Sometimes Traveling is Hard.

Traveling has changed for me a bit over the years.  I remember the wonderful time when Mom pretty much did it all.  Then, I was single and could be packed and ready to go in about 15 minutes.  Thirty-five if you include my shoe and makeup bag.

Then I got married.  Adding in time to pack Dave's supply of pop definitely took the process up to about 45-50 minutes.

Then we added a dog, and packing time increased to an hour and change.

Then the children came.  We added HOURS to the routine, and don't even get me started on the level of chaos and confusion that became part of leaving for a trip.

And now that we've added a baby......I can't even begin to estimate.  All I know is that it takes YEARS off my life, and adds approximately 7 additional grey hairs to my head. (Yes.  I said additional.....sigh.) 

And the actual time on the road?  Stops used to be easy and fast and trips could go by quickly.  And now?  I can't even talk about it.

But a few weeks ago, we hit a whole new level of chaos in traveling.  We were on our way back from my cousin's lovely wedding.  It was snowy, and we were worried about the weather and roads getting home.  Having found out about a Caribou at an upcoming exit (thanks, mom), we decided to make a quick stop to get gas, food, and coffee.  Drive throughs, kids staying in the car.....badda bing, badda boom.

In and out, that was the plan.

Except that when we stopped for gas, it woke Clark up.  So he started screaming.  And kept screaming all the way through pumping gas.

Next we ran to Wendy's.  It was supposed to take approximately 3 minutes.  Instead, it took about 10, apparently chicken nuggets are a slow item to order.   Clark was still screaming, and through the sad cries, Dave asked Andy (in the way back of the van) to get him a bottle of pop from the cooler bag.  While doing so, there was a crash, and Andy ended up trapped under the stroller.

I have no idea how that was possible.

But, after FINALLY getting through Wendy's, we whipped into the Caribou parking lot to get Andy out from the stroller.  But, instead of going in through the back of the van, Dave decided to go in through the side of the van, over the top of Isaac, who was lost in a book and didn't want to stop.

Then there was a yell, and a large exhale of air, and I saw that Dave's feet had slipped out from under him and he had fallen on top of Isaac.  Not to be distracted from his book, Isaac continued to read while being squished like a taco.

After getting his footing, Dave still tried to go at it the same way, Isaac still wouldn't quit reading, Andy was still trapped under the stroller, and Clark was still screaming. 

Thankfully Dave met with more success that time, and finally, Andy was unpinned, Isaac unsquished (still reading), Clark was starting to settle down, and Dave offered to still get coffee.  I declined, since this stop had already seemed to take forever.

However, Dave - still flustered from the whole experience, took a shortcut and turned into the Caribou drive-through, cruising right past the ordering mic, and around the corner....  where we were stuck waiting behind other people who had actually ordered.

For the love.

But after my blood pressure came back down to a normal range, Clark stopped crying, Andy was back in his seat, and Isaac was still reading, I just started laughing.  Uncontrollably, with tears coming down my face.  My children weren't sure if I was mad or sad or happy, or had just lost it altogether, but eventually they started laughing with me. 

I may dream of the days of easy traveling, but I'm pretty sure I won't see them again for years. But, I'm wondering if these won't be the memories we all love reminiscing over someday.  For now, though, I vow to never be stuck in a Caribou drive-through without getting coffee again. 

Ever.
 

Merry Christmas!

This past year has quickly flown by in the slowest way possible. It seems like yesterday that I was writing last year's Christmas letter; it seems like it was years ago at the very same time.

In January, we found out that I was pregnant!  Our family was excited and happy, and discovered something together:  We are not a patient group of people!  For the next 9 months, we were often learning about Peanut's growth and talking about what we were looking forward to.  Compared to adopting kids, this process of adding a child to our family seemed painfully slow!

February went by in a whirlwind of nausea.  I'm not entirely sure what else happened that month, besides the fact that we ate an exorbitant amount of take out in effort to avoid cooking smells!

March came, and with it came Andy's 10th birthday.  Double digits for my boy!  Hard to believe, and we celebrated with a giant Angry Birds cake and a basketball game/concert combo featuring Jason Gray.

