Phase One: Day Two...and Blah feelings

Yesterday my man and I started Phase One of the South Beach Diet. This was his idea...and one I whole-heartedly agreed to follow. My family has been eating and talking all things South-Beach-Friendly for a couple years now. However, our particular lives in the Panhandle do not often allow us to follow the South Beach plan like we would like. In fact, we are both stress eaters, and well, our life right now is full of lots of stress and lots of hours on the road. Two ingredients that make it difficult to eat healthy or excercise. But this time, well this time it was his idea, so I feel more confident we will stick with it. I do not look forward to the end of the week when our bodies are coming down from the sugar and processed food high and crashing at say, 7pm at night. But if we can get past day 7, we will be feeling good.

This morning it is quiet. And for that I am thankful. I'm feeling blah. Not sure why. I had a relaxing and enjoyable night last night. Even tried my hand at home-made applesauce...not that I can eat it right now, but still, fun to try. But this morning I am just blah. I guess I'm processing through our weekend in Estes at a marriage conference, news I heard last night that upset me, and thinking through all that this week holds for me. The cold wind and clouds don't help. Apparently there is snow in the forcast this week. Blah. Not ready for snow. I have so been enjoying the warm weather we've been spoiled with this fall. But, that being said, it is the 2nd week of November. I guess some snow would not be out of the question.

Maybe I'll plug in my space heater, light a candle, turn on the tunes in the background, make my to-do-list, and start one by one going through my day.

The Cold Weather has Returned

I had been enjoying the warm weather we were having so much, I didn't realize we are at the end of October and it really should be colder. Last fall was so short lived as we had our first blizzard during the second weekend of October, and stayed cold and snowy until spring. Now we have had a much milder fall and I've forgotten what frozen fingers feel like. And I plugged in the space heater, my faithful companion in the drafty front part of our office.

Truly, the first few months of school have flown by for us. Between football and volleyball games of all ages, we have been busy most days of the week. Throw in our awesome visits with the kids and my husband's huge heart to help my dad get their place in shape, we have been on the road more than usual as well.

We have visitors to our quaint little Panhandle town. Titus' older brother and family drove all the way from the KC area to see our new home. We enjoyed football games, trek's to the top of Scottsbluff Monument, road trips, yummy crock pot meals, good wine, and great conversation.

Then we were immediately treated with a good friend from CO and four kiddos in tow. Like family to me, I was so excited to see them! Titus was gone playing ball with a buddy in Small-Town, KS. But we let the kiddos play while we enjoyed our traditional Movie and Margs night. Complete with a new recipe and a totally girly movie. Our time was short, but oh, so refreshing and charged my battery!

I did make an amazing discover this month, however. October is the the month to shop for summer clothes. Momma and I went shopping and between the two of us purchased over $250 worth of clothes for about $50 total. It was glorious! The same thing happened last February with fall clothes. I think clearance shopping is one of the most gratifying experiences. I love finding a good bargain. I don't know why. I think it is in my DNA. As a child I remember going shopping and never looking in the regular racks. We ALWAYS headed to the clearance first...actually, we still do. I'm always about a season behind on fashion. I'm okay with that.

Probably one of my favorite memories this month though was my husband's response to a Kohl's shopping trip. We had gone down to Cheyenne for an evening trip. After dinner with friends we went to Kohls because I had a 30% off coupon if we used my Kohl's charge. (pay it off every month when there is a balance.) Not only did we find a great pair of running shoes for him on a great sale, I also found a great pair of everyday work shoes that I needed. Both on sale. Both an additional 30% off. Both pairs were less than either pair originally. He was so excited. I think now he understands why momma and I both lament there being no Kohl's any closer to where we live in NE.

All in all, a good month. We are looking forward to November. It will bring more visitng family, and my momma's birthday, and Thanksgiving, and a trip to see family in KC. Lots of exciting trips planned for sure.

