'cause whenever you smile, I smile ♪♫

Last night when I got home from work John said he was too sore to work out. WHAT!? You mean that "stupid" video that was going to be a waste of money made it to where you could barely walk in only 10 minutes?? Hahaha. I am proud to say I worked out without him! Yep, sure did. Monday we did Cardio and last night I did Total Body. It was a lot of arm movement that I am not used to.. Today needless to say my arms ache a little when I type.. especially the left one. I have lost the weight I gained back over the weekend which is good! I have been working really hard on my diet.

I get my spacers for my braces today.. I am so excited.. and scared. Everyone keeps telling me how much it's going to hurt. I don't know if there has ever been a person who wanted braces as bad as I do. I can't wait to see the change in my teeth. I am getting the ceramic ones not the traditional metal braces.. maybe they won't be as noticeable, but honestly I don't care if they are, it will all be worth it in the end. :)



Ok, Love Dare. Again, I am totally shortening these. If you want the whole thing let me know. 
My thoughts are in bold.

Love Dare -- Day 10

Love is unconditional.

If someone were to ask you, "Why do you love your wife?" or "Why do you love your husband?" -- what would you say?

Most men would mention their wife's beauty, her sense of humor, her kindness, her inner strength. They might talk about her cooking, her knack for decorating, or what a good mother she is.

Women would probably say something about their husband's good looks or his personality. They'd commend him for his steadiness and consistent character. They'd say they love him because he's always there for them. He's generous. He's helpful.

But what if over the course of years, your wife or husband stopped being every one of these things. Would you still love them? Based on your answers above, the only logical response would be "no." If your reasons for loving your spouse all have something to do with his or her qualities -- and then those same qualities suddenly or gradually disappear -- your basis for love is over.

The only way love can last a lifetime is if it is unconditional. The truth is this: love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choose to love.

That's not to say, though, that love which began for the wrong reasons cannot be restored and redeemed. In fact, when you rebuild your marriage with agape as its foundation, then the friendship and romantic aspects of your love become more endearing than ever before. When your enjoyment of each other as best friends and lovers is based on unwavering commitment, you will experience an intimacy that cannot be achieved any other way.

And don't be surprised, when your spouse begins living confidently under it's shade, if he or she doesn't become even more lovable to you than you remember. You will no longer say, "I love you because...." You will say, "I love you, period."

Today's Dare:

Do something out of the ordinary today for your spouse -- something that proves (to you and to them) that your love is based on your choice and nothing else. Wash her car. Clean the kitchen. Buy his favorite dessert. Fold the laundry. Demonstrate love to them for the sheer joy of being their partner in marriage.Ok, so this was a little hard.. 1. I always do the laundry, cook, etc.. we definitely have the traditional husband/wife roles in our home, 2. The kids only chore is cleaning the kitchen, 3. We can't have dessert, we are dieting! 
So what I did instead was I made his plate and brought it to him in his recliner since his legs were so sore (we normally have family dinner at the table) and before we went to bed rubbed his legs and back and babied him just a little. I also shared a little bit of this dare with him.. up until now I haven't really told him about it.

In your journal:

Has your love in the past been based on your spouse's attributes and behavior, or on your commitment? I just love him, period. I can't even say in the beginning it was because of his attributes. I knew the minute I laid eyes on him I was going to marry him. I didn't know what he was like or anything. I just knew he was the one.I know God sent John to me and me to John.

How can you continue to show love when it's not returned in a way you hoped for? I struggled with this over the weekend. I felt like I was trying so hard to make our marriage better and he was just being a jerk. I am just going to continue to work on me and us and hopefully when he sees and feels the difference in me it will start a change in him. I do not doubt John's love for me at all. I know he loves me unconditionally, he is just a little rough around the edges sometimes. I have tried to talk him into not using negative words, like in Love Dare Day 1. If you know my husband you know this is quite difficult for him.. baby steps though. ;)