A Little Pregnancy Update

Here's a little update of all the pregnancy highlights, just in case you were dying to know. ;)

How Far Along: According to my doctor, (who knows best, right?), I'm 19 weeks along. Almost 5 months! Can you believe it!?!?

Size of Baby: Hooglet is a whopping 7 ounces and 5-6 inches long.

Gender: Still unknown by any human at this point. It's cool to think that the LORD already knew this whole time.

Movement: I'm truly stumped by this one. I think it's still too early to feel Hooglet moving around, but sometimes I feel weird things that I've never felt before. Process of elimination tells me it's gotta be the baby, right? All I know is that I'm not getting excited about anything until I know for sure.

Maternity Clothes: I have no choice when it comes to pants: stretchy all the way...which made for a wonderfully full Thanksgiving. (Have you ever seen the episode of Friends where Monica challenges Joey to eat a whole turkey, so he goes and puts on a pair of Phoebe's maternity pants? Yup...I love being pregnant!) My tops are a mixture of maternity and normal. I'm beginning to outgrow my t-shirts...bummer.

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well. I only get up once to potty. If I'm not sleeping well, it's not because of the baby growing inside me, it's more likely because of my "baby" elbowing me in the face. Sure do love that man. ;)

Cravings: The daily pickle thing is gone. I still thoroughly enjoy pickles, but they're not mandatory anymore. The weird craving this week was Five Guys Burgers. Not sure why. And we still haven't eaten there. But I'll tell you what...when we do, I'll ask for extra pickles.

What I'm Missing: I'll be honest. There have been several times I've been mightily tempted to pour myself some coffee. I'm also REALLY bummed that eggnog is out of the question. Truly, I'm still not completely convinced that I can't have any and I plan to ask my doctor at the next visit. But my darling, protective husband has me on lock-down. You'll know why if you see him and he has a black eye. ;)

New Discoveries: I painted my own toenails for the last time for at least 5 more months. And even then it was probably not the best idea. I never thought I'd not be able to safely and comfortably reach my feet. I guess this means a pedicure is in my future.

Best Moment This Week: There are several. 1. Being with family and talking LOTS about Hooglet and baby names and plans and hopes and dreams. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it brings so much joy to my heart to know how much this baby is already so loved and celebrated. 2. Being with my precious sisters-in-law and niece and them being so anxious to know the sex of the baby that they Google every gender-predictor-test known to man...errr...woman. Turns out, I'm having a BOY! Or maybe a GIRL! But probably a BOY! But it could also be a GIRL! I guess we'll have to just wait and see for ourselves.

Looking Forward To: Actually going to have the ultrasound/sonogram (whatever it's called) that shows us whether Hooglet is a boy or girl. The appointment is for a week from today (Tuesday) and I'm tempted to just crawl in the bed and hibernate until then. It's funny to me that we waited for almost 2 years to even get pregnant, but that hasn't been nearly as hard as waiting the handful of weeks to find out about this baby's gender.

Daddy's Involvement: Y'all, I have got to brag on my baby-daddy. Last night, while I took my small groups girls on an outing, he took it upon himself to open the door to "The Dungeon", also known as the storage room and what will be the baby's room, and actually began to clean it out. I have been stressed out about nothing else in life except this nightmare of what will one day house my precious child. I can't even begin to tell you what all is in that room,but let's just say that the door stays shut at all times.
Thank you, Love, for being my brave and courageous knight-in-shining-armor who has attempted to slay the dragon from the underworld. (Y'all think I'm being dramatic.)

This picture that I leave you with has absolutely nothing to do with anything that was in this blog post, but I just can't stand to have a picture-less post. So, since we were still on our honeymoon this day three years ago, here's my favorite picture of the 2 of us. We're standing right on the shore of Cape Cod with the Atlantic Ocean in the background. Hope you're not grossed out by the public display of affection. :)

On This Day Three Years Ago

I can vaguely remember just about everything that happened on this very day, three years ago.

I woke up early when my alarm went off and just lay in bed for a few moments. I had to remind myself to soak in every detail of the day. I thanked the LORD that I was alive and that my life was gonna totally change that day.

Then, I got up and immediately started getting ready. I bathed and made sure to shave my legs really well. I threw just a light touch of make-up for confidence's sake. All my girls and I went downstairs to the lobby of the hotel and ate some continental breakfast. Then, my sister and I were out the door and on our way to get our hairs did. It was rainy and chilly. And yet, it was such a beautiful day.

Afterward, we stopped off at the good ol' Chick-fil-a and picked up our large order of nuggets and fruit and sweet tea. Then we went across the street to Walgreen's because I had to have real coffee and I bought some Excedrin migraine as a precaution.

Next, we were on our way to the church. I remember calling my mom on the way and having to talk her down from a ledge because her hair lady messed up her hair..."big" time. ;)

We arrived at the church to eat some nuggets and continue the marathon of getting ready. Make-up, dress, touching up hair, touching up make-up. Then we took lots of pictures. Then we did some more touch-ups.

Next, my closest and dearest friends surrounded me and prayed over me. What a precious time. I was chill the whole time.

Anticipation grew as we filed out of the dressing room and into the foyer of the church. I got a quick peek inside the sanctuary. The hand-picked music was playing and the pews were filled with smiling faces. It was decorated so perfectly.

My closest friends began the walk down the isle. They closed the doors in my face. When they opened them again, a thickness of suspense came rushing out the doors from the guest. And from that one man standing in front. I grabbed my dad's arm and we walked. And I smiled. And he cried. And that one man smiled. Maybe he cried too.

We stated our promises. We gave tokens. We lit a candle. We kissed. We rejoiced. We kissed some more. We smiled. We laughed. We posed for pictures. We gave thanks to the LORD. We ate. We danced. We drove away.

I could go on. Moment by moment. Detail after detail. I remember all...well... most of it.
It was one of the greatest days of my life. Yes, there were a few minor details that didn't go according to plan or how I had envisioned it happening. But it was still a day packed full of sweet, sweet memories. Ones that I could never forget. And just in case I do, I've made a point to write them down here.

