I am so unbelievably excited for 2013! 2012 ended spectacularly, but it sure had a lot of ups and downs to get to that point. But I'm starting this year on the right foot. I am so so so happy, my marriage has never been in a better place, I am loving my job, our apartment is finally completely redecorated (as far as we are going to do with it), we have such wonderful friends, and we have finally moved to step 3 of our 4 step plan.
Let me explain. Charles and I have been married for 7 years now. We like to stay up late, sleep in, go out to dinner on a whim, go on vacations, etc. With that kind of lifestyle it's hard to have any kind of responsibility at home. When we first got married we talked about the possibility of kids someday and decided we needed a 4 step plan. Step 1) plant. If we could keep a plant alive for at least 6 months (a challenge for us both, to be sure), then we could graduate to step 2) fish. We made it that far and took care of a beta fish named Simeon for nearly three years. Since their average lifespan is 1 year, we decided we nailed step 2. So when Simeon died we decided to move onto step 3) animal. I was hoping for a dog, since I love dogs but that's just not feasible right now with where we live and such. So we went with a cat. (I've never been a big fan, but Charles loves them.) That being said, we are in a trial run of adopting my parents cat. To be honest, this cat is a little more like a dog. He loves to be pet, loves to snuggle, comes when you call him, etc. But he doesn't have to go outside to be walked, can use a litter box, and generally is a little less maintenance than a dog. So pending how this experiment goes, at some point in the future we may graduate to step 4) children.
The thought of having kid is exciting (a miracle in itself) and scary as hell. I went to my first baby shower in AGES last weekend for my college roommate and learned very quickly that I know NOTHING about babies. I am 29 and I have never even changed a diaper. I don't hold babies very often and I thought the baby bath was for soaking swollen preggo feet. I will have a lot to learn, that is for sure. But 30 is looming and I have decided that it's time to grow up and settle down! :)
As for the new year, I am not a huge fan of New Years resolutions but I do have a few goals.
Being that I have been blessed with a fast metabolism, I have been able to eat whatever I want for my whole life up until this point. My dad always warned me it wouldn't last forever. As 30 approaches (this is a big deal for me, as you can see), I want to start the year in the best shape possible. So after a holiday of crazy binge eating, it's back to healthy choices and portion control for me. And most importantly, exercise. I'm skinny enough, but I definitely need to tone a few areas. I hate to run and I live in a blasted cold state and I hate the cold, and I hate spending money on gym memberships, so exercise has always been a challenge for me. But challenge or not, by my 30th bday, I am going to be in excellent shape.
Another goal is to read more. I love to read. But with long hours at work, school work, a leadership class this fall, and responsibilities at home, it's harder to do. And I just need to set aside a reasonable amount of time to do it. Usually when I read a book, that's all I do for the 2 days it takes me to finish it. I need to learn to balance.
My third goal is to get more involved in church. We have a wonderful church and I would love to be more involved. I need to stop making the excuse that it's just too far away and just jump right in. And I want to be better about inviting people over for dinner and making new friends. I want to be a part of the community, not just attend the church.
Upon reflection of 2012 I have to say that I learned two major lessons. They may sound old and trite but they are profoundly, amazingly and miraculously true. 1) When you give yourself fully over to God, he can and WILL give you the strength to overcome ANY obstacle, no matter how impossible it may seem. 2) Prayer changes things. Sometimes I hear people say "well I've been praying and praying" and I'm tempted to say "Just stop praying so much and DO something." But I am SO wrong in that advice. I look at my life a year ago and look at it now, and it seems that every day I find out how someone else felt led to pray for me this year - whether they knew what was happening in my life or not. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my life would not be what it is today if my faithful friends, and their faithful friends, had not been praying. I am awed, and moved and blessed.
Bring on 2013!!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
December
What an insane month. Work craziness, anniversary party craziness, Christmas craziness, eating way too much food and exercising way too little craziness, having to leave NC a day early due to this crazy snow storm...
I think you get the picture. This month has been crazy. And lovely. And full of laughter and love and warmth (both in the coziness of our home and the 62 degree weather in NC - gosh it was hard to come back north).
We started one week by renewing our vows (in a beautiful service - and yes, i did cry through the whole thing) and ended it by witnessing two dear friends get married. Excellent bookends to a crazy week! Work was full of food and parties and bonding and not as many meetings as usual.
