I Love Lucy!

(7-8-2012)

Regretfully, it has been way too long since the last time I posted a picture and reason for being thankful. Now, don't get me wrong, we didn't stop taking pictures or being thankful, but rather we spent so much time on the road traveling back and forth to Fort Wayne to house-hunt and then to Texas for Matt's grandparents 70th anniversary that I literally have not had any time to keep up!

So, we'll start fresh today. As I mentioned previously, we traveled to Texas to celebrate Matt's grandparents 70th anniversary...and we drove...with a two year old. It wasn't quite as bad as you would think since we drove roughly 5 hours to St. Louis and stayed the night in a hotel and then drove the additional 10+ hours the following day. We repeated this pattern on the way back. 

Before we even planned this trip, I had been wanting to go the Science Center in downtown St. Louis for one particular reason...it has a Build-a-Dino! You see, a few months ago, Maddie had asked for a  pink dinosaur, well after Mommy's failed attempts, a friend had suggested Build-a-Dino, however the closest one was in St. Louis. Anyway, on the last day before hitting the road for our final 5 hour trip, we swung by the Science Center (and Build-a-Dino) and Maddie got to make her beloved pink dinosaur, which we named Lucy. It makes me chuckle every time I hear her say, "I love you, Lucy." Maybe one day she'll know what the show "I Love Lucy" is all about. Until then, she can just keep on loving her pink dino. :)

Can You Find the Smiley Face?

(6-16-2012)

This morning while eating her breakfast, Maddie exclaimed, "Mommy, I made a smiley face!" I came over to see what she had done, and indeed, there was a smiley face in her cereal bowl. I love her creativity!

Craft Time!

(6-15-2012)

Since Daddy doesn't get off work until 2am now, that means he doesn't wake up until around 9am. This gave Maddie and me the perfect opportunity to make him his Father's Day card! I found the cute poem on Pinteret (thank you, Pinterest!) and Maddie did the rest by coloring, cutting, and gluing. We ended up giving it to Daddy early because she was so proud of her creation, I knew she wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. Daddy loved it!

Perfection Takes Time...or Not

(6-14-2012)

Maddie received this beautiful rocking chair as a gift...back in November. My grandma had a chair that looks just like this, only much older, at her house and Maddie just loves to sit in it every time we visit her. For Maddie's birthday, my grandma (a.k.a. Nana) had an 80+ year old man from her church make a replica of the chair. It was absolutely beautiful and Maddie loved it! The only problem was, when we received it, it wasn't stained or finished and since we live in a townhouse, Matt can only do those kinds of things in the garage. SO, we had to wait until the weather was nicer and our schedules were clear. Since Matt started his new shift this week, it was the perfect opportunity to finally get it finished! Yay!

I Love Me Some Goodwill!

 (6-13-2012)

 

I have been keeping my eyes open for a cheap table and chair set for Maddie for a few weeks now. Today was the day! A friend and I went to two Goodwills and a Salvation Army and it was at our last stop I found this treasure...for $4.99! The cool thing about this set is, we know that at least the chairs are from IKEA because the labels were still on the bottoms. Score! Oh, and another add perk about this find? Maddie absolutely loves her new table!

 

The Look

(6-12-2012)

Maddie has many faces and expressions and I absolutely love it when I am able to catch them on camera. This picture was taken after walking around for a few hours at the Morton Arboretum. We stopped in a shady spot for a few pics and a snack for Maddie. Needless to say, she was more happy about the snack than the pics, but it made for a great shot!

Blackberry Farm

(6-11-2012)

We took our first trip to Blackberry Farm in Aurora today and it just happened to be one of their "free admission" days. Yes! While there, Maddie got to ride a train, a pony, and go on the carousel. We also got to see baby chickens, goats, sheep, and other animals. In addition, we browsed through their museums and got to listen to a player piano (which Maddie was thoroughly amazed by.) The weather was overcast and, though it looked like it would rain, it never did. Overall, it was a perfect day!

Piggy Toes!

(6-10-2012)

There's just something about little kid feet that is so cute! What else is there to say?!

Too Tired to Potty

(6-9-2012)

Last night I went in to check on Maddie before going to bed and I asked her if she had to go potty. She said yes, so we made our way to the bathroom. However, once we got into the bathroom, she slumped down to the ground, said she didn't want to go, crawled over between the tub and the toilet, and went back to sleep. Good thing I just cleaned the ENTIRE bathroom, including the floor, two days before! I sure wish I could go to sleep that easily, but I am thankful that at least she can!

