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. :)

Alma Mater

(4-27-2012)

I met my best friends there. I received an Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelors in Organizational Management from there. I worked there. I met my husband there. We had our reception there. Many memories. Lots of growth. I am sad that it closed, but am thankful it was there for the time it was. I am also thankful for the opportunity to re-visit the campus and take this picture.

Regrets and Hope

(4-26-2012)

" Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." ~ 2 Corinthians 7:10

 

Growing up, I was in to sports. I played softball, volleyball, basketball, and soccer (and a little football on the side with friends.) I loved being active. 

I also loved the piano. My grandparents had a piano at their house and I loved to play, the little that I could, whenever I was over there. I knew how to read music from being in choir and I could play the right hand pretty well and was doing alright at teaching myself the left hand. If I remember correctly, my grandparents even offered to pay for piano lessons for me, but I turned the idea down. I was too busy with sports and school and friends. 

Looking back, I regret it. Sports were fun, but they didn't leave me with a life skill or talent. I so wish I knew how to play so I could teach Maddie. I hope that she will be more interested in learning an instrument than me. 

Even though I regret not learning to play the piano, I am reminded that my sorrow is just a worldly sorrow. Because of my salvation and faith in Him, I am left with no regrets because in the end, I know will be with Him in eternity. Now that is something to be happy about.

HOME

(4-25-2012)

Confession: This picture was actually taken on 4-26, but due to traveling and being tired, I forgot. Oh well! I took this picture on Thursday because I was so happy to be back home again.

Since our friends, Aaron and Jess, are getting married this weekend, we decided to head back to IN today in order to ease into the weekend instead of it having a chaotic start. We got to my parents house sometime around 8pm and let me just say that Maddie was SO happy. 

Truthfully...so was I. It's home. Of course, just being back in Indiana is home, but my parents house is HOME. It's where I lived while in high school. It's where I came home to on college breaks. I still have some of my things there (yeah, I know, I need to clean out my room!) Anyway, I am thankful to be back in Indiana AND at my parents house because I am HOME.

Have No Fear

 (4-24-2012)

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." ~ Joshua 1:9

I love play dates! It is a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with other moms (and friends!) while Maddie gets to play with her friends. This particular play date was at Wil-O-Way Park in Naperville. However, and even better part of the play dates is that Maddie is continually stretched and pulled beyond what Matt or I can manage to do for her.

She LOVES going to the park and loves going down the slides, as well as swinging, but she is terrified of climbing up on the high play equipment. In fact, just two days ago, she climbed to the top of one, got scared and started to cry and peed her pants. Needless to say, she wouldn't budge. I had to climb up and get her.

Anyway, today while we were at the park with friends, I was chatting with two other moms while keeping my eye on her. I had turned to say something to one of my friends and turned back around to see that she had climbed to the top (by herself) and was getting ready to come down the slide. Of course I was so proud of her that I clapped and whipped out my camera to take a picture. 

Watching her conquer her fear reminded me of the verse above. How often are we paralyzed by a fear of something to the point where we are useless, so to speak? We give up and don't bother trying. But as we read in Joshua 1:9, we are not to give up. Instead, we are to "be strong and courageous" and "not be afraid" for "God will be with [us] wherever [we] go." For that, I am truly thankful!

Vera Bradley!

(4-23-2012)

What can I say? I love me some Vera Bradley! As MOST of my friends know, Fort Wayne has it's annual Vera Bradley outlet sale at the Coliseum. This year, it was the second weekend in April and, of course, since I love in Illinois now, I couldn't go. Thankfully, though, my wonderful friend Amanda was gracious enough to pick me up this wonderful bag. I was pleasantly surprised when Matt got home last night and showed me this bag. I didn't even know this pattern existed. I love it though, especially the birds! Thanks again, Amanda!

Earth Day!

(4-22-2012)

Before church this morning, Madelyn and I ran by Target to pick up a few things. Upon our arrival, we were given this free re-usable bag full of samples and coupons. The reason? Because it's Earth Day! Yet another reason I love (and am thankful for) Target!

Mmmm Good

(4-21-2012)

I don't think this post really needs and explanation, but here it is: I am thankful for Starbucks. And coffee. The end.

Miss B Comes to Visit!