In April, we went on a family vacation to Philadelphia, New York, and Washington DC. We toured Independence Hall, saw Carpenter's Hall, went through museums, saw the Statue of Liberty, ate ice cream cones on the famous steps of the New York Library, ate pizza at the first pizza restaurant in the USA, saw the New York skyline from the Top of the Rock, napped in Central Park, mastered public subway systems with children in tow (totally different than just having to fend for yourself!), looked at the Declaration of Independence, went through George Washington's home, watched the Changing of the Guard at Arlington Cemetery, and looked at the White House.  Are you tired yet?  We were.  But we had so much fun, and many family memories were made.

May brought Isaac's birthday, and he turned 8!  His love for Star Wars continues to grow,
and so we celebrated 8 years of existence with a Lego-Mini-figure Luke Skywalker cake.

June and July were filled with many fun summer activities, and Dave continued to work at finishing our basement.  We went swimming, played at parks, took a road trip to Kansas City, and enjoyed time together.

By August, it was time to start school!  We are homeschooling again this year, and started early so we would be able to take some time off when Peanut joined our family.

Andy is in fourth grade this year, and doing well.  He has really had a chance to develop his own interests in reading, and has learned a lot through all the biographies he's read!

Isaac is in third grade this year, and his favorite subject is math.  He is blessed to be very talented in this area of study.

September rolled around, and I was ready to have Peanut by the first week of the month.  However, he tends to have his own schedule, and didn't arrive until September 25th! He has been worth every bit of the wait.

October was filled with sleepless nights that come with that newborn fog, but we enjoyed being a family of 5 as we made it to the apple orchard, watched football, and spent time with each other.

November and December have been a fun time of holidays and celebration, and a reminder to be thankful for all the ways in which God has blessed us.  I hope you have time this holiday season to reflect on the birth of Christ and find awe and wonder at the hope that tiny little baby brought to this earth on that night so long ago.

source

I would never have guessed...

The other day, I came in the front door after a long afternoon out with the kids, only to find this on the table:

I started thinking through possible reasons - but my birthday and anniversary are all pretty far away right now.  I had almost chalked it up to another "just because" bouquet, when I spotted the card tucked into them.

"Happy 3 years since the end of treatment!!"

I had completely forgotten, but my sweet husband hadn't.  Three years ago that day, I had finished my cancer treatments.  Suddenly my mind was in another place, another world.  I remembered crying the entire way home from the hospital that day, because I was so overwhelmed at the idea that I was DONE with cancer, and because I was so grateful to God for allowing me to have victory over that terrible disease.

I also remembered wondering what God would have for my life, and I really had no idea.  We had wanted children for so long before cancer ever hit, but at that point, it just seemed so painfully far off.

But the fact is, I serve an amazingly huge God who just loves to bless His children.  I deserve nothing, and yet He gives me so much. I would never have guessed that just 3 short years later, I would have adopted two children and been pregnant with our third!  God is great, and He is so good to our family. 

If you had given me a secret peak into a window of my future 3 years ago, all I can say, is that my life has moved far beyond what I would have imagined.  I'm so thankful that God has blessed me so richly, and so wonderfully, these past 3 years.

Face it, kid...

Yesterday was a long day.  Not a bad one, just a busy one.  We had appointments, meetings, and school to do in the middle of it all.  So by early evening, Dave and I wanted a couple of minutes to rest, and sat on the couch together. 

We may not definitely do not have as much time with just the two of us as we used to, and I think that makes those moments just that much more precious.  So we closed our eyes and rested for a few minutes together on the couch, Dave with his arm around me, and me just happy to be sitting next to him. 

I thought I heard a groan, and I opened my eyes to find Andy in front of us, head in his hands, muttering, "Why do they do this....."

So I replied, "Face it, kid, you have parents who love each other."

"Yeah, but I still don't want to see it."

"Turn around, and you won't," was Dave's empathetic reply.

"But...Mom....Dad....never mind."

He kept muttering and moaning things, but even as he went back to the table, I saw a little contented smile sneak across his face.

Face it, kid.  You LIKE having parents who love each other, and deep down, you're glad that the Fellowship of Our Rings is alive and well.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 1

It's time to think of all the things we have to be thankful for! 

For today, I'm thankful for the way that Dave serves our family. 

He doesn't get a lot of credit, and doesn't ask for much, but I love the way he sets an example for our two boys of what a godly man looks like. 

He works hard for us at his job, he plays football with the kids, he works on fixing things in our house and finishing the basement, he runs errands for the things I forget, and shows up with an unexpected cup of coffee on a long day.

