Of Riddles and Love

I never knew that 21 hours could be so amazing. Or how it could end so quickly.

After the end of the Oregon tour {which was great by the way} I flew down to Los Angeles Monday afternoon. It was like a dreamy event that went by in the blink of an eye.

Adam kept informing me the few days before I arrived that he was planning a special surprise date for us. I was super excited to see what he had concocted. Like I’ve said before, he surprises me over and over and over. And this was no exception.

If anyone reading cannot tolerate blissful sappiness, you might want to go on to whatever boring task you were doing just before opening this blog page. But if you think you can tolerate it, read on. Be awed. Ooo and ahh. And if any guys are reading this, you might want to take notes. ;)

After picking me up at the airport, we somehow managed to find our way back to the car; after lots of hugging and admiring looks at each other. {Readers should be awed by this feat. It took a lot of walking back and forth between parking garages, because a certain one of us gets easily distracted when trying to find his car. Super cute by the way!}

The date started by Adam pulling out a card from his pocket. And the story went something like this.

“This date will be a series of riddles that will lead us from one spot to the next. You have to figure out the riddles before moving to following location.”

The first was about cold, sweet treats… Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt. YUM! When we got there, Adam pulled me around the corner of the building and there hidden in a flowerpot was the next clue card.

With a stomach full of watermelon flavored frozen yogurt, Adam read me the next clue. As soon as I heard the bit about watching the setting sun, I knew we were headed for the beach. {Note: This guy is amazing. He did all of his homework, all the way down to checking the exact time the sun would set. No details were left undone. He’s just that good.}

Here’s one of the many things I love about Adam Neesby. He has a plethora of places around his home from coffee shops, to parks, to cliffs overlooking the ocean; where he goes to read the Word, pray and talk to me. I love when he lets me into his world and takes me to his ‘spots’.

Last night he took me to another spot I’d never seen before. A rocky cliff over looking the ocean. The grey waters and foam rushed into the small inlet far below. The next clue was hidden behind a sign that said something about flying model airplanes in the designated areas only. {I LOVE this guy’s attention to details.} By this point, I was already so giddy with love and respect for my man’s superbly romantic date; my spirits couldn’t be dashed by the sunset that was severely masked by thick fog.

That third clue led us to a seafood restaurant on the pier. The atmosphere was amazing; a dimly lit, fishing cove type building with an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the waves crashing on the pier. {My favorite thing about seafood restaurants is my lack of knowledge when it comes to the menu. Adam is my obliging translator.}

One side note on Adam and I at restaurants. We always like to sit on the same side of the table, with our chairs pulled as close as possible. As we sat in this fashion that night, whispering secrets in each other’s ear, our sweet old-lady waitress said, “Do you want to move over to a booth? You might be more comfortable there.” Needless to say, we tipped her well. ;)

We finished our night with a stroll along the pier. The last clue, which had been hidden under a park bench along our walk to dinner made me laugh and dance out loud.

While still in China, I had a dream one night about chocolate truffles. I told Adam and it became this huge joke about him trying to find me truffles in Kunming. He even said that one night he flew to Ecuador to search for them, but to no avail. I tease him occasionally about this unfulfilled dream. The last riddle said that because he is a man of his words, the truffles would be found, purchased and consumed.

And that is how the most amazing date ever ended. Then again, we never quit dating. It’s almost like our relationship is one constant, glorious date. The loving looks. The prayers from the heart. The laughter over crazy games and jokes. The tender care and love. The sharing of hearts. The bearing of souls. The dreams of our future together. The constant thanks to God for His unspeakable gifts. {And if what my married friends say, it can only get better.}

As I desperately hugged my Captain Awesome goodbye in the airport this morning and headed for that cursed security line, an older couple behind said these words. “This must be your first time away from each other?”

I sadly answered that we are apart most of the time. The man, looking back to where Adam was standing, said, “He looks lonely already.” And the wife laughingly stated her husband only drops her on the curb to say goodbye.

I realized again what a gift I have been given. The Bible talks about a man who finds a wife, finds a good thing. I wonder where the verse is that says a woman who finds a man who loves and tenderly cares for her, finds a very very good {and awesome} thing!