Dear Love of my Life,
Three whole years. Can you believe it? Sometimes I feel like it's been twenty...in a good way. But I know this is still just the beginning. And I love that. To me, it means that we still have so much life ahead of us. Thinking through everything we've done and gone through in the last three years, all the ups and downs, makes me wonder what the next three or twenty or sixty years of life will look like.
We've experienced so many joyous moments. Times of that deep-belly kind of laughter. Times when we were left speechless and in awe of the way God worked things out. We've made many sweet memories together. We've relished many triumphs and victories. And have seen the LORD bring hope and beauty to people's lives (including our own) that we couldn't even imagine.
We've also experienced heartache together. And frustration. And confusion. Sometimes because of each other. We've experienced what seemed like endless lack and the tunnels of darkness that seemed to have no end in sight. We've plowed through the hard grounds of ministry. We've made mistakes. We've disappointed each other.
All in three years.
All the good. All the bad. And there's no one else in the world I would ever want to experience any of this with but you. We said, "For better or for worse. In sickness and in health. For richer or poorer." I meant it. I know you did too.
I love our life together. Could we try harder? Change habits? Learn from mistakes? Make more of an effort sometimes? Stop and really listen more? Definitely. But I love our life together. I love that I get to learn the ups and downs of marriage...and life in general, with you. I love that we have so much more life ahead of us to learn. Are you excited? I am.
I love you.
Happy Anniversary,

Yo Baby Mama :)

Grown-up Red Riding Hood (minus the hood part)

I am LOVING the new fresh cool air that's seemed to settle in around Houston. I love being able to wear my scarves (compliments of Liz Silva) and jackets. And let's just be honest...I rather enjoy being able to bum around the house in my sweat pants. There are a couple downsides to the cooler weather (super dry skin, chapped lips and not being able to enjoy the warmth and goodness of a hot cup of coffee), but I'd rather not focus on the negatives, if you please. It'll all be worth it once it's cold enough to cozy up in my HOTT new red coat.

Speaking of my new red coat...Seriously y'all, it's beautiful. As sad as this may sound, it's my first real adult coat and I'm super proud of it. All through college and for the last few years all I've had to keep me warm on those 3 really cold days we have here in Texas is my HUGE puffy red coat. You know the kind. Where no one can sit next to me and I can't wear it in the car because I can't buckle my seat belt and cops look at me sideways because they think I'm hiding a stolen child (or 2) inside it.

Don't get me wrong...it's a super fun coat and it's kept me warm and the center of everyone's attention for many good years. But let's face it. I'm 27. I'm married and am basically a mom. It's about time I graduated to something more mature.

So, thank you, Mom, for buying me this awesome, new, beautiful red coat for my birthday. I'm sure I'll be even more thankful when I actually get to wear on those 3 days.


P.S. When you click on the link to see a picture of my beautiful new red coat (because I know you all really want to), make sure you check out the back of the coat too. It's my favorite part!
Also, please remember that I will never look like the woman wearing my coat. Especially not this winter. No, I'll probably look more like Santa Claus in it this year. :)

A Little Thursday Humor

As I was perusing through one of my pregnancy books, I came across this odd little section called Old Wives' Tales. Some of these I've heard before and some just made me laugh out loud. I thought maybe some of my darling readers might get a kick out of reading some of these.

* You may need calcium if you crave ice cream.
*Cold feet indicate a boy.
*A lot of heartburn means your baby will be born with a full head of hair.
*Refusing to eat the heel on a loaf of bread means you're going to have a girl.
*Dangling a wedding ring over your tummy indicates the sex of the baby. (Not sure how this one even works.)
*Your baby will be born with a hairy birthmark if you see a mouse while you're pregnant.
*If you carry out in front, it's a boy---carrying around your middle means it's a girl.
*Eating berries causes red splotches on your baby's skin.
*If you perspire a lot, it's a girl. (Or you live in Houston where it's still in the 90's in Oct.)
*Taking a bath can drown the baby.
*It's a girl if you crave orange juice.
*Stretching your arms over your head can cause the umbilical cord to wrap around the baby's neck.
*If you carry high, it's a girl---carrying low means it's a boy.
*Dry hands means you're going to have a boy.
*Craving greasy foods means your labor will be short. (And so will your life.) (Sorry, bad joke...but I couldn't resist.)
*Craving spinach means you need iron.
*Your baby will be cross-eyed if you wear high heels.
*Your moods during pregnancy affects your baby's during pregnancy.
*Using various techniques or substances will start labor.

Have you heard any good ones?

Question and Answer Time

WOW! Has it really been over a month since my last post? I could lie to you and say that I've had a million different things to post, but no time at all to post them. But like I said, that would be a lie. You want the truth? Here it is:

I may or may not have spent all my time and thoughts being completely and utterly consumed with this little one. Do you blame me?

For those of you who may not know...this is MY very own (and my husband's, of course) tiny little one currently growing in my belly. We are beyond ecstatic to get to be Mommy and Daddy to this little miracle baby we affectionately call "Hooglet."

I thought I'd just go right ahead and answer some questions you may already have swimming around in your noggin about this baby/pregnancy.

1. How far along are you? I am currently at the end of week 13, moving right along into week 14. This essentially means that I've been pregnant since the middle/end of July. It also means that you can expect to get to meet Hooglet sometime towards the end of April.

2. Was this planned? Here's the reader's digest version: My husband and I had been wanting to get pregnant for almost 2 years now. There were plenty of ups and downs for both of us, but mostly just a steadfast trust in the LORD and in HIS timing for our family. There was a long period of time where we actively pursuing pregnancy (whatever that means), but kinda just got distracted and SUPER busy for awhile there. It truly just became something we really didn't think much about for a couple months. Then, all of sudden...it happened. So, yes...this was kinda planned. But no, we were not ever in control of it. Thank the LORD for His goodness to us!

3. How did you know you were pregnant? Well, I was actually already 2 months pregnant when I started really having symptoms. And I mean SYMPTOMS! I was nauseous ALL day EVERY day. I didn't want to eat anything sweet (*gasp*). And other things that I will spare you. As much as I really didn't want to take another pregnancy test and see yet another negative, I kept feeling this urging from the LORD to just pee on the stick. So, I did...not really expecting anything different. And it turned up immediately positive! YAY!

4. How are you feeling these days? In a word...rotten. It's starting to get better a little every day, but it was pretty ugly for awhile there. And please don't get me wrong. I prayed for 2 years that the LORD would make it obvious for me when I became pregnant...and I'm truly thankful for every wave of nausea and every food aversion and every soreness or tightness in my body. These all mean to me that the baby is actually there and still growing. I may not be thoroughly enjoying the sickness, but I'm incredibly grateful for it.

5. Speaking of cravings and aversions...got any? Umm...YES! This baby LOVES, loves, loves pickles. I seriously eat pickles every day. Hooglet's also been known to beg for Chik-fil-a and Honey BBQ boneless wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. But mostly I just eat fruit and crackers...and pickles. I cannot stand even the smell of coffee. And sweets are not often eaten...which is very odd for me. And after a wicked case of heartburn last week, greasy and fried foods are absolutely off-limits.

