Today

Today was pointless. Today was one of those days where you wonder why you bothered to get up and out of bed at all. Today was a day of sitting. Sitting and waiting. Waiting for a child to have a meltdown so that I would feel useful. C'z hey, I can at least offer them a crayon and a piece of paper to color "until they feel better" and have an excuse to color, too. I'm a bit afraid the teachers walking by may judge me if I was coloring all by myself...? Today was a day of struggling to look busy when the principal kept walking by (which is highly unusual), but then struggling to care because hey, it's not like I'm getting paid to be doing something I'm not. Is that wrong? Today was a day of being glad I brought something to microwave for lunch so I had an excuse to walk across the building. So today I decided to look for school counselor job openings. Bad idea. Unless I want to move to California or Massachusetts. Whats that, mom? too far away? yeah, I agree. So that was today. I have high hopes for tonight.

P.S. most times I try to be thoughtful and have a point to my blog posts. Today is not one of those days.

Bucket List

i.e. things to do before you "kick the bucket"

A few weeks ago, we were sitting in the basement of an Arts center at a church membership class. The topic was... well, truthfully I don't remember the topic; all I remember is a story our Pastor shared from the Gospel of John. Now I had heard this passage time and time before, but the point that he made has haunted me ever since and I feel responsible to pass it on.

The passage reads like this:
John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

The point: Jesus knew that He was going to be arrested and crucified within a matter of hours, yet one of His last acts on earth was to wash the feet of his disciples, to serve them in love and humility. As Christians, we are called to have the mind of Christ, to "put on Christ", and yet I wonder how different the last hours of our life would look compared to those of Jesus. Of course his very death is magnificently different from ours because it was the ultimate sacrifice of His life in order that we may be saved. We may not be able to do that, but we are certainly called to sacrifice. What if on our Bucket List were names of people to serve, rather than places to travel, or family members who need salvation rather than a list of accomplishments to strive for. What if, upon recognizing our human frailty and acknowledging that our life could end in the next instant, we were consumed with love and compassion for our neighbors, our coworkers, our family, our city... and compelled to serve as many as possible, to share the Gospel with as many as possible, to give away as much as possible in order that our last moments on earth would look more like those of Christ and less like a selfish, materialistic, lukewarm Christian? What if my real, actual, tangible goal in life was to live like Christ? What if someone could look at my life and say "wow, God is being glorified through her." What if my "bucket list" wasn't at all about ME, but all about GOD? I hope that I never think of "bucket list" the same way again.

We Camp. We’re Campers.

This past weekend we went camping for the first time (together). We drove out to the Shenandoah and camped at a site along Skyline Drive. We had beautiful weather and while we had some, uh, difficulties, it was a great time!

We borrowed a tent from some friends… which had no instructions… we needed help. Thankfully, a kind-hearted fellow camper helped us out- he assured us it was an “easy tent” to put together and it took all of 5 minutes. well, gee, thanks :)

We took a hike on the Frazier Douglas Trail, which intersected for a short time with the Appalachian trail. It was a moderate hike, which I was not prepared for and my back/knees did not much appreciate. See how excited I am to be at the top? We didn’t take any pictures of my expressions going up the mountain…

Enjoying God’s beautiful creation (or taking a rest…)

My man made a wonderful fire so we could have hot food. Yay. Hot dogs and s’mores, of course. The grate was not totally level so we did lose one hot dog in the fire…

Stopping along the way home at a few of the 75 beautiful overlooks in the park. There were informational signs at some, which Geoff appreciated :)

All in all, our first camping adventure was a success! We may even do it again.

Things I'm loving...

• My new Keurig coffee maker (bday gift from the hubs) and how it makes the perfect cup of coffee every time. I'm especially loving all the French Roast varieties available :)
  
  
• Cooler weather which allows us to have the windows open! magnificent!
  
  
• My Midnight Blue candle from YankeeCandle. It smells delightful. I bought it while Geoff was away because it reminded me of a man scent...
  
  
• Being in a community group again. honest, loving fellowship.
  
  
• weather which is pleasantly "cool" enough to do enjoyable outdoor activities!
  
  
• being DONE with classes. I may still have school, but my evenings are my own.
  
  
• babysitting my little guy. At 6 months, he has so much personality and smiles at me just because I walked in the room. precious.
  
  
• oh, and wedding photoblogs I've recently found. i'm a bit of a stalker...
  

What are you enjoy right now?!

Celebrate Good Times

Danielle’s birthday was September 2nd, and Geoff arrived home from the Middle East at 6:30am that morning! This was a day earlier than expected, which made it extra special. Danielle was not excited about getting up so early, but some things are just worth it :)

It was also nice because it was the beginning of a holiday weekend, which meant it gave Geoff a few extra days to catch up from the jet lag, and gave us plenty of time to enjoy being together. We were also blessed with beautiful weather, which meant we did not automatically rule-out outdoor activities for a change!