 (4-20-2012)

 

Tonight we watched Miss B. As you can see, she is a cutie! Maddie loved playing with Miss B. and helping her by bringing her toys and snacks (although Miss B. couldn't really eat them!) Likewise, Miss B. couldn't take her eyes off Maddie the entire night! When Maddie had to take a bath, Miss B. started crying until I took her in to see Maddie. It was so cute to see their special bond for the evening. I am thankful that our friends think highly of us enough to trust us to watch their little bundle of joy. Thanks for sharing her, C and J! :)

 

Yay for my Big Girl!

(4-19-2012)

I think it's safe to say that Madelyn is officially day-potty trained! We still have the occasional accident, but it's usually due to her being so involved in something (like playing with a cool tunnel) that she forgets to go. But overall, the accidents are few and far between! As for nights, it's about 50/50 on whether or not she's dry in the morning. Either way, this Mommy is proud of her little 2 year old and I am thankful that that we are having to spend less and less on Pull-Ups (mostly just for bedtime now!)

Welcome to the Family, Tank!

(4-18-2012)

Maddie's newest love is all things dinosaur. This stemmed from her love of "Dinosaur Train," which is a cartoon on PBS Kids. While the main characters are all Pteranodons (and a T-Rex named Buddy) her favorite is the Triceratops. The one in the picture is named Tank.

I chose this as my "reason to be thankful" today because I am glad that Maddie has found something that she loves and enjoys learning about. We have books, a movie, a puzzle, and many dinosaur toys in our house and she can tell you what kind of dinosaur many of them are. 

I am glad that God makes each of us unique and gives us hobbies and interests that are often different from those close to us. It can make for great conversations and reminds us that God make each and every one of us different for a reason!

Just a Little Bit

(4-17-2012)

 

First off, confession, Matt actually took this picture yesterday. BUT, as I was looking through the pics on my camera from yesterday, I thought it was too cute not to share.

Madelyn is mostly potty trained now (well, during the days anyway.) And as a result, whenever she has to go potty, we are always telling her to use A LITTLE BIT of toilet paper. Well, tonight, she came out of the bathroom with this lovely toilet paper trail...oblivious to our advice of using just A LITTLE BIT!

I was laughing hysterically as Matt was taking the picture, but as I reflect on this event, I am reminded that we are often this way with God. How often does He whisper gentle advice to us, yet me carelessly disregard it, doing our own thing only later to ask Him to fix our mess. Yes, I am guilty of this as I am sure you are too. That is one things that I love about kids. If you watch them closely enough, you can see things in yourself that you need to work on just by watching their mistakes. Again, I am thankful for these little reminders.

Blessings in Disguise

(4-16-2012)

Matt has worked for Navistar for two years now (contractor for one year and internal employee for another.) Although it wasn't (and still isn't) our desire to be here in IL, we are thankful for Matt's job and the ways God has blessed us through it.

First, we were able to pay down our house enough to sell it. Second, we were able to pay off my student loan, thus making us debt free. We don't know what else God has in store for us through Matt being at Navistar, but we do know that even though we are homesick and miss our friends and families tremendously, we are thankful that God brought us to Navistar.

Debt Free!!!

(4-15-2012)

Due to the busy weekend we had, I didn't check our mailbox until Sunday evening. Boy was I surprised (and happy!) to have found this letter in our box. It's a letter from EdFinancial (my loan company) stating that my loan has been paid in full. That means we are officially debt free!

That also means that we can begin saving more toward whatever God has next for us! Believe me, we have a lot of dreams and desires, but we want to be wise about how we spend our money and be careful not to get into debt trying to pursue them. We hope and pray that God will guide our steps and give us wisdom as we pray about decisions regarding our future.

Bookworm. . .Well, Kinda

(4-14-2012)

I tend to go in spurts with my reading. I'll read several books within a month and then won't pick up a book again until several months later. After a recent trip to our local Savers store, I am happy to say that my reading might just pick up again (if I can find time, that is!)

Thanks to a coupon a friend gave me (A purchase of $5 or less for free!) I was able to pick up two books for myself and one for Maddie. . . all for free! I started this book and read half of it in one night. I'm hoping to get back to it soon, but I've had too much to do today. Regardless, I am thankful for free time when I get it and am thankful for good books to read!

Portillo's!

(4-13-2012)

There are a lot of things I miss about Fort Wayne, but one thing I LOVE about the Chicago area is Portillo's. It's a combination of a relaxed atmosphere, yummy food, and reasonable prices (as well as neat displays all around the restaurant.) What more is there to say! I love their Charbroiled Chicken Sandwich. 

