Algae Free for Me

     Lately I've been realizing how much of a country girl I really am. I spent most of my childhood living on five acres in a suburb of a suburb. It took thirty minutes to get to Wal-Mart, twenty for church, and fifteen to the nearest gas station. Our little "town" had one stoplight, a movie rental store, Italian restaurant, and county jail/post office. On July 4th, 4-H made up most of the parade. ;)
     On a whole I loved living there but I didn't (and still don't) really appreciate living in the middle of nowhere and I don't quite have a knack for country life. So when I say I'm a country girl I just mean it in the way that I think and do things. For instance, every time somebody turns on a garbage disposal I still freak out and think "Oh no! They didn't clear all the food out first! It's going to get cloooggedd!! NNnnNooOOOo!" Or when we were growing up we joked half seriously about using only three squares of toilet paper per wipe and to this day, believe it or not!, I still use only three squares. It is almost unfathomable to me how city people don't need a whole weekend to do their outside chores. No one knows what a crick (creek) is and they don't save their egg cartons to give back to the neighbors who raise the chickens.
     Talk about a whole new world! Whew, it's incredible! Jon has been helping me adjust and loosen up a little bit so I now run eggs and bread crumbs through the disposal and I don't have a spasm if that extra half of a square goes into the toilet. But this has all got me thinking about how much change we go through in life that requires adaptation.
     As individuals we change, our environment changes, the people we know change...etc. Without change we would never grow, never become the individuals we were meant to be. I remember thinking one time how I wished everything in my life would just stay the same forever. Then before I could turn around twice everything had changed and I felt like I was stumbling around in the dark searching for a way to adapt and get my head above water again. My only comfort and stability was God. He's the one thing that is ever constant. We can go through a move, have children grow and leave the house, start a new hobby, get a salary cut, lose a best friend, have constant car trouble, or start a family and we will have a chance to develop and grow or shrivel up and die.
     Right now I want you to picture a pond of water in a meadow. It has green trees and lush grass with wild flowers growing around it. Birds are swooping down from a clear blue sky to grab insects dancing on the water. A deer comes for a drink and scares away the little frog family sunning themselves on a log. You have been absorbing all the beauty and serenity from a distance, but now you move forward. As you take a closer look at the pond you notice there is no sun glittering on the water, in fact, as you lean over, you notice it reflects nothing at all. The water is vile and smells retched with some sort of slimy fungus growing on it. This pond is stagnant.
     My mom always used to ask me what happened to water if it was never moving, never "growing" or "expanding". Well of course it becomes stagnant. And then she would say that that is kind of what happens to us if we are never learning or growing. We would become stagnant like the pond if nothing ever reached in and caused a stirring every once in a while. We need the wind to blow to keep the "algae" away otherwise how are we to reflect the Son?
     So keep your head up and don't be afraid to laugh in the face of change. It's ok to enjoy life while the wind is blowing.
     Live. Laugh. Love.

Geography Goof

We started out talking about something going on at the White House and Jon happened to ask me if I knew whether the White House was in Washington State or D.C. and well... the rest is history. ;)

"Hm, you know, I've never really thought about that, but my gut tells me it's in Washington State."
*slight grin* "Now, are you sure? I would hate for you to be wrong about this."
"Well considering D.C. is on the East Coast in Connecticut somewhere and gets hit by tsunamis all the time, I'm still gonna have to go with Washington State."
*burst out laughing* "Nope! It's in D.C.! Haha, Babe, how do you not know this?!
"What?! How come no one ever told me! When people say 'the President will be flying down' I always imagined he came from Washington State!"
"Lol, no he comes from D.C. Now, do you know what D.C. stands for? *eyebrow raise*
"Uuuhhhhh... direct...court? *sheepish grin*
"No, good guess though. It means District of Columbia."
*gasp!* "Colombia is in the U.S.?! That's so unethical!"
"Colombia is a country in South America."
"Like Mexico?"
"Well kinda. Mexico is a part of North America so its kinda the same. Do you know any geography at all haha? What's the capitol of Alaska?
"Anchorage."
"Wow ok, what about Missouri?"
"Uh, I only know the important ones like Alaska, Hawaii, Texas, Oklahoma, New York, and... France."
"You're kidding! What about countries or continents, do you know any of those?"
"There are seven seas!"
"You have to know this stuff! Ok, uh, what continent is Japan part of?"
"The...Orients?..."
"Lol nope. What if I were to say they are Asian?"
"Oh! Oh! I know! Asia!"
"Good! What about Hong Kong?"
"Japan."
"This is worse than I thought. Ok, I'm gonna throw a hard one at you. Have you ever heard of Liverpool?"
"Oh please! Come on, Babe, seriously... Don't make stuff up on me."
"Lovely, I would never joke with you about geography because you are already so lost that there's no way the damage could be undone."

