What makes a husband amazing?

Earlier this week I received a call from a good friend who is having a hard time. She asked me to pick up her handicapped son from school. She couldn't leave work, her husband hung up on her when she tried to get him to go get their son. It was not a problem at all for me to help, I picked him up, he was wonderful, my boys all really enjoy being with him, we made lots and lots of piggy noises, then his mom was here to get him. As she left she made a comment out of frustration. She felt like her husband was just a paycheck, and she could get that from him if they were married or not. It was so sad I couldn't stop thinking about it the rest of the afternoon.

We get Johnny one day a week now. He is working in Rosamond, CA and comes home Saturday night only to leave again at 4am Monday. When Johnny called that night I emotionally unloaded. I wanted him to know that he is much more than just a paycheck to me. Our oldest son Daniel was outside with me when my friend made her comment and in the car when I was talking to Johnny. Daniel asks questions typical 7 year olds don't ask and boy did he start asking questions. He wanted to know why some husbands are just a paycheck. He wanted to know why I told Johnny he was not a paycheck. We talked for a long time about the necessity of money and the importance of family. I decided to ask Daniel what he observed about the way Johnny treats me and here are a few treasures from my 7 year old!

1. Daddy prays with us every night.
2. Daddy never sits while we are working, we work together. Dinner, cleaning, baths, etc.
3. Daddy holds Mommy's hand.
4. Daddy kisses Mommy longer (meaning longer than he kisses our boys).

Here are a few of my own observations that make Johnny so amazing...

1. He tells me I am beautiful every day, usually multiple times a day. Even when he is away and can't see me. He also asks for pictures of me all the time so he can see me while he is gone. He shows those pictures to his friends at work and tells them I am beautiful. He makes me feel like he is proud of me and proud that I am his wife.
2. He kisses me every chance he gets. He kisses me in the kitchen, we hide in the laundry room, etc. He makes ordinary places extraordinary! We have been married almost 12 years!
3. When we ride in his truck he wants me sitting in the middle of the front bench so he can put his arm around me. He likes playing with my hair and having me close.
4. Johnny tells our boys all the time that I am beautiful or the dinner I made was amazing, or that he is so lucky to have such a wonderful wife. Some of the stuff is ridiculous but I know he believes what he is saying even if I think he is being way over the top.
5. Johnny never yells at me. Ever. He won't even argue with me when I am being a brat and try to pick a fight.

I guess my whole point is that our boys see how their dad treats their mom. We talk with them about why he has to be gone, but make sure they know he would much rather be home with us. My boys have no doubt that their dad loves their mom. We have a house full of future husbands and fathers. Johnny is teaching them by his example. I will be one proud Mamma if our boys turn out exactly like their dad! And just let me add that the young ladies who get to marry one of my boys will be lucky indeed!

Hulse Family Happenings

A few people have told me recently that I am letting my blog slip and they want more frequent posts. I sometimes think my life is really boring so I hesitate to post the mundane. But, here it goes.

My older boys are in 1st and 2nd grade. Daniel loves to read and write, Jaxon is the complete opposite. We spend what feels like hours every afternoon trying to get through what should be 20 minutes of homework. Wesley has just turned 4 so I started giving him the same reading lessons (Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons By Engelmann, Haddox & Bruner). We work on these while Garrett naps and so far he is doing very well.

In the last 3 months I think I have seen Johnny 4-5 times. It has been over 5 weeks since he was home last. While he has been gone I have made some changes! After school one day Daniel (7.5) and Wesley (4) decided to kick Jaxon (6) out of the room Danny and Jaxon shared. I thought it was a brilliant idea but didn't want Jaxon to feel thrown out. I bought a used bunk bed Army truck and Jaxon was more than willing to move to Garrett's room.

I felt like superwoman taking beds apart, moving dressers, and building a bunk bed with no instructions. The Army truck/fort looks rather ridiculous from a home decor standpoint but my boys LOVE it and that is what matters! My little baby Garrett is not so little sleeping on the bottom bunk. It makes me sad he is in such a big bed. The fighting has not stopped between my boys of course but this arrangement helps.

Johnny should have a few weeks off after this job is over before they move on to a job in El Centro, CA. I plan to potty train Garrett and possibly go on a vacation. I took all my boys to AZ last month for a friend's son's baptism and we will go for another baptism again this month. I love and miss AZ!

Here are a few other things we have been up to...

We have gone Visiting Teaching quite a bit. My boys rode around in the car out back while we visited and then they never wanted to leave. My companion has two boys, so to one appointment we had 6 boys with us. Not exactly a spiritual experience, but we made the effort. I was called to be the 2nd Counselor in Relief Society at church. The Lord does have a sense of humor!

 We play...

We get all dressed up for church. I love making them match when I can and I LOVE sweater vests even if it is still too hot.

 Every once in a while I will catch them with an arm around each other...and a weapon in the other hand. Garrett is obsessed with Mater (Disney's Cars 2) and Rocket (Little Einsteins). He has figured out how to change the DVDs by climbing on a table he pushes over to the TV. He also knows how to get in the freezer of our new refrigerator and get himself GoGurts and Otterpops. He certainly keeps me on my toes!

 Wesley had immunizations recently and wanted to hold Garrett's hand for comfort. Wesley has become super clingy. He cries and screams about going to preschool and only wants me, not even my mom or dad. He told my friend the other day that his dad is living in NV and never coming home. I had a good talk with him about Daddy coming home but I'm not sure he believes me or understands.

 We went Halloween costume shopping. My boys wear their costumes everywhere! They like to build forts in the living room and have wars.

 We ride bikes to the park, in costume of course! This is my army man at the park.

 Ninja at the eye doctor. Jaxon will start wearing his new glasses in two weeks. He kept telling me I was blurry, or the clock was blurry, etc. I made sure to get the extra protection plan. He is very accident prone!

Johnny asked me for a picture of myself on the bed (hahahaha, can you tell he has been away for a while!). I asked him what exactly he wanted and who he wanted me to have take the picture. This is what he got. 

Me on the bed with another man (not that he asked for me to have another man in the pic!!). Daniel took the picture for us! Every night I wake up with a different little man next to me. Sometimes I don't even notice when one of them comes in. The other morning I woke up between two of them with a third wanting in as well. I never liked them sleeping in my bed before, but now I don't mind too much. I'm sure they will all feel displaced once Johnny claims his spot back next week. 

I started playing my French Horn in a community orchestra one night a week and playing soccer and basketball in the mornings with a group of ladies from church. I am feeling more well rounded these days.