Day Five: A Thank-You Letter to Someone Who has Changed Your Life

Of all the people in my life, my husband truly has changed my life the most. Though it may seem corny or mushy to some, it's the absolute truth. He has made me a better person- and so I chose to write this blog specifically for him tonight.

To my husband-

Thank you.

You challenge me each and every day to be the best I can be- to live up to my full potential. You encourage me to live my life for Christ, and you push me to grow in my faith and in my relationship with Christ.

When we first met, I was lost in so many ways. I didn't truly know who I was, and you have helped me find myself. You have helped me tear down many walls I had placed around my heart, and you have shown me that there is so much good in this world.

You understand me although I don't understand myself a large portion of the time. You understand- and accomodate my little quirks. You appreciate my silly side- and you fuel my fire. You let me vent when my redheaded temper flares- and you just sit back and smile until I'm done.

You share my love for life, family, and most importantly, Christ. You share my dreams, and I share yours. We're perfectly imperfect- and that's how it should be.

Putting it simply, you bring out the best in me. That is one of the many reasons I fell in love with you... and continue to do so each day.

I love you, Andrew.

Thank you for being my best friend and husband. Thank you for changing my life for the best!

Day Four: What You Imagine Paradise to be Like

The only bad thing about a 30 day challenge is the days you don't feel like blogging. Today is one of those, but I'm going to suck it up and blog anyway.

Paradise:

Clear blue skies
Sunny every day

Soft rains- only at night
Cool, crisp air
No humidity
Light, occasional breeze
Green grass
Pretty flowers
Trees everywhere

No snakes
No lizards
Actually, no reptile
... or animal without fur

Ice cream diets
Vinegar chips every day
Favorite foods made instantly
Shopping done for me

Endless time to cook
and craft
and enjoy life

Kindness
Unconditional love
Compassion
Selflessness
Care
Understanding
Faith
Strength

More time for my husband
Family
Friends

Less time for technology
Less crime
No child abuse
No more deadbeat parents

Mountains
Creeks
Waterfalls
Rivers
Lakes

Christ-centered
Deeper faith
Stronger connections

In a nutshell, that's what my paradise looks like!

Day Three: Five Songs You Would Have with You on a Desert Island and Why:

You know, this may not be such a bad thing!



My song list:

1. Here in this Moment by Beckah Shae

- No matter what mood I'm in, this song gets me pumped up. I love the beat, the words, and the overall song. This song would brighten my days and remind me that each moment I spend alone, I spend with God. No matter what, I would not be alone. So, this would be my go-to song when I needed lifted up and encouraged.

2. Lead Me by Sanctus Real

- I would choose this song because it reminds me of Andrew. He had me listen to this song over the summer, and ever since then, it's kind of served as a testimony to how Andrew lives his life. I would listen to this song when I needed to be reminded of my husband and his love.

3. Country Roads by John Denver

- When I was a child, my dad always sang me to sleep with this song. Every time I hear it, I'm taken back in time to the days when my parents were getting a divorce. This song always comforted me- and always made me feel like everything was ok. I would pick this song to remind me of the strong love my family has.

4. Better than a Hallelujah by Amy Grant

- This song always reminds me that no matter what is going on in my life, God wants to know about it. He cares about my accomplishments, my emotions, and the bad things that happen to me. He wants all of my heart. I would pick this song to remind me that God wants me to turn to Him with everything.

5. Come Away with Me by Norah Jones

- This song can always calm me down. If I am ever feeling apprehensive, I play Norah Jones. Her soothing voice takes all of my cares away. I would also use this song to help me drown out my worries at night so I could sleep.

I chose songs that build me up, calm me down, and remind me of all the people who love me. Music plays such a big role in people's emotions, so I picked songs that bring out the best emotions in me.

Twister Bows: Use or Lose?

Last night, I was a bit bored and had creativity gushing from me. I twisted, glued, and twisted some more. This is what came of it:

This one is sitting slightly crooked because it's already attached to its matching alligator clip.

All would be fasted to a matching, lined alligator clip.

This is how they would look attached to a headband.

This is just another color variation of the above bow.

This was my first attempt... and slighty different version of the bow.

