Are you up to the challenge?

Recently, my husband has been on a kick to make some life defining changes around here. I love to see his passion at work and his vision going like crazy. However, there are moments I just want to put on the brakes and scream STOP!!!! I love being comfortable and I realize that is what makes us work. While our personalities are usually so much the same...we differ when we decide it is time to make some changes. It cracks me up that usually I am the one who wants to make changes and he is the one who puts on the brakes. Not this time.

This change, which I can not share the details of quite yet, will mean a job change for part of the year as well as extra hours from the family. It will mean that we have to stop wasting time and make a schedule that we all can adhere to which is not something we are blessed at doing to be honest. This change has all of my feelings of protection and that momma bear wanting to keep her young close to her up and ready to pounce.

Yet, with all that being said, I see in my man a glimmer in his eye. I see a spark of excitement which I want to honor. So as the wife, I want to move forward and see what God can do using my man in this life change. As the mom, I want to grab him and smack him! LOL! Not really! I just want to make sure that what the girls have now, an active Daddy, will always be true regardless of life changes. So, for those of you who know us personally, please pray for us over the next few months. When I feel I can share more details, I will. Until then, we just need prayers to make sure we are doing what God wants for our family and not what we desire. I also want to be open to the walk God has for me and not put brakes on something that would be His will. I have full faith that God is good and more than able to make all this come out for good. I just want to make sure it is His will first! Oh, now look what I've done...I've gotten all worked up about this issue again! Better go pray through it again!

Grand Canyon Adventure 2010

Last Sunday, a group of men from our church, including our pastor, took off on an adventure of a lifetime. They had decided they didn't just want to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim like other people do. They needed to do that in one day! No matter how crazy it sounded to anyone who heard what they were doing, they all were determined they were going to accomplish this quest. Their first leg of the trip was to fly to Vegas, get vans and head to Bryce Canyon, where they stayed in the only hotel of the trip. The next day, the hiked in Bryce Canyon.

Bryce Canyon

After hiking there for two days, they moved their camp to Grand Canyon. They camped on the north rim the first night.

The next day, they awoke early (4AM) and headed out for their big adventure. Thirteen of the fifteen headed down into the canyon while two of the guys took down the camp and moved it to the south rim where the men would join them later that night.

Matt at the bottom of the canyon at Phantom Ranch

Matt thought this was cool. It was hanging outside on the gift shop wall.

The men all finished their jaunt and without great injury. Sure they had some blisters, chaffing, sore legs but no one had to be taken away on a stretcher! I know for Matt this was a great goal he had set before him and to see it completed was very fulfilling. While they all finished, no injuries and great times by all, they all have said they would never do that again! It was the toughest thing they have ever done.

Guys in our small group (Matt in blue shirt)

Euchre buddies

Over all, I think they all would say this was a great adventure. I am thrilled to have my man back home with me. He has had so many stories to tell and pictures to share that he is like a kid in a candy store trying to decide what to share next! Why do I enjoy having my man make these trips? Well, send your man on a trip with the guys and find out!!! ;)

The Studs of the Canyon

Matt and his hiking buddies just returned from their big venture to hike rim to rim of the Grand Canyon in a day. They accomplished this task, which is amazingly tough. Now that he is home, I am enjoying hearing all the stories and seeing all the pictures. This one is one I personally enjoy...his friend sent it to us. It is three of the 13 hikers showing their "guns". Gotta love it!

Matt (in red) and his buddies, Chuck and Bill showing their guns. They are the studs of the Canyon indeed! :)

Being a Man!

My sweet man is on an adventure of a lifetime with a group of 12 men from our church, including our pastor who kind of spear-headed this entire adventure. Several months ago, our pastor threw down a challenge to various guys to go to the Grand Canyon and hike from rim to rim in a day. It is said it can't be done, but they know it can. They have a plan and are prepared to conquer the beast tomorrow. Yesterday and today they are hiking in Bryce Canyon to prepare for the big adventure tomorrow. The pictures he has sent have been gorgeous and the sound of his voice is full of excitment...like a little boy seeing presents around the tree on Christmas!

