I would like to sit here and write about how my son just tossed his blankie overboard and dropped a bomb in his pants all after I laid him down for his nap (does a worse nap time combo of events exist?), because that stuff is easy and fun and lighthearted. But today isn't easy and fun and lighthearted because across the ocean this afternoon, hearts and people are broken.
My heart is so heavy after watching some of the tsunami and earthquake footage from Japan. It is absolutely heartbreaking. It is one of those things that glues me to the television with my jaw dropped in horror and my eyes wide with terror because it is such a horrifyingly unbelievable reality.
Seeing such a tragedy unfold puts things in perspective. Tragedies like this shatter my heart for the victims and their families, and cause me to reflect. Such a devastating event pulls me out of the fog and makes me take a look around and think about what really matters. It makes me want to get my stuff together and start living like a tsunami could rip through the backyard at any moment. It forces me to think about why I'm here and what I'm suppose to be doing while I'm here and whether or not I'm doing it because at any second, the tide could come in, and it could all be over.
Tragedies of this magnitude make me inhale sharply and stare in horror and ache for the victims and then when I finally turn off the TV and my mind and heart are still reeling, I take a deep breath and look at the big picture. I see the hurting and brokenness not just halfway across the world in the aftermath of a catastrophic natural disaster, but I see the hurt right next door and across the street and in people all around me. Then I think about God's story and the role we all play in it, and it makes me ask myself, "what am I doing to contribute while I'm here?" Because we don't get to be here forever, and this isn't a dress rehearsal- this is the real deal. He's got a plan, we've got a purpose, and we don't just get to sit around and start whenever we feel like it, because the tide could be coming in.
I'm feeling an urgency today. An urgency that I should be feeling every day, but one that gets dulled by diapers and busyness and dinners and all other manner of distractions. It's an urgency to live hard. To live like there's no tomorrow. To love extravagantly and to give until it hurts and to share the truth that Jesus loved extravagantly and gave His very life so that we might live. God sacrificed His only Son so that we would have hope beyond tomorrow. So that, for those who choose to receive His gift of grace, when the tide comes in and its all over, its not all over.
What a glorious gift.
As I watch the devastating footage on CNN's website, I find myself full of gratitude for God's love and grace and so thankful that I am not entirely helpless sitting here in my little house across the world, but that I can reach out through prayer and ask the God of mercy and peace and healing to touch the hearts of the desperate and hurting on the other side of the globe today.
Praying for the people touched by the tsunami and earthquakes in Japan, and praying we feel an urgency- today and every day.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Raindrops + Bird songs = LOVE
I can hear birds singing outside, and it is raining. If I opened the door, I bet it would smell like mud. Mmm... Yes, there are still piles of snow outside reaching five feet high, but I think bird songs and raindrops are worthy of note because that means Spring is at least trying to get here.
I am so desperate for Spring that I packed away all our heavy winter coats and accessories this afternoon. It was a risky move, but I absolutely refuse to wear a big puffy coat after the first of March. Yuck. Cleaning out the house as we prep it for the market and purge it of everything but necessities has been a great excuse to get rid of all things winter. Out with the pine cones and hats and scarves, and in with the Easter eggs and flowers. It might not feel like Spring outside, but it's gonna look like Spring in here, baby. And it looks good.
I am still squirming under the pressure of all the little to-do's we have to get done before we can put the house up on the market, but I am slowly knocking things off one by one. Coat rack emptied: check. Craft supplies dumped and organized and hidden away: check. Baby books moved from basket and tucked away on a shelf: check. Shelves cleared: kind of check. I hate parting with my picture frames and knickety knacks, so I'm slowly stashing things away day by day. It makes it a little less painful. Or maybe not. Maybe I should just purge it all quick like a Bandaid, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I'd rather spend a little time mourning the disappearance of three years worth of decorating. *sigh*
On to bigger and brighter things: we had a baby "sprinkle" today! Miss L is due to have a sweet baby boy at the end of April, so we got our party on today at play group. She looks absolutely adorable, and is every bit the cute pregnant woman. She has a miraculous gift for getting pregnant only in her belly, and she just looks beautiful. I wish I had that gift. I was pregnant from my head to my kankles, but Miss L knows how to rock a baby bump!
