Marriage Counseling

Well, not exactly. But if you would've asked Steve last week where he was headed last weekend, that's what he would have said. "I can't go turkey hunting this weekend..I'm going to some marriage counseling thing." If you know my husband at all, this will not surprise you.

Now, let me tell you where we really went. I heard about Weekend to Remember from by Bible Study teacher. She and her husband went several years ago and talked about what a great experience it was. It occurs twice a year in our state, once in the fall and once in the spring. After checking into it and securing the help of the grandparents, I told Steve that for my birthday (in March), I wanted to go to the Spring conference in April. Since we are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this year (in June), I couldn't think of a better year to go. On my birthday, he gave me a card and on the inside he wrote something about booking "that Marriage Conference thing."

Neither of us really knew what to expect. I had not talked to anyone who had been besides my friend. And I didn't pick her brain about it. She said it was great, and I believed her. She did not lie. It. Was. Great. On so many different levels. Here are some highlights:

1. We spent an entire weekend together, just the two of us...no agenda (except the scheduled conference sessions) no children, no computer, no leisure reading, no work ...from Friday at 4:00 until we got home Sunday at 3:30, it was just us.

2. We ate six consecutive meals together...again, just the two of us. SIX MEALS! Honestly, how often does that happen?

3. The speakers were incredible...dynamic, HILARIOUS, transparent, encouraging, and challenging. They reminded us of so many of God's truths about marriage...it was like a refresher course. Or in their words, a "tune-up" for your marriage.

4. The session topics were real. Stuff you deal with daily in marriage. Everything from "Why Marriages Fail" to "We Fight Too" (resolving conflict), to "Marriage After Dark" (take a guess:), to "How Marriages Thrive." There was also a session for women only, dealing specifically with being a wife and mother. And likewise for the husbands.

5. Saturday night was date night. We went to the movies AND out to dinner (and didn't have to pay for a sitter:)

6. We stayed in a hotel for two nights...no cooking, no cleaning, no cleaning, no cleaning...

7. We spent quality time together. Not that our time at home with our precious children is not quality time. It absolutely is. But with no other distractions, we just enjoyed each other's company. Even in the car, even if we weren't talking every minute, it was just nice to be together.

8. I realized that when I am mad and frustrated with Steve, gritting my teeth and digging my fingernails into his arm is not the solution. And yes, I have done this more times than I care to admit. How mature and appropriate of me. And it did not take me going to a marriage conference to figure out that this is wrong. But I hope to control my anger from now on like a good little girl :)

9. We were reminded that God made us so, so very different. Difference is good. It is not my job to change Steve. It is my job to be an enthusiastic encourager to him, to offer genuine forgiveness with humility, and to love him with an extravagant love. An exclusive, expressed, extraordinary love that is a choice, and not always a feeling. There were also a couple of little "surprises" planned by Family Life that truly made the weekend.

10. I laughed a lot. Pretty much all weekend. Between Steve and guest speaker Greg Speck I laughed until I cried.

And, Steve loved it too. I don't even think he regretted not getting to chase after some old turkey in the woods anyway. Or at least that's what he said:)

And so it was Easter

Remember this? Well, Anna Clare informed me the day before Easter that she thought she just might go down front at church the next morning and tell our pastor she wanted to be baptized. I thought to myself that Easter would be a perfect day for her to profess her faith, but I dared not say much:) She had told us this a few times before but always decided that it just wasn't the right time. God knew when the right time was, however, and His timing is always just right.




I knew her wheels were turning when, between Sunday School and church, she said, "I don't want to sit in the balcony, but if we do sit in the balcony, how will I get down front?" I love that child.

She chose the 2nd row, front and center. So there we sat. When she didn't leave the service for children's church, I thought "this may just be the day." And, sure enough, as soon as the invitational hymn began, she was off. She slipped quietly past us and walked right up to the pastor all by herself. We could not have been more proud.



I thought it was pretty funny that, as intimidating as going in front of an entire congregation can be, she chose Easter Sunday...one of the most crowded Sundays of the year. I suspect God giggled a bit at that as well. We are absolutely thrilled and cannot wait for her upcoming baptism.




After church, we had lunch at my parents' house and the girls hunted eggs. Then we came home and all took naps, except for Anna Clare, who watched episodes from Season One of The Brady Bunch (she is such my child...that was my absolute favorite show growing up). We ended the afternoon with a family walk through the neighborhood, enjoying the fantastic weather.

Best. Easter. Ever.

Mighty to Save

Savior

He can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save He is mighty to save

Fovever

Author of Salvation

He rose and conquered the grave

Jesus conquered the grave


Mighty to Save (Hillsong) has been on my mind all week. I love it. While it may not be a traditional Easter song, I think it is a perfect worship song entering into this beautiful Easter weekend. We sang it at CBS Wednesday morning, and there was no doubt that Jesus was present in a mighty way.

Enjoy. And Happy Easter! He absolutely conquered the grave. Nothing is too hard for Him!

