30 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

As part of the book, The Love Dare, I wrote down a list of 30 reasons why I love my hubby. Why this may seem like a very newlywed thing to do, I'd encourage everyone - even those who have been married forever - to try it! To make it even better, I posted one reason every day in September on my Facebook for John's 30th birthday :) Of course, my math skills are pathetic, so I actually had 31 reasons on Facebook! Here they are, in no particular order:

1. He is one hard-working man!
2. He takes GREAT care of me.
3. He loves our families.
4. He strives to be a godly man.
5. He makes me want to be a better me and brings out the best in me. He has a lot more confidence in me than I do!
   
6. He provides for all my needs and protects me.
7. He makes me laugh and laughs with me - and never makes me feel stupid for finding humor in even the simplest thing.
8. He is a great singer and loves music almost as much as I do.
9. He always asks for help when he needs it.
10. He usually has a good reason for everything he does.
11. He is the most honest person I know and walks with integrity.
12. He wants to make me happy (and does!)
13. He still makes my heart melt.
14. He LOVES to serve.
15. He is my best friend.
16. He's always willing to do anything I ask - like drying dishes or grilling steaks when it is 90+ degrees outside.
17. He is my favorite person to be with anywhere!!
18. He'll eat anything I make.
19. He is usually open to doing anything I want to do - trying a new restaurant, going shopping, even going to Sephora!
20. Everyone who knows him - or even meets him for the first time - loves him!
21. He is a social butterfly.
22. He is VERY generous!
23. He is one handsome man!
24. He is going to be a fantastic Daddy!
25. He isn't afraid to try anything: flying, fire fighting, hunting, FFDO program, gardening, etc.
26. He always remembers to use the spray after using our shared bathroom :)
27. He doesn't care if the house, car, bedroom, etc. is messy, but he knows I do, so he tries to keep things tidy :)
28. He values our time together.
29. He serves me in BIG and small ways.
30. No one else "gets" me like he does and no one else forgives me as quickly as he does.
31. He loves me for me - in spite of popular opinion when we met, he loved me for me right from the start and helped me to see myself the way he sees me.

John is hands-down the best gift God has ever given to me - besides the gift of salvation, of course!!! I love you, sweetheart!!

Outdoor World and Me

About 2 weeks ago, John and I made a trip to Outdoor World so that he could look at rifles. For those of you that know me well, you already know that: 1) I hate guns, and 2) I am not a frequent shopper at Outdoor World. Within 5 minutes of standing at the gun counter with John, he knew that I would not be an asset to his purchase, so he suggested that I walk around the store while he looked at guns. I gladly left the gun counter and proceeded to entertain myself by taking the following photos of items I will never purchase at Outdoor World as well as items that prove why I am not a fan of Outdoor World, camping, hunting, or roughing it :) I hope you enjoy the following photos as much as I enjoyed taking them :)

P.S. - I heart my iPhone :) (which I am sure is proof that I am not cut out for Outdoor World!)


Okay, at first glance I thought, "Cool - I have a Crock Pot, too!" But upon closer inspection, I realized that this is a camouflaged print Crock Pot - something I hope I never have!!!


If I am ever forced to be outside when the weather is below 50 degrees, I pray that no one throws this plastic tarp at me and tries to call it a blanket. Look how miserable the guy is!! He doesn't look happy at all!!! But he does kinda looks like Joel McHale, which makes me laugh :)


As an owner of 3 chickens, I can totally believe that turkeys would be fooled by fake birds, but the thing that cracks me up about these decoys is their name....The Love Triangle!! Or as they say in France, Triangle D'amour!


Does this really require an explanation? Again, one more reason I will never go hunting!


I pray that no one ever buys this toy for my kids - I guess I should also pray that they never ask me to buy this for them! And yes, there was a Hunter Ann - and they come with carcasses!


This is a DVD series that they sell at Outdoor World - please note the title of this particular episode...Buckmen 13: Fear the Beard!!


Never, ever, ever, ever!!!


