Sunny in Seattle

My little brother turned 23 this month, so to celebrate my mother, father and I ventured out to see him on the west coast. He moved to Portland, OR, for a position in sales with Kellogg. He is pretty fabulous, this I know.

Flew into Seattle. Saw the skyline and played at a small park. Have you ever seen those little single seats that spin like crazy when you sit in them?? I will have to post pics, I want to buy one for my....uh, not sure yet. But I want one.

We went to Pike's Place market and fish market, first Starbucks, enjoyed clam chowder. Made myself sound very Kentuckian. The clam chowder man fought with the lid to my pop. My attempt at small talk? "That lid's whooping you, isn't it?" Smooth. Oh well.

We ended the crazy day at the Red Sox and Marlins game. Pretty cool ball park and great game, Marlins won thankfully. If the Reds aren't playing, have to root for the underdog/home team. Was completely amazed at all the Sox fans but I've heard many times it's cheaper to go to an away game as opposed to home game in Boston or New York.

We really had an awesome day and it was nice to see my brother and have the whole family together for the first time in two months. Only thing missing is my handsome husband! I thought being away with the family would take my mind off him being away, but it's almost worse :-/ Being home I have my routine, vacationing with the family it's like something is missing. Something IS missing. It's amazing it's only been two years and leaves such a gap when he is gone. I can't wait for him to be home, it's killing me.

Today we drove the three hours back to my brothers apartment in Portland. The skyline was fantastic, lots of bridges. Did you know there are 700 bridges in Oregon? And 100% of the U.S. hazelnuts come from Oregon? Consider yourself "learned" for the day. :-)

Jordan did amazing job picking out an apartment and decorating, very proud. Very bachelor-sheek.

I shall leave you with the lyrics to Blake Shelton's new song, Sunny in Seattle.

"When it's sunny in Seattle and snowing down in New Orleans,
And them boys in Amarillo stop wearing those boots and jeans,
When there's no tequila in Meixco,
That's when I'll stop missing you,
When it's sunny in Seattle and snowing down in New Orleans."

Just for Me Moments

If you have never experienced a special “just for me” moment from God, you are missing out and not truly experiencing the relationship that Jesus died for us to have. From the time I was ten, I had no bigger dream then to swim with wild dolphins. (Reach for the stars, I know. Hey, I was ten!) At age 12, I went out on a dolphin excursion in Destin, Florida with my family and a few family friends. We had numerous dolphins swim up along side of the boat and catch the waves, jumping and letting out their cute “e-e-e” call.  Seeing them jump and open their blowholes was the coolest experience. After anchoring the boat and jumping in at a few different spots, the smart mammals continuously swam off. They were a little skittish.

We were getting towards the end of our tour and I remember mom looking at me and said, “Would it be ok if we just got a really cool picture?” I nodded. A little disappointed, but understood. The appeal of it all was they were wild and they did what they wanted. Mom looked to the sky and said, “OK God, you heard us.” Moments later a dolphin swam right up to the side of the boat, stood straight up, let out an “e-e-e-e-e-e” and swam off. I got my picture.

That was my first time I remember experiencing a “special me” moment. The cool thing about those moments is they are so subtle it’s easy to say they are “coincidence.”

What’s cool is they are little things that sometimes only God knows about you. It’s like the still small voice. It’s easy to miss if you aren’t conscious of God’s presence and personality. It’s how He knows my smallest desires and makes them happen. Just because he knows it will makes me happy. All the crazy things going on in the world and He thinks to do those little things. How can anyone say “God forgot about me”?

Fast forward to my second anniversary trip to Grand Turks and Caicos with my hubby and best friend. We are staying at the all-inclusive, and pretty amazing, Club Med resort and decided to try the snorkeling. I almost bailed on it, the water was choppy and Lisa, the snorkeling guide, stressed ONLY expert swimmers and those with a strong stomach. We were going to have to swim to the boat because the weather was too bad to dock it. They hadn’t had to do this in over four months. Of course I start wondering if I am considered an “expert swimmer.” I broke a school swim record in high school and was captain of the team but still was freaked out. I looked around and everyone else probably had their AARP cards so I figured to give it a go.

            I stand back and watch everyone swim to the boat, two woman get knocked down and disappear in the waves, reappearing 100 yards down the beach. Another man gets pulled under the current. For a moment I think I hear circus music playing in the background.

            We finally are on the boat and headed out to sea when I see a dolphin do a huge leap in front of the boat. “JOJO!” JoJo is the dolphin that swims around the island. He is considered a National Treasure in Grand Turns and Caicos and everyone hopes to catch a glimpse of him. Everyone jumps up to see him and he swims in the breaks all the way to our diving point. He stays around and Lisa lets us know he will play with us if we don’t reach for him. She hands me a toy rattle for him and I am the first to jump in.

