An Almost Perfect Husband

I know I shared some things about my husband recently that could make him out to be a saint. He's not. He's only huMAN.

Since I've been pregnant (For 5 years or so... ok, 5 months....) Jordan has been great. He sings and talks to the baby regularly, he has made trips to Walmart to curb my crazy cravings, he hasn't complained (much) about getting woken up in the night when I have to get up to use the bathroom. He has helped cook and clean, has given me back rubs when my muscles get tight, and has hugged me when I cry like a baby at movies that shouldn't make me cry (ah, hormones!).

For the most part, Jordan has been a pregnant woman's DREAM.

But just recently, he has started to show his huMANity.

Set the stage: Last week, we were watching a movie on the couch, and I needed to use the bathroom (again). My attempt to get up off the couch was less than graceful, and I commented on the fact. Jordan's reply was "Good thing you don't think you're graceful right now, cause you'd be lying to yourself." Zing.

I know he meant to be cute and funny, and the fact is he was right. But here's the thing I'm trying to teach him. Just because it is true, does NOT make it the right thing to say at that moment. Instead, he should have said something like, "It's ok, honey. You will always be graceful to me." Or something like that. Even if it's corny, its still a POSITIVE statement!

Set the stage again: This week, we were visiting with some friends for dinner, and the husband of the couple commented that I looked like I've gained weight. Fine for him to say, I know him well enough to understand what he meant and get the joke. (No, CB, you are not in trouble with me!) Jordan commented back saying, "Yeah, she has been eating a lot lately." Zing.

I don't care how true his statement was, HE should not have said it. We discussed this later, and I told him that was a negative statement coming from him, who should be my BIGGEST supporter right now. Instead, he could have said "I think she looks radiant!" Or something POSITIVE like that.

We will not get into our discussion about the differences between a POSITIVE statement and an AFFIRMATIVE statement... sigh...

The moral of this story is, my husband is huMAN. (Did you catch my emphasis on MAN?) He is trying his best to be supportive and understanding and sweet. For the most part, he is, more than I could ask for! But there are those times when his huMANity shows through, and gets him into trouble... We are still working on this.

I have been able to laugh about all of this. I'm trying hard not to take myself or anything that goes with this pregnancy too seriously. I know Jordan is trying, and I appreciate everything he does to make me happy and show he loves me. I couldn't ask for a better husband.

I love you to bits, Honey. I don't take too much offense at your comments... just a little. :-) Call this a practice round for Baby #2 in a few years!

The Twitter Marriage Revolution

This blog is primarily for the married folk, but anyone can benefit.

Lately I have found several very positive Twitter accounts to follow. It all started with Chattanooga's @firstthings, the account for First Things First, an org that focuses on positive family activities, stronger relationships, better marriages. They reposted something from an account called @themarriagebed.

You might have been skeptical about that account name, but I was intrigued. Were there really Twitter users out there that focus on building better marriages? Yes!!

@themarriagebed then retweeded posts from other users, such as @thepurebed, @marriagejourney, @redhotmarriage, and @awesomehusbands. If you have a Twitter account, I highly suggest you look them up.

These users are focused on building relationships between husbands and wives. They don't dance around the topic of sex or divorce or anything. They talk plain, but with respect for marriage.

I found all of these accounts after reading about several broken marriages on Facebook. I won't name names, because it's not my place, and it doesn't matter anyways. I don't know the stories or the reasons why the marriages failed, and I don't need to. What hit me, though, is that they failed.

There are some days when I sit back, and take a good look at my marriage. I've been married for 2 and a half years. We've been together for about 7 years. We fight, we disappoint each other, we both forget to do things that we've been asked to do (and yes, it drives us both nuts!). But we also have grown a lot together. Before we had even gotten engaged, we had already seen pretty much the worst in each other.

Jordan stuck by me during a medication-induced crazy period (by some miracle). We helped each other with the deaths of loved ones, bad grades, bad jobs, failed friendships. Jordan had seen my ugly cry very early on, and still loves me!

Even right after we got engaged, and we were in a car accident. I broke my wrist, and Jordan ended up getting his appendix removed. What a start, right?

Since we've been married, we have grown so much... sometimes I don't recognize us from 2 years ago.

