Kara Paslay Designs is another new blog that I've been enjoying. I will be doing her Make Your Own Eye Chart very soon! (I'm having difficulty finding the link on her blog!)
On a personal note, I just bought this table. It is currently in the living room. And I'm having trouble figuring out how to decorate with it. Do I put some books and picture frames on it? I need advice!
3 years ago. It seems so long ago. I had to squinted my face up to just remember. Remember what I was up to. Pretty sure I was living my with one of my best friends, Audrey during one of my favorite summers.
3 years ago. Ben was living a vastly different life from me. And, literally...Literally, God snatched him up. Saved him. And, began the process of making Ben the man he is today. And gave him another chance...at life. Making him the man he is today.
3 years later. Today. Today, we sat across the table enjoying lunch. Me and Ben. It's what we do. Lunch together. And, today, we remembered.
I'm not a fan of long days. I'm not a fan of being tired. Seriously. I'm pathetic.
What? You don't believe me? When Ben wrote his Happy 7 months blog to me, he highlighted number 8 as:
My wife is so pitiful in the mornings, when I am at work, and when I have to leave. You have never seen a grown woman look so sad to see her man go.
He is so nice to me. I wish I could chalk up being pitiful to JUST Ben's leaving for work. NOPE! It is FAR beyond that.
Believe me. THIS girl wants to be pampered and taken care of and until it happens - I'm down-right pitiful. For instance, this week at work we've been working crazy-intense long hours. I don't mind it. But, when I get home, my body aches. All I want is a nice bubble bath, a good book, a TV show to watch. All at the same time. And nothing else. Oh wait. Except rubbing. I want Ben to massage my aching legs. And my back. And my hands. Ben is kind enough to rub. He rubs and rubs and rubs and rubs. For hours, sometimes.But its never enough. EVER. I've even categorized it as rubbing parts 1,2 and 3. There is regular lotion. There is foot-only lotion. The poor guy doesn't get a break. The other night, Ben said, "Honey, if I don't stop rubbing I'm going to have arthritis." My heart stopped. STOPPED. I felt horror creep in.
ARTHRITIS? ARE YOU SERIOUS?
Of course, I said the first thing that came out of my mind - "Don't. Stop. Rubbing. PLEEEEAAASSSSEEEE."
Early mornings. There is nothing like them. Where the sun is just beginning to tug the sleep out of its eyes. The house is quiet.
Right now, all I want to do is soak in the silence, cherish the opportunities that await me, and tackle the challenges...with grace.
This morning, I'm thankful for a new day. A new day to learn how to deeper love my husband. A new day to learn how to display Christ to every single person I encounter today. And, a new day to breathe in deeply. And exhale too, knowing that the excitement and nervousness I feel is for no particular reason.
Have a great Tuesday, ya'll! More adventures to tell very soon!
So, Thursday night, I pranced around the blog and throughout my entire house, because I became the Domestic Goddess all because of the success of scones. I felt so liberated, that I decided to try cake balls.
I have tried cake balls before. It failed. Miserably. It was sad. People refused to eat them. And I shook my fist at those 6 hours of wasted time.
But that didn't stop me on Saturday. On Saturday, I "forgot" the pain and agony of laboring all afternoon over the dream of cake balls. I spent over 7 hours (again) making cake balls. Unlike my first time, it was a success. And I don't even know how it happened. Now, there are cake balls coming out of my ears. Out of my refrigerator. Out of my freezer. And, believe me...they are NOT welcomed to stay in our home.
These were confetti cake covered in white chocolate.
Chocolate cake with semi-dark chocolate.
Ya'll, while I'm proud of my success in making them, I am exhausted. If you decide to make cake balls, TAKE MY ADVICE: Block out 6+ hours of time, TAKE YOUR TIME. For real!!! Don't rush melting the chocolate, make sure you have plenty of wax paper, have an abundance of sprinkles and when you are finished - throw those cake balls in the 'fridge!
Well, after a very full cake-filled weekend, I'm signing off. If you make cake balls, let me know!!
I just finished making scones. Which, inevitably, makes me feel like a Domestic Goddess. I didn't burn them, I made two different kinds (blueberry OR cinnamon-sugar-cream-cheese)...all in all, they came out great.
So, I could throw the humble card and be all like - "It was nothing. REALLY!"
But come on. You know me. I know me. And, I'm not about to pull that card right here, right now. Instead, I'm going to pull the I'm-the-world's-greatest-woman-in-the-world-I-dominated-the-kitchen card. A round of applause would be great - RIGHT ABOUT...NOW!!!
(thankyou.thankyou.thankyou)
Okay, so I didn't do anything to contribute to world peace, or tell you how many calories and carbs and fat that will all be sticking to your hips after you eat these wonders healthy these scones are. And, MAYBE I did beg at knife point my friend for the recipe.
