There's Nothing Like a Sister

In college I lived three hours away from my sisters. During my freshman year when I did not have my car at school, my oldest sister Angie drove the three hours to pick me up and then drove the three hours back home. My other sister, Mindy, made the same six-hour trip to take me back at the end of the weekend. That is how much they wanted to spend time with me.

Mindy ended up moving to Florida the next year, so my college years were spent with many trips up to visit Angie. Her boys were born while I was in school and I could not get enough. Whenever I visited I would spoil them rotten and I could always count on a shared coffee cake and free loads of laundry. It was my closest "home" to visit and she always took great care of me.

After college I moved to Florida... Mindy lived three miles away. In the five years that I lived down there she became the friend that I could count on for anything, call at any time, and her door was always open. We ran too many miles together to count, and even though we were not necessarily thrilled to be out there, we were always happy we accomplished our mileage. Some of our best talks were on those runs and we have finished two half-marathons and a full marathon side by side.

When we moved to Small Town, Illinois, it was the first time in ten years that I did not live within a short drive to visit at least one of them. I was thrilled to be moving here, of course, and am still as happy as can be that our lives are here, but there are days that I miss them more than I thought I would. Because we moved around so much during our youth when my dad was in the army, I never really get "homesick" because I don't really have a place that is "home." Home is here now and I wouldn't have it any other way. I realized recently, however, that I do get extremely "sistersick." No matter how many great friends I have here (and believe me, I have many wonderful ones and am extremely blessed) there is just nothing like a sister. Sisters are those gals that make you laugh so hard you start crying, can bring up an inside joke from twenty years ago that will just set you off, recall your most embarrassing moments, give the best hugs when you need one, let you borrow their clothes (or recommend that you change!), and truly love you unconditionally. With a sister you know that no matter what they know about you, what mistakes you've made, or what they've seen you through, they're going to love you no matter what. I can't imagine my life without the two of them.

During the first week of this month, I drove to Kentucky to visit Angie. An 8 hour drive with a 6-month old kid was worth it to see her. She would've done the same for me. When I got there, my other sister was there, too, with her son! My mom had joined her on the drive from Florida (16 hours I believe!) to surprise me and it was wonderful to have all of us in one place. Having all three of us together happens few and far between now that I live in the cold white north, so I was extremely grateful to get them both for a few days. I can't say that we did anything all that exciting, and honestly I can't really think of a single highlight to blog about, but it filled a void that I didn't even realize was forming in my heart. As I hugged Mindy goodbye after three (too short) days and Angie goodbye a few days later, tears welled up in my eyes and that sinking feeling started creeping in rather quickly. They grew up alongside of me and helped shape who I am, so I am forever a part of them. Maybe that's why I feel like a part of me is missing when they are not around.

The good news is that I won't have to wait too long to get another dose. Mindy, her husband Michael, and their son Adam are coming to visit this Christmas! Just knowing that makes the "sistersickness" a little more bearable. Mindy and I have been on the phone already, acting like giddy teenagers and making plans. The questions are far too detailed for a trip that is still two months away... "can you make sure it will snow while we're there?" "Can you make sure we have a white Christmas?" "Do you think we can borrow a snowsuit together so that the boys can both be in the snow at the same time?" "Wanna spend a night in the city?" "Do we need to bring the carseat or do you have an extra?" and things like that. But talking about it seems to make it that much closer so I think we'll continue to do so until December 18th rolls around. One thing we are not discussing is whether or not she should bring her running shoes because I am pretty sure the answer is a big fat "no."

I used to think that I was such an independent gal that I would never need to (or even really want to necessarily) live in the same state, much less town, than my family. The older I get (and the more kids we have), I realize how untrue that is becoming. So even though these trips will do for now, I'm thinking that maybe one day, albeit years and years in the future, we'll venture toward wherever they are. One can hope so anyway.

Angie and Mindy~ I love you gals more than you will ever know. I'm not sure what compelled me to sit down and dedicate an entire post to you today, but it's probably just because I don't tell you that enough. Thanks for being the two greatest sisters a girl can have, for treating my husband as if he's been in the family all along (and seriously, can you even remember what life was like without him? How boring!), and for loving on my son the way you do. We are so blessed to be a part of your lives. Just move closer, okay??? I hope to see you both very soon!

