Making My World Go-Round

It’s Monday morning and all is right with the world.

Not because it’s Monday mind you, but because my dear husband is back home safe. 

He was gone eight days at a training seminar for work, and let me tell you, I’m not use to him being so far away!  (yes, I'm spoiled...and in love.) We have never gone more than a couple days without seeing each other since we were engaged so this was a new experience for me.  (and not one I was completely fond of either. Ahem.)

{Made me think of all your military wives out there who do that for months on end.  Hats off to you girls!} 

In the midst of his trip, I was reminded how important it is to cherish the little moments in life.  I was surprised to realize it was the little things that I missed the most… hearing his car pull in the driveway, or hearing his key in the door.  How he sneaks up behind me while I’m doing dishes just to put his arms around me and kiss my cheek, or when he randomly bursts into song. 

The little moments in life that are so easy to take for granted but are truly what makes the world go-round. 

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At least my world.   

“Home” is wherever we’re together.  Simple concept, but definitely reinforced to me this past week.  Without him in it, the house felt like just a house.  But yesterday, it was home again. 

Sure, I might have gotten to sleep in the middle of the bed and had four pillows all to myself, but it’s lonely in the middle without my other half.   We were able to video-chat every night, but it just isn’t the same.  I was thankful for it, don’t get me wrong, but it was almost a taunt at the same time.  Being so close and yet so far at the same time is a strange feeling. 

Saturday night I went to the airport to pick him up, and seeing his face come through the gate suddenly made the past several days feel like a blur.  He was home.  My best friend, my husband…

In honor of my dearly-beloved’s homecoming, I made Cinnamon Roll Pancakes for breakfast Sunday morning.   You can view the recipe Here.   Although the pancakes turned out good, I was still slightly disappointed with the results.  Hubby thought it was the icing on top that needed a little work (maybe a thinner milk & powdered sugar drizzle would have been better?)  and I was just expecting perhaps something a little more dense overall.  All that aside however, they were quite tasty and we definitely enjoyed them!   

I loved the way they looked with the cinnamon swirl in the middle!!

Can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of the finished product, but you can check it out at the link above.

Happy Monday, ya’ll!  Hope all is well in your world!

Listening.

I love being married.

Seriously.

It’s the best thing ever.
(But I've probably mentioned that before....)

I love the give-and-take that comes with being a spouse. That constant support-system that is always around makes my heart sigh and smile in happiness.

We have great days...and not so great days. 
But I love that we can share both with each other.

The last couple weeks have been filled with some of those not so great days for both of us.  They haven’t been bad days, just exhausting and stressful ones.  Work stuff mostly. 

It has left us both needing to be in the take-mode because we haven’t had a lot leftover in the give department. 

But ironically enough, our current challenges at work have left us both with a deeper understanding of what the other person is going through because we’re both left feeling the same way.  We get it.

I have been blow away because this mutual-taking has turned into mutual-giving, and it has blessed my socks off!!!  

Instead of leaving us cranky and short-tempered with each other because we’re stressed-out and overwhelmed, we have a deeper understanding and empathy for one another because we can completely relate.  It has been such a beautiful thing.

Last night as I was driving home from work and all I wanted to do was go out to dinner and talk. 

Talk about everything going on because my brain was overloaded and I couldn’t keep it all contained in my head anymore. 

I hardly ever ask to go out to eat, especially not during the week.  Not when I feel it’s only because I’m too lazy tired to cook.  But I was exhausted and I was prepared to go without eating because I really didn’t feel like making dinner…but I knew my dear husband would be hungry so I wracked my brain as to what I could make that wouldn’t be too time-consuming and stressful.

I walked in the door, and was greeted by my dearly-beloved and a sweet “How are you doing, love?”

He hugged me, and before I even had a chance to say much at all, he asked me if I wanted to go get some dinner so I didn’t have to cook. 

{And some people say they don’t believe in mind-reading. 
Well let me tell you, he reads mine pretty well...and he knows his woman!}

We sat in a back booth and talked… and talked… and talked some more.  And he understood.  And it was wonderful.   When I was done babbling and finally stopped to take a breath and munch on my salad, he looked at me and smiled.  “I get it.  I know what you’re going through.”  Those words mean so much to me. 