Miss L's first son just turned two, and since he's got lots of clothes and toys to share with his new baby brother, we threw her a "sprinkle" instead of a shower. Appropriate, since it has been sprinkling outside all day. =) There was lots of food and some fun gifts and lots of children crawling all over everything. Children crawling all over everything are the perfect living room accessory, as far as I'm concerned. It makes me so happy to see Newbie's sweet friends hanging out and playing with all his toys. Newbie had a blast. He was literally climbing over his buddies (sorry Baby I!) and swiping toys out of sheer excitement. It has been a while since he had all his buddies over to play, and he could not have been a happier camper.
Play Group ended as it usually does- one kiddo drops like a fly, desperate for lunch and nap time, and the others gradually follow suit until all of us mamas are doing everything we can to high-tail it out of there before we miss the nap time window or the kids plunge into an Oscar-worthy meltdown. By the time all his buddies left, Newbie was on the verge, so we popped a few Cheerios and some lunch then he hit the sack for an early nap.
We have a low-keyed afternoon planned after such a busy morning. Lots of relaxing and lazing around are on the agenda. A perfect rainy day, if you ask me.
Wishing you all sweet dreams of Spring and a birdsong or two!
I am so desperate for Spring that I packed away all our heavy winter coats and accessories this afternoon. It was a risky move, but I absolutely refuse to wear a big puffy coat after the first of March. Yuck. Cleaning out the house as we prep it for the market and purge it of everything but necessities has been a great excuse to get rid of all things winter. Out with the pine cones and hats and scarves, and in with the Easter eggs and flowers. It might not feel like Spring outside, but it's gonna look like Spring in here, baby. And it looks good.
I am still squirming under the pressure of all the little to-do's we have to get done before we can put the house up on the market, but I am slowly knocking things off one by one. Coat rack emptied: check. Craft supplies dumped and organized and hidden away: check. Baby books moved from basket and tucked away on a shelf: check. Shelves cleared: kind of check. I hate parting with my picture frames and knickety knacks, so I'm slowly stashing things away day by day. It makes it a little less painful. Or maybe not. Maybe I should just purge it all quick like a Bandaid, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I'd rather spend a little time mourning the disappearance of three years worth of decorating. *sigh*
On to bigger and brighter things: we had a baby "sprinkle" today! Miss L is due to have a sweet baby boy at the end of April, so we got our party on today at play group. She looks absolutely adorable, and is every bit the cute pregnant woman. She has a miraculous gift for getting pregnant only in her belly, and she just looks beautiful. I wish I had that gift. I was pregnant from my head to my kankles, but Miss L knows how to rock a baby bump!
Miss L's first son just turned two, and since he's got lots of clothes and toys to share with his new baby brother, we threw her a "sprinkle" instead of a shower. Appropriate, since it has been sprinkling outside all day. =) There was lots of food and some fun gifts and lots of children crawling all over everything. Children crawling all over everything are the perfect living room accessory, as far as I'm concerned. It makes me so happy to see Newbie's sweet friends hanging out and playing with all his toys. Newbie had a blast. He was literally climbing over his buddies (sorry Baby I!) and swiping toys out of sheer excitement. It has been a while since he had all his buddies over to play, and he could not have been a happier camper.
Play Group ended as it usually does- one kiddo drops like a fly, desperate for lunch and nap time, and the others gradually follow suit until all of us mamas are doing everything we can to high-tail it out of there before we miss the nap time window or the kids plunge into an Oscar-worthy meltdown. By the time all his buddies left, Newbie was on the verge, so we popped a few Cheerios and some lunch then he hit the sack for an early nap.
We have a low-keyed afternoon planned after such a busy morning. Lots of relaxing and lazing around are on the agenda. A perfect rainy day, if you ask me.
Wishing you all sweet dreams of Spring and a birdsong or two!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Start 'em Off, Take 2
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6
It's time for Start 'em Off Round Two!
In case you missed the kickoff, you can catch up here. In a nutshell, Start 'em Off is a series of posts aiming to share ideas about how we can "start our children off on the way they should go." Through the Start 'em Off posts, I'm hoping to pick your brains and your thoughts and come up with some fun and enriching ways to teach our kiddos how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. (Ephesians 3:18-20) No idea is too small or too big or too simple or too fun! A craft, a prayer, a verse, a song, a book, anything.
If you've got something to share, leave it in the comments at the end of the post or, better yet(!), post about it on your blog and leave your blog on the Start 'em Off linky list so we know where to find your ideas! If you write a Start 'em Off post on your blog, be sure to give us a hollah and link back to Sprinkles & Wrinkles so your readers can get in on all the ideas connected to this post too. =)
Without further ado...
