An Award & A Linky & Some Randomness

I changed my mind about what I wanted to share with all of you today for a few very important reasons. Grab a drink and a snack... this is a long post!

1 ~ I WON MY FIRST AWARD! Okay... sorry for yelling. I am just so EXCITED! Thank you to Classy Confessions for awarding me the Liebster Award. Now it is my turn to pass this onto 5 fellow bloggers with 200 or less followers and who has not received the award yet. I am awarding it to: The Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher, Teaching with a Twist of Liam, Kids Cog Works,  Oh My Little Classity Class, and Finding Joy in 6th Grade!

2 ~ I hope you all are ready (and want) to learn a little more about me. I promised Ms. B I would join her linky party but I am a few days late. I am hoping she will forgive me! If you haven't joined in on the fun head over to Buzzin with Ms. B so that I will not be the last one to join!

My hubby and I met in training at work. We would eventually work an hour away in different areas but for 2-weeks we sat side by side. However... I am getting ahead of myself.

To make a long story very VERY short, love did not work out for me the first time around. I was a single mom raising three little boys, working full time, going to school full time, soccer practice, boy scouts, church, and house cleaning. I did it all with very little help and very little money. My life was overflowing with responsibilities. Hubby was a bachelor. Not just any bachelor an extreme Harley riding out every night bachelor. His life was carefree. He had no responsibilities and no budget. He never even had a serious relationship! He ran from those as fast as he could.

We became fast friends in training, went out to lunch with friends daily (he paid thankfully or I could have never gone as I once explained to him). One day a friend of ours was drooling over the new guy. We were discussing who should go find out his name when the bachelor walked by (Ben has nothing on him!). I asked him to go find out who the new guy was as I was not going and she was still drooling. The three of us got to talking and she blurts out forget the new guy... you should ask her out! I found out he was mad later as he was planning on it. My response was I would discuss it with him privately later.

So later came and I told him no way. Ain't gonna happen. I am too busy dealing with my life that I do not have time for dating. Besides I did the whole love, marriage, family thing... and it SUCKS! He kept saying it was a great idea, I kept saying it was a horrible idea. (Did I mention we are both stubborn?) So I finally agreed... if he could survive my life for a month  (HA! Mr. Adorable will not survive a day!) then I would go out on a date with him.

I rounded up all my friends to come up with a plan. Remember the movie on how to get a guy in 10 days? My plan was like that but it was more of how to lose a guy in 10 days. Besides training was over now, we were in different parts of the city. He would find someone else. First step... guys do not like being asked questions. I googled my heart out for get to know you questions. I sent him 2000! Yep, that should scare him off. He answered EVERY question. That was not part of my plan. He laughed and said it was fun. I never did read all his answers.

So that idea didn't work. So my friend the lawyer said to ask for his social security number and drivers license... after all he could be a criminal and we don't want his kind around the boys. So I asked and he gave it to me. Sigh... who gives out that kind of information?? I would have been like "sorry buddy no one gets that info" but he trusted me. My lawyer friend really did run a background check and even a credit history. We found nothing but a squeaky clean report and perfect credit.

Time to bring in the big guns... the boys! No bachelor can handle kids right? I have to be right on this one. I called him one night while about 5 minutes away and asked what he was doing. Then asked if he wanted to meet us for dinner. He suggested Mexican... my evil Grinch grin appeared. The boys HATE anything that is not a chicken nugget. It was perfect for a disaster, I said yes, can you be ready in 5 minutes? He feed the boys tortilla chips and promised to take them to the park after dinner if they were good. The loved him immediately. He became their favorite toy to climb. He secretly taught them how to make boy noises. This is not my plan. Next up ice cream then shoe shopping. The boys are terrors in a shoe store and give them sugar prior... I might not survive. Mr. Perfect had a blast and he paid the bill when I was trying to wrestle with a monkey who was in desperate need of a nap.

I kept trying and failing... he won... he got his date. ONE date. Just one. This is not a relationship. I did not agree to any more than one.

He planned to make it the best date every. It would last all day starting at day break as "I earned it." We went to his hometown for breakfast and discovered we both grew up in small towns near each other and our families were friends. We believe we have even met a time or two prior but we would need Grandma to tell us (she is no longer with us). We went on a hike and a picnic. We reminisced and had a blast. Drove home (2 hours) and changed to go out to a five star restaurant and danced the night away. It was amazingly perfect!

He called the next day and asked if he could come over and make us dinner. I was so exhausted I agreed... relieved someone else would cook for a change. Mr. Adorable is actually Mr. Perfect. He shows up with nuggets and milk for the boys and cooks for us. Who can say no to someone who remembers the boys favorites?

I fought and kicked my way through our relationship and engagement. I was still scared that love couldn't work but I married Mr. Perfect and am so happy that he was right. He adopted my children this year... and now we are truly one big happy family. Don't tell Mr. Confident but I think I love him more today than I did when he proposed.

Now if you made it through that... you should hear the engagement and wedding stories.

3 ~ I had to show you what I got the two youngest boys for valentine's day. My middle child was hoping and praying for a puppy. So I got him one... made out of chocolate!

4 ~ I just got the shipping confirmation from 31.... IT ARRIVES TOMORROW! I can't remember who started the 31 Bag Give Away (which I did not win) .... so I just had to join in the fun. They sent it by two day shipping. It took less than a week from the time I ordered until it is suppose to get here. Can anyone guess what I ordered and in what pattern?

5 ~ Did you notice I added the Core Curriculum App to my blog? Did you see the pages I added? If not, you should!