11 things

I haven't had much time to blog this weekend, but caught a break at work and saw that two of my favorite bloggers (Danielle & Kaelah)  had participated in a little 11 random things meme and I figured it'd be fun :)

There are five rules:

1. Post these rules.

2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.

5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.

My 11 Random Things

♥ I'm a world traveler! I've not only been to multiple big cities in the US such as San Fransisco, New York City, Atlanta and the sort, but, I've also been to Italy, London and France. LOVE TO TRAVEL! though more recently I've suffered from severe sinus pain when flying and that's a bit scary.

♥  Though I don't have any children, my dogs are like children to me. Seriously, I am a furmomma 100%! Mess with my babies, and it's on!

♥ I've received many compliments on my smile over the years. I thank my Dad for that as he paid a pretty penny for the braces that I wore for almost three years.

♥ I drive a bright blue Mazda 3. Zoom zoom zoom.

♥ I have a birthmark on the front of my right leg, just above my foot that looks like a bunny rabbit.

♥ I rarely wear makeup. And by that, I truly mean rarely, like maybe once a month if that. Funny, because the picture I chose to post above, I DO have makeup on. Haha!

♥ I've been asked multiple times if I have a tongue ring. This is because I have two silver crowns on my right side that apparently show once in awhile when I speak. They will soon be replaced with adult ones as these were never meant to last as long as they did. Oops!

♥ I love music but ask me who sings what and I will be at a loss. I am horrible at knowing who sings what, even some of my favorite songs I have no clue who sings. Bad fan, I know.

♥ I've worked with my current employer since 2002. Wowza!

♥ My mom passed away in 2001. It's hard to believe it's been over 10 years. :( 

♥ My husband and I were best friends for just over a year before we started dating.

Questions from Danielle

1. If money, schooling or time was no obstacle, what career would you choose?

This is so easy. I'd run my own animal shelter such as Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. What an amazing place!

2. What's the one thing you look forward to every day?

A 'Good Morning Beautiful" from my sweet hubby ♥

3. What is your number one, all-time, favorite blog?

Oh goodness. I really don't think I could choose. I have a few that I frequent and that if I missed a day, I try to read back and get caught up on.

4. Biggest online pet peeve?

People being mean and ugly online, and purposely saying negative things about others.

5. What is your all-time favorite book?

I love all the Mitch Albom books. The 1st I read was "Tuesday's with Morrie" and I bought the rest of his after that one.

6. What would your "last meal" be?

Ummm... I am a big foodie. Love me a good meal. I guess I'd say some type of hispanic dish, or sausage and rice something of that sort.

7. Do you believe in love at first site?

I think I lean more towards lust at first site, though, I have never experienced love at first site, and maybe it's one of those things you won't believe unless you experience it yourself.

8. What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of?

Sunday mornings usually consist of Sunday school and sometimes service if I don't have to rush to work after SS. An ideal morning would consist of SS, sermon, and a brunch with family

9. Why do you blog?

to preserve my memories :) Seriously, a blog is kind of like an online scrap book. I love that I can blog about something that happened, big or small, and it is permanently stored online for future generations to see, and also that when I need to remember something I may have forgot minor details to, I can do a search on my blog. I also adore the community and meeting others with similar interests.

10. If you had to choose one color to wear forever, what would you pick?

I think I'd go with black because I could accessorize it with every other color, and make new looks all the time.

For funsies I am also going to answer Kaelah's questions as well!

1. Do you believe in astrology? Why or why not?

I don't often read my astrology reports anymore, however, when I used to read them, it was always eerie when one was right on par! I've never given it enough thought as to if I truly believe in astrology or not.

2. If you could teleport to any time and place, where would you go and why?

My mother had me when she was older (40) so I'd like to go back to the 1964ish era, when she would have been in her 20's and see what life was like for her. :)

3. What are the three closest items to you right now?

cell phone, botteled water, laptop

4. If you had a spirit animal, what would it be?

I've honestly never heard the term spirit animal, so will just skip this question.

 

5. What is your earliest childhood memory?

I can remember a hospital trip in Kindergarten when it was discovered that I had asthma.

6. Where do you hope to see yourself in 5 years?

My husband and I just moved into our first house this year, so I still see us there, making it a home.

7. Have you kept in touch with your childhood best friend(s)?

Yes. While we live in different states and don't see each other often, we do still keep in touch. 

8. If you had to describe yourself in 5 words, what would they be?

compassionate, shy, gullible, emotional, happy

9. Describe your idea of a perfect day: Where would you go, what would you do, who would you do it with?

I'd love to go to AMI on a warm (not hot) and breezy day. I'd have a good read in hand and lay out at the beach half the day. The other half would be spent shopping, eating at a good beachy restaurant and enjoying some ice cream at a local shoppe. This day would be perfect with my husband or girlfriends.

10. What kind of "weird" foods do you like? (They could just be weird to your friends/family, kind of like my pickle sickles!)

Corn on the cob with mayo and chili pepper, popcorn with chocolate syrup and honey drizzled over it. Yes, I am weird, I know.

11. Do you collect anything? If so, what?

 I really can't think of anything that I purposely collect.

Questions for the ladies I will be tagging:

1. Do you have any memories from elementary school?

2. What is your absolute favorite outfit to wear, and why?

3. Have you ever had to stay in a hospital overnight?

4. What is the farthest you have traveled?

5. Does your family have any type of traditions?

6. Is there any type of tradition YOU would like to start?

7. What fills your heart with joy?

8. If you could change your first name would you? and if so, what would you change it to?

9. Is there a day you would relive over and over if given the chance?

10. What is your favorite part about blogging?

11. If money was not an option, what is the one thing you would do today?

I tag:  DaisyJo, Erin, Laura, Jen, Sara, Noelani, Steff, and Mandy. Keep in mind ladies, I know you are ALL busy, and I am NOT offended in the least is this is something you don't participate in.