Our trip to NC was fun although it didnt go quite as expected. Chick-fil-a was not to be had since we forgot they aren't opened on Sunday (thus ruining our dinner plans on the way down), or on Christmas (thwarting our chance to eat on the way home). We loved having time with the Meeks family and had a blast sharing a hotel room with Rob and Kate, where the brothers bonded over Halo and Minecraft and Kate and I over wine and cheese! Our Christmas Day plans, however, went to the dogs because of the storm. We all ended up leaving a day early. So instead of room service and Les Miserables, we spent 7 hours in the car, realizing that NOTHING is open on Christmas. We tried to do dinner and a movie but it was sold out. So we ate in our car at a Sheetz. Not the fancy meal I was hoping for but still delicious. On the bright side, there was no traffic and we had great weather. We did end up getting to see the movie, just a day late, and it was worth the wait. And Charles and I had a fun time traveling together: talking and flirting and laughing and listening to Bossy Pants and Life of Pi audiobooks.
Christmas this year was so meaningful. Our church really helped get me be in the spirit of Advent. Our time with family was thoughtful and full of joy and love. My husband is definitely the gift whisperer and gave me a gift I will cherish always.
My family has always done Christmas well. My parents always got my brother and I great gifts but we learned early on that the joy of Christmas isn't about how much stuff you get. It's about the thought behind the gift, but more importantly, it's about being with the people you love and celebrating Jesus. I hope that we can instill those lessons in our children someday.
So here's to being snowed in, to a wonderful end to the Christmas season (although Charles will yell at me for that and say that Christmas lasts until Epiphany) and the last month of 2012!
I think you get the picture. This month has been crazy. And lovely. And full of laughter and love and warmth (both in the coziness of our home and the 62 degree weather in NC - gosh it was hard to come back north).
We started one week by renewing our vows (in a beautiful service - and yes, i did cry through the whole thing) and ended it by witnessing two dear friends get married. Excellent bookends to a crazy week! Work was full of food and parties and bonding and not as many meetings as usual.
Our trip to NC was fun although it didnt go quite as expected. Chick-fil-a was not to be had since we forgot they aren't opened on Sunday (thus ruining our dinner plans on the way down), or on Christmas (thwarting our chance to eat on the way home). We loved having time with the Meeks family and had a blast sharing a hotel room with Rob and Kate, where the brothers bonded over Halo and Minecraft and Kate and I over wine and cheese! Our Christmas Day plans, however, went to the dogs because of the storm. We all ended up leaving a day early. So instead of room service and Les Miserables, we spent 7 hours in the car, realizing that NOTHING is open on Christmas. We tried to do dinner and a movie but it was sold out. So we ate in our car at a Sheetz. Not the fancy meal I was hoping for but still delicious. On the bright side, there was no traffic and we had great weather. We did end up getting to see the movie, just a day late, and it was worth the wait. And Charles and I had a fun time traveling together: talking and flirting and laughing and listening to Bossy Pants and Life of Pi audiobooks.
Christmas this year was so meaningful. Our church really helped get me be in the spirit of Advent. Our time with family was thoughtful and full of joy and love. My husband is definitely the gift whisperer and gave me a gift I will cherish always.
My family has always done Christmas well. My parents always got my brother and I great gifts but we learned early on that the joy of Christmas isn't about how much stuff you get. It's about the thought behind the gift, but more importantly, it's about being with the people you love and celebrating Jesus. I hope that we can instill those lessons in our children someday.
So here's to being snowed in, to a wonderful end to the Christmas season (although Charles will yell at me for that and say that Christmas lasts until Epiphany) and the last month of 2012!
Monday, December 10, 2012
Tis the Season
December is quite the month. There is the Christmas craziness (which I try to avoid as much as possible) and holiday parties and then throw our wedding anniversary on top of that and you get a really hectic month. In the past, I have tended to be a little bit of a Grinch at Christmas. If you know me, you know that I really don't like spending money. And the Christmas season usually costs quite a bit of money. You have presents, and travel, and anniversary dinners and/or getaways, and work parties and gift exchanges and by the time Christmas rolls around I'm usually just grumpy and stressed. On top of that, I'm not really a gift person. I'm pretty content with the amount of stuff that I have (although I always would like more shoes), and I hate clutter and I'm not one to keep things around for sentimental value. Because I don't care too much about getting gifts, I'm also not very good at buying gifts. I'm usually looking for the cheap, easy thing that's on someone's list that doesn't take a lot of thought and that I don't have to face the masses in order to get. This sounds really awful, I know. But it's the truth.
