21

My sister Avery turned 21 last week.  To celebrate, we all went to dinner (by "all," I mean she, my parents, my husband and I, and her boyfriend) downtown.  As far as family outings are concerned, this was one of the best in recent history.  We all enjoyed each others company, and just had a really nice time.  At least... that is my take on things!

Ave opening her gift

Ave holding her "Jar full of Memories" up to the camera

Avery and Mikey

Avery and Me

Andrew and Me

Mom and Dad

Avery and Blueberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting... aka: Possibly the best cake I have EVER tasted!

Speechless

Today is one of those days when I have absolutely nothing to say.  

Sometimes circumstances of life, both good and bad, leave us stunned... So much so that we are completely speechless. Life just leaves us speechless.  And that is how I feel today.   You know the saying, "Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it?"  Well, it seems like I am all talked out, and all prayed out.  My heart wants to pray, but my head and mouth are out of words. 

Fortunately, we have a Marvelous Intercessor through the Holy Spirit,  who speaks on our behalf.

Romans 8:18,26

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us....

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." 

2012: Stuff I have Made So Far

Last week I posted a few of the organization tricks that we plan on implementing into our home, but left to head to yoga before finishing the post.  So, are the last little bit of my organization attempts thus far:

Thanks to the original ideas, which you can find here and here, I made these two things for the front of our refrigerator.  We seem to have pens strewn about random places in the house, yet when we need them, we cannot find them.  This tin can seems to be doing the trick so far.  We know exactly where our pens are now!

And we are using the clipboard to help us keep a running grocery list.  It is so much easier to keep track of what we need when the pens and the list are so handy!

The original post of the clipboard, which you have probably already seen on Pinterest, suggests making and giving the clipboard as a gift.  I will definitely be doing that this year since our finances will be especially tight in 2012... now that Andrew is going back to school!  (:  The project is ALMOST free.  I had to purchase the clipboard, which was exactly one dollar plus tax.  Already had the magnets, ribbon, button, Mod Podge, and scrapbook paper.

The next project was kind of a combination of this idea and this one.  The two came together to make this:

 And this project was also free!

 All you need is an empty container like this one, scrapbook paper, and ribbon.  Stickers are optional, but I think they add a special touch.  (:

This wreath is obviously not useful for organizing purposes, but I had to come up with something to replace our Christmas wreath.  I used hot glue, buttons, felt, ribbon, a wooden "A," and a plain wreath.  The wreath cost $4 at JoAnn's, the "A" was $2, and I already had the other materials. 

The wreath needed a friend, so I made a matching "Welcome" sign!

One Down...

We can check Miracle #1 off the list... Because it JUST HAPPENED!!! 

Here is a refresher of the miracles we are praying for in 2012:

• Andrew to get successfully enrolled in each and every class that he needs to take at MTSU... 
• Us to be able to pay for those classes and the books up front.
• For him to PASS THOSE CLASSES,
• And then for him to get into the graduate program that he is hoping for. 

 And here is what the list looks like now:

• Andrew to get successfully enrolled in each and every class that he needs to take at MTSU... 
• Us to be able to pay for those classes and the books up front.
• For him to PASS THOSE CLASSES,
• And then for him to get into the graduate program that he is hoping for.  

He starts class on January 12th, which is tomorrow.  The other miracles are still to come... 

Image from here

Pressing On

Originally, I intended for the verse of the week (1 John 3:19,20) to carry me through the entire week.  Meditating on just one or two verses each week helps to keep me from feeling overwhelmed.  But this week is an exception.  I need to protect my heart and mind with scripture extra this week!!!  (:

At the end of the sermon at church on Sunday, our pastor gave us a "take away" phrase for the week.  The phrase?

Press on. 

Here, from the Book of Isaiah, are some of my favorite "Pressing On" verses.  So, if you need an extra dose of encouragement this week...

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary." -Isaiah 40:29-31

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  -Isaiah 41:10

And this is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES: 

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." -Isaiah 43:2

The pastor discussed that we cannot press on if we continually glance in, or stare at, our rear-view mirrors.  