Ever since Newbie was born, I have been a praying machine. I love how Shauna Niequist puts it in her short story "Mother Prayers" from her book, Cold Tangerines. (You're going to want to click on that hyperlink because it will take you to an online version of the book through Google Reader...WOOHOO!) Shauna talks about how she prayed for her son each night after they brought him home from the hospital "'Dear God, please please please keep our baby healthy and alive through the night. Thank you thank you thank you for him, and please please please keep him safe in the night'. I wasn't creative in my language, but what I lacked in vocabulary, I made up for in intensity. I became downright televangelist in my prayers. Babies must bring out the inner charismatic in all of us."
I laughed out loud when I read "Babies must bring out the inner charismatic in all of us" because that is so me. I pray like crazy over Newbie each night, and I have a couple fun things to share that I plan to start using during our prayer time on the nights when I feel like digging a little deeper than the "please please please" and the "thank you thank you thank you". =)
While They Are Sleeping
The first resource is a book I fell in love with this weekend at the Family Life resource center. Its on my gotta-have-it list, and it's called, While They Are Sleeping: 12 Character Traits to Pray for the Children You Love by Ann Arkins and Gary Harrell. The book outlines 12 character traits and has various prayers under each trait with blanks to write in your child's name. I'm not explaining it well, but I flipped through it at the store and absolutely loved the idea, so I'm stashing away my pennies and can't wait to get my hands on a copy.
Image found at Amazon.com
Pray 7 x7
The next item in the grab bag this week is Angie Smith's 7 prayers a day. If you haven't fallen in love with her blog yet, check her out here and fall. She is married to the lead singer in Selah, and she's got such an incredible heart for God. I can't say enough about what I've learned from Angie by reading her blog....do you like how I talk about her like we're besties even though I've never met her? Ha! She recently wrote a book about her story, and I am just waiting for her to write a book on parenting. I would follow every word.
A couple years ago she wrote a post about how she prays over her little girls. You can click the picture below to go read the post in its entirety, but I've copied the prayers here. The idea is to pray over your children seven times a day, seven days a week. I'm planning on printing out each prayer, filling in Newbie's name, and pasting them on index cards in places throughout the house so I can be praying for him throughout our day. Easy. Practical. Prayer-filled. Just the way I like it. =)
"1. When they wake up: "Let the morning bring (child's name) word of your unfailing love, for she has put her trust in You. Show (her/him) the way (she/he) should go, for to you (he/she) lifts up her soul." (Adapted from Psalm 143:8)
2. When they are getting dressed: "Therefore, as God's chosen child, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Lord, help (him/her) bear with others and forgive whatever grievances (he/she) has against others. Help (him/her) forgive as the Lord forgave (him/her). And over all these virtues, help (him/her) put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Adapted from Colossians 3:12-14)
3. While they are eating: "Teach (child's name) the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Teach (him/her) that (he/she) can do everything through him who gives (him/her) strength." (Adapted from Philippians 4:12-13)
4. When they go out of the house: "(Name of child), do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Adapted from Romans 12:2)
5. While they are taking a bath: Lord, give (name of child) clean hands and a pure heart, and let (him/her) not lift (his/her) soul to an idol or swear by what is false. Let (him/her) receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God (his/her) Savior. Let (him/her) be part of the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. (Adapted from Psalm 24:4-6)
6. When they are going to bed: "The Lord Your God is with you; he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, be will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)
7. While they are sleeping: "I pray that (name of child) will do everything without complaining or arguing, so that he/she may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which he/she shines like a star in the universe as he/she holds out the word of life-in order that he/she may boast on the day of Christ that he/she did not run or labor for nothing." (Adapted from Philippians 2:14-16)"
2. When they are getting dressed: "Therefore, as God's chosen child, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Lord, help (him/her) bear with others and forgive whatever grievances (he/she) has against others. Help (him/her) forgive as the Lord forgave (him/her). And over all these virtues, help (him/her) put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Adapted from Colossians 3:12-14)
3. While they are eating: "Teach (child's name) the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Teach (him/her) that (he/she) can do everything through him who gives (him/her) strength." (Adapted from Philippians 4:12-13)
4. When they go out of the house: "(Name of child), do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Adapted from Romans 12:2)
5. While they are taking a bath: Lord, give (name of child) clean hands and a pure heart, and let (him/her) not lift (his/her) soul to an idol or swear by what is false. Let (him/her) receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God (his/her) Savior. Let (him/her) be part of the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. (Adapted from Psalm 24:4-6)
6. When they are going to bed: "The Lord Your God is with you; he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, be will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)
7. While they are sleeping: "I pray that (name of child) will do everything without complaining or arguing, so that he/she may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which he/she shines like a star in the universe as he/she holds out the word of life-in order that he/she may boast on the day of Christ that he/she did not run or labor for nothing." (Adapted from Philippians 2:14-16)"
I just love love love that. In fact, I'm going to try to get these up on the wall by the end of the week.