Please understand that I LOVE Christmas. I love getting a tree and decorating it, and hanging up lights around the house. I love listening to Christmas music from Dec 1 through Dec 25th (but not a moment before). I love that Charles and I get each other ornaments each year. I love spending Christmas Eve with my family and the big Christmas brunch that we have. I love going around and opening our presents one at a time. I love the food and the family and the love. I couldn't care less about the "stuff."
This year, however, things are different. I have caught the Christmas bug. Maybe it's because I spend more time at the mall now that Charles works there. Maybe it's because this is the happiest I've ever been at Christmastime in the last 7 years. Maybe it's because I've discovered the joy of being thoughtful in my gift buying and that it's FUN to think of things people would like without just buying off a list. Maybe it's because, with Charles working, money isn't so tight. Maybe it's because we aren't in boxes this year (last year we moved the week before Christmas, on our anniversary, and that totally killed the spirit). Maybe it's because we got our tree December 1 so it felt like Christmas earlier and we weren't as rushed. It's hard to really know. But I do know that I am just loving this season!!
Another reason I'm loving this month is because Charles and I are renewing our vows this year on our anniversary. Without going into any detail, I'm just going to say that the last 7 years have been HARD. Marriage was not what I was expecting, nor was I prepared for the number of challenges we have faced. There have been a lot of mistakes and hurts on both of our parts. But in the last six months or so we have renewed our commitment to each other, for better or worse, and we have never been happier. Marriage is finally starting to be what I hoped and dreamed it would be. In Charles I have a companion, a friend, a lover, and someone that I LOVE to go home to every night. So when Charles told me that he invited some of our friends over to our beautifully decorated house and that we were going to renew our vows, I was overwhelmed and overjoyed. There will never be a better time to take this step than now. I didn't cry the first time we got married, but I know that I'm most likely going to be a blubbery mess this time around because I KNOW what those words mean. I KNOW what the "worse" part of "for better or worse" looks like. I KNOW the work that is involved, and the sacrifices and the compromises that need to be made, and the unconditional love, grace and forgiveness that needs to be constant in order for our marriage to be what it was intended to be.
And because I now know this, it means so much more. And it means more to hear those promises from Charles (again) when he has loved me even when I was completely unloveable. And I'm so excited to share this with a small group of our dearest friends - some of whom are aware of all of our gory details, some who know bits and pieces, and some who are just faithful friends who constantly encouraged us, prayed for us and loved us. We would not be where we are today without these people in our lives.
So yeah... I am completely overflowing with love and joy this season. No more Grinch for me. :)
Please understand that I LOVE Christmas. I love getting a tree and decorating it, and hanging up lights around the house. I love listening to Christmas music from Dec 1 through Dec 25th (but not a moment before). I love that Charles and I get each other ornaments each year. I love spending Christmas Eve with my family and the big Christmas brunch that we have. I love going around and opening our presents one at a time. I love the food and the family and the love. I couldn't care less about the "stuff."
This year, however, things are different. I have caught the Christmas bug. Maybe it's because I spend more time at the mall now that Charles works there. Maybe it's because this is the happiest I've ever been at Christmastime in the last 7 years. Maybe it's because I've discovered the joy of being thoughtful in my gift buying and that it's FUN to think of things people would like without just buying off a list. Maybe it's because, with Charles working, money isn't so tight. Maybe it's because we aren't in boxes this year (last year we moved the week before Christmas, on our anniversary, and that totally killed the spirit). Maybe it's because we got our tree December 1 so it felt like Christmas earlier and we weren't as rushed. It's hard to really know. But I do know that I am just loving this season!!
