Brandon and I met in college. We had so much fun together. We would talk about anything and nothing and just have the time of our lives. Through our first years of marriage, we sort of continued in that path.
Then, about 10 yrs. ago, we learned about being intentional with our lives and living with a purpose. Finances with a purpose. Parenting with a purpose. Vacations with a purpose.......after several years of living with that mentality, we have realized that now we have a hard time doing nothing. Free time seems like such a waste. Our date nights turned into talking about our goals and plans and all the areas where we feel driven.Serious. Serious. and more serious.
We've realized we need to relax. I don't mean lounge on the couch, but relax the mind. We have gotten so focused on the "purpose" that we don't even enjoy it. It's always looking towards the next goal or the next area where we can improve. It's time to have some F-U-N.
There has to be a balance. I still believe in having vision and goals...but somewhere in there has got to be fun and vacations and relaxation or you will just get burned out (which is what I'm battling right now). We have so many goals and we will continue to try and reach them, but we are wanting to try and enjoy the process.
So, I don't know if any of you can relate to this post. It might have been just one of those that I needed to write for me. But, if you are struggling with striving too much, or constantly trying to be more and do more, then take a break and relax. Let yourself enjoy life.
Life is meant to be lived for a purpose....part of that purpose is to enjoy it!!
Got anxiety? Stress? Well, I guess we all do at some point in our lives, right? But it doesn't have to be that way! I learned that the hard way.
We've had a lot of good things (and not so good things) going on lately. I realized a few weeks ago that I was having trouble sleeping, I was being irritable (on a daily basis), and that I was just plain not feeling like myself.
When I got to the breaking point (read: tears shed and lashing out too many times), I decided something had to change. For me, for my family, and for my husband or I was going to push us over the edge! Now, I'm not trying to sound dramatic but it did amaze me how anxious I let myself get before I tried to do something about it.
Here is what I did (and I feel tons better already):
1) Prayed about it. Really to the broken point. Letting God know that I need Him and that I realize I need to give up control (which is an area I'm still working on)
2)Talked it over with my husband (that guy is the real deal! He's so supportive! LOVE him!). Let all my fears, anxieties, etc. out. Talked about what I was feeling and why.
3)Decided/Realized that I needed to let some things go in my life...even things that I love or enjoy. That is the tough one. It's easy to let go of things you hate-but things you love are hard to give up.
4) Cancelled certain commitments or responsibilities- I tried to "free up" my calendar as much as I can so I can focus on my family, my health, etc.I'm still looking to see if there is anything else I need to let go of.
Sometimes even the good things in life can be a weight on us. Feeling like you have to be at this place, or at that place, etc. We are not meant to feel in "bondage" over our responsibilities. I know that a lot of us are busy. I sure don't want to sound like I have so many important things going on. Brandon describes it as "emotional energy". I was out of that. I didn't have any more "emotional energy" to give because I was fully depleted and my mind was working overtime.
Here is the Twitter quote Brandon posted yesterday that spoke to me once more on this subject: Stressed about life, family, or job? That is the belief that your circumstances are more important than God's idea rejoice/don't be anxious
I woke up today with almost a completely FREE week and it feels amazing. I can't tell you the difference between this week and the last few.
Is there something you need to stop doing? Something taking up too much of your time? Have you ever felt overwhelmed? What have you done to "lessen" your load? What do you do to de-stress?
Today, my man turned 35...35?...Yes 35.I turn 35 next month.
We still feel like kids just pretending to be parents responsible for 2 young boys.
Kids that happen to pay a mortgage.
Kids that laugh and play games a lot and enjoy life to the fullest!
Kids that are naive enough to think that we have met our soul-mates and dreams really do come true.
Kids that still get excited on Christmas morning (only now it's to see our kids faces as they find their "special" present)
Although we may be moving up on the age scale- we are living and loving LIFE! We are enjoying the ups and downs. Looking forward more than we look back...
Guess that comes from maturity, huh? Shoot!