Another Great Find

(6-8-2012)

We ran to Goodwill tonight to look for a new lamp for our bedroom. While we didn't find a lamp, we did come a cross another amazing find...this children's sink for Maddie! It's made out of solid wood and is daycare-quality. When we got home, I looked up online how much a new one would cost and they run anywhere from $170-$200! Talk about savings!

Swim Time

(6-7-2012)

Mrs. Sandy invited Maddie over to swim and play with her today. Maddie had a blast and Mommy got to have lunch with Daddy! It was a great day for ALL of us! 

Lovin' this Weather!

(6-6-2012)

Today the weather was in the upper 70's, which is PERFECT! Maddie and I got to play outside and enjoy the beautiful weather today. As you can see, she's sporting her shades and playing with her favorite pink ball. I LOVE beautiful days like this!

Come and Get Me!

(6-5-2012)

Today Maddie and I went walking with our friends C and R. After pushing the girls in the strollers for a while, C and I got Maddie and R out of their strollers and let them walk the Riverwalk with us. The girls had a great time running ahead of us and exploring on their own. R kept coming back to help me push our stroller. It was absolutely adorable to watch the girls enjoy their moment of independence. 

This is the Way We Cut Our Paper...

(6-4-2012)

I gave Maddie a pair of "training" scissors today and she went to town cutting up a piece of paper. I couldn't get her to hold them correctly, but she enjoyed every last minute of destroying that piece of paper!

Grumpy Monkey

(6-3-2012)

Maddie has struggled with not feeling well this weekend (I'll spare you the details.) Anyway, after her nap (or lack thereof) today, we decided to go on a long walk, thinking the fresh air may do her some good. When we returned home, she was so tired and grumpy, she didn't want to come inside the house. Instead, she laid down on the front porch and tried to go back to sleep.

It's That Time of Year!

(6-2-2012)

I LOVE fresh produce, especially berries. While on our way back to IL, we happened across a farmer's market/nursery on US 30. Needless to say, we stopped and I bought a bucket of strawberries. Yum! I am so thankful God gives us such healthy and yummy foods to eat!

Friends!

(6-1-2012)

FRIENDS! Oh how I love these girls. Through thick and thin, they've been there and I can't imagine life without them!

Aunt Jenny & Zach

(5-31-2012)

Today we left for my parents house. From there, I will be dropping Matt and Maddie off at his parents house while I continue on to Toledo, OH to visit my friends, Jenny and Sheri. 

However, with that said, I must be honest. With all of the errands, packing, and traveling we did today, I completely forgot to take a picture, so the picture above is actually from Friday, and yes, I am catching up on my posts from the past weekend. Oh well! Life happens! :)

Curly or Straight??

(5-29-2012)

Ever since Maddie's hair started getting longer, I've been curious as to whether it will be curly or straight when she gets older. Matt and I both have wavy/curly hair and mine is crazy thick. So far, Maddie's is thin and straight...but she's only 2 so we'll see!

Today we went to the park and before leaving, I put her hair in double french braids to keep it out of her eyes. She left it that way all day. Just before bed, I took her hair down and the picture above was the end result.

Whether she has curly or straight hair doesn't matter to me, though, because I think she'll be cute either way!

Matt's Mini Me

(5-28-2012)

Maddie loves to help out however she can, whether it's making dinner, putting our new table together, or helping fold laundry. Her favorite thing, however, is to help Matt water the plants. She has her own little blue watering can that Matt always fills up for her and inevitably, she always dumps the entire can's contents into the smallest pot we have, thus flooding it. She loves it though!

The Lactose Substitute

(5-27-2012)

Matt loves ice cream, but can't eat it too often due to his lactose intolerance. However, sherbet is a WONDERFUL substitute! We haven't had it in a while, but I picked some up at the store this weekend and Matt was so happy when I gave him a bowl after dinner.

Maddie's Digging Buddy

(5-26-2012)

Mama and Papa drove three hours one way just to see Maddie and take her to the park. Of course, we did a few other things, but most of the fun was had at Wil-O-Way Park and the Riverwalk in downtown Naperville. I think Maddie and Papa's favorite thing was playing in the sand!

