Show & Tell Tuesday

Happy Tuesday Girls!

 

Today I am linking up with Andrea for "Show & Tell Tuesday"...be sure you grab the graphic and link up too!

 

Today we are talking about the best gift we ever received.  As I was thinking about this post I was thinking back to all the gifts I have received over the years, and I have gotten some really great Christmas gifts over the years, but as I sat here and thought about it, as awesome as some of them were, I wouldn't necessarily caption them as "the best gift I ever received".  Obviously all of my children are what I consider to be amongst the greatest gifts I have ever received, as I am sure many moms out there feel the same way!  But for me, the greatest gift I ever received was finding love again after my divorce.

 

When I got married back in 1995 I just assumed it would be forever...that is what marriage is supposed to be.  We were young when we got married, already had a child, but we made it work, had 4 more kids and were married for 15 years...certainly not the lifetime I thought it was going to be.  I've told my story before, and our divorce wasn't bitter or hate filled, we just truly grew apart and we decided that apart was better for us than together.  Even after divorce we are still friends, we talk, we co-parent well, it really did all turn out ok.

 

While going through the divorce I was totally focused on my children, Olivia was still just a baby and my days were filled with taking care of my kids, and I was pretty content at that time, if all I had in my life moving forward were my children I would be OK.  I never thought about trying to meet anyone, and seriously who in their right mind would even consider getting involved with a divorced 35 year old woman with 5 kids...and then on December 29, 2009 my life would forever change...

 

 

This is so true....

 

The very first night I met Mark, I just knew that I would fall in love with this man.  I remember sitting there on our first "date", talking about the fact that I had 5 kids...and it just didn't phase him..not in the least!  Our relationship moved pretty quickly...and lots of people had an opinion.  However I totally followed my heart, and I am so glad I did.  I quickly introduced him to the kids, I mean for him to really get a picture of who I was, he had to see me as a mom.  I feel so fortunate that Mark was the first and only person I dated after divorce...fate...yes I believe in it. 

 

I cannot begin to even put into words the love I have for this man.  He goes out of his way every single day to make me feel special.  I couldn't even ask for a better man to be by my side raising my children with.  He is patient, loving, kind, forgiving, thoughtful, generous...and so many more things...everything I could possibly want in a partner he has. 

 

Life isn't always easy, at times it can be downright hard to blend families, and though we have had some "bumps" in the road, we always got through it, made it work, and now we share a beautiful life together. 

 

I know I talk a lot about how wonderful Mark is, and I am sure many people probably get sick of hearing how wonderful my husband is...but he really is.  He not only fell in love with me, but my 5 children, if you could see him with my children, you would never in a million years believe he is just a "step-dad", he couldn't love these kids more if they were his own flesh and blood.  Our happiness is so important to him.  He knew right from the start the friendly relationship I had with my ex-husband, and he was 100% supportive of it, it was then I knew how amazing this guy was.  He loves my kids so much and their happiness always comes first.  It isn't always easy for him, you know having my ex-husband here in our home, spending the night, sitting around talking about old times, but Mark loves these kids so much, he does it, because it means everything to them.  I praise him a lot because he DESERVES it.  I am not trying to paint a picture of a perfect life, because our life is far from perfect, we argue, we fight, we get pretty pissed off at each other, but at the end of the day our love runs deep and we always work through whatever life throws at us. 

 

So as I sit here and reflect on all the gifts I have received in my life time, the absolute greatest would have to be my husband, being able to find love and happiness again after so much heartbreak and sadness has been the greatest gift. 

 

LOVE...the greatest gift!

 

Can't wait to read about everyone's "best gift ever received" today!  See you back here tomorrow!