If I have to bring my own hot shower, then count me out!! Besides, it looks like you just have to shower out in front of God and Mother Nature and any other tree hugging hippie that happens to be wandering around the woods - and I am positive that there is not enough hot water in this little box for a decent hot shower!


This is the #1 reason I don't belong in Outdoor World...can you imagine walking into my house and seeing this furniture???

John eventually caught up with me after all the fun I had, but I think he had a lot more fun than I did - he is now the proud owner of a new Marlin rifle :) And no, I won't be learning how to shoot it or learning how to prepare wild boar!

The Swirls Inside My Brain Today

Today is Day 4 of John's 4-day trip, and by Day 4, I start talking to myself, the chickens, the news anchors on Fox News, the vacuum cleaner - anyone who will listen - because the thoughts swirling in my head for the previous 3 days are ripe and ready to come out to anyone who will listen - even a chicken!! Thankfully, I have this little blog on which to dump out the contents of my brain and see if I am still making sense after 3 days with little to no human contact :)

John's birthday was yesterday (September 7th) and in honor of his 30th birthday, I have written a list of 30 random reasons why I love him and am posting one reason each day on Facebook for the whole month of September (and it just so happens that there are 30 days in September, so bonus!). I had written a list of 20 a while back as part of the journey of reading The Love Dare, so adding 10 more reasons was not so difficult :) I was looking over the list on Saturday to choose which reason I would post for that day when I came across this reason: "he loves me for me." My mind instantly re-wound back to a day when I was working in a church office and was called in to review a letter to the staff that was to be sent out the following day. I began to check the letter for grammatical and spelling errors and was surprised to find that my name was in the letter. As I read on, I realized that my name was classified among a list of "miracles" that God had performed that year in our church...the miracle related to me being that someone actually wanted to marry me. I laughed it off and acted like it didn't bother me, but inside I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach.

Now I will be the very first to admit that it was a miracle that John wanted to marry me - at that time, especially!! I was ultra-high-strung and ultra-rigid in my work, and was super-protective of my stuff and my "territory." John somehow broke through my intense work persona to find the real me hidden underneath all of that defensive exterior. It absolutely crushed me to realize that while he loved me for me, there weren't that many other people in my world that did - and that simple letter delivered that reality to my door!

Since that time, God has used so many circumstances and people and has broken through my defenses and turned my heart into clay and molded it to be a lot more flexible (Praise God!) and a lot less protective and threatened. I don't worry so much anymore about what people think of me or what they think I am worth, but I am definitely a lot more concerned that people see God in me - not me trying to be like God, but actually seeing God's transforming power in me! God has used so many people (John, primarily) to gently show me what I am worth and where my worth comes from - and it's not from a job title or how many pats on the back I get or even the size or brand of my jeans.

So thankful, Father, for Your love, protection, and power in my life!

What's In Your Garden???

While I was working inside this afternoon, the front door flew open and my sweet hubby came running in, jumping all around and making gross faces. "Did you walk through a spider web while you were working in the garden?" I asked. "Nope," he replied, "Snake in the bushes." Alas, the gross thing is no longer with us...definitely NOT a garden snake!

Crossway Church!!!!

Here is a link to the bio The Church Planting Network posted on their website about Jon and Melissa and Crossway Church! Check it out!!!!

John's Surprise 30th Birthday Party!

Since April, I have been planning a surprise 30th birthday party for my sweet hubby. With the help of our family and friends, we successfully shocked John with a Cuban-themed party with over 50 of his friends and family members this past Friday night!!

John is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I thank God for him every day! It was so awesome to make this night all about him and to celebrate all that God has done in his life over the past 30 years! I am so blessed that I get to spend the next 30+ years with him!!

Enjoying the lake view at my in-laws' AMAZING house!


The AWESOME Cuban cigar roller :)


Our friends waiting patiently for John to arrive!


Enjoying Cuban cigars :)


Blowing out the candles :)


All of the guys :)


What's a party without a little karaoke??


I LOVE my girls!!!!!!


And I love this man even more!!!!


Happy 30th Birthday, John! I love you so much!!!!

