It keeps happening. 

I keep noticing it and it's becoming clearer. There's a pull in my heart to slow down and back away. 

These past few weeks God has put on my heart to let go of a few things. Including my constant need to keep up to date with my social media. I kept reading articles about 'unplugging' and what not-and  am noticing when I attempt to do so for a few days (I'm on day 4....or 5) the way my heart seems to change is remarkable. I think it all came to head when I read this article here called "Instagrams envy affect" by Shauna Niequist. It's been pretty popular as of late,  and the quote  “I stopped following a friend on Instagram, and now that I don’t see nonstop snapshots of her perfect life, I like her better.” stuck out to me so much I realized how much my heart needed a rest. Namely because I resonated a little too well. 

When talking about social media etc., our pastor talks often about how there's always been "too much information" in the world and that information overload isn't really the issue.  Its filter-failure of those consuming it.

And so I've noticed.  Lately, my filter has been very much broken. I've basically just been a vaccuum-digesting everything.

People post pictures, I look at them. I like them. People post articles, I read them. More and more my facebook feed grieves my heart. As people rise to share opinions with fierce intentionality, real dialogue about issues important for the soul are left to be shredded through via social media, not real life. Decision are made without ever having a real conversation.  Have you noticed these recent letters to everybody? The people writing them have so much passion-and its so admired. Yet, I want to know how they came to this. How is it affecting their soul? What are they really after? I find often I want to be a force to be reckoned with! Not a servant.  But its not reallly what I want. I want you to hear why my heart is furious at injustice, why I have come to my conclusion. But there's not time for that. There's no room. Or is there?

Today I got to spend time with one of my dearest friends I've ever had. She brought me gifts filled with so much intentionality. One such gift was her open overflowing heart. She said words I needed to hear. She talked about her feelings towards Jesus, what god is doing-what she wishes he'd do, where she's at. She played with my girl and she heard my heart. She knows my 'whys.' And I know her heart well enough that when she tells me that my heart needs to change-I can hear it. 

Thats what I want to live for.

Ben commented that he recently observed a bit of the 'stay-at-home mom' scene. He commented that it seems a lot of gals turn to social media outlets (myself included) to solve the issue of loneliness rather than "paying the 50 bucks to go to a baby-and-me class"  but its a cheap substitute and demotivates from real relationships. I think he was speaking straight to my heart and using the overarching 'mom' group to express his point. Smart man. But he's right. At least for me. I'm noticing I've convinced myself that this half-feeling of feeling connected because I've liked a picture is really enough. but it isn't. and at the end of the day I still feel the dire need to hear with my ears the voice of someone else.

Also, I happened upon this post here by peas and thank you and some of her words really resonated with me. Particularly: "I don’t know where I got the idea that I was important enough that I needed to write about myself daily. I don’t need to. I don’t want to. It’s distractingly noisy for both you and I.": 

Noise.

I'm not sure of how this transition in my heart will play out here on the blog, but I value peoples time and want to share my heart, not my opinions.

 I'm learning by observation that opinions are shared far too easily on the internet, and rarely are we (perhaps due to inability?) vulnerable. Perhaps its for the best. I still like reading my favorite blogs, but I'm paying attention to how they affect me. I'm putting the critical eye on myself and forcing myself to cut out noise. Time wasted. As well as hopefully contribute less to it. 

I love me some instagram and I share opinion-based post like the best of them, but I'm learning that I judge others when I read things they post. I decide things about them because thats all the information I'm given. I read a liberal article that someone liked, I assume they must be die-hard. I read a conservative political info-graph and assume this liker is passionate about the issue. Perhaps, but perhaps they just agreed with a line, or found it interesting. My inability to really understand an individual via social media has me pulling away and questing for more real stuff. I'm quite simply tired of knowing things about individuals, but not ever really knowing them. Of my 626 friends, I talk regularly with about 6 of them.

All thats to say, come on over to my cheerio encrusted floor and lets talk about the stuff you're passionate about or in fury about or saddened by or elated from. I want to hear it from your mouth. 

