As you might know, I like to get the most out of our projects. So, when it came to throwing a fall bridal shower for the lovely Paige, I knew I wanted to use the sunflower mason jar decorations again. They have been repurposed for multiple weddings, showers, parties, etc. We were able to combine our decorations with some from someone's fall wedding from last year and put together a pretty awesome shower. And of course Pinterest provided plenty of inspiration.
The bride-to-be's mother shared a lovely devotional about marriage that brought both laughter and tears to the guests.
One thing that we have gotten in the habit of doing is having a photobooth set up. Not necessarily the goofy kind (but we love those too). But it makes for a great way to capture the bride with each of her family or friend groups and always provides a lovely reminder of all the wonderful ladies that support and love her. I have known Paige since she was just a little girl. It has been a blessing to see her grow into a beautiful woman of God.
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
The theme for the Hearts at Home conference last weekend was Love Your Life. And the theme for the Blog Hop this week is Love Your Now. Hhmmm... are we seeing a pattern here?
I gotta be honest, I don't always feel like I love my life. On one hand, it looks like I have exactly the life I always wanted: a wonderful husband, three beautiful kids...
I mean, how cute are we? Pretty perfect looking, huh? ;-)
But in reality, the life we have isn't always loveable. More often than not our house is a mess and the floors are sticky. Even when its tidy there are walkers and wheelchairs cluttering up the otherwise neat downstairs. There is a lot of screaming in our house. And only sometimes is it from me. Sometimes, but not usually. With two non-verbal kids in the house they often resort to screaming or biting and scratching when they can't get us to understand their needs. Or they are upset by someone because someone else is upset. We have seen more than our fair share of doctors who still have yet to give us a definitive diagnosis for our kiddos. My husband has OCD, a sleep disorder and I can't get him to care about his eating and lack of exercise habits. I homeschool my oldest who is a crazy challenging combination of me and my husband. And I struggle with depression, emotional eating and procrastination.
Sometimes its easy to focus on all of those things... the unlovable things. But there is so much more to us than that. I DO have a husband who LOVES me. He is a wonderful provider and adores the kids and I. To him, I am the most beautiful woman in the world. I LOVE him and am so thankful for having him in my life.
My children may not be easy but they think I am wonderful. My oldest tells me I am "the best" every day. Even my nonverbal kiddos light up when they see me. For all their complications and challenges, they are sweet and loving kids.
We are so blessed to have wonderful supportive family and friends who love us and are happy to help out or babysit whenever we need them. Honestly, I think we've only paid for babysitting once or twice, ever.
And me... I like to say that I am a work in progress but I am more than that too. I am a child of God. I am a wife and mother who LOVES her family. I choose to stay home with my children because I believe that no one can care for them better than me. No one can love them more than my husband and I do(except for our loving Father).
This week I read a post from Hands Free Mama that seemed to tie into this idea of loving your life - loving your now. She talks about being thankful for the challenges and disappointments for how they help us to love and appreciate the "Glimmers of Goodness" in each day. She lists off several examples of these, the last one being:
Thank you, daily challenge. It is in looking straight into the face of
sorrow, struggle, fear, frustration, heartache, and worry that I
appreciate the fact I keep showing up. I shall pay attention and appreciate the fact that I Keep Showing Up.
So, even though its not always easy... I do, I love my life. And even when I don't, those are the times that help me to appreciate and love the best parts of it. ;-)
As soon as my dear friend announced she was getting married I knew I wanted to throw her bridal shower. She is such a sweet girl... I mean, woman! What a blessing it was to be able to show her love and support through the shower.
Originally she was going to have a summer wedding and a spring bridal shower. I was going to use the sunflower mason jar decorations from my sisters' receptions and do a tea party theme. But when the wedding was moved up to March and the shower was bumped to February I knew we had to do a Winter Wonderland theme!
me and my partner in crime... ;-)
I scoured Pinterest pinning all sorts of ideas and shopped the Christmas clearance sales for wintery items to use for the shower. I was even able to modify some of the wood candle holder's from my sister's reception to fit our wintery look. We used a lot of natural elements in the decorations. I got cinnamon scented pine cones for the centerpieces that just filled the room with their lovely scent!
I enlisted the help of some of our church's awesome cooks for the menu which included these tasty treats:
fruit salad
pinwheels - we got ours premade at GFS but you can make your own
chicken
fiesta dip - its a church recipe kind of like this dish only done in the crock pot
We were able to reuse some of the wood candle holders that my dad made for my sister's reception last year. We repurposed them to fit the winter wonderland theme and they worked for the centerpieces perfectly.
We wanted some unique elements to the shower. So we did a mini-photobooth (with wrapping paper backdrop) so Rachael could have pix with all the guests.
