Thursday, November 19, 2009
The Body
The human body is an amazing thing, capable of so much that I will never fully understand. My body does not feel so amazing, but instead strongly dislikes me at the moment. I have been sick for almost two months. This cold has moved from my chest to my head, back to my chest, into my ear, and its latest move has been into my throat. I want to feel healthy...I don't really remember what that feels like. The reason that my body is sicky is because my defenses are working over time trying to deal with the stress that has been looming over me. I have experienced more drama in my job in the last few months then I have watching a complete season of The Bachelor...and that is saying something. I hope that this stress ends soon...I don't know where else my can get a cold...maybe my pours.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Let Them Eat Cake!
This past weekend Reid and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! We pulled out the cake that has been sitting in our freezer for a year and dug in. It was great too!
For our anniversary we decided to travel to Rockford, IL and have a nice dinner and then go to a Rockford Ice Hogs game. The Rockford Ice Hogs are a minor league hockey team that are the farm team for the Chicago Blackhawks. During the time I lived in Rockford and became a fan of the Hogs and throughly enjoyed going to the games.
The game was awesome and it made me reflect on our last year in marriage, like any great hockey game will do :) The Hogs were playing the Peoria Rivermen and it was a game that the Hogs were expected to win. The score at the end of the 1st period was Hogs-0 Rivermen-3...ouch. I was bummed. It seemed hopeless. The Hogs pulled out a score in the 2nd period making the score 1-3 at the beginning of the 3rd period. Still it did not seem possible with the way that they were playing that a win was going to occur. Then something spectacular happened...the Hogs scored and just before the end of the final period they scored again! So the game went into overtime 3-3. In hockey the overtime rules are sudden death, whoever scores first wins. The time ran down and no scores were made so then it goes to a shoot out. The whole crowd was on their feet screaming and yelling, the energy was so uplifting. It took 9 rounds before the Hogs were declared the winners...and the crowd went wild. Even though the odds were against them and people like myself had almost given up, the Hogs pulled out the win!
This year has been tough in many ways. Not because of our relationship, but because of all the craziness that this world likes to throw. When your relationship is built with the knowledge that God is the strength it seems that no matter what the other team has scored, at the end there is victory. Everyday I am thankful that I married my best friend and I am so glad that we suit up for this game of life together.
For our anniversary we decided to travel to Rockford, IL and have a nice dinner and then go to a Rockford Ice Hogs game. The Rockford Ice Hogs are a minor league hockey team that are the farm team for the Chicago Blackhawks. During the time I lived in Rockford and became a fan of the Hogs and throughly enjoyed going to the games.
The game was awesome and it made me reflect on our last year in marriage, like any great hockey game will do :) The Hogs were playing the Peoria Rivermen and it was a game that the Hogs were expected to win. The score at the end of the 1st period was Hogs-0 Rivermen-3...ouch. I was bummed. It seemed hopeless. The Hogs pulled out a score in the 2nd period making the score 1-3 at the beginning of the 3rd period. Still it did not seem possible with the way that they were playing that a win was going to occur. Then something spectacular happened...the Hogs scored and just before the end of the final period they scored again! So the game went into overtime 3-3. In hockey the overtime rules are sudden death, whoever scores first wins. The time ran down and no scores were made so then it goes to a shoot out. The whole crowd was on their feet screaming and yelling, the energy was so uplifting. It took 9 rounds before the Hogs were declared the winners...and the crowd went wild. Even though the odds were against them and people like myself had almost given up, the Hogs pulled out the win!
This year has been tough in many ways. Not because of our relationship, but because of all the craziness that this world likes to throw. When your relationship is built with the knowledge that God is the strength it seems that no matter what the other team has scored, at the end there is victory. Everyday I am thankful that I married my best friend and I am so glad that we suit up for this game of life together.
Monday, October 12, 2009
A book in the mail
Last week was tough....
