Two days after Christmas, we had our first viewing. As you know…our house is on the market. It’s a rather unfortunate time to attempt to sell a house…seeing as how it is the holidays…followed by a Southern blizzard. But we fully expected that NO ONE would come view our home. Gotta hope for the best.
Anyhoo…so it’s two days after Christmas and we get a call. Jeremy answered. I think we were both so excited that we temporarily lost our minds because we said yes, come on over. Oh in thirty minutes? Yeah that’ll be fine.
Did I mention that it was 2 days after Christmas? And we had been gone for the five days prior to that? And I was sick as a dog with the plague? And I hadn’t showered in over 36 hours? Or done any dishes in the two days that we had been home? And was completely undressed, smelled like yesteryear, had partially unpacked (which in this house translates to having dumped the suitcases out on the floor), had failed to do the stack of poopy-smelling cloth diapers in the kitchen, were in the middle of this project, had not yet attached the master bathroom countertop & sink, and was breastfeeding at the time? Yeah…and every room pretty much looked like this:
Ring ring….hello? Oh you’re right around the corner? Okay.
Yeah…we hear the ding-dong of the bell. It had been no-joke, eight minutes from the time of their original call. The baby was crying, Jeremy was lugging the butcherblock up the stairs and I tried to choke back the tears and the mucus that was clogging up my head. It was dreadful.
I think that our adreneline got us making 80% of the house looking decent…but there was nothing we could do about the stack of dishes that was spilling out of the sink…or the fact that some of the projects were unfinished. Both Jeremy and I felt a little heartbroken. We figured that we would get at least one chance to sell the house…but did we seriously just blow it? was that it? our only chance? We were so disappointed and frustrated and EMOTIONAL that we ended up getting into a huge argument. It’s kinda the only thing to do in that situation. It’s like letting the steam out of the pot before straining the pasta (the pasta that you will add to your favorite bacon-cream-sauce!). That’s what we did…we let it get to us. I hate that.
Of course, we made up 🙂 And then we moved on. But it got me thinking…is this the kind of person I want to be? Unbathed and on edge with my best friend? I mean…I can’t do much about the gunk coming outta my nose…but I can do something about the gunk coming out of my mouth! And it made me remember that quote by Eleanor Roosevelt…the one about a woman being a tea bag….and you find out what she’s made of when she gets in hot water….that was me…being scorched by a boiling situation and my true flavor came right out. And believe me…nobody would have wanted to have a tall drink of Katie right then. I was downright disgusting. (tell me you’ve been there before, right? somebody? anybody?) So because of this event, I decided something really important…and I wanted to share it with you.
I decided that I am no longer going to steam-bake Jeremy. It’s gonna be hard. I’m gonna fail sometimes. But I am gonna try. I always thought that it was okay to vent on my boyfriend because well, he’s my boyfriend…and if anyone understands…it’s him, right? But that’s just it….he’s my boyfriend…if there is anyone that shouldn’t get Katie-spewed…it’s him! Yes he loves me and that is why I should try to give him my best…not my worst.
I’m sure he would prefer me to just decide to be a better housewife…but seriously honey…I can do difficult things like getting along…but I can’t do impossible ones 🙂
Aww, hugs. And here I thought I was the only one who’s New Year’s resolution was “Be nicer to DH”. It’s only January 13th and I’ve failed at least a dozen times but I married a good one and he’s forgiven me every time. Good Luck.
You’re preachin’ to the wife choir! I have had some snappy moments that I’ve wanted to take back from my husband lately, too. Definitely makes you reflect! In other news, how did the showing go?!
You’re not alone Katie. I have lambasted my husband more times than I would like to admit. Especially at the beginning of our marriage. I’m still learning to keep my mouth shut and think deliberately before I say things that I later regret and realize I don’t mean. I really like the ER quote. Thanks so much for your openness.