            To say this experience was exciting is being reserved. JoJo swam up to me and we circled each other for a while. He played with the boat anchor and sang to it. He then came back and we circled the boat, I would kick my legs and he would mimic me and kick his fin. I would turn on my side and he would turn on his. I was near tears by the time we had to load on the boat and head back. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect, cool experience. It was like God tailored it for just me.  After sixteen years, He still remembered and knew those things about me that even I had forgotten about. That’s what’s so cool about God. He doesn’t forget.

Loving You...Craziest Thing I've Ever Done

You know those *sigh* days? That is my week.

I love my independence, friends and really my whole life. It really is pretty perfect (besides the lack of a beach, of course) but going into a week knowing that the husband will be home one of seven days is rough.

When Shawn was first called back, I had a hard time adjusting. Real hard time. Friends and family are amazing in sharing in our excitement that he is going back to do the thing he loves, but it didn't make it much easier for me. I dreaded the days he was gone. I would sleep very little and anticipated the days he would be home. The irony of life gets me. Wives who can't stand their husbands get them every night while I adore him and see him a few times a week. Ok, maybe it's not irony but rather cause and effect :-)

Cue the soundtrack....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGAmWyj8dRw

Living in dread one moment and and anticipation the next is no life. It reeks havoc on your emotional state and you miss so much of life! I hear so many people who dread Mondays. Ohhh the Muuundaaays. Do you realize that Mondays make up 1/7 of your entire LIFE? To dread 1/7 of your life is honestly, really kind of depressing. Anymore, that's kind of my approach to Shawn being gone on trips. Yes, we have fun and love being together, but am I going to sit around a watch life? Not anymore!

"You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." - James 4:14

The past few months I have had so much joy. I am blessed with some of the best people in my life and there is a new excitement in me for the things to come. I am connected to a church I love and have made amazing friends and have reconnected with old ones. I have ideas and inspirations of things I want to do and I just can't wait to see where it all goes.

This is still a hard week but the amazing thing is the joy I have in the midst of it all. I still have few minor meltdowns at work (thank heavens for a praying co-workers and an understanding boss) and had to deal with housework, dogs, dog messes and bills seemingly alone, but I am so blessed. It's easy to rely on someone for emotional support all the time, but that really isn't fair for a person to carry that. Through all this I re-learned how to give it to God and let Him be my support, it's amazing how easily we forget the basic lessons.

Continually learning my first works over.

Much love!

And if I was from Paris, I'd say oh la la la la la la la...

One evening while checking his monthly schedule, husband discovers he has ten days off in a row. "Where do you want to go?" Ok, first off, I have to brag about the amazingness of my job for giving me a week off at a week's notice. Second of all, I have to question if my husband can handle ten days straight in Kentucky. Or with me :-)

"I want to go to Paris."

"Ok. Two seats from CVG to CDG. Booked." click And that, my friends. Is how it is done.

The old me would have flipped out, but Shawn is slowly transforming me into this spontaneous person. I told him I would work on it (translation - plan on being more spontaneous.) Immediately I'm contacting embassies, credit card companies, looking at hotels, transportation, and checking out French for Dummies from the library.
Originally the flight had about 40 open seats, when we were packed, checked in and ready to board, there was one first class seat. Shawn tried to get on the jump seat (8 hour flight, mind you...in basically a bleacher chair) but wasn't able. Last minute a lady comes to the front and says she can't board because she is sick. SCORE! I still get the first class, by the way. Both ways.

Flight went fast, we didn't get our luggage and went without for two days. Most fashionable city in the world and my husband is in orange and blue sweatpants. Couldn't have been black or grey. No. The luggage gods wouldn't have thought that was funny enough.

We had THE BEST hotel. Highly recommend it without hesitation.

Saw everything. The Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower (although I am sure you never would have expected that from the pictures ;-))  Walked at least 10 miles a day, some days up to 16 hours. Sat in a sidewalk cafe and watched the world go by. Had a crepe. Met people from all over the world. Unbelievable trip. I use such few words because all the words in the world couldn't properly explain it.

And, at the risk of sounding completely cheesy, I got to spend a full week with my husband. It blows my mind how blessed some woman are to do this every night. We laughed at my attempt at French, (I was constantly saying si instead of oui. Pretty sure they spit in my food.) We saw breathtaking sites. Practiced our photography in the jardins. Watched children play soccer. Made up stories about lovers walking past. Watched a "high speed" 25 person police foot chase through a grassy nook. It was relaxing and inspiring all at once, engaging every sense. Totally grasping the concept of "c'est la vie." I can see how artists, writers and architects were so inspired. Every inch of my romantic side came out and I was able to just get lost in it all. But the best part was, I was lost in it with my best friend.

I am so blessed I get to travel. To meet people. To understand cultures. To realize that once I get out of my little world things really aren't as stressful or complicated as we make them out to be. It really just put things in percepective.