Family Vacation

John and I just returned from a fabulous weekend vacation with my family to Fort Myers Beach. Other than a quick trip to the ER Friday night (John caught a catfish and then was caught by the catfish!) it was a very relaxing and stress-free weekend!!

Here are some photos from our weekend...Enjoy!!

Paid In Full!!

This week I received the above notice informing me that my student loan has been PAID IN FULL!!! I felt just as fabulous as I did the day I walked across the stage at FAU and received my degree - it was the same feeling of accomplishment and relief all wrapped up in one amazing package!!!! Even though my degree has hung on the wall for the past 10 years doing absolutely nothing for my bank account, my self esteem, or my marketability, it still reminds me that God allowed me to start AND finish my degree while at the same time working full time in Student Ministry. Although my degree probably isn't worth as much as the beautiful frame my mom chose for it, it reminds me of all that God taught me and did in me and through me during that time. There were SEVERAL times I just wanted to quit and focus on ministry - there were also several times I went days without sleep so that I could work AND go to school. It was extremely challenging, but with the support of my mom and several friends, I finished. I am so thankful that I didn't quit or lose focus to spend more time on my job - now that the job I planned on having forever is history and my time in full-time ministry has come to an end, it makes me glad that I didn't give up on my dream of graduating from college - and with honors, I might add :)

Not to overspiritualize this post, but when I got this notice, my first thought was of another debt of mine that has been paid in full, but this debt was one that I did nothing to repay, nor could I ever repay...My past mistakes have been erased, my life has been rescued, and my future is secure - I don't deserve it, I didn't have to earn it, and the One who paid it was happy to do so because of His incredible love for me. My student loan "paid in full" letter now sits on my desk as a reminder of all that God has done for me and reminds me of one of my favorite passages...

Psalm 116:12 (NIV); "How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?"

BIG Announcement!!

I am so excited to share some BIG news with the 3 of you who read my blog :)

Our dear friends, Jon and Melissa Elswick, are going to be planting a church in February 2010 and have asked John and I to be a part of the Launch Team. We have been praying through this leap of faith with Jon and Melissa and have total faith in the dream that God has placed in their hearts. We're thrilled to have been a part of West Pines Community Church for the past 10 months and have been blown away by their support and excitement for Crossway Church! It is such a blessing to be a part of a church that believes in building the Kingdom instead of building their own kingdom. While we are sad to leave numerous friendships and areas of service we have fell in love with at WPCC, we can't wait to see what God has in store for us and for the community at Crossway Church!

Check out the new website and the blog for Crossway Church and please keep Jon and Melissa in your prayers. Not only are they about to launch a new church, but they are also preparing their hearts and home for a little one from Korea! Their passion for Christ, His Gospel, and His creation inspires me each time I am around them and I hope you'll join me in praying for this fabulous couple!

The Great Elswick Adoption Yard Sale

Our amazing friends, Jon and Melissa Elswick, are in the process of adopting a precious baby from Korea. Because the cost of international adoption is so expensive, they are coming up with several creative ways to raise money for Baby Elswick. One of their ideas is coming to fruition on Saturday, July 18th in the form of a Yard Sale.

If you have items to donate or if you would like to come to the Yard Sale and do a little shopping, please visit their blog for all of the details about the Yard Sale.

James 1:27 (ESV); "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Another Crazy Dream

Last night, I had another crazy dream, and it has been on my mind all morning!!!! In my dream, I was "forced" (not sure why or how) to switch husbands and families and ended up with a guy that I dated in college and his 3 kids (that I am pretty sure do not exist). At first, I was a tiny bit intrigued at the thought of getting to see what my life would have been like if I had hung on to this guy, but the longer the dream went on, the more I found myself asking everyone in my dream where John was and if I could PLEASE go back home to him. Everyone kept telling me that I really wanted to be with the new guy, but I was begging to get back to John. The thought of not being with John and having to start all over again was sickening!!

