Celebrating Freedom

"We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in Heaven, and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come."

Samuel Adams

1854

Samuel Adams spoke these words after signing the Declaration of Independence. Our founders, and those who fought the Revolutionary War, did so in order for us to have freedom from Britain. More importantly, they fought so that we could be a Christian nation without persecution. Although our country has strayed away from its foundation, I believe that our founding fathers knew what they were doing. God has given us the opportunity to live in a country where we can freely express ourselves. The 4th of July means so much to me. I respect the men and women who sacrifice their lives for our freedom, I am thankful for the founding fathers, and most of all, I am so grateful that God has blessed this great country even though we do not deserve all that He has given us.

Andrew and I celebrated our first holiday as a married couple this past weekend. We had all kinds of big plans to spend it at home with each other, but Andrew cancelled our holiday plans after we attended Cowboy Church. We decided that it would be much more meaningful if we visited our families. So, we packed up and left. The closer we got to my hometown, the more excited I got! I hadn't seen my family since the wedding, and I was (am!) missing them like crazy!

We surprised my mom, stepdad, and sister with our visit. We hitched a ride with my dad and his family, so we couldn't surprise them. But, the look on my sister's face was priceless!! I soooooo enjoyed seeing her! I've been so lonesome for her, and it was great to spend time with her.

We all enjoyed some homemade kettle corn, and I think my husband enjoyed it a little too much!! He sure can make us laugh!

The fireworks that we saw were gorgeous. First Baptist of Arnold puts on an amazing, Christian-based festival. I am so glad my brother, Tyler, extended the invitation to us!

The photos are courtesy of my stepdad, Steve. As I said, the fireworks were awesome. They were, by far, the most vibrant fireworks I have ever seen. They were so colorful and beautiful!!

As they burst in the night sky, I thought of the Star Spangled Banner, and I couldn't have been prouder to be an American! I am going to devote time daily to pray that our country turns back to its roots. We live in an amazing country, and my hope and prayer for this country is that we, as Christians, show Christ's love to all.

Once again...

God bless America!! I am so blessed to call this country home!

Happy 4th of July!!

Happy 4th of July, readers!!

Have fun... Be Safe...

and remember what it takes to keep our great country free!

Men and women have sacrificed their lives for our independence throughout the history of our nation. Take time to thank someone who is serving, or has served, our country.

Most of all... Remember that God gave us this land and freedom, because of Him we can enjoy living in a country where we don't have to be afraid to speak His name. We don't have to hid our faith. He is good!

Happy 4th of July!!!

Summer Produce

The only thing better than fresh, homegrown summer produce is FREE fresh, homegrown summer produce. As mentioned previously, I looooove summer fruits and veggies. I mostly love the summer veggies, but since tomatoes are technically a fruit, I won't claim that veggies are my favorite.

Yesterday, Andrew's Nana showed up at my front door with her arms loaded down.

She brought us five ears of homegrown sweet corn. She's kept us supplied on this tasty summer treat. I can't wait to grill some this weekend!! Well, I can't wait for Andrew to grill some this weekend. YUM!

Most importantly...

She brought the most tasty, plump, red tomatoes! I can eat these just like you would an apple. And I have. Two are now missing from this bowl. My taste buds are thanking Nana for this juicy surprise!

Nana has been so good to us. She brought a hot home-cooked meal to the house this week as well. We're very thankful to have such a sweet lady living so close!

Happy, Happy Birthday!!

I blog about my mom often enough for my frequent readers to know that she is pretty amazing! We have a great relationship- and, yes, it's had its ups and downs like every relationship does. But, I have always been able to recognize how great of a person she is. She has a wonderful heart. She is thoughtful, caring, and kind. She shows love to everyone who crosses her path. She's just awesome!

She is a beautiful lady inside and out. She handles situations with class and grace. She's outstanding. Did I mention that she's absolutely gorgeous?!

I am incredibly blessed to have been raised by such a wonderful person. She has taught me to love... to trust... to respect... to dream... to achieve... and most of all, she has demonstrated a deep love for God. She's such a wonderful role model, and I am so proud to call her my mom!

Annnnnddd...

Today is also my little brother's birthday. He's 14. I remember the day he was born- I cried when I had to leave the hospital. He was the cutest little baby you ever did see!

So- happy birthday to my baby brother. When did you become a young man?!

Annnnnndddd...

Happy Birthday to my sweet Aunt Kim!!

July 1st has blessed me with many wonderful people!! I am so thankful for this day and the lives that were born!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EVERYONE!!

 

Oh, You Make Me Smile!

It's plain and simple- my husband makes me smile... laugh... and enjoy life. It's normally the little things in life that make me smile and laugh the most.

Last night, as I was going to bed, Andrew said he was going to stay up and do the dishes before he called it a night. This made me smile.

This morning, I was quickly running around getting ready for school. Something stopped me in my tracks.

I looked at the sink filled with clean dishes and saw this...

... this made me laugh.

Like I said, it's something as simple as a collander balancing from a pot handle that can make me laugh. I so enjoy being married to someone who can so easily make me smile and laugh.

