Choosing Joy

To most women, today was a day of much happiness and thankfulness for their children. For me, it has quickly become a dreaded holiday that gets more painful with each passing year. I am blessed and so thankful for my birth mother who has helped shape the woman I am today as well as my second mom who willingly bestowed her only son into my care and loves me as her own. As today approached I was determined to try and enjoy my day to the best of my abilities. This morning as the day was new, I began to thank God for this special day and what it means to many and what it will mean to me someday. The conclusion of my story being a woman here on earth has not been written yet and I refuse to give up hope. Today I had my moments of choking back tears but I also had a supernatural peace that only comes from one place. Thank you, Jesus. Several people made an extra special effort to reach out and encourage me today and I know that many more are praying, lifting our precious request to the throne. Today was a good day and I am blessed, so very blessed. I know that so often I take things for granted that someone else is desperately praying for. May I never forget how truly blessed I am and that God is capable of more than I could ever dream or imagine! Today, I left satan and his lies in the dust and I rested in the arms of my Father. He is so good.

Hiatus

Last week (Saturday to Saturday) I took a Facebook break for multiple reasons. It was an interesting week for me. I can't say that I found myself with loads of extra time but it was a good break and a time to reflect on what's really important in life. I missed letting people know I was praying for them and/or thinking about them. I missed laughing at the funny moments people have and share about. I missed the encouraging posts that fill my newsfeed. BUT I did not miss all the dumb comments, complaining, and basically all the drama that is Facebook these days. We all have our bad days and it's okay to share when we're sad or had a not so great day but my goodness, we all have so much to be thankful for and life is way too short to spend it being grumpy! Not to mention all the status updates and comments that people don't properly think through before hitting the enter key. Filter people, filter!!! :) Anyways, I am back in the "wonderful world" of Facebook but for now the Facebook app will remain off of my phone. If you need to quickly get in touch with me your best bet would be phone, text, or email. :)

This brings me to another item that's been on my heart a lot, specifically in the last 6 months or so. I got a devotional some time ago that was titled "Clear It All Off" and it talked about the importance of gathering around the eating table. The kitchen/dining room table can be a place of connection in so many ways if we allow it to be. "Food, eating together - it's not just about nourishment of the body, but also of the soul." This is SO lacking in the world today. I am so thankful I didn't grow up without this needed daily gathering. Even as Scott and I got older and started getting busy (as were our parents), we still all made time to come together daily around the supper table. It wasn't a burden or a chore. It was just us, catching up and caring about what was going on and how each person was each and every day. This is something that Chris and I have made a priority since the day we got married. It may just be the two of us but it's a vital part of the "us". No distractions (TV, cell phones, etc.) and sometimes moments of quietness as we process the events of each of our days. 

Chris and I have randomly discussed just how caught up people are with their phones and tablets these days. You rarely see people just sitting and talking. Or if they are talking, it's second fiddle to whatever is deemed much more exciting that is happening electronically in front of their face. Please hear me when I say that I am a BIG technology fan. We have iPhones and tablets. We each have a computer and we both love electronic gadgets. The pace at which technology is advancing in our lifetime is unreal and it makes our world fun, interesting, and unique and I am thankful for that. BUT....there has to be a balance. I don't consider myself a super outgoing person so for me sometimes it's a challenge to make that step and put myself out there to say hi or strike up a conversation. I'm learning that it's lacking and I'm afraid someday we will be sorry that we wasted so much time with a phone in front of our face or a TV on in the background constantly. Do we really care about the people we relate to on a regular basis? Do we really want to hear their heart and be involved in their joys and sorrows alike? My challenge to myself this year, be present in every single moment and soak it all in for these moments may be the last ones I have with each and every person I am blessed to spend time with.

Punta Cana, Trip of a Lifetime Recap

New Year's Eve marked a year since Chris and I had settlement on our first home/rental property. This was a huge relief and answer to prayer for us to be able to move on from the landlord stage of our lives. We both agree that we are not completely against owning a rental property or two in the future at some point down the road but we needed a break for now. :) Anyways, I say all that to say that we made a deal that if we sold our rental property and everything went as we hoped that we would reward ourselves with a big flat screen tv for our newly remodeled basement space and hopefully look at going somewhere new and exciting for our then upcoming 10th wedding anniversary which we just celebrated October 30th, 2014.

