Birthday Weekend

I've been trying to post this aaaall week but my spring break has just been crazy!!
As of Wednesday night at 9:09 p.m. Luke and I have our third nephew, Aiden.
Stupid me didn't get any pictures! :(


Last weekend we celebrated my husband's birthday.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love this dude?
Oh, I have?
Well, I DO!
I am so glad that twenty-something years ago
a sweet woman birthed a sweet baby, who at the time, had no idea he would someday meet a very crazy woman who would end up calling his wife.
Thank God, he didn't know that at the time or else he might have stayed posted in his mamma.

Friday night, sweetie and I went to eat at the awesome 

Mexican restaurant in our little town. Seriously, guys, it is fabulous. 

Clockwise: Handsome fellow, 

addictive chips and salsa, Luke's plate of mixed fajitas, 

and my chicken chimichanga.

Saturday

The 1980 Trans Am we took to the park, 

shooting hoops, a little guitar playing by Luke, 

and making homemade cheesecake.

Sunday

Birthday banner, blowing out the candles, 

my sweet mother-in-law and her boy, 

and chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. 

My personal favorite, couch time with the birthday boy! :)

The Last Thing Thursdays

Today I actually got to sleep in a little.

Both of my morning/afternoon classes are canceled leaving me with just my 5:00 class. 

Not only that, everything is clean so I don't have a thing to do and I like it that way. :)

I've been doing observations for my Block I for the past couple of weeks.

I do nothing right now besides observe, but I really love being in the classroom.

So far I feel like I have made the right decision (and believe me...that is a first!).

For today's post I'm doing something fun and linking up over at The Life of the Wife for Jenna's "The Last Thing Thursdays."

Alright, let's do iiiit:

The Last Thing I...

Read:

Besides a textbook? Technically, the last thing I started reading I didn't finish. I borrowed it from the library and just didn't have any free time to read it. I got about half way through. Booo.

Pinned:

Ahhh, well, I've been on the search for birthday cakes for my sweet so I've looked at a-many-a pins. But, I think my actual last pin was not cake at all, but Taco Soup in the crockpot. 

Blog Post I Read:

That is a fabulous question. I can't honestly remember! Not because I don't read them, but because it was yesterday. Oh wait! I'm reading Jenna's right now. Duh...

TV Show I Watched:

Gilmore Girls. With my free time today I decided to watch a little TV and at 10am this is the only suitable thing on. Plus, I just love that show. 

Candy I Ate:

I think I ate a Snickers Mini yesterday...

Did For Someone Else: 

Last night Luke, Abby, her friend Jodi, and I went to a Jimmy Needham ft. Trip Lee concert (Andy Cherry was there, too. AMAZING!). Jimmy is one of the featured artists for The Mocha Club. The Mocha Club is an organization that supports five projects in Africa: clean water, education, hiv/aids + health care, orphan care + vulnerable children, and women at risk. For $7 a month you can 

support their cause. Everyone who signed up last night will be supporting women at risk. Women at risk helps rehabilitate women who were forced into a life of prostitution as an attempt to escape thier situation of poverty. 

I think it is such a beautiful thing so Luke and I signed up to support them monthly. I am so excited about it. :)

Baked:

The other day I made some Apple Crisp from scratch. OH SO GOOD. It was hands down the best apple crisp I have ever had (totally not tooting my own horn...just the recipes). I was a little worried about it because I had to cut down the recipe since I only had three apples. It turned out great though, the perfect portion size for two newlyweds. 

Bought and Loved:

Oh geez. I practically ever buy anything that isn't food or a household necessity. I guess it was some exfoliating face wipes. They were cheap, they work, and the come in a plastic dispenser. What's not to love about that deal?

And there you have it. My boring life in summary. Yeeaya!

"If I ever needed grace, it's now
You are strong when I am weak, somehow
I am weak enough to see 
I need You to cover me
If I ever needed grace, it's now"

"If I Ever Needed Grace" - Jimmy Needham

Blessings in Disguise

 The Lord rules over the floodwaters.

The Lord reigns as king forever.

The Lord gives his people strength.

The Lord blesses them with peace.

Psalm 29:10-11

These flowers were yesterday's blessing.

Luke went to a sweet older woman's house 

to help her with her TV remote.

She told him to go outside and pick these

for his wife.

 It really is the small things.

Manic Monday

This week's Manic Monday is about something very important that I fail at miserably sometimes.

Being a good wife.

I knew this post needed to be written when I heard my preacher's sermon yesterday morning. 

I have a few traits that make marriage harder than it should be.

Lots of people carry these traits.

Traits like this:

Impatience

Slow to forgive

Quick to anger

Stress

Frustration

Fill in the blank _______.