With this journey I have found it amazing how many people, women especially, immediately comment on my husband's trip as "ridiculous, irresponsible, childish, selfish, immature,crazy", to name a few. I think I have probably thought some of those words myself throughout the planning process, yet God has been good to me to never allow me to speak those words to my man as he prepared to leave. That is one thing I have learned over 19 years of marriage....even when I think what my man is doing is the silliest thing on earth, if he is passionate about it, keep silent, take my concerns to God and wait. Sometimes, those passions dwindle and I see that God took care of that one. Other times, like this trip, I see God softening my heart and letting me know He is in control. Regardless, at least there was no belittling of my man to where he feels disrespected in his own home.

The comments other women have given to me makes me wonder if they or I fully understand what it means to be a man of God? I fully believe these testosterone trips are good for my man. I see a change in him when he returns. Whether it be hammering a roof on with a friend, dirt bike riding, scuba diving or trekking through the Grand Canyon, he needs times to put off the worries of the world, which for a guy is a lot, and just grunt, scratch, play. Ha! When he returns, I get the joy of seeing God's work in his life/heart and the fruit of that is I get a better husband/dad. So it is a win/win for all of us. When we, as wives, belittle what God has put in their hearts....to get out in nature, build things, hunt, hike, go fast, etc, we take away a part of their manhood. I don't want to be married to a girly man. I LOVE that my guy is all guy and needs these outings. I challenge all of us wives to hold our tongues when our guys are doing something we feel is just crazy....unless we are willing to be called the same as we head to the crafting corner. As much as we need to do our own thing from time to time in order to feel refreshed, we need to honor how God created our men to be just that...MEN!

When In Need...

This week I have found myself sick....really sick! What started off as a bad head cold ended up being a nasty sinus infection as well as ear ache and throat issues. I have not been hit this hard in quite a while. Last time was probably about 3 years ago. With that comes the reality that when momma is down, stuff just doesn't happen like it usually does. Nothing bad happens, it is just different.



I always find it a lovely time to be pampered by those you love. I know I always am so touched by the sweet gestures shown me during times of being down by both my honey as well as my girls. Each of them have ways they reach out to let me know they are thinking of me and wanting me to get better.



I also find these times a great gauge of what areas I still need to work on teaching domestic skills to my girls. At their ages, they are getting to where they don't need me to tell them what to do any longer as far as taking care of their rooms, self and such. However, this time I learned we need to work on meal planning and making dinner. Very good goal. :) I was touched by friends who brought me meals. I think it is times like this that leave me feeling quite appreciative and grateful that I live the life I have with the people God has blessed me to share it with.



So today, I am saying thank you to the man who took care of me all week by treating him to a lovely Bond Day! He is propped up in our bed watching James Bond galore while eating his favorite treats. Definately not my cup of tea, but if that makes him know that all he did for me this week was appreciated than I am thrilled to ablige. :) He is so cute sitting there with his loot and mote in hand. I pray I never take for granted those who take such care of me and that opportunity to spoil them when I have the chance. :) Today it is Matt, tomorrow my girls! Thanks for taking care of me so well my sweet family.

Praying For Your Man

On my knees, I seek guidance and peace as I lift up many concerns, praises and requests to my precious Abba Father. I love coming before God with my heart and leaving it wide open the rest of the day for Him to sift through all that is in there, leaving only things that bring Him glory....when I allow Him to do so. One thing I have learned over the years of being married to this man God has given to me so wisely.....nothing brings us closer than when I open my heart in such a way and pour out my feelings, concerns and desires for this man to the One who gave him to me 19 years ago. When I walk away from that time, I feel peace. A peace that surrounds me the rest of the day. But there is also a bonus! I find myself thinking of Matt the rest of the day and suddenly....there it is again....that giggly school girl excitement to see his face again. The feeling I had when we first met and I couldn't wait for him to call so I could hear his voice. God truly blesses us when we come before Him on each others behalf. That blessing, I believe, is that spark you see in couples who have been married decades! Give it a try! What do you have to lose?

My man and me

Summer Marriage Challenge

Even though this started on June 7th, I am going to join in a couple weeks late because there is nothing I enjoy more than working on my marriage and growing into the wife God always intended Matt to have. Stop by Women Living Well blog to get the details and join in. It is never too late to make your marriage even better!! No matter how good your marriage is, God can always show you ways to bless it even more! I love that! Matt and I really do get along quite well and rarely argue....but that does not mean we should be complacent and not work at making it even stronger. I am grateful I married a man who agrees! So on to the first assignment: pictures from our dating days and enjoy recalling those days!

