A new kind of Christmas

Christmas 2012 was so different. While it wasn't our first 'married Christmas' it was our first Christmas alone... Just me, my husband, a ginormous stomach full of baby, and our pup. As much as our hearts were homesick, they were so very full. Full, happy hearts. Thankful for each other and thankful for the birth of our King Jesus. I cannot wait until Christmas 2013, when there is a sweet little crawling girl to share this time with!

Of the 5 Christmases that I've spent loving this man, I think this one takes the cake.

An Anniversary

Yesterday, August 5th, 2012, Matthias and I celebrated our very first married Anniversary.

I kept thinking all day long about exactly what I was dong, a year ago, at exactly that minute...

1:30 the night before.... finally finishing my vows and falling asleep.
7:30... waking up, eating breakfast, showering, packing the car.
10:00... realizing there weren't enough checks in the checkbook to be able to pay everyone that day... calling my dad and asking him to take cash out of two different banks on the way to the camp.
10:30... getting there, setting up, being able to breathe for a minute because friends were helping.
3:30... getting ready, worrying about Matthias, writing him a note, curling my hair.
6:15... Getting into the van to ride up to the chapel, absolutely scared out of my mind.
6:30... Crying with and hugging my Daddy, ready to walk.
7:00... Married. Finally married.

Happy, crazy day.

We spent the day yesterday doing a whole lot of nothing. Sleeping in, making French Toast, watching Harry Potter, doing silly dance moves, going to Kroger, eating wedding cake that has sat in a freezer for an entire year, falling asleep early.... you know, the usual married stuff.

But yesterday, it was different. I felt some sort of victory all day long... that we have done it. We've gotten through our first year of marriage with more good than bad. We love each other more now than we ever have. Victory, I'd say.

God is so good.

Happy Anniversary, my love.
You are so special to me, and you make my life a little sweeter each day.
I love you.

The Best

You know when your husband comes home from work 4 1/2 hours late, on a Friday night, when you had a pretty awesome Date-Night-In planned for the two of you? And then when he finally is home, as hard as you try, you just can't keep from being ridiculously crabby and irrational? And just when you could almost weep from the mixture of all your emotions swirling around like those crazy fast spinny rides at the carnival that pins you to its walls, he walks toward you, opens his arms, says "Come'ere" and suddenly you melt and things seem a little better? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. And yeah, it's the best.

And you know those Saturday mornings when you wrap up in a blanket and go onto the balcony, sip your coffee and read 3 entire chapters of Harry Potter in one sitting, just because you can?

Yes, also the best.

And then you and your husband have a fight. Right in the middle of your "New and Improved Date Night". Yep, right there in the Lowe's parking lot. But you make up and say "I'm Sorry" because you are madly in love with each other. Then you try a delicious restaurant that you've never been to. And you know when you're in the movie theater, with his hand on your leg and suddenly you can't remember the reason why you were crying in the Lowe's parking lot 2 hours earlier? And then he squeezes your leg to say "I love you" and you can feel it in your heart?...

...It's the best

Dreams

Night and day.
That's all I can say to explain the comparison between our first apartment and our new apartment.

It's absolutely perfect.
Perfect for us.
Perfect for family and friends who visit.
Perfect for God's plans for us in the next year.
Perfect for our future as a little family.

Forget about the fact that there are boxes still unopened and rooms not decorated. Forget that my commute to work has gotten longer. Forget that I am still 3 states away from my family.
It's perfect.

My favorite so far has got to be the time spent with my husband on the balcony each night. The air is warm and we are surrounded by the quiet. The night sky shows off its stars and I simply lay in those sweet arms. I listen about his day, soak in his dreams, and we thank God for this home He's given us. I say a prayer that we will use this home to glorify God in every way that we can... That Love and Joy will be ever present here... That our hearts be filled with God's peace as we are starting a new life and a huge journey. And I fall asleep with my head and heart full of our dreams for this sweet life.