Angie, Mindy, and Me - October 2010

Someday I would hope to have two girls of my own so that they can share what we have together. But at the rate this bunch is going, we'll have nothing but boys!

October???

Seriously... is it already the 19th of this month? Where did the first 18 go? This month has gone by in a blur and it feels like Christmas will be here before I know it. It's my favorite time of the year here in Mauneyland and everyday seems to be filled with perfect weather, vibrant leaves, endless sunshine, and therefore zero reason to sit inside and blog. Or do anything for that matter. We woke up this morning to 30 degree weather, so I know that winter is right around the corner and we'll be holed up inside for three months or so. Although I'm not looking forward to that, I do love the changing of the seasons and everything that comes with each one. So even though I have a ton to catch you up on... I'm going to neglect my blog once again and go take the boy for a walk! Fall is awaiting!

But just to tie you over... here is some of our autumn fun so far. More to come including a post on our Kentucky visit, Jake's 7 month post, and a couple of other surprises.

Now get out from your computer and do the same... you'll be glad that you did!

Beefcake

Half a year... we made it. I can still remember bringing little Jake home from the hospital, terrified that we were going to break him. And now, I can't remember life without him. It's both funny and amazing to think about how quickly a person can adjust to parenthood. We went from twenty-some-odd years of living life for ourselves, selfishly using our time however we pleased, to trading that in for the world's most demanding, yet loveable, boss. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

We had our six month check-up the other day and our suspicions were confirmed: this kid really is a beefcake. Maybe we're just living up to the Midwestern standard of having "corn-fed" kids. Then again, Josh and I are both very ambitious, so perhaps we're just trying to grow the world's biggest baby. After being weighed and measured last week, the doc told us that she couldn't even give us a percentile... he has officially moved off of the charts for his age. Seriously, what are we feeding him? I think he must wake up in the middle of the night and raid the cupboards. That and he's taking some sort of supplement for height. He isn't chunky by any means, so that weight is spread out on a long frame. I think he's going to be taller than the both of us by the time he's three. So without further ado, here is our "little" beefcake at six months old:

Height: 28 inches
Weight: 19 lbs, 10 oz.

In true 6-month form, everything goes in the mouth.
No teeth yet though, which makes mommy happy.
I love that little toothless grin.

And now we officially need to baby proof. At six months Jake has officially mastered crawling and is well on his way to gaining some speed. The scary thing is that sometimes I hear him before I see him and realize that he's into something that I thought I had put away. Within the same week of figuring the crawling thing out, he started trying to pull himself up on everything. He's still not very good at it, and his balance is terrible, so we've already had a couple of bumps on the head. The boy loves to eat and likes everything he has tried except for yogurt, to which he overdramatically gagged as if we had fed him dirt. I think I need it on video. What good is having a kid if you can't use him for entertainment, right? Now that he's eating solids, he wants whatever it is that I'm having. He has tried a nibble of a Dove chocolate bar and my best friend let him have a taste of her ice cream and he went crazy for both! He even cried when we didn't let him have anymore. Hmmm... what else? Oh yes, he's still obsessed with cups. He wants nothing to do with a sippy cup and wants to drink from a big boy cup. He actually does pretty well but occassionally will dump it down the front of his shirt, thus choking on the full glass of water that just tried to go down his throat. He truly is a character and my life is fuller everyday because of the bubbly, happy, silly personality he has. I am so very much in love.

Some days I sit back and watch him. As he works hard to figure something out or learn a new trick I wonder, "where did my little tiny baby boy go?" I understand now that time really does move faster when you have a child. I also understand why people have more than one. At the rate he is growing, we're going to have to get started on making baby #2!

Here he was at 1 month *sigh*

And now at 6 months and cuter than ever

Okay, Jake, that's enough. You can stop growing now.