I'm off to grab a few last minute groceries for a little shower I'm hosting for at Play Group tomorrow. Somebody's due to have an April baby, and we're using it as an excuse to shop at Target and eat some delicious breakfast goodies. =)
Wishing you all a wonderful week!
*If you have an issues with the linky list, leave me a comment and let me know how it is working....we're taking it for a test drive this week. Thanks!
I'm off to grab a few last minute groceries for a little shower I'm hosting for at Play Group tomorrow. Somebody's due to have an April baby, and we're using it as an excuse to shop at Target and eat some delicious breakfast goodies. =)
Wishing you all a wonderful week!
*If you have an issues with the linky list, leave me a comment and let me know how it is working....we're taking it for a test drive this week. Thanks!
Monday, March 7, 2011
It's like Luby's over here....or Old Country Buffet for all you northerners
I've taken a bazillion pictures lately that I haven't posted, and I had big ambitions of writing separate posts for all of them, but there just isn't enough time in the day, and fun stuff keeps happening, and I just can't keep up. (Did that sentence have enough commas for you?)
So hold onto your hats because what you're about to experience is an all-you-can-eat buffet full of pictures so I can get it all out of my system and start fresh this week. I'm not going to come up for air until all the pictures that have been hollering at me for the past two weeks are posted.
So sit back, relax, and grab your sporks, folks. (I love sporks. Anytime I think of a spork, I flash back to my elementary school cafeteria and there I am, positioned in front of a styrofoam lunch tray and prodding at those marigold yellow peaches swimming in a pool of syrup with the stunted prongs of my spork. Sporks were so cool. Then I start thinking of the steak fingers and gravy that sat next to those peaches on hot-lunch Fridays, and I start drooling....mmm....)
Last week I gave Newbie an apple. And since he didn't have any teeth, he slobbered on that thing like CrAzY.
We have spent 89% of the winter in the play room. Spring cannot come soon enough!
Watching the bubbles with Daddy:
This is what Newbie looked like when we got home from our weekend extravaganza last night. Having a boy is so much fun because you get to dress him in rocket ship footie pj's that glow in the dark. =)
We've been working on a new trick. It goes like this: "[Newbie], how big are you?!?"
Then he reaches his hands up in the air and we yell, "SO BIG!!!!"
These two have really been hamming it up lately:
In this house, you are lucky if you have clean socks to wear, much less ones that actually match, therefore, we're counting the fact that Newbie has two matching clean socks on a win. So don't judge when you see the jack-o-lanterns in the middle of March. =)
Classic Opie shot. Classic.
Now that I've got all of those out of my to-post file, I'm off to do some Bambi detox. Newbie's great grandmother, Mutte, sent him Bambi on DVD, so we watched it together this afternoon, and his mama was a whole mess of tears. Seriously. Four o'clock in the afternoon and I was an ugly cry mess. You did it to me again, Mr. Walt Disney. You did it to me again. You know what line gets me the most? "Faster Bambi! To the thicket! Run! Don't look back, Bambi! Faster!" And then she's not behind him when he gets there. There's just no hiding from the sobs. So I'm off to find something super happy to watch on TV before bed tonight.
Sweet dreams!
***Start 'em Off Take 2 to come tomorrow....start working on posting about your ideas if you've got 'em! =)
So hold onto your hats because what you're about to experience is an all-you-can-eat buffet full of pictures so I can get it all out of my system and start fresh this week. I'm not going to come up for air until all the pictures that have been hollering at me for the past two weeks are posted.
So sit back, relax, and grab your sporks, folks. (I love sporks. Anytime I think of a spork, I flash back to my elementary school cafeteria and there I am, positioned in front of a styrofoam lunch tray and prodding at those marigold yellow peaches swimming in a pool of syrup with the stunted prongs of my spork. Sporks were so cool. Then I start thinking of the steak fingers and gravy that sat next to those peaches on hot-lunch Fridays, and I start drooling....mmm....)
