Minnesota Marriage

We spent the past weekend in snowy Minnesota for Ashley's wedding! There aren't many people that I would travel to MN for in January, and Ashley is one of them...it.

It was painfully cold up there, and to be honest, I didn't care for it. I can safely say that I will never move to Minnesota...by choice, anyway. I am so impressed that people do choose to live there, and that they are able to deal with the weather as well as they do. (A native Minnesotan at one point referred to the piles of snow on the ground as a "dusting". HA!) Anyway, it was 9 degrees on Ashley's wedding day, and I applaud her for being so bold and so brave as to get married (in a strapless dress, mind you!) during one of the coldest months of the year. What a woman!

In all seriousness, though, the wedding was breathtaking. Ashley was radiant, and had an absolutely perpetual smile! She was stunning and her entire day was truly magical. I'm so, so thankful we made the trip. I couldn't imagine not being there for her big day!

Weddings are such fun, and this one all the more so because so many elements of Matt and Ashley's celebration reminded me of my own!


It's impossible for me to be at a wedding, surrounded by such love and anticipation, without reflecting on the day I married my groom.

What a blessing to share in a friend's joy, a new bride...while at the same time being reminded of, and motivated & encouraged by, the love I share and enjoy with Bobby as his bride. It is so very special to celebrate a new marriage, knowing from experience how completely incredible marriage can be. Experiencing that firsthand makes me all the more thrilled for the new and wonderful things ahead for her, and all the more thankful for my husband...and the wonderful things ahead for us.

The true heart of a wife [is the] preciousest gift 

that man hath in this world. 

--William Tyndale on the Seventh Commandment--

"Phillips' Anatomy"

Bobby had surgery today. 

Long story short, the poor guy broke his ring finger playing flag-football at the beginning of December. (And he'd been so looking forward to playing football with "the guys" on a regular basis, now that we're back in town. Boy, was he ever bummed....) The broken finger led to a visit to the orthopedic surgeon, MRI's, and the discovery of a (thankfully, benign) cyst growing inside of the bone...which is actually what led to the break in the first place. Talk about a surprise! 

So, suffice it to say, the cyst needed to be removed.  The bone needed to be set. And that is the extent to which I shall discuss henceforward the medically-interesting, but not-for-the-faint-of-heart, details of what was done to my husband today. 

Surgery is not fun for anyone, not for the patient (clearly) nor for the family who can only wait patiently and trust the doctors who have their loved ones in their care. I learned that today while I waited for Bobby to come out of surgery. (And, goodness, this wasn't even what I would consider a "life or death" procedure! Not by any means. Sure, there were risks, but it was a small surgery, relatively-speaking. I can only imagine what it would feel like to watch the clock tick by as a loved one underwent a much more serious surgery....)  My sweet dad kept me company, which I was very grateful for, but I've decided that there's nothing quite like the anxious, nervous emotion I experienced...knowing Bobby was in good hands, but wishing he were in mine....

I think I shall always remember those initial moments when they wheeled Bobby back into the recovery room. Coupled with the immense relief of seeing him awake and knowing the worst was behind him, was the sadness at his vulnerable, "I've been through the wringer" expression and miserable demeanor. I'll spare you the details of the post-op experience, but let's just say that I hope I never have to see him in such a pitiful state again. He was as brave as one could be, to be sure...but he wasn't firing on all cylinders, either, and it hurt my heart.

The anesthesia wore off safely, and he got the "all clear". We left the hospital 4 hours after we got there. 

Modern medicine is fascinating. They do this on a daily basis, and the "get-you-into-surgery-and-then-get-you-home" process is like a well-oiled machine. I was very impressed! But, I don't want to go back for a long time, either. You understand.

Do you know what my incredible husband did? (Of course you don't, but I'll tell you!) Ever the gentleman, he opened my car door for me as we were leaving the hospital. (With his good hand, of course.) I can't say that I'm surprised, but if ever there were an occasion where he could have let that loving gesture slide without so much as a second thought, this would've been it. But, like I said, he's a gentleman. And, I love him for it. 

The patient is now resting peacefully on the couch, and the medicine is keeping his pain at bay. I'm so proud of how he's handled all of this...what a trooper. 

