The Song of the Tradesmans Wife

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth

For your love is far better than chocolate

Draw me to you

You, my tradesman are most handsome

Rugged, yet gentle

Manly, yet sensitive

Strong and dependable

Full of adoration for your family

Your smile makes me weak

Your adorable dimples, they tease me

Your lips stir passion so deep

Hands so rough and calloused

Years of hard work for your family

Their touch so careful with our little ones

Their touch so breathtaking with me

It lingers long on

Yes, He is altogether lovely

This is my beloved

This is my friend

I hear your voice and I smile

You are home and it means I am complete

Your strong arms, they encircle me

My face finds my way into your chest and I am content

Your breath on my neck reminds me

Our love so fulfilling, so exquisite

Our passion a gift so precious

I anxiously await to open it again and again

So many years now

There were times where it seemed it was too hard

Would our love make it through?

Was there a way back to where it began?

Seems like such a distant memory

It has blown away a grain at a time

Like sand in the wind

Scattered, never to be found

The future is in front of us

The journey so exciting, so fresh

No one I would rather run hand in hand with

And I thank God

I am my beloved's

And my beloved is mine

*inspired by The Song of Solomon :)

Happy Valentines Day Tradesman!

Forever Yours,

~ Him First ~

"A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her. "

~ Maya Angelou

~ A Needed Getaway ~

Tradesman and I went away for 4 glorious days together to Niagara Falls. We left all of our children in good hands. It was difficult for both of us to leave them, especially the little one. He is just 2 1/2.
They all had so much fun and we really had nothing to worry about. It's hard for us mothers to justify leaving our kids when we spend every waking moment with them. We feel such a sense of responsibility to be there for them at all times.

Tradesman and I do make it a habit to go away for one romantic long weekend every year. Sometimes a baby comes along because we won't leave them until they are at least 2. That has never affected the great time that we have.
I realized when we were away how very much we need this time together. When you are away just the two of you, you tend to let loose, be a little crazy. There are no real responsibilities, you have no stress. The whole thing is just about fun and connection.

As a woman we are always a little torn at home. We have so many little things that are going on in our heads that giving our husbands 100% of our attention every time he is in our midst is near impossible. Whereas when you are away, just the two of you, it allows you to once again turn into that love-sick teenager and fawn all over that knight of yours. Interestingly enough, that knight seems to be far more "knight like" when it's just the two of you because he is relaxed and feeling a little love-sick as well.

I think the key to a happy, long lasting marriage is determined by a lot of things. However, capturing moments away together out of the daily grind of life is pivotal in keeping romance alive. You have a chance to explore your similar interests together, you laugh more, you play, you make love like the world might end tomorrow.

If you don't already do this, start! Put it in the budget and make it work.
So many marriages start to become dull, the couple find they have nothing to talk about anymore. Everything becomes just about the kids or getting by day to day.
These are the couples that find themselves one day staring into the eyes of a stranger. They no longer know why they are married to this person. Life dishes out so much at us. Just surviving sometimes is the only option. Having someone there who you are truly connected to and you know is on your side will make all the difference.

It's the special memories that you continue to make together through the years that will carry you through during rough waters.
Once a year for the health and vibrancy of your marriage, go away together or have the children watched while you make a special retreat out of your home for just the two of you.

I'm telling you, it's simply wonderful!!

~ The Day of Love ~

Today is Valentines Day!! I love Valentines Day!
In the midst of diapers, laundry, cleaning and schooling my children it's sometimes hard to find the time or energy to always do something special for your man. But Valentines Day, well that's a good reason for time to stand still and all my effort can be put into making my man feel great!

Some women like to receive pretty little gifts on Valentines, flowers, chocolate or thoughtful cards. To others having their husbands take them out or bring home dinner does the trick. While other women still, love is spelled one of two ways D-I-S-H-E-S or V-A-C-U-U-M-I-N-G!
We are all very different including our husbands. But, generally across the board one thing spells love to our husbands. RESPECT!

