Things On My Mind

I am so blessed. Not because of anything that I have done to deserve it, but because my Father in Heaven is gracious, wonderful, and He works all things together for good. I have a lot of thoughts in my head so this post probably won't make sense, but that's okay.

My husband rocks my socks off.  He leads our family selflessly and always puts the needs of our family over his own needs. He loves me when I am at my worst and does not hold it over my head. He is so patient and he makes me want to be better. I'm not saying he is perfect, because he isn't, but he is absolutely perfect for me. I know he will make a great father one day and even though he will be the pushover and I will have to be the stern one, that's okay. Because that's how God made him.

Speaking of my husband's patience...as patient as my husband is, I am the complete opposite. I am always ready for the next thing. This is most evident by my actions in high school, when all I wanted was to be "grown up." I had amazing Christian friends who were my age, but I was willing to give that all up to hang with the older crowd. I lost my way and did things that I am not proud of at all...all in an attempt to be grown up. I still to this day struggle with patience. I seem to always be ready to jump the gun on things.

Which leads to my controlling nature. I enjoy planning and being prepared for anything. From finances, vacations, time-lines, and future goals, I know exactly when and how I want certain things to happen. And while I think saving money is a fantastic way to steward God's money, I know that sometimes I find my security in that bank account. We have been saving to finish off our emergency fund and for a down payment on our first house. The plan would be to be able to not have to re-sign our lease which will be up mid-November of 2013 and then start a family soon after.

But I don't think that I've asked God what His plans for us are. Sure, I've prayed that God would lead us to the right house, but the right house would obviously only come in Sumner or Williamson county. I've prayed that God would help us to be good stewards of his money, but instead of finding my security in God's plan and thanking him that we both have jobs, I think of how great Chris and I have been at saving. Which is completely ridiculous because nothing that we have is ours. It is all Gods.

So today, I am praying for patience. That is a scary thing to pray for because it means trusting in God's timing and control, not my own. It means I may very well live in an apartment for longer than I would like and it might even mean we can't start a family when we want. But that's okay. Because the times in my life that have been the best are when I trust God with reckless abandon. So I ask you to please pray with me as I embark on this journey. Because trusting in God one hundred percent is not always easy. Letting Him be in control of my life is difficult for me. But I know it will be worth it. Because He promised it would be.

Gateway to the West

Chris and I took a quick trip to Saint Louis with my mom and dad to visit my dad's sister and family! Even though we only live about four hours away from each other, we don't get to visit often so this was a treat! We went to the arch and the Anheuser Busch brewery with Adam. We hung out at the house that evening and then the next day the whole family went to Grants farm where we got to feed goats, see lots of animals and just have fun as a family. My family is definitely competitive and we played tons of spoons, spades, and KEMPS together. Uncle David even flew across the table and fought mom for a spoon (and Aunt Sheri got it on video). We had such an amazing time and can't wait to do it again!

 

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The Arch

Teeny tiny car up to the top of the Arch

Grants Farm

Feeding goats - they are pushy!

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of





For Chris's birthday, I planned a surprise trip to New York City! It started a few months ahead of time when I was brainstorming ideas with his mom, Kim. We decided not only would I surprise him with the trip to NYC, but they would join us and meet us there. Kim and I had an absolute blast planning the trip...we did so much research! Kim picked our hotel after lots of research and it was super nice...however, when we called and asked how far they were from the subway, they said 6 blocks. Okay, not bad at all. Except they failed to mention it was 6 blocks down and another 6 blocks over! It was super hot, but we still had a fantastic time. I think Kim and I had the most fun trying to figure out the subway. We had purchased the New York City Pass and we got to do so many cool things with it. Radio City Music Hall, NBC Studios, Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, 9-11 Memorial, The Bodies Exhibit, Chinatown, Little Italy, an acrobatic show, Coney Island, Times Square, and Central Park are just some of the awesome things we got to do while we were there. I am so glad we were able to do it and surprise Chris!

 



A yummy brewery we ate at the very first day

9-11 Memorial - it was so surreal

Chris was so happy to come by here - Seinfeld Restaurant

The Empire State Building from Top of the Rock

Empire State Building

The worst rollercoaster ever - it almost killed us

 FAO Schwarz - so much fun

 



Relaxing at Central Park

 

We had such an amazing time and are so glad we got to spend time with his parents while there! It was a great trip and I can't wait for our next vacation!

Baby It's Cold Outside



In March, Chris and I took a trip to Detroit Michigan to visit one of my best friends, Grace. It happened to be her birthday weekend! We had such an amazing time...but it was freezing! I can't imagine how in the world she has survived so many winters up there! We hung around in Detriot on Thursday and Friday and then the four of us headed up to Niagara Falls for the weekend! It was so beautiful and I am so glad we went to visit!

 

Grace and I at the marsh by their home

Eating at a brewery in Detriot

It was pouring rain the day we toured downtown...but we looked cute anyway!

Niagara was so breathtaking!

Loved this trip with my sweet hubby and great friends

Mr. and Mrs. Gardner

For our honeymoon, we took a 7 day Carnival cruise! It left out of Port Canaveral and went to Nassau, St Thomas, and St Maarten. It was an absolute blast to get to spend so many uninterrupted hours of time together, especially after doing the long distance thing for 9 months! Like on all cruises, the food was amazing, and we got to try some very unique dishes, like alligator, squid, frog legs, shark, and tons more we can't even remember! 

 

Just boarded

At Atlantis in Nassau Bahamas

We went on a snorkeling adventure in St Thomas

Our most favorite day of the whole trip...relaxing at Buddha Bar in St Maarten

Loved this day the most

Our towel animals were so cute!

Chris couldn't handle the cuteness!

 

We had such an amazing time and are so thankful that God put us together!

10.21.2011

I think the perfect place to start this new blog is from the beginning! On October 21, 2011 I got to marry my best friend and love of my life. It was the most absolute perfect day and it truly was my fairytale wedding! We were so blessed to get to spend it with our family and friends who mean the most to us. I am so excited about growing old with Chris and can't wait to see what our future holds!

 

 

First Look

Beautiful Bridal Party

Love this picture with our sweet grandparents!

Ceremony Shot

 

 

Private Dinner

See yall later!

 

 

Thanks to everyone who made our day so incredibly special! Here's to the next 100 years!

 



Here we go again...

I've decided that I am going to blog again. About anything that I want. I enjoy looking back at my old blog sometimes because it reminds me of good times and things I have learned. My hopes is that this blog will do the same for our marriage. Hope you enjoy if you choose to check it out!