Monday, November 29, 2010

Disconnected.

Yesterday, Ben and I disconnected...from the world. Yesterday, we spent the day apart....from our Blackberrys, our Facebook, our Twitter, text messages, emails, and phone calls.

We wanted to cherish our first married Christmas tree experience without distraction. I can honestly say I do not even remember the last time I was without my phone or internet. But I can tell you, I loved every moment away from it all.

We created a sanctuary of Ben and I for the afternoon. No one else existed. We had no idea what was taking place in the world. We just spent time with each other. It was amazing. We had more conversation. We did more silly things...not for Twitter or Facebook, but for each other. We were more engaged in what the other person was saying...we listened with both ears and eyes. The world did not have access to our special day in play-by-play action. In fact, we didn't reconnect until about 7pm at night. And throughout the course of the day, we became more attached to detaching.

I am looking forward to our next disconnected day. It was the best thing we've done in a long time.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Adventure of Our 1st Tree

Ben and I traipsed out to get our Christmas Tree today. We had a lot of fun debating over which was the perfect tree to get. It didn't take long to make a decision.

We then wandered over to Target to get some Christmas necessities. Toting around Starbuck's - has anyone tried the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate? DELICIOUS! I don't even like chocolate and I am loving the salty-caramel concoction! Anyway...after a brief stop to get stamps for our Christmas cards, we began to trek home.

Until I noticed that our tree was SLIPPING off the roof of our car. We pulled over. Ben jumped out, did some adjustments, then we continued. About a quarter of a mile down the road, Ben became frantic.

"Uhhh....where are the stamps?" He asked as he checked his pockets, his seat. No stamps.

I looked at him.

"Maybe I left them on top of the car." He said, panicking. I pulled over. He checked the tree (again), found the Christmas treats (i.e. candy bars) he had left ON THE TOP OF THE TRUNK...but no stamps.

We discussed the probability of actually finding the stamps. It seemed so absurd.  But, we decided to give it a try anyway. We turned around. Ben continued to panic. I did what any loving and adoring wife would do: I burst out laughing. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I considered the fact that we were on the hunt to recover our stamps....FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!

Upon our return to the scene of the crime - where the stamps disappeared originally - Ben began to comb the ditch, the side of the road, trying to find the stamps.

Incredibly, Ben found BOTH books of stamps...which is great for our Christmas Cards! :) How we ever recovered those books of stamps, so quickly, I will never know. But, I do know that we will be talking about this story for a very long time.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Sneak Peek: Christmas Card Photo

In a week or so, we will be sending our Christmas cards! I am so excited about this. Last year, we gave out Christmas cards as wedding favors. Here was the picture from last year:

Tupelo Photography
 And, here is a sneak peek into the photo shoot for this year's Christmas card!
Thanks to: Lydia & Marianna
I love Christmas cards. Mostly, because I love getting mail! Any ideas for your Christmas card?

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010

Oh my goodness. I LOVE Thanksgiving.Food. Family. Memories to reflect on, memories to make. Aaahhhh! Life is so good.

Here is my Thanksgiving Thankful List of 2010:

- Ben. I love that man. And. I'm so glad I get to spend the rest of my life with him. I know a lot of girls say they have the best husband, but they haven't met mine. ;)  I definitely believe he makes me a better person.
- Family. One of the advantages of being married is that I gain a larger family! It has been a really neat to experience for me to learn how Ben's family interacts. It is so different from what I am accustom to, but I am enjoying it. Of course, my own family too! They make my life wonderful. :)
- (This may seem silly, but!) Facebook. I know, I know. This probably indicates I have an issue. But I am thankful for this media outlet. It allows me to stay connected with my friends and to work on my relationships with my extended family members (Hello, cousin Crystal!!!)
- Our small group. I love this group of friends that can journey alongside of Ben and I through this adventure called Marriage. I have no doubt I am forming friends for life.
- Grace. While I don't talk about my faith a lot, I am thankful for peace that I have discovered through the Grace that has been given to me.

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm off to enjoy turkey, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, family pictures, and quality time with people I love!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Morning Before Thanksgiving.

