Hello 2015!

Ok so I know that I have been missing in action BUT I just had my sisters wedding and my best friends wedding in a three week time period and I was in BOTH! That is my excuse and I am sticking to it ;)

Now that the weddings are over I feel like I can finally relax a bit and start to get into more of a schedule. Which means you should be hearing more from me!

So 2014.

Done.

What a year! One word to sum it up?

Life-changing.

This past year was probably one of the most life changing years I have ever experienced from beginning to the end!

Biggest change?

Our marriage.

On the outside for the first three years of our marriage we looked like we had it all together. But on the inside-not so much.

March of 2014-our second son is three months old. We are still living in our apartment. I am discouraged and have really started turning to food and movies to escape my reality. Jason and I seem to be growing farther and farther apart.


God intervenes.

After the hardest week of our life, deep soul searching, 30 plus hours of counseling, God breaking down strongholds in both of our lives and so many tears-our marriage is reborn.

Like seriously-it was like I woke up and saw my husband in a completely new way.

God is amazing.

There were so many times that week that I felt like there was absolutely no hope for us. I wondered how God could ever turn our marriage around. I wondered if we would ever have the marriage I longed for.

Did you know that our God loves to take the seemingly impossible and make it possible?

Since then God has done some amazing things!

Jason and I are falling in love all over again and we give all the glory and honor to our Lord.

Things have not been perfect.

Things have not been easy.

But oh have they been worth it in every single way.

When you get married part of your vows are "for better or worse".  I think that so often today so many of us just think that life will just be full of better and worse will just never come about. That is not true. Life is a journey and there are high mountains and low valleys. It is in the valley's that the decisions that we make really count.

Today I look at our marriage and see two imperfect people that have a wonderful, merciful Savior. Jesus has changed our life and now more then ever I see how marriage truly is a picture of Christ and the church.

No. Life is not perfect.

We have our good days.

We have our bad days!

But gone is the bondage-there is so much freedom in Christ on both our parts!

We have began to live again.

Truly live.

Truly love.



This is my new favorite picture of us taken during our family Christmas 2014. The quality is not the best but that is not what I see when I look at it.

Love.

Joy.

Grace.

The power of forgiveness on both our parts.

God is truly the God of the impossible!

What about you? Have you had something life-changing happen this year? I would love to hear about it!

We got into a photo booth and these are what appeared! :) Thought I would share them with you :)


I love my husband.

People used to tell me that the longer you are married the more you will fall in love. I like to think of it as growing in our love.

On our wedding day I really did not have a clue about what love, true love, was. Now looking back two and a half years later (yes I know that is like nothing compared to a lot of couples but it really does feel like we have lived multiple lifetimes in those 2 1/2 years) I am amazed.

Truly amazed.

We have so much FUN together it amazes me! Truly he is my best friend in the whole world!

These last two years have not been the easiest for us. We have had a lot of things happen that we wish could have been avoided and yet, are thankful for at the same time because of the lessons that we learned in and through them.

I love my husband.

He is such a good provider. He is faithful. He is patient. He is an amazing Daddy. He is not ashamed to admit when he is wrong. He is loving. He is gentle. He is a man of God.


I am so excited for the next 50 years baby! :)

Love you to the moon and back <3

The last two days were special days!!!! Ok, so we can all say that each day the Lord gives us is special but some are just more special than others! :)

Two days ago marked two years since I had met Jason. In my mind I was finally surrendered to being a very single missionary nurse. And I was content with that!

But then a friend from my girls Bible study told me about this other Bible study she had been going to on Sunday nights. Then she casually mentioned that there was a guy leading it named Jason....who was my age and    single. Ahem. Do you know how few and far between guys who are serious enough to be leading a Bible study and are single can be? In my case that had never been. At all. Anywhere close.

Well, that I knew of. I found out later after saying over and over again I would never find a husband in good ole' NY that Jason had lived about 20 minutes away from me almost my entire life. Ahem.

So anyway, I noticed him right away and for some reason was drawn to him. He was such a godly leader, powerful prayer warrior and looked really handsome in that white button down shirt and khakis! :) So I went away crying and telling the Lord I was not even going to think about guys I was devoted and finally content with being single and a missionary nurse...I prayed that for a few months but nothing seemed to happen! In fact, the Lord kept putting Jason in my path more often!!! :)

First picture we ever had taken together :)

First picture we ever had taken JUST us (no cropping required lol)