My plane is just beginning it’s descent into Des Moines, as Captain Awesome and I enter yet ANOTHER stretch of time away from each other. Sometimes I think I won’t make it. How can I manage to keep myself away from pure awesomeness?? But until I look into his blue eyes again, I’ll keep thanking Jesus for the incredible man he is… and I’ll live off those memories for a long time of our perfect 21 hours together.

Fly a plane to Medford

I’m thousands of feet up in the air… on my way to Denver for the second time today. You wouldn’t even believe the story if I told you. In about an hour I will top over 12 hours of travel for today. I will {hopefully} arrive at my destination four hours later. It’s been my crazy {and so far} unsuccessful attempts at kicking off the 2010 Bring Me Hope tour.

My day started by the rude alarm at 5:25, which took a while to register with my sluggard brain. Grabbing my two grossly over-stuffed carry-ons {or rather what I was hoping would pass as carry-ons!}, I rushed through check-in and security and boarded my 6:28am flight in Des Moines. A short 80 minutes later, I landed in Denver.

Denver is really not that bad of an airport. I rather like it. Fossil imprints on the floor, great food selections like Jamba Juice and Starbucks, and not to mention free wireless Internet. Oh yes, how can I forget the sparrows that fly around in the food court area?! {Seriously scared the heck out of me the first time they swooped towards my table during a layover in April!}

I sat in the boarding area, waiting for my 8:30am flight to the next leg of my journey, Phoenix. {Which would be followed by a flight to San Francisco and finally on to my tour stop in Medford, Oregon.}

Over the loud speaker I heard the attendant asking for volunteers to give up their seats for $200 of free flight vouchers. Gathering my mountain of stuff, I volunteered my seat. SO LONG as I could catch my flight to Phoenix early in the afternoon. She said yes, clicked a few buttons on the computer and out came my new boarding passes with my {NOT $200} but $400 free travel vouchers! SCORE! Then she reseated me in rows 2-4 for the remaining flights.

Could life get better?! I submit that it could not… well, unless of course my Captain Awesome would have been also donating his seat with me. {Sigh} Moving on. I was pretty pumped. I killed the next two and a half hours with some Internet surfing and movies. I was feeling pretty good about my high life of traveling.

The flight to Phoenix was short and sweet. I had what felt like a million miles of legroom right behind first class. Even the looming two more flights couldn’t wreck my good spirits. After grabbing some lunch at the {surprising small and poor selection} in the Phoenix airport, I got ready to eat up the miles between me and San Francisco.

That’s when that next fateful message came over the loud speaker. “Ladies and gentleman, unfortunately due to weather delays in San Francisco, our flight has been delayed until we get clearance from the tower. We have an estimated time of wheels up at 3:58”

NOOOOOO!!!! With that flight being two hours, there was no way I would make my 5:15 boarding time for that last flight into Medford. Once again I gathered my million pounds of carry-on luggage and headed for that infamous counter.

To make this very long story short and to spare you the gory details {cuz it was very painful}, I decided to avoid the chance of spending the night in the San Francisco airport and take the next possible route to Medford.

Can you believe where they sent me?!

“Ma’am, you can catch the 1:50 flight to Denver and from there, catch a flight to Medford arriving at 8:15.”

Seriously? Denver again?? I don’t really love it that much. But somehow that appealed to me more than a hard airport seat for sleeping. {Sigh}

I feel like today has been a vivid picture of my life. Well, all of our lives, really. Exciting adventures and unexpected blessings. Only to be followed by set-backs, detours and disappointments. I have moments when I feel like my life is finally coming together. I finally have things figured out. I get a big break. I start dating the hottest guy around who loves Jesus so much and I get to feel that love overflow to me. I have a job where I get to travel the world. Finish my fourth year of summer camps. Hug what is probably the 100^th orphan. Watched them scream and shout for joy in the pool for the first. Hug my friends who just got secretly baptized in a hotel hot tub. Life makes sense. God is good. His blessings are so real. His love so evident.

Then the next morning I wake up and it all seems to have fallen apart. I have an argument with someone I love. I let my parents down. My times in the Word seem dry and like I’m going nowhere. My heart gets hurt and I wonder how I can heal. Some friends loose the baby they are desperately trying to adopt. An email comes saying that Spring {one of the orphans who lived with us at the Ranch} is talking about committing suicide. Suddenly nothing makes sense anymore. The world closes in and I feel like I’m going nowhere. I cry. I burry my head in the proverbial sand and wish it would all go away. That life would just fall into place again.