6. Do you want a boy or a girl? I want a healthy human baby. I really am genuinely torn about what gender I want. I'm not at all being modest so you won't think badly of me, I just really keep going back and forth. I will say, however, that if I were a bettin' woman, my money would go on boy, for sure. That doesn't mean that's what I want, it just means that's what I think it is. We'll find out soon enough, and I'll be sure to let you know.

7. Have you thought of names? When Matt and I got engaged three and a half years ago we (really, I) started talking about names. Needless to say, they've changed and morphed since then, but i think we've finally agreed on both girls and boys names. I'm not totally sure I'm ready make them completely public just yet. But let's just say this: With a last name like Hoogendoorn, it's slim pickins for good names.

8. How did your parents react? Eh, they were kinda happy. FALSE! They (the moms) freaked out! They were wanting a grandbaby more than we were wanting a baby. They weren't the only ones who freaked out, though. Just about everybody either cried or jumped up and down or screamed or couldn't stop hugging or a combination of all. This was one long-awaited baby and the longer we all waited, the more joyous our reactions upon hearing the good news. It's one of the coolest feelings in the world to know just how loved this baby already is.

I've answered all I can think to answer right now. Please feel free to ask me any more and I will most definitely try to answer as soon as I can. We're excited and can't wait to get to meet this little miracle baby.

Until then, I leave you with Hooglet's very first picture ever, taken when he/she was a mere 7 weeks old. Doesn't he/she look like an alien Teddy Graham? Such a cute little Teddy Graham. :)

The BIG Dipper

No, this blog post is not about stars. Or constellations. It's also not at all about tobacco-usage of any kind.

This blog post is actually about my obsession with dipping my foods. I'm not really sure when I discovered this idiosyncrasy, but I definitely accept it as the truth. You see, I love to dip my foods. I don't just put ketchup on my hamburger. No, I have to dip the burger into ketchup a cup/puddle as well. But it's not just my burgers that get dipped. Anything I can possibly get away with dipping into something...I dip. Here are a few of my very favorite things to dip.

1. Arby's Sauce
This is probably the sauce that began my obsession with dipping. I love this stuff and of course, my roast beef sandwiches (and maybe a curly fry or potato cake) are no good without lots of it. (If the mean Arby's lady will give me more than 1 packet...Mom knows what I'm talking about.)

2. Frito Lay Bean Dip
I'm typically not a huge fan of Frito's Corn Chips, but somehow they are magically transformed by this incredibly unhealthy, amazingly delicious stuff.

3. Chuy's Jalepeno Ranch DipAgain, I'm just gonna be up-front and honest with you. I cannot stand ranch anything in any form. I gag at just the smell of jalapenos. So, why in the world am I so hopelessly addicted to this tiny little bowl of goodness??? Just please do me one favor...do not ever tell me what goes in this stuff. As they say, ignorance is bliss, my friend.

4. My Husband's Green Salsa and Famous Cheese Dip
Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of either of these insanely delicious dips, but get a load of this delicious dip. ;) But seriously, is there anything in the world that I would not slam dunk into his incredible green salsa or his cheese dip? Chips, breakfast tacos, regular tacos, quesadillas, my fingers.I mean really, the list could go on.

5. Cookies and MilkWhat would life be like without this little taste of heaven on Earth? Of course, oreos might be my favorite to dip into a really cold glass of milk, but no chocolate chip cookie is free from dunkage. I think I feel a craving comin' on.

Like I said before, these are really just a few of my favorite dipping components. I mean, dipping really does make food more fun!

What do you dip?

"Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

It's past noon and I still have not brushed my teeth or put on "real" clothes.

I've pretty much been on Facebook and have been reading various blogs all morning long.

Other than take a shower and straighten my hair (which is actually a HUGE undertaking), I haven't really done anything else very productive.

I have also spent time with JESUS. I'm so thankful that He chose to spend time with me.

Call me lazy, if you will. And I'm sure a few of you may even be groaning and rolling your eyes at my lack of activity today. I gotta be honest, it wasn't that long ago that I would be miserable with myself for taking such a lazy approach to a free day.

But in just the last year or so (more honestly, the last few months), I've really had to train myself to not just take a Sabbath day, but to also enjoy it as well. This is such a tough lesson to be learned when you've grown up in a fast-paced, too-busy-for-life, fill-every-waking-moment-with-something type of lifestyle we generally lead here in America.

Was it just me or when you were younger, did you also have school 5 days a week, with a part-time job or maybe athletics in the evenings and then mounds of homework on the weekends? And then did it also get worse for you once you entered the "real world" filled with "real life" and absolutely never have any moment of real rest, except maybe when you took a 3-hour nap on Sunday afternoons, just to wake back up to clean the house or go grocery shopping or do the budget?

Have you ever really thought about why "Keeping the Sabbath" is such a big deal in the 10 Commandments? I mean, just go to Exodus 20 and take a look at what the LORD says about it. Not only is it the 4th most important of all the commands, but it seems like there's more explanation for it than any of the others.

"Oh, that's Old Testament Law," you say? Let's flip on over to the book of Hebrews and try to figure out why there's almost an entire chapter (4) dedicated to this very same topic. The author of the book of Hebrews even seems to say that if you don't abide by this command, then you are being disobedient and are in danger of not entering into His rest.

I'm sure some of you might have heard before that "GOD's laws are a description of reality." Meaning, He knows, from an infinite mind and a loving heart, that if you do not take time to rest, then you shall surely burn out, mentally snap and go bonkers. So, He made this one of His top and most important laws (even more important than not murdering someone!) because He loves you and knows what's best for you. And at least 1 day of rest is best.

What exactly does He mean by "rest"? Whatever is restful to you. Reading people's blogs and going for a run is restful to me. Gardening and cooking is restful to my husband. Do you enjoy sleeping in and playing games with family? Or do you enjoy going on a hike by yourself? Some people find endless hours of shopping restful for them. I do not.

The Bible doesn't really seem to say what your rest should specifically look like for you, but it does say to make time for rest. And I think we're in danger of something pretty awful if we choose to neglect this (or any other) commandment.

Today is the day I have set aside as my Sabbath. So, what am I going to do with it? I'm going to continue to read people's blogs, then I'm going to pack up and head out to the lake to enjoy the company of some dear friends.

What will your Sabbath look like?

A Trip Down Memeory Lane...

...or rather, Heights Blvd.