Missing the Mountains

Today I sit looking at a picture of the Maroon Bells near Snowmass. It's on a calendar my family gave me for Christmas last year. They all know how much I miss my mountains living in the Panhandle. Yes, I did say my mountains. Living within a 30 minute drive from the Rockies for 31 years, I feel a special affection for the mountains and long to return to them as often as possible. Just a few weeks ago, on a trip to Denver, I began to shed a few tears as I drove west and the mountains came into view. I drove down a road I had been on every day for many years, but didn't realize what a majestic view of the mountains it provided. I wanted to pull over right there and take a picture to capture the moment. But I didn't. Instead I kept driving and soaking up the mountain goodness.

In just a few weeks Titus & I will be celebrating our one year anniversary. That is an amazing and crazy thought for me. The year has flown by so quickly it hardly seems possible. We will return to Estes Park, where the wedding I'd been planning in the out door chapel for 15 years took place. I will be back in the place where my heart longs to be. With memories and familiar surrounding that I will never forget. To be with the man I love in the mountains I miss...that will be priceless!

Add This To The List

Today you can add cell phone plans to my list of pet peeves.

My time is up with my current cell phone company. And my phone is starting to act up. It's time to get a new one. But we've come to rely on my "smart phone" to keep track of the master family calendar and all the other notes, lists, and memos we come up with while on the road.

No cell phone company will waive the data package any longer. So my choice? Either go back to an old-school flip phone and give up the ultra organized and convienent smart phone options or upgrade and bite the bullet and pay for the data package.

In looking around for other options, I've come to realize that while the different plan levels are smart for the company and their bottom line, it is not always great for the client. They make the option to go with a lower plan far less appealing by offering the price point they want not "that much higher" than the plan you really want, getting you to buy options you may not really need or want because, hey, it's not that much more - what a great deal!

Everyone does this, and today, it is frustrating me. The only good news is that there is a carrier up here, with national coverage, that can offer me all the bells and whistles for what I'm currently paying with out the whistles. So, there's the silver lining in this situation.

Sometimes as I walk down the sidewalk on my way to the bank and post office each day I wonder how did I get here? As I pass the same people, smile at the same faces, wait for the same cars in the same intersections every day I marvel at how I ended up in a small town of just 1600 people. I never dreamed I would be somewhat of a novelty that people hear about - "the new principal and his wife" - and relate to me when they call the office where I work. "Oh, so you're the newlyweds." Yes, that's us.

I had always figured I would live in the suburbs near a big enough city to get by "Big City" fix whenever I wanted. Or maybe, someday, I'd actually live downtown in an apaprtment. Never did the thought of living somewhere rural enter my mind.

That just goes to show that you better be ready for whatever God has in store when you pray dangerous prayers like "Wherever you need me, Lord, I'm willing to go." Or when you, as a couple, pray for God to open the doors to the right job and the right place when you know your time where you currently reside is coming to an end. He just might surprise you and take you miles away from anything familiar, and everyone you know, and plop you down in the middle of the Panhandle of Nebraska.

End of the Summer Already???

Yesterday it hit me that we are winding down our summer excitement. There's one more trip in store for Titus & the kids, but for me, it's over! What??? This can't be!

We have had amazing adventures this summer, to be sure. It all started with a great trip to see my sister and her family in WI. And then lots of camping and mini-adventures in between. But last week we took the 2nd big trip of our summer. Idaho, via Yellowstone. It was a 7-day packed adventure with over 50 hours in the car together, over 2000 miles logged, and lots of fun-filled adventures. We saw bear, elk, pelicans, antelope, Old Faithful, hot springs, AMAZING waterfalls, and more tourists that I wish to recount driving through Yellowstone over two days. But the highlight of the trip was hanging out with Sarah Joy (Titus' baby sister) and her famiy in Idaho.

The Pacific NorthWest is beautiful! I was taken aback by the tree covered mountains, golden hill, amazing weather, and breathtaking views. We went to Elk River Falls one day and spent a glorious 5 and a half hours swimming in the pool at the base of the falls, and using the water fall as a slide to push us into the pool. It was a day we all look back as one of our highlights for the summer.