Jordan travels a lot for work. He is out of the country about 4 times a year, and sometimes he can't call me for days at a time. Early on in our marriage, this fact was VERY hard to me to cope with, even though he'd been doing the same thing before we got married. Several times our long-distance phone calls ended with me in tears and both of us hurting, and it was my fault. Part of me was jealous that he got to travel while I was stuck at home, and part of me resented the fact that he loved his job so much and enjoyed traveling. A very irrational part of me felt that he loved his job more than he loved me.

It has taken a while, but I'm at the point now where his traveling is ok. I still don't like being home by myself for 2 weeks, and I don't like that I can't always talk to him when he's gone. But I'm ok with him being gone. Dare I say it? I might even enjoy the time to myself when I don't have to worry about making dinner (cereal is a staple when he's gone), I don't have to worry about washing dishes (cause I hardly use any), and it takes a lot longer to build up enough laundry to need to run a load. And I can read to my heart's desire without feeling like I'm ignoring him.

I had to change how I reacted to things. I knew that all along, but I have this silly stubborn streak that didn't want to change, I just wanted HIM to change. Now it's ok for him to be gone, or to work late or over weekends. It's not always ideal, but I deal. (see what I did there?)

Now before you go thinking that I had to do all the changing, Jordan has been working on things too. He makes the effort to at least text me if he's going to be home late, most times he calls. When he does have time off, he spends as much of it with me as he can. When he's away, he calls when he can, even if he ends up falling asleep on the phone. Those are the little things that show me he appreciates the changes I've made.

I like to think we have a pretty fantastic marriage, and it just keeps getting better. But every marriage can improve, right? There's no such thing as a perfect marriage. But that doesn't mean we stop trying to achieve perfection. It's the journey that makes it all worth while.

So I want to challenge any married person who might be reading this: Even if you think your marriage is great, don't settle. When we become complacent, thats when we get lazy and the problems get bigger. Always keep working on things. Whether you need to work on communication or intimacy or trust or just taking turns washing dishes, make the effort together.

Don't be afraid to get ideas. The people I listed above are good resources.

That's just something that has been on my heart today. And with Valentine's Day coming up, maybe this is just what somebody needed to hear.

24 Weeks

Well folks, this week marks the 24th week of pregnancy. It's downhill from here... though I will feel like I'm going uphill. But that's normal, right?

Aaron just told me I sound hyper... I have no idea what he's talking about. I am NOT hyper. nopenopenopenopenope.

I HAVE GUMMY BEARS!!!!

Ahem....

So I just recorded my next video for Aaron, the long-lost brother of mine in Virginia. I think it will make him giggle, and anyone else who happens to watch it. Its getting ready for editing right now. Its RENDERING. Which in laymen's terms means MAKING ME WAIT. So I wait. And eat gummy bears. And blog.

Ok, maybe I am a little hyper.

So, good news. In a couple of weeks we will be getting another ultrasound done! (Did I mention that before?) If not, here you go! I can't wait to see this little octopus of mine again!

Speaking of which, there are those who do not believe us when we say we DO NOT KNOW what gender baby is. These folks seem to think that by saying Baby is an octopus, that we are really admitting that Baby is a boy. This is not true. We don't know! And we are not planning to find out either. We want Baby to be a surprise, to us and everyone else, on the day s/he pops out.

No, we won't be changing our minds either, but thanks for asking!

Oh! *kick* Baby likes gummy bears! *kick* * somersault* HI BABY!!!

Ok, this post is getting silly... I think I'll go for now. I think my video is done making me wait. Time to edit!!!

Week Two

Well folks, my second week on the new job is just about over. I must say, this week has gone much more smoothly than last week. Both weeks have gone incredibly fast. At this rate, I'll be delivering this baby before I know it!!

I am tired. My problem is that I am a night owl. On top of that, Jordan has been pulling late nights at work, and I've been staying up for him to get home. Then comes morning. The office hours at work start at 8am, which means I need to at least be conscious by 8 in the case of a phone call.

I am not a morning person. But shhh, don't tell work that. I don't think they know. Let's keep it that way.

A fun thing lately has been sending videos back and forth with my brother, who also has a new job. He is in Virginia, in case you didn't know. I'm used to seeing him, at some point, every day. Now I cannot. So the videos help with the distance. Plus, I hear other people have been watching them too, like friends and other family members, and find them just hilarious.

Yes, other people. I keep you in mind when I shoot my video.

If anyone, besides Aaron, wants to see anything in the video, or wants to ask any questions for me to answer in the video, let me know! I am open to content suggestions, since I sometimes run a little dry in that area. It's weird talking about myself. Very weird. So leave a comment somewhere.

