids, but one that sticks out is that his kids have always wanted to bring their friends home. Michael was pretty much out of the house and on his own when I came into the picture, but Maegann was only 13. With her, I was involved from Jr. High through High School, and those are some pretty big years in anyone's life. Maeg was with us, at the least, every Thursday through Sunday. And many times, on the weekend, she had a friend or two over. We camped, we went to the beach, and lots of time we were just at home. But it was a house that kids wanted to be at (And there's no reading between the lines here, the adult fun was for adults. This was not the teenage party house. Ask Maeg, you DID NOT want to be in trouble with her Dad).
So is that a reflection of Mike and I? Of us as a couple? Or is that more of a family philosophy. Now that I think of it, this post was prompted by Emily's, at Jones Design Company. Emily wrote about her sister's 'family moto,' and challenged her reader's to think about their own. (Emily is actually Hillary's sister, one of my best friends...can't WAIT to see you Hill!).
I intended to write about what kind of couple we are. But I guess that can't honestly, fully, be written about in a blog post. We're certainly not perfect, but I hope that when people think of us they will think we are a down to earth, generous couple that loves each other. Back to my frivolous, celebrity analysis, would this be enough to make the people root for us?
Clearly that doesn't matter, but it's enough to make me cheer loudly. What kind of couple are you?
