Little boy: "Why are we not allowed to play that game on the computer anymore?"
Me: "It's just not allowed anymore."
Little boy: "Why is it not allowed?"
Me: "The teachers feel that it is not the most appropriate game. We found some things on there we don't like."
Little boy: "But, what if I just don't go on those parts?"
Me: "There's too much temptation and even if you were good about it, not everyone would be."
Little boy: "but..."
Me: "I'm sorry, but there's nothing you can say to change it, the decision is made."
Little boy: "but why? "
Me: "I already told you. "
Little boy: "but why?"
Me: "We're not doing this."
Little boy: "but why?!"
Me: "There's no reason to argue, there are plenty of other things to do"...
Little boy: "why?!!"
This is a conversation I had with a boy during summer camp one year. The quotations are used loosely, but it's the general conversation. There were many more dialogues similar to that one about many different topics. Children get really frustrated when they don't understand something. I try to help them understand the best I can, but sometimes it's best they just obey and trust. I, in my human form, try my best to be patient and see things from their perspective, but it's not always easy. I forget what it was like to be that young sometimes and the curiosity that abides with adolescence.
What is ironic about that is, I do the same thing as an adult. SO I really needn't try to find memories from my childhood, but think about how I felt yesterday about something I didn't understand and wanted answers to.
Chris deals with this on a regular basis. Multiple times, he will have to deal with underage drinkers, dwi's..etc... where the person doesn't understand why they are being arrested or ticketed. (Mostly because they are out of it), but also because they feel they should get away with it. So realistically, since ultimately we are all still children, the questions never go away. The difference is,however, the more developed one becomes, the more knowledge they acquire on how to find answers. It's a person's choice to seek answers, or to become educated. Right now with the DOW plunging 400 some odd points this week, with an economic downfall, with riots happening as far across the waters as London, people are finding some boldness to ask some questions. It may not always be in the right way, but they are asking. They are wanting to be heard, they are desperate. Many will not find the answers they want to hear.
"Desperate", "Desperately seeking" - these are words that I'm playing in my heart over and over and over. Many times in my life, I have sought answers as to why things happen. Many people I love are seeking answers for things they are experiencing even today. There is nothing wrong with "seeking", it's where you choose to seek and if we educate ourselves on how to find answers. We have the tools at our disposal, we just need to put them into use. "Jesus, the most beautiful name the I know...", "I believe that You're my healer"..."Our God is greater...if our God is for us than who can ever stop us...", "then all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory..." these words were written by people who desperately sought the Lord. Moses, Abraham, David, Hannah, Ruth...some names that desperately sought the Lord. What separates this bunch from the former, is they found what they were looking for. They found the Lord, they had an open hand about the outcome. They gave up their defenses and became vulnerable. There was a process. It's up to us to hear the Lord when we ask. We need to follow instruction and obey and trust. But...why? This is a question that seems to take the longest for me to find the answer to. The "why's", to me, seem to be best answered when you are no longer asking that question, but are in the "what" and "how" stage. "What do you want me to do,Lord? What is the purpose of this situation? How can I be obedient? What are your plans for me during this time? Once I focus on that, I am wrapped up in all of the fruitfulness of obedience. I am washed clean with love and showered with blessing- God uses me to give, bless and honor those around me....then "all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory"... the Lord says "this is why".
It's definitely easier said than done. I am a planner, and I want to know right now, today, why Chris and I have not been given a baby yet. Sometimes I can picture myself, arms crossed, tapping my foot, staring up at the Lord asking this. But most of the time, it's through inner tears of frustration. As I see many around me going through challenging circumstances- I pray that the Lord help us all to know He hears our cries. This is part of the purpose- and I would much rather be in His purpose than have even 1 child- not according to God's planning and timing. I would rather wait on His perfection....but I still want to know why. Why the pain?
"Wait" is the not the most exciting thing to hear the Lord say...but I sure hear it a lot! Just like I wrote at the top: the little one just couldn't understand yet about temptation, even though I tried to explain. We aren't always in a place where things will make sense yet. We have to get there first. However, curiosity is an amazing thing. God gave us very complex minds, and even more perplexing hearts and only He knows the depths. Where some like to say "curiosity killed the cat" (which I have the most curious, trouble-making cat on the planet and he is perfectly fine- I have never understood that saying! lol) curiosity kills strongholds and crutches. The more we seek Him, the more we will find Him. Sometimes, the purpose is to find rest, see love in a new light, and to be blessed beyond all we could think or ask, I will find my answers soon enough...all in "due" time....