Very Early on Jason showing me how to do balloon animals ;) Well, one year and two months TO THE DAY that we met (true to his sister Sarah's prediction) this happened: I married my prince. The Love of my life. The greatest gift that God had ever given me and oh it was so worth the wait! I smile when I look at the couple in these pictures :) We had no idea what the next few months would bring or what challenges we would face or how much we would grow. We had no idea how God would prove Himself to us over and over again in so many amazing ways! 2 days ago marked 2 years of knowing each other but-it also marked 10 months of marriage. So much has happened in the past 10 months it has absolutely blown my mind. And yet there we were 2 days ago-2 weeks away from another big change in our life story: We are still waiting on our little man's appearance! I am 38 weeks now and SO READY for him to be here ;) I can hardly wait to meet him! Life is going to change forever in a good way :) What a special day! Wow! Ok, so then yesterday was a special day as well! My prince turned 22 years old! And yes-I signed the note I put in his lunch today "Your loving 21 year YOUNG wife". Ahem. We didn't celebrate yesterday because he had to work anyway so we celebrated a few days earlier :) It is funny just because he is so funny with his meal choices. He wanted sausages, broccoli and guacamole. And no desert-just fresh berries. When asked what he wanted for a gift he thought about it and then said: "Car wax". Ok. We went shopping for his dinner and then came home and opened presents. It was a lot of fun! In our family birthdays have always been a HUGE deal so even if your don't get a lot of stuff you still get to have your special day :) The only reason I included this picture was so you all could see my almost 38 week belly. This baby is getting bigger and bigger!!! Getting ready to eat the strawberry shortcake with homemade strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries, kiwis and cool whip on top. Yumminess!!! :) He was annoyed he had to wait to have a pic snapped before digging in lol :) All in all it was a very good day and week and 2 years! I am so blessed to have this man in my life and I can hardly wait to spend the next 50 years by his side Lord willing :) Have a blessed day!

So, I have been working on this series of our story for like-well, forever. Ahem. But tonight I feel as though I need to go a little out of order. See, in 19 days we will be heading back to NY to celebrate Christmas with our families. The fact that I can hardly wait is an understatement!

Christmas. I have been thinking about it lately. Somewhat hard to here in Florida. Seriously, I turned on the radio the other day and "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" began to play. I looked around at the blue skies, sunshine and thought about the fact it was in the 70's and smiled. Yeah right! I love the weather in Florida BUT there is something about snow to put one in the mood for Christmas! :)

So then I have been thinking about last Christmas. What a difference this year! Last year I wasn't even engaged-yet! And this year? Married almost seven months with our little man on the way!

So how did it all happen? Well, I will tell you. So settle back for a story:

Our whole Family including our dogs :)

My sister Jen and I

Stocking Candy is a SERIOUS business ;)

Jason and I with my actually OUR candy that he ate so much of! :)

A few days before Christmas Eve you had given me a few "half-kisses" as you called them. I had told you not to kiss me till you were absolutely 100% certain that I was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. So after those half kisses I knew you were going to propose pretty soon that that is what you kept telling me too! :)  I told you that I would be content with a rubber band for a ring and a tent for a house and I meant it! :)

So on Christmas day (ok, it was like 12:05 am) in my kitchen at my house we had just read the Bible and I went to get up off the floor and you gave me my first real kiss. See, you were the only man who ever kissed me and the last! :) I saved my lips for you alone Jason Samuel. And oh-was it worth it...

So, you kissed me Christmas day 2010 and I knew for sure then that you were going to ask me to marry you very soon. You even said that night that maybe you should propose on Christmas Day instead of in Key West (where we were going to be heading on a missions trip in January) because you would be able to remember it better.

I was definitely expecting a proposal Christmas day especially when you kept saying you were going to just buy a silly band ring off Connor and Emma (or niece and nephew).

So the day stretched on. We were at your families and it was getting later and later but I hadn't gotten proposed to yet so I was trying to not be as excited. I figured you would do it some other day. Well, 6pm rolled around and I was in the living room with Meghan, Lydia and Liz and you were not there. In fact, I had not seen you in quite awhile which was kind of weird because normally we are always together.

I was sitting there wondering where you were and finally you came in and asked it I minded if we went to your brothers to watch a movie because "Emma wants us to". I was tired but said yes anyway :) So we watched a bit of a comedy DVD then-we left.

The whole way over to their house you talked about the house and the steps we needed to take to build it and the time line. You would think I would have gotten a little bit suspicious but I was (thankfully) totally and completely oblivious!

We get to their house and we walk in only to find it was totally quiet which actually I did not think anything of. I just figured they were down in the basement. Then I noticed the lighting was dim (candlelight and Christmas tree lights) but I still did not even really think about that! Well then I walked in and there you were in the dining room. "Look what someone left us," you said quite smugly and there was candles and tea and cookies. I was in shock! 

So we sit down and by this time I just KNEW and so I am on the edge of my seat and you-start eating calmly! Lol :) Then you go, "Are you waiting for something"? I don't remember if I said anything or just stared at you! Either way you started clearing dishes away. Honestly the next part is kind of a blur but this is what I remember-

"I have a question to ask you," you said, and you pulled out a ring box and opened it. Nestled inside was a green (both of our favorite colors) silly band giraffe rind. "Now I am not going to be traditional and get down on one knee because I only bow my knee to our King (Jesus) but I am truly asking-will you marry me"? The words I had wanted to hear all my life.

"Well, you will have to put the ring on," I said. So you put that green silly band on my finger (which I was completely content with) when all the sudden you went: "Hmmmm, that looks like it doesn't fit very well." And you handed me the most beautiful diamond ring that looked like it was tailor made just for me.

I gasped and as you slid it on my finger you asked it that was a yes and I said "YES!!!". Then you gave me a hug, sweetly kissed me and then we prayed right there just surrendering our future to God. Then we read the Bible and just wow! It was perfect!
We went home later on to show my family and they were so excited for us! We were so excited and even though we had no idea what the Lord had in store for us-we were ready to take whatever came next together.
Truly it has been a journey and an adventure! I am so thankful though that I saved myself for Jason and that God saw fit to bring him into my life! I am truly blessed among women! So, the Christmas season is now very special to me for many reasons :) One of them being the sweet memories of 2010 :)