So, what do you think? Should I keep making these- or forget about them? Time and opinion will tell. I do know one thing... they are a ton of fun to make. And, yes, I will eat my words. I have now made a larger bow. Of some sort that is. BUT- they aren't the typical fluff bow, so that is one winning quality.



Day Two: Something that Inspires You

I have so many inspirations- life in itself is an inspiration. It was a bit hard to choose a topic for this blog, but I have finally decided.

My younger siblings inspire me.

Miranda, Izaak and Zoe are all quite a bit younger than me; therefore, they have always looked up to me for guidance, love, and support.

Throughout my teenage and adult years, they inspired me to be the best person I could be. I always knew that they were watching me, modeling me, and expecting me to show them how to live their lives.

This was an incredibly tall order- especially considering there is one in our family who didn't provide the best role model. I felt I had to over-compensate for his decisions.

Nevertheless, I am who I am largely because of my siblings.

I know that I failed a lot- and I didn't always provide the best example, but I do know that I've always taken into consideration the example I'm setting for them before I do anything.

They inspire me to be strong in my faith.

They inspire me to love deeply.

They inspire me to show kindness and compassion.

They inspired to to break the silence in my family.

They inspire me to live life.

They inspire me to laugh.

They inspire me to put others first.

Their young lives inspire me to be the best possible person I can be.

I hope that I have inspired them to be better people as well. They have left such a deep mark on my life- and I love them all so much.

To Tyler- You inspire me to be a better Christian. You challenge my faith. You challenge me. I love you like crazy... and I am so proud of the man you've become!

Day One: Random Craving

I have already blogged about how I often crave vinegar based foods, so it was a little tough to come up with another random craving. Andrew always jokes that when I'm pregnant someday, I will actually crave normal foods because I'm so backwards already. Maybe he's right.

Anyway...

After a good bowl of chili, I often crave...

M&M's.

Why? I don't know. There is just something mouth-watering about chocolatey M&M's with the crisp candy coating after a spicy bowl of hot chili. Funny thing? I'm not a huge fan of chocolate- which makes this craving ultra strange and random.

And, then, of course...

With my M&M's, I crave Pepsi.

Once again, I don't know why, but there is nothing like an ice-cold Pepsi to top off a handful (or two!) of M&M's.

Soo...

Chili = M&M's = Ice-Cold Pepsi



30 Day Challenge

My friend recently began a blog series that I really liked. For thirty days, she has various topics to write on. It's been really neat to see what she has to say, and I decided that it would be easy for me to do it as well- especially with the big move coming and the busy Christmas season that's just around the corner. Have no fear, I will still blog about food, crafting, and life! But, I will also post one of these blogs each day. So... here goes, I'm diving in! I picked different questions, simply because I wanted to do something a little different.

Here are the topics for the next 30 days:

Day One: Random Craving:

Day Two: Something that inspires you:

Day Three: The five songs you would have with you on a desert island and why:

Day Four: What you imagine paradise to be like:

Day Five: A thank you letter to someone who has changed your life:

Day Six: Earliest thing you can remember:

Day Seven: Something you definitely can live without:

Day Eight: Someone you think would make a good president:

Day Nine: An item from your wish list:

Day Ten: Five things you want to see change:

Day Eleven: Dream House:

Day Twelve: Favorite picture ever taken of yourself:

Day Thirteen: Favorite movie:

Day Fourteen: A moment, phrase, or song that has changed your life the most:

Day Fifteen: Something that you want to do within the next five years:

Day Sixteen: A picture that makes you feel ______:

Day Seventeen: A passage from a book that has touched you:

Day Eighteen: Photo of a hairstyle you'd like to have:

Day Nineteen: A band that you immediately liked and the song that made you like them:

Day Twenty: Things you want your children to know:

Day Twenty-One: Someone you would give your life up for without question:

Day Twenty-Two: Most awkward first impression you feel you’ve ever given:

Day Twenty-Three: Place where you want to live:

Day Twenty-Four: Something you would do if no one stopped you or if you knew you wouldn’t fail:

Day Twenty-Five: Your definition of love:

Day Twenty-Six: Your definition of the meaning of life:

Day Twenty-Seven: A moment you remember being completely happy:

Day Twenty-Eight: What you live for:

Day Twenty- Nine: How you feel loved:

Day Thirty: Ways you believe you have grown over the past thirty days:

Stay tuned... if you want!