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Precious Moments
I have recently been teased for referring to my husband as "precious". It's pretty understandable for anyone that knows my husband. His outgoing, goofy personality does not exactly exude "precious". But let me explain by recalling some precious moments that I have recently encountered.
For our 6 year wedding anniversary, Chris surprised me with private ball room dancing lessons. This was so exciting to me for multiple reasons. I have always been fascinated by ball room dancing ( I watched it as a little girl and absolutely love "Dancing with the Stars"), I love dancing in general and the third reason this was exciting to me is because Chris does not love dancing at all. I know he really loves me when he has to listen to a nationally competitive dance instructor recite "1,2,3,4 and turn,2,3,4..." in his ear. He was always a great student, so this was no exception. He did a great job during our lesson. I on the other hand, got in trouble for trying to lead! LOL I really felt this experience was very metaphorical for marriage in general. The man is the leader of the dance, no matter what. If he makes a mistake, you make a mistake along with him. The female is supposed to be just a half step behind him. The man gets to surprise her with turns and fun twirls and trips around the dance floor and she just gets to trust him and relax. There are times when the woman needs to support herself, for example on dips. She has to be ready and have her feet firmly planted on the floor and he can then dip her safely. I just felt God reveal to me that there are times when maybe I really do think I know better than Chris, but he is the head of the household and God has given him grace for that job. My job is to stand by his side, and his job is to be the head of our household. I never would have thought that I had any feelings like that, but I do like to have control over things and this is an area of my life where I need to learn to trust God, trust Chris trust that favor and grace are given where they are needed. We had such a great time and I just love my husband. He is so caring and patient and fun and I could just brag on him all day! Anyway that was precious moment number 1. We recently spent some time with some friends of ours that we became friends with in New York. They live here in Dallas now and they have a beautiful little girl. When they lived in New York, the wife would teach their dog tricks when she was off and her husband was working, just to keep herself busy. (At West Point, when it snowed, you were stuck, you had to fend for yourself!) She taught their dog a trick where she would hold her arms out in a circle and the dog would jump through it. It was so funny, and we were so impressed! When we got to see them recently, I asked if their little girl does that trick with their dog, and she does! It's so sweet to see them now, with their growing family. Every moment that Chris and I get to talk about our future children, we talk about the things that we want to teach them and talk to them about. As part of our anniversary, I made Chris some video collages of our relationship. One of the videos is of all goofy pictures of us. We talked about how we are glad that we will have a way to show our children pictures of our life before they came along. Chris mentioned wanting to point out to our children how "fun" we are. I was like "we are fun!". But anytime we talk about our future family, is a precious moment for us.
Precious moment number 3- We are in the process of searching for a house. Recently we found a house that we absolutely love, but it's still a little early to look at making an offer because our lease is up at the end of the year. Just talking about what God has done for us since we've been married- all the military craziness and all the moves- and now we are actually about to embark upon purchasing our first house! When we went on the walk through of the house, we both just loved it. I really feel like this is our house, so we are just praying about the next steps to take! Preparing to purchase a house-definitely a precious moment!
I know that it may seem strange to refer to Chris as "precious", but my Chris takes care of me when I'm down, he encourages me about the future and he makes me smile everyday. He is absolutely "precious"...