But regardless. I still dominated the kitchen. I took one look at that recipe, glared my oven into baking obedience, pulled out the rarely used rolling pin...and created some awesome scones that will have you wanting to make out with your husband be the Betty Crocker meets Paula Deene extraordinaire.
Whew. What a job. But someone's gotta do it. Meaning, of course, WRITE THIS BLOG.
Ben's surprise blog post was wonderful. No joke, I think I teared up about 500 billion times whenever I would think or read or re-read it. It was precious. I'm a lucky girl.
Ben's post, however, did bring up a VERY important story that I MUST tell you. One which I cannot believe I have failed to tell you. Until now. When, I correct my absence from the blog...AND tell you a story. How perfect, right?
I'm sure you know the girls who change a thousand times before living to go to the grocery store, work, church, dinner with friends. Do you know that girl? Well, if you don't, look no further. It's me. I'm THAT girl. It's embarrassing.
I'm also the girl who not ONLY changes a thousand time, I also leave evidence. All over the entire room - you will find various piles of clothing and shoes and everything else. I can't help it. If I have two minutes to change and have to decide between: super cute outfit or picking up clothes. UM - HELLO. I'll take ONE super cute outfit.
My other half, Ben, is OCD. Yes, the man is a neat-freak. Love him dearly, but his OCD-ness once scared me so bad, I almost broke up with him when we were dating. True story. It didn't take long into our marriage for Ben to realize several things:
1. Our bedroom floor would always display the remains of my frantic search for super cute outfit.
2. His OCD-ness could not handle the chaotic-aftermath to finding super cute outfit.
So, he brought in re-enforcements. (Because marriage is all about compromise!) He introduced me to the basket. This basket would hold all my abandoned outfits. He was nervous - could one basket save our marriage? Could it be the solution to my, *COUGH*, "problem"?
It was more than a solution. It was a drastic life change. Now, if I can't find anything to wear, Ben refers to the basket (it's his cheaper solution to my ever present plea: "I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR! I MUST GO SHOPPING").
There has been a break-in on the blog of BensRVGirl!!! Call the police! Call the police!
Well, maybe you don’t have to call the police, but Bethany’s blog has definitely been hacked…by yours truly. This is Ben here giving my top 10 reasons why I love my wife.
10. The Blackberry
The fact that she is addicted to her Blackberry even more than I am even though at one time she loathed the existence of the Blackberry warms my heart. Now, get off FB…jk.
9. The Bethany Shuffle
My wife has the cutest dance you have ever seen. Fortunately for her, I am the only one that has ever seen it. She just kind of moves her shoulders back and forth and shakes her head…Adorable. It takes a lot for a man to say such a thing.
8. Her Pitifulness
My wife is so pitiful in the mornings, when I am at work, and when I have to leave. You have never seen a grown woman look so sad to see her man go.
7. Her Blog
How could this not make the list? She is an amazing writer. Enough said.
6. My PS3
Despite being surrounded by controversy, the PS3 has been bought; with the approval from my wife. They told me it couldn’t be done. They told me that she would never allow it. They told me she would leave me if I bought it. They were wrong. Thanks honey!!!
5. Decorating
If you haven’t been to our apartment, you should. My wife is an amazing decorator with an impeccable sense of style. Like she always says, “it’s like a rainbow threw up in here.” I know, weird, right? But it works.
4. Her Cooking
My wife can’t just cook, she will smack your tastebuds around. She just doesn’t make hamburgers and pizza, but she will blow you away with spicy tuna rolls and Asian meatball soup. She does it right. Maybe she will be the Next Food Network Star!!!
3. Taking Care of Me
Whether it is rubbing my back, making sure I iced my legs after a long run, or making my coffee in the morning, this girl knows how to treat her man. What can I say? I am a lucky guy.
2. The Basket
After several discussions in our small group, I once again have realized that “The Basket” may be one of the best things in our marriage. I will let her elaborate on that in another blog because I can’t make it as funny as she can.
1. Her Beauty
No other woman has ever been able to capture me like she has. Ever since the first time I creeped on her FB to look at pictures of her I have absolutely been amazed and astounded as her. From head to toe she is truly a work of art sent straight to me from the Lord. Thanks God, I owe you one. I never thought I would be able to find a woman as beautiful as Bethany to love, but here she is.
So on our 7 month anniversary, I just want to say sorry I broke into your blog, but
Sometimes, I have a writer's block. Where I can think of NOTHING to write about...I start and stop so many blogs, its embarrassing.
So, to make up for my lack of words, I want to share one of my favorite blogs. I categorized my blogs by: food, fashion, family, laughter, family and friends. Yes, I read a lot of blogs! I want to highlight some of my friends' blogs - in particular, one friend who lives overseas.