We are kids at heart and always will be.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY VERY BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. BEST FRIENDS FOREVER(aka BFF like in 7th grade).
The very last challenge I want to talk about on here is being apathetic about your marriage. Marriage takes work!It's like raising children, you just can't take a day off. I have seasons when I want to "focus" on our marriage and that's great- but there has to be something in between as well. It can't be all about a trip, to a date, and back to another trip. It's the day to day communication that builds a marriage. When you know your partner is having a good day or bad day, etc.
It can be a struggle because sometimes we don't want to open up about our true feelings. Or, because we are selfish and frankly don't want to give time to our spouse. Or, you might truly think you care in your heart and mind but you never put any action to it. It makes your spouse feel like you don't care at all.Maybe you just don't know how (or you think you don't) and so you'd rather not try and possibly fail.
Push yourself to care more! Challenge yourself to GIVE even when you are tired or don't feel like giving.
Let me let you in on something...about a year ago, Brandon and I started bickering over little things, really little insignificant things. We did not deal with them though. We stopped having our little 5 minute daily conversations and I just sort of shut him out. I really don't even know where it began but it was a gradual, unintentional thing.
We were able to get away and have some substantial amount of quality time together and we spent a LOT of it working through those walls and barriers that had been built while we were unaware. It can happen. We all get off track sometimes. The real test is how long it takes to get it back on track! Also, realize that you are "off-track" and push it back to priority number one.
CARE about your marriage and your relationship with your spouse. It's THE most important relationship you will have on earth. You are ONE! You are meant to be "soul" mates. Best friends. Lovers. Think about that the next time you want to stop trying or caring.
Spend some quality time with your spouse this week! Show them that you CARE in 3 instances.....it will mean a lot to them!!
Here is another challenge in marriage- BLAMING each other! If you are new to this series, Here is the intro and and you can read up starting there.
It seems like a lot of these struggles are due to what we say to each other. Communication is so important. Positive communication is vital!
I'm also highlighting several areas because these are areas I struggle in. OK- so today we are talking about The blame game.
Blaming each other for past decisions that went bad. Blaming each other about debt you are in. Blaming each other because you are not where you thought you'd be by this age. Blaming each other for failures (and NOT blaming each other for successes). The list could go on and on...
It's easiest to blame our spouse for failures since they are the closest person to us!
Remember the "We" concept from day 1? This is where this comes in again. We can't point fingers. We have to look at situations good or bad as a team.
When you travel down regret lane, it's not a pretty drive. Hindsight really is 20/20 and if we wouldn't have learned things along the way, then we wouldn't have grown! Each time we go through a conflict, challenge, or struggle, we can take that opportunity to grow closer to our spouse, to grow closer to God, and to just grow personally.
So- the next time you want to blame them when you are not happy or not where you want to be, STOP! Point the finger back at yourself.
When you come together as a team and make decisions jointly- there will be no room to place blame later!!!
Tomorrow I will be finishing up this series. Hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have :) For Thursday, I would love to have sort of a Q and A time on here where Brandon and I could answer jointly. Please send questions to christi.donaldson@gmail.com If no questions come in, we will just move on to something else! :) THANKS FOR READING!!
Continuing our series on Challenges in marriage, today let's talk about a big no-no....comparing our spouse to others. We've all done it. Maybe not verbally, but at least in our head!
You see something that someone else does well and you think "Wow, I wish my spouse did that!", or you might even go as far as to think "Wonder what it would be like to be married to them?".
This is another dangerous area. When you start to want something your spouse doesn't possess, you better watch out! It might start with a trait in someone else you admire, and then you think on it, and then next thing you know, you are drawn to that person.
I think it's good to see good things in others- but not to the downfall of your spouse! Our pastor once said " If you think the grass is greener somewhere else, then water your own lawn!". Instead of looking at what others have and you don't, turn that around and try to see what you do have.