He cared for me through cancer, and held my hand while I cried.  He took me to doctor's appointments.  He takes the dog to the vet.  And he has been found up talking one of the kids through bad dreams at 3am.

He is a servant - hearted man, and I'm thankful for him!

Join me in expressing gratitude this month!  I would love to hear about what you're thankful for in the comments.

Tasty Challenges

We have been working hard at being a healthier household.  At the same time, we want our kids to see making healthy choices as a fun, natural part of life, not something forced on them by goal-oriented parents.

Football season is in full swing at our house, and in the past, that's always meant lots of snacks and fun foods.  I wanted this year to be just as fun, but with a change in the food, and I decided that the best way to pull that off would be to involve the kids in the snack selection.

I chose a big game - the ISU v. Iowa game - and challenged the kids to think of different kinds of foods that were red and yellow.  I was surprised with how much we came up with!

We decided that everything should be in Cyclone colors, and the kids did a great job!  Our healthy snacks included:

Red apples with yellow bananas

Babybel individual cheeses, white cheddar (yellow) and regular red wheels

Freeze-dried pineapple and strawberries

Red sugar-free Jello jigglers

Crunchy and tasty - with no sugar added!

I'm a big fan of cheese in moderation - 75 calories/piece, and you get protein! 

And, of course, we had some junk food too.  Our kids eat healthy meals and snacks on a regular basis, and we try to make sure that we let them have junk food on occasion, and in moderation.   It's my opinion that when they are allowed to experience the difference between junk foods and healthy foods, they start learning how to make the choices on their own, and we're hoping the healthy habits stick!

We had chips and salsa, red and yellow filled Twizzlers (SO yummy!), and my favorite, a giant iced cookie that we all split.

It was so soft and delicious!

I was really impressed with how well the kids did.  We made choosing the healthy red and yellow snacks into a game, and we all had fun.

And, after all the carefully selected snacks were laid out on the table, we turned on the TV (rare for the kids!) and watched our beloved Cyclones beat the Hawks.

So, healthy eating - score!
Cyclone win - score!

That's what I like to think of as a win-win kind of situation.

Happy Easter from our family to yours!

Just a few months ago, we celebrated the birth of a baby. And now, we celebrate that baby, grown to be a man, who died on the cross and rose three days later to demonstrate his great love for us.

From Luke 24:
1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

In the middle of chocolate bunnies and Easter egg hunts, I would encourage you to take a moment to reflect on the amazing story of Easter. It doesn't get better than this!

They're a little TOO good at math.

The other day, we were talking around the dinner table, and somehow the subject of my birthday came up.  I'm kind of on the fence about the topic; on one hand, I do love getting a piece of guilt-free cheesecake, and I LOVE the free cup of caribou, but on the other hand, it's kind of a big birthday, and I'm feeling a bit old (and slightly sensitive).

So, out of respect to my ..... sensitivities.....when the kids asked how old I'd be (seriously, there has to be a better way to phrase that!), Dave kindly told them it was my 29.2 birthday.

Unfortunately, they have not yet learned about decimal points in school yet, and they started working on the math.  Out loud.

"29 years..." one started, "plus 2 more," chimed in the other one.  "Equals...."

They are really getting good at addition.

Don't get me wrong.  I do love that they are starting to get really good at math.  But the whole "29, version 2.0" thing really backfired, because they now think I'm going to be....well, you know.  You can do the math.

Sigh.

Adoption Day - The details!

I gave a little preview of Andy's adoption a few days ago, but for those of you who'd like more, here it is!

His adoption was scheduled for 2pm, which meant we had plenty of time to get ready to go.  When we got to the courtroom, we waited for just a few minutes, then were told it was time to go in!

The judge came in, we rose when asked, then sat down.  After preliminary introductions, I was asked to take the stand, and for the second time in my life, went to the stand and was sworn in.

It was a little nerve-wracking to be up there, answering questions and hoping that I said everything right, but I made it through.

When the judge asked me if there was anything else I thought the court should know, I looked down over the table, and saw Andy sitting there with his adoption dog, and the only thing I could get out was how thankful I was that he was of our family. 

Dave was called to the stand next, and I felt my eyes filling with happy tears and he testified about how proud he was to call Andy his son.  It was a reminder that he is the perfect dad, chosen by God, for our children, and it was a precious moment for me as I thought about God's provision of Dave in the lives of our children.

