The Labor of Love

We don't feel like we did those first weeks we dating.  Once in awhile, we catch each other's eye, and there are butterflies.  But by and large, the love is deeper...stronger...quieter.

It has roots.  It has withstood the wind, the rain, and the bitter cold.

And it hasn't withstood because we are strong or wonderful.

It is only GRACE--the Grace of Jesus living in us, soaking us.

We have learned to forgive.  Over and over.  For the same things.

We have learned to be honest.

We have learned to listen.

And we are not perfect.  We have not arrived.  We are still learning.

We're still little in this marriage thing.

After medical school, two babies, residency, another baby, new practice, a lost baby, and then twins!, we are still figuring it out.  But, we're committed to Him, to each other, and to keeping those promises we vowed to each other nine years ago.

We don't know what the future holds--more foreign lands, more exhaustion, more work, more children?

Dave, I'm looking forward to the "more."

*Photo courtesy of MyMeanderings

Cast-Away

Sam gets his cast off today! I am so glad. I am ready for his leg to be clean.

He doesn't want it removed. I think he is scared. I tried to explain how it would come off. We shall see how he does when we get there.

I'm thinking we will have lunch at Chick-Fil-A.

I wish Dave didn't have to work today. His mini-vacay ended Tuesday.

We had a lovely weekend in KC. We ate great food, saw a movie, napped, went to a museum, and spent some quality time at the International House of Prayer. We are very refreshed.

We missed the kiddos, though. I think they missed us a little bit. :) I think Lucy missed us the most.

My brother is amazacrazy and fixed our drainage problems. Yea!!! We are hoping this means no more of me in the garage with the shop vac every time it rains.

My family watched the kids, and the adults survived. The kids survived too. :)

Yesterday was our 8-year anniversary. My husband encouraged me big-time in his awesome card fashioned with the Super 8 logo. We do traditional anniversary gifts, and this year is pottery/bronze. He bought me a ceramic pot from 1956 that was traditionally used for beans. I am going to use it for cookies. :) His gift has not arrived yet, but I will be sure to show it when it does.

Well, that's my update. Wish it could have been more exciting! Happy Thursday!

Updates on Everything

Well, I had a bit of a greasy hair weekend, and I didn't have cornstarch. So, I put face powder in my hair and combed it through. It helped! I bought some cornstarch on Saturday.

Also, I noticed when I got sweaty after running, my hair looked better. I guess the saltiness cut the grease? I have no idea. Gross, eh? :) I am washing every other day and only doing the ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse every other wash. Oh, and Dave says my hair doesn't smell bad.

Today, my hair looks a lot better. It kind of feels sticky like when we moved to Tulsa and had hard water. So, I know it is about to turn a corner. It doesn't look greasy or sticky today, it just feels sticky. It has a lot of body. :) My hair is short, though, so it sticks up a lot when I wake up in the morning. I will have to wet it to get it to look more normal. I am going to press on with this crazy venture!

This is my last week of running in preparation for the 5K race on SATURDAY!!!

I am excited, nervous, and ready to be finished with this goal! I can't believe it is almost here. Here is my running schedule this week (with modified recommendations from my friend, Lee):

Monday--Run 22 minutes

Tuesday--Rest

Wednesday--Run 25 minutes

Thursday--Run 10 minutes

Friday--Rest

Saturday--Run 3.1 miles!!!

Last night (Sunday), I ran 2.47 miles in 25 minutes. It was insane, but I did it, and I kept my pace around 10 minutes/mile. It was great. It's so hard when I am in the middle of it, but I just keep telling myself that I can do this. I am a runner because I am running! So pretty much, I just pep-talk myself the entire time. :)

It seems I have been in a mode of trying new things lately. I've made all these homemade cleaners. Here is my report:

Dishwasher Detergent (improved version over the first one I tried two years ago)--LOVE IT. No spots, no residue.

Furniture Polish--It works really well, but it does leave a little vinegar-y scent for a bit--not too long. Of course, I tried it in the van on the vinyl (whatever that stuff is on the dashboard), so it was in a small, not-too-airy space...should try it on our furniture! At least the smell isn't toxic.