But the food, oh, the food! Sarah Joy is an amazing cook and we had delicious meals every day. I have to get the recipes for some of her yummy meals. ]

Mostly, I've just been impressed with how much fun we had and how few meltdowns were present in our 50 hour car ride. Everyone did such a great job. We battled cabin fever in style and even found humor in the little things that usually annoy us. We are catching up on sleep and planning our trip for next year. After the success of this trip, we are considering a 24 hour (one-way) trip next summer. Can we do it? Yep, I think we can!

Great Times

There was a quiet when we walked in the house last night. Titus noticed and commented on it first. Just 12 short hours before the house was filled with laughing and talking and dare I say even a bit of fighting over a DS game. But now it was back to just the two of us. We had dropped the kids off with their mom after spending a week with us in Bridgeport. Our summer schedule is officially in full-swing. But while they were in Bridgeport this past week, it was an adventure filled week to be sure!

We weathered the sever storms Sunday and Monday night just fine. The forecast called for severe storms all week, and storm chasers were in the area just in case something popped up. Fortunately for us, we had a few nights of storms, but mostly just rain and some good thunder and lighting shows. Now we look forward to a bit of warmer weather, and of course, more severe storms coming this weekend. The cycle of the summer weather has begun, I’m afraid.

The weather didn’t keep us down, however. Titus and the kids enjoyed many adventure, and I joined them as often as I could. They climbed to the top of Scotts Bluff Monument twice. The first day they had to ride the bus down due to hail in the area. Bummed by not being able to complete the full loop on Tuesday, Madi decided they had to try again on Wednesday. They were successful the second go round.

Both kids were sworn in as Junior Park Rangers; Madi at Agate Fossil Beds NM and Abe at Ft. Laramie NP. To receive their certificate and badge both had to complete a book full of questions about each of the locations. Answers were found by reading the displays, visiting the sites, and talking with Park Rangers.

We even found time for just hanging out in Bridgeport. We had a campfire, went swimming at the local pool, watched a few movies we picked up at the library, visited the new Dollar & Variety store in town, and walked to the bakery for a doughnut Friday morning.

I think one of the highlights came Saturday night in our own basement. We had to go to plan B when the constant rain spoiled our plans for camping over the weekend. Titus and the kids set up the tent in our basement. It barely fit under the low ceiling and took up nearly one-third of our basement. But we loved it! We filled up the air mattress and brought in two camping cots and all four of us snuggled in and camped in our basement. We even pulled out Titus’ backpacking stove and toasted marshmallows and made s’mores right there next to the tent. We all loved it! Not as nice as the out doors, but fun just the same.

Summer is a great time for Titus and the kids. With having more time off they are all able to take in some more adventures and create more memories. I’m thankful they have this time together and that I get to be a part of it from time to time.

100 Posts and Scary Weather

Woo Hoo! 100 posts on my blog. For some that might not be a big deal. But for this gal, it's a pretty cool thing! I love that I've come to this place 99 other times to post pics, thoughts, and goings-on in my life! My only regret is that I don't have a set up to be more consistent. Maybe that will change in the near future. We can hope anyway, right?

We spent last week on the road and enjoying a great vacation with the kiddos. I will post more on that later once I get a chance to snag some photos off the camera and get somewhere I can upload them! In the mean time, let me share our exciting last couple of days.

Sunday night we were driving home from picking up the kids and heading back to the Panhandle. Just outside of North Platte we saw lighting and clouds up ahead. It looked like a good rain storm. As we got closer and passed by North Platte, we realized that this was a severe storm. We turned on the radio, and sure enough, all the towns we were approaching were under a tornado warning and being told to take shelter. A little freaked out, I pulled an illegal manuever with the car and flipped a U-turn on the interstate and headed back to North Platte. We hustled into the gas station and met an incredibly nice attendant who let us look at her computer for the radar of the storm and park our car out of the way of any hail and camp out in the gas station / Taco Bell until the storm passed. Thankfully the storm went south faster than east and North Platte missed the worst of it and we were back on the road with only an hour delay. The clouds and sunset following the storm were stunning.