Another reason I'm loving this month is because Charles and I are renewing our vows this year on our anniversary. Without going into any detail, I'm just going to say that the last 7 years have been HARD. Marriage was not what I was expecting, nor was I prepared for the number of challenges we have faced. There have been a lot of mistakes and hurts on both of our parts. But in the last six months or so we have renewed our commitment to each other, for better or worse, and we have never been happier. Marriage is finally starting to be what I hoped and dreamed it would be. In Charles I have a companion, a friend, a lover, and someone that I LOVE to go home to every night. So when Charles told me that he invited some of our friends over to our beautifully decorated house and that we were going to renew our vows, I was overwhelmed and overjoyed. There will never be a better time to take this step than now. I didn't cry the first time we got married, but I know that I'm most likely going to be a blubbery mess this time around because I KNOW what those words mean. I KNOW what the "worse" part of "for better or worse" looks like. I KNOW the work that is involved, and the sacrifices and the compromises that need to be made, and the unconditional love, grace and forgiveness that needs to be constant in order for our marriage to be what it was intended to be.
And because I now know this, it means so much more. And it means more to hear those promises from Charles (again) when he has loved me even when I was completely unloveable. And I'm so excited to share this with a small group of our dearest friends - some of whom are aware of all of our gory details, some who know bits and pieces, and some who are just faithful friends who constantly encouraged us, prayed for us and loved us. We would not be where we are today without these people in our lives.
So yeah... I am completely overflowing with love and joy this season. No more Grinch for me. :)
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Thankful November
I thought about doing a Facebook post every day about what I'm thankful for, but then I decided that, since it takes me a month to actually post my blogs anyway, I am better off keeping track on here. Rather than big swooping lists like I have done in the past, I will do daily things that I am thanking for. So here is my list of things I'm thankful for - one (or two or three) for each day leading up to Thanksgiving!
I'm Thankful...
November
1- for my smart and kind husband who is dedicated to me and to his studies. I'm thankful that I had the chance to see him in "action" at the Presidents Dinner in Toronto and that he wanted me by his side for the evening!
2- for glimpses of sunshine amidst days and days of rain and brainstorms that end up saving me hours of work!
3- for long car trips with my dad, time spent with family I don't get to see often, and plays that portray profound truths (and have amazing sets).
4- for an extra hour of sleep, and for my husband who did almost all of my weekend cleaning while I was away and finally finished reading my favorite book with me (A Tale of Two Cities).
5- that I have the opportunity to get my Masters degree, and that I have a great job!
6- for surprise gifts of chocolate (even though I'm trying so hard to be healthy), for grace and continued reconciliation in some of my closest relationships, and Chinese fortune cookie reminders to be cautious because I am easily prone to temptation.
7- for a day in the office to wear jeans and clean/organize, eat good food and have some time to relax with my co-workers. And that the election is finally over.
8- for opportunities to share my music with people, and that I have a husband who always pumps my gas for me.
9- that my brother got a full time job WITH BENEFITS at the University of Rochester! (And hopefully this means I'll get to meet up with him for food/coffee sometimes!)
10- that I have a family that loves and supports each other through both trials and celebrations and that we actually enjoy spending time together!
11- that we found a solid church family that we love and that is focused on helping meet the needs of those in the community... and that still sings hymns.
12- for classes that make me think, for a couple warm days in late fall, and for the fact that I survived my first day without chocolate or cheese!
13- that even though it's super cold out, and it's dark so early, that I have a warm house to go home to, and a husband that I love to go home to. So unbelievably thankful for the changes in my life and marriage over the last few months.
14- that my heart is beginning to change and that I'm beginning to desire wholeness in all areas of my life - in my relationship with God, within myself (emotionally, mentally and physically), my relationships with others, etc. I have been learning some difficult lessons about self control this month and I'm thankful that I have met all the different challenges head on and (so far) come out on top!
15- for dinner with a great friend, who knows my greatest faults and thinks I'm great in spite of my silliness and stupidity!
16- that I live a 1/2 mile from a decent grocery store. It's no Wegmans but it's a huge improvement over the Houghton Jube.
17- for nice sunny days this late in autumn , for a delicious dinner out with my hubby (due to me messing up dinner and almost burning down the house), and apple pie a la mode. (Cheat day started early today. I've been more self-controlled this week than my whole life. I decided I earned it!)
18- that I figured out how to make charts in excel, that I have the ability to run (although not well) even though I hate it, and for cake pops.
19- for PTO and that even though its only Monday, I only have 1 workday left this week. Haven't taken a vacation day since June.
20- for the chance to have lunch with classmates we haven't seen since college, and that I got my official acceptance letter to my masters program today!!!!
21- I'm thankful for the major part that music plays in my life.