My husband is the greatest blessing I have ever received on Earth. 

Not everyone feels this way bout their spouse, but I do.

Via

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? 

She is more precious than rubies. 

Her husband can trust her, 

and she will greatly enrich his life. 

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

-Proverbs 31: 10-12

I can guarantee you this is not how my husband feels when he wakes up peppy and I roll over and mumble something hateful about leaving me alone "it's way too early." 

I feel bad for the poor guy.

He definitely has the short end of the marriage stick.

Via

Make allowance for each other's

faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember, the Lord forgave you,

so you must forgive others.

-Colossians 3:13

My poor husband also has to deal with a stressed out monster who can't seem to see how it's okay that he hasn't taken the trash out for the fourth day in a row.

But, it really is okay.

Via

So encourage each other

and build each other up,

just as you are already doing.

-1 Thessalonians 5:11

This verse is so important to marriage. 

Nothing can affect one of us without affecting the other. 

Whatever we say and do bounces back and forth between us. 

If we each pour goodness and love into our relationship it will both reap the rewards. 

If even just one of us pours hatefulness and impatience into our relationship, both of us will suffer the consequences.

The only way I can make these verses happen is through this:

So I say, let the Holy Spirit 

guide your lives.

Then you won't be doing what 

your sinful nature craves.

-Galations 5:16

In a nutshell: I want to be a better wife.

This week my focus and my energy will be toward this goal.

I want to be the wife more precious than rubies.

Thursday 13

Today I will be participating in aunie SAUCE's Thursday 13. 

oh-OHHH! 

(that noise I just made out loud was the oh-OHHH from Baby Mama)

Theme: Favorite Ways to Spend Time

1. With my husband. It doesn't really matter what we are doing,
as long as we are together I am digging it. 

2. I loooove traveling. Seeing new places, driving new places, meeting new
people, and just simply getting away all rock my world.

3. Oddly enough, I don't mind doing homework. It's kind of relaxing as long as I haven't procrastinated until the last minute.

4. Making yummy food. With all this school work we've been eating a lot of easy
 meals, but I miss making stuff from scratch. This is a cauliflower crust pizza. 

5. Lunch/supper dates with friends.

6. Being around kids. My sister-in-law and I taught a VBS class last summer
and this was our room.

7. Going to concerts. Especially rock concerts. This was at a Fireflight concert.

8. Being outside. I love sunshine. I would never go in if I had a swimming pool.
 Until then I'll just stick to frolicking.  

9. If I left this one off the list it would make me a liar. Husband and I love TV.
Our weekend free time consists of back to back Criminal Minds.

10. I never have as much time for it, but I love to read.
I especially love the feeling of going to the library and picking out a
 good book to bring home. I recently read this Breaking Out of Bedlam.
 It was cute and funny. 

11. I love blogging. It's my special me time. There is something about meticulously
putting together words and pictures and then clicking publish that is so calming.

12. If I didn't live 7+ hours from the beach I would be there every day.
I think the beach and the ocean are two of the most gorgeous things God put on this Earth. 

13. Last, but not least, I love spending my time with God. Being in His word
and in His presence is a better feeling than any of these other things give me. 

Way Behind

Via

As I have mentioned I want to be a teacher if when I grow up.
This semester I am finally on my way to becoming one.
That means this is the first time in my life that I am actually working toward something.

What I didn't mention (because I didn't know) is that I am way behind.

Apparently if you wait to pick your major until your fourth semester you have to play catch up.

At SEMO there are IV Blocks  in the education degree. I am in Block I right now. Buut, I can't take Block II until I have met certain class requirements. AND on top of that the regional campus I attend only offers Block II in the Fall. Which  means I have to wait until the first semester of my senior year to take it.

So, this summer I am taking two classes.

I would take more, but all they offer for my major are the two I will be taking.

Next semester I will be taking 18+ hours. 

I will be working my tush off!!

On the bright side...

Today I start my Block I observations. Wa-hoo! 

I was also spared from the horrible tornadoes that hit in several areas around where I live.

I am incredibly thankful for that! 

If you think of it, please pray for those poor folks that got hit.

Grateful

Today seems to be one of those blah days. I am 99% sure it is because I went jogging yesterday with little to no water in my system (stupid, I know) and even though I was pooped I didn't get to sleep until 12ish.

Via

Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,

so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.

-Psalm 90:14

I debated even posting anything for several minutes.

But here, I am.
I have a to-do list a mile long.
I have classes that stretch out until the end of the day.
Homework that never ends.
While my mind stays busy, my heart is content.
Though you wouldn't know it by what comes out of my mouth.
Not only will I be grateful for this day,
I will act grateful for this day.
Because, I woke up again and for some crazy reason,
God still loves me.