Happy Sunday Friends! Hope you have a blessed day! ♥

 

I just came to say hello....

literally.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Noelani from Our Beautiful Little Journey and it was literally just for a few minutes, to say hello... and to take a few pics, of course. 

It was super impromptu but just perfect nonetheless. I knew Noelani would be in town soon as her and her hubby were taking their sweet daughter to Disney World for her birthday. We had exchanged cell phone numbers just in case it might work out for them to swing by and say hello! I had told her that she would literally be passing by my house whenever she was in transit from where they were staying to Disney. And, yesterday it just worked out. I received a text around 1pm asking what time I got off work. I was set to work the 3-C shift yesterday so I mentioned I was actually just about to start getting ready FOR work. That's when she told me they were in transit to Disney, and were about 20 exits away from my stop. I told her that if they hadn't done lunch yet, we could do a quick lunch at Panera or something, OR, if they'd already ate, they should still just swing by to say hello. I was sure to assure her that if they couldn't stop by, I TOTALLY UNDERSTOOD. After all, this was their family vacation I totally would have understood. BUT, she wanted to stop by quickly.

I WAS SO EXCITED!!

But, this meant I had literally maybe 20 minutes to inform my husband that we were about to have guests. He had problems sleeping the night before and was actually still asleep at 1pm so I said "baby, I just wanted to give you a heads up, my blogger friend, Noelani and her family that I told you about, they are in transit here so you may want to wake up" HAHA. To which he said groggily "okay, how far out are they?" And I replied "um, yeahhhh, we have about 15 minutes before they are here" HAHAH. He woke right up. Now, we are still in the process of unpacking and getting settled, so I just warned her ahead of time that the house was a semi disaster of boxes everywhere.

The best part of this was, as I told her, I knew she'd be dressed comfy and cute (she always is!) and I had literally just got done working out, so I had to apologize if I was sweaty and stinky. Haha!

Either way, I was just excited to get to meet her (and her sweet family). She is the very first person I've met in person from blogging. It's funny because many don't understand the friendships you can form over blogging, even before you've met someone. I already considered Noelani a friend before we met, BUT, now we can officially say "we are friends in real life" :D

I will leave you with two not that great pictures from cell phones. I hope hers turned out better :)

As our husbands were jokingly talking about starting their own blogs "Husbands of Bloggers" Noelani had the genius idea to get them to pose for a picture! Great thinking! :)

Anyways, ending this post I just want to encourage you to reach out to the blogging community. Make friends. I for one enjoy meeting new people, and if you send me an email, I will take time to reply. I try my hardest to reply to most comments though as you know that's not always possible. I just hope that each and every one of you know that I truly do appreciate you following my blog and taking the time to check in on me and my life, and to care. That's such a blessing to me. You all provide me with great encouragement. 

THANK YOU.

Our Story - Danielle + Hank

I have Danielle from Sometimes Sweet wrapping up the series of guest posters sharing their love stories with us as we get closer to Valentines Day! Hello, is that TOMORROW? Danielle was a true sweetheart in agreeing to participate in this series of guest bloggers as she is also sharing sweet love stories on her blog leading up to Valentines Day as well. Be sure to swing over and say hello to her and read some of the beautiful people she has sharing their stories.

***

* How did you and Hank meet?

Hank was on tour with his band, and we met when he came through Phoenix, at a mutual friend's house. I walked outside and saw this tall, curly-headed boy with the most gorgeous brown eyes...and fell in love right then and there!

* Were you looking for 'love' or did it just happen?

At the time (it was the summer of 2004) I was not into finding love at all. I had just graduated college and was living with my girl friends in Scottsdale, enjoying the single life. It definitely just happened, and I couldn't have avoided it if I tried. It was like we had this magnetic pull towards each other; love at first sight for sure.

* Was there any specific moment when you just KNEW 'this is it! he IS the one'?

Even though we both say it was in fact love at first sight, I'd say it took me a month or so before I really, really felt true love, and from there it was a quick road to falling head over heels.

* How did he propose?

You can read our proposal story here!

* What do you think the most rewarding part of marriage has been?

The best part of all of it would have to be being married to my best friend. Every single day I feel thankful that I get to spend my days, nights, and all of life's fun adventures with Hank by my side and I couldn't feel luckier.

* Do you have a favorite stage of your relationship that you wish you could live over and over everyday?

All of it. I often think back to the beginning though- it was over 8 years ago- and I'd love to fall in love all over again. We wrote letters back and forth for months, and I can still remember the anticipation of getting to see each other after being apart for months while he was touring.

* Any relationship advice for other couples?

The main thing is to treat your partner just how you would want to be treated. Sometimes it's easy to take unconditional love for granted but it's so important to always appreciate (and do!) the small things. Be on the same team, support each other, and laugh as much as you can together.

*** 

I'd just like to thank all the wonderful ladies who've shared their beautiful and unique stories over this last week. If you've missed any of them, be sure to read and stop by their blog to say a quick hello! You can catch up on any you've missed by clicking below.

Heather + Joshua

Sara + Ryan
Mandy + Kyle 
Elisa & Joshua
Jen + Micah 

Check back in at midnight tonight to read my special Valentines Day post, which may or may not be a random posting from my sweet husband who occasionally likes to make an appearance of his own here. The 'Our Story' Link Up will also be live (and remain live for 5 days) and I am hoping to read some more stories!

Our Story - Jen + Micah

Happy Sunday Friends! 