What has changed? Nothing. The God who blessed me with $400 of free travel vouchers, is the same God who sovereignly allowed me to come back to Denver. I’ll be the first to admit, many of the things God does in my life don’t make sense. {Of course my strange detours don’t really have that much weight in my life} But for the things that do, I’m thankful that as I wrestle with the questions I ask God, He is always lovingly drawing me back to Himself. Reminding me that He alone sees the bigger picture. He will not forget me. He will not leave me alone. He will keep His promise to work all things for the good of those who love Him.

So yes. I will soon be landing in my beloved Denver airport. I will enjoy the free Internet. I’ll dance over the fossils in the floor. I will thank Jesus for loving me. Always remembering that He is up to something good. Something heavenly. Something that will, I pray, bring glory and honor to Him through my life.

PS. And when I finally get to Oregon, I’m gonna rock every minute. There’s gotta be something amazing there for ALL the trouble the journey has been! ;)

one cool thing and a promise of more to come...

Ok guys. You gotta check out this awesome blog. They people at Vintage Pearl make the most beautiful necklaces out of silver. They are doing a great giveaway today... check it out here

In another vein, I've been thinking a lot about my muchly overlooked blog lately... I promise I will be back soon with lots of new stuff.

Hugs to you all!!

Beautiful Craziness

I was telling Captain Awesome on Friday that; be it right or wrong, I live for the weekend. Since coming home from Cali, my weekly schedule has gotten progressively crazier and craziest. Saturday and Sunday are my haven-days. Time to spend with my family, sleep in, run errands or just do beautiful-nothingness.

Growing up in a diligent, home schooling, large family, doing nothing is often discouraged. Granted there is always a bazillion things to keep every person busy. Always someone to talk to. Hang out. Etc, etc, etc.

But especially since my time in China last year, I have grown to value and see the need for down time. It is so healthy and good. Time for God. For thinking. For physical rest. Hmmmm.... {I'm getting all excited and it's only Monday} :)

God has been very good to give me a couple weekends like this. Two weekends ago I took the little

girls to Washington. Probably the funnest thing we did was stopping by the grocery store where a massive slide had been set up. Something about celebrating the warm weather and kids getting out. {Curiously enough, it was badly overcast and chilly.}

The little girls taught every kid watching how to really enjoy a blow-up slide with somersaults, high jumps and just plain awesomeness. I stood at the bottom of the slide, cursing the fact that I couldn't get away with looking like a middle-schooler. {Being 23 is so overrated!} I did get a little sticker tattoo on my hand... which did nothing to console my heart. I really wanted to flip and slide. {sigh}

THIS week was beyond hectic. Bring Me Hope's annual, Night Walk fundraiser is Friday and I was working through the ominous task of following up with people in preparation for the event. In all honesty, I had one day I thought my brain would seriously explode. Too much information. Too many people. Too much to do. Even though I knew I would have to put in some weekend hours, I was determined to take some time with my sisters.

After waking up at a halfway, slept-in-hour; Tiff and I packed up the little girls and took off for Iowa City. We did some rushed shopping, which was, surprisingly, very successful. The huge find of the day was the muchly coveted sun-dresses at Old Navy. In Tiff's words, 'They are cute, but not $35 cute!' With a clearance sticker reading $16 and an even bigger sign reading "Half off already clearanced items", we were quite besides ourselves with happiness.

- - -

Looking feminine and beautiful is one of my life-projects. Not just for the sake of being beautiful, but for the fact that beauty and eye-pleasing things are part of God's design. Look around at nature. Tall, snow-capped mountains; delicate, white clover; cotton-candy clouds; red strawberries buried in minty, green leaves; fuzzy, scrunched kitten faces. He has created a universe of beauty so we may take it in and in turn, declare what an awesome God He is. How much more should we, His prized creation made in His image, strive each day to present ourselves in an honoring, beautiful way to the world?!

This doesn't happen just in the way we dress, though visual presentation is important. But also in a deeper beauty.

-Am I preparing my heart to spill out unconditional love?

-Is my face showing forth a beauty deeper than the pink lip gloss and black mascara?

-Are my hands reaching out with a loving touch?

-Is my mouth speaking words that build up?

"By this will all men know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another ~ John 13:35

"I have been anointed with fresh oil ~Psalms 92:10

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in Heaven ~ Matthew 5:16

"As believers, our greatest impact is through joy and enthusiasm.