Last week I gave Newbie an apple. And since he didn't have any teeth, he slobbered on that thing like CrAzY.
We have spent 89% of the winter in the play room. Spring cannot come soon enough!
Watching the bubbles with Daddy:
...Because binkies taste better this way:
This is what Newbie looked like when we got home from our weekend extravaganza last night. Having a boy is so much fun because you get to dress him in rocket ship footie pj's that glow in the dark. =)
We've been working on a new trick. It goes like this: "[Newbie], how big are you?!?"
Then he reaches his hands up in the air and we yell, "SO BIG!!!!"
These two have really been hamming it up lately:
In this house, you are lucky if you have clean socks to wear, much less ones that actually match, therefore, we're counting the fact that Newbie has two matching clean socks on a win. So don't judge when you see the jack-o-lanterns in the middle of March. =)
Classic Opie shot. Classic.
Now that I've got all of those out of my to-post file, I'm off to do some Bambi detox. Newbie's great grandmother, Mutte, sent him Bambi on DVD, so we watched it together this afternoon, and his mama was a whole mess of tears. Seriously. Four o'clock in the afternoon and I was an ugly cry mess. You did it to me again, Mr. Walt Disney. You did it to me again. You know what line gets me the most? "Faster Bambi! To the thicket! Run! Don't look back, Bambi! Faster!" And then she's not behind him when he gets there. There's just no hiding from the sobs. So I'm off to find something super happy to watch on TV before bed tonight.
Sweet dreams!
***Start 'em Off Take 2 to come tomorrow....start working on posting about your ideas if you've got 'em! =)
A Weekend to Remember
I truly can't describe what an incredible time the Hubs and I had at the Family Life Today Weekend to Remember. Our experience was a trillion times better than an Oreo Blizzard, I can tell you that much.
The conference focused on God's design for marriage and our individual roles within marriage, and it was like a bowl full of encouragement for the Hubs and me. One of the things the speakers said was that most often, married couples go through life on instinct and let the chips fall where they may, but God designed marriage as a gift and a blessing to us, and He's given us directions to show us how to make it work forever. The entire weekend was spent picking apart God's design for marriage in a way that left the Hubs and I feeling so encouraged because we have a road map to follow when it comes to building a marriage relationship that will last forever. For ever ever.
It's amazing how much we learned from scripture and truth we already knew. We have always sought to build our marriage according to God's design, but it was so helpful to have it outlined so clearly by the FamilyLife speakers. To be cleverly cliche, our marriage needed a tune-up like our car could use a trip to Valvoline, and we got it this weekend. (Side note: Am I the only one who is always embarrassingly over the appropriate mileage when I pull in for an oil change? Eep!). It was awesome to get away for a weekend and focus on "just us," and even more amazing was that we walked away feeling like we've got a game plan to guide us through a successful marriage in a culture where marriage is often tossed aside when the going gets tough. We always knew without a doubt that we were in this for the long haul, but we weren't entirely sure of all the details that empower a marriage stay in it for the long haul. This weekend did that for us, and we are so happy to have the know-how.
KA-POW!
It was fabulous. Have I said that yet?
The Hubs and I talked about how every marriage, no matter what, could so deeply benefit from attending the conference. There were couples there that had been happily married for over 60 years. There were couples there on the brink of divorce who attended as a last-ditch effort. There were couples there that had been married a few months, and there were couples there like the Hubs and me, somewhere in the in between with a kid or 5 under our belts just looking for a breath of fresh air and some wisdom. By the end of the weekend, there were several testimonies from marriages at various points in the journey, expressing gratitude for all they had learned and how much they had grown as a couple over the weekend. It was just that revolutionary.
And the best part? The best part was the conference wasn't touchy feely warm fuzzy stuff. It was funny, laid back, better-than-a-date-night-good, and a ton of fun! It breathed life into our marriage in a way that only God can, and it. was. Amazing. Check it out here. Or live out our new dream and go on this cruise because oh my yes please.