I love the Eleanor Roosevelt quote! I’ve never heard that before and had to write it down. I think most couples tend to fight when in high stress situations, it’s only human! I wouldn’t beat yourself up over it, everyone has been there before.
Oh you better believe my man gets the worst of me during tough situations! And he’s learned how to diffuse this bomb I call my brain. When my family was in town for the holidays I actually caught him smiling at me while I yelled (and I mean YELLED) at him for clogging the toilet. It took me about 2 seconds to start laughing at myself. Don’t beat yourself up. It happens.
-Sara
I’ve been following your blog for well over a year, and as much as I love reading about all your amazing DIY projects, the thing I love most is your willingness to share all the ups and downs of real life.
I had to learn this same lesson the hard way. All too often, I’d let anger get the best of me, and I’d take it out on the person closest to me. But I always dismissed my actions by making excuses that I was stressed out or lost my temper.
But then I met the love of my life, and he showed me what it means to truly love someone selflessly. Taking your anger out on your partner is really an act of selfishness, and if you love your partner more than yourself, you always put their feelings ahead of yours. There’s nothing that can’t be solved if you just share your feelings honestly and address your problems as a team with love and friendship. I still fall short of this ideal sometimes, but the more I see how much stronger we are as a couple when we put each other first, the easier it becomes.
I hope you know you have the support and prayers of many people behind you!
Yep, I think this is very common. Yep, I’ve done it. And my husband is soooo patient with me almost always, which makes me feel even worse when I realize I need to learn how to cool it. He deserves my best, but sometimes he gets my “true flavor.”
I think one huge thing you have going for you is recognizing it and apologizing. Some people think they are never ever wrong and that’s not okay. There are some other things you can do for him, but I won’t say because I think your mom reads this blog. hee! xo
I was there a month ago. I am still in college and was driving to a class a horrible professor (but nice person, I’ll give her that) decided to have at the elementary school she teaches at. I got so lost and called my fiance to look up directions based on the streets I was passing. I was already half an hour late and in tears ready to drive into a lamp post at any given minute. Somehow he misunderstood me and pointed me in the completely wrong direction. I was then an hour late and so devastated because of all the points I was losing by missing class that I screamed at him. I have never screamed at him before in five years because I try to keep my cool, but I was so mad at the situation that I let him have it. It was the worst feeling in the world. I’m with you – he doesn’t deserve that. If I’m going to vow to give him the best of myself, I need to do better. I still shudder thinking about it – but it makes me feel a little better knowing I’m not alone!
God will help you get better!
Beleive me (I’ve been married for 10 years) and thier have been times when you say and do things that you truly regret but remember we are only human! All you can do is try better next time but also remember that you are married to your best friend and that no matter what he will always LOVE you in good times and stressful times! You and your family have so much going on right now its bound to have its moments. Give yourself a break and go discount shopping:)
Oh Katie, we have ALL been there. For a while, it felt like my husband and I were fighting about stupid stuff (like parking spaces?!?!) every minute of the day. And my husband is a CATCH in my mind…. easily the best person I’ve ever known (tied with my Daddy, of course). He deserves so much better. Thanks for opening up about this 🙂
This is totally random and completely off subject, but can I just say that I love it when you post a new entry on your blog! Who cares if its about boogers, boobs, a messy house, or home improvement. Regardless, It’s like Christmas!! Yes, this comment totally makes me seem like I have no life. 🙂 But when you have conversation with a 7 month all day, its nice to head on over to your blog to see whats up with the Bower’s. I feel somewhat connected to the real world at that point! LOL!
Thanks for sharing your life with us!
Oh KB I have so been there, trust me. Robert and I have stupid fights A LOT, thankfully we usually apologize not-too-long after.
Thanks for being so honest with us!
EXCELLENT post. Just what I needed!