Matt and I met on a blind date. Truly I knew when I met him that we would remain friends if nothing else. He was already established as a dentist and had a house. I was still in college, finishing up my teaching credentials. Our first date was the summer of 1990. July to be specific. My parents and sister had gone to church camp together and since I really never enjoyed being alone in our home, we asked if Gram would come visit while they were gone. I also worked two jobs at that time to pay for school. My duel job schedule had my only day off during that week Gram visited. So Matt and I went out to dinner. He was a gentleman to say the least. He pulled out the chairs, opened doors and all the lovely treats we enjoy as a lady. I felt quite special indeed. What amazed me the most was how intent he was in listening to me and not just looking past me. After some time of talking after dinner, we decided we should continue our date. That is where I was perplexed. I knew my Gram was sitting at home waiting for me to come home on the only night I had free. Here she had come all this way to spend time with me and we had not had a chance to have any time! So, like any good grand-daughter, I asked if he would terribly mind going back and playing games with my grandma, explaining the situation. He agreed. Any man who agrees to that without hesitation is a keeper! :) We played RummiKub for quite a bit until he dismissed himself with a kiss on my forehead. He truly was a perfect gentleman and set the stage for our many dates to come.

Our engagement picture

We spent our dates at movies, restaurants, the lake, my parents house, playing cards with his grandparents, watching his friend race cars at the track and so many more. One of my favorite memories was when we took my sister and her boyfriend down to Lake Monroe to hang out on the boat for the day. We went waterskiing and had a blast. That evening, we cleaned up and went to Bloomington to eat. As we were walking, I was talking with Matt and just grabbed his hand! He still says I was the aggressive one because I made the first 'move'! Ha! I just felt so comfortable with him it felt like I had always done just that, walking down the street holding his hand. My sister and I giggled about that for quite awhile and she will bring it up from time to time just to be silly. Within two months of dating, we knew we wanted to get married and he proposed. I will never forget that special day. It is so funny how just when you stop looking, God will bring what you need to your door! I know that is true in our married life today as well. He has continued to do the same in the way He brought our family together...but that is for another day!

Just like yesterday, I am reposting today in honor of Father's Day. This time it is about my husband from a "My Husband Rocks" post I wrote last year about my sweet husband. Truly, it says it all. Enjoy!

I love to be among women who celebrate the man God brought into their life. It is a blessing to be able to share just what knocks my socks off...or should I say..."rocks" my socks off about my man. There are many things that make me just grin when I think of Matt. We met on a blind date and knew within two months that we would spend the rest of our lives together. What let me know that so quickly? I know it was God first of all, secondly, the man has a great sense of humor and a heart so generous that you can't help be swept off your feet. I remember my Gram telling me on our first date that any man that can make you laugh is a keeper because you need to have laughter in life to get through the tough times. I have found that to be so true. We have had our tough times for sure. Some that should have broken us. Yet that is not what God had planned and I am so grateful. Today, I want to talk about his heart.

I don't think I fully knew just how big this heart was until I saw him with his girls. Due to infertility issues with both of us, God lead us to the gift of adoption, which might break just any man, but I will never forget watching Matt hold his girls for the first time. The same man that can crack a joke about anything, stood before me with tears of joy running down his face. This man was not looking at some other man's child with sadness that we could not have "our own", this man was looking into the face of his baby girl. He felt content with how God brought us to parenthood which gave me such joy.
So jump forward 8 years, I was able to watch him see the emotional hurt in a 16 year old abandoned girl who was staying with us for a short time while the choir she was singing with stayed in town. He did not see that as someone else's problem, he saw that as God bringing her to us so we could step up and meet that need. Now, that has been a joy to do, as not only did we reach out to her, but we found out she had a twin sister. We knew if we were going to be connected with one, we would have to reach out to the other. So we did.
His drive in creating his family has been such an inspiration to me. There are men who have many children but never fully understand what it means to be Daddy. When I watch Matt with his girls, I see God's love for me. Nothing makes the girls feel safer than in their Daddy's arms. When they are hurt, they run to Daddy. When they find joy, they run to Daddy. That is how it should be. They are so eager to share what each day has brought as he enters the room after work. That truly is a glimpse of how I should be with my heavenly Father, my Abba. So, thank you sweetheart, for first of all loving me even when I'm unlovable. (not that I ever give you those opportunities. Ha ha!) Secondly, thank you for seeing God's plan as more than sufficient to bring you the family He wanted you to love. Thirdly, for giving the girls in your life a glimpse of how we/they are to see their heavenly Father. I am always eager to see what changes God will bring next to this man and so blessed to know I will get to sit right here with him to witness it all. Did I mention, my husband rocks?!