There are few things I can blame on being homeschooled but horrible geography skills is definitely one of them. ;) Not my fault!

Our New Year!

     I had one of the best Christmases ever this year! It was my first Christmas as a married woman and my first Christmas splitting time between two families and traditions but I loved every minute of it! Jon and I flew into Albuquerque and went straight to Garcia's, a Mexican food restaurant, because Colorado is definitely lacking in the green and red chile department. Plus, it was on our list of favorite restaurants that we absolutely had to eat at while in New Mexico. Man, you seriously never know you miss something 'til you don't have it anymore!                                                                                       It was great to see both of our families and catch up on life. We went shopping, hung out downtown, and took my sister's senior portraits. Jon tried chicherones for the first time and we played the family tradition games like "Catch Phrase", "Spoons", "BS", and "Four on a Couch" with everyone.                                                                            For Christmas I surprised Jon with some metal ice cubes that keep your drink cool without watering it down and also a long board! He had no idea about the long board because I bought and shipped it without him even knowing, so when I pulled a huge box out of the closet it was quite the surprise! I loved seeing the shock and joy on his face as he opened it up and proclaimed it "one of the best Christmas presents ever!" He got me a Nook Reader, a diamond earring and necklace set, bathroom scents, and then we came together and bought an Apple laptop to share!                              When it was time to leave there were definitely some tears shed. I had to laugh because I never used to cry but now that I've gotten older the word "goodbye" just sends me into hysterics! (Trust me, it was a good thing you weren't there lol) I guess sentiment really does come with age.                                                                                                                    On the way home I was thinking about this past year and all that has happened in my life; I am just blown away! 2012 began as amazing and ended as incredible. I've matured a lot in the past twelve months and I'm glad that it was my year to transform into a true adult and live in the real world. This was my year to grow in character and also enjoy some of the greatest blessings I will ever receive. This was my year to get homesick, to marry my best friend and become a wife, to visit a different country, and spread my wings and fly. This was my year to really develop me.                            New Years was a little quiet for my taste, but it was good and here we all are, once again, trying to remember to write '13 instead of '12 and telling everyone "Next year I'll be 22!" (even though I'm only 20 right now. See if you can figure that one out) ;)                                                                                Anyway I've decided I don't really believe in new year resolutions because I don't think I know one person that actually keeps those commitments. Besides, I think its good to reevaluate life (i.e. how you're doing, is there anything you should do differently, habits to make or break) on a more frequent basis, but I do like thinking about the upcoming year as a whole and what I think the new year will bring.                            Now a few years ago, a friend and I decided we were each going to come up with three words that we believed were going to describe the general outcome and overall feel that this certain new year would bring. Basically, we came up with what we thought the next year was going to be like. We started thinking of words like fun, exciting, growing, adventurous, full of surprises, challenging, and things like that. Well, I thought long and hard about my three words because they were going to be written down in The Journal to look at a year from then to see how well I had guessed. Before I go on I have to explain that The Journal is very sacred and if something makes it into the journal (whew!) you know its got to be good! So, after careful consideration my three words were stretching, life-changing, and interesting. I admit, after that year, I swore I was never going to do that again! But who knew that I'd jinx myself with only three little words, but I did and it was the hardest, most devastating year of my life! I had the worst experience with men, lost my best friend, got "let go" (twice), spent my 18th birthday alone (except for one special friend), moved away from home, and a whole bunch of other things. Everything bad that could have happened did happen, oh but trust me when I tell you it was very interesting year. I was definitely stretched and my life was forever changed!                                                                                                           Well this year, I decided to give it another go because maybe with Jon I would have better luck. So we talked and we came up with two words for this year. They are successful and rewarding. Sounds much better doesn't it. ;) We just bought our first new-to-us car this week so we are off to a great start! And in all honesty we really do feel that that is how this year is going to turn out for us.