My car was totaled, bad/crazy things were going down at work, I was stressed about car shopping, and was just stressed in general. Because of the stress I was getting headaches every day...not a fan :( Now my intention of this blog is not to sound like "woe is me" although I would understand if it was interpreted in that way. My intention is to express thanks and reflect on how acts of kindness help a person climb out of the hole they feel they are in.
I got home from work and in the mail was a package from my sister-in-law. Its contents contained the book Girl with A Pearl Earring and a nice note. My sister-in-law saw this book and wanted me to read it before my trip to Holland this spring. I was so touched that she thought of me.
After a night of car shopping Reid and I went out to eat at a fantastic place called Sweet Tomatoes. While I was standing in a cashier's lane a nice stranger gave me two coupons to use on our meals. It was a simple gesture that was unexpected and much appreciated.
I am so humbled by the kindness of others. I know that big things/events matter, but all the little things help us to put the big things in perspective.
My car was totaled, bad/crazy things were going down at work, I was stressed about car shopping, and was just stressed in general. Because of the stress I was getting headaches every day...not a fan :( Now my intention of this blog is not to sound like "woe is me" although I would understand if it was interpreted in that way. My intention is to express thanks and reflect on how acts of kindness help a person climb out of the hole they feel they are in.
I got home from work and in the mail was a package from my sister-in-law. Its contents contained the book Girl with A Pearl Earring and a nice note. My sister-in-law saw this book and wanted me to read it before my trip to Holland this spring. I was so touched that she thought of me.
After a night of car shopping Reid and I went out to eat at a fantastic place called Sweet Tomatoes. While I was standing in a cashier's lane a nice stranger gave me two coupons to use on our meals. It was a simple gesture that was unexpected and much appreciated.
I am so humbled by the kindness of others. I know that big things/events matter, but all the little things help us to put the big things in perspective.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Angry Goose
So one night I suggested that my husband and I go for a run the next morning. Things like exercising always sound like a good idea at the time, but when the alarm goes off at 5:30 am I can not think of anything that sounds less appealing. Now if my plan was to run alone I could have easily convinced myself to hit the snooze, but since my husband was going skipping out of the morning run committment was less likely to happen. So like a child I pout and whine desperately wishing that my husband will just say forget it. He doesn't. So we run.
Now about a quarter mile into our run we go by a large retention pond that usually has fog hovering over it. By the pond there lives a very grumpy and angry goose. The goose kind of reminds me of the troll in the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Now we don't have to cross a bridge like in the story, but we do have to worry about this goose's disposition.
The first encounter we had with the goose startled us. It was dark outside and we had not noticed Mr. Angry Goose until he was right there. The second encounter was one of mistaken identity. As we approached the pond I heard a hissing sound that I thought was a snake, but low and behold it was Mr. Angry Goose attempting to chase us away. The last few morning runs our friend Mr. Angry Goose has not made an appearance. Maybe he was able to hit his snooze button and continue to dream of chasing the annoying runners away at 5:30 am.
Now about a quarter mile into our run we go by a large retention pond that usually has fog hovering over it. By the pond there lives a very grumpy and angry goose. The goose kind of reminds me of the troll in the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Now we don't have to cross a bridge like in the story, but we do have to worry about this goose's disposition.
The first encounter we had with the goose startled us. It was dark outside and we had not noticed Mr. Angry Goose until he was right there. The second encounter was one of mistaken identity. As we approached the pond I heard a hissing sound that I thought was a snake, but low and behold it was Mr. Angry Goose attempting to chase us away. The last few morning runs our friend Mr. Angry Goose has not made an appearance. Maybe he was able to hit his snooze button and continue to dream of chasing the annoying runners away at 5:30 am.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Maggie Mae aka Mag Pie
If anyone has seen Marley and Me I am sure that you remember the ending words...
Something to the effect of "Dogs don't need fancy cars or houses. Give them your heart and they will give it back".