A Dad & His Girl

There are few sights as awesome in my life as these two together. I knew Ben would be a great dad. I think most did. But he's more than that. I think in a lot of ways fatherhood just suits him. Ben is a teacher, and likes to play. Add that to the fact that he knows how to be gentle and speak softly, and you got a man who's got a good start to raising girls well.

The other night Ben had to leave for an appointment. Eowyn saw him leave and cried until he got home. He walks in and BAM. solved. goofy smiles abounded. I think it was in that moment I realized- while a wee bit flustered-that she's attached to him deep. Bedtime just isn't the same without him. Namely because the child will fight sleep harder until he's there to say goodnight. I don't think I'd change it though. Okay maybe. But, I get it. Its hard for me to sleep then he's not around too.

Perhaps they share their special bond because when he gets out of bed in the morning, first thing he does is go into her room to say hi to her. Or maybe its because he kisses his girls goodbye everytime he leaves for work and blows little raspberries on her face. Maybe, because when he gets home she gets to do her handstand and gets laugh while being fed by her dad, then gets to goof off and get tossed around. All these regular little things add up to a girl who is enamored with her bearded man.

Eowyn learned how to roll over in her sleep recently, despite being fully bundled with blankets. At night,  she would scream when she managed to end up on her belly. Ben would go in and fix it and get her resettled. After she was good,  he'd sneak in just to check in on her. Just incase.

When he gets home, a lot of times he takes her so I can started prepping food. Often times I'll go into the bedroom and find him playing peekaboo with her behind our closet door, or making faces in the mirror together. I think that bit of time one on one might be her favorite part of the day.

Its all these little sweet things that make me fall a bit more in love with that man.

I'm praising God for a man who treats his little girl well, who says to me often "A man who isn't a great husband, isn't a good dad," and who takes that line seriously. Praising Jesus for a giving me a guy who asks "how are you doin?" with the same deep sincerity that he greets his baby girl when coming home.

I love that dad and his girl.

A long post about marriage and identity and everything in between.

I found myself clicking through the bottom links of my posts today. The links took me back to posts I had written several years ago and made me both wince and chuckle at the same time. Its no doubt that this blog has chronicled well my awkward stages of figuring out who I am as a married woman. From those first posts written by my happy go-lucky ray-of-sunshine-and-giggles 20 year old self to now, this blog holds a lot of who I've been.

Looking back, its obvious for me to see who I was. Its much more difficult to see who I am now. I'm sure in just a few years I'll be looking back to the words I type now and have some wisdom for this girl here. If only I could know those now. 

These thoughts have left me pondering a lot of who I have become over the past few years. Marriage took a very confident young girl and stripped her of a lot of pride. For a long time, I thought Ben was LUCKY in all caps to have gotten to marry me. I was AWESOME. And a few months of marriage was enough time to teach me the very ugly reality. Marriage=sacrifice which I sucked at.. Sacrifice wasn't something I was fond of doing. Plus, I had very little-to-no practice in it. Sacrifice was, in my mind, no bueno. Sacrifice meant surrender and by golly this girl will NOT SURRENDER.

 But truth came to head ever so slowly, and I discovered I was the lucky one. That surrender is essential. that Sacrifice means everything.

And so the awkward stages began. Those awkward stages are captured here on this blog. Thats where I stumbled this morning. With silly phrases and upbeat words about how my husband is the beeeessssttttt huuuussbbaaannnddd eeevverrr, I wrote both as I discovered these truths, and to distract myself from myself. Also, probably to make sure others knew we were soooooohaapppyy!!!!

The words I wrote about Ben were true then just as they are now. Ben is a man among men, and is a better leader, spouse and husband now than he ever was. I write now to speak the obvious rather than to convince myself of reality.  (And hopefully proclaim such things with a few less exclamation marks.) 