Like I said- it's the little moments that can make the biggest impressions.

I couldn't think of a better way to begin my day!

And, yes, those are homegrown tomatoes in the background. That makes me smile as well. A watermelon has recently been added to my collection of summer produce. I'm a happy gal!

Need You Now

Long day.

Exhausted.

Crabby.

Done.

My midterm was 5 pages front and back... essay. Yes, I wrote that much. Why? Because I wanted to cover as many bases as I could. Maybe get SOME points. Yeah, it was one of those. And, because of this class and a group project, I was unable to see Andrew before he went to work. Sucks.

Anyways, after my midterm, followed by class (yes, she required class AFTER the test), I was fed up with school and done. My solution: Andy's Blackberry Concrete. I thought it would do the trick. It raised my spirits quite nicely.

Andrew had texted me saying I had a surprise at home. When I got here, he had ordered my favorite pizza of all times, Papa John's breakfast bacon and onion, just so I wouldn't have to cook tonight. He spoils me! I thought that this was my surprise.

Then, I came across fresh chicken tenderloins in the fridge. I thought this, too, was my surprise. But, I was confused because he said I only had one surprise for the day. But, you see, I don't like frozen chicken, and chicken tenderloins far outweigh chicken breasts. I'm wanting to make tortilla pizzas with whole wheat tortillas, tomato paste, garlic, sauteed aspargus and chicken tossed in cooking wine, and parmeasan cheese. So... he made sure he picked up the best chicken for the pizzas.

Then, I saw my favorite popcorn and quart baggies that I take it to school in. I thought this was probably my surprise. Little did I know that all of these items were just him being sweet and making sure he got everything that I love the most. Again, he spoils me rotten.

Really. Truly.

And I don't take a single thing for granted.

About an hour ago, I found my "real" surprise...

Yes, that's right... The Lady A CD I've been coveting for some time now. Attached is a note which reads, "Only surprise for today." Little does he know, this made my day. Since finding this sweet surprise, I've been listening to the songs and chilling out. What's exciting about this CD- it's real life... and very love-centered. It's perfect.

He sure knows how to make a bad day better... even when he isn't here with me. He's wonderful, and I am sooo blessed to have him as my husband! I'm so lucky to be in love with my best friend!

Happy Summer!

Sweet Summertime...

In celebration of summer, Andrew and I purchased our first watermelon for the summer.

As Andrew was cutting into it, it popped right open. That meant it was going to be yummy.

I couldn't help but to dig right in. It is quite possibly the best watermelon I've ever tasted.

Mmm Mmm Mmm!

We also purchased our first round of homegrown tomatos. We can't wait to grow our own, but for now, we must rely on others. We bought them from the same stand as the watermelon, and I am hoping they have the same great quality of taste! I am so looking forward to biting into one of these!

Homegrown produce = The reason I love summer.

Little Surprises

Today Andrew went grocery shopping for our upcoming camping trip. Andrew is the world's best at picking up little surprises for me when he goes to the grocery store. He doesn't always do this, but he is fairly consistent at spoiling me rotten.

When I got home from school today, I was met with a somewhat crabby husband. He picked up the mail today... which is something he never does. I love mail days. We've established that before on this blog. BUT... He got the mail today. This is probably a good thing overall. The mail was filled with multiple items of bad news. Not really bad- just aggravating. Sooo... he was not happy.

But... As he was leaving for work, he told me to look around for little surprises that he had picked up. I so love my silly, wonderful husband!!

Surprise #1...

He got me a hot pink blow up raft! We are going camping this weekend as I already mentioned, and since it's going to be extremely hot, we are camping near water. So, he got this so I could float around on it! Yay!

Surprise #2...

I am completely, utterly, and severly spoiled. I LOVE Fiji water. It just so happens that it's the more expensive of the bottled waters. Andrew knows that I adore Fiji water... the bottle, the presentation, the taste... everything. So, he caters to my taste buds and buys me this water as a surprise.

Surprise #3...

Yes, it's another bottle of Fiji water! What a perfect item to take camping! And, yes, he labels my surprises with sticky notes... which makes the whole thing even cuter. Please ignore the Shrek milk. That is NOT a surprise- that belongs to the little girl I babysat last night. Anyways- back to my adorable husband. I love surprises, and I love him for wanting to surprise me. As I said in my blog last night, it's those little moments that connect us that mean the most. I love him so much!

Along with the surprises, I saw that he had purchased our favorite brownie mix. It wasn't put away with the other groceries; instead, it was sitting out with the rest of the food that we are taking camping. I'm not sure if he was hinting around at wanting baked brownies or not, but I decided to prepare a little surprise for him to have when he gets off of work...

... I baked a super yummy pan of brownies. Yes, I had to taste test them first to make sure they were acceptable to feed to my love!

Anyways, I just had to devote this blog to a little bragging session about how wonderful my husband is. I truly did marry a top-notch guy!! He makes me smile.

Sweet Connections

Two days after the wedding, Andrew was put on night shift for his internship. This means that as I am getting home, he is leaving. Sometimes our paths cross- that's wonderful. Also, he gets home late, which means I'm sleeping soundly after a long night of thank you cards, looking at wedding pictures, and doing homework.