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a NEW THING!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland!."  -Isaiah 43:18,19

I love that!!! God is doing a new thing, but we cannot perceive it if we are looking constantly into our rear-view mirror... The rear-view mirror that God NEVER uses!

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." -Isaiah 43:25

Here are some of the verses that our pastor used during his sermon on Sunday:

"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I CONSIDER THEM RUBBISH, that I may gain Christ and be found in him...

FORGETTING WHAT IS BEHIND AND STRAINING TOWARD WHAT IS AHEAD, I PRESS ON toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3:8,13,14    

In a nutshell, the message behind his sermon was that no human condition, no struggle, no victory, no riches, no heartache, no trial, no accomplishment... no earthly thing, amounts to anything compared to the glory found in Christ Jesus.  The greatest or riches and the hardest or trials are all rubbish compared to the prize that lies heavenward. 

All theses things that come wrapped in the package of being human... the heartache, the successes, the riches, the rags.... they can serve as distractions or stumbling blocks in our lives, hearts, and minds, or they can serve as constant reminders of the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.  They can serve as constant reminders of God's grace and glory.  If we let our humanity serve as a reminder to us, it will propel us forward... Pressing on. 

2011

2011 was a year full of miracles...

 

Miracle:  a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of divine agency

We had lots of works of divine agency this year:

• Andrew's job... Last year he was teaching as an interim, but was hired OFFICIALLY effective January 2011.
• My NEW job... I had been working as a social worker at a non-profit for a year and a half, but thanks to GOD, and to my parents, I now work at their office.  AND I LOVE IT!!!
• Our house... It feels so good to come home to a HOME each day.  It is a great home in a wonderful location.  In a way, I feel like God gave us this house.
• Andrew's medical discharge from the Army.  We are sooooooo thankful for that!
• Our new church.  Wow.
• And... Andrew FINALLY shot a deer on the very last day of hunting season.  He went all season without seeing a thing!  Normally, my heart would break for the deer, but my heart broke much more for my hubby who sat in the cold, in the wee hours of the morning, in a tree, alone, weekend after weekend. 

And now we are looking forward to 2012 in anticipation of NEW miracles.

As 2012 approaches, these are the miracles we are praying for.  These are the miracles we are expecting:

• Andrew to get successfully enrolled in each and every class that he needs to take at MTSU... 
• Us to be able to pay for those classes and the books up front.
• For him to PASS THOSE CLASSES,
• And then for him to get into the graduate program that he is hoping for. 

It is gonna be a good year, folks.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares to LORD. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future."  

-Jeremiah 29:11 

Pinspiration

Thanks to Pinterest, I have managed to get LOTS of Fall baking and crafting done these past few weeks.  And thanks to my NEW JOB I have had lovely people to share my treats with!!! 

My mom recently decided to put a hot bar up at the office for patients to enjoy while they are waiting in the waiting room... And what goes better with a cup of coffee or tea than sweets?!  And who doesn't want to eat a frosting-laden cupcake right before or after getting their teeth cleaned!? (: 

So, in the spirit of Fall, and thanks to the creative people who made Pinterest possible, here are some more of the treats I have come up with for Fall so far:

 These little guys are my favorite.  They were super easy and turned out just as I hoped... they have found a special place in my heart! 

All you need to make these are:

Marshmallows

Sucker or cookie sticks

White chocolate coating

Black icing (I used royal icing so it would harden nicely)

Orange food coloring

Ribbon

For a step-by-step tutorial, hop on over here. 

Another easy, Halloween-themed treat were these candy corn cupcakes:

These things are pretty self-explanatory as far as how-to is concerned.  Since I was short on time, I made the process even easier by using a glorious thing called... BOXED CAKE MIX! 

All you need is:

Boxed cake mix (I used Devil's Food because that is what I had in the pantry)

Homemade frosting (I used Wilton's buttercream because it's easy.  And doubling the recipe made almost the perfect amount)

Yellow food coloring

Orange food coloring

Candy corns (optional) 

For a step-by-step, totally homemade version of these cupcakes, click here.  Her pictures are also much better than mine!!!