We're so excited about what we learned that we're chomping at the bit to start digging in to some of the resources they shared with us this weekend. They had a resource center set up just outside the ball room where the conference was held. We spent a good chunk of time there, and I seriously wanted to buy every book in the place. Here are a few items on my new book list. Yes, each one of those words is a link to a different book, and yes, I've got a great deal reading ahead of me. =)
One of my favorite quotes from the weekend was by Harlan Miller, which was printed on one of the pages in the manual they gave us: "Often the difference between a successful marriage and a mediocre one consists of leaving about three or four things a day unsaid." As the Hubs would say, "Put that on a t-shirt and sell it!" The quote really resonated with me because I have what we call a BIG mouth. I actually laughed out loud when I read that quote because it is simply some of the best advice a chatty Kathy like me could hear. =)
After spending Friday evening and most of Saturday at the conference, on Saturday night they let us out early, and we took off from the ballroom for a fun date night and then spent the night at a hotel. Such fun! I really appreciated the crisp, clean white sheets and the lack of baby monitor static fuzzing into my ear from my nightstand. =) It was a refreshing break from our routine, and we loved it.
The Hubs took me out to Olive Garden (my fave!) for dinner and surprised me with this pretty rose...aww...
Don't think we didn't buy some playing cards at the hotel souvenir shop and crank out a game of rat race and a few rounds of poker because that happened.
I love hotel coffee mugs. Seriously. They might make my birthday wish list this year.
Our view from the hotel was beautiful...I'm a sucker for pretty city-scapes out of hotel windows. =)
Sunday afternoon it was back to our extraordinary ordinary, and we snuggled Newbie like we hadn't seen him in weeks. He was happy to see us, which always warms my heart. Opie even got loved on after our weekend away. I'm telling you, we are changed people. =)
We are really excited to start practicing all the things we learned this weekend as I work to shut my mouth (ha!) and we work together to love each other like we mean it and continue to allow the Lord to build our house on His foundation.
The conference focused on God's design for marriage and our individual roles within marriage, and it was like a bowl full of encouragement for the Hubs and me. One of the things the speakers said was that most often, married couples go through life on instinct and let the chips fall where they may, but God designed marriage as a gift and a blessing to us, and He's given us directions to show us how to make it work forever. The entire weekend was spent picking apart God's design for marriage in a way that left the Hubs and I feeling so encouraged because we have a road map to follow when it comes to building a marriage relationship that will last forever. For ever ever.
It's amazing how much we learned from scripture and truth we already knew. We have always sought to build our marriage according to God's design, but it was so helpful to have it outlined so clearly by the FamilyLife speakers. To be cleverly cliche, our marriage needed a tune-up like our car could use a trip to Valvoline, and we got it this weekend. (Side note: Am I the only one who is always embarrassingly over the appropriate mileage when I pull in for an oil change? Eep!). It was awesome to get away for a weekend and focus on "just us," and even more amazing was that we walked away feeling like we've got a game plan to guide us through a successful marriage in a culture where marriage is often tossed aside when the going gets tough. We always knew without a doubt that we were in this for the long haul, but we weren't entirely sure of all the details that empower a marriage stay in it for the long haul. This weekend did that for us, and we are so happy to have the know-how.
KA-POW!
It was fabulous. Have I said that yet?
The Hubs and I talked about how every marriage, no matter what, could so deeply benefit from attending the conference. There were couples there that had been happily married for over 60 years. There were couples there on the brink of divorce who attended as a last-ditch effort. There were couples there that had been married a few months, and there were couples there like the Hubs and me, somewhere in the in between with a kid or 5 under our belts just looking for a breath of fresh air and some wisdom. By the end of the weekend, there were several testimonies from marriages at various points in the journey, expressing gratitude for all they had learned and how much they had grown as a couple over the weekend. It was just that revolutionary.
And the best part? The best part was the conference wasn't touchy feely warm fuzzy stuff. It was funny, laid back, better-than-a-date-night-good, and a ton of fun! It breathed life into our marriage in a way that only God can, and it. was. Amazing. Check it out here. Or live out our new dream and go on this cruise because oh my yes please.
We're so excited about what we learned that we're chomping at the bit to start digging in to some of the resources they shared with us this weekend. They had a resource center set up just outside the ball room where the conference was held. We spent a good chunk of time there, and I seriously wanted to buy every book in the place. Here are a few items on my new book list. Yes, each one of those words is a link to a different book, and yes, I've got a great deal reading ahead of me. =)
One of my favorite quotes from the weekend was by Harlan Miller, which was printed on one of the pages in the manual they gave us: "Often the difference between a successful marriage and a mediocre one consists of leaving about three or four things a day unsaid." As the Hubs would say, "Put that on a t-shirt and sell it!" The quote really resonated with me because I have what we call a BIG mouth. I actually laughed out loud when I read that quote because it is simply some of the best advice a chatty Kathy like me could hear. =)
After spending Friday evening and most of Saturday at the conference, on Saturday night they let us out early, and we took off from the ballroom for a fun date night and then spent the night at a hotel. Such fun! I really appreciated the crisp, clean white sheets and the lack of baby monitor static fuzzing into my ear from my nightstand. =) It was a refreshing break from our routine, and we loved it.
