Once Upon A Time

June 19, 1993....20 years....

Half my life...

I've loved this man...

Sure...we were just kids when we said "I do". We had no idea how hard, and good, and precious and frightful this journey would be. And it's a good thing. Because I'm not very brave and I might would have changed my mind.

We've...

Finished College
Lived in Paris...Texas, that is, College Station, Beaumont, Gunter and Sulphur Springs...all Texas!
Become Aggie Fans
Survived 20 years of ministry together
Said goodbye to 4 babies through miscarriage
Loved many kids who were not our own
Said hello to 2 precious children through birth
Buried loved ones
Rejoiced over God's blessings
Cried over disappointments
Made mistakes
Apologized
Bought and sold houses
Made a home wherever we were
Celebrated birthdays and anniversaries and milestones
Have shared the lowest and highest moments of life

And there's still more...

More challenges
More celebrations
More "I'm sorrys"
More learning
More lows and highs

And because of the past we know...

We'll walk it all together. Because there are few greater joys in life than walking this life with someone you trust, you admire, you love, you respect, you enjoy...even after 20 years.

Thank you God...for these years and the ones to come...we are blessed.

Enjoy these pictures...We had some good chuckles with the kids over them last night!

5 years

It's been five years since I started blogging. June 7, 2008, marked my first blog entry. So much has changed and so much has stayed the same...

Changes...

Well, I'm older...and hopefully a little wiser. I've gone from writing for myself, to thinking about the audience of reader's that occasionally or regularly visit this space. My life has changed as I am now mothering an almost 11 year old and a 7 year old. We don't talk diapers and bottles...but rather Taekwondo and iPods. We've gone through some trials and some mountaintop experiences and while I haven't shared every intimate detail on the blog, those experiences have shaped my writing and my heart. I will never be the same.

The Same..

I still feel incredibly blessed to be a wife, mom. The main reason I even starting writing this was so that in some way there would be a written legacy for my kids. I want them to see the struggle, the pain, the joy, the good times and learn from what God taught us. I still write what I know....and most of the time that has something to do with my family, friends or church. I'm still sorry for anything embarrassing that I may share from time to time about them....but hey, that's part of the memories, right? God's is still faithfully guiding each step of the journey. I still trust Him..although I don't always understand. Thankfully that's not a prerequisite. I'm pretty sure the tone of the blog will stay the same. I like to think about us sitting down to a diet coke at my kitchen table and just catching up. Hopefully something said will minister to your heart and bind us together to the Savior more.

So what's in store for the future...probably more about my family than you might want to know. God's allowing me to stay home full time now and so there's actually stuff going on here that I'm not sure goes on other places...so I might need your help. I can assure you there's going to be some talk about church...and ideas for ministry and there's going to continue to be a lot of talk about Jesus. Because without Him there'd be nothing for me to write about. There's going to be some grammar mistakes, some run on sentences, misplaced punctuation and spelling errors. And there's going to be homeschool talk and gardening and homemaking and crafting and Bible Study and parenting talk.

Goals...

I'd like more conversations in the community we are building here. I'd like to know if you resonate with something I write or if you think it's crazy and off the wall. I can handle it. I'd like to know how to pray for you or encourage you. I'd like to know more about my readers. So..drop me a line...or leave a comment.

Thanks for the five years...I can't imagine what things will look like in 5 more!

Anniversaries

My mom and Pops just celebrated their one year anniversary. Last year this time we had just wrapped up a grand celebration of a wedding. It was so beautiful. Last night I talked with them both and they had a wonderful day reminiscing all the good things this year has brought them. What a special couple!

You might also remember that this time last year we were gearing up for our own special occasion...moving from the RV to our new-to-us home. Gone are the days of running for our lives to get to the RV without getting sprayed by a skunk, hot dogs getting stuck in the microwave and coloring my hair in a small 3 X 5 cell bathroom! Oh how I miss those special times with my family!

Seriously speaking, God was so good to us during our  months in the RV. He taught us so many lessons, we learned so much about each other, and most of all I learned that when you feel completely out of control you are in the best position to hear from God. I am so thankful for all those lessons and for the many humorous events that helped to keep me sane during our time in the RV. (If you haven't read about this inspirational humorous journey, feel free to look at the Aug-Oct 09 archives of this blog).

We are loving our home and all the space it affords us. I'm so thankful God knew just exactly what we needed at just the right time.

So....Happy Anniversary....Mom and Pops....

and to my family for one incredibly blessed year in our home!

Happy Anniversary!

....to this guy

Friend, Protector, Man of Integrity, Kind, Christian, Loving, Giving, Honest, Funny.

Thank you for 17 wonderful years....the ride has been unpredictable and blessed!

I love you!