We found and purchased our tv last New Year's Day which seemed like a dream come true. Suddenly the long hours of running back and forth and working to clean up after disgusting people seemed to be validated. :) In the first few months of 2014, our thoughts quickly turned to researching options for our anniversary trip. We've made several trips to the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area and love each time we go but we wanted to do something wild, crazy, and different for us. Neither of us had been outside of the country before (except to Canada which doesn't count in my mind) so this was all very new and somewhat daunting. Thankfully a good friend of ours has had a lot of experience traveling to tropical places and offered her assistance in helping us pick a location that would be a good "first trip" for us. Thank you, Kayla. :) After driving ourselves crazy with Expedia searches and Tripadvisor reviews, we finally settled on the Meliã Caribe Tropical in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. After going back and forth about many things including whether to pick something different from our usual vacation spots, how long to go, and whether to spend the money, we finally bit the bullet and booked our trip on July 16, 2014! It was exactly four months from the day we would fly out of Dulles! We shared the trip with our families and a few close friends but other than that we kept it pretty quiet. It all seemed like a dream to me so I wasn't sure it was actually going to happen! Haha! It was so exciting to be able to look forward to spending a week in paradise with my best friend. :)

Those four months of waiting came and went pretty quickly and the morning of Sunday, November 16th dawned bright (not so much brightness on initial wake up time) and early with some nerves and lots of anticipation! We had smooth and easy travels to the Dulles airport. Going through security was mostly uneventful which we thought may be a pain since neither of us had flown since 2008. Things have definitely changed as people continue to do stupid things and security tightens. The most memorable thing about our airport experience when flying out was a random piece of luggage that was sitting on the floor that seemed to be unattended right before putting our bags on the security belt. They are constantly playing announcements about not leaving your bags unattended for security purposes, etc so Chris and I as well as the people around us quickly starting questioning this random bag sitting there. I then realized that the guy in front of me was holding a full grown CAT. He looked a bit frantic (as did the cat he was clutching) and stated that he forgot to put his bag up on the belt. I would probably have forgotten too if I was trying to get my cat through the airport! We then realized that the lady who was with him and in front of him ALSO was clutching a cat. There is no way you could pay me enough to take Zeus and Hera through an airport. Upon exiting security, they quickly stuffed the cats into bags and away they went!

Our flight down was great and when we arrived it was hot. :) The airport was a circus trying to figure everything out with customs but once we finally made it through and picked up our luggage, we were off to find a taxi! Everyone wanted to "help" us and it was quite an adventure trying to figure out who was safe to trust and who wasn't! Haha...an easy thing for seasoned travelers I'm sure. We got a friendly, talkative taxi driver and about 20 minutes later we arrived at our resort where we spent 7 days and 6 nights in a beautiful place that felt like a dream world to us. This was an all inclusive resort which was perfect for us as we just wanted to lay around, sleep, or swim for a week of rest and relaxation. Once we got checked in and had a quick tour of the adults only side of the resort (which we are so thankful we upgraded to when booking our reservation), we collapsed in our room. Hungry, overwhelmed, and tired from the day of traveling we were a bit frazzled. While the room was beautiful we had some initial glitches with the patio door not locking and the safe deposit box not working. After some maintenance calls/visits we were fixed up! The first day or two was spent figuring out how the "all inclusive" resort thing worked and since the resort was MASSIVE, it took some time to understand how to get to everything, etc. Once we had more of a feel for all of those things, it definitely made the rest of the week much more enjoyable. We had perfect weather for the entire trip. There was minimal rain (mostly when we were sleeping) and the beach and pool areas were just breathtaking.

I could go on and on about so many things but there are a few things I'd like to highlight. The staff were all so friendly. Every single person you walked by would say "Hola!" with a smile. Most of them didn't speak english but they worked hard and you never saw anyone sitting around waiting for someone to give them something to do. Americans could learn a thing or two from the Dominican folk. :) The language barrier was a bit frustrating at times but it could have been worse.