The Hubs took me out to Olive Garden (my fave!) for dinner and surprised me with this pretty rose...aww...
Don't think we didn't buy some playing cards at the hotel souvenir shop and crank out a game of rat race and a few rounds of poker because that happened.
I love hotel coffee mugs. Seriously. They might make my birthday wish list this year.
Our view from the hotel was beautiful...I'm a sucker for pretty city-scapes out of hotel windows. =)
Sunday afternoon it was back to our extraordinary ordinary, and we snuggled Newbie like we hadn't seen him in weeks. He was happy to see us, which always warms my heart. Opie even got loved on after our weekend away. I'm telling you, we are changed people. =)
We are really excited to start practicing all the things we learned this weekend as I work to shut my mouth (ha!) and we work together to love each other like we mean it and continue to allow the Lord to build our house on His foundation.
"There are lots of things you can do with sand; but do not try building a house on it."
-C.S. Lewis
-C.S. Lewis
Hoping you all had a blessed weekend and see some almost-Spring-sunshine today! Happy Monday, friends!
[A HUGE thank-you Mom and Daddy for sending us on this weekend getaway and housing our circus while we were gone!!! You guys rock our socks off. Love love love.]
Friday, March 4, 2011
I love strawberries. And weekend retreats.
I'm busting at the seams with anticipation because in just a few short hours,
this girl (plus 22 years) is going to sneak away...
with this boy (plus 24 years)...
for a weekend getaway...
full of
encouragement
quiet (!!!)
wisdom
prayer
challenges
date nights
reflection
...and a whole lotta delicious food (because, you know, priorities). =)
I can't wait!
Happy weekending, friends! =)
P.S: While diapering a loudly protesting Newbie on the changing table (diaper changes are not his favorite thing), I just heard myself say: "Well, Honey, when you put poop in your pants, we have to get it out." ...And that, my friends, is why I am in desperate need of a weekend getaway. Amen.
this girl (plus 22 years) is going to sneak away...
with this boy (plus 24 years)...
for a weekend getaway...
full of
encouragement
quiet (!!!)
wisdom
prayer
challenges
date nights
reflection
...and a whole lotta delicious food (because, you know, priorities). =)
I can't wait!
Happy weekending, friends! =)
P.S: While diapering a loudly protesting Newbie on the changing table (diaper changes are not his favorite thing), I just heard myself say: "Well, Honey, when you put poop in your pants, we have to get it out." ...And that, my friends, is why I am in desperate need of a weekend getaway. Amen.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
He is so cool
This is just one of the many things that makes the Hubs so cool:
He plays hard. And Newbie loves it.
I took these pictures in celebration of Boris' defeat last week. He's back in action now, but those few hours of victory were oh, so very sweet.
Ladies and gentlemen, I want Spring so bad I could cry. This mama's got a rip-roaring case of cabin fever, and the only remedy is going to be warm air and green grass and a driveway that isn't covered in ice and snow. SER.I.OUS.LY. I've never been more sick of my four walls, and I think its because I've never had to keep a 10 month old entertained in them 24-7 before, but Baby, that's where we're at, and I am ready to get outta here.
Some of my itch to get outside might be due in part to the fact that we are deep in the process of prepping the house to get it up on the market, and Homie doesn't like the prescribed changes. We have an awesome realtor, but I'd be lying if I said I'm excited about all the things on the to-do list before this puppy hits the housing market. Only one item on each shelf. Two pieces of furniture per room. The baby toys have got to go. You might want to consider repainting this living room ceiling.
1. Really? One item?! What about all my books?!?!
2. Two pieces of furniture? That wouldn't be a problem if there weren't 8+ pieces of furniture in each room already. Can we rent out another house to put all our junk in while we try to sell this one?!
3. The toys? The TOYS? THE TOYS?!?!?!?!? Heaven help me, if we pitch all the toys, The Thaw needs to be quick on their heels, or else Newbie's going to be playing with toilet paper and kitchen spoons, and I have a feeling that won't end well. [Pops an ibuprofen and considers hitting her second cup of coffee in 10 minutes]
4. Repaint? Yeah, I can see that. This one I saw coming given that I painted that living room in the space of about 20 minutes when I was a high-on-life engaged 20 year old and on a gotta-get-this-joint painted before the fiance comes home and tells me we need to wait a few months bender. Needless to say, my less-than-stellar cutting-in job left more than a few splotches of green paint scattered along the white ceiling. Ugh.