I pray that it's a beautifully blessed one :) I am thankful to have you here following along in the 'Our Story' series. Today I have Jen here from The Arizona Russums. I can't count on one hand the number of amazing bloggers I've met that live in Arizona. It must be the blogging capital :D Jen is no different, such a sweetie. Take a moment to stop by and thank her for guest posting!

***

Our story is a long one. It started in 11th grade... no 9th grade... maybe 8th grade...

Then and now...

Micah moved to our small town the summer before 8th grade. He went to the "other" middle school, but I had heard about him... the oldest Russum boy of those athletic and good looking Russum kids. I even saw him one day. Our middle school did a leadership event with the other middle school and we rode a bus over to Micah's school. There was THE Micah Russum leaning against a wall when we pulled up. I could now affirm that his cuteness was more than a rumor...

Micah turned sixteen before anyone else in our grade and was therefore the first in our class to get his license. I had never uttered a word to him before, but on the day he passed his driver's test I said "congratulations." A few months later he used that license to drive his buddies around and egg my house. Thanks, hon. {Disclaimer: Micah had nothing against me that caused this egging incident - this is simply what kids did for fun in our town... egging, TPing, interviewing people on film as they walked out of the local grocery store, driving a car into that grocery store. You name it; we did it.}

In eleventh grade, we actually became friends. We were both student leaders for Young Life and a YL retreat sparked our romance. During the second half of junior year, we began dating.

We happily dated for two years, but then college pulled us apart. Really, God pulled us apart by sending us to colleges in different states. Micah headed off to Minnesota and I moved down to Texas, and we quickly realized that God had called us to different places for a reason. We trusted the Lord and decided to break up to see what He had in store for each of us.

We talked on and off during college, less and less as the years went by. It wasn't until the summer after college graduation that Micah called me up and told me he wanted to pursue marriage in a godly and prayerful way. He was still in Minnesota. I was still in Texas. The next two years of dating were full of uncertainty as we tried to discern our future plans and navigate a relationship while living 1000 miles a part. Honestly, it was pretty ugly at times. I was selfish and wanted to go on living my happy little life in Texas for as long as possible. Then I wanted to get married and move somewhere new with Micah so I could attend grad school.  It was all about my plan and my timing. It was not about Micah and it definitely wasn't about trusting the Lord. I had so much to learn...

Finally, Micah called me out. By this point, he had moved back to Washington and he asked me to move back too, so we could live around each other before we got engaged and married. I was reluctant at first, but as soon as he asked me to do it, I knew it was the right thing to do. I left all my best friends in Texas and moved back home to rainy Washington and embarked on one of the most refining years of my life. I lived in my parent's basement, substitute taught at my old high school, and worked through years of pent up pride and selfishness. But it was in my parent's basement, in the most humble and lonely of circumstances, that I clung to the Lord, read His Word with new eyes, and was broken for the first time. I understood the love of Jesus in a new way and He changed me.

Moving back to Washington also marked a re-start of my relationship with Micah. Although we had been dating for about two years at this point, we realized that talking on the phone a few times a week and seeing each other for a few days a year did not constitute a relationship. We basically had to start over from scratch. It was hard, but it was worth it. During those days, weeks, and months, God continued to break me, shape me, and prepare me to be a wife that loves Jesus first and her husband second.

Finally, on New Years Day 2010 Micah proposed and we were married six months later on July 11th. We had a fabulous wedding and an even more amazing honeymoon in Hawaii, and two days after we returned, we packed up a rental truck and headed down to Arizona to become The Arizona Russums. We love it in the desert and have been blessed beyond belief by our new church, new jobs, and new friends in our little palm tree paradise.

But you know what? That is not the most important part of the story. I think it's so easy to focus on a couple's   dating, engagement and wedding as their love story... when really that's just a page in the story of a couple's marriage and just a sentence in God's story of salvation for the world. Our story is actually God's story. Long before July 11th, 2010, God was working in our hearts to convict us and transform us and save us and prepare us to be a husband and wife who follow Him. And our story isn't over just because we are almost out of the newlywed stage. Our story only becomes more important as we grow old and our skin wrinkles and our love stands the test of time and all the trials that are undoubtedly ahead. Our story is what happens when we stand before God someday and give account of our marriage and our family. Our story is the faith, the trust, the love, and the service that happens for as many years as God gives us on this earth, all enabled by the grace given to us through Jesus. And hopefully when that day comes and we stand before God, our story will recount decades of faithful love to God and to each other and He will look on us and say "Well done, good and faithful servants."

Stop by and visit; I'd love to meet you!
Blog // Facebook // Twitter

xoxo,
Jen

***

I absolutely love how she ended her guest post. You are right on Jen. Thanks for that reminder, it is not OUR story, but God's. 

The Valentines Day Link Up will be up at 12am on Valentines Day. 

Our Story - Elisa & Joshua

Today I have Elisa from The Not So Pharaoh Farrows. Her love story is one of my favorites to read. It all happened so quickly! He proposed to her on the 2nd time they had ever met. YES! REALLY! Just another reminder that God truly is in charge, and has things planned out way before we could ever imagine them. Their story is another example of that and I am so thrilled that she is here today sharing it with you all.

***

Hi everyone! My name is Elisa from The Not So Pharaoh Farrows 

 I am so excited to share with you my love story for this Valentines day.

It is near and dear to my heart. Thank you Heather for the chance to share :)

--------------------------

For about a  year I kept feeling like the Lord wanted me to go to this conference in Virginia called Awaken the Dawn. I knew some friends there from over the years, so I decided to buy a plane ticket. I even took off a whole week of school, and everything. At the conference there were roughly about 1,000 people. I remember seeing Joshua right away, but thinking..."I'm not here for boys, Just God." Later I would learn he had thought the exact thing about me, but vice versa ;) After the conference, I ended up delaying my flight to stay an extra day in which we both ended up hanging out at a mutual friends house. Joshua came up to me (which is very unlike him), and said "Hi, I'm Josh, I don't think we've met yet." BAM. I felt like the Lord told my heart without a doubt, "This is the one you have waited for." Joshua talked my ear off that night, and I quietly listened (which is very unlike me). The whole time thinking "Can this be real? How would it work?" We talked till everyone else left, and I had to go get rest for my early flight.