22- To be where I am in life. A year ago my life looked so different and I wouldn't trade my life now for anything in the world.
I'm Thankful...
November
1- for my smart and kind husband who is dedicated to me and to his studies. I'm thankful that I had the chance to see him in "action" at the Presidents Dinner in Toronto and that he wanted me by his side for the evening!
2- for glimpses of sunshine amidst days and days of rain and brainstorms that end up saving me hours of work!
3- for long car trips with my dad, time spent with family I don't get to see often, and plays that portray profound truths (and have amazing sets).
4- for an extra hour of sleep, and for my husband who did almost all of my weekend cleaning while I was away and finally finished reading my favorite book with me (A Tale of Two Cities).
5- that I have the opportunity to get my Masters degree, and that I have a great job!
6- for surprise gifts of chocolate (even though I'm trying so hard to be healthy), for grace and continued reconciliation in some of my closest relationships, and Chinese fortune cookie reminders to be cautious because I am easily prone to temptation.
7- for a day in the office to wear jeans and clean/organize, eat good food and have some time to relax with my co-workers. And that the election is finally over.
8- for opportunities to share my music with people, and that I have a husband who always pumps my gas for me.
9- that my brother got a full time job WITH BENEFITS at the University of Rochester! (And hopefully this means I'll get to meet up with him for food/coffee sometimes!)
10- that I have a family that loves and supports each other through both trials and celebrations and that we actually enjoy spending time together!
11- that we found a solid church family that we love and that is focused on helping meet the needs of those in the community... and that still sings hymns.
12- for classes that make me think, for a couple warm days in late fall, and for the fact that I survived my first day without chocolate or cheese!
13- that even though it's super cold out, and it's dark so early, that I have a warm house to go home to, and a husband that I love to go home to. So unbelievably thankful for the changes in my life and marriage over the last few months.
14- that my heart is beginning to change and that I'm beginning to desire wholeness in all areas of my life - in my relationship with God, within myself (emotionally, mentally and physically), my relationships with others, etc. I have been learning some difficult lessons about self control this month and I'm thankful that I have met all the different challenges head on and (so far) come out on top!
15- for dinner with a great friend, who knows my greatest faults and thinks I'm great in spite of my silliness and stupidity!
16- that I live a 1/2 mile from a decent grocery store. It's no Wegmans but it's a huge improvement over the Houghton Jube.
17- for nice sunny days this late in autumn , for a delicious dinner out with my hubby (due to me messing up dinner and almost burning down the house), and apple pie a la mode. (Cheat day started early today. I've been more self-controlled this week than my whole life. I decided I earned it!)
18- that I figured out how to make charts in excel, that I have the ability to run (although not well) even though I hate it, and for cake pops.
19- for PTO and that even though its only Monday, I only have 1 workday left this week. Haven't taken a vacation day since June.
20- for the chance to have lunch with classmates we haven't seen since college, and that I got my official acceptance letter to my masters program today!!!!
21- I'm thankful for the major part that music plays in my life.
22- To be where I am in life. A year ago my life looked so different and I wouldn't trade my life now for anything in the world.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Reflection on my 20s
I had a birthday last month and thus entered the last year of my twenties. In looking back over the last ten years, I can't believe how much I've changed, my life has changed, how many places I've been and lived and how many things I've done. If I had to use one word to describe my 20s it would be this: tumultuous. Things have been ever-changing and kind of rough, if I'm going to be completely honest with you. My twenties had some fun moments but I can't say they've been my best ten years. I've made some really good decisions and some really really bad ones. I've loved a lot and I've lost a lot. I've hurt people and I've been hurt. I've had some amazing adventures. I've tried new things and succeeded, and tried other things and failed.
I'd like take a trip back 10 years and see just how full the last decade had been.
20 - I turned twenty just before my junior year of college. I worked at Kodak that summer with my dad. I was in a serious relationship with a guy who I thought about marrying. (And didn't, I might add. I hadn't even MET Charles when I turned 20, even though he was on the same campus as me.) I ended up going through a really hard break up that lasted most of the year. I went to Ireland that year with my parents, brother and grandparents on a trip I'll never forget.
21 - Summer of my 21st year I traveled with Godspeed (a music team). It was, to date, the best summer of my life. It was stretching and challenging and exhausting and very, very rewarding. Also that year I started dating Charles, got engaged to Charles, went to Russia and graduated from college. (In that order.)