Of course, it was only a dream and I am definitely not going to be submitting an application to "Wife Swap" any time soon, but it has been on my mind all morning. How many of us start to think how much "better" life would be with someone else when times get a little tough with our spouse?? How many of us still hang on to the thought of someone else besides our spouse paying us a compliment or paying even the slightest bit of attention to us? How quickly do we entertain the idea of someone new??

At the same time, how many single ladies settle for so much less than God's best simply out of fear, loneliness, or the lie that they cannot do any better than the loser they think they are "stuck" with only to find themselves in a less-than-God's-best marriage while they unfairly compare their marriage to everyone else's?? No, I'm not advocating leaving your spouse if they are not a Christian or are not doing the things they should - what I AM advocating is being extremely discerning and listening to all of the warning signs BEFORE that person becomes your spouse. Once you are husband and wife, there are so many new struggles and temptations that come along, and you don't want to set yourself up for disaster by ignoring the warning signs before you say "I do." (As someone who often settled for dating guys I KNEW were not God's best for me, I know what fear and loneliness can do to your brain!! It's DANGEROUS!!!)

I heard this story last week and it has stuck with me as I have thought about discernment...

There was an old man sitting on his porch watching the rain fall. Pretty soon the water was coming over the porch and into the house. The old man was still sitting there when a rescue boat came and the people on board said, "You can't stay here - you have to come with us." The old man replied, "No, God will save me." So the boat left. A little while later the water was up to the second floor, and another rescue boat came, and again told the old man he had to come with them. The old man again replied, "God will save me." So the boat left him again.

An hour later the water was up to the roof and a third rescue boat approached the old man, and tried to get him to come with them. Again the old man refused to leave stating that, "God will grant a miracle & save me." So the boat left him again.

Soon after, the man drowns and goes to heaven, and when he sees God he asks Him, "Why didn't You save me? I thought You would grant me a miracle and You have let me down."

God replied, "You idiot, I don't know what you're complaining about. I sent three boats after you!!"

Whether you are choosing a date, a spouse, a job, or even entertaining the idea of someone new (other than your spouse), look for God's rescue boats - they are everywhere!!! If you're having trouble recognizing them, ask a trusted friend if they see any circling around you. You may be surprised at the number of warning signs God is sending your way!!!

WPCC Missions Team

The WPCC Missions Team left today for Guatemala and will be traveling June 14th-20th. I am so excited for them and for all that they are going to witness and experience while working alongside Compassion International. I had the awesome privilege of helping the Care Ministry Team to collect supplies for the missions trip and seeing the team off at church this morning. Hopefully John and I will be able to be a part of the next trip!!!

You can follow the team by clicking on this link: WPCC Guatemala Missions Team

Please join me this week in praying for each of the mission team members by name!

Robey Barnes

Rebekah Barnes

William Elmore

Sheila Englund

Cera Gomez

Matt Mashburn

Christine Sherlock

Nicole Torres

Danny Vendrell

Letty Vendrell

Completely Random

• I am so incredibly thankful for West Pines Community Church. I have never felt as challenged, as encouraged, or as healthy as I feel at WPCC. I have made some amazing friendships and have been able to get involved and serve in ways that complement my gifts and passions without feeling like I am under a microscope or not doing it the "right" way. I love their commitment to keeping the main thing the main thing and their unwavering belief that our job is to be obedient; God's job is to foster growth and results.
• I am horrified and saddened by the new Britney Spears' song, "If You Seek Amy." I wonder if she just sits around thinking of new ways to be shocking and disgusting - she's a mom of 2 young boys - it makes me sad that she is so wrapped up in herself and keeping her image "trendy" and shocking. It must be exhausting to keep that up all of the time.
• Speaking of music (if you can classify Britney Spears as music), I have found that people either LOVE or HATE the new Black Eyed Peas song. There's no in between.
  