It truly was a beautiful and amazing vacation. Saturday, November 22nd, the morning of our departure was bittersweet and yes, I cried, but what's new? I cry at everything. :) I was thankful to be leaving with a bit of sadness instead of wishing the week away by wanting to get home. Our taxi drive back to the airport was quiet as the driver didn't seem to speak much English. We navigated the other half of the Punta Cana airport and were very relieved to make it through customs. That was a bit of a circus compared to exiting the USA. We had to take our shoes off, take all the electronics out of our carry on bags, and after going through the security area, everyone got a pat down no matter what. Not awful, just not what we were expecting! Our flight home included Chris sitting beside an 8 year old boy. You can imagine the things we were told in the span of our 4 hour flight. ;) Going from 80 degree temperatures to low 30's was an adjustment but our Explorer was still in the parking garage so that's all that mattered to me at that point! Home sweet home was just a 2 hour drive away!

The animals seemed pretty stoked that we had finally returned! While we feel like this was a trip of a lifetime for us, we are already dreaming up a return trip someday or another fun getaway to a completely different tropical location. We feel very blessed to have had this first experience and also very thankful for the reasons we were able to get away and celebrate! Memories to last a lifetime for sure.

If you would like to see the full photo album recap of our week, feel free to take a look here! Beware: We took a lot of pictures, ;)

Thoughts from a Proud Wife :)

For the longest time, I was the picture taking half of our marriage. A few years ago Chris started to take more of an interest in photography and several hard drives of stored pictures later, we both go overboard and are completely okay with that. :) I love to capture people and memorable expressions. Chris loves to capture architecture and landscapes. When we look at a subject and think about how we'd like to photograph it, our styles are completely different. If Chris is currently using the camera and I ask him to take a specific shot for me we joke about how he will make sure to take it "Jessie style". I also like to scrapbook so I always have those parameters in my head when I compose a shot. Any other scrapbookers reading will understand this "problem". :)

Chris has done so much research over the last few years and knows so much about our camera of exactly what settings are needed to capture a beautiful shot. His talents amaze me and I'm so thankful for his new love for photography. Mostly so he can help make my shots look much better. Haha! For those of you that don't know, he works for F&M Supply, a distributor of Eldorado Stone which is a manufactured stone veneer that people use on houses for both indoor and outdoor applications. His job description includes wearing many hats but one in particular has been creating and maintaining their business website. He took a lot of the photos that display the products that they sell. This past summer he had the opportunity to go to a very nice somewhat new construction home in our area and take some photos for their work website. I had the honor of going along with him and we had such a fun time soaking in the beauty of this massive home.

Chris was pleased with how well the pictures turned out so he ended up submitting them to Eldorado Stone for use in their "Inspiration Gallery" of photos if they chose. A few weeks ago, Chris realized that they had used a bunch of his shots!!! How cool is that?? I may be biased but I thought Chris captured the home beautifully so I wasn't surprised that they used them but it's just so neat to see! 

I am excited to see how and where God will use this talent of capturing such beauty through the camera lens. I think I'm done gushing now. Thanks for humoring me. :)

P.S. The entire house made my jaw drop to the floor but I had a particular soft spot for the kitchen space. Oh my. Breathtaking!!

It's time.

The thoughts and roller coaster emotions are constant but rarely get documented. I'm sure most have speculated by now or at least wondered. I feel the time has come to share my heart openly. God is still writing Chris & I's story but for the last several years our hopes and dreams of starting a family have not come to pass. Yet. 

This wasn't part of the original plan. I got married young with intentions of working a few years and then transitioning into starting our family and becoming a stay at home mom. Here we are, 10 years later writing a different story than originally planned. While this certainly isn't the road that we would have chosen to walk if we had been given the choice, we are claiming God's authority and power as we continue to face each day of the unknown that lies ahead. We know that God has precious and wonderful gifts in store for our future that will be revealed in His perfect timing, not ours. 