Here is some of what we did…

ate a delicious meal at Ketchup: crab cakes for Danielle, and fish-n-chips for Geoff

enjoyed a beautiful sunset at National Harbor

found a man buried in the sand….

Hiked around and picnicked @ Great Falls State Park on Saturday

On Sunday we met Danielle’s parents and brother at Inner Harbor, Baltimore for the evening, but failed to get many good pictures from that… Tyler & Danielle

All in all, it was a pretty terrific weekend! Thanks again to everyone for their birthday wishes, and thanks to the government for sending my honey home early:)
(check out more pictures on facebook if you so desire! )

Beautiful Creation

Psalm 8

1 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Plans are meant to be changed?

Final Requirement: a 600 hour internship, equally split between the elementary and secondary (MS/HS) levels

I began the summer excited to be done with my graduate classes and anticipating my last semester of school in the fall, in which my only requirement was an internship. My heart and mind were set on graduating in December and finally being able to put school behind me and find a steady, dependable job for the new year. We made the move to NoVa based on this plan. I submitted all of the paperwork for my internship by June 1 as directed and anxiously awaited my placement in the Arlington school district.

To make a long story much shorter I will say that for multiple reasons, Arlington was not able to give me the placements I needed to complete the internship in one semester as planned. So instead of graduating in December, it will be May. And instead of interning full-time each week, I will spend 2-3 days/week at my site. I will be at an elementary school in the fall and a high school in the spring. The good news is that I will be able to continue watching a baby 2 afternoons per week, a job that I started in July and which helps bring in a little money. The bad news is that I am 2 semesters away from graduating and getting a real job, rather than one. The good news is that God is sovereign and has already ordered my steps for the future. So while I was disappointed at first, and frustrated too I'll admit, who am I to say that God messed up in allowing it to happen this way? He loves me more than I can fathom. He knows what I need and what is best for Geoff & I. And so I will begin this school year with a determination to be thankful for the extra time during the week, the extra semester as a student, and the Lord who in His wisdom makes much better plans for my life than I ever could.

Friends in Wedded Bliss

This past weekend I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in my friend’s wedding. She and I met in 8th grade and have been good friends ever since. We even roomed together for 2 years in college @ C’ville, which was great! There were 3 of us girls who were very close friends through youth group, and a youth leader who has remained a mentor and friend to us these past 12 years or so. Which means that this wedding was also a great excuse to spend time with these ladies who are so precious to me. My friend Laura was a bridesmaid with me, even though she came down with pnemonia right before the wedding! Ginger was the last of our little group to get married and so it makes me incredibly happy to see us all with great men who love us dearly. Knowing it would turn out like this could have saved us lots of worries and tears in high school, though, that’s for sure!

Even got to spend some time with my family, which meant Geoff had company while I was busy with bridesmaid things :)

CheeseHeads

Over the 4th of July holiday, we were able to get up to Wisconsin to visit Geoff’s family. We really enjoyed leaving the 95+ weather here in DC for the 70ish weather in Milwaukee (for most of the week, anyway). Here are some of the other things we enjoyed:

*toured Sprecher Brewery, where they make THE best root beer!

*went to a Brewer’s game…unfortunately, they lost but we still enjoyed great ballpark food and fun. I was even chilly sitting in the shade, which was such a nice change from sweating just walking to the car at home!

*ate at Milwaukee Brewer’s player Ryan Braun’s restaurant on the waterfront and enjoyed delicious sandwiches with a pretty view

*visited the botanical gardens, for free, as part of a free summer concert series

*played Sheepshead with Grandma and Tante (well, I watched… and Geoff lost a dollar)

*fireworks in downtown Menomonee Falls

*making scones with strawberries and cream for the Wimbledon final

*relaxing and laughing with family

Apt. 9

Well, it took about a month but we are finally all settled in to our new place in Arlington. Its beginning to feel like home. Here are a few pictures of our new place, as requested:

living room/kitchen our wonderfully huge kitchen counter that tends to collect junk throughout the day...

dining "area". sorry, all company must eat on the couch :)living room
yes, its true. pretty much everything you see is from Ikea.

does this really need a caption?

a poor picture of the bedroom

Bavarian retreat in… West Virginia?!