***

A few days before my wedding day, my dad told me I didn't really love Ben. I fought tooth and nail with him saying he didn't know what he was talking about. He told me " Britt, You love the way Ben makes you feel, but there's going to come a point when he doesn't make you feel that way all the time. And thats when you get to start learning how to really love him."

Life continued, and my dad was right. We got to practice choosing each other. Anyone married will tell you that a MILLION things fight for a spouses attention. Legitimate things. We fought hard against a lot of stuff those first few years and after what seemed like so long, we found we got into a groove. We understood each other in ways we never did. We discovered each other and in that learned what really loving each other meant.We reached a sweet spot in our marriage. 

 Then, we found out we were gonna have a baby. (Haha, and every parent chuckles)

 Pregnancy revealed deeper layers to selfishness. We had Eowyn. Uncovered more layers. (Funny how that works.) And we had to learn how to choose each other all over again. Choose each other over our kid. over our sleep. over our 'zone out time.' Had to learn that making the other aware of everything they did wrong in that day is NOT a way to keep the marriage joyful. (guilty.) nor is reminding them of the perceived time and effort and lack of sleep discrepancies between one spouse and the other. (guilty.) Lordy.

9 months and two weeks have now passed since that sweet little thing came. And my have we changed. I'd say we're slowly figuring each other out again in our new roles. Learning how to speak more plainly (and when to not speak at all,) how to remember each others needs, how to treat each other well, how to know when things need to happen, and when sleep trumps.

***

All that leads to me figuring out who I am now (wooo.. queen of tangents here.)

Having a baby brought out so many insecurities in me. And also uncovered all sorts of areas of pride. I know this because of the glaring inadequacies that motherhood has revealed in me and my desperate attempt to cover it all up.  Things I had wrestled with and thought I had won in were now becoming obvious in my life. And these past several months have been a long, praise-jesus, process of reclaiming identity-or rather surrendering it-and finding a lot of grace for/from others and then allowing it to trickle down to self.  

All that to say, several months into becoming a mom, I'm rediscovering myself by getting over myself (again and again and again.)

I've noticed a trend that I fight often. I feel negative emotions towards self come into my brain and here are two responses I take:

Option 1: Work on self to turn emotions positive and feed my prideful heart or 

Option 2: Get over self.

 One requires self motivation and dethroning my savior, the other grace and Jesus.

 How many times have I gone to an event thinking of how people would perceive me? How many times have I looked at my self in a mirror and let the critical thoughts fly? How many times have I looked at the list I was unsuccessful in completing and felt waves of disappointment  How many times has this critical perspective of self turned outward, leaving me critical of everyone else? Far too often. 

Surprisingly, or maybe not so-even when faced with my failures and major inadequacies, I still seem to end up on top in my own mind. "atleast I'm not......like so and so" Prideful heart. 

Depending on my response to all of these situations I either a) give myself a pep talk reminding myself why I'm worth people's time/why I'm pretty/why I don't suck at life etc. with an action plan attached or b) remind myself that there's grace. That there's Jesus. That there are gals that genuinely are craving friendship and not someone who has her stuff together. That the beauty I'm striving so hard after is so so fleeting, its all vanity.  that dishes will be there forever, but this crazy kid I'm raising will not. That my husband and his genuine heart trumps every other to-do on this list. 

That Grace. Grace. Grace. is the answer.  I'm slowly learning how to choose b.

And slowly, ever so slowly I'm starting to find that as I choose to look away from myself and my justifications, and practice grace, I do more. I love more. I find more peace. I enjoy more. accomplish more. breath more.

I'm starting to realize that near every sin issue I have is due to my pride. Due to this competitive, prideful heart. A heart that wants to be worshipped, not to worship. 

I'm starting to see that God gives grace to the humble. And to re-read books and study humility. And to realize how I am stuffed with everything but. I'm starting to remember how great God is and who I am when in that light.

I'm starting to experience grace in my own heart as I am faced with my gross inadequacies as a wife, a mom, a friend, a servant.

Which has in turn blessed my soul.