The judge and our lawyer went through most of the details after that, then the judge asked Andy if he'd like to say something.  He was very nervous, but I went up with him, and he answered the judge's questions about whether he felt loved in our family with a "yes."  He told the judge about his first Christmas with our family, and told her that he wanted to be adopted.

After Andy was done, the judge asked Isaac if he'd like to say something, and Isaac all but ran up to the witness stand.  Never short of something to say, he proceeded to tell the courtroom about how he wanted Andy as his brother, and also that he would like to show everyone the new sound chip in his build-a-bear, but couldn't because he had been told not to unless asked.

Then, both Dave's and my dads spoke on our behalf, affirming their support of our family, and it was time to pound the gavel and make it official!

The judge let Andy pound the gavel, which was quite a thrill.  He pounded the gavel so many times that I'm quite sure he must have issued several extra decrees by mistake, but the judge was so friendly and nice through it all.  She even let Isaac pound it too!  (Now they both want their own gavels, and are often heard through the house saying, "I pounded the decree, so now, fill-in-the-blank-with-whatever-they're-arguing-about  is official!)

We then went to a place that I will no longer call by name in happy posts to celebrate the new adoption.  That may be another post for another day, but despite ridiculously awful treatment and abismal levels of customer service by the owners of the establishment (one of the least of the problems was that I was snapped at for not bringing my own silverware, cups, plates, and napkins. To their restaurant....), we managed to have a lovely time celebrating a wonderful occasion.

Due to the chaos caused by the mean people at the unmentionable place, I forgot to tell Dave that I wanted a photo of us with the cake, so this is a picture with most of the cake and us.

In case you can't see it in the photo (which you probably can't), Andy is holding the piece with the his adoption date, 12.28.11.

Proud Grandparents!

A fun picture with a fun Uncle and Aunt-to-be!

Our little family

We ended the day with just the four of us.  Andy chose to go to dinner at Fuddruckers, and afterwards we went to the Holly Jolly Light display, which the boys loved.  

It was a wonderful, celebration-filled day, and it was so wonderful to be surrounded by dear friends and family.  We are blessed beyond measure, and give thanks to God every day for bringing Andy home to us!

Better together

I teach piano several days a week, so sometimes Dave gets the boys from school and hangs out with them during that time.  One day last week, I walked into the kitchen from the front room I teach in to find this:

And this:

Dave had taken the boys to Costco, and they decided they wanted to get me flowers, but couldn't decide on one bouquet, so Dave let them each pick out one to give to me (having boys is working out very well for me!).  

As I was trying to figure out how to best display them so that they were each equally shown off and appreciated, I settled on a solution:

And I decided that they looked better together.  Like they just belonged together.  Each bouquet had it's own distinct beauty, but together, they were stunning.  And over the course of the past week, it's been a lovely reminder of my two boys: each of them wonderful and incredible on their own, but when they're together, one can see that they are brothers brought together by God himself.  And that is beautiful to this mama's heart.

Adoption Day: The details

The adoption hearing was set for 8:15am, which, in my opinion, is pretty early for such an emotional event.  And I was so excited that I even forgot my morning coffee.  Nevertheless, we were there by about 7:50am, just to make sure.

Then we waited.  

And waited.

Apparently there were 2 emergency hearings before us that got scheduled that morning.  Normally, I don't like having to wait, but I figured that being part of an "emergency hearing" at the courthouse couldn't be good, so it gave me some compassion.  What I probably should have been doing was taking a moment to pray for those people, but I confess that it didn't occur to me in that moment.  

Anyway, we all filed into the courtroom, Dave, Isaac, me, and our attorney in the front row, friends and family in the back row behind us, and different "official" people in various places about the courtroom.

Then came my faux pax of the day: even though our lawyer reminded us of court protocol, I forgot to stand when someone yelled, "All rise!"  At the very last moment (as everyone else was sitting down), I shot out of my chair, then sat back down, with my cheeks a bit red.

Thankfully our judge seemed pretty forgiving of such blunders.

I was asked to testify first, and it was....emotional.  I was actually doing pretty well at first - you know, eyes just a bit misty, until I looked at Isaac, and HIS eyes were tearing up.  That was the end of it, and I was a mess from that point forth.

