Valentines Re Cap

Well, Here is just a few things from our Valentines fun.

My Decor:

These were a sweet bouquet from my man!

This is just stuff I've collected over the years and pics of my babe.  I did add that canvas this year. I just redid an old one to be Valentinesy!

My Gift:

We made these at MOPS and I loved how they turned out.

My only suggestion when using sharpies on plates or mugs is write dark because my faded some. 

The dates are our first date, engagement date, and wedding!

My Valentine:

This was taken at a Sweetheart Supper a couple from our Life Group at church does every year. We all gather in the back room of a local restaurant (yum, Colby's!) and have such a fun time.

I look forward to this every year. 

for valentines day...

I'm mushy. I admit it.  I love chick flicks. red hearts. candy. flowers. little paper notes with sweet messages. I love it all!

I especially love the man who makes me swoon and tear up when I hear lyrics of a song that brings us to my mind.  I love the smirk of a smile he gets on his face when he thinks something is really funny.  I love that he knows just what to order for me wherever we dine.  I love how when we walk beside each other or sit near each other, that gradually we can't help but touch.  His voice, oh how I love his voice. It resonates in my soul and makes my heart feel good.  His arms sooth my bad days and his advice is always the first I seek. For the rest of my days, I'd be a happy woman sitting beside him doing nothing.

I refuse to hide it.  Puke over my mush. I don't care.  Stop reading this. Fine.  But I prayed for this man for many years and he's is God's gift to me.  I will boast in God's goodness for He wrote this story.

Hope you get mushy tonight.  If you are single, I hope you pray for the mush tonight.  You never know what God might have in store for you.

I'm not ready to let go...

I'm up and very tired.  I could blame it on the baby, but that isn't the whole truth.

It has a lot to do with the panic rising up in my chest. 

I'm not ready to let go of this season.

Don't get me wrong. I'm so over standing in long shopping lines, rushing to bake several things all in 3 hrs, staying up too late wrapping and going non stop.

I'm done with those crazy parts of the holiday palooza that is November and December. 

But I'm not quite ready to let go of...

 watching the magic fill their eyes.

 cuddling up close for whole afternoons.

letting everyone enjoy more treats than we should.

having the Man home to play with our littles.

taking time to just enjoy the giggles and be silly.

being surrounded by so many quiet, sacred moments. 

the Christmas Carol karaoke we had in the car.

reasons to dress up and get out of my yoga pants and tshirts.

simply taking a break from reality to enjoy the simplest of life's goodness.

I'm revolting.

No one can leave the house tomorrow.

No work. No school. No appointments.

This is me in denial.

Praying for a snow day.

: )

Real Life Love Story

July/August is a big time for our family...it's how it all began really.  Our anniversary is August 2nd, then our first children came home in July and one of our daughters has a birthday in July.  CRAZY months...and crazy blessed.

Love stories can be so magical and make you all fluttery.  I should know, I'm an expert of love stories.  Since a young girl, I've watched every fairytale/romantic comedy, poured over pages of Jane Austin novels and memorized every line of the most famous love songs.  It's something most girls do as they grow up.  It's in our DNA, right?!?!?  Longing for the one to come in and sweep you off your feet. But the reality of these love stories is just that...reality.  After the sweet song fades over the dreamy couple kissing in the park...real life happens.

It's where the bills add up, arguments over dirty laundry and long days leave us feeling less than magical when we come home to our significant others.

That's where real love stories prevail. It's where the butterfly feelings that create that first magic develop roots into something that can last the fiercest storms.  Don't get me wrong. I still love the romance and my husband still takes my breath away.  But underneath that there is now more.

It's grown by the bearing together, talking through the hard moments and living life together through the seasons.  When I think hard on what makes me love Scott, I see a very different reel of moments playing than I ever thought.

I see the long flight and bus ride to our resort on our honeymoon.  Me terribly sick with a sinus headache, feeling much less like the blushing bride I was going for.  He was patient, caring as he found me (crack laced) Mexican cold medicine and nursed me back to health.  We spent our first night at our gorgeous resort not canoodling in the moonlight, but me passed out from the medicine and him watching tv as he rubbed my head.

Through tear stains, I see the image of late night talks where we worked through disappointed expectations and hurt feelings.  I can see him holding me close...accepting me even though I made mistakes.  Forgiving me when I said hurtful things.  Though, these don't seem like moments you want to remember, the end results of resolution and knowing he will stick with you through it all is the best romantic high of all.