• It is summer in South Florida which means that pretty soon we will be able to tell that it is 3 PM without looking at a clock. When the thunder and lightning are simultaneous and you can't see past the hood of your car because of the sheet of rain in front of you, it's 3 PM. (As long as I am not driving in it, I love it!!!!)
• My niece, Jordan, is the coolest girl in the whole world. She is graduating from K5 in 2 weeks and yes, I will definitely cry at her graduation.
• I have recently been asked to lead the Care Ministry Team at WPCC and I could not be more excited!! I have so many ideas for our 1st meeting on May 31st, some of which involve the church's upcoming missions trip to Guatemala...more to come later!!
• I am planning some BIG surprises for my hubby...more to come on that later, too!!!
• I love re-connecting with long lost friends on Facebook, but it seems like everything I know about my long lost friends AND even my close friends is stuff that I have found out on Facebook and not from actually speaking to any of my people. It's kinda sad and really has challenged me to spend less time on Facebook and more time WITH my friends and family.
• I just finished reading "Unlikely Angel" by Ashley Smith - the girl who was held hostage in her apartment just outside of Atlanta by an escaped prisoner and used "The Purpose Driven Life" to minister to him. Yes, I'm a little late - it happened a LONG time ago - but what an amazing story!! Check it out!!!
• Colossians 2:18-19 (MSG); "Don't tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are. They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as He nourishes us."

Nightmare!!

I have very vivid and realistic dreams - so real that many times I will think that what happened in my dream is actually real and will go through an entire day believing what I dreamed to be true. I have also been known to talk, laugh, and even walk in my sleep. I once woke up at the top of the stairs in my townhouse - have no idea what I was doing or where I was going - I'm just glad I woke up when I did!!

Most of the time, I can explain why I had a dream about something - something that was said during the day or something that I saw - it's usually very logical. I have recurring dreams about being back at my old job (and wondering the ENTIRE time what in the world I am doing back there and trying so hard to get out and get away from the people there!), being back in college (usually something like I have a final for a class I forgot I signed up for), and having all of my teeth fall out (yeah, I have no idea where this one comes from).

As real and as "explain-able" as most of my dreams are, my nightmares are even more realistic, but usually not logical or rational. Most of the time, I wake up right before the really bad thing happens and I am able to go right back to sleep without any trouble. Unfortunately, the nightmare I had last night did not fall into this category...

I was dreaming that I was at a water park with some former students from student ministry (don't ask me why), and in my dream, I woke up and was in my room - so I thought I was really awake and had stopped dreaming. When I opened my eyes, there was a man standing over my bed (I am getting the creeps just typing this) and he was bent over and looking right into my face. I started screaming at the top of my lungs and threw myself over on John's side of the bed. By this time, I actually DID wake up, but didn't really have any distinction between waking up in the dream and waking up in real life. I was lying extremely close to John and couldn't move the lower part of my body. Poor John got up and was visibly shaken - apparently, everything EXCEPT for the man in my dream had been true and I scared the crap out of my poor husband (who not only had to get up at 5 AM to go and fly, but also sleeps with his gun close to the bed).

It took both of us a couple of hours to calm down enough to go back to sleep, and by the time we did, it was time to get up and go to the airport. Before we left, I asked John to check all of the rooms and closets just to be sure that it was a dream - and being the amazing hubby he is, he did just that!

I hate being scared (especially since I am alone so often) and I hate the feeling of something unknown having the power to control me and my emotions - and more importantly, having control over my sleep!!

So, are your dreams realistic or crazy?? Have you ever had an experience like mine??

Easter Is Coming!!

Easter is right around the corner - hard to believe, right?? It seems like we just put all of the Christmas decorations away!! I love Easter!! It is the holiday that reminds us just how powerful our God is and to what lengths He went (and continues to go) in order to bring us back to Him. I love that it doesn't get as much hype and commercialization as Christmas - it really helps me to focus on exactly what happened on the Cross and then 3 days later at the empty tomb.

While Easter is the most reverent holiday that Christians celebrate, it is also celebrated by society with a focus on Easter eggs, Easter baskets, and Easter candy. While I love to celebrate what my Savior did for me by participating in Communion, observing Good Friday, and thanking God like crazy at the Easter celebration service, there is a smaller part of me that appreciates the good folks at Cadbury for choosing to make the most amazing candy ever for Easter - Cadbury Creme Eggs and Cadbury Mini Eggs!! Some people would even go so far as to say that Easter has the best candy of ANY holiday! Some people like Peeps (I hate marshmallows, so no Peeps for me!) and John REALLY likes the Reeses Peanut Butter Egg - he says it has the perfect ratio of peanut butter to chocolate - and then of course, there is the infamous Chocolate Bunny that begs the question, do you start with the ears or the tail?