Our second encouter with severe weather happened last night. We took the kids to Scottsbluff to print off vacation pictures for a scrapbook and see the movie Marmaduke. While we were watching the previews for the movie the lights in our theatre came on and a manager came in and said that a tornado had been spotted just outside of town and the sirens were going off. We all were ushered in to the hall and they shut down all the lights in the whole complex. Curiosity got the best of us and we wandered toward the front door. The hail, which we could hear hitting the building, and rain and wind made it impossible to see anything out side. Literally, we could not even see the sidewalk right outside the door. We feared the worst for our car. After about 20 minutes the all clear was given. We found our way out to our car to find that it is only slightly dimpled from the hail. Praise God! We watched as the storm headed toward our home town. I called ahead and talked with a friend. As we were on the phone they were heading to a tornado shelter. I could hear the sirens going off through the phone. We decided to stay in Scottsbluff a bit longer and let the storm get through where we were headed. We prayed for safety for all in our town. Thank the Lord everyone and everything is alright today.

Best we can see, the most damage was done in Scottsbluff. Our town, our home, our other car, all seem to be o.k. Our second brush with severe weather and it's only the 2nd week of June. I think it could be a long summer if this keeps up!

Random thoughts for my day

I wonder why there are semi loads of cattle going through Bridgeport today...and where are they going? I laugh everytime I hear the mooing outside as they pass by. This has been going on allday.

I think this summer I will sit at the corner of Hwy 385 & Hwy 92 (aka the main cross streets in Bridgeport) and count how many semi's pass through our town compared to passenger vehicles. My bet is on the semi's outnumbering the passenger vehicles almost 2 to 1.

A passing comment last week still strikes me funny. A gal who works in a building accross the street from me commented that she and the other gals look everyday when I go to the post office to see what kind of shoes I'm wearing. They have noticed my sassy heels. Makes me want to go out and buy even more fun shoes just for entertainment in this small town.

I think today must have been "field trip" day for some of the little tykes at school. Saw a whole troup of them with adults walking from the bakery accross the street this morning. I guess this last week of school not much teaching gets done as everyone is winding down for the year.

Proud is only the tip of the iceburg to describe how I feel about my husband. He's working a lot right now to make up for lack of work from past administrators. Yesterday he worked 15 hours. But all this hard work will pay off in future years as he is setting things up for success.

I'm thrilled to find a mom & pop motel in central Iowa for our overnight stay on our way to WI at the end of next week. I'm easily thrilled these days. Working to keep this trip under budget so we can splurge a bit on a surprise for the kids. Just saved $10 on the budgeted amount for this motel.

Tonight I get my hair cut. Nervous? Yes. Excited? A bit. I am just hoping that this gal can do as good as the last gal. She was great...but now is battling cervical cancer. It's makes me feel super selfish to be disappointed she won't be there to cut my hair. Lord, forgive me! How selfish and self-centered is that thought?

One last random thought. I hope I don't need glasses. In just a few minutes I head to the eye doctor. Hoping they can help me as I've been getting headaches on a daily basis for almost a month now. But really do not want glasses. My husband thinks I should get the exam for 1/2 price as I only have one working eye. I don't think they will go for that! But I love his train of thought!

Last week Titus & I headed to Sidney to exchange something at Cabellas, pick up some groceries at Safeway, and try a new restraunt. We were told it was the "best in Western Nebraska", so of course we had to check it out. Dude's is connected to a bar and dance hall. We didn't go in the right door to start with. OOPS! We got a tour of the bar with pool tables, the smoker's area and the darkened dance hall before we found the right door leading us into the restraunt area.