- - -

Yesterday was probably one of the most incredible mother's days I can remember. It started out with Dad's famous, Sunday morning breakfast of eggs, biscuits, and cinnamon rolls. Then we caravanned off to church. {taking 3 vehicles to church for one family of 9 is ridiculous} After the service, us big kids decided to take Mom out for lunch. At her request, we bombed Old Chicago Pizza... poor poor people. Using Grace's camera, we started snapping pictures while we were waiting for our deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza to arrive. It quickly turned from normal, family poses to these crazy things...

THEN Mom had one of her hair-brain ideas to make napkin art. Ok. Seriously. Dude. My mom is {A W E S O M E} If you wonder where we get our crazy ideas... you need wonder no more!

Our table turned into a big craft room and pretty soon we all were posing for these shots...

I seriously love my family. Not one of us is perfect. Not one of us loves perfectly every day. Never once is our house perfectly clean {sorry Mom}. Never once is there perfect peace and quiet {except maybe when all 9 of us are sleeping}. But the glue that holds us together is God's perfect love. Even then, we struggle at times to be channels of that Love. But everyday is always new and fresh, without any mistakes as Anne Shirley says.

I'm thankful for the love and forgiveness of Dad, Mom, Tiff, Chris, Timmy, Grace, Beth, Aubrey and most of all God.

- - -

After a dance party with the little girls before they went to bed; one last mother's day treat with Mom; a Skype date with my Handsome Captain Awesome; and a late episode of a Chuck with Tiffy, Chrisy and Timmy; I went to bed.

It was a perfect Mother's Day.

{and I'm not even a mom}

- - -

PS. On the subject of mother's day, how could I forget to brag on my Amazing Man?! He planned a whole brunch for his mom yesterday. {with help from the sis-in-love} Pancakes, fruit, juice, breakfast casserole.

What an incredible man. I told him I wish I was his mom. Then after realizing the implications of that, I changed my mind.

Being the girlfriend is WAY BETTER!!!

My 2010 China Adventure

Dear Faithful Friends,

Wow. I sit here on my comfy, American bed and marvel at the fact that three years ago this whole China adventure started.

On July 7, 2007 I arrived in Beijing for the first time. So many firsts ensued in the following ten days. Real Chinese food, walking on the Great Wall, that first Chinese word I used incessantly: ‘Ni hao!’ {hello… I was such a linguist}, bartering at markets for cheap junk, meeting fellow Americans who have become some of my best friends, and spending five days with my first orphan buddies that stole my heart and left me changed forever.

Like true love, I couldn’t keep myself away. In the summer of 2008, I spent 6 weeks in Xinzheng, helping on staff to run camp. That fall I came on board fulltime with Bring Me Hope, taking on volunteering coordinating, promotional tour planning and staff/volunteer logistics. July 1^, 2009 found me packing my bags and moving to the city of Kunming for nearly six months. After staffing the 2009 summer camp there, I stayed on to help with a pioneer project called ‘The Ranch’ {a mentor/discipleship program for older Chinese orphans}

By the time I arrived home for {a very happy} Christmas last year, I knew that God was telling me clearly that China will always be a part of my life. From best friends {Chinese and American} to continued ministry in country through the summer camps to future plans of long-term ministry there. Of course the part I’m most excited about is the Amazing man God put in my life all the way back on that first day in 2007. Adam and I met that day I arrived in Beijing and we have built a strong friendship over the years. In January, he asked me to be his girlfriend. The chance to minister together in this new capacity is a beautiful thing. Adam’s love for China, orphans and ministry is just as big as mine. Truly two are better than one.

I am humbled as I look back and see God’s sovereign hand over the last three years. China has been one of the biggest sources of growth and change in my life. God has been so incredibly patient with me, leading me along and teaching me what it means to surrender all to Him. I love the ministry of reaching out to the hurting children of China. Thank you for everything you have done to make the last three years happen. Many of you have been there from day one, others have jumped on board somewhere along the way. For all of you, I am humbly grateful. Your financial support,

encouraging emails, and countless prayers have been the channels God has used to carry me through the tough days. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

On June 20, Adam and I will take off for Kunming and spend the summer there, splashing in the pool, getting colored marker all over our fingers, singing crazy camp songs and everyday we will hug all the precious kiddos who have been forgotten. We will tell them they are loved and they DO matter.