Cheap Entertainment

(5-25-2012)

As most people are probably well aware, there are LOTS of ways for Americans to waste their money on entertainment alone (among other things.) However, Matt and I try not to fall into this trap. Now, I'm not saying that it's not OK or that we don't do ANYTHING fun, but most of the time, we just don't see the point. 

Take movies for example. We could choose spend $20+ dollars to watch a movie in a crowded, dark room with uncomfortable chairs, OR we can wait a few months for the movie to come to Redbox, spend $1, and enjoy watching it in the comfort of our own home, bathroom breaks included. Not to mention, the snacks are much cheaper too! 

(Steps down from soapbox)

Anyway, since Matt had to work the evening shift tonight, I picked up a Redbox while at Meijer today. Tonight's feature?- "The Vow" 

Although I was hoping for more from the ending, overall I enjoyed the movie AND I only had to spend $1 to do so.

Does Anyone Have the Time?

(5-24-2012)

Recently Maddie began showing interest in time by saying things such as, "it's 50-o'clock." Since she is only 2, I hadn't intended to begin teaching her to tell time yet, but since she has shown the interest, we pulled out her wooden clock and began with some basics...the first being her bedtime! As you can see in the picture above, she goes to bed at 7pm. If we ask her to make the clock say 7 o'clock, she knows that the little hand goes on the 7 and the big hand goes on the 12. She also has learned that Mommy and Daddy go to bed at 10pm (well...sometimes anyway.) We have tried teaching her some others like 2,3,4, etc. but so far, she has only really learned 7pm and 10pm, but that's OK! She's only 2! I'm just proud of her for trying!

Where is Daddy?!

(5-23-2012)

Lately Maddie has been getting up from her afternoon nap between 3:30-4pm. We then have a small snack and then head outside to wait for Daddy. Today as we were playing out front, we got to watch a marching band practicing at the middle school at the end of our street. She loved imitating the drummers. After they left, she enjoyed playing in the dirt and rocks, all the while checking to see if Daddy was coming yet. Finally he arrived and once he was parked, she raced down the drive to great him. I love seeing the joy on her face every time Daddy gets home from work!

The Switch-Up

(5-22-2012)

Usually, Daddy gets home from work around 4:45, we have dinner, play with Maddie, and then put her to bed around 7pm. Today I decided to switch things up a bit. We picked Daddy up from work (because he rode with Mr. Al this morning) and went downtown Naperville in search of a cupcake...per Maddie's request...kind of. We had dinner at Potbelly's, made a stop by the bank (long story), and then went to a hole in the wall bakery called Sugar Monkey Cupcakes. We let Maddie pick the cupcake and she chose the red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting and red sprinkles (no, she didn't know what flavor she was choosing, she just liked how it looked.) We then took it home and split it, three-way! While I wouldn't say it was anything fantastic, it was good and it was fun discovering a new place and having a fun evening out! Oh, and yay for no cooking for Mommy!

It's Puzzle Time!

(5-21-2012)

We had a busy morning, but before running our errands (all six of them!) we took the time to do a puzzle. Maddie loves this puzzle and she's getting much better at it. She still can't do it all by herself, but she is beginning to find the pieces on her own and she doesn't have as hard of a time putting the pieces together anymore. Yet another sign that she is growing up!

Creation

(5-20-2012)

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good..." ~ Genesis 1:31

I agree! I'm glad He allows us to enjoy His creations!

Fun with Paint

(5-19-2012)

I picked up this cute little heart stool/table from Goodwill about a month ago. It was only $2! I decided to paint it and put Maddie's footprints on it as a gift for my mom for Mother's Day. Yes, I know Mother's Day is technically over already, but we haven't been back to Indiana yet this month, so we just got around to the project today. I can't wait to see what she thinks!

IKEA!

(5-18-2012)

We have needed a new dining room table for a while now. A few of our chairs were starting to fall apart and the table was cracking down the middle. So, what better place to get a new table than Ikea! I love Ikea!

What Will You Do with the Seed?

(5-17-2012)

"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” ~ Matthew 13:18-23 

I love planting things and watching them grow. It is so exciting when you first see the sprouts popping through the soil. It's even more exciting when you have a bunch of starters and they begin popping through and you have no idea what they are! (We use those indoor starter kits and even though we make a legend of what we planted, we usually end up losing it.)

