52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose: Ten Things I Live For


My husband. I don't think there's any question as to how I feel about my husband. He's hands-down my favorite man. It's weird. I can't really remember life before Kevin. And I think that's just how it's supposed to be. I want to be the best wife that I can be for him. Sometimes, I know I fail, but I want him to know each day how much I love him and care for him. He is my top priority. I want him to always know how handsome I think he is, how my heart still flutters when he walks by, how I melt watching him play with our sweet boys and how my favorite place to be is in his arms.


My children. I'd always heard how a child will change your life, but I didn't know how dramatic that change would be until I had children of my own. Besides Kevin, K.C. and Kaden are the greatest gifts I've ever been given. And I think of them as my special gifts. The depth of my love for them is like nothing I've known. It's so different from the love I have for my husband and the rest of my family. It's really indescribable. I'm thankful for the gift of being their Anna Belle. I love playing with them, learning with them, watching them as they discover they can do something on their own for the very first time, snuggling and cuddling with them, nighttime stories, sweet kisses and "I love you's." It's my prayer that they will always know how totally and completely they are loved.



My family. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am so fortunate to have the family I have and I know it. I was blessed to both be born into my family and to marry into Kevin's family. Outside of faith, family is the most important thing in this world. I love spending time with our family. 


Running. It's no secret that I love to run. It's one of my most favorite things to do. I love the way I feel while I run and after. I love that it's something that I not only love, but it's good for my body and sets a good example for my children. 

My faith. God has been so good to me, overwhelmingly good. And it's not because I've crossed off a checklist of things, gone to church a certain number of times, been involved in different aspects of the church, read my Bible a certain number of days straight or prayed with all the right words. It's because He loves me and cares for me. His grace amazes me and His forgiveness is the greatest gift in this whole world. I'm thankful for my Savior who loves me despite my flaws and shortcomings and who guides me and directs me and gives me grace. I want the words I say and the things I do to bring glory to His Name.



The beach. I love the beach. My family loves the beach. It's one of our favorite places to be. I love the sounds of the waves crashing, the heat of the sun beating down, running around with the boys and walks hand-in-hand with my husband. I love the laid back feeling and relaxation that comes with the smell of the salty marsh air.

Fun-filled lazy days. I know fun-filled and lazy don't normally go hand-in-hand, but you know exactly what I mean when I say fun-filled lazy days. Those days when you don't have anything you have to do and can just do whatever all day. The days when you have a morning that lingers, an afternoon full of playing and a night spent outside. Those fun-filled lazy days.

Cuddles, kisses and back rubs. My husband will say that I stole back rubs and that they're his thing, but I love them (I also use the excuse that they make me run faster!). There's not much that makes me happier than these three things. Some of my favorite moments of the day are family snuggles at night when we read the boys stories and those few quiet moments with my husband in the morning when we hit snooze.

Good food and conversation. I love good food and talking over dinner. There's just something that makes good (Italian) food so much better with great conversation when I'm out to dinner with my husband. And I love big dinners regardless of what we're having when my family is enjoying each other's company.


Laughter, smiles and the little things. I love the little things in life. Hearing the laughter of my husband and our children. Building all sorts of things with K.C. and Kaden. The smiles that spread across my loved ones faces. The tiny details that make the most ordinary things extraordinary.

Making and preserving memories. (This is 11, I know, but I can't leave this one out.) I love to preserve the memories we make. While there are so many memories etched into my mind forever, I like to have them in books. I want our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be able to see all the love and good times shared in our family. I make a family book of these memories each year as well as separate books for the boys on their birthdays each year. They asked me to tell them the story of our honeymoon a few nights ago and it was so much fun pulling out our honeymoon book and looking at the pictures and reading it together as a family.


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