This cinnamon pumpkin bread (original recipe from Cheeky Kitchen) turned out wonderfully.  The only modification I made to the original recipe was replacing cinnamon chips with chocolate chips.  I actually wanted to use cinnamon chips, but didn't have any on hand.  And sometimes, you just have to work with what you've got!  

My favorite part about this recipe?  The cream cheese surprise in the center!!!

My next project is something non-baking related.  My mom and I found a great mirror/ coat hanger at Goodwill last weekend for ten dollars.  Even though it was in need of a little TLC, we snagged the thing, and with a quick paint job, transformed it into this: 

 It is the perfect addition to our little entryway. 

And the idea for handmade leaf garland came from here.  I only wish I could claim it as my own!

Today brings to an end the first week of my new job.  And this week has been the best I have had in a long time.  I absolutely love the job, and being at the office.  It is so fulfilling to go to a job that I feel truly and wholly invested in.  This week was the first I can remember that I have not gone to bed dreading waking up to go to work in the morning.  Quite the opposite actually... I have gone to sleep excited about the following days!  

And I will be going to sleep tonight EXCITED about our upcoming Saturday!  (:  

Keep Going

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don’t much care where--" said Alice.
"Then it doesn’t matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"--so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you’re sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

~ "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", Lewis Carroll

Something I hear so often from friends in this stage of life (young adulthood) is that they are looking for their purpose... that they do not know what they are meant to do or where they are meant to go in life.  

I understand feeling like we are made for something great, and feeling like we have unreached potential inside of us... But, more than that, I agree that we just have to move SOMEWHERE.  The same principle applies spiritually... If we do not move forward, we fall backward and become stale.  Our spiritual life, and our physical life, is a process... a journey... not an isolated incident or happening. 

Sometimes life, and faith, requires that we "walk long enough," even without having a clue where we are going! 

Cookies and Cakes

Well, LOTS has happened since my last blog post, so I am not exactly sure where to start. 

Let's start with the good news...

I quit my job!!!  I gave my two week's notice last Monday, so Friday is my last day.  And I probably should have prefaced that by saying that I do have a new job lined up.  And this is where the news gets even better.

I am going to be working part-time at my parents' office!  Now, I realize that for many people this may not be good new; however, I get along WONDERFULLY with my parents!  And I CANNOT wait to start my new job. 

A big part of me really did love my job.  I love the little victories that come with it, and I love becoming involved in other people's lives, but coupled with other things going on in my life right now, it has just become so draining.  I come home and by the time I unwind and then start my schoolwork, I am just exhausted.  I feel like I have not been myself for months.  And that just isn't fair.  It is not fair to Andrew, and it isn't fair to my family, and isn't fair to myself.  I want to be invested in the rest of my life:  my family, my education, and even hobbies. 

Since my parents mentioned their job to me, I have felt like a thousand pound weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  And Andrew will tell you that I have been back to my "normal, happy" self!  I feel such a peace about the whole situation.  Next week cannot get here soon enough! 

In honor of my new-found LIFE.... Cupcakes seemed appropriate.  

And after much debate, Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream seemed the PERFECT celebration treat. 

I used the original recipe from here, but halved it.  It ended up making 48 mini cupcakes.  Here are the only changes I made to the recipe, and I only made them based upon what I had and what I did not have on hand:

• Used heavy whipping cream instead of half-n-half
• Used only all-purpose flour rather than both all-purpose and cake flour
• Used 2% milk rather than whole milk
• I garnished with white, pearly sprinkles instead of cinnamon sticks!

 On a less happy note, I apparently have a staph infection in my leg.  On Friday at about 1am it started making me physically sick.  And apart from that, it looks totally disgusting.  So I went to a walk-in clinic on Saturday, where they put me on a few different meds.  I still seem to be running a fever off and on, but overall, I feel MUCH better today than I did over the weekend. 