We've already started to joke about how we'll take our kids for drives down the Blvd. and say things like, "That's where Mommy and Daddy first lived right after they got married." And, "That was our favorite little cafe to go to for lunch." And, "That's where Mommy ran many, many, many miles on that awesome jogging trail."

Today is our very last full day in this house and really, I should be packing like a mad-woman on speed. But as I've been going through closets and drawers, I keep being reminded of some sweet times we had here. And I just know I'll regret it in the future if I don't take time to record some of my thoughts.

I know my last blog post was less than stellar concerning this beat-up, old house, but despite all it's flaws and frustrations, it holds 3 years worth of some wonderful memories for us. Do you mind if I share a few of our favorite?

1. We were beyond excited about this amazing space the LORD gave us, right on the beautiful and highly sought-after Heights Blvd. Here we are checking it out, before we (well, Matt) moved in.
2. We came right home after our Wedding Day. I will spare you any elaboration on this memory. ;)
3. We used to pack this place out with UH students before we became an official student group and could meet in a room on campus. We were so proud to have a place where they could all come.
4. We've LOVED the fact that our dear friends Beth and Kyle Volkmer always choose to come stay with us when they're in town. We love them so much and have really had lots of great times together in this house eating food and playing games and talking about the LORD. We are even more grateful to finally be able to give them a door to the guest bedroom and their own bathroom when they continue to come visit.5. I have been overwhelmed with joy at the many thoughts of what the LORD has done in this living room every Monday night of last year. I had our girls' small group here and the LORD always seemed to meet us here. Every one of us there really grew in the LORD and just fell in love with each other. When we think back on those times, we'll picture this living room.



I could go on and on, but I really should get back to packing before my husband comes home and finds that I've done nothing since he left to take a load to the new house.

LORD, I'm so grateful for the last three years in this house and for every single one of the memories that are etched in the floors and on the walls. Thank you for bringing your peace to rest here so often and for each person that ever walked through the front door and into our lives. We really do cherish every bit of it and will hold it dear in our hearts. Please forgive me for when I've been ungrateful for this house. For when I've whined and complained and been out-right angry about having to live here. You are so good and you gave us such a jewel of a very first place to call home. Father, please continue to bring your peace to this house. Lord, I pray that whomever would live here next would feel your Presence like we have and would cherish the memories they'll make.

As if We Needed More Reason

It seems as if every single day since we signed a lease to move into our wonderful, beautiful, brand new house something occurs in this house that reminds us and further solidifies our deep longings to get the heck away...and fast!

Examples of these awful and annoying occurrences include, but are not limited to:

1. Tiny little bugs crawling out from behind the molded shower walls.

2. No parking spaces left because of the constant parties going on at the firehouse behind our house.

3. The constant (loud) parties going on at the firehouse behind our house. Who has a party til 2am on a Tuesday night, anyway???

4. Our mailman deciding when it's convenient for him to come to our house. So what if we don't have any mail to receive that day? Shouldn't it occur to him that we may have outgoing mail...like, maybe an important bill to pay?

5. The GIANT roach that basically crawled up the blanket draped across my legs and all around the bookshelf until he finally made himself comfortable in my shoe. (I tried not to cuss him out.)

6. The A/C that chose to stop working in the middle of August, leaving my husband and I to sweat it out all night and well into the blistering, record-high afternoon. What makes it worse is that because the house is so old, the windows are all painted shut, giving us absolutely zero ventilation. Apparently, I get REALLY angry when I get hot. Poor husband.

I know this sounds like I'm complaining a lot. And maybe I am. But what I haven't told you is just how overwhelmingly thankful each of these situations make me. Every time I step into the shower in the morning and see the yucky moldy walls, I'm spontaneously sent into a praise session to the LORD. He gave us this house that we still live in 3 years ago and it's been so perfect for us (almost) this whole time. We've been ready to move on up for a while now, and He's made it possible for us.

In the changing seasons of our lives, we're so ready for something different and something better. It really was the orchestrations of the LORD that made it possible to get this new house. It's perfect! And I can't wait to move in. Until we do, I'm making it a point to count all these little annoyances as reminders from the LORD to give thanks in all circumstances.

And how easy is it to give thanks for this!

"To Save A Life"

Friday nights mean Pizza nights in the Hoogendoorn household. Sometimes we go out for pizza and sometimes we just curl up on the couch with either frozen pizza or delivery of some sort and a Redbox movie.

Lately, we've been fairly disappointed in the lack of good, quality movies to watch these days. They're either all very and unnecessarily sexual and trashy or have absolutely no decent plot. But tonight, when my husband came home with "To Save a Life," I thought it might be well worth the watch. I was right. Oh, so right.

We had seen a preview for this quite awhile ago and were really interested in seeing it, but somehow we completely missed it when it was in theaters.

Y'all, this is such a powerful film. If you haven't seen it, you really, really need to. Did you like "The Blind Side"? This movie is very similar, only a lot more Christian emphasis.

I think Matt and I both were really affected by it (tears may have been shed) because it really is a picture of what we do. There are so many people (specifically, students) who really are hurting and feel alone and like nobody in the world cares a lick about them. All it takes to make a difference is to just simply become friends...just one at a time. Love them like they've never been loved before. Tell them how significant their life really is and that they're not an accident.

If you haven't seen this...pick it up soon.

If you haven't made a new friend lately...pick one out. There are so many to choose from.

Things I'm Enjoying

Here are some of the things I've been enjoying this summer:

Avacados. I would truly eat one a day if it weren't so darn difficult to find ripe ones. High in calories (boo!), but also high in good cholesterol (yay!). And oh, so yummy with a little sea salt.
This fun summer dress (well, not this exact one, but one very similar to it) that I got on sale from the Gap before our trip to Phoenix. I only wish the straps were a little thicker so I didn't have to feel like I needed to wear a sweater with it. But it's cool and comfy...and it has pockets!This series by Francine Rivers. I'm a big believer in summertime fiction, but I'm not typically a huge fan of cheesy, Christian romance novels. And although some of her stuff can be on the cheesy side, this series has been one of the most challenging, convicting and encouraging book(s) I've read. Because it's a trilogy, the plot and the character development is very thick but not overwhelming. I started the first one at the beginning of the summer and am only a few chapters into the last one. Hoping I can get it finished by the time school starts in a few weeks.Iced Tea in this new pitcher of mine. I've never really been a big iced tea drinker, but I've been just downing this wonderful stuff all summer long. It's probably because I decided to stop drinking coffee several months ago, but still need that tiny flow of caffeine throughout my veins. Call me an addict if you will, but at least be grateful that I won't rip your face off because I've had my fix. I'm a much more pleasant person when I've had my fix.The Apostle Paul and his letters: Acts, Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians. I've read these books countless times throughout my life. I've even memorized several select passages from each. But I've never really read them for pure enjoyment. Paul was such an incredible man. I'm so grateful for his commitment to the gospel and to the Church early on. Sometimes I wish I could be more like him.What have you been enjoying this summer?