22 - I got my first real job - Hillside Children's Center. It pretty much popped the little bubble I'd lived in when I saw what much of the world was really like. I worked with great people and made some great friends. Most importantly, I got married!!! We had a small apartment in the home of some close friends. We played tons of games, had tons of fights, and learned some hard lessons that year.
23 - We lived with my parents for a few weeks before we moved to Australia. That was one of the roughest years of my life - although in the prettiest setting! However, in spite of the difficulties, we met some people that we will cherish forever. It was also the only year of my 20s that I didn't have an official job and got to sleep in a lot. (Although I stayed PLENTY busy being a pastors wife - cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, leading worship, going on house visits with Charles, trying to stay sane...)
24 - We went to New Zealand (for our official honeymoon) and visited friends and hiked in the Bay of Islands. We moved to Kentucky. I got my first job in a Financial Aid office as a Financial Aid Consultant. (Basically, it was a long shot job that I completely lucked into. And by "lucked" I mean it was a complete God-thing.) I met Kate Patterson - my future sister-in-law and one of my closest friends. We lived in the crappiest apartment of all time.
25 - We went to Israel on an archeological dig. I got my first office with a window. Charles got his masters degree. We vacationed in Florida and I got to introduce Charles to the wonders of Disney World.
26 - We moved back to NY after I got a job as a Financial Aid Counselor at Houghton College (my alma mater). We lived in the most beautiful apartment you've ever seen, on 40 acres with woods and a pond, we had great landlords. I went to California with my family for my cousin's wedding and we ran our first 5K!
27 - I got my first promotion - to Senior Financial Aid Counselor. Charles started his PhD and commuted to Toronto every week. We vacationed in DC, which I had never been to before. I started giving piano lessons.
28 - I got a job as Assistant Director of Financial Aid at the University of Rochester. We moved to Avon. We looked around for Churches but never quite settled on one. We went on a couples vacation to Florida and Charles and I went to Chicago where i got to watch him present a paper at a big conference. My granda died. Charles and I made some major decisions regarding our lives and our marriage and those decisions are starting to pay off.
To sum up: in the last 10 years I've had 7 jobs (not counting Aural Skills tutoring and piano lessons), lived in 8 different places, been to 5 different countries, and had way too many adventures to recount. It has been a crazy, crazy decade. With that kind of topsy-turvey life it's no wonder we have no plants and 1 betta fish!
29 - has started out tumultuous as well. Charles is working a PT job in the city, teaching a class in Toronto AND working on his comps. We became a 2-car family for the first time in our (almost) 7 years of marriage. I was just promoted to Senior Assistant Director of Financial Aid and am jumping head first into deep and scary waters of interfaces and supervising. I started my first Masters class this fall at the Warner School of Education. It's challenging and it makes me think about my future career but so far I'm LOVING it! Life is definitely different now that homework is involved again. In spite of all the stress that constant change brings, Charles and I areprobably definitely the happiest we have ever been! We've fought our way through some giant obstacles and are starting to see the light on the other side. We also found a church that we love which has been a huge answer to prayer. We've reconnected with some old friends, which was desperately needed. That being said, I'm hoping that as my 20s brought adventure and craziness that my 30s will bring adventure but also some stability. As I near the end of my twenties and enter my thirties I'd like to start thinking about a family. I'd like to buy a house. I'd like to really turn my life around from what it has been and start following God in a way that I haven't since my early 20s. I'd like to learn to control (or even get rid of) my temper. I want to learn to love better. I want to be challenged in my work, but stick to one place of employment! I want Charles to graduate with his PhD. I have so so many dreams and I'm so excited for what life is going to bring in my next 10 years.
I'd like take a trip back 10 years and see just how full the last decade had been.
20 - I turned twenty just before my junior year of college. I worked at Kodak that summer with my dad. I was in a serious relationship with a guy who I thought about marrying. (And didn't, I might add. I hadn't even MET Charles when I turned 20, even though he was on the same campus as me.) I ended up going through a really hard break up that lasted most of the year. I went to Ireland that year with my parents, brother and grandparents on a trip I'll never forget.
21 - Summer of my 21st year I traveled with Godspeed (a music team). It was, to date, the best summer of my life. It was stretching and challenging and exhausting and very, very rewarding. Also that year I started dating Charles, got engaged to Charles, went to Russia and graduated from college. (In that order.)