Thanks for sharing your heart with us. 🙂
yes i’m with you! lets not be mean to our best guys anymore. now i want to do that “i dream of genie” little head bob thing and make it happen… but since my head bobs don’t make magic stuff happen, i guess i’ll pray, and wait on the holy spirit, and try like heck to think sweet husband-lovin thoughts :o)
as everyone has said before, thank you for being so real! it really is inspiring and comforting to read your tell-it-as-it-is posts and that’s why we all keep coming back for more 🙂
Katie,
I loved this post. I hope that God will transform me to be a wife with a better attitude like you. I can see your heart to love and care for your husband. I think that God used your blog today to encourage me as I’m going through a dark time in my marriage. Thanks for doing this blog. It keeps me entertained and inspired everday during my lunch hour 🙂
You have ABSOLUTELY no idea how similar I feel! Since our little one was born, hubby and I have been at each other’s throats for the silliest things – not every day, but man, when we do have a blow out, it’s bad.
A lot of it has to do with stress, and if you guys are anything like us, we don’t handle stress well. Hubby is still in grad school, which is stressful enough, and throw in a new baby, lack of money, a commute I hate, wanting to be a stay at home mom when I can’t, and our families getting involved when they shouldn’t…well, you’ve got a tea kettle boiling over right there! And you guys are going through a lot too – two houses, moving, working, Will….remember that you’ve got a lot on your plate and that too much stress in life = stress at home.
Hang in there. You have the right attitude, and remember that it’s totally normal, and that there’s many new moms going through the same thing right now. I know I felt better just reading your post and knowing that my marriage isn’t the only one that involves yelling sometimes! 🙂 Love ya!
Hi Katie,
First, I LURVE your blog. And this is the first post I’ve responded to!
My baby boy is 11 months old and a few months ago when he still wasn’t sleeping at night (much like your situation), I was a raging lunatic. My husband would say things like, “you’re so much nicer when you sleep.” I was so frustrated and would get “set off” by the littlest things. Then I realized I was going to Target, Goodwill, etc and treating the ppl there like they were the Queen of England but giving my husband all this slack. So it convicted me to do better, and while I still suck at it every now and then, I’m taking baby steps with the R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
You’re not alone! Thanks for this post!
P.S. And at 10 months we finally just made the little man cry and cry and cry it out and eventually he figured it out- most.stubborn.baby.ever. Hallelujah!
Our house was on the market for 9 months last year and we had over 60 showings without a single offer. I finally realized that NO (better) house was worth what we were putting our relationship through and what I was doing to my children expecting them to live in an unrealistically pristine home. I remember waking both babies from their naps and saying, “If this isn’t it, if this isn’t the showing that sells our house, than I promise it will be the last time I do this to you.” Later that week the Realtor took the sign out of our yard. Selling our house at that time just wasn’t meant to be; instead we worked hard to make the house we live IN, work for us.
There were fights, there were heated discussions, etc. There almost always are in stressful situations…BUT that’s just it, when I really thought about it, selling a house was only stressful because I let it be and I wasn’t keeping my perspective. Cancer, death, fires, lost jobs, divorce, etc. these are all REALLY stressful things. I realized that selling our house was a choice we were making and I knew we could end it, so we did.
I truly hope your home sells quickly and painlessly. Just remember to keep your perspective on the whole situation and that if someone TRULY loves your home, a pile of dishes isn’t going to keep them from buying it. Best of luck, Katie!
Katie,
Reading this blog entry brought back memories of selling our first home and do I have the “house viewing” story of all stories to share.