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Later we sat on the couch together, he watched the hockey game and I read… and we could just be. Content in our understanding and support of each other.  Content in where we’re at in life, and content because God has so richly blessed us with the other half of our puzzle pieces: each other.

Fairytale Dreams




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Sometimes I think about how amazing it would have been to live in a medieval castle.

We have fantasized about fairy tales since we were little.

Balconies. Moats. Drawbridges. Towers.

Will you climb the tower to save me?

 Knights & Fair Maidens. Princes & Princesses.

The daring rescue of the damsel in distress! 

These tales have undoubtedly created an unrealistic picture in my head of what it was really like way back when.  Back before modern conveniences and equal opportunity.

Blood.  Poverty.  War.  Contamination.  Slave labor.

But there is no denying, those castles look mighty stunning.



 

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The castles themselves might be out of reach, but the men that guarded them...

Those heroes...

They're still around.

I live with one.

I get to spend every day with my hero. 

My prince. My knight in shining armor.

He protects his family. 

Loves me with all his heart.

Works hard to provide.

Slays my dragons.

He tries to make all my dreams come true.

So maybe I don't have any moats or drawbridges, but that doesn't mean I don't have the fairy tale.

Every day I get to be a princess, and I wouldn't trade my prince for all the castles in the world.



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Our Love Is

Our Love is:

Climbing the tallest mountains ~

Riding the biggest waves ~ 

Hockey Games ~ 

Football games ~ 

and Endless cups of coffee. ~

Holidays ~ 

Fun days ~

and Dress-up days. ~

Trying new things ~

Always having a date ~ 

Sharing every moment ~ 

And waking to every sunrise together ~ 

Our love was the opportunity of a lifetime
and it has changed my world forever.

He Arose!

Hope is alive; Love is now risen!
Jesus the Christ has conquered the grave!
Fears are behind, sins are forgiven;
by God’s own Son the power of death has died.
Hope is alive!

Hope. Love. Joy. Life. Peace.

Easter is the culmination of all these things.

I watched Daffodils bud and bloom in my garden this week and it was such a perfect picture to me of the life that sprung forth on Easter morning. A reminder of the hope that was given to all men on that beautiful day.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

Because of Christ’s work on that cross, we have Life, we live with Hope,
we have Peace unsurpassed, a Joy the world cannot fathom,
and we are surrounded by His unbounded Love.

I Am Woman: see me cry

DISCLAIMER: there were a few tears shed during the writing of this post.

We pray, we make plans, we figure out the long term goals and we come to mutual conclusions.

The one variable: I am female and my husband is not.
This is not a bad thing because God had it planned that way.
Male + Female = God’s design for family.
It also means that although we are in total agreement on decisions, sometimes emotions can get stirred up and the resolve with which you once viewed a situation can become a bit skewed for awhile.

A perfect example of this? Children.

We are of like mind on the timetable for children. We have talked through our decision, sought God on our decision, and are in total agreement on the matter.

However, in the midst of this decision, there are moments when my desire for children wells up inside of me and I find myself placing my hand where a baby-bump should be. It’s not conscious and it often catches me off-guard when it happens. There are quiet moments when a tear will escape my eye as I think of the baby that will (Lord willing!) be in my arms someday.

I find my feet wandering down the baby aisle at Target or taking a detour through the adorable baby clothes department. Oops, how did I get there? Wouldn’t a little girl’s room be so cute in pink polka dots and butterflies, or a boy’s nursery decorated with airplanes and trucks? Get me out of those aisles.

A couple times when we had "scares" I had to take a PG test. When it came back negative my husband would give a sigh of relief and I always ended up shedding a few tears. My dear husband, although he tried, never really understood the tears… He would always asks me quizzically why I’m crying, not understanding this because he knows that we are united on the decision to wait.

I guess there is a part of me that will always be disappointed until the day it comes back "positive." At first the tears shocked me. Why was I crying?

It took me awhile to figure it all out, but in the end the conclusion I came to was that God planned it that way. He designed women to be caregivers, nurturers, and gave us an incredible capacity to love. He created Eve to be “the mother of all living things.” From the beginning of time women cared for what was around them and were made to “mother” things. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made to me of why there is this deep desire to hold our own little one.