Our men thrive on respect! They need to know we appreciate what they do for us. They need to feel like we need them, that we value them and their leadership of our family.
If you do nothing else for your man this Valentines Day at least do this. Think about some things that you respect about him, does he work hard so you can stay home? Does he pay the bills on time? Is he a good father? Does he help around the house?
Later this evening tell him you've been thinking about him today and thinking about things that you respect about him. When he asks what they are, and he will, tell him! If you feel more comfortable write it all down and give it to him over dinner, email it, or leave it on his voice mail at work.
This will energize your man and and speak love to him in leaps and bounds!

Now if you're wallowing and feeling like Valentines won't be special because your husband isn't romantic or you can't afford to go out...Stop!
You can change the dynamic of the evening. You can make him something special tonight. Give your children something simple for dinner and put them somewhere else in the house to watch a movie so you and your husband can have dinner just the two of you. It doesn't have to be elaborate, make his favorite or just add special touches.

Because I'm a little under the weather, this year will be nothing spectacular but still special nonetheless. Nothing speaks love to a manly man like a perfectly grilled steak. With this hunk of beef we will be having a cheese fondue. I love snuggling up next to him on the couch, hovering over the coffee table dipping an assortment of nice breads and veggies into a cheese pot. Add some mood music and a few candles, you've got romance baby!

There are lots of great recipes for cheese fondue out there, but this ones simple and most have the ingredients on hand.

In a med. sauce pan~

1 cup dry white wine (I have on hand for cooking, not chugging :)
1/2 pd. mozzarella grated
1/2 pd. cheddar grated
2 tsp. flour
1 garlic clove or a pinch of garlic salt
pinch of pepper

Mix cheese and flour together. Heat up wine till simmering (lower heat) add pepper and garlic salt if using.
Add cheese/flour mixture gradually. Stir and allow cheese to melt between each addition.
I like to cut a clove of garlic and rub it all over inside the fondue pot then crush it and leave it inside the pot before filling with cheese sauce.
Serve with an assortment of nice breads like a french stick, pumpernickel and slightly steamed veggies. (broccoli, snap peas, carrots)

Later while that hubby is putting the kids to bed you can wash out your fondue pot and whip up this chocolate fondue for the two of you.

1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1 pound of bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup of puffed rice cereal
chopped chocolate toffee bar (optional)
In a pot, heat milk/sugar to a simmer.
Remove from heat and add choc. Let sit 2 min.
Whisk well. Now stir in rice cereal and toffee bits.
Pour into fondue pot and keep warm
Serve with strawberries, grapes, banana chunks, granny smith apple slices and chunks of pound cake. (found frozen in your grocery store)

Nothing more romantic than melted chocolate to share. You can eat, talk, and stare into each others eyes, and if you're feeling adventurous, paint each other with the chocolate afterwards...did I just say that?

Now go forth and have a fabulous Valentines, be fruitful and multiply or at least practice!! :)

~ Build your Homes ~

In the morning when I come down to our kitchen and find a peanut butter smeared knife stuck to the island and toast crumbs strewn about as well as jars of peanut butter and honey left out and opened, I feel secure and content.
Is it just that I enjoy cleaning up messes first thing in the morning or that I take delight in scraping sticky peanut butter & honey off of counter tops? No, not particularly.

Its what was ALSO left behind on that gooey island that makes my heart feel warm and secure and brings a contented smile to my face.
As I carefully close and pick up his bible I reflect on how very blessed I am.
This wonderful, albeit messy husband of mine, has once again started his day with God.
While he was feeding that tummy of his he remembered that which was so much more important…feeding his mind, heart and soul with Gods word.

Why does this make me feel secure?
I know that every decision that he makes that day will be held up to the scrutiny of Gods word and filtered through the lens of the Holy spirit.
His priorities will be in order, thoughts of his family will be on the forefront of his mind, and Jesus has already been invited to walk with him that day.
I love knowing that my husbands thoughts and actions are being guided and directed by our Heavenly Father. I love that he is open to growing, stretching and moving forward in his walk with God.
I am secure.