Seeing our new sprouts this week makes me think about the seed that is planted in each and every one of us, the Word of God. Each of us has a choice as to what we will do with the Word. Some of us will hear the Word but not be changed. Others may joyfully jump into the Word with their head but never fully accept or understand it in their hearts. Still others may hear the Word, believe and obey it for a time, but then because of the busyness of life, forget about it. 

We each have a choice when it comes to the Word of God. What will you do with it?

Love and Discipline

(5-16-2012)

"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us." ~ 1 John 4:15-19 

As Maddie's mom, sometimes I feel like a failure. Why is that you may ask? Let me tell you why.


As a mother of a toddler, most days are awesome. Full of fun, love, giggles, kisses, etc. But other days, well, those days I would like to forget. You know what I'm talking about. The days where every little thing is a battle from getting dressed to going potty to eating. Everything. And when days start off like this, you know it's going to be a LONG day.


Well, we had one of those "long" days on Monday. For the most part, I think I handled it well, but afterward, I'm always thinking back and asking myself questions like, "Was I too hard on her?" "Should I have cut her some slack?" "Did I show her enough love?" "Did she learn anything productive from the way I handled things?" "Does she hate me?"


Of course I realize that Satan uses this line of attack to get under our skin, BUT I do think some of these questions are legitimate. Based on what we read in 1 John 4:15-19, we know that if we believe in Jesus, then we know the love of God and are to rely on it. And since we have the love of God, then we are to have no fear because "perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." In other words, our love and obedience in Him should not be based on the fear of judgement or punishment, but rather because His love has made us complete and has been perfected in us.


You see, God's love for us is an agape (unconditional) love, meaning that nothing we do can separate us from His love. And because He shows us this kind of love, we, in turn, are told to "love [our] neighbor[s] as [ourselves]" (Matthew 22:39). And if we are supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves, shouldn't we show the ones we're closest to this same kind of love, even in the hard times?


So, you can probably see where I am going with this. I am a sinner. I have been forgiven and I have the love of Christ, but I still fail...even at loving my own family. Sometimes I overreact. Sometimes I'm quick to judge. Sometimes I'm selfish. Sometimes I simply don't get it. But I can rest assured that because Christ loves me, He will continue to work in me to perfect my love, so I can in turn show others His love.

I have no idea if this makes sense to anyone else, or if it just seems like pointless ramblings, but for me it's a lesson I don't take lightly. And when I am faced with challenges like the "horrible no good very bad" Monday that we had, I am thankful that God uses them as teaching moments. Oh, and that my daughter doesn't really hate me...least not yet :)

Cookies and Peacocks

(5-15-2012)

This morning we went to Phillips Park Zoo in Aurora, IL with Mrs. Sandy. It's not a very big zoo, but it's free and has some neat animals. Some of the animals include wolves, a llama, a pygmy goat, a mountain lion, some peacocks, an otter, bald eagles, a Red Tail hawk, a Blue & Yellow Macaw, elk, and some swans. I think Maddie's favorite were the peacocks. 

As we were leaving the zoo, I had to keep prodding Maddie along because she was eating a giant goldfish cookie and looking at the peacocks. At one point, she said to the peacock, "Hi Mr. Peacock, do you want a bite?" as she offered him her cookie (thankfully the dual gates kept him from receiving her gift.) I quickly exclaimed, "Maddie, we're not supposed to feed the animals! Don't give him your cookie!" because I was afraid her next trick would be to chuck it through the fencing. Instead, her reaction was quite different. She knelt down and continued talking to the peacock while "hiding" her cookie behind her back (notice the cookie behind her back in the pic above.) Maybe she thought he would be sad that he couldn't have a bite. Who knows. Either way, it was cute and made me smile.

"Manic Monday"

(5-14-2012)

Maddie woke up feeling much better this morning, thankfully. Since she was sick the past few days, she didn't get outside much. Therefore, the first thing she wanted to do this morning was go outside! Go figure. We settled for coloring with sidewalk chalk on the front porch while we waited for our friend, Mrs. Sandy, to arrive. Once she got here, we went for a walk. 

The rest of the day didn't go so well. Daddy left for Seattle this morning (work-related) and I'm not sure if it was that or if she was just still tired from being sick, but Maddie seemed to get grumpier as the day went on. In addition, she didn't take a nap because she chose to play in her bed. Needless to say, bedtime couldn't come soon enough. Oh well. These days happen. Thankfully not every day is like today. Despite the rough times, I will always love my little girl and I am thankful for all the time that we get to spend together.

