Happy Anniversary!!!

Today is our 13th anniversary. We were married in May 1995. Seems like we have known each other our entire lives but also seems like yesterday when we met. We have so much life to live together still! I wanted to post a poem that Brandon wrote me back in the beginning. Todays entry will be long- but good!

A little back story- Brandon and I were pretty close friends in college. He had asked me out and I had told him I only wanted to be friends. I then went and found another boyfriend. The new boyfriend and I broke up for the summer while I was back home and Brandon and I met up one night for dinner. He told me that he loved me that night. Shows you how close of friends we were, huh? He also said he could not wait on me forever, so he wanted me to choose him or the "boyfriend" whom I was still talking with and planned to get back with.

I chose "the boyfriend". Right to Brandon's face, I said "I choose him.". Wow- still feel bad about that one, but I had a ton of growing up to do! Over a year later "the boyfriend" broke up with me because he felt I had feelings for Brandon I needed to explore and that I wasn't giving him my all.

He was right. Brandon had a part of my heart from the beginning. I just didn't know it until someone else spelled it out for me. I think I was so scared of my feelings that I wanted to deny they were there. That's an entirely different post.

Here is a poem written by my sweet husband back in 1993:

"Set it Free" by Brandon C. Donaldson (1993). For: Christi Noel, the love I never want to let go of again.

When I was young and love was new, it seemed to me too hard
Once I thought the love was true, the love would break my heart

The words of one wise man echoed in my ears
The words were hard to hear, but I listened through my tears

He said "If true love you think you have, then put it to the test.
Set it free, do not hold on, and hope for the very best"

"If that love comes back to you, then true love was always there
Hold her close, do not let go and show her how much you care"

Time went by and a new love I found, so special and so sweet.
Love came quickly. I was not prepared. She knocked me off my feet.

Her eyes were deep and beautiful, and words cannot describe
the many things I felt for her when I looked inside

Her smile and laugh were genuine, more love I have never felt
with the touch of her tender hands, my entire body would melt

How could this be so perfect? I knew she was the one.
Then in my mind, I heard the words that I knew must be done.

"If true love you think you have, then put it to the test,
set her free, do not hold on, and hope for the very best"

"If that love comes back to you, then true love was always there.
Hold her close, don't let go, and show her how much you care"

Slowly I released my love and watched her go away.
As I watched her helplessly, my heart began to pray.

Hope was strong and stayed awhile, but time slowly passed
As her happiness grew again, I felt we could not last.

I tried to forget my love for her, but in my heart it did stay
The hope, yet small, was still there just waiting for the day.

The day it seemed all hope was gone, my love came back to me
That man's words contained more wisdom that I could ever see.

Because of what he told me then, I knew the love was true.
During the time I waited for her, the love only grew

Now my love has come back to me I know true love is there
I'll hold her close, never let go, and always show her how much I care.


HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

Relationships (pt. 3)

The marriage relationship

Brandon and I have been married for 13 years this month! I would say we have had quite an adventure so far. We are best friends where we share everything with one another and also have a ton of fun. We also have the *uh hum* romantic stuff:) I would have to say that B is more than I ever pictured him to be. In fact, he blew those expectations out of the water!

Brandon and I always say/hear that Marriage is the most challenging relationship, but it's also the most rewarding!!

Are you married? Are you and your spouse best friends? In a growing season? If you are not married, what do you picture your future spouse/marriage to be like? If you are married, did you picture the life you have now- or a different life? Are you in a "challenging" stage or a "rewarding" stage? What's the best marriage "advice" you have been given?

Loving others

When I was little, I used to think about traveling to new places and meeting new people. I still have that desire. One thing that has been so unique for me is that God has granted that desire although it's been in a new way.

I volunteer on the internet campus for our church each Sunday. I am a "lobby chat host". Basically I greet people and help them make it to the video area. We also connect people with others and make connections that lead to those people getting plugged in to small groups and maybe even missions. I meet the most amazing people. Granted, it's not face to face but after chatting with them, I usually feel like we've just sat down over coffee.

I met a man from Ghana whom I will not name. There were about 3 of us carrying on a conversation with him. We were trying to help him with some technical aspects and then get plugged into a small group that meets during the week. The man asked "Why do you care about me? We are strangers. Why are you being so nice?".

It was really sweet. We explained to him that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. God tells us to "love our neighbors". I'm not posting this to brag at all. The sad part is that If I would have met this man from Ghana on the street- I would have been shy or reserved. I would not have known that he spoke English. I probably would not have spoken with him at all even if I had wanted to.

"Our neighbors" are everywhere. Not just random people in a lobby chat. But everywhere! We have our real "neighbors". People at the grocery store. People at school. People at the park. I feel like I am a friendly person but do not bend over backwards to make connections with people. In fact, most of the time I am too caught up with my kids acting up or what time schedule I am on to even notice people sometimes.