Where Did July Go?

Umm...okay.

I just polished off the remainder of a huge box of chocolate covered raisins from Trader Joe's. YUM!

Why?

Because that's the motivation I needed to sit here and even attempt to put into a few words ALL that has occurred in the last month.

I don't have a whole lotta confidence in my ability to keep this brief and interesting, but I'm gonna try. There may even be a prize for you at the end if you stick with me through this whole thing. ;)

Wedding:
Matt's youngest brother, Josh, got married at the beginning of this month to one of the most incredible girls I have ever met. I've really gotten to know Kimberly throughout this last school year because of the internship she just completed for Chi Alpha at Sam Houston State University. She and another girl came down to Houston every Monday to help out with the girls' small group here at UH. What a beautiful heart she has! She made such an impact on each one of our lives and she really will forever be a thread in the great tapestry that's being woven at the University of Houston. You don't really get to pick who your in-laws marry. And I gotta say, I couldn't be more thrilled at Josh's choice for my forever sis-in-law! Congratulations to the two of you! So excited about this new adventure in life that lies before you!

Josh and Kimberly Hoogendoorn

The beautiful bride with all the UHXA girls.

Family Reunion:
Right after all the wedding madness, all the Hoogendoorn/Smith family headed out to the Hill Country of Texas where they've been going for family reunions for many years now. One of the aunts owns a part of this incredible property right on the Frio River and an entire week out of each summer is dedicated to tubing down the river, relaxing on the porch under the stars, stuffing faces full of yummy food, sleeping in and spending quality time with family. Sounds like a good time, right? Not only was it just a good time, it was also vital for us. We both just really needed some major down-time. This was perfect. I so LOVE being apart of this family.


CMC in Phoenix:
We came home from Leakey (the Hill Country) long enough to sleep in our bed once and do a load of laundry and then we were on the road and headed west yet again. This time we were going all the way to Phoenix, AZ for the Campus Missions Conference. Every 4 or 5 years, the head guys of Chi Alpha put together a big "family reunion" of sorts, for all the Chi Alpha directors and staff in the nation. Can I just brag for a minute? These guys pulled out all the stops and went out of their way to spoil us silly.

I'm a little ashamed for not taking any pictures of anything while we were there, but honestly, we were way too busy having way too much fun to worry with a camera. So, the following photos are all stolen. Whoops. But they should give you a good idea of what our week was like.

This is the Arizona Grand Resort. Uh-Mazing! Planning a honeymoon ever? Go here.

We stayed in a room very similar to this. WONDERFUL. I coveted the bathroom...hardcore.

Spent a lot of good time with these phenomenal women and their families. I love my XA sisters!

Did I mention that they had a golf course, a spa and a water park there? So much fun!

A portion of our free time was spent in this lazy river. (No, this is not us. These pictures are stolen, remember?)

We love our job! And as much fun as we've had traveling around this month, we are so glad to be home for awhile and to get back into routine. There are many friends that we missed while away and are looking forward to catching up with them before the school year starts.

So, I lied. No, about all this. Just about the prize at the end of the post. But hey, if you actually stuck it out with me, then you'll receive the well-deserved prize of the satisfaction of knowing that you can survive almost anything. Ha! :)

"At the Age of 22"

The other night when we were hanging out at my parents' house for Father's Day, I was in the laundry room doing a few loads. (Yes, I sometimes still take my laundry home. Don't act like you don't.) Matt was in my old bedroom, (not really sure why). As I was loading the darks into the washer, I heard him call to me, "Hey Love, I'm sorry we don't live in 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house."

Okay, really? Where the heck did that come from? My parents live in a 4 bedroom house, but there are only 2 bathrooms. That's the closest I could come to why he might've said that. But really, I had no clue.

"Umm...Love? What are you talking about?"

He walks into the laundry room and hands me an old beaten up journal with my handwriting from when I was in 6th grade. Without even really examining the contents of the journal, my mind immediately begins to race with what other nonsense (think 6th grade, people! did any of us really make any sense at that age?) could possibly be found in that treasure chest of a notebook.

I read the journal entry he was referring to entitled, "At the Age of 22." (Which, if I remember correctly, was a response to the prompt, "Where will you be in 10 years?" So, let's just keep in mind while reading this that I was 12.) Okay.

Here goes nothing:

At the Age of 22
"When I am 22, I will be married, but still in collage. I will be a good student in every subject. I will have very close friends who love and care for me. My mom will be 50 and my dad will be 52. My husband will be 25 and already graduated from collage. He will have a very, very successful business. We will both live in a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house. It will be close to the collage so I don't have to use that much gas from my forrest green suburban. My life will be great."

Please. Laugh if you will. Shoot, I'm still laughing.

But just take note that I called it. "My life will be great." And I personally, don't think it could get any greater.

Weekend Wrap-up

Saturday was a long (but very good) day, most of which was spent with my wonderful mother-in-law. Because her son, my brother-in-law, is getting married in less than 2 weeks, she decided she wanted to buy a dress for me to wear to the wedding. How incredibly thoughtful is that? So, she drove in to town and we met up for a FULL day of shopping at Memorial City Mall. Good ol' Macy's was having one of their sales and was, therefore, an absolute madhouse. There were way too many bodies for my good taste. But it was worth it because she saved a TON of money on everything.

Oh, wait! Everything? Didn't I say earlier that she wanted to buy just a dress for me? Yeah, that's what I thought too. But she had a different idea of what "a dress" means. Cuz, when she says, "I wanna buy a dress for you." She really means, "I wanna buy a dress, a hot pair of shoes, a purse, and ALL the jewelry to match." So, that's what we did. And I gotta say...I am unbelievably thankful. We picked out an absolutely adorable dress. And even one that I'm pretty sure I've been dreaming of owning for quite some time. She bought this dress for me, but in this fun and summery, bold yellow. LOVE IT!

Then, after coming home and resting for a bit, Matt and I went on a date! For the first time in way too long. We just went to dinner and enjoyed each other's company.