And we had the ladies write messages and doodles on Christmas ornaments for the bride and groom to use on the tree their first Christmas together. Another Pinterest find!
What a blessing it was to be a part of this shower. And how rewarding to see all our ideas finally come together in perfect harmony! ;-) So proud of all the work from our team! I appreciate their help SO much!! And I know Rach does too!
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart," from Psalm 37:4
Last spring, I stumbled upon a Groupon for a mini boudoir session. At the time I thought I bought it on an impulse. But not really... back when we had cable I used to watch this show on Lifetime called How to Look Good Naked.
It actually was more about embracing your body the way it is and
learning to feel good about yourself. They take everyday women with
average beautiful (but flawed) bodies and help them out of the "why
bother" rut and teach them to dress to compliment their figures. And
they ended the episode with a photoshoot. Naked. Ah! Seems crazy, right? Or is it?
I know I am not alone in not always feeling beautiful. Most women I
know struggle with this at some time or another. Many authors and
bloggers have tackled this subject including: Cecily's Facing my Reflection and Kjersten's Mirror Mirror OFF the Wall.
We all have been bombarded by what the media presents as beautiful and
sexy and frankly most of us do not fit into the tiny box they've
created. Human beings are diverse and unique and our culture's
definition of beauty is not.
Aside from my internal struggle to be content with the way I appear on the outside... there is also my husband to consider. He is happy with how I look. But he also is surrounded by the world's version of beauty and it can be a distraction to him as well. Some people may ask the question: Should Christians do Boudior? Boudoir can be a blessing in a marriage. The article Christians and Boudoir says this: So, why do boudoir? I once heard a pastor refer to a man’s brain as a
Rolodex. A man has thousands of images that he is bombarded with every
day. Some good. Some not. Some holy. Some not. And whether he knows it
or not, he remembers them. Ever so often his Rolodex goes on shuffle and
pulls up an image in his mind. These images could even be as old as a
Playboy cover he saw years ago. Now, don’t go thinking men are sick.
It’s just the way God created them. They are visual. But, why should Christian couples be interested? Because of my Christian convictions, I believe that boudoir
photography is best used in the context of marriage. I think any man
would be delighted that his wife (or wife-to-be) would think enough of
him to give him a gift that takes a lot of courage and love to do. Now,
remember that Rolodex, ladies, how much better and holier is it if your husband’s brain goes on shuffle and up pops a gorgeous image of you…HIS WIFE? He is now thinking of the wonderful woman God blessed him with! What could be more God honoring than that?
At first I was totally psyched about doing the boudoir session. I made all these unrealistic goals to diet and lost X amount of weight before the session. As time went on and I realized that wasn't happening I began to become anxious about it. Frankly, if it wasn't something that I had already paid for I might have backed out.
But we ended up making arrangements for someone to watch the kids and Isaac came with me. We had silly conversations about what I should wear and how much to reveal, etc. Isaac was supportive and only wanted me to do what I was comfortable with. I searched Pinterest and found poses that I liked. I tried to be as prepared as I could be. I followed all the tips the photographer gave me ahead of time. I picked out a couple of sexy things to wear. I even practiced making a sultry faces... not a fan of that part. Did my hair up all fancy - for me anyway. I even got my makeup professionally done! I mean, if I'm gonna do it I want to do it right! ;-)
I was surprised at how comfortable I was during the photoshoot. The photographer was very professional and put us both at ease. She was very open to suggestion and did her best to work with the poses that I had collected. She took charge when needed and helped find ways to compliment my curves. The time passed quickly - it was a mini-session after all. Before I knew it she was showing us the proofs and we were picking out photos. Now to be honest... I was still overly critical of myself as we viewed the photos. I was making a weird face (was that supposed to be sexy or constipated?) in this one, that one showed too many fat rolls, etc... However, there were a few that I really did like and was happy with how they turned out. And naturally, my husband liked pretty much all of them.
This pix above was taken at our post-photo-session dinner date. I don't know if you can tell... but I feel pretty. ;-) And more than that, I felt empowered and confident. It was a liberating experience for me.
So... while I am not saying that every woman should do boudoir... I do think its worth considering. It was a blessing for my husband and my marriage and it could be for yours too.
Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. – Proverbs 5:18
A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. - Proverbs 5:19
My husband and I celebrated our ten year anniversary in January. While we had two nights in Indy to celebrate then but its been four years since we have taken a "real" trip together. We were both eager to set aside some time to devote to one another. And we felt a milestone like 10 years deserved something big!
