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Category Archives: Married Life

Mitad

04 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by John Roberts in Married Life

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

anniversary, Christian, Family, grace, love, married life, nationalpoetrymonth, poem, poety

Mitad

Half of all my life with you.
Yet every day seems a new.

Half of all my waking days.
My heart is captured by your ways.

Half of all my eyes have seen.
My gaze is fixed on you so keen.

Half of all the sounds I’ve heard.
Your voice to me a song is stirred.

Half of all my breaths inhaled.
Your beauty steals them til they fail.

Half of all my joys and fears.
Your my constant through the years.

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To my wife of 23 years – Happy Anniversary!

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Off The Rails

24 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by John Roberts in Family, Married Life, My Boys (almost men)

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

children, Christian, dad, Family, married life, parenting

Thomas the Tank

Parenting is tough!  There is no operations manual, installation instructions, or quick start card for raising children.  When your child goes through a phase, there is no script to follow.  For all the books that are out there telling you what you should do, there is no formula.

If that weren’t enough, to make it even more of a challenge, each child is completely different.  Each of your children has their own personality that you get to adjust your parenting style to.  What works for one, won’t necessarily work for the other.

I’m a “continuous improvement” guy.  At work, I like to draw up flow diagrams to map out a work process.  Do step one, two, and three to get a certain result.  There’s always cause and effect right?  Often the trap is set before me as a parent to apply that same thinking to what we did wrong, or how we could have done it differently.  This does not work!

So what do you do when things go off the rails?  When your child grows up and begins to make their own decisions, I’m learning this is a very delicate place to exist.  This is particularly difficult when they are making decisions that you know are not wise and even potentially harmful.  Here are a few things that my wife and I are learning:

  • Get out of the way.  The Lord is speaking to my child, and I need to be quiet so he can hear His voice and not mine.
  • Pray.  Because there are no instructions, I am constantly faced with a new challenge that I can even wrap my brain around.  Proverbs say to ask the Lord for wisdom and he will give it.
  • Forgive.  Cut yourself some slack.  Have I made mistakes?  Absolutely!   I’m a parent and I’m doing the toughest job on the planet without instructions.  We’ve all been given this beautiful gift called “free will” and this is true for my kids. They have the ability to choose a path of righteousness or sin. (see first bullet point)
  • Share.  Know that you aren’t alone.  Social media would have you believe that everyone’s life is perfect (rainbows and lolly pops).  Well it’s not!  We have a great support group of friends, that are encouraging and praying for our family. (see second bullet point)  It takes courage to be vulnerable, but those that love you won’t judge, they help carry the burden.
  • Stick Together.  I think it was some kid that came up with the battle cry “divide and conquer”.  Nothing in our 23 years of marriage has created more arguments then parenting decisions.  There are times it rocks the very core of our relationship, but through it all you can’t let it beat you.  When we stay united is when we are our very best as parent and spouse.

Feel free to add to this list by adding a comment below.

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Labor Day Fun

01 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by John Roberts in Having Fun, Married Life

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

central florida, fun, labor day, mims, orlando, wetlands park

We took the Jeep out for some trails and found a little mud.

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Went for a walk at the Wetlands Park

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ADVENT 2013

29 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by John Roberts in Family, Friendship, God, Having Fun, Married Life, My Boys (almost men), Photos

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

ADVENT, central florida, Christmas, christmas cookies, Christmas music, Christmas traditions, cookies, Gaylord Palms, ginger bread house, Traditions, winter park

The ADVENT season was a great time to be with my family and friends this year.  My wife and I have tried very hard over the years to have Christmas traditions of our own.  It’s something that I think has been especially important for her and at the same time hasn’t come easy.  When you think of traditions it conjures up images of Norman Rockwell paintings.  It’s a trap that I have fallen into many times over the years and as a parent can leave you feeling defeated.  I can remember times when the kids were little and trying to put up the tree.  Decorations, Christmas music, hot cocoa – you get the picture.  Well reality; about a ten minute attention span intervened by a sugar rush.  I’m not going to lie – it was tough with two little boys.  I think the best we were able to do in the way of traditions in those days was going to the tree farm to cut down the tree.  We would hike around looking for the perfect tree, have the Clark Griswold like angelic illuminated moment when it was found, and a ceremonial “Timmmmmbeeeeerrrrrr”.

This year, we took another run at the ADVENT calendar.  Every day in December there was a different activity to do as a family.  Some days we coordinated the fun with some other families so we could do things together.  Some of the highlights this year:

Purchase a Christmas album
Work on a puzzle together.
Play Texas Hold’em at the Odell farm
Christmas party around the fire pit in the back yard
Christmas cookie exchange
Ginger bread house decorating contest
Ornament exchange
Line dancing at the Odell farm
See A Christmas Carol play (my personal favorite)
Christmas gift shopping as a family
One night stay-cation (Gaylord Palms)

We stayed very busy this year with something to do every day, but it was well worth it in relationship and in tradition making.  We even broke a tradition (I had a hard time with that) this year and opened our gifts on Christmas eve.  The teenagers slept in on Christmas morning and we did stockings when they woke up.  It worked out great!  After the stocking my wife shared some things she had learned from her devotions this month, and we all prayed as a family.  What a sweet way to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Afterwards, Christmas morning Eggs Benedict breakfast.