Where are you celebrating Easter this year?? I'd love to invite you to celebrate with us at West Pines Community Church!! Just click the link for all of the information. It's going to be an amazing time of worship and celebrating what God has done - ALL of the focus will be on Him!

After you decide where you'll be celebrating, what Easter candy will you and your "peeps" be munching on????

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

John and I are going to a wedding on Friday and I couldn't be more excited! I'm totally looking forward to seeing the bride and her family, who I have known since I was 8 and were an integral part of my life and my spiritual growth. There will be people there that I haven't seen in years as well as some of my dearest friends. Of course, it's also going to be a gorgeous and romantic event and I can't wait to see how the couple's personalities are reflected in the details of the wedding and both receptions.

My wedding day was the most incredible day of my life. I remember it like it was yesterday! I remember feeling so overwhelmed that there was this amazing guy standing in front of me who wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and then there were 300 people all around me who came out to support us and show us how much they loved us. I cried harder than I have ever cried in my life during our first dance, simply because I was so overwhelmed with thankfulness for God's abundant blessings.

Recently, John and I have experienced some "bumps" in our marriage and while sharing these with a couple Christian girlfriends recently, I was amazed to find that I'm not alone in this. Although my friends and I love our husbands more than anything on earth and while we have all given our lives to Christ and are actively pursuing Him in every area of our lives, our marriages are not immune from experiencing problems. Last week, I picked up a book called Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas and have been amazed at the truths in it. Between the book and some amazing advice from an unbelievably sweet and caring Christian friend, I've come to realize that while I tend to point out all of the areas in which John can improve as a man and as a husband, I've REALLY missed the mark as a woman and as a wife. Instead of focusing on myself and the areas in which I need to improve, I've wasted all my time and energy focusing on the person I can't change, and he doesn't really deserve to be judged by his imperfect wife!

While praying about this last night, I had a thought that helped me to wrap my head around how I can change my focus, so I want to share it with you so that I can make more sense of it as I get it out in writing... I truly believe that we as girls really sabotage our marriage as soon as the engagement ring is put on our finger. How??? The wedding. How many weddings have you been to where it was all about the groom? How many reality shows are on TV that show Groom-zillas? How many magazines feature hundreds and hundreds of pages of tuxedos and cuff links and shiny black shoes? None, because we are told by everyone on earth that the wedding is all about the bride, and so we start planning for this day thinking that not only does this one amazing day revolve completely around us, but so does every day after the wedding. This amazing man who truly wants you to have a perfect wedding day (and who really doesn't care too much about the color of the flowers or the chair bows or whether or not the ribbon on the programs is thick enough) ends up being treated like a stagehand during the wedding planning and then after the wedding, this man who wants nothing more than to make you happy continues to be treated as a slave - someone whose only purpose is to keep you entertained, give you everything you want, not have too strong of an opinion about anything, and not argue when you ask for something - just like he was treated during the wedding planning. Now I am sure none of us would admit that we acted this way and maybe some of us gave our husbands a little more respect during the wedding planning, but I really believe that this theory still has some merit in most marriages.

I want my husband to know that no one respects him more than I do. I want him to be confident that I will follow him no matter where he asks me to go. I want him to never hesitate to share something with me out of fear of what my response will be. I want him to always choose me when there is a choice between being with me or doing something else, not out of obligation, but because he truly enjoys my company. I want him to be free to be himself and know that I am behind him, encouraging him to be exactly who God has created him to be. And I am sure that none of this will happen if I expect his whole world to revolve around me and my desires.