Our realtor came on Wed to check out our house and said she would be putting it in the system on Thursday and we should start hearing by the weekend. We worked a little on rearranging and staging the house that night after she left and my plan on the way home from work the next day was to stop and get some cleaning items to take the spots up from the rug (Spot Shot–I swear by it–took up every bit of juice dribbles from our kids). Anyway, had planned Thursday night would be the final touches for the calls to begin for the weekend. Much to my surprise, I received a call at work Thursday that we had someone that wanted to view the house that afternoon. I looked through my memory bank of how I left the house that morning, knowing this was how the viewers would see it: dishes stacked and drying in the dish-drainer–toddlers beds unmade–possibly toys on the floor in their bedroom–as well as the juice spots on the floor, not too terrible for such a short notice of a viewing, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing it shouldn’t turn them down too much. When I arrived home from work, it was obvious the house had been viewed by the evidence of another realtor’s card being left on our countertop. I anxiously went room by room, to see how it would have appeard to them. As I noted earlier: dishes, kids room, toys–again, I breathed a sigh of relief getting the confirmation that it didn’t look too bad. The sigh of relief was premature though. I walked into our family room, and the clothes I had sorted and folded the night before were stacked neatly in the clothes basket, which may have been fine too, but right in the middle of the floor were my bra and panties I had taken off while I was folding the clothes and replaced them with clean pajamas from the basket. How embarassing! Even worse, the viewers were our neighbors who we didn’t associate with (they are the reason it took over 90 viewings for us to sell our house) Our realtor said maybe they would be good luck, but they weren’t.
oh honey, I know that ‘did I really say that??? to my husband??’ feeling. ouch.
We’ve been married 10 months now and it seems that we *just* got into the phase where we aren’t exploding on each other every. single. day.
I got really upset the other day when he started talkin smack about a blog I was reading (not yours) and I lost it. I was all “We’ve been doing so well!! HOW COOOULD YOU?!?!” It was a sooo dramatic. He appologized and we kissed & made up a few minutes later and have been doing very well since. I find that in the moment I get really fired up about stuff that, if I kept my mouth shut, would roll off my back a few minutes/hours later.
Sometimes you just have to bite your tongue and zip that lip.
Hi Katie!
I completely understand! Life happens! Funny, it’s easier to yell at your best friend and blame him for everything than to accept yourown faults. At least it is for me, so I made it one of my resolutions to think about one good quality that my hubby has and tell him every night. Sad to say I’ve only done it a couple of times but it evolved from me telling him how awesome he is at night to both of us giggling and talking for about an hour at night. Every night. Regardless of the blow ups we have with each other during the day. Laughing with him every night has become my favorite part of the day.
Thanks for sharing your life with us, it’s nice knowing that you do live a real life with its own ups and downs!
Oh, the way I used to explode. Usually in situations when I was stressed or depressed and he was trying to help. (That’ll teach him!) Throw hormones into the mix – monthly, after pregnancy, after hysterectomy – and I was *cough* not good company.
Things have even out, and thanks to hormones I have been on a more even keel. Still, I have a lovely patient boy at home who wishes I would come home from work on time. Instead, I tend to stay after work and look at blogs and check my email. It’s my decompression time before I go home to deal with all I need to do there. But why do I do this to him? All he wants is time with me. So – inspired by you, my dear – I am going to try to be kind in that respect.
Which means I have to log off and GO! 🙂
PS: I thought you might like this quote from Evan Almighty. I think of it all the time and it really helps me when I get *overly* frustrated…
“If some one prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience?
Or does He give them the opportunity to be patient?
If he prayed for courage, does God gives them courage?
Or does He give them opportunities to be courageous?
If some one prayed for the family to be closer, you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings? Or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”
Me too.. I look forward to your post each and every day…. sometimes you don’t post till late in the afternoon- I probably hit refresh 500 times and then finally it is NEW!
I think we’ve all been there. I’ve been with my husband for 23 yrs and I still beat myself up when I completely let myself “puke” disgusting words at him. And unfortunately I’ve done it with my 12 and 9 yr old too. That’s why God made those important and humbling words – I’m sorry and will you forgive me. I know that try as hard as I might, I will probably do it again- I just hope that he loves me enough to know that I truly don’t mean it. Plus it’s a good excuse for some hot making out (when we can tie up the kids and lock them in a closet haha- just kidding- well sort of)
Well said, Katie. This is something my husband and I are struggling with. Your words were the encouragement I needed tonight. Thank you!