For our 6 year wedding anniversary, Chris surprised me with private ball room dancing lessons. This was so exciting to me for multiple reasons. I have always been fascinated by ball room dancing ( I watched it as a little girl and absolutely love "Dancing with the Stars"), I love dancing in general and the third reason this was exciting to me is because Chris does not love dancing at all. I know he really loves me when he has to listen to a nationally competitive dance instructor recite "1,2,3,4 and turn,2,3,4..." in his ear. He was always a great student, so this was no exception. He did a great job during our lesson. I on the other hand, got in trouble for trying to lead! LOL I really felt this experience was very metaphorical for marriage in general. The man is the leader of the dance, no matter what. If he makes a mistake, you make a mistake along with him. The female is supposed to be just a half step behind him. The man gets to surprise her with turns and fun twirls and trips around the dance floor and she just gets to trust him and relax. There are times when the woman needs to support herself, for example on dips. She has to be ready and have her feet firmly planted on the floor and he can then dip her safely. I just felt God reveal to me that there are times when maybe I really do think I know better than Chris, but he is the head of the household and God has given him grace for that job. My job is to stand by his side, and his job is to be the head of our household. I never would have thought that I had any feelings like that, but I do like to have control over things and this is an area of my life where I need to learn to trust God, trust Chris trust that favor and grace are given where they are needed. We had such a great time and I just love my husband. He is so caring and patient and fun and I could just brag on him all day! Anyway that was precious moment number 1. We recently spent some time with some friends of ours that we became friends with in New York. They live here in Dallas now and they have a beautiful little girl. When they lived in New York, the wife would teach their dog tricks when she was off and her husband was working, just to keep herself busy. (At West Point, when it snowed, you were stuck, you had to fend for yourself!) She taught their dog a trick where she would hold her arms out in a circle and the dog would jump through it. It was so funny, and we were so impressed! When we got to see them recently, I asked if their little girl does that trick with their dog, and she does! It's so sweet to see them now, with their growing family. Every moment that Chris and I get to talk about our future children, we talk about the things that we want to teach them and talk to them about. As part of our anniversary, I made Chris some video collages of our relationship. One of the videos is of all goofy pictures of us. We talked about how we are glad that we will have a way to show our children pictures of our life before they came along. Chris mentioned wanting to point out to our children how "fun" we are. I was like "we are fun!". But anytime we talk about our future family, is a precious moment for us.
Precious moment number 3- We are in the process of searching for a house. Recently we found a house that we absolutely love, but it's still a little early to look at making an offer because our lease is up at the end of the year. Just talking about what God has done for us since we've been married- all the military craziness and all the moves- and now we are actually about to embark upon purchasing our first house! When we went on the walk through of the house, we both just loved it. I really feel like this is our house, so we are just praying about the next steps to take! Preparing to purchase a house-definitely a precious moment!
I know that it may seem strange to refer to Chris as "precious", but my Chris takes care of me when I'm down, he encourages me about the future and he makes me smile everyday. He is absolutely "precious"...
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Annual Check Ups!
It's that time of year for us, where we make all of our appointments: eye, dental, physical etc..My day today started with an exhausting trip to the vet clinic. It was our first trip to the vet here in Texas. Thankfully we haven't had any serious reason to take Molly in since our last annual trip in New York. I bought her a new collar for the occasion, but still needed to put on the old harness (which by the way needed to be let out a few notches) to keep a better "non-choking" grip on her. Over the years, I have mastered the art of keeping her close to me when I'm by myself at the vet. Friendly visitors that want to pet her? Other cats/dogs within a close radius? Need to fill out paperwork one-handed? I just lock her leash, and get a great thigh work out keeping her locked between my feet and legs. She usually gives up and just lays down. Today, we experienced all three of these scenarios by the way...so a few shots and a lot of shedding later...we survived our trip! She did well, and received well deserved treats and love. We won't need to go back till next summer! While filling out the paperwork- there were questions listed that they certainly don't ask at military veterinary clinics. The first question: "To better help us with your vet experience- answer one of the following 1)Do you feel your pet is one of the family? or 2)Just a pet?". I checked of course option 1 ( I mean, she is in our Christmas card pictures). A few more of the questions were about whether or not we want the best health options, diet advice etc. It asked A)"would we be willing to do whatever it takes for our pet?", or B)"would we want to do as much as possible up to a certain limit?" Chris,being the sensible one, would have probably checked option B, but I checked option A because of course at this point, I'm nervously thinking about the off chance of something horrible happening to Molly and can't bear the thought of something happening to her- so in my head it was "A!, of course, we'll do whatever it takes!". The last question was "how long do you want your pet to live?". I had to refrain from filling in the response my 6 year old self would have written of "forever!" to "as long as possible, as long as she is happy and healthy".
We are em-"barking" on yet another annual thing known as our anniversary. Yes, it will be 6 years for us in just a few weeks. We got married on Friday night, June 24th, and are celebrating (thanks to leap year) this year on Friday, June 24th. We are still deciding on ways we would like to celebrate. But, we have much to be thankful for!