I just got done with a conference call for work. Our web developer is in California, so in order for us all to talk at a semi-decent hour, our conference calls take place in the evenings. This would be fine, if I didn't feel like blowing off every responsibility and going to bed early. But I managed to stay alert for the duration of the phone call, and even actively and intelligently participate.

Another fun thing lately is this: Jordan and I like seeing what we can do to make Baby kick. (For the sake of simplicity, we are referring to Baby as a he. This does not mean we know what Baby's gender is, so don't go all blue on us, ok?) Anyways... This past weekend Jordan sang some Jesus songs to Baby, which resulted in a manic kicking and somersaulting episode, and copious amounts of giggling from Baby's very mature parents. Jordan's favorite way to get Baby kicking is to jiggle my stomach. I dislike this form of Baby stimulation. What woman really WANTS someone to jiggle her stomach??? None that I know of...

In other super fantastic news, we recently found out that our best friends in the whole, wide, God-created earth are HAVING A BABY!!!!! Don't tell them, but I've seen this coming for a while. Shhh. We are super happy for them. Now we just need to figure out how to get them back to Tennessee in the next 9 months so our children can grow up together and be best buds. I am scheming as we speak. (Any local churches need a Pastor?)

We finally have internet set up at home! This is a major milestone for us... it has been 2 years since I have had access to the great Interwebs from my couch. Granted, we only have 5 gigs that has to last us a month, but it allows me to email for work, access the website I'm working on for work, and FACEBOOK! Also, I'll be able to blog more often. Which is of course, the most important thing.

Oh, and Skype. Sometimes.

You will have to forgive the quirky nature of this post... I had a nap this afternoon, but I still feel completely worn out. I have corrected SO many typos in this blog so far, just from my fingers hitting random keys instead of the correct ones. Fingers get tired too.

Ok, I think I have babbled enough for now. I'll be putting together my video tomorrow, in response to Aaron's latest. Hopefully I will get it posted tomorrow as well, but we shall see. I also need to clean my house and cook for the company coming over for dinner tomorrow night.

Sigh, so many responsibilities as a wife and mommy...

Goodnight!

Tim Tebow

First of all, I'd like to congratulate the Broncos on their win this weekend. I didn't watch the game, but from what I've heard, it was pretty epic. Could the Broncos make it to the Superbowl? We will just have to wait and see.

I have heard a lot about QB Tim Tebow recently. Not just about his incredible arm, but his open Christianity. It's not every day you hear of a football player thanking God for each successful play. For that matter, you don't often hear about football players mentioning God positively, period. So Tebow is refreshing in that light. But I have a few concerns.

First of all, are we so starved for a professed Christian that we cling to every time Tebow bows his head? I understand that he is a role model for sports enthusiasts and other players who have been criticized for their beliefs, and "tebowing" has provided a way for players to acknowledge Christ when they otherwise are not allowed to. I am glad for this. Censorship of Christianity is a very real thing, and it won't be going away any time soon. So any bit of encouragement is good.

But with that said, are we putting Tebow on a pedestal because of this? He is only human. Granted, a very talented human, who has brought his team to the playoffs. But how many other teams are in the playoffs? How many other quarterbacks work as hard as Tebow? Let alone the other players on each team. Or are we making Tebow into an icon of public Christianity, and lifting him up higher than he should be? Are we making him an idol?

Take a look at this.

This concerns me. I don't know if it bothers you, but when a man is compared to the God of the Bible, something isn't right.

What happens when Tebow does something to shatter this glossy image of himself? He is only a man, and prone to making mistakes just like the rest of us. Are we setting ourselves up for a huge disappointment when this shining example proves to be only human after all?

Let's keep things in perspective here. Tim Tebow is a very talented quarterback, he plays for a talented team, and has had a very good season this year. But he is not the first, and he won't be the last. Cheer for him, for his team (if you must), but remember he is just a man.

And remember who we should be lifting up and telling the world about. Here's a thought. If we sent as many tweets about Jesus Christ as have been sent about Tim Tebow, what an amazing witness that would be!!

A New Year

It has been 2012 for 9 days. I'm still not completely comfortable with writing 2012 on my checks, but lucky for me, I don't write many checks!

This year has brought with it so many blessings, I don't even know where to begin. I suppose I should start with last year.

In the last few months of 2011, a lot has happened in my family.

