Treasure of a Lifetime

I have recently started to follow Mona's Musings (http://www.monasmusings.com/) and was particularly intrigued by the latest post.

Having only been married a brief amount of time in the grand scheme of things (9 months today) I recognize that I still have a great deal of things to learn and experiences ahead. However, I find that the past 9 months have gone by incredibly fast and I still sometimes feel like a newly-newlywed. My sister told me only a few months after we were married that she would excuse us for not being social until we reach 6 months, and by that point we will start to get bored of each other. Well, we have exceeded that time frame by 3 months and still all I want to do is be with David. Planning work schedules and classes for the same time or running errands together or when the other has a lot of homework allows us to get the maximum amount of spousal appreciation time possible. A friend asked me the other day if I was tired of David yet (that is her fear when she gets married) and I resoundingly said NO! We have more fun now than we did even when dating - playing games, teasing each other, and goofing off. It is wonderful to be married to someone you can be ridiculously silly with and yet also have genuinely serious and intimate conversations.

Back to Mona's Musings latest post, Somewhere Else. I absolutely loved the poetic writing style that so beautifully captured the importance of dating your spouse and taking the "time to love gorgeously". Such truth lies in her messages and advice that should be repeatedly read as it offers polishing to your golden marriage. So taking the advice of the wiser Mona, before the baby comes we will love somewhere else and escape to the California shores and walk along the beach, hand-in-hand.

Weekend Parents

David and I babysat for his brother this weekend so they could have a little getaway, and boy was it a learning experience. It was quite entertaining though to watch David in action and see the adoration in the kid's eyes as he played with them.

The Nutcracker!

Friday night David recruited the kids to get on their knees and clean the
kitchen/DR floor. They even enjoyed it!

We bought a watermelon and when I bit into it I felt like I was
back at Girls' Camp. Good times. I love the feel of summer watermelons bring.

We just love Uncle David jumping on the trampoline!

When the weekend came to a close the kids made a "Welcome Home" sign
for Seth & Kira - anxious for their arrival

Doing It Anyway

So a couple of weeks ago I wanted to try something new. And since I always thought cheesecake to be a challenging recipe I decided to give it a whirl. It was a lot easier than I had anticipated. It is interesting how so often the fear of doing something is always worse than actually doing it. Once you get down to it, you realize it isn't nearly as bad as you thought it would be. I suppose that is why they always say you should do the thing you fear, just like the book I read not long ago, "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway". So, I felt the fear and made the turtle cheesecake anyway...

And I didn't even use a Springfoam Pan. I simply sprayed the pan and

hoped it would work! I'm so proud of myself =]

Unforgettable Past, Exciting Future

My brother, being the amazing photographer that he is, touched up some of our wedding pictures for us. These are my top favorites so far...

But I still absolutely love...

I love looking at pictures. Such good memories. I can only imagine

how great the ones to come will be =]

Rising of the Sun

There has been a significant turning point for me lately as my wall is getting higher and higher. I learned a valuable lesson that I did not really expect: the wall is never completely finished. I can never remember who said it, but it has been said that if you are not moving forward then you are moving backwards. I was reminded of an alcoholic in remission. Despite the great strides the person has gone through and the many changes they have made in their strength and mental health, in the wrong situation at a moment of weakness could be disastrous and a possible relapse underway. So, the wall, just like our spirituality, must constantly be tended to because forgotten or ignored could put you right back at the beginning - devastated, lost, and hopeless.

I have felt a great deal of satisfaction and happiness as of just recently - a quite refreshing feeling from the unbelievably difficult trials that, hopefully, now lie behind me. The promise is almost kept and the wall is getting bigger. A sense of peace and comfort has replaced the stress, confusion, and sorrow and I find myself on a new stage. What an exciting opportunity. Listening to a song from an old EFY these words come to mind

"Let Him Heal your heart. Remember every promise He has made. Reach into your soul and forsake a life of sin and He will shine that light inside again. Let Him help you start to live again and feel His endless love. Let Him hold and teach you-- love and reach you. Let Him heal your heart. There's no simple challenge. Never doubt His goodness. Don't believe that it's too late. He sees your every struggle and he knows the trials you face. Follow and believe Him. Put your trust in Him again. Change your heart forever. Let the miracle begin."

The miracle has already begun...

Mama's good ol' home cooking

I find it quite humerous that men really do find their mom's way of cooking the best way.

Me: Do you like the way I made the chicken?

David: Yeah, it's good.

Me: How would you prefer it?

David: The way my mom made it.

Me: How did your mom make it?

David: I don't know, but it was goooood. She made

everything good. Next time we're there, try it. You'll agree.

So this is Mom Holladay's Shepherd's Pie recipe in use:

Boys... gotta love 'em!

Delicious Worm-Infested Dirt

Oh what fun it is to enjoy the little things from when you were a kid =]