You married your spouse because you love them. They, at one time, possessed something you thought you couldn't live without. Our pastor also said that instead of just saying "I love you" to your spouse, say "I love you because....". As you begin to identify those reasons you are attracted to your spouse, that love will begin to overflow. If you can only think of 1 then, repeat that one reason. Chances are there will be many that come to light. You can even pray that God will make those things shine bright in your mind.
Don't say things like " I wish you could cook like _______", or "" Did you know that ______'s husband does _______". You get the idea. The goal in marriage is to build the other person UP, not tear them down.
The only person we have to compare ourselves to in this life is Jesus and we ALL fall short on that one!
So, speak highly of your spouse (in public and private)- compliment the things they do well. As they begin to feel more confident in who they are- they will begin to want to please you even more.
It will be one pretty picture of completing each other rather than depleting each other!
What does your spouse do well? Do you compliment your spouse often? Is there an area you want to improve in to please your spouse? I challenge you to tell your spouse "I love you because....." at least 1 time this week!
We are looking at some challenges in marriage this week. To view previous posts, click HERE, HEREand HERE :) And let me remind you that I in no way think we've got it all figured out. We are learning along the way. Marriage is constantly a work in progress!!
So, today I wanted to talk about the challenge of spending too much time together. This is like Brandon and I. We are best friends. We love to spend time together- but sometimes that can lead to "disconnect" from the outside world.
If I don't get time with my friends, I start to want to dive into Brandon's life because mine is just plain boring. I want to add my opinion on how he handled a certain situation or what I think needs to change at work....things that are really not my place to interject my opinion on.
Vice Versa- if Brandon has not had time away to have fun with the guys or play sports- he begins to nit-pick what I do during the day and how I could improve. Men need that time!
If you get caught up in having too much quantity of time and not enough quality- you can become bored in the relationship.
There have been days I have to force myself not to call because I know that instead of having 5, 5 minute conversations throughout the day about nothing, I'd rather have 1 quality conversation about the day that night. Spending time away can bring longing for one another as well as mystery and intrigue.
Now, I'm not talking about leaving for 2 weeks or anything- but just spending some time in a different environment can help you see the big picture and keep you from smothering your spouse.
I really think this is more of a struggle for women than it is men, but I would dare say some men struggle here too. Women tend to be more insecure and sometimes we become so dependent that it turns into a naggy or whiny state. I have been there. I know what it's like to feel insecure in your marriage.
We have to give our spouse some space!
It will be so worth it in the end. When you do get your quality time together- it will be so much better than the forced quantity of time. Don't just be around each other because you don't want to be alone- but actually because you want to be around your mate!
Encourage your spouse to have friends. To play sports. To have hobbies that interest them. Don't nag your husbands when they want to watch football, and men, don't nag your wives about talking on the phone too much or wanting to get her nails done:)
So, first, you make sure you are communicating and connecting, then feel free to go and spread your wings a bit. Although your spouse may not be with you physically while you are away, they can be with you in your thoughts and feelings.
Then, when you come together- have a blast together and share about your time with your friends. Your joy will be contagious. They won't want to leave your side :)
What are your personal hobbies? Do you take time out for "you" during the week? Do you need to encourage your spouse to go have fun with their friends?
OK- so did you get any ruffled feathers frompost 1orpost 2? Today I wanted to talk about the "Separate lives" marriage challenge.
I think there are some couples who may struggle with this more than others. The separate lives couples are the ones who don't share many hobbies. When you ask them what they like to do together they have to think for a while. And the answers are usually, "Um- go to the kids ballgames", or " watch a movie"...something that doesn't bring much interaction.
Several years ago I was talking with an acquaintance. She had said that Fridays was one of their days off and then Monday was the other. She basically said- I do whatever I want on "my" day and he does whatever he wants on "his" day. This alarmed me. You mean to tell me you have 2 days (your only days off) during the week where you really have no contact with each other? That's dangerous! That's just giving the enemy room to jump and bring division. You will begin to think things like "well- they don't know what's going on or what I'm going through". Or "since it's her/his day, I better not bother her/him" while there may be some other man/woman vying for attention from your spouse!