While it touched me what this man felt like (through Christ in the 3 of us), I want to carry that out. I want people in the places I mentioned above to say "Why are you being so nice to me? Why do you even care about me?"

That's a challenge for all of us. Reach out to those you don't know. Those of a different ethnicity. Those that are right there even when you don't "have time". Reach out and see what God does :)

5 reasons why we love each other (Pt. 5 of 5)

We have made it to Friday. Thanks for sticking with us throughout all of our loveliness and mushy-ness. Here is our last post on this topic (well, for now). Remember the marriage relationship is the most important relationship on earth. God intended it. Hold on to it. Fight for it. Cherish it.

Brandon has integrity! That's not just a word I give to anyone. He is honest (even when it hurts at times). He is real- you know when he is having a good or bad day. He has humility. People tend to throw the word "authentic" around, but Brandon truly is authentic and real. Our family vision statement is "Be true to yourself, be true to your faith." Brandon leads our family in this mission. He just does the "right" thing no matter what. In our finances, in relationships, in conflict, etc. I'm not saying he's a goody two shoes. When we were youth leaders, so many girls would say " I wish I could find a guy like Brandon!". I think it's because he is a true gentleman, but yet he exudes strength. He fights for what he believes in. This is all because of his integrity. He's a rare gem :) Keep it real, ya'll!! ~Christi~

Christi is such a tender and strong spirit with a depth of maturity she quietly exudes. I have watched her minister to women young and old, and she has this gift of loving them where they are and making them feel so encouraged and built-up. At the same time, she tenderly leads them to be better women and wives and mothers, and she does it all while building trust and security in them. She deeply cares for those she touches, and she spends great amounts of personal time to minister to them. All of those characteristics combined is a single gift that is rare. She never flaunts her wisdom or spiritual maturity. In fact, she would not claim it, but all you have to do is look at the people she has touched. God uses her in such a huge way. I have to be honest. It makes me so proud to be her husband. I really do love her more than a blog post could do justice.-Brandon-

Do you feel you have integrity? Is is something you are working on? Are you tender? Do you tend to have people pour into you or do you do the pouring? Does it make you uncomfortable to read about how others "love"?

God loves us all more than we can physically love a person. Crazy, huh?

5 reasons why we love each other (Pt. 4 of 5)

Happy Valentines Day! Today, we are at number 4.....I have a long story to post so stick around because it's funny. First things first.....here are a couple more reasons why we are Valentines:

Faithfulness
Christi has always been faithful to me in every way. It is amazing to have a wife that I trust in every situation. Not just the obvious ones (which is great), but Christi is adamant about talking highly of me even when it is one of those "bad" days. She continually has perspective and she is an example to those around her of speaking life into marriage and her husband. The blessing is I know her to be this way 100% of the time. How many husbands can say that? -Brandon-

Multi-Talented
I love that Brandon is good at just about everything he tries. Everywhere we go, he can find one way to relate to people. his friends nicknamed him "the Bridge" because he can usually understand where most people are coming from. He can help bridge the gap from one person to another. This man can sing, make straight A's, make me die laughing on a daily basis, be profound, play every sport.....I truly could go on and on. He's talented, you get it, right? I will end with a story from our honeymoon (and no, it's not that kind of story!)

We traveled to Cozumel in 1995 for our honeymoon. We looked like we were about 15 which is another funny story. We were able to go on an all inclusive vacation. The resort had tennis courts, swimming pools (right next to the beach), kayaking, sailboats.....lot's of things to do. Brandon had taken a boat and camp safety class over the summer to fulfill some credits. He decided to take the sailboat out for a ride. I stayed on the shore to sunbathe and to watch my man sail away.

He picked out the boat he wanted and the men asked if Brandon was sure he knew how to sail. He reassured him that he did (he had taken a class on it, remember?). So, off to conquer the ocean! He starts sailing and makes sure I am watching. He keeps going and going and going.....not turning back any time soon. The people around me start talking about him (how embarrassing) saying 'look at that guy! Where is he going?". I acted like I didn't know who he was (sorry Brandon). The men at the sailboat booth jumped on jet skis to go rescue Brandon. By this time, Brandon was out by the cruise ships and shrimp boats. He couldn't even see us! He said he could see where the water turns black. It even rained on him while we were soaking up the sun on shore. He was screaming for help but obviously we couldn't hear him!

The men reached him several minutes later. He said "I thought you knew how to sail?" Brandon told him he couldn't get it turned around. The man told Brandon to sit on the front of the boat and he was going to sail the boat back to shore. They hit a huge wave and Brandon went overboard. Brandon jumped back on the boat. I was still on shore thinking about whether I should go to our room and hide, or stay there and be supportive as a newly married woman. They arrived safely back at shore only after the men on staff had given Brandon looks of disgust and anger. Brandon walked up to me and just sat down. The people realized we were together so the whispers became very hushed. I didn't know what to say. The next thing I knew we were laughing about it. Brandon was telling me how scared he was and all we could do was laugh. We are still laughing about it to this day. My story-telling does not even give it justice.

