Old Joy #463

It is funny how you can take a break from blogging, and then when you start, the floodgates open.

Get.down.all.the.words.

I am taking part in an online Community Group, and one of our writing challenges was to finish the  prompt, "The first time I..."

     This is a post about "The first time I predicted the future."

     I was going to say, "The first time I knew you were The One..." but then I heard the sound of a thousand people gagging collectively and decided that title was just too sweet.  Tooth-achingly sweet. Ha.

When I was in college, I tried to picture The Boy I Would Marry.  I tried to picture Everything I Knew I Would Want.

Musical.  Coffee-Lover.  Athletic. Good with kids.

In some ways, it was hard to fathom, and in other ways it didn't seem like That Tall of An Order.

I pictured someone with a guitar strapped to his back holding a cup of coffee and playing soccer with a group of kids.

How ridiculous is that? Am I right? In fact, I'm even embarrassed to type that.

     For a while, I thought about it kind of a lot, and then I graduated from college and once I was no longer in that private, Christian College environment where the pressure to have a relationship/get engaged feels HUGE, it never crossed my mind again.

Roughly three years later...

Enters Tim.

     We weren't engaged yet, but we had been dating for a while.  Being in our mid/late 20's by that time, we knew pretty early on that we weren't going to continue dating if we didn't intend on getting married.  So.  There was that.

     We were attending a church plant that met in an Elementary School.  Tim was playing in The Praise Band, and I was singing, occasionally.  As a church plant, every Sunday, we participated helped by "tearing down" service.  Chairs and tables were put away.  Microphone cords wrapped.  Speakers dismantled.  On and on.

     One particular day, we had parked in the side lot. (I don't know why that's relevant). I was leaving ahead of Tim and stopped to chat with a few other people who had gathered at the exit.  I turned around to find Tim behind me...with his guitar strapped to his back...holding a warm beverage...kicking a soccer ball with a group of kids.

My heart stopped (in a good way) as that long-tucked-away memory came rushing back.

Isn't that the craziest, cheesiest thing ever?

What are the chances that all those elements would come together?

I DON'T KNOW, GUYS! I DON'T KNOW!

So.  Then we got married and that's that.

I am like...58 different kinds of embarrassed just publishing this, and I don't know why.  I have never told that to anyone ever...except for Tim, of course.

Well. So.  When life starts to get a little nutty, I think about all the "things" I have been given that have TOTALLY EXCEEDED my expectations like That Tim and These dogs and The Lu's*, and I remember to not get so freaked out.

Because The Lord wants good things for us.

*My niece and nephew are named Lucy (3) & Lucas (3 months), and my sister and her husband have started calling them "The Lu's" and I think it is the cutest thing ever.

And...it's 11:16 at night.

Have a great weekend, my friends! Thanks for sticking with me!

Love and little hearts in my eyes,

A Half Birthday Post

      My husband and I are exactly 1 year and 1 week apart.  Did you know that?  It's really fun.  I like having our birthdays so close together.  I like to think of this here blog as a scrapbook of sorts, and I realized I NEVER posted pictures of my husband's 30th birthday last year. Sigh. Last year, April was lost on us.

       Seeing as how we are roughly 6 months away from celebrating once again, I thought showing these pics. at the 1/2 way mark would be appropriate.

We had an "Open House" of sorts for several friends and family.  It was fun making tons of food, and seeing people we don't see nearly as often as we'd like.  I went with a "rock and roll/music" theme.  All the clowns were booked.  Just kidding.

 Looking forward to many more birthdays ahead.

Thanks for sharing this space with us.

Love,
H.

Just in case you were wondering...

      This is what my husband would look like with bangs.  We're still weighing our options.  What do you think?  


Love and a really low cut dress (oops),
H.  

One of these things is not like the other.

     These are two of my favorite necklaces.  Tim and I went on a date last night, and I just happened to pair  them together.  The key necklace is from Tiffany's- a present from Tim when I finished my Master's Degree.  The pennant I found at a Thrift Store for 2 dollars and fifty cents.  I think it's a perfect combination.  It reminds me to keep balance in my life.

Work. Play.  Save. Splurge.  Eat. Run.  Clean. Relax.


The list goes on.


Just for the record, I had intended to write about 3 more paragraphs.  Alas, it is a Saturday, and it's raining, no less.

Love, 
H.