I came home and realized I had already gotten a facebook request from him. My heart fluttered. I also discovered a picture of us together, before we had met. It was right after I was baptized, and I am standing right behind him. The next few months were a world-wind. We quickly became best friends, thank you skype! Josh had a dream quickly after we met which he said was confirmation from the Lord that I was the one.

Two months after knowing each other Joshua bought me a plane ticket to visit him, and his family. It was then (yes the second time we had ever hang out) that he proposed to me! We had spent the day together in his home town, and after a night of worshipping at The Prayer Furnace(A Community of Christ Followers) he got down on one knee, and popped the question!  

& Two months after that Joshua moved to Texas, and we were wed! Our ceremony was very small with close family and friends, and as we all sang worship songs together, I couldn't remember a better moment in my life. 

In the end of the day,

I can honestly say he is the most kind, pure, and amazing spiritual man I know. He encourages me, and helps me become more like Christ daily. <3 I am so blessed to be called his wife.



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Thanks to Heather for featuring me & although I haven't blogged in awhile I hope to again soon....

So come say hi if you want at The Not So Pharaoh Farrows

Only two more days until the Valentines Day link up! :) I don't know about you all but I am hoping to read many more 'our story' posts! 

Our Story - Mandy + Kyle

Today I have Mandy (and Kyle) from She Breathes Deeply. Mandy is one of the first blogs I started following. She was pregnant at the time, and now is the proud Momma of an almost one year old. Where DOES time go? She is an absolute sweetheart, and I am so thrilled she is back to blogging again. Swing on over and say hello! You won't be disappointed! BTW - isn't it adorable that Kyle joined in on this guest post? Thanks Kyle!

***

Hello, there! This is Mandy from "She Breathes Deeply." In honor of v-day, my husband Kyle and I would like to share with you how we met/fell in love/got married.

Mandy: Just about 4 years ago now, I was all dressed up to go out to... Starbucks. I had just started going to school for fashion design, and on that particular night I had some reading to do (on sewing of all things!). I came into Starbucks holding my weight in text books, all the while wearing 3 inch metallic heels. I looked like a hot mess. I somehow opened up the big wooden doors to Starbucks, and lo and behold, I made eye contact with the man who would forever change my life.

Kyle: At the ripe young age of 21, I had just returned from a tour in Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. I returned to find myself scrubbing nasty old milk pitchers, and moping up frappuccino stained floors. Funny how God can humble you in less than 24 hours.

I had recently decided to ward off any notion of finding a wife. It was the perfect way to find a wife. I was working a boring Friday night, ready to close down my espresso machine, when the reason to quit my "wife hunting sabbatical" came walking through the door.

Mandy: He was standing there... Wearing his Starbucks barista attire, looking just as cute as could be. I was so flustered that he was looking at me, that I avoided eye contact.

Kyle: Frantically cleaning the espresso machine, I was trying not to appear "distracted" by the presence of this drop dead gorgeous sabbatical wrecker. After all, I was way too busy for a relationship. God and I had already worked this out... right?

Mandy: The other barista standing with him behind the counter said that they had been admiring my shoes... Kyle quickly added, "And your height!" This immediately earned him a gold star. I forever have been insecure about being tall for a girl... Not to mention the other gold star he earned for towering over me- EVEN with me in 3 inch heels!

Kyle: Now, I am not a "foot in mouth" kind of guy. Not often at least. But, the first words I said to my future wife where about how tall she was. Wow... I had some serious game. Of course women love compliments about how tall they are. I felt my stomach digesting my shoe at this point.

Mandy: I was too shy to say much to him, so I took my cup of tea and sat down to "study." Yeah, right... I watched him out of the corner of my eye the entire time.

Kyle: I think we got out of the store later than normal that night. It's hard to complete all of your closing duties when your awkwardly making eye contact with a pretty girl "reading" in the corner of the shop.

Mandy: The next day after school, I figured it wouldn't hurt if I just happened to drive by Starbucks to see if cute blue eyed barista boy was working. He was. I quickly drove back to my apartment, showered, got cute and (whoops!)- drove back to Starbucks.

Kyle: The following day I again had to work another riveting shift. Only this time, it was a little easier to walk those few blocks blocks to work. What was this? A bit of a bounce in my step? Just put the notion out of your mind Kyle. Out of your league.

As quick as my mind would turn to pulling shots (of coffee), and writing words to customers using caramel sauce in their drinks- it would return to this girl. I was working with the same person that I was the previous night. So, I made the passing comment, "I wish that Mandy girl would come back in." As I finished the words "back in" there she was. Coming back in! OK... OK... play it cool now...

Mandy: I wanted to talk to him so badly, but I was shy. I started to think he might want to talk to me, too... Because he kept coming a wiping the SAME table OVER and OVER right next to me. Finally, we struck up a conversation.

Kyle: It's not my fault that she haaaaad to sit next to the dirtiest table in the place... After a joke of an attempt to "play it cool", we exchanged e-mail addresses. (You can never be to careful these days.)

Mandy: Fast forward two days later and we were on our first date. Coffee, dinner, more coffee, and a movie. We talked and talked. I remember silently praying, "Dear Lord... PLEASE if I could just marry a man even HALFWAY as wonderful as Kyle someday, I would be so happy." I didn't think there was a chance he was interested in me.