I'm sure you all have read/heard about the recent tornadoes in Joplin,MO. Yesterday, I read about a woman, whose husband gave his life for her during the tornado. They were watching their house be ripped apart, when her husband laid on top of her to protect her. In that heroic act, he lost his life. It really hit me hard and I have been praying for her like crazy. Only our Father can give you the kind of love and care you need in a situation like that. It's unimaginable. The couple had a few things in common with us: they were married 6 years, were together since they were kids (although for Chris and me it was high school), and were hoping to start a family soon....to see all of those things just come to a halt- I can hardly think of many other more challenging circumstances. Along with my thoughts I had today on the possibility of losing Molly to some horrible accident or disease- I felt God testing my trust in Him. We really do hold things dear to us that are not eternal. He puts them in our lives for a reason and wants us to find fullness and joy, but it's fleeting. Do I have the kind of hope in Him that it would take if something like that happened to Chris? The thought is very painful to think about. (I mean, this is not what we would deem the most exciting part about faith.) Chris would do anything to keep me safe,including giving his life...Then I remember that someone already gave His life. How can I have hope in anything else? We have a bright future because of Him. If anyone has read "the Shack" by William P. Young, it tests just that. His daughter was taken from him in brutal way...but,God saw him through it and brought joy back into his life. I just ask that God help me to have faith in Him in the ups, the downs and the really downs. This is the place of faith that He wants to bring all of His children to. We just have to be humble and trust Him to take care of us....it's kind of funny we can't trust Him without...Him.
In thinking about joy and fulfillment, Chris and I get to spend the weekend together! And in just a few weeks, we'll be celebrating another year together. The test results have come back of a clean bill of health...and we too, are good to go for another year.... <3
We are em-"barking" on yet another annual thing known as our anniversary. Yes, it will be 6 years for us in just a few weeks. We got married on Friday night, June 24th, and are celebrating (thanks to leap year) this year on Friday, June 24th. We are still deciding on ways we would like to celebrate. But, we have much to be thankful for!
I'm sure you all have read/heard about the recent tornadoes in Joplin,MO. Yesterday, I read about a woman, whose husband gave his life for her during the tornado. They were watching their house be ripped apart, when her husband laid on top of her to protect her. In that heroic act, he lost his life. It really hit me hard and I have been praying for her like crazy. Only our Father can give you the kind of love and care you need in a situation like that. It's unimaginable. The couple had a few things in common with us: they were married 6 years, were together since they were kids (although for Chris and me it was high school), and were hoping to start a family soon....to see all of those things just come to a halt- I can hardly think of many other more challenging circumstances. Along with my thoughts I had today on the possibility of losing Molly to some horrible accident or disease- I felt God testing my trust in Him. We really do hold things dear to us that are not eternal. He puts them in our lives for a reason and wants us to find fullness and joy, but it's fleeting. Do I have the kind of hope in Him that it would take if something like that happened to Chris? The thought is very painful to think about. (I mean, this is not what we would deem the most exciting part about faith.) Chris would do anything to keep me safe,including giving his life...Then I remember that someone already gave His life. How can I have hope in anything else? We have a bright future because of Him. If anyone has read "the Shack" by William P. Young, it tests just that. His daughter was taken from him in brutal way...but,God saw him through it and brought joy back into his life. I just ask that God help me to have faith in Him in the ups, the downs and the really downs. This is the place of faith that He wants to bring all of His children to. We just have to be humble and trust Him to take care of us....it's kind of funny we can't trust Him without...Him.
In thinking about joy and fulfillment, Chris and I get to spend the weekend together! And in just a few weeks, we'll be celebrating another year together. The test results have come back of a clean bill of health...and we too, are good to go for another year.... <3
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Protect and Serve
Happy late Mother's Day,everyone! I enjoyed being able to bless my mother this past weekend, and I know she enjoyed it too. SO I get a call on Cinco De Mayo evening frantic from my mom that someone has just stolen her purse! I was in the middle of Supertarget with a friend, purchasing Mother's Day gifts when her upset ring came to my cell. I did my best to calm her down ( knowing this has to be extremely frustrating) by walking through the steps she needs to take to file her police report. I ended my shopping early and made my way to her, thankful that I had an extra key to her house, where which she had an extra car key. I then took her to her car and she began the important steps of cancelling her account etc. I'm just so glad that I was here in Texas where I was able to help her in this situation. I would have been very frustrated and felt extremely helpless if I was several states away.
