I’m grateful for sleeping in our own bed, cooking our own food, and seeing our excited puppies. Sampson whined with excitement for a good 15 minutes while he ran around the house and back into my arms. Every time we let them outside that day he would first run over to the car as if to say “Please don’t leave me again! I’ll go with you!”

Day 14 – May 23rd – cooking together

After a week of craziness and traveling and sleeping on couches and eating out every meal I’m grateful to be back in our own kitchen.

Day 15 – May 24th – talking through what the other really needs

I read a twitter post Monday morning that said – “What if we told you there was ONE thing your spouse needed more than anything else? Do you know what it is?…”

This really intrigued me so at dinner last night I asked Tim what he really needed from me. Not only did it give me something really tangible to work with – it allowed us to speak about our needs candidly and without defensiveness.

Day 16 – May 25th – good food. good friends.

Tonight we went to a potluck. Good food, good friends. What’s more to say?

Day 17 – May 26th – new beginnings

Well… I’m done. The senior girls that I’ve lead for the past 4 years have gone and graduated from youth group. Leading this amazing group of girls has been humbling for sure, but has also been such a blessing. I thought I was going to cry as I stood up and talked about each one, but as I looked out at their faces I knew that this wasn’t goodbye. This was only the beginning. I’m going to miss them, but I am so excited to see what God is going to do through each one of them.

Day 5 – May 14th – garage sales

Saturday morning Student Ministries held a garage sale at my church for a summer missions trip to New Orleans… and let me tell you… I LOVE garage sales! Especially church garage sales. I left the sale with 3 pairs of jeans, 5 shirts, an awesome rain jacket, a dress, and a book! All for $11.50.

Day 6 – May 15th – lazy days

Sunday was one of those days that just makes me smile. Reading books, doing laundry, cleaning the house, packing… and just being lazy. It was rejuvenating and so nice to leave for Denver knowing that the house would be clean when we returned.

Day 7 – May 16th – easy traveling/free place to stay

Monday I was grateful for easy traveling! It was semi-stressful knowing I had to work an 8-hour day and still leave work at 1:30 to drive to Jacksonville to catch our flight… but everything worked out so smoothly! We got to the airport with enough time to spare. Were able to park our car in the economy lot and a minute later the bus pulled up to take us to the terminal. We were able to carry on all of our luggage without a hitch. We didn’t even have to change planes in Dallas, and getting the rental car went as smoothly as it could have after such a long day of travel! Not only that, but we saved so much money as our good friend Rob allowed us to crash his house for the 5 days we were there!

Day 8 – May 17th – checking something off your bucket list

Tuesday Tim was able to check something off his bucket list as we were able to go to a professional baseball game (Rockies/Giants)! It was neat sitting in the Rockies stadium and watching Buster Posey (FSU Alum) play.

Day 9 – May 18th – Indian food

We love Indian food… especially little holes in the wall! Buffet was great and we left stuffed.

Day 10 – May 19th – buckets of snow/comedy shows

Thursday Denver was pretty drab, but when we drove into the mountains it started dumping buckets of snow! We stopped off at different places and took tons of fun pictures – Copper Mountain, Vail,  Breckenridge, and sometimes pulled over on the side of the highway in awe of the beautiful scenery and the blanket of snow. We ate at an amazing BBQ place in Vail and then went to a fun comedy show that night with some new-found friends.

Day 11 – May 20th – sweet smelling spring

I can’t even describe the smell of springtime in the rocky mountains. It was sweet…crisp…fresh… and with the sun shining and the creek running it was a such a refreshing time basking in God’s creation. I wish I could bottle up that smell!

Day 12 – May 21st – found luggage

So we weren’t so lucky on the way back to Jacksonville and Tim had to check one of his bags… which they lost. I’m grateful first for not having to pay the $20 or $30 for checking a bag, and then second for the speedy response from the airline. By the time we got back to the hotel that night after Sean and Katie’s wedding the bag was sitting at the front desk waiting for us. Yes I did have to borrow makeup and run downstairs to the front desk to procure a razor and some shaving cream (which were all in Tim’s bag) – but it got back to us before we left home for Tallahassee!