Kyle: I remember thinking on our first date, that we could probably talk into next year. I told myself before I met her that:

1.) I wouldn't allow any red flags. No more compromising the moral things that are bound to my heart. And, 2.) Get serious... Stop wasting your heart away. Only give it to the one that the Lord has set aside for me.

The second I would have felt wrong about Mandy, I would have said goodbye. I needed Jesus to lead that decision. I needed him to put those signs in my heart.

Mandy: Over the next couple weeks that followed, I knew in my heart that Kyle was the man I would marry.

Kyle: Head over heels. Literally. (I have this sweet pair of boots I thrifted in Portland before I moved out here. Still have 'em.) I felt like I was tricking this knockout into thinking I was a catch. Was I going to voice this concern? Are you kidding me? I was so amazed at how she was never a compromise, but just the opposite. Mandy was the girl that I could never have imagined.

Before we met, I would sit and think, "What kind of girl is the perfect girl for me?" I could never imagine what that looked like. I never had to. That's what was so incredible about it. The Lord knew. He did. He formed her in the womb, and throughout her life to match who I was. Wow.

I knew this was true, but didn't realize how she was set aside for me until we retraced our close encounters in Portland. Same places at the same time. But we never met. We weren't ready to meet. All this time I was looking for the right one. She was there the whole time. When all I had to do was prepare my own heart to see her.

Mandy: Kyle went on tour for 3 months, and the distance between us only made us grow closer, and more in love. I wrote him letters in a journal. He sent me flowers and a teddy bear. We talked everyday for hours.

Kyle: Torture. It was really hard to be away from her. But It forced us to learn each other.

Mandy: Kyle invited me to come meet his family that lived in Washington over New Years. They threw a New Years Eve party. As the ball was dropping, Kyle also dropped to one knee and asked me to be his wife.

Kyle: I couldn't get the box out of my pocket at first. I felt as clumsy as Dick Van Dyke.

Mandy: Five months later, we stood in a tiny little church before God and promised to be best friends and lovers forever. I became Kyle's wife... The best decision I have ever made, next to knowing Christ.

Kyle: I tell everyone these 2 things about weddings...

1. Drama : There will be drama. If there is no drama, the devil will be wearing a sweater and Babe is Mavericks wing man. But it's OK. Smile and thing about the real reason for it all.
2. (For Guys) Your wife's face: I don't know about you, but we chose not to see each other that day. So I didn't see her until she was walking towards me down the isle. There will be lots of things about your wedding that you will experience. The food, dancing, decorations etc... But remember your brides face when she walks towards you down the isle. Burn it into your memory because it will be one of the most special moments of your life.

Mandy: Now, three years later, we are sitting here writing our love story while our almost one year old daughter sleeps soundly in the next room. Our love story has been more amazing than I could have ever imagined. I love Kyle with everything within me. I don't think I will ever get over the excitement that I get to spend the rest of my life with this amazing man by my side. I can't wait to grow old with Him.

Kyle: I married my best friend. My life began in a lot of ways May 22nd, 2009. If you are married now, you know exactly what I mean. If you are engaged or single, You have an incredible time ahead of you. It's not always easy. But nothing that really matters ever is.

Love,
Kyle & Mandy

***

Don't forget the 'Our Story' Valentines Link up will be up on Valentines Day. I'd love to hear your story!

Thankful Thursday V6.2

Okay, I had to take a break from my wonderful guest bloggers to do my weekly Thankful Thursday post!

Grab a button below and link up!

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This week I am thankful for:

♥ Kirby Rentals of Orlando Florida and everyone who has made a donation thus far to the Kidney for Kristy fund. Thanks to Kirby's generous donation on Tuesday, Kristy made her goal of $5000 and can now be put on the kidney transplant list. PRAISE GOD! He is so good. Since Shand's gave her until February 29th to raise funds, we will keep all accounts open until then. Any extra money raised will go towards miscellaneous costs such as travel and medication. Kristy lives about 4 hours one way from Shand's and will be making multiple trips back and forth... in a truck.

♥ A wonderful weekend spent with my friend T who flew in on Thursday night. I was able to take off work on Thursday and surprise her at the airport (eek!) and then we spent Friday and Saturday together and that also brought other friends out. It was such a blessing because everyone has been so busy lately, I hadn't seen many of these girls since NYE! 

♥ that I am learning more about pools. My husband and I both are inexperienced in the pool department, so we are learning together. I took a sample of our water to a pool store the other day and they were able to test it (for free) and point me in the direction of what I needed to purchase. And, I'd say our pool is just about swimmable! YES!

♥ The wonderful guest bloggers I've had this week sharing their love stories with us. So far Sara from the Traveling Phoblogwripher and Heather from Finding Beauty in the Ordinary have been featured. I will continue to have guest bloggers sharing stories through Valentines Day. On Valentines day I will have a link up posted right at midnight and you can link up and share YOUR love story! I'd love to hear it! Grab a button and spread the word!

♥ The wonderful friends I've met through blogging. Many of my local friends don't understand the relationship that I've developed with other bloggers. I have met so many amazing people through this community and I just feel so blessed. These are ladies that care... they take time to stop in on the blog, or my twitter and ask how I am doing, or how my pets are doing, to just check in. It goes so much more beyond just blogging. There are some ladies that I've shared phone numbers with so we text just like we've known each other forever. Like it's totally normal, and it is. That's what friendship is. So, to you ladies, thank you. 