Typically, whenever we have friends or family come visit us, we usually take them there. Today was no different. Matt's parents were in town and we headed over to Portillo's for dinner.

To learn more about Portillo's, click here. And if you are ever in the Chicago area, stop by one and try it out yourself!

Creative. . . or Not

(4-12-2012)

I don't consider myself to be a creative person by any means. Usually when I make something, it's based off an idea or object that I've seen before, and if there are directions, you can guarantee they've been followed to a T. This project, however, just came to me!

When we moved into our townhouse, we discovered they didn't collect recycling at our complex. I happened to mention this to a friend of ours who lives a few minutes away and she suggested we bring our recycling to her house. I thought, "Perfect!" Since then, I have loved looking for all the things I can to throw into the recycling bin, but this can be dangerous. You see, when you start recycling, you also begin to think about the way you can re-use things. OK, OK, I'm getting off topic. 

There here project is a new crayon holder for Madelyn. You see, I was making green bean casserole for Easter and was about to toss the French's Fried Onions container into the recycling and I thought, "I bet I could re-use this in some way!"

After a glance at all the tattered crayon boxes Maddie has. . .ding ding ding, the lightbulb went off. I simply washed and dried the container and cover it in scrapbooking paper. I used tape to keep it simple, but I'm sure glue would work as well. And there you have it. My project for the day. And an explanation longer than you probably wanted to read. Oh well. I'm thankful for creativity. . .when it comes to me.

Who is that Man?!?!

(4-11-2012)

His name is Matt and he's mine! :-)

We have dated for almost 6 years and will be married 4 years in July. Even though we have had some ups and downs in our marriage, I am thankful that we have been able to go through everything together.

Nice and Cozy

(4-10-2012)

Madelyn has found a new place to hang out these days. She loves to pull all of her books of the shelves and curl up IN her bookcase. Sometimes she'll even lay there reading a book. I always love seeing her imagination at work!

Water and Subway and Daddy. . . Oh My!

(4-9-2012)

This morning Madelyn and I went for a walk at the Oakhurst Forest Preserve in Aurora. I fell in love with Lake Patterson and the humongous hill, but Maddie. . .not so much. She hates being in her stroller and all I wanted to do was walk. Oh well. Sometimes we have days like that.

After we finished our walk, we ran to Subway and picked up some lunch for Daddy and dropped it off to him. Madelyn always love when we get to see Daddy while he's at work. Even though our days are not always perfect, I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with my little girl.

He is Risen!

(4-8-2012)

"I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'

 'Where, O death, is your victory?
  Where, O death, is your sting?'

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

Happy Easter! We had a wonderful (and unique) service today to celebrate Easter. The service began with a processional where someone was playing "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes followed by four ushers carrying in a casket. We quickly learned that the casket was empty, thus representing the empty tomb. Pastor Dan then gave a brief explanation and began his message, which was titled "The Death of Death." He went on to explain that most people fear death because of the unknown. However, in Jesus' death and resurrection, He put to death "death." Because we are saved by faith through grace, we no longer need to fear death. He can celebrate His resurrection and the fact that when it is our turn to be called home, there is no fear in death. Following the message, we then sang one of my favorite songs, "In Christ Alone," written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. The lyrics are as follows: 

"In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand."

(Source: http://www.gettymusic.com/hymns-inchristalone.aspx) 

"The One Less Traveled"

 

(4-7-2012)

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim, 

Because it was grassy and wanted wear; 

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same, 

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

("The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Source: http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html)

There is a forest preserve...well several of them actually...that are not far from our house. Today we visited the Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve in Naperville. There are several trails to choose from; some are semi-paved, most rocks, and some are just grass trails. As Matt and I talked about with path to take, we chose the grassy path because it seemed to be less busy. There were a lot of runners out during the time we went and Matt wanted to take pictures so we figured the less busy the trail the better. As we made our way down the grassy trail, I began to think about the poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. I have always enjoyed this poem and in high school, we even sang a song about it in choir. 

The part of the poem that really inspires me is the last stanza which reads, "...Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." This reminds me of our walk with Christ. When we choose to follow Him, we are claiming to choose the path less traveled. We may not know what lies ahead, but we do know that, because of His Son's sacrifice, choosing the path of Christ will make all the difference in our lives. 