Sunday: Father's Day
Of course, we went to church where our incredibly wise and godly pastor challenged the men to be Biblical fathers, who step up into the roles of living as men of integrity. So thankful for such godly leaders who love us and who lead us well.

Then, we went to my parents' house and my mom and I cooked a restaurant-worthy meal for our very favorite men. Y'all, it was GOOD! Homemade Chicken Parmesan, Italian-Style Parmesan Green Beans, Pasta, Salad and Garlic Bread. And my mom had also made an outstanding Chocolate Decadence Cheesecake. I'm feeling full all over again, just thinking about it. But oh, so YUM!

After dinner, then men in our lives wanted to spend Father's Day lazing about watching whatever sport was on tv (soccer and golf). So, their women left them alone to do so and went in the back of the house and engaged in deep, honest and open conversations. This really doesn't happen all that often for us and it was truly really refreshing.

Thinking back over this Father's Day Weekend, I actually ended up spending much more time with my precious mothers than I did with my fathers. I sure do love them all, though and am unbelievably grateful that I have such wonderful sets of parents.

my parents at our wedding

matt's parents at our wedding

Happy Father's Day!

Hopes and Dreams and Goals

I love to run.

It has always been my "workout" of choice. I know I don't quite have the body of a runner, but I still love it. And I don't exactly know how to describe the feeling that I get, but it's definitely kinda like a high for me. I love the feeling of the blood pumping hard in my veins and my adrenaline reaching new heights. I love that I'm always having to push my body beyond what it thinks it can do.

I'm not at all a fast runner. Or even a long-distance runner. I've probably never run more than 3 miles in my life. But for some reason or another, I'm addicted to it. And I get easily frustrated when I can't run for one reason or another. Typically, because I run outdoors, it's the weather that causes me to take a hiatus. More often than that, it's my lack of time and/or sunlight. (I would GLADLY get up at 4:00am every morning to go running, but my husband forbids it.) Lately, it's been ailments/injuries like this one.

For the last 3 summers that Matt and I have lived here, the Heights has put on a 5K Fun Run on my jogging trail the first Saturday in June. And every year I get excited and plan to be apart of it. I've never run in a race before and it's definitely one of my top goals in life to finish a race. This one has always seemed like the perfect place to start. And every year, we have something going on that day that prevents me from participating.

This year, I thought it would be the wedding that I was the Matron of Honor in, but because the wedding wasn't until 5:00 and the race was at 7:30 (30 minutes to finish, tops), this wasn't really an obstacle. Not really having the money to do it kinda was, but the main obstacle was my back.

It still hasn't really healed yet and is continuing to give me issues. Even that morning when I got outta bed, the muscles in my lower back seemed to scream in pain. This makes it difficult just to walk, much less run in a race...or even run at all. But I decided to get up and just go for a walk on the trail anyway. I needed to burn some calories anyway.

So, I got dressed and put my tennis shoes on and walked out onto the trail right outside my house. The race had already started and most of the runners were already crossing the finish line. They had blocked off the street so the runners could run on the road, so I decided to take my walk up on the trail. At first, it felt really good being out there with them. Kinda like I was actually in the race with them.
A few blocks later, it hit me. Those thoughts of self-pity that make the tight feeling in the middle of the throat overwhelm and the tears that pop up suddenly. "I'm supposed to be in this race." "Will I EVER be able to sign up for a 5K?" "Will I ever know the feeling of crossing the finish line?" "Will I ever be able to even run again?" "It's not fair." Etc. You know the spiral effect.

Part of me wanted to turn around, go back into my house, and curl up on my couch and have a good cry. I chose to keep walking. The only way to get better is to keep being active and to strengthen the muscles. But it was the hardest walk I've ever been on. I reached the place where the finish line was and there was a HUGE party going on. Everybody was laughing and congratulating each other. Friends and family members were there cheering their runner on. Pictures were being taken and a band was playing. I tried to be happy for all those that participated. And I actually kinda got my attitude in check.

Until I noticed all the little kids lined up about to begin their portion of the race...a 1K. Then I almost lost it again. A whole new batch of self-pitying thoughts attacked me. I'm pretty sure a couple of people actually saw the tears in my eyes. Embarrassing.

The whole way back home I asked the LORD to protect my heart and my mind from this "woe is me" attitude. He told me, very clearly, that I needed to bury my dreams. This verse melted into my heart and brought an odd combination of mourning and peace at the same time. My hopes and dreams and goals are no longer mine, but what the LORD has given to me by grace. If it's really HIS will for my life, then it will happen and HE will make a way. And the last thing I need to do is obsess and throw a pity-party about it. I just need to trust.
When you bury something, there is always a sense of sadness and mourning that occurs in your spirit. But if you really trust the LORD with your life (and your hopes and dreams and goals), then there is also always a sense of peace and joy and even confidence in HIS protection and plan for your life.

I believe that someday I will run a 5K and maybe even a half marathon. And I also believe that someday my children (and husband) will either participate with me or be waiting to congratulate me at the finish line.

Don't Stop...Believin'

I was just introduced to this:

Yes, I have been hearing all the craze about it, but let's just be honest...I'm usually a good 5 steps behind in things of this nature. Besides, I don't typically allow myself to get too "involved" in television. You know, better things to do with what little extra time I have already.

But I do have a Tuesday evening ritual with my bestest friend, Caitlyn. For probably a little over a year now, we have been getting together every Tuesday night for dinner and to watch this show:Now that the latest season has come to an end, we have decided to take the plunge and get into GLEE. And I gotta say...I think I might like it! We only had time to watch the first 2 episodes, but it left me wanting more. I may just be infatuated with the covers of GREAT songs. Only time will tell.

I will say this however, I think it's gonna be something that we have to watch over at her apartment...or when Matt's gone. I definitely can't see him wanting to watch it with us.

Any thoughts?

What To Do When You're F.O.B.* for 4 Days...

...and your computer has been attacked by an army of viruses.
...and your husband is gone for hours at the wedding YOU were supposed to be coordinating.

*F.O.B. means "Flat On Back" (because you don't know when to say "when" and you overdo it sending your lower back into a major pain-filled spasm).

1. Stare at the ceiling fan and make a mental note to clean it when you feel better. (And then completely "forget" about said mental note because you have to spend the next 3 days catching back up with all the life that kept on going while you were laid up.)

2. Do LOTS of stretches.

3. Spend 15 minutes trying to get into a comfortable position. Then get up again because you can't stay in the same place for too long because everything will get stiff again. Start over with trying to get comfy.

