the luckiest

i am truly the luckiest girl in the world. i have great family and i have chosen the best friends anyone could ask for. i also have adam.

he is the best. our personalities are so different, but fit one another so perfectly it is disgusting. i know he is the man for me. he is so selfless and so understanding. he keeps me grounded and keeps me from losing it when i am at my wits end. he really just understands what i need and is willing to do anything to make me the happiest i can be. the funny thing is-i am aready so happy when i am with him.

i know that no life is perfect. mine is certainly no exception. i am constantly worrying and freaking out over things i have no control over. all the while, adam is so steadfast and calm...never giving in to my tantrums or getting frustrated with my emotions.

he is in many ways a "guy's guy" with his welding equiptment and his yard work, chopping wood, hanging drywall, fixing everything that goes wrong in our tiny house...i love all of it. and then there are his dirty shirts. shirts that are so stained and hopeless after one wear...shirts that ignore oxy clean and bleach, but still feel right when i lay my head on them after a long day at work. i love that he is rugged on the outside with stubble and sweat on his face, but such a good man all the way down to his core. i think men like adam are few and far between. i know three of them: my dad, adam, and adam's dad. my three favorite men on earth. my pappap was one of those men too. adam reminds me so much of my pap, in every single way.

i love imagining my future with my handsome adam. i know that no matter what it holds, i will be safe and sound with him.

a prayer for friends in need

sometimes i wonder why God challenges some families so much. i know that He never gives us anything we can't handle....but it is true, why does He trust some families with so much?

i know that i am not supposed to question the works and ways of the Lord, but watching these families go through so much pain just plain hurts. Just when it seems they have their heads above water, another devastating blow...i just don't understand. i wish there was something i could do for them, maybe that is part of the test-not only what they can withstand, but what their friends can withstand as well.

i trust in the Lord with all of my heart & i know that these families do as well...i know that He hears our prayers and sends us comfort, but every person does have a breaking point.  i pray that they find the light at the end of their tunnel and peace finds them soon...for i cannot think of a family that deserves it more. people that would do anything for others and have. people that follow the words and ways of the Lord in their day to day lives, not just on Sundays.  people that show their love for God in all walks of their lives.

sibling rivalry

i have been thinking about this for a long time now...how some parents treat their children so differently. i guess it is not my place to judge, not being a parent, but that is such a strange concept to me. siblings already compare themselves to one another, why make lives any harder?

i guess maybe because i was brought up in a house that was meticulously fair, i find it extra hard to believe that there are families out there that will treat their children so unfairly. why is one child's birthday more important than another? why is one child's achievements always more rewarded and encouraged? why is one child held with so much regard, while the other is met with conversation and adoration only when convenient?

i have always compared myself to my sister...how could i not? she is gorgeous. even in 7th grade, when 90% of your school is in an awkward stage, she wasn't. she modeled, she was athletic, she was popular...all those things i cared about so much back then...maybe i am wrong, but i think many siblings (especially sisters) go through this. don't get me wrong, it never made me love her any less and she never treated me like i wasn't good enough, but there were some times i wish it would have been easier, i wish i would have felt like i was worth more than i thought...

when i think about these things, i also think about how great my mom was at reminding me how special i was, how special God made me and how proud of me they BOTH were. she would never have put erin's dance trophy in front of my band award or vice versa. she loved us both exactly the same. we knew it. she told us. she showed us.

when i think about the way some people are treated, i just feel so awful, i know if i wouldn't have had the support of my parents all those hard years, i would never be so strong today. sometimes i wonder how some parents can live with themselves...

welcome to my life...

i share my life with a lot of fabulous people, first & foremost, i share it with the Lord. He is a huge part of my life & i plan to walk with Him throughout the rest of it.

adam- i call him my rock because that is exactly what he is. he never faulters. he stays right by me throughout every bump in the road. i have never met someone so patient or so easy to forgive. i admire him for his strength, his hard work, & his ability to love me unconditionally. he is the one decision i will never regret.

erin- she is my sister & my ultimate best friend. she makes me laugh in every situation & she truly cares about me. she is a fantastic mother to my favorite peanuts emma & ava, & i cherish every moment i spend with all 3 of them.

mom & dad- 2 people that can never be replaced or forgotten. they have shown me what marriage really is all about & i am so grateful for that. i have never been embarrassed by them or with them. they are the kind of parents i wish everyone had- the kind that make you want to do the right thing & make them proud. they have shown me love beyond words & i hope adam & i can be even 1/2 of the parents that they were to erin & me.

i love my life & i have enjoyed all the twists & turns it has taken this past year. marriage is not the easiest thing in the world, but it certainly worth every bump in the road. i look forward to my life ahead with adam & my family. i know it will be one worth writing about...at least to me.

t minus 10 days...

i am not a world traveler (as much as i would love to be one), but if there is one thing i know about-it's the importance of a family vacation. it doesn't matter where or when-just that it is often enough that the memories don't fade too much between trips. my family has been on a few of these, some near, some far...but the best have always been to california.
if you know my family at all, you know it is a rare occassion for us to be able to afford such a trip. my uncle lives in california, and despite the sheer beauty & nearly flawless weather, i think my favorite part is seeing my dad & uncle together.
this trip will include the people i care about most in this world & i cannot believe it is almost here. pictures will follow.