Now- I know that people travel or work different hours so like I said, it can be a struggle for some more than others. But, we have to strive to make time to have fun with our spouse. It may be difficult at first but it's so important. Don't be paranoid just because your spouse is out for the day.
I'm talking about total disconnect.
All women need girl time and all men need to hang with the fella's. But, more importantly, we as couples need time to connect!
If you don't know what' s going on in your spouses world- I would consider this a red flag. Seriously. As a married couple, we should make time to listen and understand the life our spouse is leading. (and jump in and get involved).
If you find yourselves not talking during a meal because frankly you don't know what to say, or if you find that you would rather be alone or out with friends than spend time with your spouse- then I would recommend making time to re-connect with your spouse. It will be so worth it.
Remember- this is our most intimate relationship on earth. Your kids will love you for it :) Write down a list of ways you can reconnect with your spouse. Serve them (oh- there's that word again). Make them feel like the most important person in your life. It will turn your marriage around!
Tomorrow we will be talking about the opposite of this....the "spending too much time together couple" (can that really happen?)....yes, it can. I promise!
What are your thoughts about living "separate lives"? How can people find that balance? What kinds of hobbies do you enjoy with your spouse?Is this an area you need to re-connect on right now in your marriage?
We are talking about marriage this week. Read the intro HERE and jump on into the discussion :)
OK- how many of you are busy bees around the house and keep your house squeaky clean? Now, how many of you are more of a "straightener" and just keep the house "presentable"? Um- that would be me.
For some reason- God did not bless me with the gift of housekeeping. I love to be in my house. I love to have a house. I just don't like to clean it.
For the first several years of our marriage, I would say I was a better house cleaner than I am now. Part of the reason was because I worked during the day(so we were both gone) and we didn't have kids to mess it up! Brandon may argue this point and say it's always been dirty, but let's just pretend I once was a good housekeeper for the example, OK?
As we had children, and got busy in youth ministry- the house was the first thing to go. Since I'm not a natural cleaner anyways, I think it's easy to let slip what's not important to you.
We decided we needed a list. Yes- a list would help us! We made a list of "Brandon's chores" and "Christi's chores". That worked for about...... a week.
Then before we knew it, one of us was falling behind (it was usually me). Then we got into several spouts about who had done more during the day.We even listed out what we had done to try and make the point we had done more! I actually wanted to keep a new list of all the things I had done to prove I was a good wife!
It became very hurtful actually. Brandon felt like I was saying he was not a good handyman around the house and I felt like he was saying I wasn't a good wife. It became personal really quick. Just like I said- we began to question our place in the marriage-to question if we were "good enough" for the other person and that's a bad place to be.
I cannot tell you how many times we fought about this....countless times. Until, finally we decided it had to stop!
There is no "he" or "she" in marriage, only "we".
WE should be working as a team. WE should try and help the other person out or give them grace rather than bring them down. WE should try to talk about it in a non-confrontational way so that it doesn't become a huge fight. WE needed to realize that in the scheme of life it did not matter. It does not matter, really.
We still have occasional times of frustration in this area but in the end we realize, it's not worth it. We love each other and want to spend time laughing and enjoying life together rather than fight about the house. That's not to say that we just get to let the house go and never do our part! And- this is an area we have not fully overcome, but we are overcoming.
We just have to see that person for who they are. Accept them for where they are. I may not be a good housekeeper and Brandon might not be a handyman but we love each other. Period. That's what counts.
We are not competing against each other. When the other person does something that contributes to the marriage- honor it! Don't beat it down to make yourself feel better!
So- when you get that feeling like you are doing more in your marriage (not just around the house), remember we are all not perfect. There will be a time when you are on the receiving end and your spouse seems to be doing "more".
So- serve each other. With joy. Aren't you glad you have someone to share your home with? To eat your meals with? Are you glad you have someone to be ONE with?
See- now the dirty laundry doesn't seem so bad, does it?