Back in the fall we were given the opportunity to get a "free" cruise plus airfare if we would be willing to listen to a presentation from a timeshare company (they insisted it wasn't a timeshare but it sure seemed like one to us). Well, we weren't very interested in buying what they were selling (especially at the prices they were offering) but we were interested in the "free" cruise. So we went and sat through the whole presentation. It was rather tedious but we stuck it out. Frankly, by the end of the evening they had lowered their prices enough that we were actually considering it - but it was still a substantial investment and we don't make that kind of financial decision without careful consideration. They insisted that we had to sign up on the spot or the offer was off the table so we said no. But we got our certificates for our incentive cruise.
We were not completely surprised to discover that "free" was not exactly accurate. "Discounted" would have been more truthful. We had to jump through some hoops and be flexible on our dates of travel, etc. And we were responsible for some taxes and port fees, etc. But we do feel that it was worthwhile in the end.
We did end up with a busy itinerary. Wednesday we took Megabus from Indy to Chicago. We have some friends who live on the northside of Chicago so took them to dinner at Taste of Peru, this Peruvian restaurant that we found on a Diner, Drive-in and Dives fan site. It was really good food and great company. Our friends have always lived out of town so we don't get to see them nearly often enough. It was so nice to get to visit with them. They were kind enough to let us crash at their place and drive us to the airport at the crack of dawn the next morning.
Thursday we flew to Fort Lauderdale via Newark. When we arrived in FLL we attempted to figure out the public transportation to take us to Miami (where the Norwegian Cruise Line port is located). Being from the suburbs of Central Indiana we are not adept at public transportation and were easily lured into a shared van ride for a whoppin' $42 (when he quoted us he said $21 and we thought it was total, not per person). We were the last to be dropped off so we got a somewhat scenic tour of Miami on the way to our hotel. We enjoyed settling in at our beachfront hotel during the afternoon and took a walk on the beach. That evening we took an overpriced cab ride to Tap Tap, a Haitian restaurant (also from TripleD ). The decor was lively and the food was memorable. I had the shrimp in coconut sauce and it was amazing!
The next morning was leisurely and we hailed a taxi to take us to the cruise port around noon. This cab driver was insane. I seriously thought we were going to die... or hit a pedestrian or something. Not our best taxi experience. But we lived to tell about it so I guess we can't complain too much. ;-) We were ushered (or herded like cattle) through registration and customs and onto the Norwegian Sky. Neither of us having been on a cruise before we were blown away by the size of the ship. It is huge!
That day we were a little worn out from the traveling and just kind of chilled on the boat. I took a dip in the pool and we acclimated ourselves with the rest of the ship. There were several dining rooms that were complimentary, some that were open 24/7. We were very satisfied with those and did not even venture into the "specialty" dining rooms which all had cover charges.
The next day was spent at Great Stirrup Cay - a private island owned by Norwegian Cruise Line. There is no dock on the island so we had to use a tender to get to and from the island. There was a shopping area on the island as well as some recreational areas and the lunch buffet provided by NCL. We enjoyed the beach and lunch and did some shopping. We attempted to explore more of the island but it was under construction so there wasn't much we could see. The tender ride back to the ship was tumultuous. First, during the boarding a little girl got her foot smashed in the ramp. She was attended to promptly by staff but it shook everyone up. And then the waters were very rocky on our way back and the boarding of the ship took awhile because they had to keep stopping to let the water calm down. I was a little nervous during all of that.
That night we took in some of the entertainment offered on board the ship. Throughout our trip we saw the Deal or No Deal live gameshow, a Battle of the Sexes game, a comedian and a Showcase Showdown musical. Isaac also spent a little time playing blackjack in the onboard casino. I lost a little money playing slots but Isaac ended up $150 ahead in the end. Winner winner, chicken dinner!
The next day we were docked at Nassau for the day. It was kind of amusing to see the cluster of people inside the welcome center madly checking email and such on their laptops and phones in the wifi zone because you had to pay an overpriced amount for internet access on the ship. Everyone was technology deprived.
We indulged in the cliche and had lunch at Senor Frog's a few blocks away from the docks. It was like spring break in there! Lots of party girls "woo"ing. Isaac had some tasty wings and I got pretty good chicken tacos. They would have been great but I accidentally tainted them with what I thought was sour cream but ended up being blue cheese dressing. Ugh!
After lunch we wandered around the main downtown area a bit and ended up at the beach for awhile. I will admit that the skinny bikini clad gals I saw throughout our trip did not make me feel any better about myself... but I didn't let it put a damper on our trip. I had the attention and adoration of the only man that matters to me and that is all I can ask for. ;-)
We said good-bye to Nassau and the ship headed back to Miami. We had dinner in our room that evening but ended up walking around the deck late that night looking at the stars and clinging to our last night on the ship.