3 Laps of Joy!

Doodle and Daddy walking into the race track. They have a mutual love of Indycar racing.

My husband is a HUGE race fan. Truly, he would watch just about any kind of vehicle go in circles at high speed and find immense joy. I may not ever fully appreciate that same joy, but I get a kick out of watching him enjoy this passion. This week, his mom had the opportunity to drive an Indycar, but asked if her son could do it instead. All ready to get instructed on how to drive...looking the part!

So, Matt got to get behind the wheel of a true Indycar that had run the Indy 500 about 8-10 years ago and take three laps around the track at 130 miles per hour! Matt getting his helmet placed correctly and in his car.

I have never seen that man look more precious other than when he first held his daughters! Truly, I was blessed to experience this joy with him as we all went to cheer him on. It was a great day to show my girls that while we may never like the same things, we so appreciate each others passions and it does a marriage good to cheer each other on in those things that bring us joy. I love seeing my man smile...no matter how that smile gets on his face! This time, it was a car going 130mph in circles....Love it!This was the smile that made me giggle and think that we got a glimpse of what he must have been like as a young boy....true joy all over that face! What a blessing to get to see his dreams come true. :)

A Sinking Feeling

Do you ever feel as if your not moving forward nor are you moving backwards, just kind of floating through life? That is kind of where Matt and I are right now. We have not changed much of our financial situation, nor have we changed much of our physical in recent years. We just keep plugging along doing the same things. Last night, we had a great talk about where we are, where we want to be and pinpointing some problem areas. Wow! What a blessing!

We discussed that we are neither one big "planners" per se and while that does keep the spontaneity exciting, when one does not know the path they are taking nor the prize they are headed for, it is very hard to succeed. Instead, I told him I fear we have been floating and if we don't get the direction we need, set a path, define a plan, we will not be floating but sinking to which he agreed.

So with those thoughts, talks and great discussion, we are off to planning together for the first time in awhile. Let me say this, we do plan menus, school lessons, vacations, etc. We do not have a family goal right now or a financial plan that gets us to where we both desire to be: debt free and able to bless the Kingdom of God through that freedom. So first up, no more debit cards! Cash only. We were debt free 10 years ago and we can do it again. I just am thankful my husband and I do communicate the way we do and are able to really jump on board with the new plans....even if it hurts a bit. :) I am so excited and can't wait to see where God will take us on this new path with a purpose....but a bit fearful too! Last time we did this, we bought a lot of new appliances as each one bit the dust as we were staying firmly footed on the path to being debt free!

Let Me Count the Ways...

Today is such special day in our house....Matt's birthday! We love birthdays around here. We try to make breakfast in bed for the birthday recipient and they get to decide the dinner menu as well. We also have some sweet new traditions, which one is blogging about the special birthday guy or gal. While I usually list things I adore about the birthday child according to their age, I think we will bypass that tradition for the adults in our life and just write our top ten favorites. So today, I get to write about my man. Oh boy,how will I ever decide all the ways I love this man or things I love about him?! Let me count the ways.....

1. I adore how this man thinks! He is able to see things in the midst of chaos and it just calms me down.

2. I love his heart for our girls both the ones in our home and the ones far from home.

Daddy and Bean walking hand in hand..so sweet!

3. I adore how he serves his family.

4. Matt can make a tree laugh! His sense of humor is one of the first things that attracted me to him.

During one of his "projects" he still makes me giggle!

5. I love his servant's heart for not only his family but anyone who needs help. He will drop what he is doing and help out in a heartbeat without thinking.

6. I personally love how he provides for his family and how hard he works to make sure we are able to have all the special memories we have had together.

7. I love to travel with this man...he is just fun and he gets me to try things I never would do on my own.

8. Watching him hold his baby girls the first time melted my heart in a way that you can't explain, however, seeing how protective he has grown of them over the years, is just as sweet to me.

Daddy and Doodle looking way too cute!

9. I love how generous he is with all of his time, talents and treasures. He truly would give you the shirt off his back.

10. Most of all, I love this man's passion for Christ and his deep desire to continue to grow into the man God desires him to become. He strives for that every day and while he may not see it, I am fully aware that he has grown abundantly in the 18+ years we have been together. What a joy to watch God stretch and grow this man.