Is this an area that you struggle with in your marriage? How have you overcome or how are you overcoming this area? What areas do you "fall behind" in?
This week I am starting a series on Marriage. I know that I don't have all the answers but wanted to share some of the things we have learned along the way. I figured we could all chime in and learn a thing or two. Brandon and I are very passionate about marriage!
I've heard many times that marriage is the "most challenging relationship on earth as well as the most rewarding". I totally agree. There is no other person on earth that we should be closer to than our spouse.
We. are. meant. to. be. ONE.
That sounds so simple, yet it's so difficult to stay there on a consistent basis. Now- I could go on and on and on and on and on and talk about the rewarding parts of marriage (because we ALL know there are many perks!) but this series is going to be about the challenging parts. Those seasons of hurt...distant times.......when you feel alone, and wonder if your spouse "gets" you at all....when you question whether you were ever truly meant for each other at all.
But, let's focus on the good times first, shall we? I want to find out a bit about our readers. If you are a lurker, and not a commenter, please try to just give the needed info for fun. Or- feel free to read along and enjoy:)
1) are you married? 2) how long have you been married? 3) kids? 4) tell us about your wedding
Tomorrow we will talk about the first challenge- The "I do more" challenge. Be praying that God would open your heart and mind to be receptive.
I have been a bit absent from this blog. I'm so glad Brandon has jumped in. Doesn't he have the best insight into scripture? Pretty sure he's a stud!.....
So, I just wanted to pop in and say I have a Marriage series coming up next week that I'm so excited about. It should be anywhere from 5-7 posts (got a LOT to share and discuss)...so stay tuned for that. Brandon shares the deep spiritual stuff and I share the more relational/family stuff. We make a good team :) THANKS for reading and subscribing!!(oh and if you don't subscribe yet, you can do so on the top right corner of our blog. You can choose to have our posts delivered to you through e-mail or via Google reader)
LIFESHARE was a really great thing to be a part of. The idea behind it is to minister in your online community and be real and authentic. We met some really great people.I'm sure another LIFESHARE will be happening in the future.
Brandon and I went to the dentist- Brandon's report: teeth look great, no cavities, blah, blah, blah. Christi's report: 2 cavities, need a retainer and it will cost about $1000! Whoa. Maybe we shouldn't have went at the same time. They are going to spread it out so we can put it on our cafeteria plan next year. That's good.
A lot of our favorite shows started back up this week. Heroes started on Monday. The jury is still out on this one-they have went even "darker" than before and to tell you the truth, I was a bit depressed after watching it. I'm sure we will keep watching but I hope they fill in some blanks for us. Survivor also started and seems to have some interesting "characters". (I still get tired of the girls running around in their underwear). Looks like it's going to be a fun season though. This is the 17th season (we have watched all of them, have you?). I guess it's safe to say we are "fans" :)
We got the Wii fit on Sunday. We really like it! It keeps track of your workouts, weight, BMI, etc. The only bad thing is that now the boys are questioning whether they are "fat" or not! Pretty sure they have nothing to worry about, me on the other hand....
Brandon and I are against each other this week in our fantasy football league. I am 0-3 which kills my competitive nature. Last year- my team rocked, and this year- not so much. Lord, if I can only have 1 win this season, let it be against Brandon so I can have bragging rights all year!!
What do you have going on this weekend? What cha been up to this week?
I've been going through a season where I am seeing the need to "submit" to my husband's authority. For too long, I have tried to be the "head of the household" when I am not called to that at all. I realize this may step on some people's toes but I do believe that we are to submit to our husbands. It is so tough and I am a walking example of just how stubborn some women can be!
I have been trying to carry certain responsibilities that he is fully capable of handling (probably with less stress and emotion). I also think I know how just about everything should be done around the house (which is so wrong and prideful!).
We do share the burden for our kids so that's good. I was talking the other day with some girlfriends and one of the ladies said something that has stuck with me...she said "If you carry the sole burden for your children, you are robbing your husband of his God given responsibility". She said it better than I did and I may have worded it differently but the point is this: if we as women take on the "authority", or "burden" or leadership of our homes, we are stealing away what our husbands should be doing and we are robbing them of being obedient to their calling.
