trooo wuv

I hope I don't make anyone sick with these graphic images.  But I feel this is a real issue that MUST be addressed.

THIS:

IS NOT LOVE. **shudder**

And call me a grinch, but I don't look up to this either:

I do appreciate the dress, though.   YUM.

Really, love isn't camera-ready most of the time.  It isn't well-orchestrated, it's a stumbling, climbing and tripping hike without a GPS.

It's being up at 2am with a sick child so the other parent can get some sleep.

It's not putting green peppers into your cooking because you are the only one who likes them.

It's actually cooking.  Sometimes even doing laundry.

It's waking up at 6am to shovel the driveway.

It's baking some chocolate chip cookies once the kids go down so you can have a moment together.  And then not eating the last cookie because you know the other one wants needs it more.

It's spending hours at church serving others, then coming home and making Sunday dinner for your family (and one or two others too).

It's spending 8 hours at a job that pushes your health and sanity to the limit, not because you want to be rich or get ahead, but because you take your responsibility to care for your family seriously.

It's not having everything you want, but getting everything you need.

It may not be as glamorous as this:

But it is beautiful in its unique way:

And it goes uphill from the wedding day, not downhill.

It's trying to get a nice picture together, and having him start giggling for some unknown reason about soy sauce.

It's being thankful, really thankful for what you have.   It's seven years for husband and I this Sunday.  I can hardly believe it.  I can also hardly believe how much we have both changed in the last seven years.   Yeah, real love means change.  And saying you're sorry.  Compromise.  Screwing the medicine bottle lids on all the way so when the next person grabs the children's Benadryl it doesn't spill all over their hands, the counter and the floor.  I'm working on that one.

I'm grateful for all the examples of true love I have in my life and blog stalking.  We may not be Hollywood, but we're all stars in my book!