OK, not to go in a totally opposite direction then all your other comments……
When I saw our “First Viewing” my heart sank, you see where I’m from a viewing is where you go to a funeral home and look at the body in the casket. OH how wonderful when I realized that wasn’t what you meant. Since I’m a REALTOR thought you could use a “realtor” term instead of “viewing'(remember funerals) please use the word “SHOWING”, ok thank you lord for helping me/you clear this all up. Now an easy quick fix at the last minute…… throw clothes in the dryer and washer, no potential buyer looks in either one and stick some clorox wipes in each bathroom and just wipe countertops/toilets and you can take a few and wipe across the floors(tile of course), but don’t panic remember you “LIVE” in your house. Thanks for listening and remember, repeat after me “SHOWING” not VIEWING, thanks so much. I too love it when you put a NEW blog up. Thanks for the wonderful humor.
God is seriously trying to get this same message through to me. He decided to even use a blog to remind me of it!! Seriously though, He woke me up in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago to give me a verse concerning the same subject of how I act “when no one is looking”, or especially with my husband. Makes me so glad I serve a kind, loving and patient God who can and will change me!
We are trying to do FSBO but I met with a relator today to get comparisons. She said with a child it is completely normal to say “now isn’t the best time, I have a newborn (or whatever excuse). Can you come in two hours?” Yes you are trying to sell your house but people understand that you also are living in your house. She also gave me great advice – to get those under the bed tupperware things (and clear out under the bed) to shove everything into and shove under the bed when I have a moments notice. That way you still have your stuff close but no one sees it. Just thought I’d pass on the suggestions. Best of luck – it will happen. 🙂
Katie! Oh. My. Gracious.
Your honesty is always what gets me. My fiance and I actually just got in an argument over wedding plans tonight (right before I read this post!) and I totally “steam-baked” him, as you put it. But reading your open-heart post really put things in perspective for me; we’re fighting over WEDDING plans, the first day of the rest of our lives together as best friends and as lovers. How could we be fighting about THAT?
Anyway, thanks so much for always being open, honest, and heartfelt in your posts!
I lol-ed at this. And great tips for ‘showings’ ; )
That certainly is a good quote! It also makes me think I need to rent that movie again. 🙂
I’ve been following your blog for a while and I keep coming back because of how honest you are. We’ve tried to sell our house twice without luck. It was truly one of the most stressful things we’ve done- keeping it clean for those on demand showings while still trying to have a life.
Best of luck to you both.
Next time you’re in a pinch… Shove all your dirty dishes in the oven. Works everytime.
Im so thankful we havent had to deal with listing on the market, showings, and all that. But I can sympathize with you as Ive had a few close friends who’ve had to go through it. Its a terrible pressure to expect any family to have a spotless home especially on short notice!
And to comment about your goal with your “boyfriend”… I know its not easy(Im a married girl too:)) but I can tell you it’ll make everyone in the home all the better. Im not saying you should be fake or hide your feelings. But I grew up in a home where the husband (still cant) seem to “do anything right” and all its bred is disrespect, turmoil and its very hard to even be in the home as a result. No one wants that yet it can creep in so easily. Guard your heart and “bite your tongue & come along,Anne Shirley”(haha…hope you get that).
You and J are an amazing couple. May God richly bless you in your marriage. 🙂
Love that Eleanor Roosevelt quote. So true. And it’s so challenging to keep that bad stuff from spewing out of my mouth sometimes.