4. Pray...a lot.

5. Watch "What Not To Wear." (Because husband is gone.)

6. Write a story.

7. Draw up (very) basic, almost kid-like plans for the house of your dreams.

8. Pray that the LORD would give you said house.

9. Reconnect with old friends and be super excited about the beauty in their lives. (love you, my sweet Tabby Cakes!)

10. Watch a movie that husband hates. (Again, because husband is gone.)

11. Re-read old magazines.

12. Cry a little from the pain, but mostly because you want husband to come back home already (with a HUGE piece of that wedding cake.)

13. Plan the bridal shower you're hosting in your home next week.

14. Try not to freak out about how in the world your house is gonna company-ready in a week if you can barely move.

15. Memorize some Scripture. (Mostly the ones about healing.)

16. Make a list for your birthday. (So what, if it's still four and half months away.)

17. Coach your sweet sis-in-law through her planning her wedding. (You're almost there, sister!)

18. Make a grocery list for husband.

19. Plan what to do to make it up to husband for all the enormous ways he's bent over backward for you the last 4 days. I mean, really. It's gotta be something good. Cuz, he's done dishes 5 times, he did the laundry, went grocery shopping, made a pallet for you on the floor so you could watch TV, picked it back up again because it wasn't really comfortable, put it back down again because you were really just sick of being back in that bedroom, made you breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, fetched this and that, and took you to the chiropractor and even asked what he could do to relieve some of your pain and woke up at 5am when you couldn't bring yourself to get close enough to kill the huge, giant, nasty roach in the bathroom. (Anyone reading got any ideas???)

20. Make plans for how to change your lifestyle starting NOW so that this doesn't become a lifetime thing.

21. Give thanks to the LORD for when the muscles finally begin to loosen and you start to regain some mobility.

Hope this helps you! :)

"Super Trooper lights are gonna find me..."

What is about ABBA songs and the movie "Mamma Mia" that never fails to channel my inner 12 year old, who could waste her life away getting dressed up in random clothing and dancing around the house?
For some reason, I woke up this morning in a goofy, girly mood. And as soon as my husband left the house for his coffee date with a friend, I cranked up the ABBA jams and got to dancin'. (I made sure he had driven off and was far enough down the road. He kinda knows this 12 yr. old comes out occasionally, but no need to embarrass us both.)

Belting out the catchy tunes at the top of lungs and dancin' around like a fool made me really ready for summertime and having a little extra time to randomly get together with my friends and be goofy and girly together.

I've always wanted to have all boys. And I have a feeling, given my husband's family's genetic tendency toward all boys, that that's just what I'll end up with. But days like this make me hope and pray that the LORD sees fit to someday give me girl. OH, the memories we will make...dancing around the house, dressed up in the most random of pieces from the wardrobe, screaming the words we do know and making up the ones we don't. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

Do yourself a favor, will ya? Go be goofy for a little while. You won't be able to stop yourself from smiling and having a good day.

Umm...I desperately need a new blog title. "just to share a bit"is a bit lame.

Got any suggestions?

Can You Please Put Your Shoes Back On?

I experienced something for the very first time ever today. Not a cool, new experience. No, it was actually something I could live the remainder of my life never, ever experiencing again.

Here's the story:
I was in a store shopping for some cute new summer-y clothes. (YAY!) After I got my arms loaded with tons of sweet tops and shorts, I headed into the fitting room. The fitting room attendant promptly robbed me of the majority of my selection stating that they have a limit of 6 items at one time. (Sidenote: Why in the world do they do this to themselves? I mean, I understand that they're trying to cut down on how much gets stolen and how much they have to clean out of the rooms, but the reality of it all is that they are also deterring the shoppers from spending more money. I just don't get it.) I walked back into the very back of the fitting room...more privacy. For as many people who were in the store, there really weren't that many in the fitting room.

As I was getting close to the end of my final 6-item-at-a-time selection, I heard 2 women walking back to the corner of the fitting room where I was enjoying being alone. It's cool. I was almost finished anyway. About 5 seconds later, I changed my mind. It wasn't cool. Not cool at all.

The woman in the stall next to me had taken off her shoes. OMG. Like a wave, it came over me...the smell, followed by the nausea. I promise. I am not exaggerating. I really thought I was gonna vomit. It was absolutely horrible. I still had a couple more things to try on and they were really cute items, but I had to get outta there...or say something.

But I couldn't just say something. How rude would that be? And besides, I'm pretty strong, but I'm also pretty sure she coulda taken me. I decided to just bite my tongue and breathe through my mouth while I tried on the rest of my selection.

The bright side? I made out with several new cute summer-y items. Bring on the heat!

Coming Soon:

Sometimes I lie awake at night just thinking of topics to blog about. It's not like I'm straining to come up with ideas; I wouldn't have one of these things if it were a chore. I'm just always thinking about tons of different things. And about 7 out of 10 of those things are followed by the thought, "I should post about this."

The problem comes when I barely have enough time to do the dishes in my sink, let alone sit on the computer and type for hours. So, here's a brief list of the topics that will soon(ish) be making an appearance:

1. Won't You Be My Neighbor?* -- on the "eccentric" people that live in the Heights.
2. Summers in the World of Stars--on where my family and I spent the majority of the summer days throughout childhood.
3. Matthew: "A Gift from God" --on the weekend celebrations of my husbands birthday
4. New Title--on you helping me pick a new title for this blog. (The one I have is boring. Be thinking.)

*The names of the post titles may be subject to change based upon the flow of creativity to my imagination.

I Must Confess...

...that I'm a hopeless blog-stalker. It's true. And don't you even think about judging me, because if you're reading this, then you are too. HA!

I read the blogs of people I have absolutely never met and probably never will meet. Sometimes I feel a little weird about knowing the ins and outs of the lives of completely random people. But hey...it's interesting stuff. And I've always loved a good biography.

So yes, I read random people's blogs...a lot. But I also have a habit of reading the blogs of people that I do kinda know. I think it's still considered "stalking" because they have no clue that I'm reading their stuff, but at least I have had some interaction with these people.

So today, I was perusing the blog of a friend from several years ago. We were both student leaders in Chi Alpha and were in the same small group for a short time. Honestly, I never really had a high opinion of her...maybe because I just didn't know her that well. So, I was stalking her blog today and was, in a word, astonished. I could sit here and try to explain or paraphrase what she wrote. But may I suggest you go here and read for yourself?

It's a bit long, but I doubt you'll be disappointed. And leave a comment killing 2 birds with 1 stone: Let me know what you think of what she wrote. And let me know that you are a reader of my little bloggy-blog. :)

2 years!

