Ten

Who knew what life would hold on that hot July day in the middle of the country 10 years (and a couple months) ago? I can't imagine how different life would be if God had seen fit to suit me for another. But I give many thanks for His will in our lives and the way He has knit us together in so many areas. And the dating years were just the beginning. We both think that our marriage, though not without its trials, keeps getting better with each passing year. Together we have experienced much.

The joy and stress of getting married and establishing our first home.
A first year in a cute little imperfect basement suite surrounded by many friends.
The loss of a grandparent.
A move to Colorado Springs, sight unseen, for a job transfer for my husband at a national coffee chain...we were young and carefree, and have gained a bit of wisdom since that time. :)
A new job for my husband at an organization where he remains today.
Living in a dark apartment under a couple of alcoholics who would fight many evenings into the morning which prompted...
..the purchase of our first home.
The birth of our firstborn and a transition to living on one income.
Joining the church body we have no intention of leaving for as long as we live in this city.
The purchase of our second home.
The birth of our second and third children.
Home and yard improvements.
The loss of another grandparent.
A miscarriage earlier this year.
And the joyful anticipation of another child, if the Lord wills.

While each of these life events are one-liners, they each represent entire seasons of our life together. I am so thankful to have all of this, and so much more with a husband who is faithful, provides for us, supports and loves me unconditionally and with whom I find wonderful friendship and intimacy. And with all that has gone behind us, I am confident that together we will be able to face whatever comes beyond this through the grace of God.

I am incredibly blessed and indeed, a happily married woman!

Budget vs. Life

We get paid for my husband's hard work.
We give what we feel is right to give.
We pay the mortgage.
We pay utilities and car insurance and budget for gasoline.
We budget a small sum for groceries and a little for dining out (to keep the cook of the house from feeling too deprived).
What little is left gets divided between all other needs and wants, from shoes for the kids to birthday gifts, to a part for a vehicle, to things we need to maintain our home properly.

And nothing is left. I guess that is the goal of zero-based budgeting, spending every dime on paper before you ever really spend it. But we're missing out on some important things. Things like family vacations with our kids, getaways as a couple, date nights, flowers that will fade away but add beauty for a time, day trips to mountains or local points of interest, church community events that would require us to afford childcare, and things of this nature. What we're lacking in one word: fun. Yes, I know there are a million ways to have fun without spending money, but so many experiences do come with a tangible price tag, be it ever so small. And sometimes when you take something free to do and then have to add all the work it takes to prepare one or more meals to take with you or a very long day to avoid paying for a night of lodging it suddenly loses some of the fun for me.

A budget is a tool to bring boundaries and freedom within those boundaries to use the resources you have. But what do you do when it just feels like that budget is covering the necessities only and nothing simply for the sake of enjoyment? If you know me, I'm not saying I want to throw lots of money away on temporary pleasures, just a little on some life-enriching, memory-making experiences.

And then, oh the guilt of even having this pity party in the first place! Don't you know you already live better than 90% of the world! Um, yeah, I remember that. Indeed, we are very blessed. But I still live in these United States and see what others around me are able to spend money on, and more importantly, experience. And I grow tired of saying "no" to our kids for even good and wholesome things they request whether something at the grocery store or a $2 carousel ride.

So maybe it is time to go back to the drawing board to find a better balance between financial responsibility and actually living life to the full.

Lord, give me a contented heart.

Family 4th of July

We traveled east to see my parents and my siblings and their families over July 4th. It has been been a roller coaster year for our family, but we had a great time nonetheless. The kids splashed in Nana & Papa's backyard, we went to a huge extended family picnic at a lake, we celebrated Smiley's birthday (again), we had a second memorial walk/run to honor my grandmother, we celebrated 10 years of marriage and a whole lot more! It was certainly a jam-packed few days.


A fun nephew joined us for a family picture

A full crowd ready to embark on the memorial walk/run. I'm so thankful for this big family!

10 year anniversary photo....yikes, we've aged! A lot!


Smiley pondering this oh-so-good gift. For some strange reason our kids love to watch our recycling and garbage being picked up and he loves this truck!


Huddling to stay warm while eating homemade ice cream on a chilly July 4th evening

Good times!

Garden Goodness!

zucchini bigger than a 5-year-old's arm

...or maybe just "Oh, goodness, what are we gonna do with all that zucchini?!"

It seems we are having a bumper crop of zucchini, even though some have fallen victim to what this novice thinks is blossom end rot. Regardless, we've had plenty to consume here and several rounds to share with friends and neighbors. I know I let the ones in the picture get waaay too big, but they were overlooked for a couple days under the huge leaves and the tangle of vines. I should be sending out my gardening assistant to pick any reasonable ones each day, which she would be game to do. Please do send ideas of what to do with it all!

Camping with Young Children - Craziness or Courage?

We recently went camping for a weekend at a state park nearby with some good friends and their two kids. It was great to get away into God's creation, but "roughing it" comes with some challenges for all of us...less sleep than normal, more fresh air and tiredness, the long process it is to cook anything for a meal. But we came away with some great memories and are hopefully training our kids to handle these situations with more grace each time we go. We especially enjoyed a great family-friendly hike and the kids loved the craft time made possible by my friend who had the foresight to bring along some craft supplies for the kids to enjoy. Oh, and of course the s'mores.

Some Things Just Make Life Brighter

...like these huge sunflowers in our backyard. Some were planted on purpose and some were the work of children in unexpected places. Either way, they are welcome additions to the landscape.

Expanding My Suburban Garden

This spring with high hopes of a more bountiful garden, I set out to make an additional raised garden bed. I found easy to follow instructions here and my bed came together like this. The new bed measures 5 x 10'. The cost for materials was about $30, with the same amount needed for suitable fill. I set the new bed pretty much perpendicular to an existing which has made the chore of watering a whole lot easier.

The last two pictures, taken about 2 weeks ago, show the gardens with all their plants which include: zucchini, snap peas, spinach, sunflowers, tomatoes, and bell peppers. We have since enjoyed the spinach and are currently enjoying the snap peas. The tomatoes and sunflowers have grown rapidly in those 14 days and I now see some fruits setting on, so am hopeful we'll actually get some ripe red ones this year before temps cool with many green tomatoes on the vine. It is so satisfying to eat produce from your own garden and I am also glad that at least for now, the garden beds add an element of green to the backyard which is sorely lacking from what should be our lawn area. A lush green lawn in Colorado seems like such a luxury, but I'll just focus on the delight of productive garden this year.