At the end of today, I'm thankful that my husband is okay...that he's healing and strong and courageous. I'm thankful that we live in a country where we're able to have surgeries that would be far less than feasible elsewhere. And, I'm thankful to serve our God...who can heal Bobby's hand...who guided those of Bobby's surgeon...and who holds us all in His.

A Perfect '10

The fun thing about blogging on a semi-regular basis is being able to easily reflect on feelings from the past year as I start to look forward to the next one. This time last year, I was more than a little bit apprehensive to move on to a new year! 2009 was just so great. But, as I said then, "life just keeps happening, doesn't it?!" I'm so glad it does (and that I chose to embrace it!), because 2010 was a special year, too....

Things I was looking forward to in 2010, as noted in my New Year's Eve post, 2009:

· Celebrating our 1^st married Valentine’s Day, and our sixth anniversary of “togetherness”

· Celebrating our 24^th birthdays

· Trips to Springfield

· Summer in St. Louis

· Visits from loved ones to our home

· Becoming involved at our new church 

(Other than Sunday services, we never really got involved. It is what it is.)

· Hearing about friends’ wedding planning

· A trip to Minnesota 

(Bummer that never happened. But, we're starting 2011 with a trip there! So, that's good.)

· Kelsey’s wedding

· A vacation to somewhere (...MEXICO! And it was grand.)

· Celebrating our first anniversary!

After having been reminded again & again this year about God's habit 

of keeping my nature to make plans in check, I'm planning (ha!) to 

go into 2011 with the expectation that the year will bring events 

and occasions that I haven't counted on! (And, vice-versa.) With that 

in mind, here are the things I'm looking forward to in 2011!

- Matt & Ashley's wedding 

- John & Natalie's wedding

- Brice & Rachel's wedding (noticing a theme here?)

- Mike & Rochelle's wedding

- Brandon & Morgan's wedding

- All wedding-related planning and festivities

- Rachel's graduation & bridal shower

- The birth of Matt & Melissa's baby

- Enjoying the social/familial benefits of being home

- Discovering what our involvement in a Springfield church looks like

- Celebrating our 25th birthdays

- Celebrating our 2-year anniversary

- Traveling? Perhaps? (Although I'm not expecting a tropical vaca this year...I mean, seriously, have you seen the preceding list?! Oh, and see below!)

And, the big ticket items...

- Buying a house (!!!)

- Moving more closely toward starting a family (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) 

(Notice how vague and non-committal that is. Like that?)

I must admit, I feel a wee bit tired already! Ha. But, truly, with 
that much to look forward to in 2011, how could I not be excited to ring in the new year?! (I 
mean, it could rival the fun of 2009. Not that it's a competition or anything. I'm completely 
happy to have so many joyful years to enjoy....)

"Little moments", "everyday love"...so much joy and laughter to make 
our years great. 

Here's to another wonderful one! 

Celebrating New Year's 2008.

Oh my goodness, I'm so frustrated with the formatting of this post! I have spent more time trying to fix it than

anyone should, especially on NYE. 

So, my apologies. But, life's too short, you know?!

Oh, Deer.

There's nothing quite like passing by a recently-struck-by-a-truck-&-paralyzed deer sitting in the middle of the highway to (momentarily) dampen your Christmas spirit. I know this because that's exactly what happened last night. While driving home from my parents' house, after a lovely evening of apple pie and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation", Bobby and I drove past the aforementioned scene. It wasn't pretty. (Although, it was sort of a "Christmas Vacation"-type situation, the more I think about it....)

A neighbor was by the road, ready to assist the driver whose truck had been quite damaged from the incident. We stopped briefly to make sure everyone was okay and to be sure that they had help on the way. As we drove past, Bobby quickly turned the volume of the Christmas carol on the radio way up, and in the back of my mind I think I knew what he was doing. He confirmed my suspicion shortly after by saying that, yes, as we were driving away he saw that the driver was pulling out a rifle to put the deer out of his misery.

(Which, I should mention, was quite the clear reminder that we are not living in the big city anymore! I'm sure some St. Louisans carry firearms...but keeping one at the ready in the back of the truck should the need arise to kill injured animals roadside? I suspect not.)

Of course it was the compassionate thing to do, albeit thoroughly disheartening to think about the poor animal who I'd seen living seconds before being killed. (Not to mention that I was thinking of him more as "Rudolph" than "Bambi" being that it is the week of Christmas, but I'm trying to ignore that comparison.)