Last Friday, I didn't have school. We were between the pre-session and regular summer session. That meant that I did not have to get up early- which made the wheels in my head start spinning...

Then, as Andrew was getting ready for work, he commented on one thing that he really missed more than anything else. What was that, you may ask? Well... he missed having a fresh out of the oven meal with his wife. He missed sitting at the dinner table with me. He missed my homecooking.

As a newlywed, this melted my heart. And, I simply could not stand by and let this feeling go on. So, I set out to fix it. I took an hour nap to regroup from finals that day, and then I got to work making a homemade lasagna. Yum!

I prepared the lasagna ahead of time so that all I would have to do an hour before he was due home is pop it in the oven to bake to perfection. What a good idea!

Here is the bubbling lasagna. Mmm, Mmm, Mmm!!

I also set the table nicely. For picture purposes, the lights are on. But, when Andrew walked through the door, the lights were all off, and the candles were light. I poured glasses of sparkling grape juice and just waited for him to walk through the door!

When he came in, his face lit up! It was the cutest thing ever- he was so excited to be able to share a homecooked me with me!

I believe my reward was much greater though- I love giving rather than receiving. It made my heart feel so good to know that I had done something that meant so much to him! It was such a great evening!

Then...

I got home the other day to a much cleaner house, all of our new cube organizers were put together, the bed was made, the dishes were done, and this sweet note was left on my pillow!!

Despite the fact that he's working so hard to earn a living for us right now, he understands that I am also busy with school work. These little reminders... and little acts of kindess go such a long way with us.

We have to reach out to each other in this way- we have to do little things here and there so that we stay connected. Although he is almost done with the night shift, it's been difficult having to be apart right after the wedding. But, we've done such a great job staying connected throughout the week, and truthfully, I've really enjoyed being able to spoil him from time to time. He deserves it.

Wedding Blog: Post Wedding Fun

I know, I know... Two blogs in one day. But, what can I say? My husband is working, and I want to avoid doing homework. So... here I am, blogging again. Also, I'm pretty excited to blog about other events in my life, and this blog will conclude the wedding series.

Let's begin:

This is the quaint little cottage we stayed in the night of the wedding. It is the most adorable little house ever, and it was right on site! So, after leaving the reception, we drove to a local gas station and grabbed a soda. That gave our guests time to clear out... mostly. We hadn't told anyone where we were staying.

I want a door like this someday. The green is so peaceful and inviting... and would be even without the "welcome" sign. Oh, it's just too cute for words!!

As we entered the cottage, we walked into a little sitting area with an electric fireplace. Hey, it might be fake, but it sure was nice to have a fire the next morning! It added some atmosphere!

As we walked through the living room, we entered the kitchen. Notice the wood floors- they are original. Very old, very cool. Love it!

We found that the upstairs houses a loft. In the loft, we discovered a bed with the softest comforter known to man. I'm telling you, this thing was incredibly soft and just as comfy as can be!

The bedroom area is connected to the bathroom. No privacy here.

The next morning, while I was getting ready for our gift opening luncheon, Andrew made me breakfast! He made his famous (to me!) egg sandwich, and boy was it delicious! It was such a nice treat to have breakfast made for me!

He also brought a plate of fresh fruit up to me while I was getting ready. The staff at Riverbend Chapel had this waiting for us in the fridge. It sure was tasty!

We had the most amazing stay at this little cottage to top of the wedding of our dreams. Once again, everything was absolutely perfect!!! We couldn't have asked for more!

But... the fun wasn't ending just yet! We left the cottage to head to my mom's house. Mom had prepared a nice luncheon for my family and Andrew's family to share before Andrew and I opened gifts. But, before we headed over to the house, we had to make a quick stop...

... to get my hair chopped off!! I convinced the sweet lady who did my hair for the wedding to come in on a Sunday and chop a good six inches off of my hair! I would like to get a little more cut off, but this is a nice start! I am soooo thankful she was willing to do this, and she did such a great job!

Anyways, Andrew and I posed for our first post-wedding picture with all of our gifts from the wedding! There is no doubt that we are well loved.

Though we opened many awesome gifts, I am not going to post them all. One of the coolest we received was a cedar chest of my Granny Miff's. It's been in our family for many generations, and I've had my eye on it for a while. Little did I know that Granny Miff was having my brother, Tyler, restore it and make it absolutely beautiful.

Inside the chest was a note from my Granny Miff about the origin of this beautiful chest and also before and after pictures... including ones of my brother working on it. So cool!

We opened many useful, meaningful, and wonderful gifts. We are thankful to all who helped us celebrate our wedding day! Most of all, we are thankful for the gift of love. We are surrounded by so many people who love us, pray for us, and lift our spirits. That is an irreplaceable gift, and it's the best gift of all!

After a fun day of fellowship and gift opening, we got in our cars and drove away into our happily ever after...

... and we've been enjoying it ever since!!

I love being married... I love my husband... and I thank God each and every day for the many blessings He's given me. I could not have wished for a better husband, and I am so excited to see what God has in store for our future!