There are mornings I wake up startled by my empty arms because our someday–babies had invaded my dreams all night. But I know God’s plan is perfect, and when it’s time, we’ll know that it’s time. I need not worry about the future and the empty arms, for they will be filled when (if) God wants them to be filled.

God created me as a woman, and as such, there are many emotions that surge through me, thoughts that fly fleeting through my brain that may not make much sense. But that’s okay, because it’s who God made me…and I am “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Sometimes it’s just a struggle for me to remember that in the midst of things about myself that I don’t always understand.

A few years ago my mom sent me a poem {posted below} that I kept posted on the wall of my closet. Every time I would get discouraged by my emotions or feel a rush of mothering desires, I would read this poem and be reminded that God made me special and that the things that may be seen by the world as weaknesses are truly strengths. God made us this way to compliment our husbands and to add the nurturing aspect to relationships.

Being a woman is a gift, a beautiful gift, and one I wouldn’t trade for the world. My life does not become complete when I have a child; it is complete the way it is now, because that is how God has it. I choose to be content in His greater plan.

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When God created woman, He was working late on the 6th day.


An angel came by and said: “Why spend so much time on that one?”


And the Lord answered “Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her? She must be washable, but not made of plastic, have more than 200 moving parts which all must be replaceable and she must function on all kinds of food, she must be able to embrace several kids at the same time, give a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart and she must do all this with only two hands”.


The angel was impressed. “Just two hands….impossible!” And this is the standard model?


“Too much work for one day….wait until tomorrow and then complete her”.


“I will not”, said the Lord. “I am so close to complete this creation, which will be very dear to my heart”.


“She cures herself when sick and she can work 18 hours a day”


The angel came nearer and touched the woman.


“But you have made her so soft, Lord”


“She is soft”, said the Lord “But I have also made her strong. You can’t imagine what she can endure and overcome.”


“Can she think?” the angel asked.


The Lord answered: “Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate.”


The angel touched the woman’s cheek. “Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her.”


“She is not leaking….it’s a tear.”


“What’s it for?” asked the angel.


And the Lord said: “Tears are her way of expressing grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride.”


This made a big impression on the angel; “Lord, you are genius. You thought of everything. The woman is indeed marvelous!”


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Indeed she is! Woman has strength that amazes man. She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens. She holds happiness, love and opinions. She smiles when feeling like screaming. She sings when she feels like crying, cries when she is happy and laughs when she is afraid.


She fights for what she believes in and stands up against injustice. She doesn’t take “no” for an answer, when she can see a better solution. She gives of herself so her family can thrive. She takes her friend to the doctor if she is afraid. Her love is unconditional.


She cries when her kids are victorious. She is happy when her friends do well. She is glad when she hears of a birth or a wedding.


Her heart is broken when a next of kin or friend dies. But she finds the strength to get on with life.


She knows that a kiss and a hug can heal a broken heart.


There is only one thing wrong with her – She forgets what she is worth…

Date Nights

The busier life becomes the more important our "dates" are to us.  Dates don't always have to be of the traditional variety...just happy time with the two of us together.

These are some of ours that have happened recently:

Chinese take-out & Kung Fu Panda

Popcorn and a movie on the couch at 4:00 AM because I couldn’t sleep.

(Yes, he really got up with me and popped up some popcorn. What a guy!)

Highschool performance of “Annie” and Mexican for dinner!

Dark Cherry Mochas @ Starbucks

Have YOU had any fun dates lately?

Children

Sometimes I am amazed by children -- their ability to see past disabilities, quirks, and even past the “unloveliness” that we as adults are often made awkward by. The hug of a child can light up the faces of those who never smile, and their kind words can warm a lonely heart.

My grandma always used to say that it was us grandkids that “kept her going.” I understand that better now as I observe the impact children have on the older generations. Children bring a joy to life that most other things cannot.

I don’t think God ever intended for there to be such generational-segregation as there is now in society. The older should teach the younger, the younger should learn from and respect the older, and the youngest, well, they’re just delightful and we can all learn a thing or two from them!