This whole incident reminded me of a time when I was about 6 years old. I remember just waking up to begin my day, when I heard a frantic beating at our door. It was really loud and wouldn't stop for a break. My dad opened the door and my mom ran inside, crying and upset. She had just been mugged while walking to her car. The person took her purse, but nothing else, thankfully. I remember that day was someone's birthday at her office, and she was responsible for bringing the cake. In her hurried frantic state, she through the cake in the attacker's face and ran home as quickly as possible. I remember being so thankful that nothing else happened and that she was safe in the house.
I have no idea if they ever caught the suspect, but I do remember going to the bank that afternoon with my parents while they undoubtedly closed their checking account and opened a new one. At the time, I had no idea why we were there. I actually remember thinking "Do they sell purses here? Are they going to be able to give my mom a new purse?".
Flash forward 24 years and here I am being there for my mom once again. Only my purpose isn't quite comparable to my 6 year old self doing cartwheels and saying silly things to my mom to make her feel better (although, I'm sure she would appreciate that- she is very disappointed that she paid all that money for gymnastics growing up and I'm not still able to do back flips); it's more to be the confidant and the helper. With a husband whose sole occupation for the last several years has been to protect and serve in someway, I share his desire for taking care of those who can't fend for themselves. My mom has been there for me countless times my entire life and would drop everything for anything I ever needed, and I am so willing to do that for her any chance I can get. I just want to lift my mom up and just tell her " thank you so much" for her unconditional love and support. I absolutely love her!! You have been such a wonderful support for Chris and me and I couldn't be more blessed to have you.
On another note, since our last date night blog, Chris and I have been able to go on a few more dates. Two weekends ago, being our most recent one. We were enjoying a late night steak at Texas Roadhouse (and I do mean late night- with Chris being on such a weird sleep schedule, I remained the supportive wife eating an 8 oz filet and baked potato at 10 o'clock at night- and in turn he watched the movie "Tangled" with me, which I'm sure he was thrilled about! ) when Chris brought up to me that it had officially been a year since we've been done with the military. He said "we didn't even celebrate or anything!" to which I replied, "well, we have just been too busy enjoying a wonderful life,I guess!". We were just talking about this the other night in our lifegroup. A year ago, we moved to Texas with no jobs, no house, no church...nothing-except our faith. One by one, God has taken care of every detail of every aspect of our lives. We are so grateful for everything He has done for us.Thank you, Lord, for an amazing year and we are thrilled to move onto the next!
This whole incident reminded me of a time when I was about 6 years old. I remember just waking up to begin my day, when I heard a frantic beating at our door. It was really loud and wouldn't stop for a break. My dad opened the door and my mom ran inside, crying and upset. She had just been mugged while walking to her car. The person took her purse, but nothing else, thankfully. I remember that day was someone's birthday at her office, and she was responsible for bringing the cake. In her hurried frantic state, she through the cake in the attacker's face and ran home as quickly as possible. I remember being so thankful that nothing else happened and that she was safe in the house.
I have no idea if they ever caught the suspect, but I do remember going to the bank that afternoon with my parents while they undoubtedly closed their checking account and opened a new one. At the time, I had no idea why we were there. I actually remember thinking "Do they sell purses here? Are they going to be able to give my mom a new purse?".
Flash forward 24 years and here I am being there for my mom once again. Only my purpose isn't quite comparable to my 6 year old self doing cartwheels and saying silly things to my mom to make her feel better (although, I'm sure she would appreciate that- she is very disappointed that she paid all that money for gymnastics growing up and I'm not still able to do back flips); it's more to be the confidant and the helper. With a husband whose sole occupation for the last several years has been to protect and serve in someway, I share his desire for taking care of those who can't fend for themselves. My mom has been there for me countless times my entire life and would drop everything for anything I ever needed, and I am so willing to do that for her any chance I can get. I just want to lift my mom up and just tell her " thank you so much" for her unconditional love and support. I absolutely love her!! You have been such a wonderful support for Chris and me and I couldn't be more blessed to have you.