And it will all be for Jesus, who invented adoption and demonstrated it to us in the first place.

~ nicole

PS. My travel costs this year will be around $2000. I am needing to raise this amount before July 1st. If you are able to support me this year, you can send your tax deductible gifts to Bring Me Hope, 2169 Green Canyon Rd, Fallbrook CA 92028 with 'Nicole Chmelar' in the memo line. Thank you!!

A Ping Pong Life

Last weekend was the best weekend I've had in an eternity {minus my weekends with Captain Awesome*} It was the best weekend because I literally did nothing.

Now before you judge me for my horrific and very apparent laziness, I think I've had this weekend coming for a long time. Life has been hectic, crazy since getting home from Cali and taking 48 hours to enjoy my family {sisters in particular} all while doing a lot of nothingness, was just what the doc prescribed.

Sleeping in til 10:00, dance parties in the bedroom with the little girls, no cleaning {sorry mom} shopping at Goodwill for lots of junk-nothings, and cozy afternoon naps. It was AMMaaaaaaaaaaaazing!!

One of my mostest favoritest things we did on Saturday happened while we were at Goodwill. We were standing the book section, perusing for any volume that merited spending $.88. Tiff and I were laughing over some of the stupid books there, when suddenly this hair-brain idea for a game was born.

Tiff and I would hand select and buy, one book for the other person, and we would each {H A V E} to read that book in one month's time. Tiffany had one book in her 'consideration pile' on "Finding the Connection Between Humans & Dogs" and I had one for her "Dealing with Fibromyalgia". The zanier the better.

There is something incredibly healing and comforting about that moment. Laughing hysterically over random books on a rainy, Saturday afternoon with MoH**. After much serious {laughing} contemplation, I bought a book for Tiff on one man's gleanings from teaching golf his whole life {G A G} and Tiff bought this titled book:

Work Would Be Great If It Weren't For The People - Making Office Politics Work for You

"Ronna Lichtenberg, former Senior Vice President for External Affairs at Prudential Securities, shows us that not only is it okay to be good at negotiating office politics, it's essential. In fact, if you're not playing politics, chances are you're forgeiting that work game. You're risking not getting that nicer office, that better account, and the recognition you deserve..."

Seriously. Like I have a lot of office politics to deal with. I work by myself, in my cyber office, with my coworkers who work in their cyber offices across the US. So yeah... this next month is gonna be some fuuuun reading!! {Needless to say, we have both have yet to crack the covers}

* * *

The state of tranquility last weekend was short lived. {sigh} Back to reality early Monday morning.

The last several weeks {especially} have felt like all I do is swim around a bathtub full of ping pong balls... trying desperately to keep them all under. It's a rather exhausting job. There's my cyber office job at Bring Me Hope, nannying two days a week in Iowa City, occasionally driving school bus when they lack warm bodies to run yellow vehicles, and just this week, a second nanny job on days I have nothing to do.

Curiously enough, this 'new' family is not really new. Remember these kiddos?? After being gone for two years, I'm back at to the happy chaos of the mad-good-photographers. With a new addition to the family since then and another on the way, it's good to be back at my 'old-new' job.

* * *

Being busy is a good thing, in light of my constant state of missing Captain Awesome. God is teaching me so much that 'just dating' doesn't fix my problems... though dating it is amazing. I am reminded {daily} what it means to wait on Him. Practically. There is something very helpless about not being able to make time go faster.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requestsbe made known to God.

T H E N:

The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4: 6,7

Sunday we watched a video sermon from Mars Hill talking about worship through suffering. One of the points mentioned was that through suffering, God can show us the idols in our heart. He described worship as "pouring oneself out unceasingly for something or someone" and like Martin Luther said, despite what or who we say is our God, our truly "functional God is that person or thing on which our heart entirely rests or trusts". I felt like God asked me to search my heart for any idols that might be taking preeminence over Him. As I looked at myself honestly, I saw that my idols weren't {bad} things, but when taken out of proper balance, become wrong.

"Take away the dross from the silver and there will come forth a vessel for the refiner. Prov 25:4

* * *

Nothing says love like big chocolate chip eyes {unless they are puddles of blue}

Baby is learning so much everyday. It's like her vocabulary doubles daily. Yesterday she said park and swing and can say all kinds of crazy animal sounds. {fish, snake, lion, bunny}

* * *

Last night when I got home from work, Mom served us an awesome taco salad dinner and then hauled us up to the attic for an overhaul. Personally, I think attics are meant for mess, junk, and treasures. I mean, how else can you get that nostalgic feeling like when you watch Little Women?