I am thankful for all Matt does for us everyday, but today, on his birthday, I am thankful God blessed me with the joy of walking through life with this precious man. I can't even grasp where God may take him next, but I am so happy to know that I will be right by his side all the way.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

A Man, A Shovel and A Moment with God

You know there are not many times I am speechless. Today was one of those days. As the girls and I were sitting by the fire reading about Joshua and the Israelites for history today, Doodle yelled, "Someone's in our driveway!". Now those of you who know Doodle understand that when I say she yelled, I mean she yelled. :) Anyway, I turned to look and saw a man I did not recognize standing by our garage. I noticed he has a snow shovel and after that he got busy shoveling our driveway. I was stunned!

After thinking about it for a minute, I realized the man was our neighbor's son. He has lived with her for the past year or two but I have never been officially introduced and certainly all bundled up, it was hard to tell who was out there. So I opened the door and thanked him and asked him if he needed some helpers. He said, and I quote,

"No ma'am. I didn't think anyone was home. I wanted to do this for the Dr. since he has given me so much dental care for free. I did it last year too and I just want to do this for him."

My jaw hit the ground I am sure. After that encounter, I made him some hot cocoa and sent our oldest out to give him the drink and ask one more time if he wanted helpers. Again, he said he did not want anything from us, just wanted to thank Matt. So I started praying for this man.

When he finished, he brought the mail up to the door and rang the bell. I answered and he asked if I was Mrs. Miller and I assured him I was. He said he was sorry that he interrupted our day but he thought no one was home and just wanted to help out the Dr. because he has helped him so much. I thanked him and reassured him that he did not interrupt our day. I told him that Matt enjoys serving others and what he said next stunned me, " You guys do good mission work. Thank you!"

Do you know how weird it is to watch someone serve you in this way and to be listening to someone talk like that about your family? I am so use to getting up and helping out that it felt like I was being lazy or something but what a blessing this man gave my husband. And truly for this man, what a blessing he got in doing so. I just know that God was pleased with his heart in this moment. Also, what a moment for my girls to hear this man honor their daddy in this way. Truly one of those moments you just can't set up on your own. It was amazing. Only God could arrange such a divine meeting.

As for my girls, well, let's just say that they got to see first hand what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ for others. I wonder who we can go bless tomorrow?!

Boys and Their Toys!

The girls have been on their big trip with grandparents which left Matt and I home alone to tackle a paint job. We got up on Friday ready to get going on painting the ceiling in the living room and hall. I was going around spackling the holes I made with all my pictures hanging on the wall. Matt kept standing and looking at the half walls that divided our living room area with our very tiny entryway. I should not have been surprised when he looked at me with that look I know so well.

Matt tearing the last part of the half wall out.

He had a vision to tear out the walls, fix the hard wood floor he put in when we moved in then paint. It all made perfect sense to him because if we have to paint anyway, now is the time to tear stuff out. I just keep thinking, where do these things come from? I mean, we both slept in the same bed, ate the same food and yet never have I ever started a paint job only to stop and think" Man, those walls need to come out". I just don't get it. Yet, I am also very blessed with a husband who knows his ways around the tools and is a perfectionist with his jobs. (who would go to a dentist who did not expect perfection?!) Anyway, he started tearing down the first wall and I just stayed in my happy place...the computer! haha! After he tore down one wall, he called me out and I have to say that while I really deep down just wanted to get the painting done so we could put the room back together quickly and have a date night, he was right. It looked so much nicer and he looked so proud.(and cute!)

Dr. Demo is his new name...looking way too cute and proud of himself!

The poor second wall has no idea what or who is coming.

So now he is out there still fixing the floor. I can't do much to help. I have sanded the spots I fixed yesterday but really I am just here for moral support and snacks. We still don't have the ceiling or walls painted, but I know they will be soon. He gets his mind set to something and he won't stop until he finishes. That is one of the things I love about him. He is much more of a risk taker than I am and let's face it...I'm so glad he is since we met on a blind date! :) I'll post after photos soon.

Dr. Demo completed his task: both walls down.

Happy Father's Day!!!

My honey with his girls!

There is nothing sweeter to me than watching my honey play with his girlies. I just love seeing them interact and little by little, he becomes a little boy again. I love it! This Father's Day we spent the afternoon down at his parents house with his sister's family. We all enjoyed a lovely lunch together. Then, Bean asked Grandma if she could take home her daddy's matchbox car collection. Man, I don't think Grandma was ready to part with it but I tell you, the girls love playing with things that were ours. It is so cool to see them enjoy that stuff. Makes me wonder what their kids will enjoy of their moms. Anyway, after a bit of convincing, we brought them home. We went over to my parents for dessert then finally home for the night. Once situated, I found these two in our room together....

