Toad's Wild Ride...

Recently Brad will be smiling a little longer at me or will shake his head in wonderment at our young son and say, "It's been a wild ride, Sarah, just a wild ride...." August 9th we celebrated our first year anniversary. One year. Married to Bradley Johannsen with a 3 month old son. Wife. Mother. And a homemaker, at that. I still don't know what I'm doing with this husband and child and house. But I am thankful. I am thankful for my husband who works hard for me to be able to stay at home with our baby and to be able to care for our home and entertain. I am thankful for my husband who prays for me and loves our baby. I am thankful for arms that are quick to hug me, for someone to eat dinner with, for someone to go to the movies with...I am thankful for being surprised at this man I married -- And not in the bad way, all you cynics out there. Surprised that my engineer-beatles-rock'n'roll-baseball statistics-politics-i-love-my-money-management-program-
and-kevin-smith-quentin-tarantino-movies husband -- that he is so often gentle and can write beautiful letters that are like prose poems; that he brings home flowers; that he's actually quite good at punning and throws down fantastic words in everyday conversation -- words that ought to be used, that are perfect in the context, words that are usually buried in obscurity; that this man has nearly perfected a latin-boogie form of dancing; that he is as addicted as I am to gathering information -- reading and talking to people and looking around on the internet -- that he has a total weakness for reference books of all kinds; surprised that we still can't have a conversation about theology or ideology without veering off into arguments and hurt egos and emotional reactions. Okay, you cynics, there have been those kinds of surprises too -- but far less than I would have thought. And for all my restlessness and wanderlust and indecision, I am increasingly assured that this was a good idea. That marrying this man was a good idea. That making this baby with this man was a good idea. God is gracious to this neurotic loner gypsy. God is gracious.