Posts Tagged ‘Jonathan’
My New at Home Getaway
Posted on: August 23, 2010
- In: Life
- 9 Comments
For the last couple of months, I’ve been daydreaming about having a mother’s corner. Just a little nook all to myself for reading, sewing, relaxing. Jonathan and I agreed that the best spot in the house would be the laundry room. It gets the least traffic {especially from the Windhamettes}, is rather large and has a door for more privacy. The only draw back is that it looks like this:
Not exactly what you would call homey and inviting. But Jonathan said with some paint and rearranging, he could make me the best mother’s corner possible. And about 6 hours later, this is what we had:
The laundry area
My sitting area
We painted the floor and started on the walls {mostly focused on my corner so that it would be completed first}. And if you couldn’t tell the amazing difference just of the floor, I’ll show you:
Before
After
Amazing, right?! Just one more reason my husband rocks. Rather than relaxing on his well earned day off, he works all day just to create an area for me to relax. Seriously, he is always this awesome.
The beauty of morning
Posted on: August 18, 2010
- In: Life
- 4 Comments
Thanks to my loving husband {who picked up on my not-so-subtle hint}, I get to see these when I first wake up every morning:
The best part? I didn’t get them for our anniversary. I got them just because. Just because means a whole lot more. They make my mornings just a little brighter and sunnier.
I love you, Jonathan. You are the best.
- In: Life
- 13 Comments
In the last week Jonathan’s grandma moved in with us, our whole family got sick, and I freaked Jonathan out by suggesting we use re-usable toilet paper. And during all that time, I learned some real life lessons.
1. Flowers from my husband “just because” makes my heart flutter.
2. Mamas don’t get sick days. Ever.
3. I have a wonderful community of friends. I already knew that, but felt it even more this week.
4. I still can’t sew a straight line. But I’m learning.
5. Hannah is not pleasant teethers.
6. Cola icee + no naps + Sam’s club = absolute craziness.
7. Cocoa roasted almonds are delicious.
8. Dyson makes the best vacuum in the world.
9. Mattresses on the floor will provide hours of entertainment for toddlers.
10. There are 130 days till Christmas. Oh yeah, I so just went there.
Visit Oh Amanda for more Top Ten Tuesday.
Anniversary Extravaganza 2010!
Posted on: August 9, 2010
- In: Life
- 11 Comments
Jon and I went to Minneapolis this weekend to celebrate our five year anniversary {July 30}. We had a wonderful time {made even more relaxing knowing our girls were well taken care of – Thanks Abdos!}. I have a confession: We didn’t take as many pictures as I {pr maybe even you} might have expected. From the moment we arrived in Minneapolis, all responsibility, even photo taking, went out the window.
We started the weekend off by driving this:
2010 Chevy Camaro – Awesomeness
We stayed on the 16th floor of the Marquette in downtown. We love tall buildings and lots of crowds, so we were delighted with our view:
Minneapolis reminded us a lot of Austin. Which in of itself made us love the city. One of the coolest things we came across was public bicycles. Minneapolis has this bike rental program called Nice Ride. The idea is to rent bike for a day, month or even a year, then when you are done riding, return it. There were return kiosks all over downtown, so finding and returning the bikes were quite easy. I loved it. Although, there were times {say 5 o’clock traffic} that I was less than confident riding on the streets. But, Minneapolis is incredibly bike friendly, so after the first few minutes I realized most drivers were use to having cyclists riding along side them {not something I can say is as true here} and I stopped worry so much and went with the flow.
Our three main goals of the trip were 1) sleep in, 2) eat at a really nice restaurant, 3) plan nothing. That last one was easy. Aside from our couple’s massage on Saturday {which was as nice as it sounds} we made no plans. And while I doubted I’d be able to sleep in, I actually did. I woke up at 6:30 on Saturday, went back to bed and then got up for the day at 7:30. However, Sunday morning I slept till 8:30. I couldn’t recall sleeping that late since Julia was born. Talk about a nice way to start off your Sunday!
As for eating at a nice restaurant, we had dinner Saturday night at 112 Eatery. The atmosphere was a little louder and less romantic than I had originally wanted, but rather than sitting across for one another, Jon and I sat side by side, which actually made it more romantic. And the food? It was worth every penny. We had scallops with mushrooms, a pasta with lamb sauce and this amazing green bean and feta side dish. Oy! It was so good, I dreamed about it that night!
Here we are all dressed up for our night out:
We got home on Sunday night around 8. The Abdos weren’t home from church yet, so we were able to unpack our bags before getting the girls. I’ll admit – I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be “ready” to start being mama again. Even as we pulled into town, I kept thinking “I don’t want to go back to reality just yet”. But when we saw the Windhamettes for the first time, I was thrilled. Hannah caught us through the window and just stared in puzzlement. Once she figured out what was going on, she just started laughing. It was really sweet and made me glad to be home.