First, Jordan and I are expecting our first child in May, and on Christmas Eve, Jordan was able to feel the baby kick for the first time. If that's not a blessing, I don't know what is. We are both so excited for this little bundle!

My brother got a job at the Patomic Conference of Seventh-day Adventist doing what he loves. A lot of his new life in Virginia was up in the air, even up to the day he started work. He didn't have an apartment, nor the means to get one. But the Lord blessed, and he was able to find a place within his first week, and had the money he needed.

A couple of weeks before the new year, Jordan told me that a local ministry that he works with was looking for a communications director. He had recommended me for the position. We went on vacation, and I didn't get a chance to call about the job until last week. The job was still available!

I had an interview with In Discipleship last Wednesday, and on Thursday I was offered the job, and asked if I could start that afternoon! This job is such a blessing for us, because not only is it supplemental income for my family, but it is part time, and I am able to work from home. Once the baby comes, I will still be able to work, putting in only a couple of hours a day. I can still be a stay-at-home mom! I think it will be a lot of fun.

With this job and the extra income, Jordan and I will soon be able to get internet at the house (which I will need for work). I am hoping to be able to blog a lot more. We have many changes coming, and our families are spread out all over the US. I would like this to be a connection between us and family, especially after the baby arrives.

I used to blog daily before I started college. I've really been missing it lately. The urge to write hits me really hard sometimes! I want to start writing daily again. It was such a blessing for me when I wrote before, even if no one else read what I wrote. Writing has always been a kind of outlet for me, a place to me to get my thoughts in order, work through things, or expound on things that made me stop and say "Wow!" I hope you won't mind if I start again.

I already have a few posts floating around in my head that I might try to get written down before I forget them. So watch for posts about Tebow and cloth diapers!

Cappuccino Muffins

Ok folks, here's the recipe for the yummy goodness. I'll post the link to the original, then tell you what I did to make it mine.

Via Cappuccino Muffins

This recipe uses Starbucks Via instant coffee. I used Folgers.

Now, I have a recipe for muffins that has baked its way into my heart. I swear by it. It's found in the Joy of Cooking book (A wedding gift from my grandmother that has been well appreciated.)

Here's that recipe. Try it. You'll never use another muffin recipe.

One tweak that I have made (and the book suggests) is using sour cream or yogurt in place of the milk. (If you do that, add another teaspoon of Baking Powder.)

There are several other variations to these muffins, such as lemon poppyseed, but I'll post about those another time.

SO! On to the real reason for this post, making cappuccino muffins!

Since I made mine with vanilla yogurt, I dissolved my coffee in the melted butter. Needed a little extra melting time, but it worked great. And smelled divine. Everything else followed the Joy recipe.

When it comes to chocolate chips, I don't skimp. Toll House all the way. And I discovered that they now have Dark Chocolate chips, which of course I used in this recipe! These chips are just a little bigger than "normal" choc. chips, which makes them all the more yummy.

I haven't tried the coffee frosting from the first recipe yet... Actually, the muffins didn't really last long enough to try it. Maybe next time.

These are on my list of "Try to make it gluten-free" treats. We'll see if they are as good without the gluten-y goodness.

Enjoy!

He likes food too...

Got lunch with my brother today... He was pretty happy about his food.

Or maybe just because it's Friday...

This is a case of Peace Tea. One of two cases that he bought. It's pretty much the greatest thing on earth. $0.99 a can.

And he got pretty excited about his Sams Chicken.

(Why is it called "Sams"? Who is Sam?)

These are what he was most excited about. They are like Junior Mints on steroids.

Cappuccino Muffins

Just a quick post to show you THIS:

This is a cappuccino muffin. It is a hybrid of two recipes. But I don't have them both with me. So you'll just have to wait.

In the meantime, DROOL.

Cheddar Soda Bread

The first recipe I'd like to share came from TastyKitchen.com. I was hungry at work one night and did the WORST thing possible.... I went recipe surfing. It made the rest of the evening almost unbearable.

And last night I was able to try this recipe at last!

Here's the recipe.

Sadly I did not photograph the making of this bread... the boys were starving and Jordan was cooking meatballs while I was mixing this up... not really conducive to photo-taking.

But it is GOOD. Definitely better fresh out of the oven or reheated. We had it with sketti and meatballs, but it would work with so many other meals. Will be making it again tomorrow night to feed to the crowd coming over for dinner.

Hopefully they will like it. If not, more for me!

