Marrying a very practical guy definitely has its pluses and minuses. Yes, it’s sometimes like being in the Army around here. But the days of being surprised by his practicality has long since gone for me….I think. Every once in a while he will catch me off guard and I’ll wonder why he thought buying me a robotic vacuum would warm my heart. My dear husband grew up in a military family. We all are very proud of his father’s service to our country; West Point graduate, Vietnam Veteran and many more amazing sacrifices he and and the family made for our country. So this in itself helps me remember why he is who he is. Would I have it another way? 99.9% of the time, absolutely not. The crazy thing about it all, is that he uses his gift of practicality to warm my heart.

As you have probably figured out by now, I love to cook. Very early on in our Mother’s Day celebrations, my dear hubby started buying me kitchen gear. I’m not talking about a whisk or fancy garlic press. I’m talking about a blender, coffee maker, etc… You get the idea. And when my friends and I would talk about how our Mother’s Days went, each year I’d proudly declare, “He bought me a….” fill in the blank with some electrical kitchen gadget. Their reaction was usually not positive. “He didn’t take you out to dinner? He didn’t do the laundry? He made you cook? He didn’t get you flowers?” You get the idea. But take heart; more on the flowers in a bit.

I have to honestly say that each year whatever he would get me for the kitchen, I could tell he put a lot of thought into it. His purchases are seldom just to fill the square. One year, I got a Kitchen Aid stand mixer! What a dream! He bought it during a time when our budget was very tight and I knew having one was a dream that maybe someday when I won the lottery I could afford to have. And there it was….that dream was right before me, with him waiting for the tears to roll down my cheeks, tears of joy and knowing in my heart the sacrifice and just how much he loves me. I keep my Kitchen Aid on my kitchen counter so it’s easily accessible, but more importantly it reminds me of him; love, thoughtfulness and sacrifice. On other Mother’s Days I’ve gotten a bread machine, Ninja blender, immersion blender, crock pot, roaster, pressure cooker, food processor…. There are probably others that have lived their full lives and have gone to the kitchen appliance place in the sky. But I can honestly say that with each Mother’s Day, he knows just what makes me happy.

And remember me mentioning about the flowers? Yeah, he gets me those too, but they are usually the ones that I have to plant in the garden; geraniums, a variety of herbs, marigolds, petunias, zinnias, and the list goes on. Is it work? Yes. Is it practical? Yes. But he knows me. I love to dig in the dirt. So there you go. He buys me flowers, but then I get to dig in the dirt.

What can I say? I love this man. He has given me a gift that I treasure the most; being a mommy. And he knows me and I know him. Mother’s Day is us. Mother’s Day is his practicality and my love of cooking and digging in the dirt. Somehow he manages to surprise me every year with his predictable practicality. I like to believe that this all is just another one of God’s amazing miracles; the perfect storm coming together that normally would make others cringe, but makes us both very happy and feel loved.

Our #3 has embraced my love of cooking and enjoys making homemade salsa in my Ninja blender. It’s so easy, fresh and delicious. Let me know what brings you joy this Mother’s Day. And don’t forget to ask God to Help Us Be Nice, Amen.

Easy Fresh Salsa

14 oz can diced tomatoes
3 Tb chopped jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tb lime juice
1 tsp salt or garlic salt
1/4 tsp cumin

Process in any food processor, use an emersion or Ninja blender.  You can also add a bunch of cilantro, bell peppers or anything else you enjoy including in your salsa.  Store in refrigerator.