Geoff and I recently celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. Last week we were able to escape for a wonderful 24-hour getaway outside the Beltway. In the week or so leading up to our anniversary, I had done some research into inns or bed&breakfasts within a close proximity to DC, in hopes that we’d be able to take a short trip sometime this summer. In my research I came across the beautiful Hillbrook Inn in Charles Town, WV. I made the comment to Geoff that this place looked spectacular and had decent rates to boot, and suggested that we should go there sometime. Upon opening my card from him on the morning of our anniversary, I found a print-out of this very inn with the promise of going away for a night sometime within the next week. So, on Monday the 14th we left our little apartment in Arlington and headed west… enjoying a beautiful 1.5hr drive to our destination. As you can see from the pictures, this inn is a beautiful Bavarian style retreat (circa 1700) on 18 acres of grounds, land that once belonged to George Washington. We booked 1 of the 4 cottages they offer outside of the main house rooms, the Summer Cottage (see Geoff sitting on our porch). The grounds were beautiful and our first day there was rather humid but still bearable to be outside. I’m glad we enjoyed it while we could because the next day was rainy! We walked around the grounds, played a round or two of horseshoes and then played chess. They had a large chess board you could walk on, which is so much more fun than manipulating little pieces in front of you on a tiny board. I of course did not remember the rules or which piece did what since I’m not much of a strategy game kinda girl, but it was a lot of fun even though I lost quite grandly. Geoff was kind enough to give me lots of “help” that seemed to work to his advantage most times…. We later played backgammon, which I had never played before. I picked up the strategy fairly well and managed to beat Geoff the second time, so I’ve come to enjoy that game :) We had a wonderful time just relaxing and being together without the demands of everyday life. So thankful for chances like this to get away, and so thankful for the man God has given me as a caring, loving husband. For more pictures, check out Facebook.

Monuments and Mochas

So of course part of moving to a new place is finding new spots to hang out and spend time. Living a few miles from downtown DC, there are a myriad of options for dining and entertainment, as well as more educational venues like museums and monuments. Geoff is much more the history buff than I am; he enjoys learning the story behind the monument or the facts about a battle, etc… I am more interested in how it looks and if its near a coffee shop, ha. Speaking of coffee shops, we have found a nearby cafe that is quite enjoyable! The best thing is that Buzz Bakery is open almost any hour of the day (6am-midnight), has outdoor seating AND free off-street parking. We have been twice so far and have not been disappointed with our selections. I recommend the “Zebra” which is a half milk chocolate/ half white chocolate mocha. We have yet to try any of their pastries which look oh-so-yummy and include a wide assortment of cupcakes, pies, tarts, and brownies. *mouth watering* So here is your warning that if you come to visit us, Buzz will most likely be included in our itinerary :)

Ok so back to the historical part of this post… early this week Geoff and I took advantage of the unseasonably cool, dry weather and spent the evening at the National Mall. We visited the Washington Monument, then walked over to the WWII memorial from there. The WWII memorial was completed in 2004, and is a“monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world.” Geoff made sure I learned some historical facts while I enjoyed looking at the beautiful fountains, and people watching. While I’m sure the monuments are impressive in the daylight, seeing them all lit up at night was a pretty sight indeed. I’m sure that won’t be our last venture to one of the many historical markers in this city, but since we both hate hot and humid weather there’s a good chance that won’t happen until October! For an extra sweet end to the evening, we ventured downtown to a cupcakery where we had a B1G1 coupon. Why else would you pay over $3 for a cupcake, right? Anyway, so this Red Velvet Cupcakery had some pretty delicious choices. Geoff got the Carrot Cake cupcake, and I got the Summertime cupcake (lemon cake with cream cheese icing and coconut flakes on top). I don’t quite understand what all the hype is over cupcakes, and am pretty astonished at how many cupcake joints there are in the area, but this one would probably earn a return trip from me… as long as I had a coupon of course :)

Anniversary Thoughts

As I reminisce about this day 3 years ago when Geoff and I said "I do" and embarked on this journey of life and love together, I can't help but remember the words to the special music sung during the ceremony. Our dear friends, Ginger and Ryan, blessed us by singing "I will be here" by Steven Curtis Chapman while we lit the Unity Candle. I have to admit that the ceremony was such a blur to me that I can't tell you whether the song sounded good or not, but I am sure they did a terrific job! Its funny to me all the hours spent planning and preparing for that day 3 years ago, and how little of the day I truly remember. I’m thankful for pictures and other tangible items, like the lyrics to this song, that remind me of what took place that day and of the commitment Geoff and I made to each other in front of our Father, family and friends. So today I am overwhelmed at the blessing God has given me in a husband, I am reminded of the vows I made to love and to respect him always, and I realize how much growing I still need to do.

Tomorrow morning if you wake up and the sun does not appear
I will be here
If in the dark, we lose sight of love
Hold my hand, and have no fear
'Cause I will be here

I will be here
When you feel like being quiet
When you need to speak your mind
I will listen, And I will be here
When the laughter turns to cryin'
Through the winning, losing and trying
We'll be together
I will be here

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the future is unclear
I will be here
Just as sure as seasons were made for change
Our lifetimes were made for these years
So I will be here

I will be here
And you can cry on my shoulder
When the mirror tells us we're older
I will hold you
And I will be here
To watch you grow in beauty
And tell you all the things you are to me
I will be here

I will be true to the promise I have made
To you and to the One who gave you to me
Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the sun does not appear
I will be here
Oh, I will be here