I'd Rather Be Baking

I like food. I’ll be honest! But even more, I like making food. Cooking, baking, slow-cooking, whatever. Ask any of my friends, when I cook, usually they all benefit. Either people come over to eat, or I deliver to their doors. This has happened several times.

I grew up in a home where Dad cooked to de-stress and Mom baked the yummiest treats. Dad typically doesn’t use a recipe, Mom has tons of tried-and-true recipes. Now that I’m married, my husband loves to cook and comes from a family that cooks. (I think cooking is their love language!)

We like food.

Since I tend to tweet about my cooking and baking, I’ve had several people ask for recipes. Your requests have been heard!

I’m going to TRY to take pictures and write about all my cooking and baking adventures, as well as post the recipes I used. This will combine all my interests: food, photography, and writing! Making for a happy me!

Some things I will be experimenting with over the next few weeks are gluten-free baking and vegan cooking and baking. I’m sure these adventures will be very interesting!

And now, I’m off to battle a cook’s worst enemy…. Dirty dishes.

20 Lines of Dialogue

A, a woman, sitting on a couch with B, her husband/boyfriend. B is playing a video game, A is watching, but not terribly interested.

A. Hunny, can you go make some coffee?

B. Sure, just a sec. (continues playing Wii game)

A. (waits a second) Hun, can you please go make some coffee?

B. (impatiently) I said I would, just a minute.

A. Never mind, I’ll go make some coffee. (stands)

B. No, I said I’d make it. Just let me finish this race.

A. (sits down in a huff) And how long will that be?

B. Just a minute.

A. You already said it would be just a minute 5 minutes ago!

B. Fine. I’m done, see? I’ll go make some coffee.

A. Thank you! (sits back and stares at the video game on the screen.)

B. (from the kitchen) Why do I have to make the coffee, anyway? If you wanted it that bad, you could have made it.

A. I made it last time. Besides, I said I’d make it and you told me no.

B. Well, I’m making it now.

A. Thank you.
(coffee maker beeps. B is making a cup of coffee.)

B. (walking back into the room and sitting down.) Coffee’s done. (slurps off his mug of coffee.)

A. Where’s my mug?

B. Probably in the cupboard. (goes back to video game)

A. But I asked you to make me a coffee!

B. No, you asked me to make some coffee. I did. And it’s quite yummy.

Imagine?

Today I was doing some design work at home, and I had Pandora playing in the background. I found myself singing along to a familiar song. I looked, and it was being sung by Jack Johnson, but it is most commonly heard sung by John Lennon. After humming along, it hit me what I was actually singing. It was a sobering thought...

First verse:
"Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today"

Imagine there's no heaven... no heaven! It's easy for some of us to believe there's no hell below us because of our denominational beliefs, but a great many people survive with the thought of a happy ending place in Heaven. It is a place to look forward to, a reason to wake up every morning. How could someone just "live for today" when there's no point even to that? We as Christians are supposed to plan for a future, but live for today. We don't know when Christ is returning to claim us, but we must be ready. That is the reason to live for today, because if Jesus knocks on our door today, will we be ready?

If there is no Heaven, there is no redeeming Christ, and there is no reason to do anything. Many of us hate to admit it, but we have days when we take our eyes off the finish line, and we focus on just today. How do we feel at the end of the day? Have we really accomplished anything? Or have we just wasted the day living for ourselves?

Imagine...


Second verse:
"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace"

No countries. We are all the same. We all have the same background and the same future. There is nothing to set us apart from everyone else. After all, it is our history, our culture, our ancestry that makes us who we are. That is what creates the beautiful concept of diversity. If there were no countries, no cultures and no diversity, there would be a very stale civilization.

Nothing to kill or die for... There will always be something I would be willing to die for, countries or not. I would die for my family, my friends, my God. But aside from that, with no countries to fight for, we would find other things to die for. It's human nature. And if you take that away, you take away the very heart of a person. We need a purpose. That purpose for many of us is protecting the family that we are a part of. We want to better ourselves and better the world for our children.

And no religion. Well that would lead to chaos. As easy as it might be to imagine a world with no religion, it is impossible. Humans were created with an intense need to worship something. If you take God out of the picture, then we will find something else to worship and create a religion around.

Living in peace with no culture, nothing to die for (and equally nothing to live for) and nothing to worship... that would be such a boring existence. What do we have left to live for? What is there left to identify each of us? Taking away our culture, our God(s), and our right to protect our families is a recipe for disaster.