My prayer is that I will be so focused on my relationship with Christ and on my role as becoming a wife that treats her husband the way Jesus calls me to treat him that I can honestly say that I don't have the time or the energy or even the awareness to point out his shortcomings. I know it will be tempting to sneak a glance at what he could do better, but I know where that will take us, and I have no desire to live that way any longer!!! He gave me everything I asked for when we were planning our wedding - now it's my turn to bend to his desires as we share a life together!

Support Diabetes Research!

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the largest research & support organization for helping to find a cure for Diabetes and helping support those who live with Diabetes on a daily basis. My dear friend, Melissa, was diagnosed on April 1, 1997 and has participated in their "Walk To Cure Diabetes" for many years! I am walking this year to show my support for my friend and my family members who have Diabetes.

If you would like to support my sweet friend, you can do so by signing up to walk OR by giving a small donation :)

(Information about the walk location)

http://walk.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=walk.walk&eventID=4583&chapterid=4132

(To donate and/or register to walk with ELSWICK TEAM ROCKS)

http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87302530

Thanks for anything you can do!!

Chickens, Inspired By...Chickens!!

When I saw "Kittens, Inspired By...Kittens!" I thought, "This is something my niece, Jordan, would do."

Well....

Great Quote

"Great leadership is not about making decisions on your own; its about owning the decision once it's been made." - Andy Stanley

What's Happening in Our Neck of the Woods

Life at the Orr house has been a little nuts lately - let me try to take you through what the past 2 weeks have been like for John and me...




2 weeks ago, my little girl Prissy laid her first egg. As crazy as this may sound and for those of you who know me well, it DOES sound a little crazy, but I was SO excited!! This was the primary selling point for us getting these 3 little pooping machines, and to finally have eggs is a really big deal at our house. These girls have done more than provide us with endless entertainment and fresh eggs everyday - as weird as it may sound, it's given John and I another common interest to talk about and enjoy. We love going outside and hanging out with the girls and I love giving John the daily update of what they've gotten into when he calls from his trips. I never thought that I'd be devoting this much time or energy to talking about chickens, but I guess anything is possible :)

On a side note, John's girl Georgia has also started laying - she had a nest hidden in our banana trees, and when John found it, there were over a dozen eggs stockpiled back there!! Of course, they were put in the trash - I'm not eating eggs that have been sitting outside for over a week!



For Valentine's Day, John and I were both in Atlanta and had a lovely dinner the night before at our favorite restaurant in Peachtree City, Georgia Shrimp Company. On the 14th, I was trying to fly home to Fort Lauderdale, but all of the flights were booked. Luckily, John was leaving that night on a 3-day trip that took him to Chicago, Orlando, Indianapolis, and had an overnight stop on Sunday night in FORT LAUDERDALE! All of his flights were open, so after a little shmoozing with the gate agent, I was booked on his flights for Saturday and Sunday and had the opportunity to watch him work. It was the first time I had been on a plane that he was flying - and it was so cool!!! I had to try really hard not to get cocky, (you all know what happened last time), but sitting in first class and "casually" mentioning to everyone around me that my husband was flying the plane was hard to resist!!



3 days after getting to fly around with John, I met him and his aunt's family at Disney for 3 days. The weather was perfect, the company was also perfect, and it was great to get some down time with my hubby. I came down with a killer cold the day before I left for DIsney, but it didn't stop me from having a great time!



Here's John with our super-cool Auntie Pam and cousin, Nat. We had such an amazing time - I can't wait to do it again!!!

My Valentine

Valentine's Day is this Saturday (hint, hint - you have a few days to make some incredible plans for the people you love) and I am looking forward to finding new ways this week to show John just how much I love him. I am pretty sure he always knows when I am frustrated or upset or in a bad mood, so I want to make extra sure he knows how much I love him this week.

In my humble opinion, John has it made on Valentine's Day. While most girls require a lot, I only ask for 2 things: 1) A card and 2) That we plan to go somewhere together and spend the day together. The card thing is a big deal - I love cards and, much to John's dismay, I spend about $30 a month on cards at the Hallmark store. When we were dating (and talking about getting married), John showed up at my house with a Valentine's Day card...it was the exact same card that my friend, Jenn, had given to me the year before. It said, "Valentine's Day is not just about romance..." Yeah, he started reading cards in the store before he bought them after that.