Ministry-versary

When I was a freshman in college, my resident assistant Marissa knew that I was one of the few kids not going home for Easter and invited me to church with her. Glad to have someone to spend the day with, I happily obliged and off we went in our Sunday best to go celebrate the resurrection. During the service, however, I was extremely uncomfortable. There were no hymnals, but a band with drums and an electric guitar instead. The words were not in a book but on a large screen in the front of the auditorium. But the strangest part to me was that as I looked around, people were singing and holding their arms up in the air as if they were trying to actually grab a hold of heaven. I was so distracted that I could hardly even concentrate on the message and instead just looked around the room. I wondered who all of these weird people were and why they thought that this was an acceptable form of church.

It took me until I was 27 to walk back through the doors of another one of “those” churches. And I must admit that my motives were not holy in the least as I was only there to see my boyfriend (now husband) preach a message. This time I at least embraced the music a little more as some of the songs were the same ones that we listened to while riding around in his jeep and were at least somewhat familiar. Just like seven years prior, however, I still looked around and tried to figure out why these people felt compelled to raise their arms in the air. The church I knew was one where you stood and sang off-key to hymns that were written hundreds of years ago. Granted, I do love many of them, but the majority were just songs that I muddled through in order to get a few minutes closer to getting my obligatory hour of church over with. In the weeks that followed, I continued to go to the contemporary worship service, but only to hear Josh preach the message. After a few weeks, I began to learn the songs by heart and even found myself humming them to myself at work or on my long runs. I felt less and less uncomfortable when others lifted their arms toward the heavens, but my hands stayed firmly gripped on the pew in front of me. I wasn’t going to turn into one of them. That would be weird. That was not how church was supposed to be.

Fast forward a mere two years later and here we sit, celebrating the first anniversary of our campus of Crossroads Community Church, a contemporary church nonetheless. Not only am I an attendee, but I’m the pastor’s wife… who would have ever thought (certainly not me)! The story on how we got here is a good one, and one that I should probably tell in a future post (although I need to look through my archives and see if maybe I’ve told it already) and it was the first time that I really understood the call of God. Yes, He spoke to me; not really in words, but in a feeling. He told me that this was the move that we were supposed to make and the ministry that we were supposed to lead. When we had arrived to check it out I was convinced of the opposite, so even I was surprised after doing a complete one-eighty in just a couple of days.

Even after the move I did not necessarily jump in with both feet. Ministry was Josh’s job and his responsibility. According to me, my main role was to stay home and be his doting and supportive wife. Many difficult conversations transpired in those first months about this, and I always felt that Josh was being too hard on me. Wasn’t it enough that I moved across the country for his job? Wasn’t it enough that I left my friends and family behind? Wasn’t it enough that he worked like a maniac while I sat home all alone many nights pregnant with our first (and unexpected) child? It just wasn’t fair. It seemed that during those first few months I forgot that it wasn’t Josh, but God Himself, that called me here. And He called me to do more than just sit at home and support my husband. He called me, as He calls all of us, to serve.

I’m not sure what made me finally “get it” or when it happened. I think a lot of it came about when I finally got to stop filling in gaps that Josh needed to be filled and actually found the place that fills up my heart. During those first few months I worked with the tech team running slides, lights, and video. It wasn’t bad, but it was just a task that I had to get done each week. Then when we launched our youth program, I told Josh that I would run it since nobody else was stepping up to the plate. My heart ached for our high school kids, especially our high school girls, but I soon realized that the ache did not translate into a passion for leading the entire group. I did a mediocre job at best and it wasn’t long before Josh had it back on his plate. Sure I felt guilty, but why would he want me to lead it anyway? It’s not like I was good at that kind of thing! Looking back on that decision, I know that it was not a good fit from the start, but I at least could have made a better effort in order to serve those kids. The program survived many turnovers in leadership, but I certainly did not help in making it better. It’s something that I learned from and will always feel a little bit disappointed in myself about.