I can see him in the faint light of 3 in the morning changing a diaper of a newborn who doesn't want to let me sleep.  This after he's worked all day, helped with the older children and still has to get up in a few hours. He sacrifices all the time to make my life a little easier. This dying to self to serve me is grander than the most expensive bouquets of roses.

The best moments in my highlight reel weren't as pretty or magical as the ones I pictured years ago. We are not gussied up in most of them (to be honest...I'm probably dirtied haired  and in spit up covered pajamas).  They aren't images of fancy dates or long walks on the beach.  They are made up of late night laughter after children are sleeping, stolen kisses on last minute planned date nights and moments of sheer clarity where I know God has made this man to walk alongside me during this life.

I'm grateful for the wistful, romantic moments we've had, just as I am for the hard, real life grit that makes our relationship what it is. I'm blessed to have shared FIVE years with this amazing man and I would not write our love story any differently.  It might not look like a Meg Ryan movie or be as dramatic as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice, but it's glorious.  It's life-giving.  It's passionate.  And it's fun.

Happiest Anniversary to my love, best friend and partner in crime.
I love you.

This is my favorite recent love song...

Story of Love by Mandi Mapes

I see your smile
And it’s so much sweeter 
After all that I’ve been through
And when we laugh
I get a glimpse of forever
And I praise God that I found you

And anytime someone asks me
How it all unfolded I’ll tell them
Such incredible chances
Make for marvelous love.

Just like the sun lights up the moon
This love is a reflection
Of more than just me and you
Our lives were less than ordinary
And while I couldn’t see past tomorrow
God was making history

Oh my, what a beautiful story of love.  

Unexpected mercy
Is the greatest thing to find
When you’ve been broken many times
My soul found joy
And for the first time in a while
I felt singing

Glimpse of Forever

Just like the sun lights up the moon

This love is a reflection

Of more than just me and you

Our lives were less than ordinary

And while I couldn't see past tomorrow

God was making history

I know one thing for certain in this life...I'm a better person because of the love, service and sacrifice of Scott.  I occasionally label him "the man" on here because he is just that.  I've been on the listening side of women that are unhappy or feel unnoticed by their own husbands. It makes me shudder to think how often I take his care and attention for granted. I remember when we got married, wondering when that moment would come where we'd stop feeling like just boyfriend/girlfriend and really feel like family. You know that bond that accepts you being yourself. It's the kind of comfort and assurance of forever. It's funny because that is exactly how I feel about Scott and I cannot pinpoint looking back when it switched.  He is my constant.  He understands my mood with a flash of my eyes. He is the one whom I can laugh the greatest with.  He grounds me, challenges me and points me to the Lord. He takes care of me and guards our family with great vigilance. I'm grateful for this union, friendship and the covenant he joined in with me almost 5 years ago.  I know I don't do justice to him and rarely repay his service with the same attitude. I cannot imagine that I made it for 27 years without him and thankful for Lord willing the many more will get to spend together.  Isn't that the beauty of marriage... in all His kindness...He gave us this gift to reflect something greater. As good as my marriage is, it's pale in comparison to the one we await when our Bridegroom chooses to come for His bride. (Rev. 21:1-2)

So thank you Scott for being soo much to me, to our children. Your love is just a reflection.

Happiest Birthday and here is to many joyful years ahead. I love you.

oh and please check out Mandi Mapes song Story of Love. I'm kind of obsessed with her most recently as you can probably tell. : )

It all started with these pictures.

Once upon a time, two random people were walking similar lives just far enough apart to never have met.

We had similar friends, been to the same concerts and even attended some of the same church services.

Then one call, we were introduced.

I worked at MentorKids KY and was working on new mentor leads given to us by our current mentors.

This guy Jordan gave me the name and number of his friend Scott saying he'd be an awesome mentor.

I remember his deep voice.

He said no.  At this season, he didn't have the time.

Fast forward several months, I was helping my friends' cater their cousin's wedding rehearsal.

She was marrying this guy name Jordan.

Right there across the red checkered table cloth, someone introduced me to my future husband.

He does NOT remember this even though he says he does.

I served him lasagna.  That's it.

Fast forward several months, I was sitting at work when I heard the door chime as someone came in.