       I want to challenge you to come up with a word (or a few) that you think is going to sum up this next year for you. You can even expand and make it something you would like to develop in yourself during the next year.  One year my word was my own name. I had learned that it meant "Strong in Virtue" and I wanted to really find out what that meant for me as a person.

If you do this feel free to keep it to yourself or share but know that this can be challenging, for sure, but it does yield great results if you let it. Good or bad, we are not defined by circumstances, but by how we react to them and the life we create in spite of them.

Happy New Year!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

     Jesus, Christmas lights, joy and merriment, presents, bows, surprise, Christmas trees with ornaments, bells, music, mangers, wreaths, holiday goodies and cookies, Santa, candy canes, and snow.

     Oh, remember as a child how magical and special Christmas was! Thanksgiving came and went and then you waited and waited... and waited! for Christmas to come! Everything seemingly sparkled and anything green and red put you prancing on your toes. Houses lit with lights were exciting and even homework, as long as you had hot chocolate, seemed bearable this time of year.

     There were always cookies to be baked, movies to watch, parties to go to, and gifts to wrap. You spent weeks on end thinking about what you wanted to ask Santa for, then rewrote your letter (or letters) twenty times to make sure they were just right. Finally in the dim, warm light of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve dad read the Christmas story and the fireplace was opened for Santa. Cookies and milk were placed on the hearth and you got sent to bed. How were you ever expected to sleep on such a night?! But somehow one minute you swore you heard reindeer bells and the next you awoke with the first crack of dawn. With that Christmas tingle in your stomach you rushed to wake everyone up and ran to the living room to see what had been left under the tree in the middle of the night!

     Over the years children grow into teenagers who transform into adults and our child-like faith is lost, things just aren't the same. It saddens me to know that Christmas doesn't come naturally to many adults anymore. I walk into stores where people frown, shove, and argue over anything! There's no light in people's eyes and we view it as a bunch of tasks and lots of clean up afterwards. But Christmas is about joy, peace, and love; it's about giving and thankfulness!

    I am still a child at heart and Christmas excites me even now! I love picking out the perfect gifts and wrapping them with paper and ribbon. I still point excitedly when I see Christmas lights and sing at the top of my lungs when I hear Joy to the World. I imagine every large star is the Christmas Star and house decorations just aren't complete without stockings hung by the fireplace. I think everyone deserves a "Merry Christmas!" and I want to know what you asked Santa for.

     This season (just like every other time of the year) there's things we could worry about... Money, cars, school, jobs. But let's focus on what we do have and keep in mind what Christmas is really about. Family, memories, love, laughter, hot chocolate, and magic. So if you need to go for a drive and look at Christmas lights, go ice skating, take pictures, decorate your house, or bake cookies to get in the Christmas spirit then do it!

Make memories and Merry Christmas!

The Essence of Romancing (Part 2)

     I heard a story a few months ago and it went something like this...