♥ My health. I try really really hard to always remain positive despite when my back is giving me issues, which happens quite frequently. This week has been one of those weeks where I have just been down and out and a bit depressed(prayers are appreciated). I hate when I let my health get to me. I always feel such guilt. I know I should never question "why me?" It's not fair, because I know there are other's that are going through worse, much worse. BUT, I am being real here, and this week has just not been a good week for me. On top of major back issues, I got the call on Monday that I have to go see an endocrinologist because my thyroid counts came back not quite right. I had some blood work done recently when I went to the ENT for a lump I felt in the left side of my neck/throat. Since my thyroid count came back hypo I am being sent to an endo. The thought of another specialist scares and stresses me. I already have so many. Neurologist and Orthopedic to name two of them. Sometimes when I look at my ailments I've been diagnosed with over the years (asthma, allergies, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, arnold chiari malformation, bursitis, is all I can think of right now) I think REALLY?! I am too young to be dealing with this. I look at senior citizens who have went their entire life without any major sicknesses or hospital visits and I am just in awe. I guess my family doesn't have the best genes. BUT, you know what? I shock myself back into reality and remind myself to just be thankful. Thankful that I have insurance and Praise God that I am healthy as I am. Sure, I may have my days, but for the most part I am able to get up each day and live my life. And that my friends is an amazing blessing. That is something to be SO thankful for. Thankful beyond words. All I can do is say Thank You Jesus. 

"I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope." Jeremiah 29:11

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. Psalm 94:19

I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. Isaiah 46:4

Our Story - Sara + Ryan

Before we get to today's 'Our Story' I need to announce the winner of the Shabby Apple Giveaway.

Congratulations Cat! Please email me your shipping info to browneyedbellblog at yahoo dot com!


Today I have Sara from The Traveling PhoBlogWriPher  sharing her love story with us. She and I are both married to men who share the exact same name, I had to have her! She is such a sweetheart, and her blog name is so unique. I mean look, she combined photographer, blogger, and writer all in one. Pretty awesome, eh? She also has a heart for causes and chooses one a month to focus on, this month she is focusing on Kidney for Kristy  as my cousin is SOOOO close to getting on that transplant list! Be sure to swing by her blog to say hello, and let her know I sent ya!

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I hope you will grab a button above and spread the word about the Valentines Day Link up!

***

Once upon a time, there was a girl. She fancied herself a woman, but really she was a girl. She was scrawny, had braces, and found it impossible to sit still at any given time. She danced into Algebra II class on the first day and took the first seat she could find.

 

In the far right corner, next to a blonde kid in a Baker t-shirt. He was chatting with a fellow classmate, and she could't help but notice he had a great laugh... and a great smile... and really awesome eyes. The girl was experiencing an insta-crush, one of proportions so epic she'd never felt anything like them before. She listened in on his conversation and watched him out of the corner of her eye for most of the day, but she didn't actually talk to him. She instead did what any wise 15-year-old would and told her mother about him, who finally relented and drove around town looking at all of the Bell houses from the phone book just so she would shut up already. 

The next day, she grew bold. "Hi!" she shouted ridiculously. "I'm Sara! What's up man? How's it going? What's up?"

He smirked a bit, as did everyone in a three mile radius, but he remained polite. "Hey... Ryan."

So cool!

They sat in the back of class playing Tic-Tac-Toe and Dots. Each day, her crush grew a little deeper. She was certain, just two weeks into it, that she would marry him someday. Her friends laughed. Her family laughed. But somehow, she just knew. 

Everyday she tried to convince him to go to lunch with her, but every day he went to his own house for lunch. She tried to convince him to take her to prom, but he wasn't going. The last day of school finally came and they signed yearbooks. "Be careful," he wrote of her clumsiness. "Love Ryan B." Love? LOVE? Sigh. 

"Want me to put my number in?" she asked, too clever for her own good. "That's okay," he smiled. She was bummed out, but she bounced back. A few weeks later they saw Star Wars Episode II* in theaters together. It was proof (in her eyes) that they were meant to be. Nothing else came of it. She got a boyfriend. He got a girlfriend. Three years went by. One day, the single girl was squinting at the tiny TV in her tiny apartment and decided she'd had enough. She was going to splurge on a larger TV. She found one for a great size and contacted the seller--that same boy! They quickly became the best of friends, then fell in love.

He asked her to marry him two years later and she said yes.

Tonight they'll be watching a movie together on the same tiny TV she attempted to replace four years ago. *I would never have married him if he hadn't agreed to go see Star Wars with me, for the record. It's the greatest movie saga ever created. 

Our Story - Heather + Joshua

I participated in Operation Beautiful and my feature is up today. Be sure to go check it out, and let Shane know that I sent ya!

Oh, today is the LAST day to enter the Shabby Apple Giveaway. Winner announced tomorrow. And... 

Guess what friends?!

ONE WEEK UNTIL VALENTINES DAY!

I know, I know, not everyone loves Valentines Day, and for those who don't, you have been warned of the sappiness that will come over the next week! I happen to be a self proclaimed hopeless romantic and what better time to get all lovey dovey than the week of Valentines Day?

In honor of Valentines Day, I will be having guest bloggers all week, leading up to an 'Our Story' link up next Tuesday, Valentines Day. I hope you enjoy reading some of my favorite bloggers very own love stories, and I hope you will share yours with us as well next week!

Feel free to grab a button and let people know about the link up! The more the merrier. 

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I'd like to introduce you to our first guest blogger this week, Heather from Finding Beauty in the Ordinary. Her and her husband, Josh are expecting their first child this year! Exciting, right?! What better time to start following her, than as she embarks on this journey to motherhood. Be sure to swing by her blog and say hello, and let her know I sent ya!

***

That's me. And that's him. And we are just two normal, fun loving twenty-somethings that love God, love one another, love our families and love our life of adventure together.