Once seated at our table, we had a great view of the establishment. The decor was right out of the 1960's, or maybe 1970's. We couldn't decide. But the food, the food was good. We each ordered a sandwich with steak fries. There was not one crumb left on either plate when we were done.

I'm not sure I'd give it the best in Western Nebraska title, but then again, I haven't eaten at too many places in Western Nebraska. I will say this, it was busy, and has always seemed busy every time we've driven by. So I'm sure everything else on their menu is just as good as the prime rib sandwich I tried. I look forward to enjoying more sometime in the near future.

Spring Snow

This morning we woke up to the wet white stuff falling from the sky. I tried to get a picture of my hubby clearing off my car for me, but the camera failed me. I was able to capture this picture before my feet froze to the pavement. Glad I did get a shot when I could. It has already melted away and the weather is just barely starting to warm up.

Settling In

This past weekend was likely the best weekend yet since moving to Bridgeport last September. Titus and I are finding our rythmn in married life. We spent a lot of time relaxing and laughing. It was grand. At one point I looked up at my husband from my spot snuggled by his side and realized that deep down this is what I have always longed for. I am where I belong. We are building a life together, following God as best we can and enjoying the adventure.

Saturday morning started off by sleeping in until nearly 11am. That hasn't happened in a REALLY long time. After a couple of weeks of company, late nights, traveling on the road, and everything coming together at the end of the school year, we were thrilled to have weekend with very little to do.

Once I finally pulled myself out of bed we got to work quickly on the yard. Mowing and turning over flower gardens to plant new, fun, brightly colored flowers kept me busy all morning. Then a quick trip to Scottsbluff and back to Bridgeport for some graduation parties. Before we knew it we were back home, full of all kinds of amazing food from the buffet of delectibles we enjoyed all night. I think our food induced sleeping coma kicked in about 11pm.

Sunday started off in a bit of a rush as we quickly got ready for church. Thankfully it is only three doors down, so in no time we were gathering with new friends and enjoying a time to reflect and draw closer to our Lord. Then it was a quick turn-around for Titus as he had to get to the shcool for graduation - yes, graduation was on Mother's Day. And of course, there were more parties and more food all afternoon. We ended our day around a campfire with good friends. As we went to bed, laughing and smiling, we commented how great it was to have fun and relaxing weekend.

I have decided we are settling in to Bridgeport. While I miss friends and the mountains in CO, there is no doubt that this where we are to be. And I know God has us here for a reason and a purpose. We are already seeing glimpses of that these past few months. I wouldn't change anything about where we are right now...well maybe if we could figure out how to be here and have the kids closer. But we keep praying that God will continue to bless our time with them and work out all those details that are out of our control.

Living the Dream

I thought about this phrase, "Just Living the Dream" this morning as I was getting ready. My friend, and former co-worker, Justin Dillard coined this term. Well, maybe he didn't coin the term, but that's where I picked it up. These days, even on the tough days, that's kind of how I feel.


I have had so many amazing things happen to me in just the last year, that I really am awestruck when I think about it. Within the last twelve months:

*I started dating the love of my life, my hubby, Titus. We were engaged in July and married in September.

*He got an amazing opportunity for a job in NE in June.

*We found a great little house in Bridegport and an awesome apartment for our family in Arapahoe - all to fit within ou budget.

*My parents had a once in a lifetime blessing in the selling of their land to Conoco Phillips in December.

*God has provided for us each and every weekend we have gone to see the kids by providing good road and safe travels...even through one of the toughest winters folks in this area have seen.

*I found an amazing job that is above and beyond what I expected to find as far as pay and hours go in such a small town. And I got the job just two weeks before my wedding. Talk about stepping out in faith. I resigned from the church and made plans to marry and move before I had a job.

*God has provided a church home for us in Bridgeport and Arapahoe...and a new friendship to support the transition.


And I'm sure the list could go on and on. But I'll end it there for now.

All the latest fun...