What happens when I notice that Bible not out, when I find it on the shelf in the family room getting a little dusty? Well, first thing I do is pray.
If my husband isn’t reading each day it means something is out of whack. He’s working too much, or thinking too much or stressed too much, or just plain too tired!
I bring those concerns to God and ask him to bless my hubby. Then I vow to do what ever I can to alleviate those issues that I think might be affecting him.

Should I nag, worry, or even worse …chastise?
This is our opportunity as wives to be helpmeets to our husbands. This is where we step in and gently encourage them to get back on track. We want them to know how very much we appreciate their spiritual leadership, and how much we respect them.
They are not one of our children to scold and reprimand. They do not deserve to be made to feel inadequate in their role as headship of their homes. Your husband will flourish under your encouragement and belief in him.
Unfortunately, I didn’t always know this.

Sometimes we have to really fail at something to come out stronger and learn so much. At times in the past I would try to convince and persuade my husband to take on the leadership of his family, all the while holding all control tightly in my fist along with any dignity he had!
Informing him of this or that responsibility, reminding him of this or that thing he should be doing or accomplishing. And of course it was never right how he was going about doing any particular thing, he should of course listen to me, an authority on such things.

No wonder our husbands can give up and refuse to take on the role God has designed for them. There's the key ladies, designed for HIM!

If we just step down and let them be, if we just close our mouths and pray, if we just build up instead of tear down, God can be heard.
HIS whisper to our men will be heard, no longer competing with the loud chaos that is us.

Some wives will say "My husband just never gets around to leading the family in devotions" Do you nag him? Do you tell him when he should do it and make him feel bad when he doesn't?
Maybe back off and try encouraging him with one of the kids making a request for him to just read a few verses out loud after dinner or read a small section from a devotional book. Do not step in and take over with what he should do or not do.
Just smile at that hubby of yours and thank him. When going to bed that night, tell him how very much you appreciated him reading and affirm him.
Don't bother to tell him what he should have done or what you would rather him do next time.
Just be content with what has begun and let God complete the work in him.

Some women take the approach of thinking they are more spiritual than their husbands or just believe they know how to do the whole dang thing better than him. They find themselves correcting him, (oops that was me) directing him, (that was me too) and when they really didn't think it was good enough they just take over!
(alas, me as well)
We are not called to pick up the slack, we are to enable!! That means to make possible!
Not to be impossible!

Dig into the scriptures ladies and then take what you find to your husbands and ask their opinions. Ask them questions and pick their brains for their thoughts, instead of being little "Miss. no- it- all." Keep quiet and humble, sincerely seeking the advice and input of your hubby.
What a blessing this will be to him to know that you value and regard his thoughts and point of view. Nothing like a good old deep question to get your husband digging around in the scriptures to come up with an answer for you. One that is received without any unnecessary feedback from you.
Unless of course that feedback entails showering his face with kisses and telling him how very much you respect him and what he means to his family!

Blessed is the woman who is meek and humble in spirit.
Proverbs 14:1 ~ A wise woman builds her home, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

~ Daddy Comes Home ~

When tradesman came in the door last night like so many nights,
he was tackled. No not by me silly! By his children.
All 5 of them came running at him, jumping on him with shouts
of excitement, and crys of daddy!
In the summer when this happens and he is just half way across
our lawn I often wonder what the neighbors must think. “Has he been
away on a long trip?” they must wonder to themselves. But
honestly,this is the greeting my dear husband receives every evening.
He is our favorite person. When we hear the familiar sound of his van
riding up the laneway, when we see him step in the door with that
grin on his face, we are all happy. This is the event we have looked
forward to all day...his return to us.