Been following your blog for a long time and I just wanted to tell you that I love your writing and your ability to make me Laugh out Loud. Thanks for that. As a working mom of 3 young kids I sure could use more laughs 🙂
Great insight, Carey. Unleashing your anger at “the one you love the most” because it’s safe eventually causes cracks in the relationship. It’s habit-forming, too. When I was first married 28 yrs. ago, my husband thought it was important that we say “please” and “thank you” to each other without fail when appropriate. I thought it was silly. Aren’t those words just used for company? 😉 But he was right. It sets a tone of mutual respect (and a good example for your children). Who is the most deserving of your kindness and respect? Your spouse, of course.
We’ve all been there and done that. After 28 years of marriage (how the heck did that happen??? – I must be getting old!!!???) I have learned that the release of the venting is not worth the feelings of shame that come after a clear head. Deep breaths and carry on. You are definitely on the right track girl! Hug that bf.
Wow what a powerful thought! I Love the Eleanor Roosevelt quote. I think I might have to post it all over my house to remember not to spew (great word right) all my crap all over my poor DH. Being only married for 3 years it seems that we learn something new everyday and now throw in an 11 month old and us as new parents life gets CRAZY!!
Thanks for sharing it’s great to know that you’re not alone. And thanks to the other that commented with their words of wisdom.
http://lifewithliz211.blogspot.com
Love your honesty!! I think I’m going to copy you… life with a little one with special needs is non-stop stress and lately the only thing I do with my main squeeze is complain or give excuses for the messy house and the no makeup face. Thanks for the reminder to be nice and loving!!
Just a question, any clue on where you’re going to vent instead of boyfriend? I thought that was one of the things they’re good at, but apparently I was wrong…. lol. Now if only I had a journal or something =)
You are the best, Katie Bower. I was talking about you yesterday and my husband was like, “who?” Haha.
Anyways…I am a complete @$$hole to two people: my husband and my mom. These are the two people (other than my son) that I love the most in this world. It took me a long time to realize this. Since that realization I have been trying to treat them the way I treat everyone else in my life. I have an 8 week old (named Will!) so there have been some reeeeaaaalllly bad blowouts lately but I have been better at thinking about what I am going to say before I say it. I have said some really mean things to my husband and he will just walk out of the room. He is the most wonderful man. He is my best friend and the love of my life: why do I treat him this way sometimes?
You are not alone. I don’t know if that’s necessarily a good thing, though! I think we should all take this opportunity to be more aware of how we treat the people we care about more than anything in the world!
Katie, thank you for this post and the one about being a mom and how stressed out you sometimes get, etc, etc. I love how you put it all out there. You make a lot of people feel better by knowing that someone else out there feels the same way.
You are not alone! One of my resolutions is to treat DH better. You just get into a pattern of dumping everything on them and it’s hard to break.
I started reading The Happiness Project and the 2nd chapter is on marriage. She worked on not nagging her husband and not dumping on him. I am guilty of both of those.
I think every single wife can relate to this post!
P.S. I just know you are going to sell your house!
Katie,
I love how you are so open about you and your family. I am so glad that you move forward and just try to be a better person. I think that is what makes all of us wonderful people.
My comment though is, the people comming to view your home. You know there are so many ‘rules’ for home sellers and some very high expectations placed on sellers. I have never seen anything for buyers. I understand that there are more sellers than buyers right now. But it irks me when someone says, “I’ll be there in 30 minutes.” and then shows up in 10. That’s out of your control. I get when you are a buyer, your excited and the rush of getting your new home is sooo exciting, but you also have to remember that there is a whole other family that is the seller and who probably still LIVES in the house. Especially, holiday times, so many people travel and it is such a hectic time for many.
We had buyers insist that they come over imediatly or not at all. We were having a family party and did the rush around the house thing too. We had to have all our family outside, in the back yard (thankfully it was warm). They showed up early and made numerous comments to the realitor about us being there still. It was totally frusterating!
I think you were extremly gracious to open your home and show it on such short notice. I pray that when it is safe to drive in the south again you start getting more showings & a great buyer that will love your home as much as your family has! I would buy it in a heart beat if I could talk my hubby to moving back to the south!