On another note, since our last date night blog, Chris and I have been able to go on a few more dates. Two weekends ago, being our most recent one. We were enjoying a late night steak at Texas Roadhouse (and I do mean late night- with Chris being on such a weird sleep schedule, I remained the supportive wife eating an 8 oz filet and baked potato at 10 o'clock at night- and in turn he watched the movie "Tangled" with me, which I'm sure he was thrilled about! ) when Chris brought up to me that it had officially been a year since we've been done with the military. He said "we didn't even celebrate or anything!" to which I replied, "well, we have just been too busy enjoying a wonderful life,I guess!". We were just talking about this the other night in our lifegroup. A year ago, we moved to Texas with no jobs, no house, no church...nothing-except our faith. One by one, God has taken care of every detail of every aspect of our lives. We are so grateful for everything He has done for us.Thank you, Lord, for an amazing year and we are thrilled to move onto the next!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Date Night
So finally tonight is date night! The last two weeks have gone by super fast, and we have been going a mile a minute. Chris worked extra shifts every night last week except one and I have been staying busy at work, getting ready for our work conference and staying late to help out. While Chris has been off fighting "panty capers", I have been staying busy decorating our guest bathroom. Let me explain what I mean by "panty capers"- uh-hum- there was a burglar in our town that was known for stealing women's underwear...and it was a man. Yikes! They set up a "sting" to catch him, and did! Geez... I have been focusing much attention on our guest bathroom. For example, I finally got a shower curtain (I figure after 5 months, it's time) and my creativity has been steamrolling. I went to Kohl's and got some things on sale to go with my theme, and am putting pictures from all of our travels on the walls. I found a great lady online that custom makes wall stickers. She is putting together a scripture verse for me to put on the wall, I just need to get her the measurements.
With our schedules being opposites, I have been leaving notes for Chris and he has been e-mailing me while I sleep. He really likes the way our bathroom is coming along, so he handpicked pictures that he likes, formatted them and put them in a folder on our laptop for me. (This is one of the things he e-mailed me.) I have also been adding decor to our dining room (if I could just keep Sam from jumping on the table, that'd be great!). I also made a DIY wreath for the front door that I'm pretty excited about. Our place has been slowly but surely becoming more homey and I love it. We live on a golf course, and I love taking Molly out, watching people play golf while the sun sets. It really motivates me to do spring cleaning!
With putting together frame collages, I have been going through old pictures from over the years and I'm just so blown away by God's love and what He has done for Chris and me. We have made so many memories and have grown so much and it just continues to get better and better. God has carried us through every single phase and has blessed us and taken care of us in every situation. He is amazing!
Many of you know that Chris and I have been trying to get pregnant for nearly three years now, and while I am tempted to be sad and depressed, God lifts us up and blesses us and reminds us there is a reason for the waiting. I am so excited for what is to come, but I will continue to praise Him and be obedient. He is giving us grace for the waiting period and it is beautiful.
(sigh) So as we go on this date tonight and we peacefully walk through Southlake Town Square together, (on a gorgeous night,I might add) we will be refreshed and blessed and be rejoicing for the future. : ) (and maybe be stopping into the Reese's Pieces shop for some chocolate...hmmmm...yeah, definitely...)
With our schedules being opposites, I have been leaving notes for Chris and he has been e-mailing me while I sleep. He really likes the way our bathroom is coming along, so he handpicked pictures that he likes, formatted them and put them in a folder on our laptop for me. (This is one of the things he e-mailed me.) I have also been adding decor to our dining room (if I could just keep Sam from jumping on the table, that'd be great!). I also made a DIY wreath for the front door that I'm pretty excited about. Our place has been slowly but surely becoming more homey and I love it. We live on a golf course, and I love taking Molly out, watching people play golf while the sun sets. It really motivates me to do spring cleaning!
With putting together frame collages, I have been going through old pictures from over the years and I'm just so blown away by God's love and what He has done for Chris and me. We have made so many memories and have grown so much and it just continues to get better and better. God has carried us through every single phase and has blessed us and taken care of us in every situation. He is amazing!
Many of you know that Chris and I have been trying to get pregnant for nearly three years now, and while I am tempted to be sad and depressed, God lifts us up and blesses us and reminds us there is a reason for the waiting. I am so excited for what is to come, but I will continue to praise Him and be obedient. He is giving us grace for the waiting period and it is beautiful.