Last April Reid and I adopted Maggie from Rover Rescue, a shelter in Aurora, IL. I had made up my mind that I wanted a dog and luckily for me Reid went along with it. Maggie was found starved and neglected. Her malnurishment caused her growth to be stunted which made her appear younger then she really was. The posting for her on adopt a pet.com said that she was a 4 month old beagle, but when she was taken to the vet they discovered that she was between 6-7 months old. She was completely emaciated, you could count her ribs by just looking at her and her hip bones stuck sharply out. At Rover Rescue try to place dogs in foster homes instead of keeping them in a shelter. When I called Maggie's foster parents I was informed that she was sick due to the neglect she suffered and would be in need of a lot of spoiling and attention. I assured the foster parent that we were prepared to do just that, love Maggie.
How did we ever live without her?
My favorite part of the day is watching Maggie's reaction to Reid coming home. You have never seen any being so excited as she is.
Something to the effect of "Dogs don't need fancy cars or houses. Give them your heart and they will give it back".
Last April Reid and I adopted Maggie from Rover Rescue, a shelter in Aurora, IL. I had made up my mind that I wanted a dog and luckily for me Reid went along with it. Maggie was found starved and neglected. Her malnurishment caused her growth to be stunted which made her appear younger then she really was. The posting for her on adopt a pet.com said that she was a 4 month old beagle, but when she was taken to the vet they discovered that she was between 6-7 months old. She was completely emaciated, you could count her ribs by just looking at her and her hip bones stuck sharply out. At Rover Rescue try to place dogs in foster homes instead of keeping them in a shelter. When I called Maggie's foster parents I was informed that she was sick due to the neglect she suffered and would be in need of a lot of spoiling and attention. I assured the foster parent that we were prepared to do just that, love Maggie.
How did we ever live without her?
My favorite part of the day is watching Maggie's reaction to Reid coming home. You have never seen any being so excited as she is.
Everyone who has met Maggie loves her, how could you not?!
A Tradition in Honor
Last summer I was questioned about a tradition that my husband upheld before he asked me to marry him. The tradition being that Reid informed my father of his intentions to ask me to marry him. Now the question I was asked was if I was offended and felt as though Reid asking my father for my hand in marriage made me feel like less of an independent person. This specific question has ran through my head from time to time and it usually get my heart racing and my blood pressure marching upward. Even now as I am writing my hands are shaking. I guess I feel that I need to address my true feelings about the tradition in question.
1. Questioning - There are many things in this world that need questioning, but the issue of a man informing his hopefully soon-to-be-bride's father of his intentions to marry his daughter is not one of those things.
2. Independence - I will never claim to be an independent person and I caution anyone who is trying to become or claims to be "independent". I am dependent. Dependence is how we are connected as God's people. I don't think we need reminding of what happended when Adam and Eve wanted their independence from God...do we? We can not move forward or grow as individuals if we do not rely on the support and guidance of others. As a person why would you want to take on the label of "independent" when all that really means is that you think you are fine to stand alone...which you can't, no one can.
3. Honor - When my father talks about the moment when Reid ask him if he could have his blessing to marry me, my father lights up. My father in that moment felt honored. He was also so excited that he knew Reid was going to ask me to marry him before anyone else...information that he kept topic secret even from my mother. I am so blessed to have a husband that wanted to honor my father in this special way.
4. Relationship - The tradition of asking for a daughter's hand in marriage goes way back and I believe that it started because daughters were connected to dowry's and in order for a man to ask a woman to marry him he had to get permission from her father. The tradition of that has continued, but the meaning behind it has changed. Today this tradtion is about a relationship between a father and his future son-in-law. Reid got to share an exciting beginning to another chapter in his life with my father, a moment neither one of them will soon forget. They did not talk about money or land, but instead talked about a promise that Reid wanted to make to me.
5. The final say - No matter who asked my father for my hand in marriage, I have the final say...plain and simple.
So to answer the above stated question: I am not offended by honor, respect and a strong relationship. Instead I am lifted up by my husband's gesture because when you honor my father, you honor me.
1. Questioning - There are many things in this world that need questioning, but the issue of a man informing his hopefully soon-to-be-bride's father of his intentions to marry his daughter is not one of those things.