Bean and Daddy playing cars.

I don't think I could have given him a better Father's Day. He loves spending time with his girls and I love watching it. I just hope he lets Bean play with his cars more than he does! Haha! Seriously though, I am grateful to have a husband who enjoys being a husband and adores being a daddy. I love that about him. I honor him everyday but really enjoy adding that special treat of spoiling him on Father's Day. No work for the day, steaks on the grill, naps, homemade cobbler, cuddles, cars...what could be better?!

What will you do oo oo for....your daddy?

I know that is not how the song goes, but that is what we are singing this morning. We have had some trouble keeping on top of lots of stuff lately just due to being gone so much really. Matt has not been able to mow as often as he likes to have it done which has allowed me to bless him by taking on that task from time to time. I actually found out I enjoy it. (shh...don't tell) Anyway, after the last couple times I mowed, I noticed it looked like we had harvested wheat more than mowed grass. Our yard looked horrible. Even I noticed, which truly I am not a yard nazi type person. I figure if God wanted it all cut down he would have made it short! :) Anyway, I enjoy nature as is for the most part. But Matt truly can not stand when his yard has lines of grass clippings looking like an unswept carpet. He likes it to look like a freshly swept carpet, I guess.

So today, after I mowed, I went in to get my eager helpers and between the three of us, we raked and bagged the grass clippings for our daddy. Why? Because we love him and wanted to bless him. Didn't take as long as we thought it would and you know what? No whiners. Because I told them this would bless Daddy from the beginning, they jumped right in to help. I also told them I would pay them for each bag they filled up after I realized how big the job was going to be. Well, little did I know how much grass we have! We ended up bagging 7 bags of clippings!

Doodle and Bean with the proof of their hard work.

As we finished, Doodle said," Mom, you should have taken a before and after shot for your blog." Oops! So, instead we have a girls sitting on the bags they filled and the after. You know, I love that they were willing to do the work without payment before I mentioned it. I love that they wanted to bless their Daddy in this way. I know it is silly but somehow I managed to make raking and bagging grass sappy. What can I say? I love my man.

A almost well manicured lawn.

The other side of our backyard and our nasty old shed.
Maybe that will be our next project. :0)

Alone at last!

Much to my dismay, my girls now have their own bedrooms. We have spent the past couple weeks emptying out the play/school room and dividing up the clothes, shoes, toys into two rooms. Bean had the choice of the bigger room with bunk beds or the smaller room with Gaga Rachel's furniture. She chose Gaga Rachel's furniture. (she got to decide since Doodle has always had the bigger room)

I have to tell you that I dreaded this move. I shared a room with my sister all her life. I don't recall not sharing. I guess when I came home from college and my brother was gone I did have my own but before that we were always together. I feared that due to their age difference, if Doodle had the chance to shut her sister out, she would because they just were so different.

I prayed a lot about this move and I have cried a lot about it. I just felt like I was caving and letting the fighting dictate what was going to happen instead of stopping the fighting. What I found though is nothing worked. They just kept fighting. The fighting was starting to cause resentment and that is not what I wanted at all. So I guess in that sense, I did cave or submit to my husband's wisdom. He really felt that the problem was that the two of them were always together with no breaks from each other.

We have friends with large families and this is not a problem. Then I remember, if someone is needing a bit of space, the one who is getting on their nerves does have others to play with. For mine, they are each others playmates alone during the day. So, with that, we moved the stuff. I got rid of my grandma's love seat from my playroom, which was a bit difficult. We got the furniture from Gaga Rachel's apartment. Then we went to work at getting the rooms set up.

Bean's new bed and dresser.

Doodle's new set up of the bunkbed.

What I have found is peace. I have to admit when I am wrong and I was WRONG! The girls have been playing together beautifully. Doodle finds time to do things with and for Bean that she never did before. They also have times when I find them playing alone in their own rooms. The other night, I came around the corner to see this:

My girls cuddled up in bed reading a book together.