When Jake was born I took a little bit of time off just to be a church attendee. I worked in the nursery occasionally so that I could spend more time with my little munchkin and found that I loved being with all of those babies! They just brought so much joy to my day. I had always had a bit of an interest in helping out with the pre-school program and it was really through my time at the nursery that I spring-boarded into our pre-school ministry. I started leading their little worship songs and teaching their Bible lessons and would come out on Sunday mornings feeling so happy and fulfilled. Seeing those kids reach their hands to the Lord (yes, we start making them “weird” young here!), praying out loud, and reciting Bible verses still amazes me every day. They get it. They get it long before I ever got it. I sat for years in a church. I have known who Jesus was for as long as I can remember and even knew that He died on the cross to redeem me for my sins. I fully thought that I was, without a doubt, going to heaven regardless of how I spent my time Monday through Saturday. I would repeat the same sinful behavior over and over and over again, beg for forgiveness, carry around a burden of guilt, do my one hour of obligatory church (occasionally) on Sunday morning, and repeat the pattern. Wash, rinse, repeat- that’s all there was to it. I was spinning my wheels and did not even know it. I really think that it was through this journey with Crossroads that I really met Christ… that I really got it in the way that these little children are getting it. And the amazing part to me is that through it all, over all of those twenty-some-odd years, He has been waiting for me. In those desperate moments of prayer, He was listening and comforting me, but He was waiting for me to say “Yes, God, I am a sinner and I want to live differently.” I do give a lot of credit to my husband for showing me a better path and accepting me, exactly how I am, despite knowing where I had been. He demonstrated how Christ loves us and I really feel like that is what really started making me “get it.” And I am thankful every single day. I don’t miss the person that I was, but I sure enjoy trying to be a better one every day. And I love what God is doing in my life to show me that I am on a better path.

So after this first year of being a pastor’s wife and serving in ministry, I guess you could say I’ve come a long way and learned a lot. I have actually paid attention to what the pastor is saying in his messages, taken notes, and really tried to apply the principles to my life. I have been so moved by a testimony or even a song that I have literally wept in service. I have prayed so deeply and so fervently that it was almost frightening to me as to how the words just flowed so quickly out of my mouth, as if I had no control over them at all. I have actually cracked open my Bible several times each week and dug into the word. I have found moments of pride when I finally come to a place of understanding over Scripture that I have read many times and just couldn’t really figure out. I have begun to understand salvation and the magnitude of the sacrifice that God made for us. I have a son now and cannot fathom watching him be beaten to a point where he would be unrecognizable and then killed in the most brutal way possible even if it meant that he would be saving the world from their sins. The thought of Jesus on that cross while his mama wept down at his feet brings tears to my eyes even now. And to think that Jesus knew me when he was hanging up there. He knew me. He knew my name and with His final words which meant, “The debt has been paid in full” He was essentially saying that He did this for me. Yes, little old me who thought that people who raised their arms up in church were weird and who spent Monday through Saturday living a sinful existence for years and years. How incredible is that? In this past year I have learned that heaven is a real place, but hell absolutely is, too. With that, I have learned that my previous beliefs were wrong that that heaven is not the default, which means that unfortunately hell is, and that scares me more than I can even tell you. I have prayed to the North, South, East, and the West for people in those regions to truly meet Christ and with that meeting, learn the things that I’ve learned and find the things that I’ve found. I have ached for family and friends that have made me question as to where exactly they stand. I have learned that the longer I serve beside my husband, the more I hurt for those who still do not “get it.” I have learned that the hurt grows bigger and bigger with each passing day. I have driven past houses that are poorly kept and see filthy children playing unsupervised outside and I have a strong desire to gather them all up and just take them home and show them some love. I have attempted to comfort a widow and her family, while feeling completely unequipped to have any words of encouragement or understanding as to what they were going through. I have learned that sometimes a person just needs a hug, and that’s the easiest thing to offer. I have learned that the ache that I mentioned earlier for those high school girls grows bigger everyday because I do not want them to have to go through the bad decisions that I went to in order to arrive where I am today. I would much rather have them realize that God has already picked out the perfect person for them and he will come in God’s time, not theirs. I have learned that waiting 27 years to meet my perfect match was well worth it, and that I underestimated what God had in store for me. I have learned that I have way more than I could ever deserve. I have learned that the more I give, through time and money, the more blessings I receive. I have had things happen that I would have once called a “coincidence” but now understand that it is simply God pouring out His blessing in return for our service and love. I have learned that I have a heart and passion for the mission field and will not be surprised at all if one day He calls my family to Africa, South America, or somewhere we cannot even imagine. I have learned that the more I understand the teachings of the Bible, the more ugly I see in the world. I have learned that movies and TV shows that used to not bother me now seem ugly and full of filth. I have learned that conviction can be a very positive thing that always points me to the right path when I might otherwise go astray. I have learned that my family is more loved and prayed for than I would have ever imagined.

