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!

Love, Encouragement & Conviction

I just wanted to briefly mention that I have been really encouraged by these sermons recently. It is a big series, but this one, this one and this one have been great food for thought so far.

Thanks to my friend from univeristy, Mindy, for mentioning this series on her blog!

ceramic heart above: after V-day sale at Hobby Lobby last year (maybe 30 cents?) rubbed with red stamp pad because I didn't have red paint, hung with ribbon

We Needed That!

We are approaching one month since my husband and I went away on our trip alone, but I thought I would post a bit about it anyway. Thanks to Nana & Papa for keeping the kids at FarmMed and for the week of very nice lodging in Myrtle Beach! This was our first trip away together (except for one night when Sportster was our only) since we have entered parenthood! It was just the right mix of sightseeing and just relaxing on the beach, at the pool or in our place. We visited two plantations, Fort Sumter, Sunset Beach in North Carolina, The Hammock Shops at Pawleys Island, and the Confederacy museum, Hyman's Seafood and the market in Charleston. And we celebrated my husband's 32nd birthday and were able to put to use his birthday gift, a Canon Rebel XT camera. (Thanks for all the sightseeing recommendations, Erika!)

This was a great week of sleeping in until we weren't tired anymore, having full conversations without interruption, eating out at some establishments that wouldn't be in our normal kid-friendly repertoire, and just enjoying our married life without everyday concerns and distractions. All in all, just a time of refreshment! And we returned renewed for the privilege of parenting and carrying on for what lies ahead for our family.

A few pictures from our time away.

We're hooked! We'd love to visit South Carolina again!

Gone Away

Our opportunity came for a trip away, thanks to a week of lodging and babysitting from my parents and cheap tickets made possible with frequent flyer points. We are enjoying a week in the southeast to refresh, rest, reconnect and finish a complete conversation without interruptions, though we surely do miss our children. This is our first real getaway in almost 6 years so we're excited to enjoy the week together. I'll be checking in again sometime next week.

You Know You're A Tightwad When...

...you try to convince your husband to return the gift he bought for you for Valentine's Day because it used up the entire contents of the gift cash envelope, and more.

I suppose you are dying to know just exactly what this indulgent gift was. A ring? No. A certificate for a spa treatment? No. A new outfit? No. Expensive chocolates? No.

The gift given was much better than that. A deluxe electric blanket so I'll no longer need to go to bed with scarf and hat and four blankets on the bed and still have icicle toes. After only one night of crawling into that toasty bed I'm sold. This gift will not be returned but will be a gift that really does keep on giving.

While some wives wouldn't be delighted with this gift, I am. My husband really took time to think of what would make my life more enjoyable and selected this gift. What can I say? I'm a practical girl with a husband who loves me!

Date Night

Each Friday we look forward to our date night. Here's how it goes. We get the kids to bed, DH makes guacamole, we drag our couch up near the computer screen, insert DVD from the library or our monthly freebie from Blockbuster and voilà. We started this when Smiley was born because with a newborn we knew it was going to be several months before we could get out for a date that included going out to eat, getting a babysitter and the like. Even though Smiley is not a newborn anymore, we have kept to the tradition partly due to its ease and partly due to our budget. Our grocery budget can pretty easily absorb the cost of a few avacados each week. While we hope to be able to get out of our house for a date night soon, we're happy to have this time set aside each week for us.