I'm stressed out. So I went to one of my go-to treatments when I'm stressed: I hit the kitchen like a cyclone, and I shared some of the wealth with Newbie. Lucky for the impending swimsuit season, my victim was an apple and not chocolate this time.
Newbie makes just about everything all better. Gosh. Just look at those pudgey little fingers holding that apple! Yum. With those rolly poly cheeks and those big blue eyes, it's hard to stay frazzled for too long. He's my little Superman.
Check out what these two hooligans were up to this morning as I ran around the house trying to cram as many chores into Cheerio-time as I could:
He plays hard. And Newbie loves it.
I took these pictures in celebration of Boris' defeat last week. He's back in action now, but those few hours of victory were oh, so very sweet.
Ladies and gentlemen, I want Spring so bad I could cry. This mama's got a rip-roaring case of cabin fever, and the only remedy is going to be warm air and green grass and a driveway that isn't covered in ice and snow. SER.I.OUS.LY. I've never been more sick of my four walls, and I think its because I've never had to keep a 10 month old entertained in them 24-7 before, but Baby, that's where we're at, and I am ready to get outta here.
Some of my itch to get outside might be due in part to the fact that we are deep in the process of prepping the house to get it up on the market, and Homie doesn't like the prescribed changes. We have an awesome realtor, but I'd be lying if I said I'm excited about all the things on the to-do list before this puppy hits the housing market. Only one item on each shelf. Two pieces of furniture per room. The baby toys have got to go. You might want to consider repainting this living room ceiling.
1. Really? One item?! What about all my books?!?!
2. Two pieces of furniture? That wouldn't be a problem if there weren't 8+ pieces of furniture in each room already. Can we rent out another house to put all our junk in while we try to sell this one?!
3. The toys? The TOYS? THE TOYS?!?!?!?!? Heaven help me, if we pitch all the toys, The Thaw needs to be quick on their heels, or else Newbie's going to be playing with toilet paper and kitchen spoons, and I have a feeling that won't end well. [Pops an ibuprofen and considers hitting her second cup of coffee in 10 minutes]
4. Repaint? Yeah, I can see that. This one I saw coming given that I painted that living room in the space of about 20 minutes when I was a high-on-life engaged 20 year old and on a gotta-get-this-joint painted before the fiance comes home and tells me we need to wait a few months bender. Needless to say, my less-than-stellar cutting-in job left more than a few splotches of green paint scattered along the white ceiling. Ugh.
I'm stressed out. So I went to one of my go-to treatments when I'm stressed: I hit the kitchen like a cyclone, and I shared some of the wealth with Newbie. Lucky for the impending swimsuit season, my victim was an apple and not chocolate this time.
Newbie makes just about everything all better. Gosh. Just look at those pudgey little fingers holding that apple! Yum. With those rolly poly cheeks and those big blue eyes, it's hard to stay frazzled for too long. He's my little Superman.
Check out what these two hooligans were up to this morning as I ran around the house trying to cram as many chores into Cheerio-time as I could:
There are at least 17 dog behavior and health code violations going on here, but that's kind of the way we roll at 8 o'clock in the morning. I tried to tell them sharing Cheerios is a one-way ticket to the kennel for Opie, but they are nothing if not true to each other, and the kennel threat must have been well worth maintaining their mutual loyalty, because they did this for at least another 10 minutes before I finally stuck Opie in his kennel while Newbie finished eating. I am sure this is only a foreshadowing of Opie/Newbie mischief to come. I love having a little boy. He is just too much fun.
The Hubs is a lot of fun too. We're taking off this weekend for a Family Life Today marriage conference, and I couldn't be more excited about a weekend away with my man. I listen to the Family Life Today radio show at noon each day, and I can't say enough wonderful things about it. I am so looking forward to attending one of their events. We've got big plans to sleep in a little bit and drink Starbucks and hit up Olive Garden for dinner. Mmm.... The conference is just a massive bonus on top of an awesome opportunity to spend some time with the Hubs. So I cleaned the house in a whirlwind this morning, and I'm off to pack Newbie's bags and get through some more laundry before we head into a fun weekend.
Hope you all have a fabulous Thursday and a very happy weekend!
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