And now, as our week has started and life moves on, I can look back at a wonderful time spent alone with Jonathan and rejoice in God’s blessing in our marriage.
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
Jonathan and I are heading to Minneapolis this weekend. {Please excuse me if you’ve read about our trip a thousand times on here or Twitter – I’m just a tad bit excited.} We don’t know everything that we will be doing while in MPSL, so I thought instead I’d give you the top ten things I won’t be doing on vacation.
1. Cleaning – I don’t plan to so much as pick my clothe up off the hotel room floor. I spend too much of my time cleaning during the day/week that I don’t want to do anything this weekend.
2. Changing diapers – For the first time in over 2.5 years, I will not change a single diaper. Bask in the glory.
3. Looking at the kids menu – No chicken nuggets, no grilled cheese sandwiches, no milk in cardboard containers. Only adult food.
4. Waking up early – Maybe this should be number 1? But I can promise I have no plans of getting out of bed before 9am.
5. Going to bed early – I’m not sure my body actually knows how to sleep until 9am. But I figure if I stay up until 1am it might learn.
5. Checking the time – I don’t want to worry about what time we eat, what time we go to bed or being anywhere for anything. {Except for our couples massage on Saturday. Yes you did read that right. Couples. Massage. Awesomeness.}
6. Cooking – While I love cooking, it’s nice to have a break and enjoy being served. Especially when it’s at a yummy restaurant like 112 Eatery.
7. Facebooking/Twittering/Taking calls – While our phones are coming, along with our iPads, I have no plans to use them. Well, aside from watching instant Netflix.
9. Driving a mini van – We are leaving our Swagger wagon at home and renting a car. We found a great deal through Enterprise with a coupon off eBay and have our fingers crossed for something sporty and fast.
10. Forgetting my girls – I think it’s going to be absolutely wonderful to get away alone with Jon for an entire 48 hours, but I have a sneaking suspicion I’m going to be missing the Windhamettes something fierce by the end.
Visit Oh Amanda for more Top Ten Tuesday.
A life changing letter
Posted on: August 2, 2010
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
In June our family started sponsoring a girl, Momita, from India through Compassion International. There were two motivating factors for sponsorship: 1) to help a child in need; 2) to teach our children. For the last two months, I’ve been putting a lot of emphasis on the latter. We talk to Julia a lot about Momita. We explain that Momita doesn’t live with her family {she’s at a boarding school}, that she doesn’t have the luxuries we have, that she doesn’t get to eat “bananies” {bananas} everyday, that she needs our prayers.
I’ve written to Momita twice. Just this last week, I received my first letter back. There was nothing profound in the letter. Momita’s writing is exactly what you’d expect from a young girl. Everything was short and to the point. In her letter she asked us to pray for her. And that touched me. It made me realize just how important our sponsorship is to her. Aside from monetary benefits, knowing that a family is praying for her means a lot to her. But what really rocked me to my core {and quite nearly made me cry} was when she signed the letter:
“Your loving daughter, Momita”
I don’t know Momita. I’m not certain I could pick her out in a crowd {for sure not if I didn’t have her picture in hand}. I don’t know all the things she likes or dislikes. But standing in the driveway last week reading her letter I realized: I am the mother to three girls. I don’t have words to explain just what that has meant to me; just how much her letter has changed me and my attitude toward supporting her. I’m no longer supporting a girl from India. I’m supporting my daughter who lives in India.
For Momita’s protection and privacy, I won’t share her photo with you online {but if you’re ever at my house I will gladly show you!}. However, I thought I’d pass along pictures of her city:
Momita’s village is comprised of mostly Buddhist and there have been many conflicts between them and Christians. There weren’t many photos of homes in her village, mostly just temples and caves that are tourist attractions. It’s amazing being able to see the area Momita lives in; it allows me to feel even more attached to her.
- In: Life
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Five years ago today, Jonathan and I committed our lives to one another. It has been an amazing whirlwind adventure. In five years we have lived in three different homes {not included the ones we lived with “in transition”}, we have had two dogs and most importantly, two beautiful daughters. Jonathan, I love you. You make me laugh, you make me smile. I am truly blessed to be your wife.
July has been one crazy month. We started off with a visit from my brother and his family. After that, Jonathan has pretty much worked 50-70 hours a week preparing for the launch on West Music’s website. He and his teammates did an excellent job and I commend him for all his hard work and effort. He has earned himself a much needed break.
For the last week, we’ve had some friends staying with us as they move into a new home {which is actually behind our house – sort of}. They are some dear friends, and while it’s stressful at times to have four kids and two moms in a tiny kitchen, it’s been a lot of fun. Our girls could get use to having playmates instantly at hand. Julia especially. From the moment she wakes up she’s asking “Go play with my friends? My friends not sleep. Go play with them.” Good thing they like her, otherwise I think she’d wear them out! Hannah has been really taking off with her walking – literally. I have to watch her with hawk eyes or she’ll be halfway down the block before I know what’s happen. Keeps me on my toes!