Now that may not seem a big deal to you, but trust me when I say, it is a small miracle. My girls love each other but they are truly complete opposites. God knew what the other would need when He chose these two to be sisters. But being together for all day versus going to school and just seeing each other at night really did make it hard for them to find a way to just enjoy each other. What I am seeing now is that Bean and I have some work to do in the training department as far as taking care of her things. :) Doodle had always done that for her and had grown to resent it. Now, Doodle is sitting on Bean's bed telling her what to do so they can go play together. This would not have happened before.

Then there is Doodle. She is a girl who needs her space from time to time. I am seeing her being able to take that time during the day while Bean plays in her own room and there is peace. No fighting over being too loud or stop touching my stuff...or whatever. I am so happy to say that obedience brings joy. :) I did not want to be submissive and I recall being a bit nasty in my thoughts of this move. I am here to say, I was wrong and I am thankful I have learned enough in 18 years of marriage to let my man be the head of this house even when I think he is dead wrong because sometimes God doesn't fill me in on all the joys until after I have obeyed. :) Love that!

Bean in her new bed.

Doodle in her "new" room.

Race Time!

Today's Walk Down Memory Lane seems timely. My husband is a HUGE race buff. He has attended practices at the Indianapolis Speedway since he was 2, or says his family. :) So, naturally he is gone most weekends in May to go to the track. He is able to get passes to go into the pits for the entire month which means, he has met many drivers and had great fun with his buddy,Warren, over the years. (he was the best man in our wedding) Warren and Matt share the passion for the track and open-wheel racing in general. (scares me that I know that term!) They also like to meet the drivers and the crew that work on the cars. It all excites them to no end.

That's my man looking ready to race!

When Matt and I first met, I knew one of his passions was racing. I knew he would be gone to hang at the track the month of May. I knew what I was getting into fully and I did not mind one bit. That is what I love about him, he is so passionate about what he does or enjoys. Which brings me to my point of the day. While I have never fully learned to love this passion of his and am so thankful he does not make me suffer through the month at the track, my girls love going with Daddy to the track. Each in their own version.

Doodle loves the Indy 500. She loves the planes flying overhead. She loves the songs sung. She likes learning about the drivers and hearing who he met at the track each time. She likes going to all the pomp and circumstance before the first engine is heard. Then the roar of the engines begin and she is so excited. This passion her daddy has had for years is now in her.

The same is true for my younger daughter except with different vehicles. Bean loves to go to the Moto GT with Daddy. For those of you who do not follow racing...well that is motorcycles. She gets just as excited to head out to the track for the day and watch these guys soar past her in circles all day long. She loves the sound they make as they pass her. She loves the junk food only Daddy can give her at the track. She loves the smell of the pits. She loves it all. She even has toy motorcycles from this last race which are proudly sitting next to her collection of international dolls.

Matt and Victor ? on his big day at the track. The 2 seater race car.
(I would not make brownie points for not knowing this drivers name!)

Why write about this today, you may ask? Well, it seems to me, that over the 18 years I have been married to this man, he sure has changed his tune a lot. While he has had his picture taken with the most famous drivers over the years, A.J. Foyt, Arie Lyendyk (sp)...etc. and he has had the chance to go for 3 laps in a two seater IndyCar at 200+ miles per hour, he still would rather spend the day at the track with two little starry eyed girls than any of them. That makes me even more grateful for this man God brought to me. He has never complained about taking them and is eager to pass on this legacy with them even though I know it has to be a different kind of day going to the track with his girls than with his buddies. And in case you wondered, they aren't starry eyed over the "famous" drivers. They are starry eyed because of the way their Daddy makes them feel. They adore being with him at something special to him. Those stars in their eyes are all for him. Love it!

This picture is when Doodle first went to the Indy 500 when she was in first grade.
That girl loved it and has gone back every year. This year, her little sister has decided to give it a shot. I'll post pictures after the race on Sunday because I get to go with them their first year.

Top 18

Today we celebrate 18 years together. 18!!! That sounds so long and yet when I consider my grandparents 65 years, we have just begun. This journey together has been such a blessing to my life and a true gift from God. So in honor of our 18 years together, it seems only fitting that I make a top 18 list of things I adore about my man. This is easy.