To my man

To you, oh hubby of mine.

 

You have been working so hard for us lately, and I never want you to feel that it is unnoticed. I don't think I've ever been so proud of you as I am now, seeing you in this role as a husband. You truly are selfless in our marriage, doing literately everything for me that you can. You have put up with countless nights of my bad mood and selfish whining... We have always said that no one else loves me as much as you do, and that no one else but you can handle me.

The past 8 months have proved both of these things true. Thank you, thank you.

Being able to witness your sweet excitement for the things that God is starting to unfold with your music is so incredible. Not just that, but you are at a job that you absolutely love. After being down here almost 9 months, I can finally feel peace here. Peace in you, peace in me. We are blessed, baby. I'm blessed to get to be your wife. I would follow you around the world, if He asked. Okay, well, I'd be kind of afraid. But I'd do it.

I know how much you worry. In fact, I may be one of the only ones who know how much you worry. But trust me, everything is going to be okay. We've been saying it since we were teenagers and we will say it until the day we die: Everything is going to be okay.
God knows your heart and He sees your worry. He knows your thoughts that are left un-shared when we lay in bed in the dark. He covers you with His hand every morning and takes care of you like only He can. He is good, and He provides. Remember that.

For you, my love. I know you don't really read my blog... I know you think it's a little lame. But I'm hoping that one day you'll decide to wander on over and find this love letter.

Because you are awesome, sweet boy.

My heart is full.

Family, Spiders, Broken Bones, and Scuba

What a crazy week it has been. My in-laws drove down to visit for Easter weekend. So sweet. With them came my brother (Drew) and one of Matthias' brothers (MacKenzie).
What a great weekend we had...

 Impromptu Picnic in the Kroger parking lot with Daddy Frank.

The Brothers. Still asleep. As always.

Literately, we look like dwarfs.
And what in the heck is my left foot doing?!

And now.

Since then... much has happened. Actually, an unbelievable amount of 'much' has happened, people. In fact, all the 'much' actually deserves its very own post. But oh well...

- Monday. Normal day. Ate lots of leftovers.

-Tuesday. Not a normal day. I came home from work to discover that the infestation of some pretty poisonous spiders in our little apartment is back... Back with vengeance. I proceed to scream, do the icky deadly spider dance, kill that fiddle-marked sucker, and swear to myself and Matthias that I AM DONE. And that we are leaving this apartment as soon as possible. So I pack until the wee hours of the night like a crazy lady.

-Wednesday. My awesome husband handles the problem wonderfully. He calls our apartment's office.... And (long story short) they are going to let us leave early (our lease isn't up until August) and they waived the absolutely ridiculous early termination fee! We only have to pay rent for May, which is less than half of what the fee was. God is good. We have 30 days to be out, but Matthias set the 'Goal Move Out/In Date' to the 23rd... APRIL 23RD. Um, that's 11 days. Eleven.
(Also, I just realized that it's Anthony's birthday, too. But that's besides the point.)

-Thursday. Today. I'm at work, painting itty bitty 4 year old finger and toe nails, and snuggling with my favorite 14 month old in all of Tennessee. Life is good. We are applying to a new, magical, Heaven-like place tomorrow morning, and will know soon all the actual plans. But until then, looks like I have some packing to do.

Last night (Wednesday) my brother was outside riding his dirt bike... as he has done since he was a tiny tot, and he got a little too brave. The results are an extremely painful broken collarbone and lots of Vicodin. Poor sweet Bubby :(
But we are praising God that his injuries aren't more serious, because Drew has always been very accident-prone. My family and I would greatly appreciate your prayers for his healing, his pain and also his complete boredom as he sits in the recliner for the next 2 months.


Also! One last thing! Congratulations to my incredible siblings! The other night, they both passed the super hard test to become certified Scuba-Divers!! They both worked so hard!
So proud of you, Drew and Leah! Sis loves you!