It was Scott.  He seemed so tall.  His voice seemed so deep.  He was also extremely sweaty.

He had rode his bike from somewhere to our office.

I left him in the lobby talking to my co-worker about being a mentor.

Fast forward several months, I get a facebook message inquiring about my photography by none other than Mr. Thompson.

He said he wanted to give his mom current pictures for Christmas (this was September) and asked if I'd take them.

I remember thinking this was a little odd and to be honest I had only taken a few male pictures...and they were senior pictures. We had seen each other about once a month at MKK events and even sat at the same table for our banquet in June.  After him emailing me, we did run into each other one other time.  It was slightly awkward.

Then came the day, that we took pictures (btw, these are the days I still used film...these are scanned copies- no editing).

We met downtown (his choice of location) and I can still see him. I had parked and was on the sidewalk leading to the river.  Looking around, I spotted a tall, handsome man standing under the gazebo about 100 feet from me. 

Wow, this wasn't the sweaty guy who wheeled his way into my office all those months ago. 

He looked so much older, such a refined manly look. 

We took pictures under (and in) one of the oldest and biggest trees I've ever known. Little did I know 10 months from then, we'd be taking our wedding pictures under that same tree. 

One thing I haven't mentioned is that the man is quiet. We had barely said much more than a few sentences to each other.  But there under that tree, we talked about everything from  music to traveling. 

We moved to another park to take a few more, and he wanted me to get some artistic shots. He had this idea from an album cover of all these close up pictures. So we tried some. 

This is the shot that changed everything from me. 

Looking through my lens into such depth, I know I stopped thinking he was this young guy.

I started seeing the possibilty that this could be exactly what I had been praying for all this time.

Happy Anniversary, my love.

Thanks for asking me to take these pictures so long ago so we could end up right where we belong....

together.

 this is that same old tree

The Daddy Post That Never Happened

Much like many other areas of my life, I have great intentions of sharing parts of our lives.creations.photos.crafts.recipes.lessonslearned on this here little blog.  But atlas, sometimes I'm a little late. So here is the Daddy's Day wrap up that never happened.

I have to say, it's one of my favorite things to go all out letting those who I love know just how much they mean to me.  Sadly, I don't have the time or resources to really show Scott how thankful we are for him and all he does for this family.  But I did do a few pinterest projects, made him a yummy breakfast and we took him shopping for some needed new clothes the day before.

 I let him sleep in and made him stay upstairs as I finished last minute touches (aka...waited last minute to even start one of the projects).  This was his happy face seeing his children in their "special" shirts. 

Here is the youngest in her "I love my Daddy"  shirt.

I found the freezer paper shirts on pinterest and had a friend do it last year.  

I decided for me however that it was just too much work : )

So I just bought the iron on printable paper. It was soooo EASY PEASY!  Scott was so proud to have his brood in shirts displaying their love for him at church.

 Here is his card (not the best picture) which was also an idea from pinterest. 

I thought it was super cute and reminded me of Scott.

I just made it out of stuff I already had (including aluminum foil that makes part of his headphones. 

This was breakfast all ready for him when he came downstairs.

 

The man also has a pretty big sweet tooth so we had to get him some treats.

We put cute little messages on them.  I think it said..."It's not a whopper that we love you to pieces or that you are a sweetheart of a Daddy."

Last but not least, I took the kids pictures the week before to frame for him.  The frame says...

Thank you, Daddy for 

Here are his three little blessings.

We are so grateful to have such an amazing man who works so hard, plays like a kid, teaches us many things, says he is sorry when he's wrong, kisses/hugs us and makes us laugh a whole lot!

happy little campers

it's late and i'm tired.

long day of family fun and now i've been editing for the past two hours.

i've been meaning to blog about our camping trip.

i was a little nervous about taking Liv being so young, but she did awesome.

and we had a blast!

so instead of a long journaling about all the memories we made...here are some pictures and some short captions.

first camping trip as a family of five

 baby girl is such a trooper

 especially when daddy is holding her

 i'd go on any adventure as long as he is on it.

making smores

 

the man was soo excited about his marshmellows the size of your head

 our campsite...thanks Grandaddy for letting us borrow your tent

 our little miss, she is such a great outdoors girl

 playing in the lake

 my lil man, always up for an adventure

we survived with babe in tow and made some wonderful memories