Post-spending time with my family, it wasn't a great night; it wasn't a great night for the reindeer regular-deer, either. But, if there is a bright spot to be gleaned from the scenario, it's recognizing Bobby's act of love in protecting me from hearing a gunshot. He knows me well enough to know that it would have been a potentially-upsetting sound. It was a small gesture, but oh, so sweet, and quite appreciated. It was as if his instinctual desire to protect kicked in, and I couldn't help but imagine him doing such a thing if we'd had little ones in the car. It made me think again about what an incredible dad he'll be someday. He's already an incredible husband.

I love you deerly..."Sparky".

Perspective

I had to go to Walmart yesterday to return a couple of ornaments. (Look at me, getting so much blog inspiration from trips to the store!) Even though I only had to walk ten steps from the door to the return counter, the guard greeter at the entrance not only had to check my receipt, but she put little stickers on each of the two ornaments. (I mean, truly, the return counter was right there.) I expressed some surprise at this seemingly tedious and largely unnecessary procedure, the lady agreed, and profusely apologized for having to follow protocol. She said that customers yell at her "all the time about it", and she was oh, so sorry for slowing me down. I told her that "really, it's fine" and that it was not a situation worth fussing about. 


Today, I was scheduled to substitute teach again. (Oh, yes, by the way, I'm subbing now...a turn of events that is certainly deserving of a blog post--or several--of its own. I am accumulating quite a collection of stories!) Anyway, I was told yesterday that I was needed as a para. sub. all day, only to find out this morning (after getting up/getting ready, making it to school by 7:00 a.m., & getting started in the classroom) that the regular guy had actually only requested a sub. for the afternoon...and I wasn't really needed until 11:30 a.m. The secretary who had scheduled me was "very, very sorry" and said she'd make it up to me. (I'm not exactly sure what that means in the "Subbing World" but I do like the sound of it.) 


In each of these recent experiences, both of the women seemed quite prepared to have to deal with someone who was notably upset at the given circumstance. Their ready apologies and timid manners lead me to think that they've had to deal with that before, which is sad. Sure, the situations were annoying (and could have been upsetting), but it was fun for me to be able to respond to the cards I was dealt with a positive attitude, reacting with a smile and an upbeat state of mind. 


When a situation or circumstance is less than ideal, I have been known to make a stink about it. (I know, 'tis true.) And, I used to get quite bent out of shape when things didn't go according to plan. Suffice it to say, 'Flexible' was not my middle name. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is now, but between my maturing and my husband's constant example of having a "roll with the punches" attitude, I am far more easy-going and (probably) more pleasant to be around.


That's not to say that I don't still have the confidence or gumption to stand up for myself or someone else, when necessary. But, these days the definition of when it is necessary has changed for me, and I'm learning to keep things in perspective. Taking a stand or trying to exert change has somewhat taken a backseat to the pleasure I'm finding in expressing joy no matter the circumstance...and surprising those who least expect that reaction. 

Food for Thought

I went to Wal-Mart yesterday for my weekly grocery shop. (I should mention how very much I'm enjoying living 2 minutes away from a Wal-Mart again!) As I carried my bags inside after the shop, I couldn't help but consider how wonderful it is to know that we could afford all of it....

When I shop, I don't have to obsess over prices or wonder if our bank account can handle the total bill. Of course, we have a budget, and I feel as though I've developed a pretty good eye for sticking to it. I usually know if a product is overpriced...or priced well-enough that it's worth stocking up on! I use coupons when I can, and that's a habit (skill!) that I hope to keep developing.

So, I'm a conscientious shopper, yes.

But, I never have to think so hard about what I'm buying to the point of questioning whether or not I should put the milk back on the shelf because the utility bill is due this week, and we really need bread instead.... Not even close.

This is the time of year when we're typically more sensitive to things like this, and more acutely aware of our cozy condition compared to those less fortunate.

I'm prayerful that God will provide clear direction for how Bobby and I can demonstrate His love and use it to bless others this Christmas season, as we ourselves have been so richly blessed....

The Big Move!

The empty apartment before we...

...said 'goodbye' to our first home!
 (Don't be fooled by the smiles. There were most definitely tears a few minutes later.)

And suddenly, we're Springfield residents once again! (And when I say "suddenly", of course I mean "after a 5-day whirlwind full of eating, special time with family, driving, packing & unpacking, loading & unloading, sore muscles and decorating".) The apartment already feels (immediately felt, really) like our home and we're very much enjoying the contentment and comfort of living in the city that has for so long been exactly where we wanted to be.