Not only is this a joyous time for us but what a blessing this is
to my husband.
After a long day working hard, he is greeted with a loving family
that not only has missed him, but is truly grateful for him.
As I wriggle through the pile of arms and legs to find a spot
to plant a kiss on this darling man of mine, I hear a familiar
phrase. It's one that I never tire of hearing.
“I love my family.”
A simple phrase really but important no less. It reminds me
why I do what I do everyday.

Our job isn’t meaningless or trivial ladies. We diligently train not only
the behavior of our children each day but most importantly their
character. What we selflessly pour into them each and every day
comes back to us tenfold.

My husband looks forward to coming home. Its not a burden or
something to be dreaded. I’ve created a peaceful home. One where
he can come home and feel relaxed, refreshed and truly appreciated.
There is no fighting or quarreling between the siblings, there is no
whining, or demanding of this or that.
There is simply gratefulness for this provider of ours.
My husband feels appreciated and cherished by his children.

The “witching hour,” it has been so tactfully called, is non-existent
in our home. During the time when dinner is being prepared and we
welcome home daddy, we are at peace.

The choices we make as mothers each day have a profound effect on all aspects of our life. Selflessly dying to our own wants and desires in order to meet the needs of our wee ones, and resisting the urge to be lazy about training is hard. It sometimes seems like thankless work.

But each evening that my husband makes it home for dinner is a reminder to me of what an honorable job I have.
What I do each day results in blessing my husband! His children honor and adore him.
No wonder he looks forward to coming home everyday!

Psalms 127:3-5 ~ Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth ~
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed.

~ My Tradesman ~

Some like a GQ man, some like a jock, others a musician, a businessman, or an engineer.
If you're like me though it's....a tradesman.
Just saying that word brings a smile to my lips and a blush to my face.
My husband is a tradesman.
When he gets home and plants a kiss on me, I still get belly sparks.
The salty taste of his lips, evidence of a hard days labor, the faint whiff of sawdust or carpet fibers still makes my head spin. I know it sounds crazy, but tis true.

We women are all different and so are the men in our lives. Yet, we all have some basic need to be adored. We want our husbands to find us lovely.
Yes, even when they come home and we haven't washed our hair in 4 days, there's spit up, or play dough on our shirt, our outfit leaves much to be desired and we are pretty sure their might even be marker on our face. We all have this daydream that he doesn't see all that, that really he just wants to look longingly into our eyes and tell us that we are all he could think about all day.
Come on, be honest, you know you've been there!

These hardworking men in our lives need our adoration as well. Take a trip down memory lane and remember what it was that made you fall in love with your husband.
Was it his strong silent presence, his funny stories, his laugh, his ability to fix everything, his charm, his tenderness, his friendship, his loyalty, charisma? Think back, remember when you couldn't get enough of him. Dwell on those attributes because they are still there and a very real part of that man of yours!
Now when he walks in the door next time, you be sure to march right over there and tell him how all you could think of today was him!
Make sure he knows what you love about him and then plant a big old kiss on those lips of his!
I promise you, you won't regret it!
There might even be some belly sparks!

~ Fowers with an ulterior motive ~

Aren't these pretty? My sweet hubby brought these home for me yesterday. I love flowers, and my husband knows this well. But there is something else my husband has learned from being married to this wifey of his for almost 14 years. When my husband brings me flowers I tend to clean up within a fifty foot radius the entire area in which the flowers have been placed. I mean really clean. Vacuum, dust, scrub you name it. Its like I can't enjoy the sheer ambiance of the flowers unless everything is perfect around them...coo coo I know!
This darling hubby of mine has been known to strategically place flowers in areas that have been... lets say neglected? Sneaky, isn't he?!
As I mentioned yesterday I have been trying to get motivated enough to clean up all the Christmas decorations. I had gotten as far as stripping the tree and stockpiling every other decoration in the living room. So low and behold, what do I find in my living-room yesterday? Subtle , isn't he?
Do I ever feel blessed to have a husband who is ever patient with his sometimes slobbish wife.