(sigh) So as we go on this date tonight and we peacefully walk through Southlake Town Square together, (on a gorgeous night,I might add) we will be refreshed and blessed and be rejoicing for the future. : ) (and maybe be stopping into the Reese's Pieces shop for some chocolate...hmmmm...yeah, definitely...)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Moonlighting
Moonlighting. When I heard that word as a little girl, I thought of Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis solving crimes together. I can almost hear the jazz themed opener to the "crime drama" now and it quickly transcends me to my home as a little girl filled with wicker furniture and all. Now,however, this term has taken on a whole new meaning of "off duty gigs" in the police world. Chris has now signed up for several of these moonlighting shifts patrolling car dealership lots, high school baseball games and extra shifts at the hospital. We are so blessed by the ways that God is providing extra income for us, but really have been missing spending quality time together. We do have a few nights a week where we can rest, catch up on housework and watch our favorite shows, but I have really been wanting to go on just a dinner and movie date...just the two of us. Valentine's Day was our last date and we don't even have kiddos! Anyway, I was thinking these thoughts to myself when Chris said to me last night that we really needed to go on a date. So I'm excited to plan one!
Last weekend, we had friends and family over to celebrate Chris' birthday and it really was special. That was our first time to host a gathering like that since we've moved back to Dallas. When living at West Point and Ft. Hood, we hosted gatherings and I always did something at the house for Chris' birthdays. All of our friends would pitch in on the food and it was always so special to me because we were so far away from family. So it was really strange (in a good way) to have family actually here to help and be "on their way over" with goodies. It was so nice to have both moms here and excited to help. I don't know why, but even after a year, it still feels as if we just moved back...AH...(sigh) home...how great you are!
Last weekend, we had friends and family over to celebrate Chris' birthday and it really was special. That was our first time to host a gathering like that since we've moved back to Dallas. When living at West Point and Ft. Hood, we hosted gatherings and I always did something at the house for Chris' birthdays. All of our friends would pitch in on the food and it was always so special to me because we were so far away from family. So it was really strange (in a good way) to have family actually here to help and be "on their way over" with goodies. It was so nice to have both moms here and excited to help. I don't know why, but even after a year, it still feels as if we just moved back...AH...(sigh) home...how great you are!
Friday, February 25, 2011
You Have the Right to Remain....Awake (sigh)
SO I know I need to get used to this, but I'm not yet. Last weekend, (actually a week ago today), Chris and I went to our great friends' house for dinner and games. They live about an hour away from us with traffic. It was late when we got there because I got out of work late (and Chris was still asleep when I got home instead of all set and ready to go- after much discussion, we realized it was both our faults for being late-it's a win win for all!). We had a great time with them, but it was about midnight when we left. Now I know I'm not old, but I was exhausted and I knew that between the baby shower I was throwing the next day and with working at the church on the weekends, I wouldn't be getting much rest. I just wanted to get home. We drove out of the neighborhood, and instead of turning left to go the way we came, we turned right. I wondered aloud why we were going that way, to which Chris replied he wanted to see if it was faster. (it's not). About 20 minutes into the drive I look up to see Chris dialing 911. When I asked what was wrong, he said that the car weaving in front of us was a "possible DWI". He then proceeded to speak to the 911 operator, describing the vehicle, giving the license plate etc. We then followed the car into the CVS parking lot where the driver (female, about 5'10" as he described her to the operator) stumbled into the "open all night" store for late night munchies. We then parked on the opposite side of the parking lot to "watch" her while waiting for the police to arrive.
Okay...in my mind and in my heart, I know my husband is a good man and has integrity. He felt a responsibility for the safety of the driver and those around her, to make sure the police were alerted of the situation. BUT when you're soooooo exhausted, you find yourself thinking "This is NOT what I want to be doing right now!". I have swollen eyes, and disheveled hair and yet I find myself finishing my husband's descriptions of the driver to the operator- him: "the driver is..." me: "female"; him: "she's wearing a silver..." me: "gray"; him: "sweater" me: (yawn)"dress".
Our little adventure did not end at CVS, however. The operator asked us to follow her if she left CVS and call them back- actually I think she just said to call them back and Chris heard "and follow them". So, we followed her. She continued to weave, though not as bad. But it began to be awkward. As a girl that has been in a situation where another driver has stalked her (another story for another time), I could sense that she knew we were following her. I found myself looking off to the other side of the car, trying to be casual, but sure enough, she made a random u-turn at a light, and Chris made a random u-turn with her. Thank goodness, the patrol car showed up just at that moment to pull her over.