I could go on and on and on (obviously) with the things that have transpired within me over this past year. This list could easily be ten pages plus if I let it, but that still would not even cover a fraction. I know that I don’t owe the credit to Crossroads, to my husband, or to the people who have disciple and encouraged me over this past year, but I do thank them for being facilitators in this journey. Clearly it is nobody but God. And oh how I am grateful and overwhelmed!

Happy Birthday, Crossroads, but for me it’s an even happier anniversary for my start in this life of ministry. I will never understand why God chose me to take part in this role, but maybe it’s because He knows that sometimes imperfect people (who fully admit and understand that they are imperfect) can make a bigger impact on other imperfect people who need Him. I am honored and humbled at the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to making that list above even longer in the years to come.

And oh yeah… there is one more thing that I forgot to add. Over this past year, I have learned that sometimes the words of a song can move me to a place that I can’t help but feel my arms reach up toward the heavens, reaching for God to pour out His love onto me. And with that, I have learned that I am one hundred percent okay with doing so, even if that means that someone out there thinks I’m a weirdo. Maybe one day they’ll surprise themselves, too. I certainly hope so.

I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

~Psalm 63:4

Project365: September 12th - 18th

I did much better this week with the whole picture taking bit. Granted, I have already forgotten to take one today so I'm already behind for next week, but I'll worry about that then. And I guess if I really wanted to I could take a photo of something random in the house tonight before bed. But anyway, here was our week:

Sunday, September 12th... I took many pictures of this spider web, most of which are not worth sharing. I did enjoy playing around with sunlight just to see what it would do. For this one picture, there are about twenty others that did not come out at all! Learning is so much easier with digital film!

{Nikon D3000: ISO 100, 55mm, F/6.3, 1/320s}

Monday, September 13th... See Josh's birthday post below. These two pictures were just taken with my Sony Cybershot which stopped working later on in the week.

Tuesday, September 14th... My mom will recognize this gal. Meet Lindsay. She and I were the best of friends when I lived in Mexico City in 10th and 11th grade. You heard me right, we lived in Mexico City. I forget that a lot of my new friends don't even know that about me. Anyway, it has been seven years since we last saw each other and she would be passing our exit on her way from Iowa to Wisconsin for a business trip. The visit was only an hour long, but it was so wonderful to see each other and catch up. If you had been there, you would have thought that we had just hung out last week. That's what I love about her.

{Nikon D3000: Automatic. Thanks to my father-in-law for snapping the picture}

Wednesday, September 15th... I snagged this picture from my friend Kristie (thanks!) because Wednesday was when I realized that my Sony point and shoot was not working. I really wanted it to work, too, because we went and saw the Power Team and it was awesome! I had never heard of it, but it's a group of men and women who perform amazing feats of strength and then preach the Gospel. If you ever have the opportunity to see them, make sure you don't miss it. It's well worth the trip!

{Whatever camera Kristie used. Great shot!}

Thursday, September 16th... I can't go a week without a picture of my favorite little guy! He has recently started smiling for the camera. I'm loving it.

{Nikon D3000: ISO 1250 (auto), 34mm, F/5, 1/30s}

Friday, September 17th... Jake and Ollie's second date. Jake definitely leaned in for a few kisses. She definitely pulled his hair and smacked him in the face. I think it's love.

{Nikon D3000: Automatic mode}

Saturday, September 17th... Jake enjoyed some couch time while watching football with his daddy and Pawpaw.

Another week gone by... where does the time go? This week should be pretty uneventful so the photos will probably be a bit lame next week (that is if I remember to take any each day). Sometimes uneventful weeks are the best kinds. I hope yours was as good as ours!

What You've Been Waiting For...

It's FINISHED! The bathroom is finally FINISHED! (Okay, okay so you caught me. I still haven't done the two tiny jobs that I have left to do, but I just couldn't wait for the reveal).