His name is Josh. And, we went to college together. He was one of my first friends in college, and remains a dear one. Josh is on a crazy adventure as an English teacher - IN South Korea. I can't say how proud I am of him. You can read all about his adventures here.
I was her RA in college. Crazy, right? She has traveled all over the world..And, recently, she made a pit-stop in the U.S.A only to get engaged, plan a wedding and get married! You ALL know how I love newly married couples starting their marriage in UNUSUAL circumstances! Well, my friend Lacey and her brand-new husband are living their new life in Taiwan! Check out their adventures here!
Enjoy these blogs and be sure to leave some comment-love for my friends!
Ya'll KNOW of my obsession with the Bachelorette...(just in case you forgot, head here and here)....But I have another obsession. While it is still mild in Bachelorette comparison, it is rapidly growing. Are you ready?
There. I said it. I love watching that family. In case you are wondering, my favorite is Khloe (which, unlike Ben's feelings about Ali, he TOTALLY is okay with Khloe because she is married to an LA Laker). Recently, I watched Khloe's wedding. At the wedding, her sisters said they were raised with sharing their Picks and Peaks of their day at dinner. Awesome, right?
I thought I would skip waiting for dinner and not limit myself to just the day, and instead share the Picks and Peaks of the life and marriage with Ben.(Expect to see Picks and Peaks make many appearances on the blog)
Picks and Peaks:
Pick: Being married to Ben Peak: (few favorite memories thus far) Valentine's Day - it was my first ever and Ben made it perfect beyond anything I could have imagined. Cuddling - thank-goodness that boy loves physical touch! How well he takes care of me. Enough said there.
Pick: Date Nights. (yes, plural....I make up the rules as I go!) Peak: Movie Dates where Ben creates a sentence using the movie title into the sentence. It's brilliant. And I love it. Picnics that include Lunchables. Shopping Trips. Yes, my husband takes me shopping. Coffee + books + Ben = Blissful perfection. Going to church. While this may not be a 'date', I definitely LOVE going to church with him. Date-Ins. Nothing is better than spending time AT HOME with Ben.
" Bethany, I am so mad at you." About a week ago, my heart dropped to my stomach when one of my friends said that to me. All I could think of was: What have I done?
Never a fan of confrontation (WHAT.SO.EVER)...I was nervous (okay, TERRIFIED), to ask how I had offended her. "Bethany, your BLOG!" I belched out a roar of laughter as relief soothed over my nerves. My friend continued. "I spent over an hour and half reading your blog. It's so funny." Then, just days later, while at dinner with the same friend and her husband...he said - "I just found out we had a blogger amongst us."
I felt all James Bondish. You know, sly...sneaky...smooth...I felt all under-cover-like. I felt like the mom who doesn't HAVE to announce that her kid is THE honor student. I felt like giving my very own Academy Award speech. I felt like I was a celebrity. I felt important. I think you get the point.
Anyway, I really cannot express ENOUGH how much I love getting comments. Or sparking a conversation on a friend's Facebook status. Or, helping multiple friends waste time exploring all the interesting finds and blogs I love.. Or making you laugh (and me, too...AND, especially, Ben...He is my blog-laugh-o-meter. If HE doesn't laugh, it doesn't get published on the blog).
I never want to forget ya'll. Those who faithfully follow and read (THANKS, DAD!)....or you silent lurkers. I cherish you all. Thanks.
This weekend, I drove home to spend time with my family. Everyone was there. My 2 sisters, my 5 brothers, my sister-in-law, my dad and my brother's "unofficial-officially-together" girlfriend (ie, "Its Complicated!"). It was great fun. Dad cooked, my sister baked, we shared laughs, we shared stories. It was the perfect family get together.
Except for one thing. Ben wasn't there. It was the first weekend, since we've been married, that we shared apart. On one hand (the family-is-all-together-side), it was a blast! On the other hand (Ben's-not-here-side), it was weird.
This may seem silly, but I think I've taken for granted how much our lives involve, depend and thrive with one another there. When you are married, you live with that person. Day in and day out. Routines merge together and its easy to overlook how much influence your spouse has in your life. All weekend long, I felt weird. Out of place. Like, something was missing. Don't misunderstand - I LOVED being with my family. It was refreshing. But I didn't like spending time with my family without Ben. He completes me. He gets my corny jokes. He laughs at my corny jokes. I love that we work as a dyad (thank you, Dr. Fliger, for that word). A unit. A partnership. I love that Ben is my family.
When it was time to go home, I was beyond thrilled. I had missed Ben SOOOOO MUCH. It was nice to round out the weekend sitting in a random parking lot in Atlanta watching fireworks with my love.