I had this morning off. It was blissful. Ben and I played with Milo. Then, we cleaned the house. Enjoying Chick-Fil-A breakfast in our pajamas. I helped Ben with his school work. And all the while, we prepared for Thanksgiving. (which really means anticipating my Dad's cooking!)

By the way, There is a lot for me to share with you. Including:

- An update on my Christmas Homemade Decorations project. It is coming along nicely, but it is taking me long than anticipated. I will provide an update later this week. 
- Online Magazines I've been devouring lately.
- Some fun blogs to read.
- And, my Christmas list. :)

 I have so many things to be thankful for - I'm really one lucky girl. What are you thankful for?

Friday, November 19, 2010

November 19, 2010

Dear Mom,

Four years ago, you finished your fight with cancer. Four years ago, a hole in my heart formed. A hole that signifies your absence. I know that given a choice - you would have continued to fight just so you could have watched your kids grow up. Four years later, I'm struck by how much you've missed. And, how much we still miss you. You'd be proud - we've worked hard to remain a family that did not fall apart just because you are gone. But, you are still missed.

Today, I enter this day with many, many mixed emotions. Today, I remember how much I miss you. Four years seems like yesterday and though I've grown accustom to life without you....I still wish I could go through life with you. Is that too much to ask? To have a Mom to experience the joys, trials and adventures that make up life?

11 months ago, I married an incredible man. Mom, you would have loved Ben. He would have made you laugh. 11 months ago, I planned a wedding and tried hard to remember that normalcy - for me, for my life - was a wedding without the mother of the bride. 11 months later, Ben has been a tremendous comfort as I tried hard not to let this week's struggle of grief and heartache of missing you consume me.

I will always wish that you could have been here. To grow old with Dad. To watch us grow up. To meet the people we fall in love with. To hold us tight when we are struggling. To do all those Mom things.

Four years later, I'm glad you are no longer fighting cancer. Four years later, I'm glad you won.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Other Things

Is it sad that it really hasn't even gotten cold yet and I have cabin fever?  Especially if that cabin looks like this:
Picture Found on This Blog














Every since I saw these BEAUTIFUL scarves, I've been craving one to be wrapped around me.

Don't you think this print is AWESOME? Man, I love Etsy.


Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Chasing Dreams.

It is difficult for me to blog when Ben is home. I'm not sure why...maybe it is because I want to soak up all my time with him. Which is why last week, I started off strong and disappeared....

I've been doing a lot of thinking about dreams. This thought process isn't fully developed, but I do know several things about myself:

1. I'm creative. I am constantly scheming of ideas and crafts.

2. I love love. I love love stories. I love the beauty within those stories. 

So, I'm combining both of these - I am launching a Event Planning business called: Surprise & Delight Events. I am optimistic to know that the start must be slow, but I feel like I should give it a try. Pursue a dream, if it doesn't work out...I haven't lost anything. I will only grow by this experience. 

Here is to Risk. Here is Dreams. Here is to Pursuit.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Ben's Marathon.

Tonight, Ben made this comment: "I guess it is a big deal to run a marathon. I mean, everyone thinks its a big deal."
It IS a a big deal!

Ben ran his marathon on Saturday. It took him 4 hours and 18 minutes to run 26.2 miles. He did it - he accomplished his goal, dream and made it reality. I am so proud of him.

Pre-marathon - Milo definitely thought he was going with him.

As Ben finishes. I have no idea who this guy is. He wouldn't move out of the picture.
It is hard to believe that Ben decided to run a marathon 7 months ago. Now that the marathon is done, everyone keeps asking Ben if he will run another marathon. On Saturday night, we went to bed at 8:00pm and didn't get up 'til 8:30am. Aaahhh! It felt so good to get so much sleep! Ben is extra pitiful post-marathon...he can't do anything because it hurts. So we've switched roles, I'm taking extra, extra care of him. But, I'm happy to do it. Ben did such a great job and accomplished a HUGE goal!

Monday, November 8, 2010

A Reunion

We slipped into the 24 hour diner. Just the three of us...we hadn't seen each other in 5 years...so there was a lot of catching up to do. A lot of growing up had been done, a lot of maturity. But there were still a lot of giggles and laughs and pouring out our hearts.