Thank you for opening your families lives for us to enjoy and learn from! I oh so love the E.R. quote, I am going to put that somewhere I can see it everyday!
Hi,
I haven’t ever commented before, but I just thought that was a wonderful post and helped me think about my behavior when I get in hot water too…and there is definitely room for improvement.
Good luck with the house selling!
Hi Katie,
My husband and I had tons of showings prior to selling our condo. Every time, the house was immaculate, candles were going, all clutter was out of sight and the litter box was clean. One day we got a last minute call in the middle of the day (when we were both at work and the place was a pit). I kid you not, there were dirty clothes on the floor, dishes in the sink, the kitty box was a mess and for the first time ever we had 2 inches of water in our basement. (We had just had a massive rainstorm). Guess which showing resulted in us selling our condo?! I still can’t believe it but everything happens for a reason and when the right buyer comes through the door they’ll buy your place. I promise! Your house is beautiful and you and Jeremy (and baby Will!) are awesome. Good luck to you all!
I was so worried when I first read the title to your post! In CT a viewing is when someone dies and a showing is when you put your house on the market. Glad all is well at the Bowers! So funny the little things from different parts of the country. My husband from Philly still cracks me up with the whole Hoagie vs Sub thing and he calls wolves woofs (that might just be his thing though) Quite endearing. Good luck with your viewings:)
Gosh, if you lived nearby, we’d totally be BFF’s as my 5 year old says!!! It’s great to see the words that describe your feelings “online”, it’s like I’m talking to myself. Once I had my girls, I feel as though I’ve totally “lost it” at the expense of my relationship with my husband and best friend. It’s great to watch you renovate, and tell it like it is. Good luck with the sale, especially in the finicky financial market.
I so admire and respect your vulnerability. Thank you for such an honest post!
I have to admit, though, the real reason I am commenting is because I would love the recipe for that bacon-cream sauce! I love pasta, my hubby doesn’t but loves bacon – this may be the perfect solution for us!
btw – a couple of the links in your “all things bacon” category aren’t working 🙁
I have the same problem with my hubby! I’m always being mean to him because I’m stressed about something else. I’m hoping that I can stop that behavior this year too!
You are not alone in your uh-oh-I-just-blew-up-at-my-favorite-person moment. I have been there too many times to count. Sometimes life can be a bit much to handle and something gives. But the important part is that you guys made up. You realized that it was a stressful situation (seriously I would have been a tornado of emotions), and you’re taking a new approach for the future. I am sure there are tons of people out there that are working on this same issue, I know I am. 🙂 Growing pains, right?
Katie, I think one of the main reasons I enjoy reading your blog on a daily basis is because you are so real. A lot of times we can get so caught up in life, and wonder “why can’t I be like them” or “do they ever fight” or “their life seems so perfect”. Truth is, nobody is perfect, and I LOVE the fact that you let us see this side of you too. You don’t reveal so much that we’re like, okay you don’t have to tell us your whole life story, but it’s just enough to let us know that you are real. And I love that 🙂
Well said, Katie! I agree with everything you said, and you’re not alone in the “hot water” scenario. I have the exact same reaction to things and I’m also trying to be a lot more patient with my husband. The Most Important Year in A Man/Woman’s Life is a great book that talked a lot about respect and appreciation. I learned that if I praise my husband for what he did right, instead of getting upset for what he did wrong— it goes a long way!
Yes, my dh abolutely treats me the best of anyone I know. As a reward: he has been on the receiving end of me absolutely treating him the worst of anyone I know. I am not the one you want around in a crisis!!! This would be a good thing for me to work on as well.
Oh, and about showing your house. Try, try, try to not say no to anyone. I know when we were buying our last 2 houses that we never went back to look at any of the houses where the sellers said “no, you can’t come now”. It wasn’t a decision on our part “No, we will never look at your house again!!!” … it was just what happened because there were so many other houses to look at that we never bothered to go back.