We have had a great couple of weekends here lately. We have put 3000 miles on our car in 17 days. Let's just say the Willie Nelson song, "On the Road Again" could be the Staples Family theme song these days. Truly, we love it. There are many Sunday nights we drive back into Bridgeport tired and ready to fall into bed. But come the weekend again, we are ready to get back on the road to our next adventure.

Right now our weekend adventures could be categorized into three areas: time with the kids, helping my folks move, and our own adventures. And often these three overlap.

My parents have already moved two trailers full of furniture that is not essential to keep in CO. They have delivered a couch and bed to our apartment in Arapahoe, for which we are incredibly thankful! It is hard to see their home in CO, where I grew up, starting to look bare. I don't know when it will hit me that they no longer own that place and will be out for good in about six weeks. I'm sure the tears will flow when that day comes.

We have had some wonderful adventures with the kids. Geocaching is our big family adventure nearly every weekend. We hop online and look up the GPS coordinates for these hidden treasures. Then we punch the numbers into the GPS, and start tracking them down. So far we have found 115 geocahces. Our goal is 200 by the end of the summer. I am confident we will make it! And this last weekend, for Titus' birthday, we planted two of our own geocaches. One in the park where we pick up the kids, and one where we drop them off. We are excited to see who finds our hidden treasures and see what trinkets they take, and what they leave behind.

As for Titus and I, we have enjoyed the company of great friends from CO the last month or so. We had a great time showing them around our little area, hiking to the top of Scottsbluff Monument, watching basketball games, grilling out, and playing crazy board games. And, after 7 months, finally decorating our home and buying a new couch. This weekend we look forward to hanging out in Kearney with good friends while I go to a Beth Moore event and Titus does whatever it is guys do when the have a free Saturday.

This time of year is like a pressure cooker at the school. The countdown to the end of the year is on, and there are many unfinished projects on Titus' desk. He works hard and I know he will get everything done in time. I just try to keep the home fire burning so that he has a place to land at the end of his long days. We have accepted the fact that our lives are busy and we are embracing each day and each adventure.

Inspiration

The other night I watched the movie Julie & Julia. I am am a fan of Meryl Streep and had heard good things about the movie. Watching the movie made me think of two things. First, I wish I was a better cook. I'm average at best. But I do plan to try some new dishes. But secondly, I am looking for inspiration of my own. Something to blog about - an adventure or challenge to write about regularly. I do enjoy writing and getting my thoughts down on "paper". But as of right now I'm not sure what to blog about.

So until that inspiration comes, I guess I'll keep blogging about the every day life I lead here in the Panhandle of NE!

7 months of adventures

Life has been good the past few months. Today is the 7-month anniversary of my marriage to Titus. I didn't realize that until just now as I was typing. Adventure is one word I would use to describe the first 7 months. Just this past weekend I told him that I would have never imagined the places I would go and all the adventures I would be on. And it all started when I said "yes!"

Our adventures aren't grand like skiing in the Alps or flying all around the globe. Some day we dream that the will include those adventures. But for now our adventures are going to revival services in Loup City, NE. Or taking a day trip into the sandhills to show him where Cody worked. Or grabbing ice cream at the Whoa 'N Go in Broken Bow. Or meeting some of the most wonderful people and sharing time and space with them for a late night snack.

Every adventure in our past seven months has included a map and a game. It's the We-Can't-Take-the-Same-Route-Twice game. No matter where we are going - to pick up the kids or somewhere new - we have to take a different route. Even going and coming to the sandhills this weekend we took a different route. I usually drive because of the funny little condition I inherited from my dad called motion sickness. That leaves Titus to man the map and be the navigator. And he does a fabulous job at it...especially when I'm tired and just want to get to our destination.