Happy Mother's Day!

(5-13-2012)

Last night Maddie came down with a 101.1 fever. Later in the evening, it was 102.2. This morning she woke up with 103.8. She didn't have any other symptoms other than her fever, but she was super cuddly and tired. As a result, she slept most of the day. Her fever began falling toward the end of the day and we are expecting (and hoping) that she will be all better by tomorrow morning.

Despite being concerned about Maddie not feeling well, I did have a good Mother's Day. Daddy and Maddie got me a Keurig coffee maker and I was super excited about that! Maddie also got me a card that she colored herself. In addition, since she slept most of the day, I was able to work on various projects around the house and even take a nap. Later in the afternoon, we took a quick trip to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things, including chocolate chip cookie dough (I didn't feel like making homemade ones today.) To wrap it all up, tonight is the "Survivor" finale!

All in all, it was a pretty good day. Although we hope and pray that He will bless us with more kids, today reminded me how thankful and blessed we are with the sweet little girl that we have.

Smiles

(5-12-2012)

One of my favorite things is my daughter's big smile. It's contagious...at least in our house it is. Today Daddy was taking some pictures of Maddie and she wanted to hold "Fred," her green stuffed dinosaur. This picture is the result of one happy girl. It makes my heart happy!

Tunnel Time

(5-11-2012)

A few months ago, Matt bought Maddie this Disney Princess tunnel from Goodwill. She loves it so much that the first time she played with it, she accidentally went potty in her pants! Even though the "new-ness" of it has worn off, she still lights up when we get her tunnel out for her. I am thankful for awesome Goodwill deals and the little things that make my child smile.

It's Bubble Time!

(5-10-2012)

After lots of practicing, Madelyn has finally figured out the art of blowing bubbles! She used to barely blow at all, then sometimes it was too hard, but now, she's got it down. I'm so proud of her!

Maddie-saurus

(5-9-2012)

As I have mentioned before, Maddie is a HUGE fan of dinosaurs. Recently, my parents got her a book about a dino named Tinysaurus. Also in this book are Mommysaurus, Daddysaurus, Bigsissysaurus...you get the picture. 

Anyway, this morning at breakfast, Maddie asked me if she could have some raisins. After getting the box of raisins out of the cupboard, she then asked me if I would move my chair so it would make a hole. Confused, yet curious about where this was going, I obliged. She then proceeded to place 5-6 raisins in the "hole" which, which was the imprint from the chair leg. After she had finished, she said, "Look Mommy, the babysauruses are in their nest!"

I was quite shocked and touched at her ingenuity and imagination. I smiled and got a good laugh out of it, but at the time, my heart is just a tad bit sad because this is yet another sign of how she much she is growing up. I am thankful for these little glimpses into her imagination and creativity.

Motivation

(5-8-2012)

Lately we have had a hard time getting Madelyn to eat her dinner. Even if it is something she likes, she takes forever to eat it. Sometimes, she ends up sitting in her highchair until bedtime, or close to it anyways. Tonight, however, she ate dinner with no problem (avocado mac & cheese, corn off the cob, Italian cucumbers and tomatoes, and some BBQ chicken.) Normally, she wouldn't like any of these things, well maybe the chicken, but tonight we promised her we would go for a walk if she finished all her dinner. I think that's the fastest I have seen her eat her dinner in a long time! Needless to say, we went for a walk and as you can see, she was so excited, she was practically pulling us along the whole way.

It's What's for Lunch!

(5-7-2012)

One pancake. Two pieces of bread. Two slices of Swiss Cheese. Two slices of bacon. 1 strawberry. 1 turnip. 1 cookie with pink frosting and sprinkles. 1 glass of orange juice. 

In case you're wondering...no, this is not what we typically eat at our house...in one sitting anyway. However, after having Daddy home for a week (he worked from home last week), Madelyn was really missing him this morning. So, we called him and she told him she was going to make him lunch. After hanging up, she proceeded to gather the above-mentioned items and "made Daddy lunch." She even included a drink. When I asked her what was in the cup, she said, "Orange juice, because Daddy drinks orange juice." 