2. Independence - I will never claim to be an independent person and I caution anyone who is trying to become or claims to be "independent". I am dependent. Dependence is how we are connected as God's people. I don't think we need reminding of what happended when Adam and Eve wanted their independence from God...do we? We can not move forward or grow as individuals if we do not rely on the support and guidance of others. As a person why would you want to take on the label of "independent" when all that really means is that you think you are fine to stand alone...which you can't, no one can.
3. Honor - When my father talks about the moment when Reid ask him if he could have his blessing to marry me, my father lights up. My father in that moment felt honored. He was also so excited that he knew Reid was going to ask me to marry him before anyone else...information that he kept topic secret even from my mother. I am so blessed to have a husband that wanted to honor my father in this special way.
4. Relationship - The tradition of asking for a daughter's hand in marriage goes way back and I believe that it started because daughters were connected to dowry's and in order for a man to ask a woman to marry him he had to get permission from her father. The tradition of that has continued, but the meaning behind it has changed. Today this tradtion is about a relationship between a father and his future son-in-law. Reid got to share an exciting beginning to another chapter in his life with my father, a moment neither one of them will soon forget. They did not talk about money or land, but instead talked about a promise that Reid wanted to make to me.
5. The final say - No matter who asked my father for my hand in marriage, I have the final say...plain and simple.
So to answer the above stated question: I am not offended by honor, respect and a strong relationship. Instead I am lifted up by my husband's gesture because when you honor my father, you honor me.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Mo Money Mo Problems :)
People who say that there is no difference between marriage and being in a committed relationship while living together are in my opinion mistaken. The biggest difference I have found is the finances.
Now I should also mention that I married a man who makes financial planning an art form...well kind of. Going through the "books" for the month is quite the spectical. He has created so many spreadsheets regarding our finances and he password protects almost every cell so there is no way that his non-financial savvy wife can accidentally delete whatever formula he has conjured up. My husband meditates on how to save money and where money should be spent. He actually makes himself sick over a month in the red (which is the color of cell turns if we have spent more then we brought in). It's pretty crazy and actually quite impressive. I once asked him why we can't go off of the account information online, but he informed me that they can make mistakes so we must make sure their answers match ours.
When it comes to money I am the opposite as my husband...I spend it. I figure that spending money now on lets say a Bears Vs. Vikings and/or Packers tickets or tickets to a concert will have more value in memory then if that money was kept in a savings account. And don't even get me started on a savings accounts. It seems with our rate of interest it is actually more expensive to have a savings account then just stuffing our mattress with money. The rate is so low that I end up spending more in gas just driving the check to the bank. Of course where I get into trouble is when I go to Target several times a week and don't really know what I have purchased...yikes!
I figure some day our differences will create a healthy balance of our two extremes, but for now I am still looking for our copy of "Marriage: an owners manuel" that I am convinced is just lost somewhere in our storage room.
Now I should also mention that I married a man who makes financial planning an art form...well kind of. Going through the "books" for the month is quite the spectical. He has created so many spreadsheets regarding our finances and he password protects almost every cell so there is no way that his non-financial savvy wife can accidentally delete whatever formula he has conjured up. My husband meditates on how to save money and where money should be spent. He actually makes himself sick over a month in the red (which is the color of cell turns if we have spent more then we brought in). It's pretty crazy and actually quite impressive. I once asked him why we can't go off of the account information online, but he informed me that they can make mistakes so we must make sure their answers match ours.
When it comes to money I am the opposite as my husband...I spend it. I figure that spending money now on lets say a Bears Vs. Vikings and/or Packers tickets or tickets to a concert will have more value in memory then if that money was kept in a savings account. And don't even get me started on a savings accounts. It seems with our rate of interest it is actually more expensive to have a savings account then just stuffing our mattress with money. The rate is so low that I end up spending more in gas just driving the check to the bank. Of course where I get into trouble is when I go to Target several times a week and don't really know what I have purchased...yikes!
I figure some day our differences will create a healthy balance of our two extremes, but for now I am still looking for our copy of "Marriage: an owners manuel" that I am convinced is just lost somewhere in our storage room.
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