Aren't those the best types of reunions?

Our friendship was forced; forced because my Mom's illness and Lisa's mom's willingness to take care of 8 children who were in shock, hurting and confused. I've heard that my Mom prepped Lisa's Mom by telling her our personalities and how we each deal with pain. That may be why it worked so well. But whatever the reason, it worked. And, we became friends. Literally through the horrors of cancer and its chemo-induced side effects, Lisa became a cherished friend. I'm sure it was an odd match - the three of us. But there was no better merger to be made.

5 years later. We've grown up. Somewhere along the lines of losing touch, setting aside our teenage whims, embracing our dreams or putting those dreams on hold, we emerged as three friends: two married, one mom and one dating. We had grown up. The initial awkwardness of "How do I interact with my high school friend when we are no longer teenagers" faded. Quickly.

Somewhere between the quickly ticking clock and the coffee that grew cold, I realized: Lisa is such a strong women. She's always been a strong woman. This was never something we had to question or contemplate. But, as we talked...I was reminded of just how strong she is. And, how I am so happy to be her friend. I've mentioned Lisa before. But, when you see someone's exhaustion, love, sacrifice and more, it takes on a whole new level of respect.

I'm thankful for the sacrifice of our troops...but I'm really thankful for the sacrifice of their families...especially their wives.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

My New Perspecive On Cold Weather.

This week, cold weather hit GA. Well, at least in my book it did. The temperatures have not gone above 65 degrees, which means this southern girl is FREEZING.  This year, it is different for me.

I'm still cold. Do not mistake that. But every time I get cold, I think about when we lived in the RV. And, though I'm cold, I have a different perspective.

I'm not freezing.

The air inside my home does not match the (cold) air outside. I am not crawling into bed with freezing sheets unable to get warm. I am not stressed out that my water will diminish WHILE I'm in the shower.  I am not worried about my shampoo freezing. I have not even created a worried brow when I think about the heat STOPPING. (In fact, I think we may still have the A/C on!) I throw the covers off in the middle of the night more than I tuck them around me. I walk around with bare feet instead of covered with socks and house shoes.

I don't miss living in the RV. But, I am so thankful for the perspective it provided.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Date Nights

It is not a secret that I hate Ben's work schedule. In fact, I despise his schedule. I struggle with the 1 or 2 nights a week we actually eat dinner together. It is frustrating. But, a couple of weeks ago, I realized that instead of despising what I cannot change, why not be thankful for what I have: the vital time with Ben. Part of this change of heart is a new mindset; which, is that every and any time I spend time with Ben is a date night. And, it doesn't matter what we are doing, it matters that we are spending time together.

So, tonight marks my second date night with Ben this week. Tonight, we went grocery shopping and then while I made dinner of tacos, Ben put away laundry. Tonight, we had date night. No, it wasn't glamorous. No, it wasn't the typical restaurant and movie date night. But it was time spent together.

Don't get me wrong, I love those expensive nights out. I love the pursuit. I love it when Ben pursues me. When he does things that are thoughtful and romantic, I melt. But, I am learning to treat each moment with Ben as quality time. Whether that is crowded on the couch watching TV, going on to for a nice dinner, laughing at the day's stories, going to a football game or movie. I'm learning and cherishing all my time with Ben and counting them all as date nights.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Happy November 1st!

What happen to October? Seriously. I feel like I blinked and it was gone! It's been a while since I've updated you on my life via TV and film. 

Netflix: Watch Instantly. There is nothing better. Because of this, I just finished the tragically romantic Love Story movie. 

The Biggest Loser: Did you really, REALLY think Ben would hang up our hats on this show? THINK AGAIN! We've been enjoying the twists and turns of this season, but we've been a little frustrated that we haven't emotionally bonded with any of the contestants.

Top Chef: Just Desserts: Yes, I know. The irony that I watch a weight loss show AND a dessert show is not lost on me. But, I CANNOT help it. This show is AMAZING.

Glee: I'm a semi-convert. I will only claim "semi" because I deliberately wait for it to go to www.hulu.com before I watch it. I don't know something about watching it on Hulu feeds my guilty pleasure.

What are you watching?