My adoring husband (who has really proven his love by sticking by me and my disgusting leg... and my disgusting mood...) called in sick at work for me today.  The result? 

Lazy Maple Sugar Cookies

I REALLY wanted to bake, but did NOT really feel up to it.

So, with the help of Betty Crocker, I cheated.  This is so easy that even someone running a fever can handle it!!!!

Need:

• 1 pouch of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
• 1 egg
• 1/3 C butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• Maple syrup
• Sprinkles galore!!!! 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and while it is heating up, mix the cookie mix, egg, butter and flour until it forms a dough.  On a floured surface, flatten the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick and, using leaf shaped cookie cutters, cut out as many cookies as your dough will make.  Mine made a dozen.

Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Let the cookies cool. 

Then, spread a thin layer of maple syrup over one cookie, and then cover with sprinkles.  Repeat this with each cookie until all of them are syrup-ed and sprinkled!!!

Voila!!!! 

Does it get any easier than that?  I think not. 

But, if you are in the mood to really bake, here is the recipe I would have used had I been in the mood to really bake. 

Moral of today's post? 

FALL is HERE, and GOD IS GOOD!!!!

A Bushel and a Peck

For the past few months, it seems like Andrew or I have had something going on every second of every weekend.  We haven't had much down time.  I have been longing for a weekend to spend time with him and with the rest of the family, to relax, to not do much of anything.  We FINALLY got that this weekend!  I could not have hoped for a better weekend!  Everything was perfect... right down to the weather.  

On Saturday, we went to a local apple orchard and picked apples straight from the trees.  My parents went with us and we all had a ball!  Along with ten pounds of apples, we also bought Pecan Sweet Potato Butter (and yes, it is dairy free), which I sampled immediately... so good! 

The men graciously offered to be the basket carriers during our apple picking adventure, and they were so cute that I could not resist a few snapshots.

I find these pictures hilarious... Both Andrew and my dad are such "men's men" that seeing them swinging these baskets while walking through rows of apple trees is absolutely heartwarming and hysterical at the same time.

Here is a shot of the men handling the apples that they worked so hard to pick!  (: 

After all our manual labor at the apple orchard, we all had healthy appetites, so we all returned home where Andrew made a WONDERFUL chicken salad using some of our new apples!  It was a great day! 

Source: tatteredandinked.blogspot.com via Logan on Pinterest

Follow Instructions

I don't really feel like I have much to say tonight... It was kind of a long day (good, but long), and I am just ready to disconnect and disengage for the evening!

So, here is something to chomp on: 

Source: stylesncream.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

I love lists, and there are some really good things on this one to take to heart!

(I found the original list here.) 

Flower Power

Since Andrew and I now have our own house, I finally get to think about things like... yard work.  Not my cup of tea. 

That being said, I do love flowers!  But I am completely ignorant when it comes to planting and growing things.  We have so much work to do on the inside of the house that the outside has been put on the back-burner; maybe we will pretty up the yard next summer! 

As a means of preparation for next summer, I figured I better do a little research. 

I started with begonias, because a friend told me once that they are nearly impossible to kill.  Apparently, the most important thing to keep in mind when planting begonias is that you should wait until the threat of frost and cold has passed; they like warm weather best.  Smart flowers!  Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to plant begonias!  It seems pretty fool proof, which is just what I need! 

Picture from here

 

 

I LOVE camellias, and I read that they are "easy to plant," and "low-maintenance."  Right up my alley!  An important factor to keep in mind is that camellias should be planted under the shade of a tree, or in an area with filtered sunlight.  And apparently, camellias need to be watered often, but should be not planted in soggy soil.  Click here for step-by-step planting and growing instructions. 

Picture from here

Some of my favorite flowers are hydrangeas.  They bloom in such pretty colors!  According to what I read here, hydrangeas need to be plated in early summer or late fall.  They need plenty of (but not too much) water, and should not be planted under trees.  These flowers seem a bit more complicated than camellias or begonias, which makes me nervous... But it does not make the flowers any less pretty!