I'm starting to let the sweetness of a husband who sees a messy house and calls it 'lived in' sink into my heart. To make his compliments be worth their weight in gold and how to relish the way he leads this family. 

I'm starting to learn how to extend grace to other ladies. To celebrate successes, but not use others success as a measuring stick for the people around me (and myself.) To give out more grace than needed  and to strive to be a person that can be rested with, rather than compared to.

I'm starting to take rest in the fact that God, God GOD will be the one that moves my baby girls heart, and that leads us when training and protecting and guiding our children.

I'm starting to remember wisdom once said to me "What doesn't get done, didn't need to."

I'm learning that when I feel like hiding, its an indication of sin in my heart.

I hope as I look back to this stage I'll recognize it as a start to something life changing- that this is the beginning of a gal that is known for being grace-filled, and who is experiencing humility, and hopefully is growing a little less awkward. Or more, depending on how you look at it.

As always, thanks for reading.

9 Months

See the rest here

AGM 2013

I always get excited for AGM every year. This year it was in Phoenix, which worked incredibly since Ben's family lives in the area. On Thursday last week we parted with the fam, and headed to the hotel that we'd be staying at. It was a lot of fun and especially fun seeing Eowyn feel grass, and play in the water.

Ben's parent's were gracious enough to watch eowyn overnight for the fancy banquet we had on friday. Everyone was asked to wear white for a diner en blanc. It was a lot of fun. and macaroons were involved. So thats always a win.

It was our first AGM with a babe, which took a bit of getting used to, but really was fun. We've got a bunch more travel skillz under our belt, and have learned how to share a room with a baby while not having to hide out on the balcony after 7:00pm. I got a few new freckles out of the deal and seeing Ben in a tux was (as anticipated) a very ideal situation.

I'm missing the sun already.

Dear John #39

'nuff said.

Arizona Family

 

A lot of gals' dream about their wedding, but very rarely do they think about their in-laws. I know I didn't really put much thought into it. Lucky for me, I scored on that bunch as well. I've got some awesome in-laws and love the rest of the family that comes with it. These women are especially a blessing and quite the skilled bunch. 

From altering my dress for the big evening at AGM (Ben's Aunt is a master seamstress, and oh my goodness! she does an excellent job,) to the outpour of wisdom, gifts, laughter and thoughtfulness from Ben's grandma and mom, I really do appreciate the culture of generosity and celebration this family has. They're  a bunch of teachers, so they know how to share their wisdom and stories. Eowyn has a lot of solid women to look to. And I'm really happy about that fact. Thank you women for living your lives the way you have and then being so willing to share. 

Plus! Its this pretty lady's birthday today! Cheers to being a hott grandma. Eowyn thanks you for your genes. You're radiant. Happy Birthday, Julie. We love you.

Grand Canyon!

I've been wanting to go to the Grand Canyon for a long while now.  I went when I was a wee babe, but all I remember are the large happy squirrels I kept wanting to pet and a big hole in the ground. Getting to go and see it with adult eyes was especially neat and left me singing all sorts of praise-Jesus songs. Its so beautiful. 

"Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hands have madeI see the stars, I hear the rolling thunderThy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to TheeHow great Thou art, how great Thou artThen sings my soul, my Saviour God, to TheeHow great Thou art, how great Thou art!"

This is a silly picture above , but it gives you a bit of depth perception. It really is somethin'.

I was surprised how being so close to such a huge hole made Ben and I both cling to Eowyn a little tighter. The picture at the very top makes it look like Ben is doing his classic Eowyn-trapeze act, but he isn't. He's got a firm grip on the girl and is several feet away from the side. I started to realize why my mom kept getting a wee-bit panicky when my eleven year old self teetered over the edge trying to watch the random rock I kicked fly several feet below. Sorry Mom. I get it now.