Our first married V-Day, we drew straws and I had to plan our day. We started the day with breakfast in bed, followed by lunch at the Harley store and an afternoon boat cruise on the Intercoastal. After the cruise, we grabbed ice cream on Las Olas and went home for an extra special home-cooked meal of steak and shrimp. Last year was John's turn, and I was sick as a dog!! Poor thing!! He made me a lovely dinner and cleaned the kitchen and took extra special care of me.

This year, we are going to be in Atlanta and my plan is to go to Stone Mountain - it is my favorite spot in Georgia!!!! I am still working on a couple of surprises for John - I have to go all out, not just because he is absolutely God's best for me, but because I have some serious competition!!!!


What do you have planned for Valentine's Day?? Whether you're single, dating, or married, it is a great opportunity to take a few minutes to show love to the people who mean the most to you! And if you're planning on buying a card, get to the Hallmark store tomorrow before all the good cards are gone!!!

Affirmation

Recently I have made some tough choices - today I was extremely pleased to receive affirmation that these have been some extremely wise and beneficial choices. As I used to tell my girls, the right thing to do is RARELY the easy thing to do - but I am so, so, so glad that I chose correctly!!!!!

Sheridan House 5K

FAMILY VALUES 5K Run/Walk
Stepping Out For Children & Families

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

8 AM - Event Check-In
9 AM - Shotgun Start

Sheridan House Family Ministries
1700 S. Flamingo Road • Davie, FL 33325

To participate or make a donation, please visit http://www.sheridanhouse.org/Content/SpecialEvents/Upcoming/five-k.aspx

If you would like to sign up to walk or run, you can do so at this web page. Your family is encouraged to join you.

John and I will be participating and are trying to raise $1,000 each for Sheridan House. If you would like to make a donation on our behalf, you can go to the web page above and type in either John Orr or Heather Orr at the top. We appreciate any amount you can contribute.

All proceeds will benefit Sheridan House Family Ministries.

“Honoring Christ by serving the needs of children and families.”

Random Thoughts

Ever have so much on your mind that you just need to make a list to get it all out????

• My sister, Michele, had her second baby on Wednesday - a boy!! His name is Jackson Charles Brewster and he is precious. Everyone in my family is hoping that this will make me want to have one sooner...not sure how I feel about that whole thing, but I know that John is jonesing to have one tomorrow!
• John was in Atlanta for 10 days - the longest we have ever been apart - and surprised me by coming home early - I love that man! He has officially started back at Airtran and is on his first real flight this weekend. He has an overnight layover in Miami tonight - I lived in Miami for 25 years, but have never driven to the airport - I am a sissy!! Hoping to have some company for the ride down there tonight to pick up my sweet husband so he can sleep in his own bed tonight!
  
• I stayed with my niece, Jordan, last night - she cracks me up!!! I hope our kids are as sweet and as smart as she is.
• I am going to a dinner at Sheridan House tonight - really excited about it, but sad that once again, I have to go solo.
  
• Did you know that if you register your Starbucks cards online your soy milk and syrups are on the house??? (I received over $100 worth for Christmas - do people know me or what???)
• John's chicken, Georgia, thinks she is a daredevil and somehow manages to get up in the tallest tree in our backyard every night. I shouldn't care - she's a chicken - but it annoys me.
• Speaking of annoyed, I was so annoyed last night and couldn't figure out why until I got to Char-Hut and inhaled a grilled chicken sandwich - oh yeah, I need to eat in order to stay happy - I forgot!
• I hope I get paid today - I am supposed to get paid every other Friday - that has only happened once.
• I have the greatest mother-in-law in the universe - seriously!
• I was really mad that Love 94 is no longer in existence, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it - they play a lot of Stevie B :)
• There was a plane crash in NYC yesterday - John said it was because of a bird strike - can you imagine??? Thankfully, no one was hurt - just plunged into the disgusting icy waters of the Hudson River - I guess it beats the alternative. It makes me think of Kramer swimming in the Hudson...