I could hardly get any words out without tears coming with them, and it made talking difficult.  I had all sorts of flowery things to say that would convince the judge I was a fit parent, but didn't get much of it out through the tears.

Dave came to the stand next, and I have to admit I'm a bit jealous, because of the two of us, I have more public speaking experience than he does (and, let's be honest, I just like talking more), and yet, I was a mess and he was completely composed. He had the perfect combo - eyes a bit moist, but eloquent and wonderful.

Sigh....maybe next time I can hold it together.

Isaac was called to the stand next.  He was hilarious.  I actually have a video of when he kind of showed up the lawyer, but I'll save that for another post.  He was also very touching when he told the judge he wanted to join our family, and I was so proud of him.

His adoption worker was the last to testify, and she surprised me.  I have truly enjoyed her, and was confidant that we would get her vote of approval, but I did not expect the heartfelt testimony she gave in support of our family.  It was touching, and meant so much.

After that, the floor was opened for comments, and my dad spoke, followed by Dave's dad, both incredibly supportive.

After that, the judge started wrapping things up, and decreed the adoption to be final.  She even let Isaac come up to the stand and pound the gavel to finalize it!

And that was the moment we officially became a family of three.

Time for celebration!

Happy Father's Day!

To all the wonderful dad's out there,  I hope you enjoy your day!

I am incredible thankful for my dad.  Growing up, I never realized that not all dads were not like my dad.  I thought that every dad was like Superman.  He could fix any toy that was broken, build furniture, arrange flowers, turn closets into bathrooms, remodel the house, find anything that was lost (and I do mean anything), remember all the words to my favorite songs, grill amazing burgers, lead our family in prayer, and probably save puppies from burning buildings, all while finding time to spend with his wife and kids.

I'm also very thankful for Dave's dad.  While I don't have as many years of memories to draw on as my dad, I have such deep respect for him.  He is incredibly committed to family, which is no small thing, given how far apart everyone lives (our family is spread across multiple countries!).  He is also very committed to excellence in education and work, which has made him an expert in his field, and taken him all over the world teaching others.

Both of our dads have been such wonderful examples to us, and it has been such a joy to see Dave follow in their footsteps, acting out the things he has learned from both of them.  From the time we were dating, I would see him play with other people's kids, and think to myself, "He's going to be a great dad someday."

And now, with Isaac having found his way into our hearts, I see that God has shaped and molded Dave into the man he is, to be the perfect father for our little boy.  I'm not saying he's a perfect dad (yet, anyway....give him another few months or so...), but he truly is perfect for Isaac.

He has such patience when answering all of Isaac's many, many questions.  Dave carefully nurtures his tender young heart, and encourages him to explore and learn.  He models being a gentleman, shows him around the hardware store, lets him "help" with home projects, and he teaches him about Jesus.

He is turning into an amazing father, and I have had the blessing of watching it happen. I hope that Isaac grows up to be just like his dad someday.

First trip to Toys R Us

We got Isaac today (!!) and since we spent some time with his foster family, it ended up getting to be kind of late as we got back on the road to head to Des Moines, so we decided to go out to eat.  We went to a Mexican place, which I think might have been Isaac's first experience with non-Taco-Bell Mexican food.

Though this is not the point of the post, he loved it.  In fact, after trying the salsa, he decided that maybe tomatos weren't quite as awful as he had thought, and I think he would eat more veggies if they always came mixed in with Mexican rice.

Anyway, in the parking lot of said restaurant, he spotted a Babies R Us, after which he wanted to know if there was a Kids R Us close by.  We sort of redirected his attention and hoped he'd forget.

Which he did, until we sort of reminded him during dinner.  We ended up thinking it would be fun (though right before we went in, I had my doubts).

However, when we talked about going there after dinner, we made it clear that this was a trip for looking, and not for buying.

His eyes grew as big as saucers within the first aisle.  I heard lots of "oooh's" and "ahhh's" and several flat out "wow's."  As I was browsing through things a little further up the aisle, I was mentally bracing myself  to turn around and face those big brown eyes and have to say no.

Except that the eyes I turned around to find were blue, not brown.

Dave found something that reminded him of his childhood, and I thought we were going to walk out of the store with the entire set of whatever in the world that was.

But we refocused, and kept moving.  At one point, we were in the Thomas the Train section, and I saw him getting really excited over a "Toby" train from the "take and play" set he's been accumulating.  He turned to me, and started to say something, then caught himself.