22 - I got my first real job - Hillside Children's Center. It pretty much popped the little bubble I'd lived in when I saw what much of the world was really like. I worked with great people and made some great friends. Most importantly, I got married!!! We had a small apartment in the home of some close friends. We played tons of games, had tons of fights, and learned some hard lessons that year.
23 - We lived with my parents for a few weeks before we moved to Australia. That was one of the roughest years of my life - although in the prettiest setting! However, in spite of the difficulties, we met some people that we will cherish forever. It was also the only year of my 20s that I didn't have an official job and got to sleep in a lot. (Although I stayed PLENTY busy being a pastors wife - cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, leading worship, going on house visits with Charles, trying to stay sane...)
24 - We went to New Zealand (for our official honeymoon) and visited friends and hiked in the Bay of Islands. We moved to Kentucky. I got my first job in a Financial Aid office as a Financial Aid Consultant. (Basically, it was a long shot job that I completely lucked into. And by "lucked" I mean it was a complete God-thing.) I met Kate Patterson - my future sister-in-law and one of my closest friends. We lived in the crappiest apartment of all time.
25 - We went to Israel on an archeological dig. I got my first office with a window. Charles got his masters degree. We vacationed in Florida and I got to introduce Charles to the wonders of Disney World.
26 - We moved back to NY after I got a job as a Financial Aid Counselor at Houghton College (my alma mater). We lived in the most beautiful apartment you've ever seen, on 40 acres with woods and a pond, we had great landlords. I went to California with my family for my cousin's wedding and we ran our first 5K!
27 - I got my first promotion - to Senior Financial Aid Counselor. Charles started his PhD and commuted to Toronto every week. We vacationed in DC, which I had never been to before. I started giving piano lessons.
28 - I got a job as Assistant Director of Financial Aid at the University of Rochester. We moved to Avon. We looked around for Churches but never quite settled on one. We went on a couples vacation to Florida and Charles and I went to Chicago where i got to watch him present a paper at a big conference. My granda died. Charles and I made some major decisions regarding our lives and our marriage and those decisions are starting to pay off.
To sum up: in the last 10 years I've had 7 jobs (not counting Aural Skills tutoring and piano lessons), lived in 8 different places, been to 5 different countries, and had way too many adventures to recount. It has been a crazy, crazy decade. With that kind of topsy-turvey life it's no wonder we have no plants and 1 betta fish!
29 - has started out tumultuous as well. Charles is working a PT job in the city, teaching a class in Toronto AND working on his comps. We became a 2-car family for the first time in our (almost) 7 years of marriage. I was just promoted to Senior Assistant Director of Financial Aid and am jumping head first into deep and scary waters of interfaces and supervising. I started my first Masters class this fall at the Warner School of Education. It's challenging and it makes me think about my future career but so far I'm LOVING it! Life is definitely different now that homework is involved again. In spite of all the stress that constant change brings, Charles and I are
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Things that moved me
Today is Father's Day. I'm blessed to have a truly wonderful dad. He's always been loving, supportive, hard-working... he's taught me so much about life and love and sacrifice. And for all those things he really hasn't had to say a word. His actions say everything.
So today I was so glad to spend time with him doing stuff like going on a motorcycle ride, getting ice cream, getting dinner and going to a concert in the park.
But throughout the day I kept watching other people. (People watching is one of the most fascinating things ever.) Sometimes I get sad over the state of humanity. But days like today I see people and how they love and how they interact, and it moves me.
One thing that was different today than all other Father's Days I have experienced so far is that this is the first Father's Day in which neither of my parents have fathers. That definitely changed the dynamic of the day a bit. So I rode with my dad (on the motorcycle, of course) to the cemetery today where we met my mom and put some flowers on Grandpa and Granda's graves. We also walked around and remembered some of my other family that is buried there.
I was thinking about how bittersweet it must be for my parents - especially my mom, for whom the loss is so fresh - she no longer has a father to go over and celebrate with, but she can celebrate the wonderful relationship she had with her dad and rejoice over all the years they had together.
As Papa and I were walking back from Grandpa to Granda's grave I saw something that broke my heart. A dad was spending his Father's Day at the grave of his son, who was only 28 when he died. I wondered what he was thinking and feeling. I grieved for him and my heart swelled with love, because I could see how much that man loved his son. As a daughter, although I dread the day and hope it's far, far away, I expect to outlive my parents. I hope that my parents never have to visit my grave.
