Is It Worth Working On?

Turning 23 years old was a pretty big deal for me. Most people talk about their 21st birthday. Oh, that was a fun celebration but number twenty-three was life changing. My boyfriend and parents were in town the weekend before the big day. We did the normal stuff, dinner and some gifts and I got my hair cut extremely short (more about that later). Oddly enough I don't remember much more about that weekend. The following Wednesday, my actual birthday, I was interrupted at work (Knortz-Snyder Physical Therapy) by the most handsome boy. Chris was in town again to take me out for dinner. Aw, I love surprises (and gifts). We went to a near by steakhouse, The Bum Steer and mid-way through our meal Chris gave me one more gift... a pair of socks. Oh good, I didn't have to take his anymore. However, inside those socks I found a little gray box. Chris got down on one knee, opened that little box from Nebraska Diamond and asked me to marry him. Oh my word, I was floored. Apparently so was the couple next to us. I remember hearing a very feminine male voice say to his boyfriend, "Oh look how sweet that is, I just can't stand it!" Seriously, the biggest day of my life to that point and that guy's comment is cemented into my brain. So weird! 

I said "YES!" Then suddenly I remembered I just chopped my hair all off SUPER short. Geesh, why didn't someone give me a warning? Don't get me wrong, it was cute and fun but not what I wanted my wedding pictures to look like. Seven and a half months later we were at the alter and thank goodness my dress was beautiful because my hair looked terrible. 

That was over eighteen years ago. So much has happened since then. We have owned several houses, many old vehicles, brought 3 delightful children into the world (whom we remind we can take them out too. LOL), taken vacations, earned degrees, owned pets, buried loved ones, faced failures, loved each other, hurt each other and through it all we have relied on God to walk with us every step. I know some of my failures have been a result of forgetting God was with me. I tend to try to do stuff on my own. Why Oh Why am I a slow learner?

The dreaded holiday is quickly approaching. You know the one that reminds single people that they are unloved and those of us in a relationship that someone else gives more thoughtful gifts than our loved one. Ever since the year Chris gave me a teddy bear and kitchen towel set purchased from the convenience store down the street, I have had to change my views on the holiday a little. Chris wants to show his love for me when HE wants to and not when Hallmark tells him to. Okay, I can live with that. This year our celebration will be a month late. We are going to Family Life's: A Weekend to Remember. I can't wait. Thank you Christopher for this thoughtful gift.

Take a few moments to check out the website and look for a location near you. It is worth the money! Click HERE  This is for pre-married, happily married, and struggling married couples.

Blessings to each of you and please leave me a message below.  Thanks

T o d a y ' s  G o o d  W o r d:
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
1Peter 1:23 NLT

It's A Wonderful Life

Let me introduce myself...

Other than living in a state right now that is riddled with frigid temps, I am an incredibly bless girl. I'm a mom of three terrific daughters and married to the man of my dreams. It would be fair to say that we are an active family, some would call it chaos but we call it a wonderful life. (That's one of my all time favorite movies!) 

The year 2013 was a year I have a difficult time labeling. It was like driving through the Rocky Mountains. The scenery is beautiful but if you aren't careful you might die. There were mountain peak moments and there were valleys so low I honestly didn't know if there was a trail to get out. Looking back on the journey through the Rockies, I had no idea how majestic the view of the mountain tops were until I was stuck in the depths of trails below. 

I don't want this blog post to drag on forever so I am going to hit some of the high points.

We sold our house

We bought dirt

We picked out house selections

Portillos in Chicago

Soccer has kept us on the road whether it's in town for training or city to city for tournaments. Elite Girls Academy has taken us to Chicago, St Louis, Minneapolis and Kansas City in the last year. I was so excited to finally see Mall of America. We need to go back. Then finally this spring I get to see my friend Marcy in Denver.

  
The girls started school... three kiddos in three different buildings. If soccer, cello, church and play dates don't keep us busy, 3 school schedules definitely do.

Oh what I didn't mention is that we moved out of our house on Aug 2nd and officially became homeless. Thankfully Nana and Papa welcomed our family of 5 into their home. Five months later we are still living in Elkhorn but anxiously awaiting the big move back into Millard and into our own home.

We celebrated my brother's 50th B-day

We had a wonderful Christmas. Chris' parents decided to winter in Arizona (wonder if 5 extra people living in their home had anything to do with that??) so we spent the 25th with the Heller's in Omaha and the 26th with my parents in Kansas.

We celebrated our marriage

 B  I  R  T  H  D  A  Y  S

Yes, these are the happy pictures. Believe it or not, I didn't take pictures of the valleys. Satan is real and wants nothing more than to destroy lives. We struggled but we clung tight to Jesus. Thank you Lord for loving my family and leading us out of the valleys of 2013.

I have pictures of the many stages of building a home. 

More to come later!