"Um....," he started... "um....we're still just looking, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are," I replied (with great difficulty).

Once we were back out in the car (with a few non-train purchases he didn't know about that we'll save for a later time - apparently we are not as good at following our rules as Isaac is), we praised him for sticking with our plan of just looking, and not asking to buy things.

I explained how when he does his part, it makes me want to take him back to the toy store again because I know he'll do what he's supposed to.

"Oooooh," he said.

I wish I could post an audio clip of his "Ooooh's."  They are so expressive, and make me laugh.

But really, I was so proud, and impressed, that he was able to get through an entire toy store and just enjoy the experience, without asking for stuff!

Dave took me to court.

More specifically, he drove us to court.  We had our first court date for Isaac today, and we now have it officially on court documents that he is moving in with us, and we are officially considered his pre-adoptive home (which is what we will be until the adoption is finalized).

I was completely nervous on the way down there.  Since I didn't know what to expect, I kept finding things to be worried about (will the judge think we're slobs if she sees the drop of coffee I spilled on my pants?).

Then, I worried about whether I look too young.  It's been within the last year or so that I have answered the door, to have someone ask, "Is your mom home?" (not the most flattering question...), so I wondered if the judge would think I looked to young to be a responsible parent.

I don't normally ask Dave "trapping" questions, at least not on purpose. However, on the way there today, I asked Dave, "Do I look old?"  With the wisdom of someone who has 5 years of marriage under his belt, he replied, "You look like a very responsible adult in their mid-twenties.   He managed to lay my fears to rest and yet tell me I look young all at once....what a guy!

Anyway, we are SO excited!  Signing the pre-adoptive agreement was, by far, the most fun I've had filling out paperwork, among all the thousands of documents we've gone through.  I considered asking the judge for an autographed copy of the agreement to frame, but I thought that would be considered inappropriate in an official courtroom.

We really like the judge on his case, though.  In fact, every person we have met who has been professionally involved with him has really been easy to work with, and I've been so thankful to have such pleasant, capable people involved.  The judge even had us pick out a beanie baby to give to Isaac, and also gave us a kid's toothbrush and toothpaste kit, because she said she really values good dental health.  Definitely more personable than I was expecting, and it was really nice to have met them, and have a better idea of what to expect next time we have a court date.

Today is a good day!  And, just think, tomorrow is FRIDAY, so we'll get to see him soon!( though it still doesn't feel quite soon enough).  Can't wait!

It's Friday!!!

It's finally, finally Friday!  Just a few more hours now till we can pick Isaac up for the weekend.  Can't wait!

In the meantime, Dave has been spoiling me a little.  Last night, he took me to the first farmer's market of the year, where I had the most incredible berry tart I have ever had in my life.  The crust was soft, yet held it's shape, the filling was creamy, amazing, and not too sweet, and the glazed berries on the top....

I'm getting distracted thinking about it.

Anyway, we followed that with a dinner at an insanely busy Mexican restaurant (happy Cinco de Mayo!), where I got a dish I wish I wouldn't have. The chips they brought out were hot and fresh, though, so it was still pretty amazing.

And now today.  Dave an I are going on a picnic before our meeting with the social worker, which is what we're doing before we pick up Isaac.

And that is why it's so amazing that it's Friday.

Date night fun

We had such a great time celebrating our anniversary last friday.  And, I know they say (whoever "they" is...) you shouldn't spend date nights talking about the kids...or, the kid, in our case.

But we couldn't help it.

We talked about him a lot, all the things we love about him, how excited we were to see him the next day, things we wanted to add to his room, and how sweet and kind he is to Yarbo.

We also did other things, like go to the restaurant where we first met (so delicious, so awful for you...), and then we walked through a sculpture park downtown (hello, windblown hair).

We went to get dessert near our house, and tried to eat it at the lake in front of the restaurant but we nearly froze, so we headed back to the car.

It was a pretty relaxed evening, and a fun way to celebrate 5 years of love and marriage.

Five years ago, I said I do.

Today I celebrate 5 years of marriage to my husband.  In some ways it's hard to believe that it's already been 5 years.  In other ways, it's hard to believe it's only been 5 years.  It seems like we've done so much living in that time.