We don't spend much time in our little home town. In fact we feel like we have several "home" towns. We have a church and a place to stay at all of them: Arapahoe, Eudora, Bridgeport, and Broomfield. I'd say we are pretty blessed to be doing what we are doing and have so many places filled with comforts of home and friends and family to share it all with. It's not a life for the faint of heart. We are on the road a lot...but we wouldn't have it any other way. When we do have a weekend in Bridgeport we sometimes look at each other and ask, "well, where should we go?" It's in our DNA.

In fact, I've started telling people, it's only a road trip if it's over 4 hours. Anything less is just a commute.

Old jeans fit again

I'm a stress eater. I've known that since I was in high school. I am also a boredom eater. And I love to eat junk food. It's why years ago I decided to not allow any junk food or pop in my house except for special occasions. I have no self-control when I'm bored or stressed and all too soon the food will be gone and those lousy, sick feelings will be left behind. It's just easier that way. But I always compensated by eating drive-thru (which may as well be called "junk food" most of the time) or eating out with friends.

But then I got married and moved to the Panhandle of NE. Here there are no drive-thrus and the only "quick" restaraunt is Subway. And I still don't allow junk food in my house. Except for the Girl Scout cookies which I proceeded to consume in three days flat. I knew my clothes were fitting better. But it wasn't until I tried on a pair of jeans I haven't really been able to wear without feeling like a sausage since...well, I don't remember when. They zipped right up and there was no muffin top. Are you kidding me? Really???

Now, I figure, if I could just get the working out thing and the stop drinking diet pop thing under control...well then who knows what I might look like. Maybe I'd even don a bikini this year. Yeah - let's not get crazy.

Forgiven

Years ago I had someone tell me that marriage will bring out issues and struggles from your past you didn't realize were even inside. Over the past few months, I have found that to be true. And as I have processed through things from my past, this song has taken on new meaning and a deeper sense of truth. In all of this I am increasingly thankful for my Jesus and the forgiveness I have through Him, and for my husband, who loves me through it all. Hopefully, it brings comfort to others as well.


FORVIGEN by Sanctus Real

Well the past is playing with my head
And failure knocks me down again
I’m reminded of the wrong
That I have said and done
And that devil just wont let me forget

In this life
I know what I’ve been
But here in your arms
I know what I am

[chorus]
I’m forgiven
I’m forgiven
And I don’t have to carry
The weight of who I’ve been
Cause I’m forgiven

My mistakes are running through my mind
And I’ll relive my days, in the middle of the night
When I struggle with my pain, wrestle with my pride
Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry

In this life
I know what I’ve been
But here in your arms
I know what I am

When I don't fit in and I don’t feel like I belong anywhere
When I don’t measure up to much in this life
Oh, I’m a treasure in the arms of Christ ‘cause

Six Month Observations

As I close in on six months of marriage, there are a few things that I have observed about myself and my marriage this past half-year. Allow me to share a few.

1.) My husband is the most PATIENT man ever. Period.

2.) All the books I read about relationships and marriage and all the conversations with married friends didn't even scratch the surface on preparing me to live a man.

3.) Secretly, there is a part of me that enjoys making dinners and keeping a home. I just won't admit it yet.

4.) I didn't realize how selfish I can be until I married.

5.) Managing the family calendar is much harder than managing the church calendar.

6.) There is no one on this earth I would rather go on a car ride with than my husband.

7.) The enemy is at work to drive a wedge in our marriage. Prayer and reading the Word is the best weapon against this action.

8.) As much as I want to be, I cannot be a perfect wife.

9.) I will keep working at supporting my husband even when I'm at a loss for where to begin.

10.) Being in the arms of my husband is my favorite way to say good night.

Wrestling & Winter Royalty

I think one of the best things about being married to a high school principal is being able to attend all the events with my husband. These past few months I have been to volleyball games, basketball games, school plays, pep assemblies, football games, parent-teacher conferences, and probably other events I'm forgetting at the moment. I think of all the events I've attended, this past weekend takes the cake!