With another drunk driver off of the roads, we finally made it home safely an hour and 10 minutes later. I don't remember much else after that...I might have taken Molls out, but I for sure passed out immediately.
Then, my Saturday began at the crack of dawn to get my best friend's baby shower food cooked and it hasn't slowed down until this very moment! I'm very excited to be in pj's right now and I feel so blessed to sleep in tomorrow! I was telling Chris the other day that I feel like my life is just a constant cycle of "trying to get somewhere and not be late". I've always got places to be. I need to remember that the Lord wants us to take time to rest, so I am working on that. But at the end of the day,I've got the best husband in the whole world; and in those moments of pulling up to the house after a busy day and seeing Chris taking Molly back inside after taking her out to go potty and Sam greeting them all at the door...(sigh) I'm grateful to God for this life He has blessed us with. : )
Okay...in my mind and in my heart, I know my husband is a good man and has integrity. He felt a responsibility for the safety of the driver and those around her, to make sure the police were alerted of the situation. BUT when you're soooooo exhausted, you find yourself thinking "This is NOT what I want to be doing right now!". I have swollen eyes, and disheveled hair and yet I find myself finishing my husband's descriptions of the driver to the operator- him: "the driver is..." me: "female"; him: "she's wearing a silver..." me: "gray"; him: "sweater" me: (yawn)"dress".
Our little adventure did not end at CVS, however. The operator asked us to follow her if she left CVS and call them back- actually I think she just said to call them back and Chris heard "and follow them". So, we followed her. She continued to weave, though not as bad. But it began to be awkward. As a girl that has been in a situation where another driver has stalked her (another story for another time), I could sense that she knew we were following her. I found myself looking off to the other side of the car, trying to be casual, but sure enough, she made a random u-turn at a light, and Chris made a random u-turn with her. Thank goodness, the patrol car showed up just at that moment to pull her over.
With another drunk driver off of the roads, we finally made it home safely an hour and 10 minutes later. I don't remember much else after that...I might have taken Molls out, but I for sure passed out immediately.
Then, my Saturday began at the crack of dawn to get my best friend's baby shower food cooked and it hasn't slowed down until this very moment! I'm very excited to be in pj's right now and I feel so blessed to sleep in tomorrow! I was telling Chris the other day that I feel like my life is just a constant cycle of "trying to get somewhere and not be late". I've always got places to be. I need to remember that the Lord wants us to take time to rest, so I am working on that. But at the end of the day,I've got the best husband in the whole world; and in those moments of pulling up to the house after a busy day and seeing Chris taking Molly back inside after taking her out to go potty and Sam greeting them all at the door...(sigh) I'm grateful to God for this life He has blessed us with. : )
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A Day in the Life...
SO I have an entire book happening in my head at all times. Most of it revolves around my busy new "civilian" life. I went from a quiet life in the mountains of West Point to settling into a life that often prevents me from knowing what day it is. I went from going a month (or two) without having to fill up my car with gas to daily traffic jams that make me want to pull my hair out. I barely have time to do any of my favorite past times: read (I've been reading Christine Kane's "How to Have and Do it All" for almost a year now- and haven't been able to get to the end of the book: the pot at the end of the rainbow, the advice of all advice that I desperately need (sigh) because I don't have time to well...have and do it all!) ,take bubble baths ( I turn the lights out, light candles and get my bubbles-thinking that I have closed all the doors- only to have Molly [my bulldog] and Sam [my cat] burst right through not one, but two doors that usually have me yelling "you are ruining bath time for me!"), and sleep (can someone please remind me what that is like?).
Since this month marks mine and Chris' 1 year anniversary of civilian life, there is much I would like to write about. It's therapy for me. I don't get to talk or see many of my friends, and I have been asked several times to write a blog to share my daily stories.
Chris works as a police officer now and it is so exciting to see how far he has come. I'm very grateful that he has always known exactly what he was called to do. Even joining the army was something that he was called to do. We sometimes can't believe how young he was when he started (16), but we do not doubt everything God has done in the last 10 years.
Chris works as a police officer now and it is so exciting to see how far he has come. I'm very grateful that he has always known exactly what he was called to do. Even joining the army was something that he was called to do. We sometimes can't believe how young he was when he started (16), but we do not doubt everything God has done in the last 10 years.
There is much to update you with. SO for those that care, please stay tuned!
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