Picture from here

I also LOVE poppies and alium.  Poppies remind me of my favorite childhood movie, and alium are just cool!  They look like pretty pom-poms!  Dahlia are also beautiful, and bloom in FABULOUS colors! 

Five Down... How Many to Go???

It has been five days since Andrew left, and crazy as it sounds, I feel like I am a completely different person than I was five days ago.  God has used the past week and a half to teach me SO MUCH. 

For as long as I can remember, my life has been perfect.  Even during times of personal or familial struggle, when my reality has been far from perfect, others' perceptions of my reality have been that it is perfect.  My dad is a dentist; therefore, we must have money to spare.  My family attends church, and we are all Christians; therefore, we must love each other perfectly and treat each other perfectly all the time.  We must not have issues or arguments or hardships.  That has been the perception. 

Because of that, and probably because of my natural tenancy toward introversion, any time I have had any sort of struggle, I have fought internally; my struggles have always been kept private.  And had it been up to me, I probably would not have shared with anyone that I found out Andrew was leaving.  In fact, I did not share that news with anyone outside my family.  Andrew did.  He had been planning a birthday party for me that was originally scheduled to take place this weekend.  When Andrew received his orders for active duty, he immediately sent out an email to all the friends he had invited to the party, explaining that it was canceled, and also explaining why.  Andrew then emailed the church softball team he plays on, and explained that he would not be at any of the season's remaining games, because he would be leaving immediately for active duty.

Since Andrew let so many people know what was going on, and word travels quickly, I have had SO many people reach out to offer their support. Never before have people acknowledged my struggle; never have they offered to share in that struggle with me. For one of the first times in my life, I am a member of a church body that truly loves and cares about me.  I did not even realize that until the past week.  And I certainly did not realize what was missing in going all those years without having that.

Not one day has gone by that I have not received a phone call, text, or email from a friend offering encouragement.  Had Andrew left for this training six months ago, I would not have been involved enough in the church to have a support system there.  In that sense, the timing of all of this is such a God thing.  God is teaching me that it is okay to need people.  And it is okay to be sad.  Not only is it okay to be sad, but it is okay to let people who love you know you are sad.  Had Andrew not told people what was going on, I probably would not have either; they never would have known a thing.  When they ask me how I am doing, I would probably say, "I am just fine.  What about you?"  But since he reached out to others, and entrusted them with what was going on in our lives, they have approached me and asked me, "How are you holding up?"  "Please let us know if there is anything we can do."  The people God has placed in my life have almost forced me to outwardly recognize and verbalize my experience, my heartache, and my struggle.... in a good way; in a therapeutic way; in a way that I have never before experienced. I have had more lunch and dinner invitations over the past week than I know what to do with (or that I could afford)!  And it feels SO GOOD to be cared about, and to know that you are cared about. 

Melody Beattie, who helped develop the 12-step recovery program curriculum, and has also written several books on recovery from codependency, said this: 

"God is there, always ready to help.  There is an ample supply of people to care about us too.  We will, if we want it, receive love and support, comfort and nurturing.  If we take the risk to ask for it, help is there... We aren't alone.  And we don't have to do it ourselves. We're not doing it ourselves.  There is no shortage on love..." 

She then goes on to pray this prayer: 

"Today, God, help me let go of my need to do it alone and my belief that I am alone.  Help me tape into Your Divine Power and Presence, and Your resources for love, support, and friendship.  Open my eyes and heart so I can see the love, help, and support that's there for me.  Help me know I am loved. " 

-Melody Beattie in The Language of Letting Go

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

List from here

Overwhelmed

Well, more has happened this week than I would ever have imagined could be packed into just one week...  I will start with this time last week:

This time last week, Andrew and I were packing our apartment.  Saturday of last week we began moving things from our apartment into our new house (which I LOVE more each time I step inside).  Sunday, some friends helped us move our larger items from our apartment into the new house.  Sunday evening, I started unpacking while Andrew napped.  And I can't say I blame him... he was pooped from all his heavy lifting earlier in the day!  I was up through all hours of the night Sunday, and into the wee hours of the morning on Monday.  After unpacking our kitchen, I had some baking to do for the Memorial Day cookout that was scheduled for the next day.