1. His generous heart towards others.
2. His smile that beams when he sees any of his girls.
3. His eyes that twinkle when he is looking at me. :)
4. His servant's heart
5. His great work ethic and desire to make a difference not just money.
6. His faith in Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior
7. His giggle when he sees physical humor....makes me laugh so hard!
8. His ability to make anyone feel comfortable around him.
9. His ability to play with our girls and let the stuff wait.
10. His tender care of all of his girls.
11. His silly faces he makes in order to get me to laugh when I feel sad or angry.
12. His strong hands that I get to hold or that hold me when I am sad, tired, etc.
13. His cute little legs that have not changed at all in 18 years!!!
14. His desire to pass on a legacy of faith to our girls over money.
15. His understanding nature of my need to help my family and those around me.
16. His encouragement of my new things and ventures God puts me on.
17. His joy when he sees his family each night.
18. His tears when he watches his girls soar.

While some of these are less serious than others, they all make up the man I adore. I love all that these things say and so much more. I always thought that we would never love each other as much as we did when we first married. Little did I know that the gift of marriage is learning that as you grow together in your marriage, you grow more and more in love with that person. It becomes a self-less love instead of the selfish love we all start out with. I have loved digging in life's trials with this man for 18 years and can only imagine what we will feel when we reach our 65 years. Love you honey! Te iubesc foarte mult!

Me and My honey at Panama City Beach on Spring Break

Supporting my man

Do you ever have moments when you just feel so beat down that you can't breathe? I had one of those today. I don't know who all is reading this so let's just suffice it to say we are experiencing some family issues that do not involve anyone who lives in our home. :) Is that a safe way to put that? I hope so.

Anyway, I so struggle to be "normal" around people who are irritating or rude to my husband even if we are related. I want to make it right or tell them how I feel depending on the situation. I am highly protective in nature. Some situations just never go away: they may seem to but they always find a way to creep back into our conversations. We have one topic that continually comes up every year. Every year for almost 18 years!!! Today I snapped! I just couldn't take it anymore.

I desire to see my husband respected and revered as I feel he should be in his home life, work and everywhere he serves. Yet there are people who refuse to see in him what I see. They refuse to allow him to rise up and be the man in this situation that God intended. As I was venting to my mom and her reminding me of who is in control (thank you!), I realized that I am no different than the people who are not allowing my husband to shine. If I take over making the decision that "now is the time!" to have a talk or to stop the insanity in the situation before he is ready (no matter how long it takes) than I have taken away the leadership of our home. He has no one to stand beside him no matter where he is if I cave and give into that sinful nature. So, I am humbled tonight. I want to scream at the fact that we are still having the same talks for the past 18 years but then I stop to remind myself....18 years or 180 years there is no one I would rather dig through this issue or any other that is thrown our way. I love you sweetie and I am so sorry if I added pain to an already sticky situation. :)

A Servant's Heart

It's Friday, which means it is time to share just how my husband rocks. KatyLin must be busy since she was not able to post a prompt. That is just fine. I love to share how/why my husband rocks and I don't need reminders. :)

Today, I want to focus on how much Matt does for us. Matt is a hard worker. He may have Friday's off, but that does not mean he stops working. The man never stops. He loves playing, I mean working, outside trimming trees, chopping wood, planting, pruning, even cutting down dead trees at the lake house. He also loves woodworking. He has created many beautiful things for our home over the 17 years of being married, including a gorgeous cradle we have used for both girls. Matt enjoys working hard and creating things with his hands. Why do I think that rocks? Because I know the heart behind why he is working. He works like crazy to give us the things he wants us to have. He knows things don't matter, but yet he enjoys giving us certain things. He will work a weekend so I can go scrapbook. Why? Because he loves to see me happy. He will not use his birthday money so the girls can have new Easter dresses. Why? Because he adores watching them beam. The man is a sacrificial giver. He works hard, plays hard and only occasionally do we see him.........

rest hard. :)

That's my sweetie looking just about too cute. Love this man! Now the trick is figuring out how to bless him in a way that brings him the same great joy as he gives us. Funny thing about Matt, he gets more joy in giving and seeing our excitement than he does in getting. I guess that is the key. However, I so enjoy surprising him and I totally understand why he does what he does. Seeing his eyes light up makes my heart just swell with joy. I'm so glad God gave me a husband who understands what it truly means to be a leader of this family. It is not all about us bowing down to him and treating him as a dictator. No, it is understanding what true service in Christ means. True service brings about great respect and willingness to submit to each other. It is so easy to serve him because I am so grateful for all he does for us. Speaking of which, I think I will go make the man some of his yummy coffee. (yummy for him...I personally prefer tea. :0) I am sure I can find other ways to serve him throughout the day that will bless him and let him know just how much I appreciate the way he leads this family. Should be fun!