From start to finish, our bathroom renovation took just under a month. Not bad considering that we (and by we I mean Josh and his dad... BIG BIG thanks to Dad by the way!) did it all ourselves. And I can honestly say that I am in love with the room. It's more beautiful than I even imagined it would turn out when we were spending our life savings on picking out all of the elements. So without further ado, here is our big reaveal!

BEFORE
cute but not functional

AFTER
updated, expanded, and elegant


It's easier to see the change when they are side by side. There is not even a glimmer of the old bathroom in the new one!

I'm loving all of the details. The shower stall is a custom size so I had to order a window treatment to fit. I chose the Linden Street Grommet Panel in Chocolate from JCPenney and love the way it looks with the tile.

Josh laid all of the tile and did a beautiful job. The floor and the shower stall are made by the same manufacturer, but the shower is much lighter than the shower. It really makes the shower feel bigger than it actually is.


This picture probably shows the most accurate depiction of the paint color. It looks very orange in some of the photos, but it's very much a burnt orange. We weren't sure about it at first, but once we installed the wainscoting (one of the two things that I knew I wanted in the new bathroom), we all knew it was perfect. I ordered a valance to match the shower curtain to tie it all together.

Our vanity was on sale at Home Depot and we got it for a steal! It's a $400 vanity that we got for under $200 including tax. The mirror was purchased separately at Menard's. Major props to my husband for picking out the faucet. He knew exactly what he wanted and it goes perfectly with the look and feel of our house.

As for the other thing I knew that I wanted in the new bathroom... we installed a chandelier and it's by far my favorite feature! With the crown molding and those corner pieces, it really accents our tall ceilings and creates more elegance and glamour. Every bathroom needs glamour, right?

And just for fun (and for the sake of seeing just how much work Josh and Dad put into this), let's take a look back at the progress:

Here it is completely gutted with the wall torn down between the bathroom and the closet that used to be behind it (which is still there, but is now only about a foot deep rather than the entire width of the bathroom). The frame for the new wall behind the toilet goes up:

Shower stall formed, dry wall installed:

Shower tile installed and paint goes up. What was I thinking? The orange is SO MUCH BETTER than that horrid purple I tried first!
And here she is now. What a beauty.

I absolutely cannot thank Josh and his dad enough for all of the time and work they put into this. Dad did all of the plumbing, which neither one of us knew anything about and saved us a bundle of money. I think we hit a home run and it's almost too pretty to use!

HGTV, eat your heart out!

It was a good idea at the time...

Until we realized that we still have to clean this mess up:

Yes folks, this is our backyard right now. Actually, it's the remnants of our old bathroom in the backyard (as if you couldn't guess due to the lovely new seating we've added). It was nice and convenient to just dump everything out of the window while we worked, but now comes the fun of hauling it out. Thank goodness it's in the backyard at least because between the dog that wanders the neighborhood, me screaming like a banshee in the front yard as the other dog taunted a squirrel, and getting a call from the neighbor that one of them was on the roof one morning (oh, have I not told some of these stories? This makes for some great blog material coming to you soon!) we are becoming the weird neighbors. I never thought until recently that we would be them. Not to mention that those two pesky pups are now having a hey-day rifling through the pile and finding new things to drag out into the yard and chew on. It just gets better and better.

On the upside, aside from a few minor details (yes, honey, I know that I still need to repaint the ceiling and touch up the crown molding... it will be done sometime in 2010 I promise!) the new bathroom is D-O-N-E! More importantly, it is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S. Don't ask me why I'm spelling these things out. I'm not even sure. But anyway, it seriously is the prettiest and most elegant (yes, I said elegant) room in the house and it's a bathroom! How funny is that? And since I'm sure you're wondering why this isn't being followed by a picture of this new beautiful space and it's simply because I'm waiting on the shower curtain to arrive so that I can post the completed look. The shower stall is so tall that I had to order actual drapes and I cannot wait until they get here! They should be in tomorrow so I promise a big reveal over the weekend! Well, I promise that if I'm not too busy cleaning up the disaster in the backyard. Or chasing a dog around the neighborhood. Or rescuing squirrels. Or... just when I think I have seen it all I am sure those pesky pups will figure some other way to make life just a tad bit more interesting. I'll keep you posted.