My grandma said it was us grandkids that gave her something to live for, but the day she died my heart broke in half.  In His grace and perfect timing, God then brought a child into my life, giving me something else to love. Two days after we buried my grandma, God brought sweet Mary into my family’s arms. Only five weeks old and needing all the love in the world, God used that little angel to start healing the sadness in my heart. Although my grandma never met my baby sister, I always think of them together knowing how much they would have loved each other. I had spent so much time with my grandmother the last couple years of her life, that when she passed, that energy was then poured into the little baby who had much to overcome at such a young age.

That little darling is now 5 ½ and never ceases to bring a laugh & smile to all who are around her. She is so loved and spreads sunshine everywhere she goes. She is without a doubt, the Little Princess.

February 13th

I just realized I never did my post-Valentine’s-day-post!

So last Saturday my Dearly Beloved decided to take me out for a fun Valentine’s day celebration. We ran a couple errands and then headed downtown to get our rings shined up at our favorite jeweler. We browsed while the rings were getting cleaned, and I stumbled across a Claddagh ring that I found exquisite – sterling silver with filigreed bands on either side of the Claddagh. It was love at first site. And jeweler slipped it on my finger and it was a perfect fit. My dear husband kissed me and said it would be my Valentine’s gift. Awwww. He makes me melt.

We then wandered around to the diamond section and I fell in love again… with a ring that (with tax) would cost over $28,000.00. Yes, you read that right. Once again, it was a perfect fit when I tried it on, but I’m afraid it will forever remain in the jeweler’s case, far from my reach. It was over three carats of diamonds in a beautifully romantic white gold vintage setting. Not gaudy at all, but timeless and amazingly gorgeous. *sigh*

I happily wear my Claddagh, given to me with much love by my Dearly Beloved. It’s never about the price tag – it’s about the heart behind it. And his heart is golden.

We then headed over to the theater where we watched the movie (yes, you guessed it) Valentine’s Day. I wasn’t hugely impressed, but it’s always a treat when I can get him to go see a chick-flick with me. Besides, Jennifer Garner and those dimples of hers are simply adorable and that’s all there is to it!

Red Lobster was our restaurant of choice for dinner, and though we had a long wait, the tender taste of the flaky cheddar biscuits was worth every minute. We sat at the bar as we waited for a table, and for the first time in my life I splurged and ate dessert before my dinner. I felt like such a rebel. But it was soooo good! The cookie was chocolate filled and oh-so-chewy-gooey and topped with ice cream and more chocolate. Combine this with a cup of delicious coffee and I was in taste-bud bliss.

My husband tackled crab legs for dinner with so much vigor that I couldn’t resist a picture. I’m glad he has the chance to enjoy meals like that when we dine out, because I’m not brave enough to make them at home.

It was such a lovely day that it even made the snow seem not quite so cold.

Always

Always and Forever

Sentimental Things

Valentine’s Day

I’m such a Romantic at heart.
*sigh*

Valentine’s day has held a sappy little spot in my heart for as long as I can remember. My dream since youth was to have a Valentine’s Day wedding with roses and hearts galore. Seeing as Prince Charming was still a long ways off and had not yet displayed his royal face onto my horizon, I began writing a letter to him every year on that special day. Letters of waiting, longing, wondering, and hoping. Letters to confirm to him that I was waiting for my One-and-Only, my true love, my soul-mate, my Beloved. Extra entries filled more pages, written on special occasions, holidays, and of course, every Valentine’s day.

Fast forward the time clock a few years to February 14th, 2008, when Mike took me to a movie, dinner, and a Casting Crown’s concert. We were “just friends”, but a couple months later, we realized that had been our very first date.

There are no pictures from that evening, just a pile of memories that make me all warm inside when I think about them. It will probably always stand out as my favorite Valentine’s Day, because that day was the beginning of our love story.

October 4th, 2008 –
Our Wedding Day

In traditional fashion, Mike & I exchanged wedding gifts that evening. His gift to me was a Bible matching his, with my new name engraved on the cover. It was perfect! My gift to him was a leather journal, filled with letters to my love, overflowing with years of waiting for that moment, waiting for that man.

Our wedding did not fall on Valentine’s Day like I had hoped for so long, but in the end, it did not matter. Our flowers were Roses, the colors were red & white, and it was still Valentine’s Day in my heart.

Well, that is my Valentine’s Day story! I’m going to put a MckLinky at the bottom of this post in case any of you blog about your stories and want to share the link. I’d love to read them!