 

To say the sight was magnificent is too small of a word. God did good. This place is incredible. We had fun doing some minor-hiking, and avoiding donkey poo and seeing all the wild animals . I got a bit of that parental pride when a fellow bus passenger commented "Everybody loves your baby!" (talk about a pretty stellar random compliment.) and it was pretty funny seeing Eowyn get all smiley at two teenage boys. Ben didn't appreciate that so much and kept joking "no, no Eowyn. No no." The boys were good natured and thought it was funny.  We met some German folks, and some Canadians thanks to Julie's ability to strike up meaningful conversation with just about anyone. And we definitely heard several other languages. It was cool to be in such a awe-inspiring place while being surrounded by people all over the world. I bet thats a little bit of what heaven's like. 

 

Happy for the Adventure. Thanks Gary & Julie for taking us up there!

Gary & Julie // Covenant Marriage

Today's post is the last (and possibly my favorite!) scheduled post of this series. I asked Ben's Mom and Dad if they would be willing to share some of their thoughts on their now 33 years of marriage, and their answers are inspiring. Gary & Julie have been a constant encouragement for Ben and I, so it is a real pleasure to get to have them both as a guest on the blog. This post gives a bit of a glimpse into the awesomeness of these two. They've weathered just about everything, and the joy they have as a couple is contagious. 

I can attest personally to the truth of the advice found below. A lot of the advice written here have become cornerstones to Ben and my marriage. Getting to read them here is fun for me in that I can see where Ben's values (like awesome celebrations, pursuing community and pizza!) came from. We're blessed to have parents with healthy, thriving marriages and I'm especially excited to get to share with you the wisdom of these two today.

Meet Gary & Julie:

We are Gary and Julie Sprague originally from Illinois and Indiana. We raised our kids in Michigan and Minnesota and now we live in sunny Arizona.  We spend our time working 60%, driving 5%, sleeping 25%, relaxing in the sun 10%.  We both work way too hard! Just an FYI, we answered the questions together and I put the information into paragraphs.  I teach 7^th grade Language Arts so if it is too wordy, my apologies.

What first attracted you to your spouse?

Gary and I met at Lincoln Christian College in the laundry room. I love a man with long hair and a beard – the hair is much shorter now but the beard is still around - - and ohhh those eyelashes – He was a quiet guy who made me laugh and still does. He tells the tale of a tall and vibrant young woman and her pretty laugh.  We were both committed Christians at Lincoln so the focus of God first was a given and still is. God and his goodness has been the driving force of our life from the beginning - - don’t know if we would be together without Jesus - -actually I am sure we would not.  Gary and I are quite different people. If you would know either of us without the other you would never imagine we are married - - however friends and family who know us say that we are a perfect blend. So after 33.5 years of marriage and 2 amazing kids later God knew exactly what he was doing in that laundry room many moons ago.

Early in our relationship we had a snow day at Lincoln and Gary and I spent over three hours in one of the music practice rooms. He would play songs and I would sing. I can’t keep a pitch so my roommates told me to snatch him up - - I did and he has always been a gracious and patient man.  Gary and I have had to move a great deal in our married life due to graduate school and job changes. I have been fully supportive of any of life’s major changes – I love this man so if we had to move – move we did.  Each move was hard on all of us but each time I viewed it as a new adventure and looking back it was easy to see how God worked through our lives and the lives of our children. 

What has been some of the best parts of being married? 

Some of the best parts of being married is the laughter  - we laugh together every day - - mostly due to Gary’s wit and my inability to stand up straight or focus for any length of time. Gary mentioned reliability and trust. Don’t get us wrong we have had our share of ups and downs, hurts and doubts but through it all is Jesus and his promise to lead and guide and lift us up when we need him most sustains us.   So there is a keen sense of reliability and trust.  

Also never underestimate the little bits of advice you get from each other when raising the kids. “Do they need a coat?”  “Should we let her/him go to the …” “What should we do about…?” The ability to ask another’s opinion and an opinion you trust is invaluable.  Also the little moments like when we pray together and we can hear each other’s’ hearts.  The rejuvenating spirit that comes with spousal prayer is without equal.