Best Friends and Da Bears. . .What Could Be Better?!

(4-6-2012)

For my birthday, I mentioned to one of my best friends, Sheri, that I wanted a Chicago Bears blanket of my own. You see, I have made several blankets for other people, both crocheted and hand-tied, but I have never made one for myself. So, I was extremely happy when I found a package waiting at my doorstep containing this awesome fleece Chicago Bears blanket from BOTH of my college roommates, Jenny and Sheri. I couldn't be happier! I am so thankful for both of these ladies. . .and yes, I'm also thankful for Da Bears! ;-)

Family Fun

(4-5-2012)

I have mentioned before that one of Madelyn's favorite toys is her wooden train set she got from my parents for Christmas. However, what I failed to mention is that Daddy loves this train set almost as much as Maddie. In fact, he even had me buy a second set from Ikea (in addition to another set we picked up from Goodwill) so he could build creative and elaborate routes for Maddie to play with. Most evenings, you will find ALL of us on the floor playing with these wooden tracks; Mommy and Daddy building while Madelyn lines up the trains. It may seem silly, but I'm thankful we have a fun family tradition like this.

Spring is Here!

(4-4-2012)

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17

Spring is, by far, my favorite season of the year! I love watching the Earth renew itself after a long winter (yeah yeah, I know, we didn't really have winter this year). I love seeing the trees get their buds, flowers begin to blossom, the grass start to turn green, and the animals return in search of food. And for us, it means that we finally get to be outside again. Our family LOVES going for walks and enjoying the nature around us. I am so thankful that Maddie shares this love!

Spring has always made me think of us as we go through the transformation from sinner to Child of God. As we read 2 Corinthians 5: 17, ". . . the old has gone, the new is here!" How wonderful is it that we are blessed to be made new in Him, to have our hearts and minds transformed. I am so thankful for the vivid reminder of my salvation in Him each Spring.

New Friends and Fresh Produce

(4-3-2012)

Tonight we had dinner at a co-worker's (of Matt) house. This was my first time meeting their family (as was Maddie's) and we had a good time! They prepared spaghetti, garlic bread, chocolate chip cookies (in case you forgot, these are my favorite!), and cheesecake. And, in case you're wondering about the picture above. . . well, that's what I brought. . . a salad! I love salad, so I was quite happy when they asked us to bring one. I love having a garden and, even though we live in a townhouse now and can't have a real garden, I am looking forward to planting some smaller things in our planter boxes and watching them grow.

Publish Post

I Think I Can! I Think I Can!

(4-2-2012)

(Photo Courtesy of Matt)

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." ~ Hebrews 12: 1-3

Tonight we took Madelyn to the school at the end of our street so she could ride her tricycle in the empty parking lot. She has tried to ride her tricycle before, but her legs had been a little too short. This time, they were just right!

As I watched her continue to try and try to get the hang of pedaling, I was amazed at how quickly she seemed to give up and ask for help; which really meant she just wanted me to push her. She would ask for help and I would respond and say, "Maddie, you are a big girl. You don't need help. Just keep trying! I'm proud of you!" She would then say, "Mommy, I can't! I just need help!"

This process made me think of the passage in Hebrews that says, ". . .And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith..." How often do we as believers want to give up so quickly on something that God may be asking us to do or go through? How often are we willing to let someone else volunteer first? How often do we give up on ourselves, and ultimately God, when things get difficult? I am ashamed to admit it, but for me, the answer is probably too often. 

I am thankful for the reminder that despite whatever challenge or situation I am facing, I am called to give it my all and keep my eyes on Jesus while doing so.

Palm Sunday

(April 1, 2012)

(Photo Courtesy of Matt)

"The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took the palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 

     'Hosanna!'

     'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'

     'Blessed is the king of Israel!'

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

     'Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt.'

At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him." ~ John 12: 12-16

Friends, Food, and Fun

Aunt Jess, Madelyn, & Uncle Aaron

(Photos Courtesy of Matt)

Aunt Kelly

(3-31-2012)

Our friends, "Aunt" Kelly, "Aunt" Jess, and "Uncle" Aaron, came to visit this weekend and we had a blast! We went to the Morton Arboretum, ate lots of good food, played games, and just enjoyed each others company. It was sure good to be back together again! I am so thankful that we have such wonderful friends who love us and strive to keep in touch with us despite the miles that separate us. We love you all!