Nine Years

Today is our anniversary.  We have been married nine years.  The day started with a 5:45 am run (in the dark).  It was a fast run because I don't like running in the dark....I am scared of the dark.  So I run super fast when I go by wooded areas or any spots where someone could jump out at me.  I still remember leaping into my bed at night as a little girl so no one could grab my feet from under the bed.  I guess I have been afraid of the dark for a long time.  Anyway, I got my run done and out of the way.  Dan and I are training for the half marathon in October so I have to stick to my schedule for the next couple months.  I don' like getting up early to run, but I do like that I am up early enough to see Dan before he goes to work.  I was able to see him to the door this morning as we shared an extra long hug...you know how you pause for a moment and take in what you are embracing.  It was nice.  I won't paint the picture of a perfect marriage for nine years.  But I will paint the picture of our commitment to each other.  I was listening to a podcast this morning from John Piper talking about advice he would give to a newly married couple.  He talked about his marriage and how imperfect it is.  But he spoke about how we need to find our security, our comfort, in Christ alone.  If we try to find complete security and love in our spouse then we will fail miserably.  I love that advice!

So nine years ago today, I was waking up eager to "get the show on the road."  I woke up worrying about the flowers and the food and my dress and my bridesmaids.  I got my hair done and had a lovely brunch with family and off we went to the church.  The day I remember clearly because the sky was blue and the temperature was perfect for an August day.  It was in the 70's and beautiful.  All the details fell into place and we made it to the church in good time.  Now this is the part I will never forget.  Dan and I talk about it often.  I was dressed and ready for pictures.  My bridesmaids were dressed and in the sanctuary.  And for some reason I was alone for a brief time.  I walked out of the bathroom and as I came around the corner I saw Dan alone.  He had just gotten a drink from the water fountain.  There in that hallway, we had our first moment together alone.  It was priceless. I remember the look on his face as he saw me in my dress for the first time.  He looked at me like I was a princess.  That is forever ingrained in my mind.  Of all the people in the church that day, God perfectly designed us to meet at that exact moment in an empty hallway.  And the rest is history as they say.  Even though I cried through the wedding and my dress straps wouldn't stay up, I found great joy in the events of the day.  The reception was done in a way that I wouldn't have changed anything.  Was I scared on our wedding day??? Umm....yes!  I was scared to commit my life to another man forever.  But through it all, God has taught me that the wedding day was just one mini snippet of our lives together.  It is the journey that really matters.

Here are the then and now pictures...........we haven't changed a bit.....ha ha ha!

Thoughts

I had time to stop and think the other night, which is rare for me.  I don't like to stop and think.  I like to move, move and move some more.  I took a yoga class and there isn't any cardio involved in that.  I have been dealing with lower back pain since my first pregnancy.  With running and trying to train for races I decided I couldn't stand the dull ache anymore.  I am working with a chiropractor, but I am also trying to strengthen my core (because my husband says so) through yoga and at home exercises.  So there I was at the end of the yoga class, lying on the floor, looking up at the ceiling wondering how I was going to stay in one position for 20 minutes.  We were supposed to lay there, with our eyes closed, and focus on our breathing.  I found myself looking up at the ceiling counting how many boards of wood it took to make the ceiling.  My mind drifted, mostly thinking, "What are other people doing...do they have their eyes open...and what is the instructor doing with those essential oils?"  She was going around to each person doing something and I was dying to know what was going on.  I kept peeking to watch, but I didn't want her to see me with my eyes open.  It's kind of like when people are praying and you squint to see if anyone else has their eyes open while praying.  I finally did let myself think and rest.  The time was nearly up, but I allowed myself to be still.  And I thought...about how stillness scares me.  I thought about how when I am alone and quiet I have to think about the magnitude of my sins.  I am very hard on myself so I don't like to stop and think about my actions or what I said that day to someone that might have hurt them.  I tend to obsess about my sins.  I know...not a good thing to do.  But you know what, I was reminded in those few moments of rest at yoga, that God is so much bigger than that.  He designed me a certain way.  He forgives me for those sins.  He loves me despite those sins.  And I am one of His own.  As I lay in the fetal position to finish the yoga class, I realized that I am a child to God and I can find much comfort in His arms.  I felt His arms wrap around me in that position like I was a little baby.  It felt amazing.  I am trying to rest in that and allow myself to have quiet time without fear.

Today was a great day with the girls.  Dan and I have been struggling with their behaviors lately and feel like they are getting the best of us.  Having the third child meant that we were outnumbered and we were feeling that way....like they were ganging up on us and we were constantly putting our fires.  So today I reigned them in, took away Barbie dolls and purses and television and had them stay near me all day.  We sat down together in the morning and came up with rules for our family. Each time they showed any sign of disobedience I addressed it.  In order to do this, I was not able to spend time on the computer or telephone (although I did talk to my sister a few times because the cousins are planning a magic show....pictures to come, I am sure).  The girls had my complete attention, I focused on NOT raising my voice and praising them when they did well.  It was a very pleasant day.  I left the family in the evening to meet with my mentor and Dan said they had a beautiful night with him.  Here's hoping that tomorrow won't be quite as much work, but that we continue to monitor closely and see them respond to the structure.  Chloe is requiring more from us so she is an intense work in progress.  She is melting down with everything...basically anytime she doesn't get her own way.  It is exhausting to remain consistent with her because she is relentless.  And yet she can be so sweet and loving after nap time and in the evening.  She is very snugly and tells us she loves us on her own.  But consistency is going to be the key with her.  Steady on!