I did not want to go to said cookout, but Andrew insisted that Memorial Day was invented specifically for cookouts, and that it was un-American not to attend a cookout.  I went kicking and screaming, but I am so glad he convinced me to go.  Let me clarify, I love the people we were cooking and laying in the sun with; I just had LOTS of unpacking that was left undone.

So... when we returned home Monday night, I continued with the unpacking.  And the cleaning.  As adorable as our new house it, it is not technically new.  It is new to us, but in reality, it is still a twenty-something year old house.  And twenty-something year old houses have imperfections.  We had a handyman working in the house over the weekend who left quite the mess.  And I could not put the house together until it was clean.  Luckily, my mom and sister are a mere mile down the road now, so they were able to pop on over and help get the job done.

Let me stop there and say that I could not have made it through this past week without my family.  I thank God each day for their support, but I was extra thankful this week.

As you may recall, I am in graduate school right now.  Summer classes are only six weeks long, so my first class ends next week.  That means not only do we have a final exam next week, but we also have a final project due prior to taking the exam.  The project involves interviewing someone.

My particular "someone," who agreed to be interviewed backed out about one hour before we were scheduled to meet.  After a brief period of panic, my partner and I assessed our situation and developed a Plan B.  And if there is one thing I have learned this week, it is that life is filled with Plan B's.  I would even go so far as to say that my Plan A's almost never work out.  And in interviewing for my project, I realized that the same holds true for most others as well.  It is what we do when our Plan A's do not work out that defines our lives, and who we are as people.

On Tuesday, after panicking about the canceled interview, and developing a new plan (which actually turned out better than the original), I headed to Publix, where I purchased $65 in groceries for just under $30, thanks to coupons combined with Publix weekly sales, and all of the "buy one get one free" specials they were running.  I bought snacks for Andrew, as he complains regularly about he lack of junk food in our house.  I left the store with two different kinds of Doritos, two boxes of Ritz crackers, two jars of peanut butter, a box of cereal (that Publix was practically giving away), and much more.

Included in the "much more" category of my purchased groceries were items for my Sunday lunch menu.  Andrew and I had planned on having friends over to our new house after church, so I was going to make steak tacos.  It is a good thing that plan has changed, because our house is nowhere near ready to be seen by outsiders yet!!!

Why has the plan changed?  Well, I received a phone call Wednesday morning, just before 8am, that changed my plans for the week, and for the entire summer.  Andrew called to met me know that he received a call from Army personnel, and he needs to be in South Carolina this Saturday, and will be there until September.

Obviously, lunch of Sunday moved way down on the priority list.

And our cruise went out the window.

Well, I am still going, but Andrew will apparently not be joining the rest of the family.

Yesterday and today have been filled with getting ridiculous amounts of paperwork together that Andrew will need while he is gone, getting his Army clothing and equipment together (Thank goodness we just moved, and had to find it, or we would have had no clue where all that stuff was.  He has not used it in a year.)  And changing or canceling so many of the summer arrangements that had already been made.

Now that I have a few minutes to breathe, the situation is starting to hit me.

And I am downright sad. 

But it could be worse.

He could be going overseas.  Or he could be going away for longer than three months.

Or even worse...

As my mother would say,

"He is laying dead in a ditch now is he?"
 
So, see?

In the midst of small crises, and Plan B's, we still have so much to be thankful for!  God is still God. 

And even if Andrew were laying dead in a ditch somewhere, God would still be God!

Shhh...