More catch up soon!

I’m grateful for laughter in the midst of a work day. Today I heard a random snippet of conversation and it made me laugh!

Did you know Jupiter is exhibiting a force on your body? No really, it is.

Haha I have no idea what was going on in the convo, but with a sentence like that – it had to be good. I also laughed when I saw a video of the talking dog that has gone viral this past week.

Today I am grateful for Pinterest! I know it sounds silly to be grateful for a website – but let me tell you… this site is so fun and helpful! I follow tons of travel/food/style blogs and my browser bookmarks were getting out of hand. Whenever I wanted to pull up a recipe I found online somewhere I would have to search through my hundreds of bookmarks to find it and sometimes never would! With Pinterest, all my recipes are stored in one place, on one board, with a picture of each dish that links to the site it was found on. How convenient is that?! But wait – it gets better! There is now an iphone app for it so everything is at the touch of my fingertips!

When I was just using bookmarks I hardly ever followed through with recipes I found online. With Pinterest, I’ve made three of the recipes and can’t wait to make more :) They were deeee-lish (especially the lemon sugar cookies!)!

Lemon Cookies

Honey Chicken

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Today I am grateful for my senior girls. Tonight was the last BOB (Bunch of Believers) large group for me this year and the second to last one EVER for my seniors! These girls  have been amazing and have taught me so much.

Day 1 (May 10th)*

This morning Tim woke me up with kisses and singing being the crazy person he sometimes is! I may not have been the sweetest recipient of the loud morning serenading (it started before my alarm went off), but looking back it makes me smile and laugh. I’m grateful I have a husband who isn’t ashamed of his beautiful voice ;)

*I thought I had scheduled this post to go out yesterday evening but for some reason it didn’t publish!

In other news, I absolutely adored my non-fat sugar free vanilla chai this morning. Mmmm! Waking up extra early to go drive across town to take care of some horses didn’t seem half bad when I knew I had this treat waiting for me when I was done!

Deeee-lish!

-National Geographic made a house float like in Up!

-This could have been really, really bad!

-A loyal dog sticks with his injured friend in Japan – he looks like Sampson!

-I don’t know if this is real or not, but it sure is cute!

Tonight I am so excited to hang out with my seniors! Seriously, they are such an amazing group of girls. These past 4 years with them has flown by and I can’t believe they are actually graduating in a couple of months. Some have been there from the beginning, some have left the group, some are new arrivals … but honestly, each one of them has touched my life in a unique way.

Taylor, Erin, Mindy, Karalynn, Kelsey, Georgia, Ashley, Lindsey, Sarah, Sammie, Kendahl, Melissa, Jenna….. you girls are AWESOME :)

So two years ago today I walked up the church aisle with my father, was given away, said “I do” to my handsome prince charming, and sealed it all with a kiss. We walked back down the aisle gloriously happy, shaking hands and giving kisses and hugging the loved ones who came to witness our special day.

Yes, our precious family and friends played a huge part in that day, but really, it was about the man I stood beside. I remember floating around on the balcony of the Governor’s Club taking pictures and laughing with friends and then catching the eye of my now husband across the room. He would smile at me… and my heart would flutter as I smiled in return. It was as though we now shared some special secret – one only he and I would ever understand.

After the whirlwind of an evening on March 14, 2009, Tim and I got in our car, waved goodbye to the crowd, and went off.

I remember driving down Adams Street and not looking back at the crowd behind, but the road ahead. I would glance at Tim and he would glance at me and we would both grin knowingly. This was it. This was the beginning. This was the first day of the rest of our lives.

those days…

The past two years have been some of the most wonderful, hardest, gratifying years of my life. There has been adventure and travel, change and growth, bickering and making up. There have been times of joy and hardship, celebration and mourning, triumph and defeat. But through all this, God has truly been faithful. His grace has been abundant and His love ever sure.