Hopefully soon we will have a new roof on our house....a black one!  I am very excited.  It is unfortunate that we have to pay for something like a roof instead of a couch, but the change in color will look amazing with the shutters.  I will certainly post pictures of the final product.

Sweet Girls

Marriage and Wine

It has been over a year since we came home from California.  July 4, 2012 is when we came home.  I remember the day so clearly. I remember driving down our street for the first time and feeling like we were in familiar territory again.  I remember showing up at our family's houses unexpectedly.  I remember the expression on their faces when they saw us.  It was awesome!

Fast forward a year later and we are settled, yet making changes in our life too.  This past year really stretched and grew our marriage in wonderful ways.  We found ourselves in conflict over Dan's job as he struggled to give up the travelling job and take a full time job.  We were at odds about that decision.  We had different views on what God was doing with his job situation.  We had a different timeline for our financial goals.  I was okay with extending the timeline...he wanted things done as quickly as possible.  We went round and round for a very long time.  We had discussion after discussion.  It seemed like a long time for us to not agree on something so big in our lives. I just wished for him to see what I saw. And I wished for contentment in his life.  I wanted him to see how much God was doing in our lives because of the job change.  I wanted him to feel peaceful like I did.  But I learned that you can't force that peace on anyone.  It has to come from the Spirit.

These past few weeks we have come upon an opportunity to make some tough decisions for our family.  This has been the best experience for us.  We are very like minded with the decisions we are making.  We are experiencing what it feels like to have the same agenda.  We feel a new closeness because we are thinking the same.  Our hearts are united again and it is good.  It reminds me why He put us together almost 9 years ago.  We are coming up on our anniversary in a week and I am so proud of our marriage.  We have proven to be resilient through the trials and have learned to love each other through those times.  Love and our covenant with God have bonded us for life.  I am beginning to understand how marriage can be compared to the aging of wine.  They both just get better over time.

New Smoothie

I have been experimenting with smoothies these last few weeks as we prepare to start teaching a new class called "Healing with Green Smoothies."  This will be a class designed to teach more in depth about green smoothies and how to incorporate oils in them.  I am super excited about this class.  Can you tell that green smoothies are a passion of mine?  They changed our lives, they cost very little to make and they are so easy to teach.

My latest breakfast smoothie is so simple to make and very yummy.  I started by taking 3 cups of old fashioned oats and 1 cup chia seeds.  I put those in the blender to grind them up.  Then I put that mixture in a mason jar to keep in the cupboard.  When I want to make an oatmeal smoothie I use 1/4 cup of that mixture.  Here is the recipe for a basic oatmeal smoothie.  The oatmeal does not need to be cooked...use it raw.

1/4 cup oatmeal/chia seed mixture
1 cup almond milk
1 banana
6 frozen strawberries
handful of blueberries (just because it is blueberry season and easy to come by)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Blend and enjoy!!

Fulfilled

Ever have those moments in life when you look at what is going on around you and you just feel fulfilled?  Life has its ups and downs and I know that it isn't realistic to feel fulfilled long term, but tonight was one of those great moments for me.  Dan came home from work, we ate dinner and had good conversation and then we took the kids on a bike ride.  My mom gave me her bike so I can finally ride with everyone.  Dan lead the pack and I rode at the end of the train of kids.  It was a great spot to be because I was able to observe all that was going on in front of me.  Dan had Chloe on the back of his bike and I really enjoyed watching her facial expressions during the ride.  At one point we rode past a marching band practicing and I saw Chloe trying to conduct the band as we rode by. I watched Mya and Sara ride, each with their own personalities.  Mya was risky and rode fast with great determination.  She had a sense of humor and neat spirit about her.  Sara tried so hard to keep up with the others, but she has her training wheels on her bike so it just can't go as fast.  She spent most of her time riding back with me and I enjoyed just watching her giggle and get excited as we made tricky turns and went super fast.  She is one that enjoys the little things in life.  I watched as Dan interacted with the kids and was all smiles.  They had so much fun with him.  It just felt like a complete picture as I observed from behind.  I loved it!  As the kids grow older and more independent, we are finding that these fun family moments are becoming more prevalent.  It is a bittersweet time as we leave the baby stuff behind (but not officially until the little one is potty trained) and find our family growing and bonding as the kids age.  A moment like tonight made me feel so thankful for our life.

Southern Hospitality

Dan and I took the kids on a road trip over the weekend.  We left Friday night and arrived in Tennessee around 1 am.  We stayed with my step-mom's parents at their beautiful home.  All I have to say is that southern hospitality is my thing!  I sort of threw my healthy eating habits out the window (in the name of "vacation") and enjoyed all the wonderful food that was prepared for us.  Apparently in the South you are not allowed to be hungry.  And we were all okay with that.  Sunday afternoon was a family birthday party and I enjoyed beans, fresh cole slaw, barbecued pork sandwiches and a variety of cakes.  How could I say no when everyone else was eating it?  Tomorrow we are all getting back in our normal eating habits, but we surely enjoyed our Tennessee food.

Have you ever seen a two year old tube behind a speed boat? Our two year old has no fear. Saturday was spent at the lake swimming and tubing.  That made the trip unforgettable for the kids.