Welcoming Andrew Home

As I've mentioned before, Theodore is pretty anti-social these days. Well, when Andrew's not home that is. Last night, I captured the progression of the evening to prove to Andrew what he's like.

This is Theodore from about 1 in the afternoon to 10:14 last night.

This is Theodore at 10:15. Andrew's car had just pulled into the driveway. By the way, he's staring right at the door.

This is Theodore after he hears Andrew clear his throat while walking across the pathway to the door. If you can't see him- look harder. His tail is there.

This is Theodore bombarding Andrew as he walks in.

These are my boys playing their welcome home game.

Too sweet.

This cat is in for a rude awakening when the move to New York is here. He doesn't want to discuss it right now, but I'm afraid I'll have a very sad kitty on my hands. Too bad I'm so fond of the little guy, or I'd let him go a bit early.



Home Sweet Home

I rarely blog twice in one day, but I've been itching to share this news for several days now. So, here's goes!

Andrew and I will be moving to New York!!

Not New York City either... This is what we will be blessed with once we're there:

Oh yes, it's gorgeous!

Let's backtrack...

About a month ago, I blogged about how pitiful I was feeling. In that same blog, I promised to gain a better outlook on everything- and to trust in the Lord more. Let me share a bit...

Andrew graduates in just a few short weeks from Missouri S&T as a mining engineer. With the job market as it is, we were nervous about what the future might hold. We said a lot of prayers- and we asked for God's will to be done... no matter what. Meaning, if we had to spend even more time apart while I finish school, we would accept it.

Andrew was offered two second interviews... one with Cargill in Lansing, New York and one with another company in Missouri. I, of course, was cheering for the Missouri job... at first. Andrew had the New York interview first. We continued to pray diligently.

As the first interview grew nearer, instead of feeling a sense of severe anxiety, we both felt complete calmness- the kind that only comes from the Lord.

Once in New York, there was no doubt that this was God's will for our future. Andrew felt right at home, and he loved the mine and his future fellow employees. We decided late one night, over the phone, that if he was offered the job we would accept.

Talk about laying down my pride.

We were adamant that we didn't want to move to the east coast- we wanted to move west. We also never thought we'd end up in New York- and now we are extremely excited to get there.

Today, Andrew accepted a job offer as a full-time mining engineer with Cargill!

It truly is amazing what God will do with our lives when we are willing to let Him take control. I know that it will be hard to spend four more months apart, but really, it isn't much at all in the large scheme of things. We've spend most of our first year of marriage apart, but we are stronger than ever.

We have learned so much trust, patience, and love living apart. God has a purpose for this extended time apart- and we are totally willing to let Him be in charge.

So, in short- I am incredibly proud of my husband and his amazing accomplishments, and I look forward to living in New York!



Little Peanut Bows

I couldn't think of a name for my latest creations, and then as I was lying awake last night at about midnight, the name just hit me.

Little Peanut.

My dad gave me this cute little nickname as a child, and I think these little bows are too cute for words. So, that was that... My newest collection of creativity will be known as Little Peanut Bows.

Take a peek:

I am obviously addicted! I have worked on these for the past two evenings. I needed something to fill my time as I had my mind on another very exciting event that I will be posting about soon, and these were just what I needed. They are adorable!

Each bow consists of three layers:

1. The Base: This layer covers the alligator clip and provides fun, all-around coverage.

2. The Loopy Bow: This layer adds the cuteness.

3. The Wrap: This layer provides the "pop" the bow needs!

The backs of the alligator clips are even covered! This allows for cute coverage- no matter the angle!

And, to give you a perspective, this is how they look on! I wore one to my 11 hour externship day yesterday, and it held my thick hair in place ALL day. I received many compliments on the one I wore. I am excited to have something that can be worn both by those young... and not so young.

Check out my Tailor Made by Abby facebook page for purchasing information!