Through Thick and Thin with... Peanut Butter?

When I married Pete and promised to stick with him through thick and thin, I never imagined that peanut butter would be the adhesive. When I sit down and analyze our relationship, how it's grown and changed through the years, I can easily see that peanut butter has molded us into contentment.

Pete loves it. He told me stories while we were dating of how his mom bought the institutional size spread and left it on the counter with fresh white bread so that Pete could swoosh it down whenever he wanted. Pete was rail thin and always on the go, and she practically begged him to snack on it.

I'd had my share of PB&Js growing up and was of the attitude that it would put five pounds on my hips if I dared a mere sniff; but shortly after we married, Pete proved me wrong. He reawakened my love for the stuff while I was pregnant (which occurred three months after marriage) by making toasted peanut butter sandwiches for me. When he spread the creamy concoction on the warm bread, it melted. That was sheer ecstasy for my cravings, and I took advantage of eating as much of the fattening goo as I could since I was already gaining weight.

By the time I had Katie, I was already addicted to nighttime foldovers with peanut butter and grape jelly. The healthy, protein-packed snack gave me a lift during those sleep-deprived months. I made it through the next four years of birthing three and having foot surgery in between on the delectable snack. It was quick, filling and good. I discovered I didn't have to run five miles a day and eat salads all the time to stay fit and trim. And as happens in most marriages when partners take on each other's habits and idiosyncrasies, Pete had converted me to a peanut butter lush. At least I lured him over to the wheat bread side. I mean, as long as it's fresh enough to melt in your mouth, who cares?

Through the years our taste has changed a bit. Variety is the spice of life, right? We started out as Peter Pan lovers (of course, I love Peter!), but quickly converted to my childhood favorite, Jif, after the salmonella scare years ago. Pete's gone from peanut butter and jam to just peanut butter to crunchy with black raspberry. He's now back to smooth and jam. I always try out his new love, but revert back to dependable smooth and grape jelly with an ice cold glass of milk.

And at the end of the day, after the kids are tucked in bed, we cuddle on the couch with our treat. There's nut-n-butter than that.

Maybe we should invest in peanut butter stock... what do you think?

Thoughts...on love

When two people love each other deeply...they share countless private memories unknown to the rest of the world.
~Dr. James Dobson, "Love For A Lifetime"

Pete and I keep God in the center of our marriage. We do this for several reasons. First, we know that God put us together. If we had not straightened out our lives and turned our wills over to God, we probably would not have even met. Second, with God in the center of our union, we are constantly reminded that WE are not in charge of our relationship; rather, God is. We are not in charge of our lives; He is. Every morning and every night, Pete and I pray together. This allows us to remember daily the vows we took eleven years ago.

Life has not always been easy since we married. We have had our ups and downs. Pete's car wreck and the four years that followed wrapped up in pain, agony, loss of work, litigation and surgeries were not easy by any means. Yet, we continued to keep God in the center, and we prevailed (there is justice done when a distracted teenager is changing his radio station and barrels into the back of Pete's car when he had our three children with him). I have had my difficulties, too, with depression following childbirth, and the loss of a dear friend by suicide. Plus, I have had a few other setbacks. But Pete and God, stuck by me, and we made it through the darkness.

Of course, we have had a lot of good times, too. The births of our three children and raising them stand out as some of the best. And, yes, we put God in the center of their lives, too. There have been fun times at the beach, our vacation to Disney World, special holiday events, school activities and programs, and sporting activities that have been truly memorable; and there will be many more! As long as God is driving "our car of life," what can go wrong? Not a thing, for absolutely nothing happen's in God's world by mistake.

Your love is more delightful than wine...Your name is like perfume poured out.
~Song of Songs 1:2,3