Verse three:
"Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world"

This is the only verse that makes even just a little bit of sense. No possessions. This is in essence the purest form of being. However it is very idealistic. If there were no possessions, then we would have nothing to give. I believe that God has allowed us to GET so that we may experience the joy of GIVING. Unfortunately so many people focus only on getting and forget to give in return. That is why there are greed and hunger in this world. We have abused the privilege God has allowed us, the ability to own, to get, to earn. Ah, to EARN. That is an interesting concept. Work. Something else that has been abused in many ways. We work and work and work to earn and earn and earn just to spend, spend, spend. However, there are many people who never learned the value of EARNING their living. They depend on handouts because they are too lazy to get themselves a job.

There has got to be a balance between give and take. Just as we can't survive a world that only takes, we would die in a world that only gives. But we cannot forget to give. After all, Christ GAVE the ultimate gift, his life, so that we would have the opportunity to give.

Chorus:
"You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one"

Yes, John Lennon was a dreamer. I believe he wanted a better world, but his definition is impossible and unhealthy. I can't join in his way of thinking though. Because I can see a greater picture of this world and why it is the way it is. This world in built on the idiosyncrasies of the human nature. But we were created with primal needs and instincts. Take those away, and what do you have left? Robots on auto pilot, just going through the motions of happiness? Living with nothing to live for? Seems to me to be similar to the live of a mouse in a cage. He lives to eat, poop, and run in circles on a wheel that takes him nowhere. That's not a life. Not for me.

Imagine though... living your life for Christ, in his example, in his footprints, with his purpose? There are endless possibilities for how that life would turn out. Living for Christ brings out the very best in each of us. Christ polishes the grime off of our human nature and allows Christ's nature to shine through like a prism, bouncing his light off of everything it touches.

What a beautiful image. Just imagine...

Close to a semester's end

Whew... we're almost done. I can see the end of the tunnel!

This semester has been a hard one for so many people I know. I don't know what is different, but people have been struggling in classes, friendships, relationship, work, and sleep. To the naked eye, nothing is different, but something unseen is causing trouble.

Jordan and I are counting down the days to the end of the semester... This has definitely been his hardest semester... the poor boy has been working on 18 credits worth of classes. To put it into perspective, 12-16 is considered full time, and anything more needs extra permission and money. But come December 19th, he will be 18 credits closer to graduation.

I have been floating along with only 13 credits, and still struggling to stay on top. I think wedding plans are distracting. Next semester I am only taking 12 credits, and 3 of those are not even a semester-long classes. I think I'll be sticking to 12 credits from now on as well. Once I'm married, and Jordan is working, I'll want time for life, not just school. (plus that nasty word, WORK)

We are slowly getting used to the idea that in 6 months we will be living together, cooking together, washing laundry together, arguing over chores together, and just simply existing together. I honestly am not sure how I will manage for the first little while. We have lived the last 3 years with a curfew. Come 11:00 (1:00 now) it's time to send him home... but then... I will be home for him.

The idea of waking up next to someone I love so much is indescribable. I can't wait for the little things, like seeing our toothbrushes standing next to each other by the sink... making breakfast for two... sharing a sock drawer... drinking morning coffee together... grocery shopping together.

This man who has seen all my good days and bad days and even the hellish days... but who is still there, wanting to marry me... It's hard to believe such a man exists... but there he is. He's not perfect, he's had his good days and bad days and butthead days just like me. Luckly, the butthead days and the witch days don't fall on the same day usually.

I am really truly blessed to be able to call him mine. And I am honored to call myself his. In 6 months, when we make the ultimate promise to each other, when we seal the deal, I will be The Happiest Girl on Earth.

Until then, I wait extremely impatiently for May 17. And I love him... my Jordan. :-)

My Dad

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have the world's best Dad. Don't try to argue the point with me, you won't win. My Dad is the best and thats all there is to it.

Since I can remember, Dad has been working. The job and the hours have changed, but the quality and effort hasn't. My parents decided a long time ago that my Mom would be a stay-at-home mom, and Dad would work. I can't thank them enough for that. While Dad worked long hours, sometimes at night, sometimes gone for a week, I knew it was for me. (And my 4 siblings, of course) And even through the hardest time for my family, I never doubted his love for me.

My siblings and I were (and the youngers still are) home schooled. Mom was my teacher for a while, and then I was my own teacher through correspondence classes. Dad didn't often help with my "formal" education. But I think he has taught me something better. Determination, commitment, respect, and loyalty.

