A Night with Friends

My husband and I had the wonderful opportunity to get together with some friends on Saturday night.  During the first year of college, I became friends with and amazing girl named Christie.  Our friendship was instant and it was as if we had been friends for years.  I know without a doubt that God sent her to me.  I was going through a hard time and she was always there to lift me up.

Through the years, Christie and I have enjoyed some life changing experiences together.  For spring break one year, I took her on her first plane trip to Florida.  (yes...we went to Disney World and loved every second of it.) Then, after graduation, we headed off to the beautiful country of Ireland.  We sat on a bus with a bunch of old people tour group and traveled around the whole country. It was beautiful!!!

Since then, we've cried at each other's weddings and rejoiced in the birth of each other's children.  (we decided to have an arranged marriage with her son, Matthew and my daughter, Isabella)  Everytime we get together, we realize that our husbands are clones of each other.  We have the type of friendship that no matter where we are...we will always be there for one another. 

Well (now that you have some background on our friendship) Saturday was the first time Christie, Meng and Matthew were able to come to our house.  I became a cleaning freak of nature!!  Suddenly, my house just wasn't good enough.  My husband had to clean off our patio...then I made him clean off our counters.  Sadly, I did not treat him with the respect he deserves as my husband.  (He graciously proclaimed me as temporarily insane and forgave me)  I made him take things up to the attic....and contimplated asking him to clean the attic.  HELLO CRAZY WOMAN! (I blame this cleaning insanity on my dad...)

Anyways, with the house a mess cleaner, my friends came over and we had a lovely night.  Christie and I talked babies...while Meng and Phil talked hobbies.  (I think they secretly made plans to go shooting)

So...although there are some friends that I am much closer to, I cherish my time with Christie and her family.  It's a friendship that I am grateful for and know will last a lifetime.

I'm back!

Let me start this off by saying that I'm sorry I haven't been a very good blogger.  In fact...you could say that I haven't been a blogger at all and that's a very fair statement.  Truthfully...I always had a hard time figuring out what to write about so eventually, I just stopped.  Never the less, I'm going to give it a second go around.

So...what better way to enter the blogging world (again) but to tell you a little about me.  You know...all those things that make me...well me.

1.  I am a very punctual person.  I can not STAND being late for anything.  In all seriousness, when I think I'm going to be late for something, my heart starts pounding and I literally start panicing.  I just hate it.

2.  I love being a mommy!  I think it's the hardest yet most satisfying job in the world.  My daughter, has truly completed who I am as a person.

3. I am horrible....I mean HORRIBLE at fashion.  I mean seriously...I have contimplated paying a friend to do my shopping and dress me.  It's just bad.

4.  I am compassionate.  So much so that I think I have to fix everyone's problems and carry the weight of the world on my shoulder.  My mom always says "don't pick it up" because that's what I do.  I take other people's problems and make them my own to try to fix things.  The hardest part is knowing that I can't.

5.  I'm an open book.  I have no secrets.  I don't think any question is too personal because frankly, I have nothing to hide.  I have no regrets in life.

6.  I love working with the youth at church.  Yes...its very tiring and trying at times, but truth is...those kids heal every wound in my heart with just one look.  The love they  pour out on me and my little family is just amazing.

7.  I love my job.  Yes...there are times when I wish I was a stay at home mom and wish that I could get together with girlfriends all day long or go to mommy and me classes (which I do miss but I'll write on that later.)  But truth is...my job allows us to have a good house and pretty much anything that we want (within reason of course) and for that, I will always be grateful.

8.  I am a strong woman.  I didn't have the easiest childhood, but everything I went through made me a very strong and determined person.  I'll never forget someone telling my husband when we started dating..."who ever marrys that girl better be a strong man, because she is one strong woman."  But...my strength is always found in Christ and with him I know I'll get through anything.

9.  My husband is my life.  I can't even think about life without him.  He supports me in all things and trys his hardest to protect me from getting hurt.  I have never doubted for one minute that we were made for each other.

10.  I love writing!  I used to write short stories and maybe one day, I'll start again.  But for now...we'll stick with blogging.

Well...there you have it.  Just a little peek at who I am (didn't want to make this blog too boring.)  I hope you enjoyed and I'm looking forward to sharing some more.

Until next time........

Valentine Swap!!!

My lovely Valentine from Tammy!

Thanks so much! I am enjoying it!!

Am I really this spoiled?

I was driving through my in-laws neighborhood yesterday and I happened to take notice to a specific house. The owner has been spending the past few years fixing the driveway, adding onto the house and re-landcaping the entire yard. It really made me think about how spoiled we are. We can't just be happy with the house that we are in. In stead we have to make it better. Now, I'm the first one that is guilty of this. Growing up, I lived in a house that was constantly and still is constantly being renovated. The second my husband and I bought our house, we immediately starting fixing it into what we wanted.

There are so many people out there that are lucky to live in a little hut with no electricity and no
running water. But me...I can't be happy with just a roof over my head...I have to make it perfect. I have to drive the car that I want and won't settle for less.

So, yesterday was a realization for me, that although I don't necessarily act spoiled (well at least I don't think I do), the truth is...I am. So thank you God for giving me all of the things I have and may I never for one second take them for granted.

Two Years Ago Today

I Christina take you Philip to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.

Two years ago today, I stood in front of approximately 250 people and said those vows to my husband. He is my partner, my love, my best friend. He is my one true match; the person God created to complete who I am. Today, I honor him for who he is and all he does for our family.

When God Made You

Newsong and Natalie Grant

Written by: O'brien, Michael; Carswell, Eddie

It's always been a mystery to me
How two hearts can come together
And love can last forever
But now that I have found you, I believe
That a miracle has come
When God sends the perfect one
Now gone are all my questions about why
And I've never been so sure of anything in my life

I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He, knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true
When God made youHe must have been thinking about me.

I promise that wherever you may go
Wherever life may lead you
With all my heart I'll be there too
From this moment on I want you to know
I'll let nothing come between us
I'll love what ever you love
Now gone are all my questions about why
And I've never been so sure of anything in my life

He made the sun
He made the moon, to harmonise in perfect tune
One can't move without the other
They just have to be together
And that is why I know it's true
You're for me and I'm for you
Cause my world just can't be right
Without you in my life

I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true

He must have heard every prayer I've been praying
Yes, He knew everything I would need
When God made you
When dreams come true
When God made you
He must have been thinking about me

I love you Phil. I truly would be lost without you.

My New Scarf!

Thanks for the scarf Nicole!! Thanks also to Katie for hosting such a fun swap!

An Award for Me?

I was recently nominated for this award by The Girl of Make Believe. Thank you!!!!



Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might not know.

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.

6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.



Seven things about me...



1. I am terrified of thunderstorms and have even cried at times.

2. I can not tolerate it when people are late and don't call. In the age of cell phones, there is just no excuse.

3. I love to fish. I wasn't able to do much of it this summer because of my young daughter, but hopefully next year I'll get to do some more. I find it relaxing.

4. I like to decorate and design and can give others some great ideas, but have a hard time decorating my own home.

5. I feel a sense of worth when people look up to me and ask my opinion. I don't have all the answers, but it makes me feel like I'm not useless.

6. I sometimes love just to sit in silence.

7. I love to camp. I've been doing it since I was 8 and I hope to do a lot more of it with my daughter.



People I nominate are:



1. Lyryn at Breaking Through

2. Katie at Loves of Life

3. Susan at Musings of a Wanderer

4. Kesh at My Colofrul World

5. Angie at Blogging Comes Naturally Cleaning Does Not

6. Heather at Live.Laugh.Love

7. Jennifer at French Kiss