As for me, I’m glad the month is drawing to an end. With Jon’s crazy schedule, it means I’ve had a crazy schedule. But God has been really gracious, especially being able to end the month with our anniversary and less than one week till our anniversary trip. I can’t wait. Makes me kinda giddy just thinking about it.
Top Ten Anniversary gifts
Posted on: July 27, 2010
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
This Friday is my five year anniversary {woot woot} and I thought as a very obvious subtle hint to my husband, I’d suggest what I think make great gifts:
1. A getaway weekend – Perhaps this is already a given since we are going away next weekend, but in my little crazy-busy-mom-of-two-toddlers-under-two world, planning a weekend alone with my husband has made me as excited as planning for my wedding.
2. Sunflowers – Thanks to Southern Living and Midwest Living, I have been day dreaming about big, beautiful sunflowers all month long. I’ve never gotten any and think they’d be the perfect rose substitute.
3. Pearl necklace – I really don’t have a reason for this other than, what girl does want a new necklace?
4. Ukulele – I’ve always had a hidden desire to be a musician and since Jonathan is a guitar playing guy, I thought it would be nice to have a ukulele along side.
5. Massage – Really, do I need a reason?
6. Pedicure – See above note.
7. Dinner at a French restaurant – I figure, if we can’t go to Paris, Paris can come to us. Or at least the food can.
8. Build me a mother’s room – I once read about having a mother’s corner. The thought of having my own personal area sounds wonderful. However, the only room in the house that is large enough for that is the laundry room {which I find rather ironic}.
9. Piano lessons – Because whether you want to admit it or not, Christmas is coming and I still need to learn 3 carols.
10. A leg lamp – This might be the hardest one to ever convince Jon of. But with living room windows overlooking the neighborhood – that just begs for a major award.
Visit Oh Amanda for more Top Ten Tuesday.
Au revoir, or, Good-bye Paris
Posted on: July 15, 2010
- In: Life
- 17 Comments
In my heart of hearts, God had been asking me for months to be okay with “letting go” of our anniversary trip to Paris. Through all the planning and saving, I safe guarded my heart from putting my hope in a Parisian trip. Know what? We aren’t going. Instead we started planning for a different trip; Ireland. Guess what? We aren’t going there either. So we planned to go to Toronto. Guess what? {Oh you guessed it!} We aren’t going.
Slowly all of our plans fell apart. One night, while nearly in tears, I told Jonathan, “I don’t really care where we go, so long as it’s just you and me.” As each new plan failed I was losing hope of ever getting time away with Jon. Then Tuesday night, something “major” happened. Julia knocked off my wedding bouquet from on top of my dresser. The delicate flowers I had painstakingly preserved for nearly 5 years were shattered. Thankfully {for her} I was 1) in total shock that is happened, 2) Jonathan was coming home in minutes. As he walked in the door I literally ran out it.
As I was running through our neighborhood I wondered, “Why do I care so much about those roses? I’m not a sentimental person in that way. What’s so upsetting about those roses?”. And it hit me. My wedding bouquet is a reminder of that life. The life before kids. The life of just Sarah and Jon. The life where we could afford to visit Paris. Where our only daily concerns were what to eat for dinner. Where it was just us. The life that seems better.
By the time I got home, I wasn’t ready to go back inside, so decided to mow the lawn. As I reached the backyard, Julia came running outside yelling “Mama!” She was thrilled beyond words to see me {even though I’d been gone less than 30 minutes}. She jumped up and down and waved to me simply beaming.
And it hit me. This life is better. Not the before-kids life. Not the jet setting life. This messy, poop-filled, lack of sleep life is better. Jon and I would not be who we are without the Windhamettes. Our relationship would not be what it is without them. Those roses were gone the moment I found out I was pregnant. They were replaced with less glamourous cloth diapers and sippy cups. And while I deeply cherish my time with Jon, I think it’s only been made sweeter and more precious because of the Windhamettes.
So now, as we have finally settled on a weekend trip and have loving people caring for our girls {Thanks Abdos!!} we are thrilled to be getting time away, time alone. Not because we want what we had, but to make what we have even better.
- In: Life
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About a week after Hannah was born, I went on Weight Watchers. I loved the program because I found that it allowed me to eat whatever I wanted, just in smaller portions. Which means, I could eat cake and ice cream if I wanted {and any “diet” that lets me eat cake and ice cream is awesome}.
One of the biggest things I learned on WW was monitoring fat intake. Something might only have 200 calories, but be 12g of fat {like a Snickers bar}. If you happen to find a treat that is low cal and low fat, well, you are most likely eating a treat that is artificially flavored and chalked full of crazy craziness. That is, unless you happen upon this:
Breyer’s ice cream has an entire “All Natural” product line, that also is lower in fat and calories and is actually all natural. Score! Our local grocery store marked it down to $2.19 a carton {typically it’s $3.98} and Jonathan bought me 4 cartons! Which is further proof that he really is the most amazing man ever.
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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