I can't believe it's already been 2 years since I started working with the Cashins. This really is the BEST "job" I have ever had. Ever. I knew as soon as I talked to Kate (mom) on the phone to set up an interview, that I was gonna fall in love with this family. And ohmygoodness, I did. Can you believe we actually found each other on Craigslist??? I know. Poor website gets such a bad rap.

My time with this family has not been without it's frustrations and sad days. LOTS of bumps and bruises and scrapes and gashes (Jack is pretty clumsy). And loads of bad attitudes and disobedience and disrespect (both of them are sassy).

But the days of laughing, creating, learning, playing, singing, dancing, exploring, cuddling, etc. have more than made up for the not-so-great moments. These kids love me so much and tell me all the time. I've been to birthday parties, gymnastics classes, 100th day of school parade and so on. And I wouldn't miss any of it for the world.

I've watched them grow up so much. Kids change A LOT in 2 years. When I first started watching them, Jack was sitting in high chairs and I was spoon-feeding him. He couldn't say any words at all yet. We were all actually kinda worried about him. And Caroline couldn't say "three." It was more like "fwee." She was in this huge stage of testing any and all boundaries. She made my life hard.
But now, Jack and I have real conversations all day long and he's potty-trained and sleeps in a big boy bed. And Caroline is in Kindergarten and helps me clean up around the house and is such a sweet and respectful and smart little girl. They both have very obvious and individual personalities.

I'm gonna cry. I love these kids so much and am so grateful to have gotten to watch them grow up. I don't know how much longer I'll be with them, but I know I'm gonna enjoy every last minute of it.

Real Estate Roller Coaster

My husband and I have a (used to be) very fun habit of watching tons of home-buyers shows on HGTV. We could truly sit for hours making comments and comparisons on the different houses, the people buying and their various lists of must-haves. The one thing they almost all have in common is that they always "whine" of how much an emotional roller coaster home-buying really is. We really used to make fun of them because we thought they shouldn't be making such a huge decision with their emotions anyway.

Can I just say that the last couple months...and more specifically...the last two days have had us both eating our words and even choking on them a bit.

I'll try to spare you the details. Matt and I have been looking at houses since the beginning of the year. We've looked at probably 10 and absolutely fallen in love with 1. It was very quickly sold before we could even say, "down payment." So, this past Sunday after church, we sacrificed our ritual Sunday-Afternoon-Nap in the name of Obama's $8,000 gift. We had 1 house to look at on the agenda.

It was ugly. Disgusting. Trashed. I wanted to cry...and vomit. No lie. Why? Because I knew even before we got out of the car that my darling husband was gonna buy it if he could. I walked around the massive (and did i mention it was trashed?) building with a half-smile plastered to my face while the owners sat staring at us as we opened their closet doors and pulled back their curtains. I don't have a single clue of what it costs to fix this or redo that, but out of nowhere numbers just began filling my head. There's no way.

After a few minutes of curling up in the fetal position in a not-so-clean corner of the house, our realtor, her daughter (a friend of mine) and my husband began talking me down off the ledge. They tried to help me imagine what it could be if we just did some hardcore cleaning and painting. (I wish that was really all this house needed.)

Before I knew it, we were driving home and talking about putting in an offer. Okay, you'll have to excuse me in advance here, because I truly haven't the foggiest idea what is involved in buying a house. We talked about the certain conditions the sellers would have to agree to in order for us to be able to go through with it. We went home. And I napped. I told the LORD as I put my head down on my pillow that I didn't wanna do anything that that HE wasn't in. So, if this was the right house, it was gonna have to be crystal clear. I slept restfully.

Until our realtor called me. The seller had accepted our offer and ALL of our conditions. Umm...excuse me. We hadn't actually even put in an offer. She had just called to see what the chances were. Turns out the chances were spot on. We drove to our realtor's house to sign the contract. My eyes were glazed over the entire evening...and on into the next day.

I started dreaming of all that needed to be done to get this house in working order. I'm a planner-extraordinaire, right? Oh my goodness! LOTS of plans and thoughts and ideas. Paint colors, artwork, carpet, appliances...the list could keep going. Needless to say, the image I had of the house I saw on Sunday rapidly began to dissolve, while visions of my new castle danced around in my imagination. I was getting excited.

Skip a BUNCH of details that I couldn't even begin to explain...because I don't know squat about buying a house. And here we are today. I get home from work and find out that we're walking away based on an outrageous, unrealistic technicality. Talk about an emotional roller coaster.

In the last 2 days I've gone from being sick to my stomach at the thought of just being inside this house, to being terrified that we were actually going to buy this junk, to actually starting to fall in love with it, to watching it slip out of our hands. I take back every single time I ever made fun of those couples who get stressed out and cry on T.V.

Folks, house-buying emotions are for real. Not my kind of roller coaster, thank you.

I will, however, take a ride on this guy. But that's another post for another time.

San Antonio Sisters

I just got back from a wonderful weekend with some of my sweet sisters from the good ol' college days. Amy and Beth both live in San Antonio and also do college ministry with Chi Alpha.

Amy was one of my small group leaders at Sam Houston and pretty much the reason I walk with the LORD today. She was the first person whose life I watched resembled what it's really like to have a continuously growing and deepening relationship with the LORD. It's such a cool thing now to be serving in the same ministry (different city, different school) alongside her. It's always such a refreshing time when I get to sit and catch up with her and talk about the joys and woes of college ministry. And she still has that uncanny gift for challenging me to grow deeper in my relationship with the LORD. I guess that's what happens when you leave room in your heart for spiritual authority. And now, she has one of the most beautiful daughters on the face of the planet. A whole new challenge of life and an area where I will someday be able to follow her example.Beth is, simply put, one of my best friends. We have the coolest, most carefree type of friendship. She lives in a completely different place and we almost never see each other or even talk to each other, but there's never that ugly awkwardness that usually happens among girlfriends. We are both so incredibly confident in our "no-matter-what" love for each other, that we just magically and naturally just skip over all the finger-pointing and get down to business...sharing about life.
One of the coolest things about our friendship is that we seem to always be in the same area of life at the same time. She encourages me to complain a lot less and to be honest about what's really in my heart. And for some reason, we always feel like the other is truly the only other one that will listen to the outpourings of our hearts and not give off any kind of judgment or ill-thought. Such a friendship is rare, indeed.

I love these women and consider my life all the more rich because of them. My heart breaks for all those who have never welcomed in these kinds of relationships. Sisters are one of the sweetest gifts of life.