We both grew up only 10 minutes from one another, and although we had mutual friends, it wasn't until we were out of high school that our paths finally crossed. I met him for the first time on a cold December night in 2003. The memory is sharp and vivid to him, but clouded to me. I was in a relationship at the time; he was single.

One of my best friends worked at Starbucks (yummmm). He became a weekly customer. I thought he liked her. She kept telling me about this guy... the same that I had met on that cold December night. It was the end of February, February 24th to be exact, and she conveniently invited us to a showing of the movie "The Passion of the Christ" that had just hit theaters. And she just so happened to seat us next to one another. The cool thing is that both of our parents tagged along for the night too. Little did they know that they would be witnessing our first "real" introduction. The movie started and I don't remember the first 45 minutes of the movie. I was talking non-stop to this guy. He must have been someone special, because wow, it wasn't until Jesus stomped on the snake that I came to and realized I should probably shut up. We were in a movie after all. A really serious movie, too. I remember exactly what he was wearing that night. I remember I was wearing a really hideous jacket.

Weeks became months and we spent the spring and the summer of 2004 with what became our mutual group of friends. His birthday came in August and I baked him some really soupy, not-cooked-all-the-way, poop looking brownies for his birthday. I think that's the day he fell in love with me. He knew I was a really swell baker. Looking back on it, that was the summer I fell in love with him. I just didn't know it yet.

Somewhere along this story, I forgot to mention that I got dumped. From the guy I was in a relationship at the time, when I met him. I experienced a real life "Legally Blonde" breakup. The kind that says that I was not intellectual enough for his presence, for his future life. I was always more of a Marilyn than a Jackie anyway, just like Elle Woods. So thank you for the compliment; thank you, very much. Looking back on it, it was the best thing that ever happened to me because I knew what I wanted moving forward. And I certainly didn't want to be with someone who wouldn't love & accept me for who I am-- blonde moments aside. But in all fairness, I really do have some pretty funny one liners that slip out every once in a while. 

On August 19th, 2004 he was hanging out over at my house. And we took a really long walk around the block and made this thing official. As official as dating someone will go. And we were happy. Really happy. We dated for 2 amazing years. We went on dozens of drips to Disneyland, on day trips all around our beautiful hometown, and we just explored. All the time. We never sat still. And it was beautiful. We never went on a vacation together and we didn't live together before hand. We saved those special moments for life as newlyweds. And it was the single most best decision we could have ever made.

The months leading up to engagement were hard. I wanted to be married. Really bad. We had thought it would be cool to get married on our 2 year anniversary, which was a Saturday, a perfect sunny, summer day for a wedding. August 19th arrived and we weren't married. And everywhere we went that day there seemed to be a bride dressed in white. We went to the beach, we went to a different beach, we went to the park. There were brides. Everywhere. And I was not one. Oh, patience! 

He tried to relive our first date all over again that day. I wasn't having it. I was just in a really bad mood. I actually botched, literally destroyed, all of his plans for the day. Little did I know that he had a ring in his back pocket, and that he was going to give it to me. That night. We were taking a walk up on a mountain top overlooking the Pacific. We were below a large wooden cross. It's a popular lookout place in our hometown. Fortunately it was around dinner time, so it wasn't crowed. No one was watching when he got down on one knee and asked me to wake up next to him every morning and be his wife. I said "Yes!," of course.

We planned our beautiful wedding in 3 months. Exactly 3 months. We got engaged on August 19th, 2006 and got hitched on November 19th, 2006. We have a thing for the number 19 in case you have not yet noticed. It was an insanely crazy time of planning but it was the best decision ever. To not drag out an engagement was amazing.

Everyone says their wedding day is beautiful. Ours really was. It was a super sunny day in November and all of our dearest friends were in one spot together. The chances of that happening again are down right impossible. It was a beautiful ceremony and a crazy fun dance party than night. While we were saying our goodbyes, a dense fog crept in, saturating all of the downtown harbor and whisking us away into the darkness. The last song I remember the DJ playing was Imogen Heap's "Say Goodnight and Go." We spent a few nights downtown and then jetted away to a tiny island in Mexico, east of Cancun, in the Caribbean. We swam alone on white beaches and got our Jeep stuck in the sand. And got really sick. But we had a blast.

They say time goes by fast when you are having fun. I guess that's why I don't really know where the time has gone. We are going on 5 years of married life this November. It has been filled with lots of highs and lows, but the highs overwhelmingly shadow the lows. We did a few trips to Hawaii and Mexico and have created more memories together than can be slapped into a scrapbook. But most of all, the last couple of years have taught us to trust in God more and lead on one another in the bad times and the good. We had a lot of frustrating times and difficult times, but we got through them and we are strengthened because of them. We appreciate the good times a lot more now. 

Our first 4 years of married life kept us in our beautiful hometown and we are so happy that was God's plan for us. We got to remain close to family and friends and share special times with them. However, in October of 2010, God literally put a big "arrow" in front of us with the words "GO" on them and showed us that we were to leave our home and start a new life in a new city. There is so much to be said about living near family, and there is so much to be said about venturing out on your own. We miss our loved ones so much, but we also feel empowered. Change is hard, but waiting on change is worse. And what's really worse is remaining comfortable. So we are happy. Really happy. And we are adjusting to our new life in our new city quite well. 

God has written our love story from the beginning and He is continuing to write it. With each stroke and page turned, we are blessed.

Song of Solomon 8:6 -7
"Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned."

The Girl Behind the Blog Vlog

Hey Friends!