Maybe I should change my trait to "he can do almost everything" since we now know he can not sail. Nah.....we will leave it like it is.

What was your honeymoon like? Where did you go? How long have you been married? If you are not married, where would you like to go on your honeymoon?

5 reasons why we love each other (Pt. 3 of 5)

Thanks for sticking around for our public display of affection!!Get a room already, right? ha ha
Here are some more reasons why we love each other.....

Beauty
"In your eyes...the light the heat" Yes, that is Christi and I's song...a little Peter Gabriel anyone? But it came about because of Christi. Christi is so beautiful, and the best way to explain is from the one body part that says it all- Her eyes. Just take a look some time. Don't worry that is legal, but be ready! The greenest most alive eyes you will ever see...I am serious! But also in those eyes you will see her beautiful soul. To know Christi is to love her. She is an incredibly beautiful person from the inside out. If you don't believe me, just look in her eyes. Christi, in your eyes, I am complete.-Brandon-


Ok pretty sure I am blushing right now....yep, def. blushing! Well, here is Brandon's for today. Can I get a do-over?? His was way better than mine :)

Brandon is disciplined. That might sound boring, but it's not! Brandon has many disciplines built inside of him. It's who he is. He constantly challenges me to be more and do more just by the way he lives his life. He is helping me eat better and just be healthier in general. He is helping me want to learn more. He helps me problem solve. he's very inspiring and challenging. He's not perfect, but he's usually striving to be the best he can be. He makes others want to be more. 'You were meant for more than you've allowed in your life"...that's from his song Trenches and he means it! Oh- i just love my man!!~Christi~

So, is your spouse disciplined? What feature do you admire in your spouse/significant other? Have you considered writing them a love note or two this week? What disciplines do you or your spouse have that inspire others?
.

5 Reasons why we love each other (Pt. 2 of 5)

This is our second post on why we love each other in honor of Valentines day. Thanks for reading:) Why do you love your spouse/significant other??

Brandon is loyal! Brandon will never say a bad thing about his family or friends. He will stand up for them, he will be there for them. When you are Brandon’s friend, you are his friend for life. He talks highly about his leaders at the church, he speaks highly of me, and he speaks highly of his friends. Actually, he pretty much speaks highly of everyone and gives most people the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t gossip! A secret is safe with him. Because of his loyalty, he can be trusted. I catch myself too many times hearing from Brandon how I should trust the Jesus in others instead of finding fault or doubting them. He's just incredible!~Christi~

Strength
Christi is not a huge proponent of change, yet Christi has moved to Colorado, California (with two small boys), and Mexico. She has moved at least 15 times in the last 10 years. We have been on quite an adventure, and to be honest, I would have NEVER made it without her. God has given her this strength for our family when change is at its peak. She is always organized. She is our stability. One story: In California, a few weeks after we had arrived, I came in from school one night. Christi asked me how I was doing. I began to weep in her arms...like can't catch your breath crying. She held me real tight, and asked me if I remembered when God had clearly shown us that we were to move to California. That night she was used by God in a way I have never experienced before. Sort of hard to give the impact of that moment, but this sort of sums it up, " I love you, Christi, so much!"

Are you loyal? Would you say you have inner strength? Have any "defining moments" in your marriage brought out some of those traits?

5 reasons why we love each other (Pt. 1 of 5)

Since this week we are celebrating Valentines day, we thought we'd share some of the reasons why we are Valentines. It's basically love letters to each other so please bear with us and take a sneak peek into our marriage with our permission. Are you married? Engaged? Tell us about your significant other.

These are in no particular order and there are many more we could name....just thought we'd share 5 since it's a nice number and it fits into our weekly posts:)

Christi has a giving heart. She never stops giving. It is a built-in God thing. She is always getting me or the boys something. Even when our friends come over, she is sure to make their favorite dish...like some yummy guacamole, salsa, and home-made tea. She just gives of herself and her time to others first. She is the one who looks at me and says we need to give to this person or that mission or this cause. I have learned through the years that anytime she feels God is calling us to give to someone for any reason, we just do it. It is always the right thing. She has made my heart a giving heart. God used her to show me the joy and adventure of giving. I love it, and I love her. -Brandon-


I love Brandon's sense of adventure! He’s always looking for the next journey. He gives excitement and inspiration. He loves taking on new tasks and helping others do the same. He sees the big picture and so it helps him to rest assure. Brandon dreams big so it inspires and makes others do the same. He could never be called boring because he's usually always in the process of having some kind of adventure. Besides, he’s smoking hot so who wouldn’t want to go on an adventure with him?? (unless you are smokin hot as well and I'd have to veto that)~Christi~

Are you giving? Are you adventurous? What about your spouse/significant other?