I'm still working on this and it's been so humbling to see the areas where I have been "wearing his britches" (another quote from our talk). Brandon is an incredible leader and an incredible husband and father. I know that I do follow his leadership but I also know that sometimes it's when I am kicking and screaming and whining about it. I want to submit joyfully.
I am really working on being Brandon's cheerleader rather than his teammate or even worse, his coach. Those are not what I am called to do. I'm not qualified or equipped for those positions either. There are seasons we will be side by side in ministry, but there are also times I need to step back and watch him lead. Brandon would never hold me back. I know 100% that he's "got my back" and would support me in whatever I choose to do.
It's so freeing to finally be embracing my role as a wife and mother and not feel like I have to do "something else" to get validation.What's my job? I'm a mom and a wife. period. And that's a pretty important purpose and job!
What do you think about this? Please share any insight (male or female).
This week I'm going to tell some stories from our life that were scary at the time but a little funnier now. It's strange how we act in emergency situations!
THE TORNADO
May 3, 1999- those of you from Oklahoma know exactly what Tornado I'm talking about. This was an F5 tornado (the biggest as they come). It was on the ground for miles. They started tracking it way southwest of OKC and just followed behind it. It was shocking to see the helicopters flying above the damage and not seeing anything there. The houses were just flat...gone.
We lived in a townhouse in Del City, Oklahoma at the time. We had 2 stories (the 2nd and 3rd story of the building) and there were apartments underneath us on the 1st floor. I was pregnant with Merrick.
We watched the weatherman telling us we HAD to get below ground because this thing was wiping everything out. I started crying and wanted to leave to go to a local school. They had tunnels underneath it for shelter. It was only about 1 mile east of our townhouse.
Brandon wanted to stay home. He didn't want to go to a strange place and was confident since they were tracking the storm on the TV exactly. It wasn't just that he didn't want to go, but he was concerned we would be driving into the storm rather than away from it.
As children growing up in Oklahoma, we both knew the precautions to take but being on the 2nd floor was not going to cut it.
We began to argue and Brandon tends to joke when we is nervous. He said " at least we are Christians. We will just go to heaven together". I did NOT think it was funny at all. Then he kept saying "come over here and let me hold you and we will die together in each other's arms". You guys think I'm kidding, but I'm not. And although that sounds sweet, it just made me, the pregnant lady scared to tears, mad!
He then reluctantly said he would go to the shelter if it made me feel better. By this time we had lost power (so no weatherman tracking the storm) and the sirens were blaring full speed. We had no idea if the tornado had turned and if so, what direction.
He looked out the window and say "oh my gosh! Christi look! There is debris everywhere". I still thought he was kidding and trying to avoid going. He repeated it and convinced me to come and look. As we looked out of our back window together, it looked like it was snowing, in May. But the snow was trash, debris, pictures, papers, etc. It was everywhere.
We never heard the "Train" sound go by. But then, we ran outside and tried to see the tornado off in the distance. It's weird how your adrenaline starts flowing and we were not scared at all anymore.
We were safe although we didn't have power for days. The next day, I went out driving around and saw the school we were headed to. The tornado went right next to it. I'm not kidding. If we had left only a few minutes sooner, we WOULD have been driving into the storm/tornado. The school was unharmed but it was like the tornado had skimmed the building. Everything next to the school was wiped out and you could see the path of the tornado.
We still remember that day vividly. We will NEVER forget it either because we were terrified. There's really no point to the story (other than don't joke when your wife is pregnant and freaking out!).
Tomorrow I will share about another natural disaster we were a part of so stay tuned......The lord is our shelter! Watch the video below for some footage from May 3rd, 1999.