As we laid in bed a couple of weeks ago, laughing and joking about some silly thing, I felt the that day love well up again. Not only was he still my groom and me his bride, but he was now more so than ever my best friend, my confidant, and my biggest fan.

this day and these days…

Those days of adventure through making up will always be these days, but one thing that those days have taught me is that it’s all worth it. And it will always be worth it. Through it all, and until death do us part, I will never have to walk alone. I will always have my husband and my God.

“Who am I, LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” 1 Chronicles 17:16

Tim, I love you. Happy TWO YEAR Anniversary!

I love the farmhouse sink on the one below. My future home will definitely need one of these.

Mmmm I love the bright warm colors and the ability to swing open the kitchen door to let some sunshine in while cooking and eating and laughing (:

So the kitchen below is a little too dark for my tastes (needs a little more color!), but I do love the rustic table and chairs, the ceiling, and the windows above the sink.

I  like this, but again it needs some color!

“You most resemble a “California Country”.

Cozy… not oversized – a hand crafted gem. Home cooked meals from a kitchen full of country. A bedroom with distinct character – warm and charming. Your decorative canvas stretches to the property lines. Enjoying elegant outdoor fare. The glass of red – a highly recommended habit. Pre-war, upper east side attitude. Style cues of fun and discovery abound..”

-A guy cleaning off a spot on his window. I would never do this in a million years.

-Gates is no longer richest b/c of charitable donations (39 billion worth!)

-Such a neat idea!! Those living in the cities listed on this site (and who are getting married soon) should really do this! http://www.foodieregistry.com/

-Bird, letter, and the Job. Good post from Jon Acuff at Stuff Christians Like

-And then some.

I felt like I was on as episode of Bones last night. Let’s just say that I could never be a forensic anthropologist, but my husband sure could be!

-A guy in the crowd caught a bat! – I just love love all of the expressions in this shot.

(click to enlarge)

(via)

A few things to notice:
1 – Minus the fact that he’s a Gator, how crazy is this??
2 – Right foot and hand are at the ready!
3 – Poor poor man! So close to having a bat to the head.
4 – Oh number 4! The triumphant smile on your face plus the fact that you just missed the bat is just priceless.
5 – Is it just me, or is this guys foot really high? Pointed toes even!
6 – This guy is just way off the mark.
7 – Priceless :) I bet he won’t ever forget this.
8 – This guy is just so stoic!
9 – Love the expression!

-”The tragedy of first position” – such a cute video!

-Free audiobook! “The Holiness of God” by RC Sproul

-Jennifer Aniston’s “Viral Video.” Cute, funny, or trying too hard?

-Most typical person – a 28 year old han Chinese man.

-I love this idea! DIY Paint Chip Calendar.

-Geocaching - Has anyone tried this? Is it fun?

-I love this dress. I don’t know why, as it looks somewhat like a robe! (update: Tim saw this dress and confirmed that it does in fact look like a robe – and there was no “somewhat” in that statement either! haha. I guess I’d love a robe like this then! ;)

-Here’s another Loft dress I’d love to try on.

This weekend, Tim and I went over to a friends house for dinner and helped make some Nepalese dumplings called momos! These friends, Brian and Lois, are working towards being full time missionaries in Nepal so it was really neat to experience some traditional food.

Speaking of food, a few weeks ago I wrote about wanting to try and make some Naan after being on an Indian food kick. After being inspired by the dumplings, Tim and I cooked a traditional Indian meal of curry chicken, rice, and naan last night! It was dee-lish!

[Insert super relevant segue here...]

During church on Sunday we’ve been singing one of my new favorite hymns recently. Honestly, I get chills every time we sing it. It’s “Jesus, I my cross have taken” written by Henry Lyte in 1824.

Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still my own.

Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
O while Thou dost smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me,
Show Thy face and all is bright.

Man may trouble and distress me,
’Twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me;
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure,
Come disaster, scorn and pain
In Thy service, pain is pleasure,
With Thy favor, loss is gain
I have called Thee Abba Father,
I have stayed my heart on Thee
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather;
All must work for good to me.