Window Cleaner--I love this cleaner so much more than Windex. There is no ammonia--so no toxic fumes to breathe. I used Clorox Natural Dish Soap (Water Lily scent) as the dish soap for the recipe, and it smells very nice and works super well. It leaves no streaks and actually cleanses the glass/mirror. I also didn't have to scrub really hard.

I haven't made the laundry detergent yet (have all the supplies--waiting to run out of my Purex naturals soap). I also haven't made the deodorant yet. I just need to order the shea butter and cocoa butter online. And maybe some vegetable glycerin?

Our garden is beautiful. I'm so excited about it. I promise pictures...It's quite a feat for me to go out there, take pictures, upload them, re-upload them to the blog...you know. :)

Sam's cast is breaking through on his heel. Too much scooting, I guess. One more week until an xray that will hopefully show he can bear weight on it. He is so ready, and I am constantly having to remind him to GET OFF OF IT!!!

Dave and I have made plans to go to Kansas City for Memorial Weekend. We are super excited. We haven't had a nice getaway in a couple of years. My awesome brother and his wife will bring their kids and stay with ours. My parents may come help play with grandkids. It'll be nice to know they are with family.

I have planned out several restaurants to eat at (isn't that what vacation is all about?), we are going to hear the symphony play for a FREE show for Memorial Day, we will probably do some pottery stuff (our 8th anniversary is June 2, and the traditional gift is bronze/pottery). We will spend some time at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in the prayer room and for a time of prophetic ministry. We are really looking forward to our long weekend together.

So, that's my update. You made it to the end. Congratulations!

Our Thematic Anniversaries

Since Dave and I were married seven (and a half) years ago, we have always celebrated by following the traditional gifts for each year. It is good because it gives us a direction to go in, but there is still room for creativity and meaning.

Allow me to recap our gifts for the last seven anniversaries:

First: Paper

I got him a sketch pad with pencils and charcoal.
He got me an unabridged copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite novels.

Second: Cotton

I got him a pack of three cotton undershirts and a CD (I had to sweeten the gift a little...).
He got me a printed t-shirt from one of our favorite websites.

Third: Leather

I got him a new Bible bound in genuine leather.
He got me a Fossil wallet that I LOVE and still use.

Fourth: Fruit and Flowers

I think I got him a bag of Starburst jellybeans and I think I might have done something else, but I don't recall (this anniversary was during the time when we had Maryn, ended up back in the hospital with her, he graduated from med school, and we moved to Tulsa all in a matter of two weeks. It was tough!).

He painted me a canvas (before we moved) and unveiled it when we got moved in. I think he also took me to Jamba Juice. :)

Fifth: Wood

I found a wood box at Hobby Lobby, painted it black, and then decoupaged a picture I took on the top that had some symbolism for our marriage. He keeps his change in it on the dresser.

He got me a new ceiling fan for the living room in Tulsa. Too bad it is there, and we are here. :(

Sixth: Candy and Iron

I'm pretty sure I bought him some candy, but I also got him a 25 lb. handheld weight. He really liked it!

He bought me a large skillet pan that looks like iron (though it isn't).

This brings us to our seventh anniversary, this past June 2nd. Boy, it was a tough one. It's times like these that make me super thankful for Etsy. We both ordered our gifts from Etsy, and we are so pleased with how they turned out. I don't have pictures I've taken, but here are the pictures that the artists took of their handiwork.

Seventh: Wool and Copper

I got him a black leather cuff with a copper plate. I had her engrave the word "Valor" on it. He really liked it. It's great for his rock-n-roll moods. I bought it from this shop on Etsy. This picture is hers as well.

And he ordered me these sweet mittens from a lady in Lithuania!!! The are wool mittens that are actually mimics of Bella's in "Twilight". How funny is that? I LOVE THEM. Here is her shop. This picture also belongs to her.

If you feel like you're stuck each year when trying to decide on the perfect gift for your spouse, I highly recommend following the traditional gifts list. One is available here, both the traditional and modern lists. The traditional gifts are less expensive early on (which is great because most of us were pretty poor when we started out!), but the modern is for more expensive gifts. We have loved this tradition.

I'm looking forward to our eighth--bronze/pottery!!!