Saturday morning we went to the District Wrestling meet in Hershey, NE. This is a first for both of us. We have been to a handful of wrestling meets and duals this year - something neither of us experienced before. We really don't know how points are scored, although we figured out pretty quickly that it doesn't matter if you are ahead or beind, if you are pinned, you lose. But back points, reversals, escapes - these are all wrestling terms we don't know. All this said, we have had a blast watching wrestling this year.

First off, the crowd is unique. We love to people watch and these meets have proven to be great places to people watch. Imagine walking into a huge high school gym filled with people on both sides of bleacher. In the middle on the floor are three large wrestling mats. Parents are yelling, coaches are on their feet shouting instruction or encouragement to their wrestler, cheerleaders are sitting cross-legged on the floor chanting cheers, and photographers line the mats ready to capture that perfect shot. Now imagine that times three as this action takes place on three mats. This past weekend determined if someone went to state. The tension and excitement was almost too much to handle at times. On more than one occasion I found I couldn't keep up as I tried to take in all the action going on at the same time. In the end, all the eruptions of cheers and disappointed wrestlers left me exhausted and ready to go home.

After a quick nap, we found ourselves getting ready for the Winter Royalty dance. Other than my Jr. & Sr. Prom, I never attended any other high school dance. I didn't have a date to either prom and I wore the same dress both years. Are you feeling sorry for me yet?

The dance was a blast. Loud music, bright colored and disco lights, and all the students decked out in their best dresses! I loved seeing all the fabulous shoes, which immediately came off as soon as the girls entered the room. All that time and money to find the perfect shoes, and they didn't last past the front door. I even had a chance to dance the last two slow songs with my husband. It was fun!

One small town observance with this all: You know you live in a small town and everyone goes shopping at the same one or two places when you see the same three dresses on more than one girl at the dance.

Five Months Later

This past weekend I realized that Titus and I have been married now for 5 months. That is crazy to me to think about. Just last night I was driving to a banquet a few hours away. My parents were with me and I made a comment about "my husband". It still feels strange to say "my husband."

Life here in the Panhandle is good. We keep busy. Every day. Busy. Titus' job as the principal can be stressful. It is a love / hate relationship. Most days he loves it. But then there are those days that are overwhelming. He basically doubled the number of students and staff from his last school. And with any new job, especially as a prinicpal, there are growing pains as everyone gets used to the new administration and as he learns more about the school and the community. This fall we enjoyed football and volleyball and cheered on our Lady Bulldogs as they went to state with Volleyball. We are just now ramping down basketball and wrestling. Injury and personal issues have led to a somewhat disappointing finish for both the boys and girls basketball teams. But it was a fun season to watch. And we have both learned many things about wrestling we never knew before.

I have 5 months under my belt with my job at the dental clinic. It has kept me busy and I have learned more about oral health and the importance of taking care of your teeth than I ever imagined I would. I am an avid flosser now! It's amazing what seeing some folks so young being fitted for dentures will do for motivation to take care of my teeth! I have been so blessed to have a very generous boss and a schedule that works perfectly for my time with Titus. With Fridays off I am able to maintain (somewhat) a home and get things ready for our weekends with the kids.

Speaking of the kids. They are doing great! We go down to see them every other weekend. We are always amazed how God works things out for us. We have had clear roads and safe trips every time. We have a two bedroom basement apartment in Arapahoe, NE. It is a great place for us to land when we are down there. Very cozy and lots of room. And we like the area. My parents are retiring to Arapaphoe this spring...so soon we will see Nana & Papa twice a month. The kids are excited to get to see them more often as well.

Life in Bridgeport has settled into a bit of a routine - if such a thing could truly exist in our lives. We are feeling more and more at home here and think we may have found a church we can start to get connected with and call home. We have been craving that for so many months...but again, on the road so much has not allowed us the time to get into that routine.

For now, we are thankful for good jobs, good bosses, God's provision in every area of our lives, and each other. We lean on Him and lean on one another to get through the craziness that is our lives right now. Truly - we are so blessed.