What has been one the hardest parts of being married?

There have been many difficult compromises for both of us – moving from state to state, job changes, illnesses – having to be someone’s nurse is hard for one of us (inside joke).  Marriage is work and communication is key – it took us far too long to learn this.  We are proud of Ben and Britt and their ability to see the importance of this early.  We definitely wish we had the wisdom that is out there now and the openness of most churches to share what couples need upfront.  Having to “figure things out” on our own has been tough.  We always say, “If we knew then what we know now, we could have avoided a great deal of hurt feelings and tears.”

What were some surprises you didn’t anticipate in marriage?

Some surprises we didn’t anticipate in our marriage would have to be everything – when you get married you don’t know everything there is to know about each other - - no matter how long you talk or what counseling you attend! This past summer we drove to where Gary was raised until he was in Jr. high.  While I knew it was a hard move for him, I never knew all the details and how much he still thinks about all those years.  In addition, we never would have dreamed all the family dynamics in play with in-laws and moving so often.  On a lighter side, I never dreamed of all the laughter - - on a daily basis!!!  We laugh about Gary’s snoring, my snorking, students we have, family, friends, the dogs, food, television and so much more.  Take time to laugh each day, together! Our granddaughter and her crazy faces make us laugh the most right now – she is a joy!

Have you received any advice that has helped shape your marriage significantly? 

The greatest advice we received that helped shape our marriage was an unsaid expectation: find a community of believers.  We come from a legacy of faith and without the many people who have loved us in the many churches we attended life would have been much harder, albeit impossible.  Also we knew early on that we were quite different but we were encouraged by pastors that told us this could be a great thing if we recognized it and used it to strengthen our marriage.

What little things do you do as a couple that keep marriage your enjoyable?

Believe it or not pizza keeps our marriage enjoyable.  Pizza is a plus!  We both love the same kind of pizza so it’s fun to find new places and talk.  We love to celebrate and we love to go out and talk across the table – this has been a mainstay in our home since we were first married. The first Friday of the first week of school is always eat out night so everyone can share their first week adventures. 

Also we love to have others over and celebrate them.  We both definitely have the hospitality gift; our daughter Sarah has this, too!  We were asked by one of Gary’s colleagues what we did when we entertained a speaker who had come for a college revival.  We didn’t really know at the time but realized that all we did was try to make he and his wife feel special.  We try to do this for each other, too.  Birthdays in our home are major holidays. I love when he brings me those sappy, lovey-dovey cards for my birthday and valentines. And he loves that I still love them.   Now that the kids are grown, grocery shopping together on Friday nights is actually a riot – and nobody is around.  We like to go to Goodwill, too on Saturdays and see what types of bargains we can get.  Again, it’s the little things.

What advice would you give to a just-married couple?

Our advice to newlyweds is to pray together, daily.  Stay in a community of believers and if you aren’t in one get there.  Forgive and forget – shut your mouth before you speak – don’t slam any doors – if you don’t want help and just want to vent, say so before you start complaining or sharing – take time for just you  - pray together, every single day (I realize I said this already but it can’t be said too much!)! And no matter what keep the “I love yous” coming. Not just the words but even more the actions.  Gary’s "I love you" to me is doing the dishes, cleaning the toilets, loading my cart into the car. Mine to him are laughing at his jokes and wit and cooking. No matter what you say or do, do it with love. The kind of selfless love Jesus demonstrates for us.

What advice would you give to a couple with young kids? 

Our advice to couples with young kids is to get help!  Find someone in the church to help mentor your kids- -  make sure you have a support system other than your family.  Have fun but don’t be afraid to say, “no!”  Less is more – too many activities - - bad, bad idea (this is true for older kids, too.)  If you are running from one activity to another, quality time is not really found in the car.  However driving to an orthodontist appointment and then home can afford you time with a busy middle or high schoolers. 