     One day there was a woman who although didn't have "everything" she led quite the blessed life. She arrived at her stable job on a certain morning only to find out she had forgotten to buy bread the day before so she could make a sandwich for lunch.
     Later on that glorious sunny day, during her lunch break, she made a run to the grocers, parked her car, walked into the store, and stopped. Now have you ever had a gut feeling about something that you can't explain? Well she had one and for some weird reason felt like she needed to go to the left of the store instead of the right but that didn't make any sense because the food section was to the right.
     After contemplating a few seconds she decided to walk left and soon found herself in the diaper aisle. Over at the far end, on the right, was another woman standing alone picking out a package of diapers. "Oh dear God no. I can't! That would be to embarrassing! Turn around and don't look back." The woman kept telling herself because inside a calm Voice was telling her that the other woman needed to know she was loved and special. "Serious?! I'm going to look like an insanity case!" But still the Voice would not let up.
     The first woman finally found herself walking slowly toward the woman with the too-loose jeans and uncombed hair. "Uh, excuse me. Hi." The second woman looked toward the first woman who immediately looked away. "Seriously girl, don't do this to yourself." But there had been something in the second woman's eyes as they had made eye contact even for only a second. "Uh hi. Well I..." The first woman forced a smile at the stone cold face staring back at her. "I, well... Um you see I wanted to, uh... well I just wanted to tell you that you are loved." Shock registered in the second woman's eyes. "Oh I know this sounds weird but I just need to tell you that Jesus loves you deeply and there are still people that care for you and love you, no matter how you feel right now or what you might have heard ok." After a few awkward seconds that seemed like hours, a flood came. A flood of tears swept over the second woman as she collapsed into a heap on the floor. Finally she whispered, "Why did you say that?" "I honestly don't know but I'm sure it's true." The first woman answered back. "My husband just left me and I have a son. Since I've had to take care of him I lost my job. I've been so depressed recently and just want to give up on life. The only thing I have left to live for is my baby but I feel so alone. I grew up in the church but with everything that's happened to me, I've doubted that God is real or cares about a nobody like me. So I've been praying that if He's real that He would somehow just tell me He's still there for me; that I am loved. And then you came along..."

     Did you know God can romance you? He can share His love through song or billboard or a stranger. When we "romance" someone, when we express emotion (either our own or God's through us), to make someone feel loved or special, God is glorified.
     In marriage, I've found that sometimes it takes guts to romance your husband (or wife). It takes humility to put yourself last and to think of another. It takes courage to express emotion and put your feelings out in the open for some to treasure or destroy.
     But it also takes guts and courage and humility to accept these things as well. Each moment and encounter is a gift to be treasured and respected. There are mornings I wake up and rediscover that I'm not worthy of unconditional love, whether its from Jon or God.

     Lately I have to admit I've been a little lonely at times. I don't know anybody in this new city I'm in and when my dear Jon has to work different hours than me it gets super quiet around our apartment and its not really that fun lol. But I've just come to realize that I'm being romanced. Romanced by a God who loves me and wants to express that love but I haven't been willing to receive it. I've been filling quiet with the noise of TV or laundry or errands but now I'm ready to experience the romance in the spiritual relationship Jesus and I share. Its always hard for me to ask for help or accept it when it's given but that's a vital part of any relationship. So I say whether its the hamburger, a kind word, flowers, or a romantic getaway there needs to be a little more romancing in this world!

The Essence of Romancing (Part 1)

Romancing: The art of expressing emotion in such a way that someone feels loved and special.

     Saturday evening I had the privilege of kidnapping Jon! It had been a spontaneous idea but the past week had been kind of stressful and long and it had been quite a few months since our honeymoon in Jamaica so we'd been wanting to take a vacation somewhere. I wanted it to be super special, unique, and fun but within a reasonable budget (since Christmas is coming up, ya know!).
     I made all the arrangements on Friday while Jon was at work and then just waited for Saturday to arrive. I began to get super nervous that maybe he wouldn't like my surprise or something would come up with his work and the timing wasn't going to work out or something drastically heartbreaking like that. But we woke up on Saturday morning and went for coffee at Panera Bread, just like normal. I do have to admit I barely remember anything that we talked about cause the whole time I was thinking, "Oh man should I tell him I have a surprise or no? Jon is on call, what if something happens and he gets called in to work? Oh man it's going to be Awesome! What if he isn't surprised?" I frantically tried to remember a movie where Sandra Bullock or Jennifer Anniston had a perfect script and asked sly, nonchalant questions about work schedules without giving away the surprise, but the only scenes I could remember were ones where the surprise had gone bad! Lol and that wasn't really helping my inner heart tremor so I decided to spill the beans.