OK- by now I'm sure you are tired of hearing about our vacation in Seattle. Well, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we like it here! I wanted to do a photo blog this week to share the beautiful sights of Seattle. Enjoy! Thanks for being with us along the way :)
View from our rental house (just wish the power lines were gone but I guess we need power:) We went to the store and bought some yummy food. This is what we came up with for our first night at the house. Steak, potatoes, garlic bread, salad and Chocolate strawberries for dessert. One of the many gorgeous views we had on our drive around the area. Can you see Mt. Rainier in the background? We have many more of that mountain coming later. A tree on the beach we thought looked hilarious. At the beach- notice how big we are smiling! (Lord, can you add a beach to Oklahoma pretty please? Then all would be well. Thank you so much)
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.
Is it Friday again? Crazy how fast the week goes!....
We are planning on going to see "Narnia: Prince Caspian" tomorrow with the boys on our AMC gift card. Can't wait. This is one movie the boys have been anticipating more than us. UPDATE: We saw it on Saturday and all LOVED it! It was a great family day:)
B and I shot some video footage yesterday (compliments of Mr. Kevin Ely) to be shown in week 2 of Fanatic at church. Brandon is so used to the camera that it's like second nature. I, on the other hand, get silly and giggly when I'm nervous. Fortunately, Kevin is a great editor!
Bought the boys new swimsuits yesterday- yah! They only have 6 more days of school- I absolutely LOVE summertime. This is a time of year I truly am thankful that I get to stay home with my boys and enjoy every day of the summer.
Brandon is addicted to "Planet Earth". We rented the DVDs from the local library and they really are spectacular. Have you seen any of it?
Our anniversary is next week, I'll have to post more about that later.
We have a mission trip at the end of the month that I will be posting about as well.
What are you up to? Read any good books lately? Seen any good movies you'd like to recommend? (pretty sure you know by now we are movie junkies).
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?
A woman has been rescued from the jaws of a saltwater crocodile in Australia after her husband jumped onto its back and forced it to flee.
The attack took place in the Litchfield National Park near Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory.
The crocodile lunged at its victim as she stood on the banks of a river, locking its jaws around her legs before trying to drag her into the water.
Police have said the heroism of her husband almost certainly saved her.
As the crocodile attacked, Wendy Petherick shouted to her husband Norm who told reporters he acted instinctively.
"I saw Wendy in the water, trying to pull something out of her leg, and I knew it was a croc," he said.
"I acted quickly, just jumped on top of it, and looked for the eyes. I found them, and poked its eyes, and that's when it released her, I think."
The 36-year-old woman suffered serious injuries and will have surgery in Darwin. Her husband escaped unharmed.
Last week, police in the Northern Territory opened fire on a crocodile as it closed in on a drunken man who had accepted a dare to swim in dangerous waters.
Brandon used to call me all the time and act like someone else and I fell for it every time!
During our first year of marriage, we lived in a duplex and they were coming around to do inspections. He called first thing in the morning and acted like the inspection guy and said they were coming right then. I jumped out of bed and ran around trying to get ready while talking to "the guy" on the phone. He had me going for a while but then started laughing and I realized it was my hubby.
A few years later, B was in a band called "Rag tag". They were heading out to a concert. He called me and wasn't planning on fooling me but I didn't recognize his voice. Not sure why. He then proceeded to tell me that he was the guy running the gig Brandon was headed to and that the gig was cancelled. He was saying he couldn't get in touch with Brandon. I was telling him that I would try and stressing because Brandon and his brother were already driving to Tulsa. Again- after several minutes of conversation, he laughed and said "Christi, it's me, Brandon!".
One last time, he called in a foreign accent and totally had me. I can't remember the scenario but I just know that I fell for it. Told you I did every time!
He hasn't done that in a long time. I think he felt sorry for me. Please don't feel led to call me and act like someone else!! Do you fall for things like that? Are you a jokester? Do you treat April Fools Day like any other day? What are some pranks/jokes you have played or had played on you?
Brandon and I met in college. We had so much fun together. We would talk about anything and nothing and just have the time of our lives. Through our first years of marriage, we sort of continued in that path.