"I will be here" is a song that was sung at our wedding, and while I loved it at the time, it's come to mean so much more to me over the last 5 years.

I will be here
When you feel like being quiet
When you need to speak your mind
I will listen
And I will be here
When the laughter turns to cryin'
Through the winning, losing and trying
We'll be together
I will be here

I think through those lyrics, and I think of how much we have experienced together.  We've dealt with loss, with sadness, with grief.  We've rejoiced together, laughed together, and played together.

I remember Dave telling me once when we were talking about wether we should get married that he was nervous about whether he would have the strength to stay true to such a long-lasting, all-encompassing promise.

"What if something were to happen to you, something awful," he asked.  "For example, what if you got cancer?  Would I be strong enough to take care of you and fulfill my promises then?"

I'll never forget that conversation, not for the rest of my life.  I was glad he took marriage so seriously, even though at the time I never dreamed that I'd have something like cancer.  We decided we would trust God for the strength to face whatever came our way.  And I'm here to tell you that because of Christ, Dave was strong enough to take care of me through cancer.  God chose the best man possible to walk through life with me, and I'm so thankful.

Now, as we move to a whole new stage of life (we're becoming parents....wow!), I'm still incredibly thankful that "we'll be together.... through the winning, losing, and trying."

Five years ago, I said, "I do."  I'm still learning what all that entails, but I am looking forward to figuring it out for the rest of my life.

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the future is unclear
I will be here
Just as sure as seasons were made for change
Our lifetimes were made for these years
So I will be here

Happy 5th Anniversary Dave!  I love you. 

Why the Royal Wedding day is memorable (to me)

With all the hooplah about the royal wedding coming up, I have found it fascinating how much interest the world is taking in April 29th.  And, I have to admit, that date is pretty special to me.  In fact, I will always remember the date that Prince William & Kate said, "I do."

But not because of the royal hooplah (though I'll admit, I do love to watch.  England really knows how to throw a lavish affair).  I'll remember it because April 29th is the day I said yes to the love of my life.  For me, this Friday is the day I'll celebrate 5 years of marriage with Dave!

Isn't it fun that I'll share my anniversary with the future king of England?

40 miles is a long way to go.

One of my April goals is to get in 40 miles of walking/running.  Most months, I've given my exercise goals some thought (600 minutes in February meant I had to average 30 minutes, 5 days a week, which seemed doable). To be honest, I didn't really think much about the "doability" of my goal this month.  I just picked what seemed like nice round number out of the air.

oops.

Forty miles is actually pretty far, I'm finding out.  We're at the half-way mark in the month today, and I've gotten 16 miles in.  To put that into perspective, I had to really work to get 700 minutes into 31 days last month.  I've currently done 421 minutes this month, which, at that pace, would equal 842 minutes of exercise in April, and yet I still need to pick up the pace to get all my miles in.

So if I seem a little tired....well, you'll know why.

Last night, I was really tired from all the running and walking, and I made some un-ladylike groaning sort of sounds.  I sighed, turned to Dave, and told him I felt like a 90 year old man.

He looked at me, and with a grin, said, "Well, on the plus side, at least you don't look like a 90 year old man."

He always knows just how to cheer me up.

Reason #629 why Dave is awesome.

There are lots of reasons that Dave is great.  He knows my favorite Easter candy, he's great at giving hugs, and knows just how to touch my heart.

And, while I haven't actually kept track of all the ways he is awesome, I feel certain that 629 is low-balling the number a bit.

For example:

Just after lunch, I suddenly heard the garage door open, and Yarbo went nuts.  Then, in walked Dave, and gave me bunches of daffodils buds!  I was super excited, just at that.  Then, he told me that I would need something to put them in.  I was tempted to tell him we have vases, but decided to keep that to myself.  I was glad I did, because then he walked around the corner with the vase to put them in!

The vase was one I had seen at the mall while shopping for someone else.  I had mentioned that the vase was just begging for daffodils to put in it, but I didn't think much of it after that.  Apparently Dave remembered!

Then, to further warm my already toasty heart, when I asked what they were for, he said, "Because it's Spring in our house."

Aren't they just a lovely burst of warmth, especially with all that snow in the background?  I can't wait to see them bloom!

And, on top of it all, they are daffodils that benefit the American Cancer Society, and he bought enough of them so that his company would match the donation.  Double score!

See, isn't he awesome?