Soul, then know thy full salvation
Rise o’er sin and fear and care
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
Think what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think that Jesus died to win thee,
Child of heaven, canst thou repine.

Haste thee on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer.
Heaven’s eternal days before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide us there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

-On a completely different note, here’s the cast of Harry Potter trying to speak in American accents!

-An internet wish list. I’m completely on-board with this one as there have been many times I’ve driven across town only to be faced with a Starbucks with no seats available!

“I wish there was an app that allowed you to find out cafe crowdedness and seat availability in advance of going.”

-Facebook stats. WOW.

-Baby laughing hysterically at ripping paper!

-A little fun with my husband :)

-My little sister turned 20 last week which reminded me of a video I took of her and her friends singing to me on MY 20th birthday. She’s the one in the middle :)

Anyways, quick update:

SEPTEMBER

-Put on a wedding shower for one of my closest friends Katie
-FSU football!

OCTOBER

-Drove down to Miami for the FSU/Miami game. WE WON!
-Training in Griffin, GA
-Took pictures of my senior girls!

NOVEMBER

-Flew up to Nashville to see my biff get MARRIED!
-My amazing friend Rachel got engaged!
-Got to fly down to Miami for Thanksgiving via a buddy pass from my amazing God-mother, Michelle! Tim worked the FSU/UF football game, so he couldn’t come.

-Mad Men Party

DECEMBER

-Tim drove out to Denver with a friend Rob to help him move for a week!
-Christmas in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.
-New Years eve/day in Jacksonville. Celebrated our year anniversary from being in Italy by opening a bottle of wine we brought back from there!

JANUARY

-Flew out to San Francisco to train for a week and got to spend 4.5 of those days vacationing with Tim! Muir woods/beach, Napa Valley, Haight Ashbury, San Jose, Mountain View, San Francisco… so fun!
-Had another two-day training session in Griffin, GA.
-My lovely sister cooked me and Tim dinner :)

FEBRUARY

-Fantastic Valentines Day with my love. He surprised me with an amazing dinner, picked me flowers, lit candles, and had the whole house clean for me when I got home from work! Dessert and a drink at Food Glorious Food topped off a wonderful evening mostly wonderful evening*.
-Getting into tennis!

Phew, okay, I’m caught up!

*Had to go into work at 10pm after dessert and stayed until 2am :( Looong night!

-To God be the glory in life and in death. Touching story of a families faith through a storm.

-Cute idea for revealing a baby’s gender!

-I’ve been on an Indian food kick recently and would love to try to make Naan!

Thank you sooo much for dinner.  We loved it and I would like the recipe if you don’t mind.   It was exactly what I needed.  Thank you, thank you!

But then fear set in.

Excuse #1: “But I’m not a good cook.”
Excuse #2: “I don’t have enough time between work and when they need their meal to make one.”
Excuse #3: “What would I even make for a bunch of teenagers?”

Which translates into:

Fear #1: I won’t be good enough.
Fear #2: They are going to be disappointed.
Fear #3: All other meals are going to be better than mine.

Lamely (and ashamedly), I rationalized my fear and insecurities in my head and didn’t respond to the email hoping that the slots would be filled up and there wouldn’t be a need for my sub par cooking. But alas, Sunday at church I was asked if I would make a meal. I said yes – pushing aside my irrational thoughts…and my initial excitement to serve came back.

So now I’m cooking a meal and realizing that even if it burns, isn’t enough, or tastes too salty, I’m still serving my family. A family that won’t judge what I bring them – but will delightfully take what I make with thanksgiving.

I will serve with CONFIDENCE. Confidence in the fact that this isn’t about me. This is about my sister in Christ. Confidence in the fact that my service will not point to me, but to Christ and His grace through His church and it’s provision for her in her time of need.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10

Instead of seeing the comic below and wanting to grumble and say it’s such an over-exaggeration of women, I sucked up my pride, laughed a lot, and sent it on to my husband. Because even though it is an exaggerated stereotype…

a lot of it is true.