To anyone who has walked the infertility road, you know that it is not easy. We process as we can and take one day at a time. I have learned many important life lessons especially in the last few years, but one of the biggest lessons has been the power of words. I plead with everyone reading this...Think before you speak. No matter what the situation, you have the power of life or death in your tongue every single time that you interact with someone. You may never know what battle or journey the person is currently facing. You have the ability to either tear them down or build them up in a matter of minutes.

For all the prayer warriors who have been faithfully interceding on our behalf (known or unknown to us), we humbly thank you. And to those of you finding out for the first time, we covet your prayers for wisdom in how to handle each new month that passes.

God is still in the business of miracles and we are anxiously awaiting ours!

March 14, 2004

10 years ago I said "yes" to the best question anyone has ever asked me. After nearly 3 years of dating, Chris took me on a mystery drive to the mountains of Mercersburg for a "hike" on the Tuscarora Trail. What I originally thought would just be a fun Sunday afternoon outing, turned into being one of the best days of my life! :) I can't believe the time has gone by so quickly since then. It feels like it was just yesterday and most of the details from that day seem so vivid in my memory. When Chris got down on one knee that day and asked me to marry him, my joy overflowed with an immediate, whole hearted YES reply. As I look back over the years and all that we have been blessed to experience TOGETHER, I am so thankful for the journey that we are on. Although this journey hasn't always looked like I dreamed it would, it's our journey and our unique story unfolding as each day, month, and year pass. It's hard to believe that later this year we will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary and I'm so grateful that God brought Chris into my life in the way that He did. He is my best friend and I don't know what I would do without him. I am so not a hashtag person but since it's Thursday...here are some #TBT photos from that memorable day 10 years ago! :)

The kissing picture has never been seen by anyone until now! Gasp! To our knowledge, no one saw us kiss each other until our wedding day so this one remained top secret. :)

Spring Wreath

Over the last several years I have been attempting to purchase wreaths for my front door that I can use for each season. Apparently I am extremely picky as this hasn't been an easy task. About 2 years ago I found a winter wreath that I actually liked, and more recently found an autumn wreath that wasn't super cheap looking so I added it to my collection as well. I'm not sure why it's been such a process but I like to find ones that at least look a little realistic and not pay an arm and a leg for them. Even some of the super fake looking ones are ridiculously priced! Okay that's the cheap Mennonite in me talking. :)

With the "summer like" temps that we had last week (50's HAHA!!) and everything in stores being sold two or three seasons ahead of time, I decided I should probably start looking for a Spring wreath. The other day I checked at Michael's and wasn't impressed so yesterday I drug my Mom into Hobby Lobby while running our weekly Monday grocery errands. Let me assure you that she did NOT go in the store kicking and screaming but the scrapbooking paper purchases she made were simply not my fault.

After seeing the price tags on the pre-made wreaths and not really being impressed enough to want to break the bank on them, I thought maybe my door would just remain wreath-less for another warm season or two. Since this seems to be a trend each year, I decided to look around for any pieces that caught my eye that I could use to make my own. I found some pieces that I liked and then proceeded to do what any good daughter would do -- I called my Mom who was on the other side of the store and interrupted her scrapbook paper shopping to come help me decide which color flowers were best. :) We are dangerous, let me tell you!

Thanks to the wonderful weekly Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon and their fabulous sales, my items totaled $32.82. I went home nervous and excited to tackle my new project, hoping that it would turn out at least half decent. My hands don't always create what my brain dreams up. :) I started with the following items pictured below...a plain grapevine wreath, 6 feet of berry garland, and a stem of both purple/cream flowers.

And for a better view of each item...

My blank wreath canvas!

I wanted some color but nothing super bold.

I always love the looks of this berry garland stuff.

Definitely stole Chris' sidecutters temporarily. ;)

As you can see in the above picture, I started with the berry garland, attaching it every few inches with some green wire that I already had here. After I had the garland securely in place, I cut apart the purple/cream flower stems and positioned those around the wreath.

And here is my finished product proudly displayed on my front door!

I was pleased with it for being my first wreath attempt and for the price I paid for everything. And the best part was that I had fun creating it! Now I'm ready if Spring ever decides to show up. :)