The little girls have built houses, stores and forts in our big, four-eves attic. But last night was clean up time. We hauled down all kinds of broken furniture, empty boxes and abandoned stuffs. I found the big desks that MoH and I did school on, an old 2007 Bring Me Hope group photo {where curiously enough, Adam and I W E R E standing next to each other!!} and my boxes and boxes of things that are for my {non-existent} hope chest.

I guess these projects are good. In Grace's opinion, this means we are moving for the 14th time. "Come on Nicole, Mom wants to move so she is getting this all organized so when the time comes we don't have to do this."

Poor Aubrey has been at this house for 8 years on Tuesday. When the other 6 of us were her age, we'd moved at least three times. What can we say, adventures don't happen to this younger generation like they used to in our day! :) Maybe we should shake things up...

* * *

My favorite quote today for Captain Awesome:

"Missing someone gets easier everyday because even though you are one day further from the last time you saw them, you are one day closer to the next time you will.

{which technically isn't 110% true. it's still hard. just like that dumb saying, "parting is such sweet sorrow" whoever said that obviously knew nothing about true love. grrr. it is wicked sorrow.}

* * *

* Otherwise known as the Amazing Man... or to the rest of the world, Adam Dane Neesby

** My besty Tiffy

Back again...

It's crazy how much my life has changed in the last 89 days. {when the amazing Man started dating me} Exciting, {at times} scary and thrillingly hopeful changes. It's been so good. I'm humbly blessed at the incredible Man that God has given me. Sometimes I have moments where I giggle in sheer delight. Pinch myself out of awe-struck wonderment. Marvel at the goodness of God. He shows me over and over and over how beautiful His plan is.

God has used Adam to show me what unmerited favor and grace looks like. I wish each of you could know my amazing Man like I do. I wish you could see the moments where he quietly serves. Watch his strong arms hug an orphan close. Know all the sacrificial times he has spent ministering to countless people with his listening ear and tender heart. If you knew Adam the I know him...

Then again, I am beginning to believe that is part of the mystery of dating and {someday} marriage. The opportunity to know one person like no one else knows them. The opportunity to love someone for who they really are... even for their flaws and quirky ways. What a beautiful thing.

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." -Dr Suess

* * *

God has been laying a lot on my heart lately. Things that pertain to my personal walk with Him. Things that relate to my relationships with family. Friends. My amazing Man. A lot of times I have a hard time getting those things from my heart, to my brain and then practically into my life. One way to attempt to make that transition is to begin blogging here again. It will also be my own way to document what God continues to do in this crazy, exciting adventure of being my amazing Man's girl! {because my journaling skills are pitiful}

Part of my inspiration for picking up writing here again, was a blog that a friend showed me over a month ago. It's one lady's online journal of her family's life. But instead of just writing about daily events or posting her beautiful photography, it's a journal of sorts. Scripture verses, quotes and thoughts from her personal walk with Jesus. Her humility and vivacity for life is a challenge for me.

We can all learn from each other, from the things God is teaching us. This will be my attempt at simply being a link in that chain.... for anyone willing to weed through my long monologues, funky stories and attempts at good photography.

* * *

On the topic of funky stories:

I have a very strange fetish for old dressers. Don't ask me why. Or how it started.

My first dresser I bought was a white, paint chipped wardrobe with spindle legs and two little drawers on top. It was love at first sight at that antique shop. It wasn't 'til I got home that I realized it wreaked of cigarette smoke. Talk about a crushing moment. After baking soda, flower scented drawer liners and lots of time to air out, it's finally normal. Not long after, I found a brown, rather crummy piece on sale for $35. On principle I couldn't leave it behind. If I could only get around to giving it a new coat of paint, it would look light years better.

But Saturday was my dresser-fetish high light of all times. Tiff and I were in a second hand store and as I was walking through the rows of furniture, my eyes happened on this beauty. A tall, five-drawer dresser. Funky handles and awesome wood details. What could make this picture even better?? The price tag which read '$19.99' coupled up with the storewide 25% discount. {Boosh}

Before anyone else came to tackle me down in an attempt to steal my find, I grabbed the price tag, paid for the goods and Tiff and I loaded the hunk of beautiful wood into the back of the van. Definitely the second biggest highlight of my year...