March Madness

Let the craziness begin....a busy month is in the forecast. I just got back from a girls' weekend at the beach. We went to run the Seaside 5K on Sunday morning, but our husbands let us slip away on Friday afternoon to make a weekend out of it. The weather was gorgeous. A nice break from all the cold that we've had the last several weeks. Also a nice change from last year's race day weather...which was MISERABLY cold. (Remember the Sunday, March 1st SNOW of 2009??) So cold that we ran the race, got in the car, and left. This year we were able to stick around and enjoy the fun Seaside atmosphere. We missed some of our friends from last year but are counting on them to be back in it next year. You got that C and D??


Steve sent these pictures to my phone while I was away to let me know what they were up to...art anyone?



We've got a few trips coming up...one involving a continuing education conference for me, and another (much more exciting) involving airplanes and a big boat. A BIG SURPRISE for the girls. I can't wait. Flying with two small children makes me a little nervous, so I would LOVE your prayers for safe travel. And finally, near the end of the month, back to back birthdays. The big 35 for me, and Anna Clare turns 7 the next day.

My parents and sister are returning home tonight from a mission trip in Costa Rica. We can't wait to have them home and hear all about it. Happy March! Spring is in the air!

P.S. Furball's name is Ollie...taken from a line in the movie "Annie." He's doing great!

It's a ZOO around here!

Thursday night Steve walked in with this...

Yep. A 9-week-old Maltese puppy. It was a complete surprise! We had looked at a couple online and had talked about getting one maybe in the summer. So I was not at all expecting this little Valentine (from my Valentine:)

Are we crazy? Probably. Is he adorable? Definitely. Steve and I both grew up with dogs, and I am certain he was just as excited as I was. Now, I must say, it has been 10 years since we had a puppy. They are not low maintenance. Taking them out constantly, a little whining, lovely puppy breath, and so on. The first night I was out with him in the middle of the night (2:48am to be exact)in the rain. Since then, he has been sleeping in a kennel upstairs and has really done fine. He is just precious, and we are all crazy about him.

This is where I must give props to Stella, the cat, for being the most low maintenance pet we have ever owned (coming from someone who didn't particularly care for cats and surely didn't want to own one)! She prefers mostly to be outside and breezes in from time to time as she pleases. And she OWNS Wilson. He went after her a time or two and that was a time too many. It is truly amazing that the two of them get along so well, considering Wilson is an 11-year-old-set-in-his-ways Jack Russell and she is a spunky, feisty, newcomer feline. And she thinks the new guy is pretty cool, too.

Rest assured that with a dog, a cat, a puppy, and three fish, we are DONE!


And this little fellow still needs a name...(Owen calls him "the boy"...HELP:)

Must Love Dogs...

to "get" this post. Otherwise it might read like a foreign language. This is Bear, our Maltese. He was my Christmas present from Steve the year we got married (2000). He was anything BUT a BEAR! We named him that because he was like a tiny furry teddy bear. The sweetest dog ever...not a mean bone in his little body. It has been a very sad week at our house because Bear died in his sleep Sunday night.

He truly was like our first child. I could not wait to get home every day from work to play with him. We spoiled him rotten. He even went on our 1st year anniversary trip with us...yes, we are crazy. We found a pet-friendly Bed and Breakfast and didn't think twice about bringing him along. I even took his picture on the beach with sunglasses on for the Humane Society Calendar Contest while we were on that trip (remember...Must Love Dogs:)



Of course, he did take a backseat when Anna Clare came along...I think most dogs do(we affectionately called him Back Burner Bear). But he was definitely part of the family and his death was quite a shock. He had had a pretty bad cough for a few days last week but played, ate, and drank as usual. Steve was out of town and told me he would take him to the vet when he got back. I was sick much of last week and decided to let Steve do just that. Sunday night Steve told me to make him a note to remind him to drop him off at the vet in the morning before work. Monday morning, he found Bear curled up in his little bed with Wilson, our Jack Russell (who was a gift to me from Steve when we were dating) right beside him. He looked just like he was sleeping. So, not only was it incredibly sad, I had incredible guilt for not taking him to the vet while Steve was away. Steve and I both beat ourselves up pretty bad about it.

Anna Clare was awake (and in hysterics just as I was) so the three of us buried him early Monday morning. I did find some joy in seeing things through the eyes of an innocent child. Throughout the day, she begged me not to cry..."he lives in your heart," she told me. She also reminded me of Where the Red Fern Grows and told me if I didn't "quit being sad," I was going to die too of a broken heart. Bless her soul! I assured her I was not dying, just grieving. She wrote about him in her journal that night...

(click to enlarge and read at your own risk...it's a tear jerker:)
To quote from her..."I will always give him a treat but it will be in my heart"... Have mercy!




Bear and Peggy Sue, my parents' pug, who went on to Doggy Heaven last year

My apologies for all the gloom and doom, but we Do Love Dogs! :)

The Sun'll Come Out....Tomorrow

Tomorrow...I have a date with this beautiful little girl...

We are going here to see this....

My Christmas gift to her... I. Can't. Wait. :)