I am super excited to be linking up with my good friend Erin  from Captivated By Grace and Ashley over at 5OhWifey today. They are hosting The Girl Behind The Blog Video Link Up! Basically you just record a quick video of yourself explaining why you blog, stuff about your blog, etc.... This became a bit frustrating for me as I've never vlogged before and I knew how how to record the video, but did NOT know how to get it to my blog. My problem was I recorded the video on iPad. It then told me it was too large to email, and blogger didn't give me the option to upload it. SO, I ended up going through youtube (sigh) SO, any of my tech friends, if you have an iPad and know an easier way to upload videos to your blog, please share. 

The photo above was my 1st attempt at recording today's video. Oops, it'd help if I had it set to VIDEO and NOT camera. Oh well, funny pic indeed. I originally went to record the video outside, as my house is a disaster area right now as we prepare to move. I ended up inside as you will see in the video below. 

So, there you have it my first vlog. Eep!  I can't believe I just did that :D 

Click below to go link up for yourself! It's fun! Kinda :)

Exhausting Weekend Recap

What a weekend!

As I mentioned last week, one of my best friends flew in for a visit on Thursday night, so I was excused from working around the new house as I was off gallivanting with her for the weekend. It was so much fun, yet entirely too exhausting. Let's just say we ate. a lot. Of course, since she lives out of state now, when she does come to visit we have to visit all of her local favorites! And this weekend we had a short amount of time to do so (Friday + Saturday) as she flew in late Thursday, and out around lunch today. I will give you a quick break down of our entire weekend.

Thursday night I was able to get excused from work and surprise her at the airport. She thought I had to work (hey, I was supposed to) so it was awesome seeing her face when she walked off that plane! On the way home we hit McDonald's, so not healthy at 11pm, or any time for that matter! But, still good. 

Friday morning we met up with some other friends and did breakfast at a local hole in the wall type place. It's amazing! You can get a breakfast meal, 3 eggs, toast and hash browns for $2.59. WHAT?! I was pleasantly surprised to see they offered lox + a bagel and that is what I ordered. Then, we did a bit of shopping, including a local doggie boutique that she loves. We also hit up Sally's, Target, and JCP. After shopping it was time for lunch. We hit up Beef O Brady's as she was craving some good ol' chicken wings. I ordered chicken tacos (for the 1st time there) and let's just say they were amazing. I wasn't even hungry yet I downed both tacos. Tsk Tsk, I know. Then we hit up a local produce stand that serves amazing ice cream. That's right, time for ice cream. I told you we ate ridiculously this weekend. Then we went home for a bit to relax before dinner time. We had plans to meet up with most of our girlfriends for a 7pm dinner at Mimi's cafe. During what should have been relaxing time, my friend had to rush her doggie to the vet. She was coughing a lot and it ended up that she had a collapsed trachea. Pretty scary, right? So glad we made it home when we did.We made it to dinner around 8pm and met up with about 6 other girl friends. Mimi's had a couple of 3 course meal specials for $13.99 and I chose that, with butternut squash ravioli as my main dish. Can I just say delicious? I will be attempting that recipe for sure. During our Mimi's dinner when my friend from out of town went to pay, she realized her debit card was missing. We established that we were 90% sure we left it at Beef's, so afterwards we went on a mission to find it with no luck. She went ahead and canceled her card.

We planned to do a beach half day on Saturday, and that is exactly what we did. 4 of us headed out towards Anna Maria Island around 8am. On the way we stopped at my friends bank so she could get cash for the rest of the weekend since she was now without debit card. While she was at the bank she was informed that she had a $2400 pending transaction. SAY WHAT?! Um, no. That is not right. Yup, during the short time that she lost her card and canceled it, someone used it online. It will all work out and the bank will get to the bottom of it, but, in the mean time, pain in the butt. Scary and frustrating. And it saddens me so much that people just think it is okay to do this type of thing. We decided not to let that ruin our day, and we continued on to AMI. While in AMI, Beef's called to inform they had found her debit card. Interesting. SO, she now has that back in hand again. That will be an interesting investigation. While we were in AMI we strolled the beach, got some sun, ate lunch at a local hot spot, visited a favorite store out there and got more ice cream. I had the most amazing ice cream ever while there. Crazy Cake Icecream. It was basically birthday cake ice cream with actual chunks of vanilla birthday cake in it. Oh my gosssshhhh. It was SO good. After that, we headed home. We had more to do Saturday night. We got home and attempted to nap for a bit before heading to yet another friends house to catch up and visit with her precious baby girl! Then guess what we did? Yup, we ate again. We hit up Sonny's for our last dinner of the weekend. They have the most amazing sweet tea! I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with a salad bar on the side and fried okra as well. Oh, and corn nuggets as an appetizer, that's a must. We were ridiculously stuffed after Sonny's so we headed home to end the night just relaxing and chatting to a movie.

Baby B

Beachin' It

Fish Burger

Today was back to work day for me. I had a really short shift today, but it lasted just long enough that I couldn't join my friends on their ride to the airport. What can ya do? At least I got a few hours in. I will definitely be needing them to replenish my account after this exhausting and fattening weekend. I am so afraid to hit the scales any time soon.

All in all, the weekend was absolutely fabulous, and I can not wait until my friend flies in again. She hasn't been here since October 2010 but it looks like she will be back as early as 3 weekends from now. EEK! :)

Sorry for the lack of photo's, more were taken, however, they are on a friends camera, so hopefully I will get them in time for a Humpty Dumpty photo dump on Wednesday :)

REMINDER:

This week I will have some amazing guest posters sharing their love stories with us! And, on Valentines Day I will have an 'Our Story' link up. This is one of my favorite reads to a new blog. I love hearing how people met. Everyone has a unique story. I can't wait to read yours. Please consider linking up on Valentines day. Also, take a moment to spread the word. Grab the button below and share it on your page so your readers know what your Valentines Day plans are, and it also gives them time to type up their own story!

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Also, you have through Tuesday night to enter the Shabby Apple Giveaway