First Time for Everything

As of about three hours ago, Andrew and I are officially homeowners!  I can hardly believe it!  I need a few days to let the reality of it sink in before I can adequately describe how it feels.  I guess that is the thing right now: it doesn't even feel real.  I know NOTHING about real, grown-up life.  I call my mom daily asking questions that I should probably know:  questions about bills, work, life... everything!  Surely I am not qualified to own a house!  :)

Since we are not moving in for a few more weeks, we stopped by the house after closing this afternoon just to say hello.  Lady was with us during the whole process today; we wanted  her to be a part since it's her home too!  Okay, I wanted her to be a part; Andrew could not have cared less.

When we let her walk around the yard, she seemed beside herself... like she did not know what to do!  I bet she has never had such a big yard!

As You Wish

I think young love is a beautiful, special thing.  When you are so newly in love that you still get giddy when your phone rings and you see that it is your special someone calling you.  Or when you first get married and your heart skips a beat when you hear your husbands keys rattling the front door, signaling that he is home for the evening.  When making dinner is still a fun adventure for the two of you to undertake together.  When you still learn new things about each other with every passing conversation. 

But there is a totally different kind of love too.  And that is old love.  Old love is special in a completely different way.  And I think it is even sweeter than young love.  I think it is deeper and more overpowering, even if it displays itself more softly.  We learn to love with time.  The kind of love displayed in this video clip is a kind of love that I, a young person, have not learned to love with yet. 

Close your eyes as you listen to this interview between Danny and his wife Annie, so that you are not distracted by the silly video.  Because the subject matter, and their lives stories are not silly at all.  What you will hear is something truly personal, profound, and tear jerking.


Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Movie Monday

Today was a good Monday.  Generally, Mondays are really hectic days at work, but today was a perfect blend of hustle and bustle and downtime.  I started the day off right...With a Beth Moore devotional CD my mom gave me for Easter. And.... with a cup of coffee that tasted extra good for some reason.  :)

After getting some coffee into my system, I felt mentally and emotionally prepared for a day of ringing phones, full inboxes, and normal life.  I expected to walk into the office this morning and have a totally full voicemailbox after being gone all week.  Nope.  Not one message.  I breathed a sigh of relief to see that they dreaded red message light was not blinking.  I relished the moment. 

I fit some schoolwork in.  Then, I felt guilty for doing schoolwork while I was at real work. So I stopped.

Then I had a banana. 

During my lunchtime, I purchased $103 worth of groceries for $64.  Thank you, Kroger.  I combined several coupons with their 10 item mix n' match mega event, and it was worth the extra planning and effort!  Granted, I am nothing like some of the extreme couponers that have been on The Learning Channel lately, but I am learning! The whole process was rather exhausting (in kind of a fun way), and I am happy to say it should be at least a few weeks before I have to return to the grocery store... at least for any major shopping. 

With some of the savings from grocery coupons, I purchased some of Trader Joe's chilli spiced dried mango.  SO GOOD.  I also bought banana chips for Andrew.  He LOVES them. 

Mental note: Trader Joe's is the best place for dried fruit... not only do they have an extensive selection, but they are also cheaper than anywhere else I have seen.

To top off an already fabulous day, my sister and I went to see Something Borrowed.  It is not in theaters until Friday, but Avery's boyfriend had two free preview passes.  Unfortunately (unfortunate for him, not for me), he had to work, so Avery had to take her second choice of a date:  ME!  We had to stand in line FOREVER, but that was actually a good thing!  It gave us a little quality sister time.  I have missed that recently. 

Today was an exceptional Monday.  I feel alive, ready to face and conquer tomorrow. 

God is good...  In the storm, and in the sunshine.  He is powerful, and He is good.  Let us not forget that!

Only in Nashville...

My sister went to work with me today.  And somehow, she managed to make work seem a lot less like work and a lot more like... fun!  I wish every Friday could be like today! :)

While we were driving, we stopped at a red light and saw this:

Random.  Thanks, Ave, for the pic!

There is absolutely no telling where this sign was pointing to. There are a million places the arrow could have been pointing, and at the same time, there is absolutely nowhere that it would have made sense for the arrow to be pointing.  

We burst out laughing when we saw this, so I thought I would spread the Friday cheer!  

Happy weekend!  

Oh... and... Happy April Fools' Day! ?