Don’t be afraid to fail and make mistakes in front of your kids – I don’t think we did this enough - - they need to see you fail once in awhile    They need to know you are human and that God supports and guides you and always will.  Finally, the best toys are still oatmeal boxes, wax paper, and pots and pans – and of course books – I could give a diatribe on how important it is to read to your kids before they are born until, well forever.  I still buy my kids picture books and novels and read to them!!  Look into their little faces and talk to them – just talk to them about whatever – it doesn’t really matter!

What are some key ways God has worked most in your marriage?

There were many times we could see God’s hand in our marriage. When we struggled and he brought us to our knees in forgiveness; these are the most personal of stories so just suffice it to say that God is good all the time.  In our weakness HE is strong.  What kept us going was family both in words and deed. Also, time alone, time in prayer, commitment to a community of believers, and finally self-control.  Sometimes the only person you can count on is Jesus; he is enough. (A wise woman once said this and it is now my go to phrase – Jesus is Enough!).

Husbands what advice would you give to other men in relationships?

Our basic advice is: husbands listen and give good advice when you’re asked. Never forget birthdays, anniversary, etc. or be late for anything without calling/texting – women worry and hold you in high regard –return this with everything you are. Pray together!

Wives what advice would you give to other women in relationships? 

Wives: breathe when you are upset, swallow your pride- - make sure you have eye contact if what you’re saying is really important.  Always put his needs before your own and make sure that he knows you support him, no matter what!! Pray together!

What do you enjoy most about this stage of your marriage?

Our marriage right now is a quiet house, finishing each other’s sentences, more “us” time, hearing from and about our kids and granddaughter.  When we pray in the morning we both sit down with this peace about the house and turn everything over to God. Dreaming about retirement and how to spend weeks and weeks together is quite fun, too!  It is an unspoken love that continues to grow and change and a spoken joy for spending time with one another. It is also pride; it’s very exciting to be able to tell people that we have been in love and married for almost 35 years.  I got to do this just last week with my seventh graders, we earned a round of hearty applause. 

God has richly blessed us and he will bless you too if you allow Him to lead AND pray together, daily! 

***

Thank you Gary and Julie for sharing your wisdom. Your marriage is inspiring and I can't thank you enough for the time and effort you put both into your marriage and kids. I'm reaping the benefits of it! 

To read the rest of the covenant marriage series Click here.

Dear John #38

Fresh faced babies.  

So glad this marriage has turned out way cooler than we

planned. And that you keep getting hotter.

Keep up the good work.

P.s. This one was definitely  your idea:

There are so many captions I have for this. 

Easter Weekend

 

This weekend was a special weekend for a number of reasons. The obvious and most exciting is that we got to celebrate resurrection Sunday. "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." Had he not risen, our faith would be empty and unfounded. Praise God Jesus rose! As good ol Ravi Zacharias says "Death is Dead! Death is Dead!"

In addition, I got to spend some quality time with one of my favorite friends, Katie. On Friday, Katie and I got coffee and headed over to Como Zoo. It was supposed to be a nice day but that didn't pan out. Luckily they have an amazing section inside filled with all sorts of green. I brought my camera  along and she and I took a few pictures. All the floral pictures were taken by Katie as well as the ones with me in them (obviously.) Speaking of, if you are in the midwest and are ever looking for a photographer. Look her up. Here are a few from our little outing

Then Friday evening, we made the hike to my home-town. Its always good to be home. I got to see my parents, grandparents and two of my cousins. We took a few pictures on sunday for Eowyn's first Easter and enjoyed the rest that comes from being with such easy going family.

 

Right before we left, we grabbed a few pictures of Eowyn with my mom and dad. She LOVED getting to be with them and they tired her out enough that she slept awesome on the way home.  Her little coos and giggles attested to the fact that she had a good time. And she got her first easter present. The kid shrieked at the fuzzy bunny my mom bought for her.  It was such a good weekend.

P.s. Isn't my mom a babe?

This week E and I get to go hang out with my sister and next week we get to see Ben's fam. This is my favorite time of year.