* * *

Speaking of highlights. My {of course} number one is my amazing Man. We have a funny dating relationship. Our daily dates consist of phone calls every night, spanning the 1825 miles between us, sometimes lasting as long as four and a half hours. We actually seen each other a grand total of 21 days out of the 89 we've been dating.

Like my adorable Man said last night, "this long distance thing is way overrated!" Not that the ratings were that high to begin with. :( In a desperate attempt to be positive, we have learned so much about communication. A skill which will benefit us long after the cell phones have been put away for good.

One of my favorite dates while I was out in California the first two weeks of April was this day...

Dating a pilot is such fun. One afternoon Adam took me on a date high above the city and ocean. We flew over Catalina Island, the painfully, gorgeous blue ocean and even Disneyland.

It's a very good thing planes can fly themselves in the air... no hand-holding minutes can be wasted.

Back on the ground again, we hit up the coffee shop and then took a long {romantic} walk on the beach.

From the skies to the sandy beach, it was the perfect date. Then again anytime, anywhere I can be with my amazing Man is a perfect date!

* * *

We also spent 5 days down in Mexico helping at a summer camp for orphans with a wonderful organization, Genesis Diez. It's also funny that around 90% of the time Adam and I have spent together since we first met in the summer of 2007, has been on the mission field. I am thankful that God has given this man an incredible heart of service and love for the hurting all over the world.

We did find a few minutes to slip away during free time to enjoy the incredibly beautiful view...

* * *

Now that I'm back to the {lonely} land of Iowa, I'm desperately attempting to keep myself busy until the next time I can be with my amazing Man.

While sitting in the hanger that Adam works at, a girl I know there gave me a 20 minute crash course in crochet. I immediately went out and bought yarn and a crochet hook to make... something. I have finally decided I will make a small purse for old Thresher's. Who knows. At this point it looks more like a little Jewish kippot.

* * *

Lastly, but definitely not leastly. The past 12 months have felt like God has given me one crash course after another in healthy conflict resolution. I must not be getting it.

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger" Proverbs 15:1

"He that handles a matter wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he" Proverbs 16:20

"Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies" 1Cor 8:1

House Cleaning

A couple weeks ago while Grace and I were doing our Saturday house cleaning, we had the hair brain idea to switch a ton of stuff around in the house and see how long it took Mom to notice.

We did things like:

:: turning photos upside down::

:: changing the 'let it snow' sign to 'let it rain' ::

:: turning all the nativity people backwards ::

:: tilting the wall decorations crooked and the willow tree figurines backwards ::

WHO SAYS CLEANING CAN'T BE FUN?!

Absent...

:: because I am {hopelessly} distracted ::

Winter Wonderland of Love

Roses on a cold, snowy day.

And from a {secret} admirer?!

{to that secret admirer... wherever you are}

You are the betterer bestest

{can you top that}

Woot Beew Fwoats

A couple nights ago, Tiffy and I went to this whole-in-the-wall, hick-town-diner for some dinner. She got her favorite 'popcorn chicken salad' and I had a dinner that would make any homeschool mommy proud of her daughter's choices.

:: French fries and a root beer float ::

As we sat there eating, we looked at each other and said, "It's only old people in here. Seriously." The bell about the door would jangle and another cute white haired hubby and his wife would walk in.

As I sat there sipping my root beer and crunching on {what turned out to be} yucky fries, I smiled and hoped that someday when I'm old, wrinkled and bent over I can sit next to my best friend, my hubby.

We'll cuddle on the same side of the booth.

Talk about the good 'ole years.

And sip on big root beer floats together.

Playing

:: At the staff summit, we played like big kids before working like adults ::

Sometimes I shock myself with doing stupid things. For example: taking a zip-line across a massive pond overgrown with {huge} lilly pads. They strapped some pathetic replica of a harness on us...

We climbed the rusty, rickety tower...

And went bouncing across the pond.

We also rented go-carts and I was a blaze of lightning around the track. Ok, not really.

To top the night off, we celebrated our country's day of {freedom} Once again I shocked myself by lighting a {massive} round of fireworks. They were the REAL DEAL and I felt so proud of my skills.