With every job my Dad has held, he has worked hard. He has even taken on more hours that is healthy for a normal human being, because he said the job would get done, and stuck with it until it was. When co-workers have quit and gone home for the day, Dad will finish what they left undone.

I suppose you could say Dad is a people pleaser, but not in a brown-noser kind of way. My Dad earns the respect of others by giving others respect. That's where I get it from. :-) (I also get my stubbornness from him) He earns loyalty by being loyal. For the most part, my Dad lives by the golden rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated.... even if others still don't appreciate him.

Now, before you go thinking I'm biased (even though I am) I must point out that my Dad is not perfect. He has a temper. When he is upset, he doesn't like to talk about it. He lets things eat at him to avoid ugly confrontation. And if you hurt him, it takes a while for him to forgive, though he will eventually.

These things used to bother me. Growing up, I couldn't understand why he was like that. There were some nights when you could cut the tension in the house with a knife. I'm still not sure I understand...

But then I started dating Jordan. Over the three years we've been together, Jordan has seen both my good side as well as my bad side. In talking about things, he has brought to my attention that I have a lot of the same qualities as my Dad. I already knew we shared the same feelings about respect and loyalty. (Ask any of my friends... if you don't respect me, I lose respect for you. Fast.) But along with all of the good qualities, we share many of the bad ones too.

So while I still don't fully understand some of my Dad's character traits, it is easier for me to accept them, knowing I have them too. I just hope we never get each other too upset!

My Dad is wonderful. In his quiet, subtle way, he's always got some way of showing me how proud he is of me... and sometimes, it's not so quiet. Like today. I got home from vespers, and found a message from him telling me just how proud he was. It was really special. I don't get to talk to him much because we are both busy people now. But when I get little messages like that from him, it makes me smile.

I must admit though... I'm not looking forward to him walking me down the aisle at my wedding... Don't get me wrong, I want him to... but when he starts crying, I'm going to lose it, and all my pretty make-up is going to run right off my face... and it will be all his fault! ;-)

Dad, if you're reading this (which I'm sure you are) I just want to tell you that I love you. And I'm proud of you too.
From your first "Daddy's little girl" xoxo

Sitting at work... anything but alone.

Tonight I was late for work. I was riding back from Nashville with Jordan after a weekend video shoot. We were a timezone to the left, and had daylight savings ending, so our inner clocks were completely off...

But I won't blame being late on the time. That would be like blaming athsma on air... Ok, not exactly.

We got up late this morning, because we could... and then I turned on the TV, and we watched a portion of James Bond... then we decided we were hungry, so we gave away an hour and a half of our morning to the Sunday-after-church-Cracker-Barrel rush.

So really it was our fault we were late. Oh well.

But Jordan and I had some good discussion on the way home. We talked a lot about what I could do for a living/ministry. What I would like to do is get kids and teens involved in photography as a way of expressing themselves, and also as a way of helping them find God for themselves. Photographs can express so much, and can help someone see something they wouldn't have seen otherwise. Photographs can be a ministry in themselves.

Each one of us is different. And likewise, everyone sees the world in a different way. Some people may only see the heartache. Others see the positives. And still others just look at the details of life, the little things that make life what it is, good or bad.

Even kids see the world differently than we do. They are so innocent and naive, they would notice so many things that we brush off as just filler, background, unimportant. I can't wait to see what kids see through the lens of a camera.

Well, I've rambled enough. Its time to try to get homework done.

My cell phone adventure!

Here ya go. My day, minus a few points. Enjoy!

Check back tomorrow for....

A day in the life... with ME!

I've decided to document my day tomorrow via cell-phone pics. I've got a new 2 gig card in my phone, so I can take all the pics I want to. This is an experiment. If it goes well, I might do it once a month or so, just for fun.

So, check back here, tomorrow night, for...


A Day In The Life Of Ashley!

Hey, I just realized...

I have had this blog for 4 years! I started in October of 2004, and here it is, October 2008! Wow... time flies. A lot has changed since this blog began. Hmmm....

I want to travel...

Has anyone ever been to Taiwan? I haven't either. But I've been looking at websites about it... (most not in English) and it is a gorgeous place. Look at it on Google Earth sometime.... Specifically the Nantou County (right in the middle) and the city/village of Yu Chih. It's beautiful.

Jordan, I know where I want to honeymoon.....