The next day we were again herded like cattle as we left the ship and returned to the mainland. We decided not to fork over the dough for the shared van ride to the airport this time and we did manage to navigate the Miami bus system... but it did take its toll on us. ;-) It took us a few hours to make what could have been a 40min trip. But we saved like $30. So there you go.
We are not in the position to take a trip like this too often... but I think we both realized how much we need to prioritize setting aside time together. Date nights are great but actually going away together is important too. We laughed and talked and enjoyed one another's company like we haven't done in a long time. Frankly, I was more relaxed than I have been in years. Having more than just a day or two without having to change a diaper or wipe a runny nose or feed someone every tedious bite of their meal... you get the idea... it was nice for the break.
We are so thankful to our friends and family who helped with the kids and transportation so that we could have this trip. We couldn't have done it without them and I certainly wouldn't have been able to relax well had I not known the kids were in good hands. Love you guys!
Here is a short slideshow of a few more pix from the trip. Enjoy!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 - Two
are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe
to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be
warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist
him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
We are a week away from the big day. You know, V-day. Love day. Valentine's Day! ;-)
Some may argue that its a commercial holiday made up by card companies, jewelers and restaurants to encourage the general public to overspend in an effort to impress their significant other. To an extent I respect that theory. It had become over commercialized. But so has our culture in general, so its no big surprise. I prefer to find simple, inexpensive ways to make my husband feel special and naturally I encourage him to do the same. ;-)
The 2010 movie Date Night portrays an out of touch married couple trying to spice things up with a fancy date in the city. And while the antics that follow are comedic and extreme, the rut the couple is in at the beginning of the movie will be all too familiar to many married couples. It does not have to be that way, people!
I do not think that a lot of money has to be spent. I do believe that time needs to be invested in our marriage relationship in order for us to sustain the love we share. It won't always feel like the exciting newness we had in the beginning. But it grows over time and through trials and we love one another more now than we did when we were first married. It is only because we purposefully set aside time to devote to one another that we are able to grow closer to each other. So, I would encourage all married couples to do whatever you need to in order to carve out that time. If you cannot afford a babysitter you can swap babysitting with another family or have naptime or after bedtime dates. If you cannot afford fancy dates then you can get creative and go to free museums, cook at home or use coupons when you dine out. Be intentional and find ways to be together intimately.
Dating Divas post creative date night ideas all the time. I love seeing their themed date nights! So fun and creative (and usually inexpensive too). They have printables and activity ideas that would appeal to a variety of interests.
Modern Parents Messy Kids
has a fun post with ideas for a Daytime (in some people's case a
"naptime") Date. Pair some cheese and fruit with a little afternoon
delight maybe?
Redbook shares 100 Date Night Ideas. Wow! They range from taking a bubble bath together to heading to a jazz club, to making ice cream sundaes together after the kids go to bed... and many more great ideas!
A friend of mine pinned a list of unusual date ideas on Pinterest. There are some really creative (albeit a little weird) things to do together on this list. Check it out here.
Time Warp Wife shares candidly about how we often become lazy (I know I do) when it comes to looking nice for our husbands. She certainly doesn't encourage wives to parade around like prom queens... but really, I think we all can tell a difference in how we feel and how we are seen when we take a few minutes just to put ourselves together instead of staying in our pjs all day like we all would like to do. ;-) So, especially when you are able to have a date night, take the time to wear something you feel good in and do your hair up nice... because he is worth it! And so are you!
“Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” -1 Corinthians 16:13
My hubs and I celebrated our ten year anniversary last week. Thanks to a couple of wonderful ladies who watched our kids we were able to spend a couple of nights alone for the first time in what feels like ages.
We enjoyed attending an interactive mystery dinner at the Indianapolis Propylaeum. Each guest at the table had a character to play in the mystery and we all followed a script and worked together to figure out who among us was the killer. We almost got it but in the end we guessed wrong. But so did 90% of the groups that participated. ;-) It was a lot of fun!
On Saturday afternoon we walked around the mall and had lunch from the food court (Bourbon Chicken is one of my hubby's faves). In the Arts Garden there was a husband wife duo performing some Celtic folk songs. They were really talented. I think they played between 8-10 instruments between the two of them.
On the second night we used a previously purchased Groupon for this cute
little Italian place that we love downtown. Its called Amici's and its so good!
We are so thankful for the work that God is doing in our lives. We have had our ups and downs but we truly feel that we grow stronger and closer with each trial that we face. We love each other more now than we did when we got married and we will love one another even more ten years from now. We are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us in the years to come.
"A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." - Ecclesiastes 4:12