It's good to be back; it's good to be home.

No tears now...ALL smiles in our new home.

Chapters and Memories

Our apartment is looking less and less like our home, and more and more like a room with four walls. I keep reminding myself that all of the things that helped make our space the cozy, comfortable place it has been get to come with us. That helps. But, it's what has happened within these four walls that is making it difficult to think about leaving. We're "packing up the memories, too" as my mom said. And, that's the hard part. We've had some wonderful times here, and most of my memories from our first year of marriage are from our time in this first little home of ours....

I think on some level I've associated being married with living in St. Louis...that's how it has been since the beginning! We drove up here the day after the wedding and started building our life together. To move away means to end a chapter of our marriage. (That we've been married long enough to have chapters is strange--and wonderful--in and of itself!) But, I suppose this is where the real heart of being married comes into play. It's incredible to start a life...but to build on that life, to change, to adapt, to start a new chapter...that's where the "we're husband & wife, and we're doing LIFE together" aspect becomes real. After all, a marriage is built on chapters, isn't it? Beginning and ending them...together.

As much as we longed to be closer to home so often this past year, I wouldn't trade our time away for anything. We are called to "leave and cleave"...and boy, did we ever cleave?! For better or worse, by living in St. Louis as newlyweds, Bobby and I were forced able to completely rely on each other, spending time together, uninterrupted by other relationships and distractions that exist in our hometown. I doubt we recognized it all the time, but I think we benefited greatly by our time away and all the time we had to spend together.

Certainly, we have dearly missed our friends and family, and being able to be around all of them again is undeniably the biggest reason we're moving home. We are both so very excited to have the opportunity to spend our Friday nights going out to dinner with friends, and I know Bobby will very much enjoy playing football with 'The Guys' on random weeknights. But, a part of me is very much going to miss our Friday night routine of pizza, beer, and a movie. Admittedly, it's been...fun...to have Bobby all to myself.

We'll still have plenty of time to ourselves, I'm sure. But, it will be different, and likely less frequent than it has been here. I'm confident that our relationship is such that we can willingly "share" one another with other people that value spending time with us as individuals, and that we'll value our time alone together all the more. Our year in St. Louis has strengthened our marriage; I'm curious to see what life in Springfield will look like for us as we continue our life together there.

What an exciting time ahead! For now, though, I'm just going to continue the deep-cleaning process, and look forward to one last quiet night in this cozy, first home of ours...amid a whole bunch of boxes and a whole lot of memories.

I'm thankful to have lived in St. Louis.
I'm thankful to be moving back to Springfield.
I'm thankful to be sharing life with my husband, beginning and ending chapters...together.

Two Years Ago

Celebrating Bobby's proposal to me, two years ago today.
Happy, happy day!

"There is no bond on earth so sweet, nor any separation so bitter

 as that which occurs in a good marriage."

 Martin Luther

Discoveries

The packing process is underway, and so far I've discovered that...

• I apparently collect scarves, as I have far too many for any one person. I will be purging my winter accessories when I unpack them. (Mark my words, Bobby!)
• We have p-lenty of hoodies and sweatshirts. And, because I am sentimentally-attached to (almost) all of them (MIZZOU!), I will be keeping my collection. BUT, we must not accumulate any more sweatshirts any time soon. No need.
• I should have gone through the bedroom closet a long time ago. It is SO ORGANIZED NOW, and so refreshing to see it that way every time I open the door! 
• It truly is amazing how much stuff we've managed to fit into this 683 square foot apartment! I'm kind of impressed, actually. Every nook and cranny has been utilized to hide our belongings...and it's a bit of a treasure hunt to see what has been hidden in small places for the past year! 

There is much packing yet to be done, and because we have weekend company coming (yay, John and Natalie!), I've tried to keep some semblance of a household and am avoiding piling boxes...too high. With that said, next week is GAME ON...and I'm kind of really excited about it. 

I hope that packing/moving/unpacking is not something that Bobby and I have to do too many more times, but there is something to be said for the organization, deep cleaning, and sense of achievement that comes as a result. (I guess that's why, for the non-movers, they invented 'Spring Cleaning', huh? Good thinking.)

Happy Friday!