     "Well Babe, what would you like to do after lunch? Do you have to work?" I asked nonchalantly. ;) "Oh well I do have to work a little but other than that I'm good with whatever." "Ok that's great because... well... I have a surprise and I'd like to take you somewhere!" "What?! A surprise for me?! What is it?" "Well, I can't say or else it wouldn't be a surprise! I think we should get all your work done and then go but it's a little ways away so I don't know if it's going to work with you being on call." "I can have someone cover for me so I shouldn't have to go in." (whew! That lifted a load off my chest!) So we scooted over to work with Jon asking questions the whole way about the surprise! My only response was, "Hmm great question, but I just don't know...! *wink, wink*
     Jon finished up all his work at the office and then off we went down the yellow brick road to our surprise destination. We pulled up about an hour later and I proudly announced we were at a Bed & Breakfast for a mini weekend getaway! The mountain lodge was perfect and had great scenic views complete with decks, fire places, outside jacuzzis, and wonderful staff. Jon was so surprised and couldn't believe I had planned this all for him! I had even smuggled a suitcase into the truck without him knowing.
     Our entire stay was so relaxing and romantic. We had an incredible dinner for two, relaxed in the jacuzzi, and had good heart to heart conversations. It was incredible not to have to think about work or cleaning up the apartment or running errands, but just to focus on us and enjoy each others undivided attention.

     I'm so glad it worked out for us to go and that everything went without a hitch. Now, I do have to confess I Googled "how to romance your husband" before I hatched my brilliant plan! Ha, I know, horrible right? But for all I knew he thought socks were romantic! I know how I defined romance but I had no idea what Jon thought romance was. It turns out Jon just wants to know I was thinking about him and that I planned a way for him to feel special. It could be anything from an I-was-thinking-about-you candy bar or filling up the gas tank in the truck or planning a trip like I did.
     Everyone just wants to know they are special to someone and were thought about from time to time. And I honestly believe that it's in the unexpected ways that that is communicated the best. Romance can be shown to anyone. Your mom, dad, best friend, or even a stranger (although I do recommend using a word other than "romance' if you plan on sending your mom flowers or giving a homeless guy a hamburger from McDonald's)

To be continued...

All in a Year

     I love houses filled with holiday cheer on Thanksgiving! The hugs and laughter are plenty to go around and loud cheering can always be heard from a living room full of men cheering for their favorite football team. Last minute preparations are being made in the kitchen while the Thanksgiving table is set with china bowls filled with creamy mashed potatoes, stuffing, sugared cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and marshmallow sweet potatoes. Ding. Ding. The oven timer is shut off and the turkey pulled out, cooked to perfection. As we sit down the sparkling cider is poured and dinner is served. There is nothing like being with family and friends on a day set aside for remembering all we have to be grateful for.



     This past year has been an amazing one! There have been so many beautiful moments and lots of life changing events. I moved to New Mexico last fall, I met and went on a first date with Jon on October 7th, got engaged on December 26th, got married on May 26th, honeymooned in Jamaica, moved into our first apartment, then moved to Colorado and now here we are making a new life for ourselves! Last year I went snowboarding for the first time, went swimming during a thunderstorm, tried sushi (and hated it), went snorkeling and wind sailing, roasted mini marshmallows in a park, went off-roading, met the New England Patriot cheerleaders, and got a new car.
     I am incredibly grateful to have my best friend and husband be a part of my life. Jon has made me complete and helps me be a better person. We just celebrated out 6 month anniversary on the 26th and he still keeps me laughing and smiling and he understands me better than anyone I have ever known. He's the only person I know who would sit in the Best Buy parking lot on Black Friday for two hours (without complaining) just because he thought I wanted to shop there. (And I thought he wanted to shop there so when we finally figured out neither one of us wanted to be there only 10 minutes from the doors opening, we laughed about the situation then went home and snuggled instead.) He has helped me learn to love unconditionally and without regret. Without him I don't know where I'd be.
     I'm grateful for my family who I know I can always count on and the new family I gained this year! I'm grateful for sunsets, mountains, and coats for the cold winter days. I'm thankful for friends, opportunities, and life lessons.
     This year has been so full of memories and I'm blessed beyond measure. I can't wait to see what this next year brings!
Live. Laugh. Love.