I saw other things today, though, that made me unbelievably happy: watching a dad dancing away with his young daughter at the concert - bopping around together, spinning her, laughing with her; watching an elderly couple dance together on a boat out on the lake; people from a group home living life and loving the music, and a woman who joined in with their fun and dancing - someone who was so sweet and was not put off by their "differences" but treated them as equals.
I took in all these things and it gave me a renewed hope in humanity. And it encouraged me to live my life to the fullest - full of love and laughter - and to cherish the time I have with everyone who is in my life. I learned today that the simplest day to day moments can be the source of our greatest joy and the makings of my best memories.
So today I was so glad to spend time with him doing stuff like going on a motorcycle ride, getting ice cream, getting dinner and going to a concert in the park.
But throughout the day I kept watching other people. (People watching is one of the most fascinating things ever.) Sometimes I get sad over the state of humanity. But days like today I see people and how they love and how they interact, and it moves me.
One thing that was different today than all other Father's Days I have experienced so far is that this is the first Father's Day in which neither of my parents have fathers. That definitely changed the dynamic of the day a bit. So I rode with my dad (on the motorcycle, of course) to the cemetery today where we met my mom and put some flowers on Grandpa and Granda's graves. We also walked around and remembered some of my other family that is buried there.
I was thinking about how bittersweet it must be for my parents - especially my mom, for whom the loss is so fresh - she no longer has a father to go over and celebrate with, but she can celebrate the wonderful relationship she had with her dad and rejoice over all the years they had together.
As Papa and I were walking back from Grandpa to Granda's grave I saw something that broke my heart. A dad was spending his Father's Day at the grave of his son, who was only 28 when he died. I wondered what he was thinking and feeling. I grieved for him and my heart swelled with love, because I could see how much that man loved his son. As a daughter, although I dread the day and hope it's far, far away, I expect to outlive my parents. I hope that my parents never have to visit my grave.
I saw other things today, though, that made me unbelievably happy: watching a dad dancing away with his young daughter at the concert - bopping around together, spinning her, laughing with her; watching an elderly couple dance together on a boat out on the lake; people from a group home living life and loving the music, and a woman who joined in with their fun and dancing - someone who was so sweet and was not put off by their "differences" but treated them as equals.
I took in all these things and it gave me a renewed hope in humanity. And it encouraged me to live my life to the fullest - full of love and laughter - and to cherish the time I have with everyone who is in my life. I learned today that the simplest day to day moments can be the source of our greatest joy and the makings of my best memories.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
What would people say
Much of my time last week centered around Granda's calling hours and funeral. Planning, preparing, making sure everything got done and people got where they needed to be. And finally came the time that we sat down and focused on Granda. Hundreds of people came to pay their respects - people from all walks of life. Staff of the McDonalds my grandparents frequented, men who worked for Granda when they were teenagers, people who knew him from the farm, from church, from all over. Every single person shared about what a great man Granda was. What a hard worker. How respected.
At the funeral, with the stories people told and what we knew about Granda, there was no doubt that he loved Jesus more than anything and wanted everyone he knew to know Him as well.
It made me think about my own life. I know Granda had 87 years to leave a legacy, but what would people say about me if I died? (This is rhetoricl, btw.) Would it be surface stuff - she was also so happy and chatty! Or would it be deeper - she really loved people and invested in them! And would people talk about my love for God and how I had a passion for sharing about him?
I don't know. I really don't. And my focus on life and death and the ever-after this week has really made me think about the legacy that I will leave someday.
And I'd like it to be like the legacy Granda left.
At the funeral, with the stories people told and what we knew about Granda, there was no doubt that he loved Jesus more than anything and wanted everyone he knew to know Him as well.
It made me think about my own life. I know Granda had 87 years to leave a legacy, but what would people say about me if I died? (This is rhetoricl, btw.) Would it be surface stuff - she was also so happy and chatty! Or would it be deeper - she really loved people and invested in them! And would people talk about my love for God and how I had a passion for sharing about him?
I don't know. I really don't. And my focus on life and death and the ever-after this week has really made me think about the legacy that I will leave someday.
And I'd like it to be like the legacy Granda left.
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