So yes, even when it seems the boys are all grown up traditions can be made.  You have to just keep trying and just keep loving.  Merry Christmas!

Puzzle
Puzzle
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Let the decorating begin
Let the decorating begin
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The Winner!
The Winner!
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Ginger bread wake
Ginger bread wake
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Dessert
Dessert
A Christmas Carol pre-show
A Christmas Carol pre-show
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The Big Man!
The Big Man!
Puzzle Done!
Puzzle Done!
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Gaylord Palms lights
Gaylord Palms lights
Gaylord Palms Christmas show
Gaylord Palms Christmas show
Gaylord Palms waterfall
Gaylord Palms waterfall
Smile
Smile
Handing out presents
Handing out presents
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Papa Noel
Papa Noel
Goodies
Goodies
More Goodies
More Goodies
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Joy
Joy
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Contemplation
Contemplation
Winter Park lights
Winter Park lights
Peace & Joy
Peace & Joy
Park Ave.
Park Ave.
cool pic at night
cool pic at night

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The Greatest Fan of Your Life

31 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by John Roberts in Married Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

awesome wife, best friend, edward mccain, Family, fan, greatest fan, I'll Be, living proof, love, lyrics, music, song, wife

To my wife Gidget,

I love the lyrics to the Edward McCain song I’ll Be, and if I could carry a tune I’d sing this song to you.  I’ll be the greatest fan of your life. Continue reading →

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Video

What’s Your Heart Saying?

04 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by John Roberts in Married Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

communication, emotions, heart, married life, wife

I’ve not been feeling very well at all the past few days. I’ve lost the battle with the cough that I’ve been fighting. It’s moved into my chest and I don’t have much energy to speak of. I just feel like laying on the couch and well that’s about it. So far today, I’ve watched a movie and read a few post from other bloggers.
I talked my wife into laying on the couch and taking a nap with me. Laying there I could hear her heart beating. I thought to myself, “I wonder what her heart is trying to say to me?”. We have been married for 21 years now. That’s certainly a lot of life to live together. Over the years we’ve had our share of emotions together. Ups and downs, joys and arguments, fun and sadness – life. She has been quiet the past few days, like something is on her mind. I want to know what she’s thinking, what she’s feeling. So just like shutting things off to take a nap, I need shut things off to listen to what her heart is saying to me. Sharing a life together is just that, listening to what the other’s heart is trying to say.
Here’s a cool video I found of the human heart.

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Beach Day

27 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by John Roberts in Having Fun, Married Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beach, central florida, communication, day at the beach, Florida, marriage, married life, new smyrna, new smyrna beach, relationship, sea breeze, sun

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Our little “camp site” – got that at a garage sale for $20 never opened

It’s a day at the beach with my wife. A much needed day of just being together as a couple. Things have been a little stressed around the old homestead this past week. We seem to be busy all the time which means that time to communicate is taking it on the chin. One thing you can count on in married life, if you’re not working on relationship you are going to hit some bumps in the road. Yesterday I thought to myself this summer is almost over and I haven’t even been to the beach. This is a real shame considering that it takes less then an hour to get there from my house.
My youngest and his friends bailed on us this morning as the skies didn’t look promising. What was their loss was my gain. It was nice to work through some things with my bride and clear the air. It was good to just relax in the sun,enjoy the sea breeze and even a few pastries.

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Peach Cobbler

14 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by John Roberts in Family, Great Food, Married Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

awesome wife, cobbler, Peach

My wife is in the kitchen making peach cobbler. Does it get any better? See the pictures from start to finish. Now that’s some awesome cobbler!

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Continue reading →

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Facelift for Barnie’s Coffee

20 Sunday Nov 2011

Posted by John Roberts in Great Food, Married Life

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

barnie's, barnie's coffee, coffee, winter park

Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen with Lots of Customers !

We made our Saturday trek to Winter Park’s Farmer’s Market yesterday.  It’s been a bit of a Saturday morning date routine for my wife and I in the past.  Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to make it for a few months (see previous post on being busy).  The prices are pretty good and you can’t beat the environment.  All of your senses are brought to life from the moment you cross the railroad tracks.  The aroma from the kettle corn guy, the colorful sights of fresh flowers, the taste samplings from the honey guy and my favorite – the real vanilla guy. Continue reading →

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Country Living Fair

25 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by John Roberts in Culture & The Arts, Having Fun, Married Life

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

atlanta, blocher, country living, country living fair

Country Living Fair

Gidget and I attend the Country Living Fair in Stone Mountain Georgia this past weekend.  I know, it doesn’t sound all that manly.  But that didn’t matter, it was a much-needed and overdue getaway for just the two of us.  With no kids, there were times when the quietness made it seem almost awkward at times.  Having uninterrupted conversations and being able to string together a complete sentence had this vague familiarity at first.  One evening during dinner, we were talking of how nice it has been to be able to start “dating” again.  Really it’s ashamed that we get lost in the day-to-day so much that we forget to do just that. Continue reading →

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Since I don’t have a picture of an ox the donkey from St. John will have to do
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Roasting Coffee Beans – it doesn’t get any fresher
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Lot of Customers !
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Latte Art
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Right after Gidget found her owl necklace
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Noah Rockin’ the Crowd
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Art Never Tasted so Good!
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Treasure Hunting
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Waiting as the Fuel Tank Empties
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Guatemala Mahi Mahi
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Punctured Fuel Tank with Dragging Heat Shield
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