Needless to say, I took a picture and "emailed" Daddy his lunch. That didn't satisfy Maddie though. She was very saddened by the fact that Daddy wasn't going to actually "eat" his lunch. So what was the solution? We left it at Daddy's place at the table so he could eat it when he got home!

I love my daughter's innocence, creativity, and humble heart!

Thank You, Pinterest

(5-6-2012)

I got this idea to make a terrarium from Pinterest. I love perusing that site, looking for new and creative ideas for crafts, gifts, recipes, etc. Anyway, a few months back I came across a "How to Build a Terrarium" post and knew it was something I wanted to try. It may have taken me a few months, but I finally did it and I am loving it!

B-Dubs

(5-5-2012)

I honestly can't remember the first time I ate at Buffalo Wild Wings, but I think it was probably sometime in college. Since then, it has become one of my (well, mostly Matt's) favorite place to eat. He love their traditional wings and I love their Grilled Chicken Wrap with Sweet BBQ sauce. Yummy! Tonight we had some friends over to just sit and chat and we ordered "B-Dubs" to go. Personally, I like it better this way! 

1) It's much quieter and you can actually hear what everyone is saying.

2) You don't have to worry about tips!

3) The kiddos can get down and play whenever they're done.

Seems like a win-win to me. Oh, and you can't beat homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Mmm...what a fun night!

My Messy Little Eater

(5-4-2012)

I couldn't help but laugh after Madelyn finished her lunch today. She always has been, and probably always will be, a messy eater. She seems to think that salad dressing is a type of leave-in conditioner and any type of sauce (spaghetti, BBQ, ketchup, etc.) is make-up. While it's not always fun to clean up, I can't help but laugh at the countless pictures we have of Maddie and her messy face.

Spring Planting and Cleaning

(5-3-2012)

Since the weather was nice today (a steamy 84 degrees) we decided to plant some things in the pots we had. Matt and Maddie planted some peppers, tomatoes, onions, etc. and I re-potted a fern I was given (the love fern!) Afterward I spent some time cleaning out the entryway closet. It sure felt good to work...I mean really work, not just doing the day to day chores. I love watching new things grow and, equally, I love organizing and getting rid of clutter! I can't wait until some of the things Matt and Maddie planted start sprouting!

Coffee and Friends

(5-2-2012)

This morning Matt, Madelyn, and I went to a Grounds for Hope Cafe, which is a coffee shop/play area inside a local church. We met our friends M, B, and E there. It was great to be able to watch the kiddos play, enjoy good conversation, and of course, drink coffee. I'm thankful God gives us opportunities like this to slow down, enjoy life, and fellowship with those close to us.

Good Reads

(5-1-2012)

While we were home over the weekend, a good friend of mine gave me two good books to read. The first one was called "This Side of Heaven" by Karen Kingsbury and the second is the one pictured above ("and the Shofar Blew" by Francine Rivers.) I read the first one over the weekend and started the second one yesterday. Both were good books and I loved both for various reasons. I am thankful for good friends who make good book recommendations!

The Love Fern

(4-30-2012)

Matt and I both love plants, so when we were asked if we wanted to take a fern home with us from Aaron and Jess's wedding, we said, "Yes!" I love having something growing inside our house.

Oh, and in case you're wondering about the name, "The Love Fern" here's why. 

1) Because we will always remember it came from our friends wedding

2) I first heard it from the movie, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." If you don't know what I'm talking about, then maybe you should watch the movie...then again...maybe not. 

Sweet Fellowship

(4-29-2012)

While we were home for the weekend, we were able to attend our "home" church. It was great to be back. We are so thankful for all Fellowship has meant to us and it was good to reconnect with many of our friends (and fellow members) who we used to go to church with. It was also great to hear Pastor Dave preach again! It helps to lift our spirits and reminds us each time we return how much we long for home. We are praying every day that God will provide a way for us to return to Fort Wayne AND Fellowship.

Two Become One

(4-28-2012)

(Photo courtesy of Matt)

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ~ Ephesians 5:31

It's official! Aaron and Jess are married! We are so happy for our friends and we had a wonderful time celebrating and helping out with their wedding. We are thankful for their friendship and look forward to many years of hanging out with the BOTH of them.

*** Truth: This is an old picture. Their wedding photos are still being processed by the photographer...er...my husband and he prefers that I wait to post their wedding pic until they return from Ireland and see it first. Fair enough. I will change the picture later. :)