Survey About Us October 26, 2010

I am posting this for the following reasons: I love surveys, I love talking about us, and I had nothing to blog about at the moment. I am hesitant to post stuff like this on facebook though to a bunch of judgmentalist…loving coming up with new words!  And people are probably not interested.  Anyhoo…I’m supposed to answer these questions about Richard, that sweet guy I married and get to hang out with every day. So here it is

What are your middle names?
Richard’s middle name begins with an “S” and he would die if announced the rest of that to the world. My middle name is Marie.  People used to assume I was spanish 90% of the time especially when my maiden name was Crews.  Gah! If those people could have only met me.  LOL!

How long have you been together?
We have been married 4 years but together 6.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
About 6 months

Who asked whom out?
I guess he asked me out.  He even cooked me dinner on our first date and even held my hand that first night.  I knew I wouldn’t be holding any other mans hand after that date.

How old are each of you?
I’m 31 and Richard is 39.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Mine.  She lives across the woods from us and I work with her.  His brother lives a few states away.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Work, I think, just in general. We both have jobs great jobs, but they require a lot of time and stress.  It can really take a toll on a relationship.   And deciding on what money goes towards what is sometimes difficult but we really try to work well together on that spectrum of marriage. 

Did you go to the same school?
Nope. He went to University of Arkansas and got a degree in Management.  I went to AR State and got a degree in English Literature to teach.  Of course he’s 8 years older so we would have never met in college anyhow.  And I was in like 4th grade living in Oklahoma when he was a senior in high school here in Arkansas!  LOL!

Are you from the same home town?
Nope.  He grew up here in Sheridan and I grew up way out in Oklahoma.

Who is smarter?
I’m definitely more book smart oriented in all English type things but he’s great at math.  We both did well in school. We both have a lot of common sense.

Who is the most sensitive?
Definitely me.  I can tune up and cry or get mad over just about anything within seconds and be over it just as quickly.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Chili’s.  We love us some salsa.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Probably to his brothers home in Wilmington North Carolina.  That was a LONG drive.

Who has the craziest exes?
Hmm…we don’t talk much about past relationships.  I definitely had some tendencies to date bad boys and he definitely didn’t date any good girls. 

Who has the worst temper?
There are those people who just let stuff not bother them?  Those people who never get worked up over stuff that happens?  Who never want to win the fight or argument?  One of us is that kind of person. And that one person? Is not me.

Who does the cooking?
I do most of the cooking, but he always helps me clean up.

Who is the neat-freak?
Me again.  I can’t stand clutter, junked up, filthy homes.  Cleaniness is next to Godliness, right?

Who is more stubborn?
We are both terribly stubborn.  We can wage some serious debates.

Who hogs the bed?
Me…I like the middle.

Who wakes up earlier?
This one floats.  Right now he has to get up earlier but that could change in 6 months.  Who knows!

Where was your first date?
He cooked me dinner and then we watched “The Notebook”.  

Who is more jealous?
I’m not sure.  I don’t really get jealous and if he does he never shows it.

How long did it take to get serious?
It got serious from days one.  We loved each other immediately.

Who eats more?
Definitely Richard.  He can eat a big dinner and then have a bowl of ice cream afterwards.  Yuck!

Who’s better with the computer?
Richard.   I can do some things like ctrl, alt, delete and hold the button until it turns off. 

Who drives when you are together?
Me on long trips.  If you let me behind the wheel you better not need to potty.

Who does the laundry?
Both of us.  I tend to get it going and fold it.  He will put it away while I start up another load.  Or sometimes I do it all or he does it all.

So there you go! Way more information about us than you were ever interested in. Now go answer the questions about yourselves so I can be nosy

Good Things In September October 8, 2010

Well I would have done this a while back but the calendar is MIA. So this won’t be a daily play by-play but instead a collaboration of all we did in the month of September. The things I can remember anyhow.

First and foremost at the beginning of the month we took an amazing trip to Colorado for our 4th Anniversary. Seriously it was amazing and I want to go back today. I loved every minute of the trip even after all that time I spent worrying over my fear of heights. God gave me comfort even in our Rocky Mountain drive because the beauty of all He did for us is so breathtaking I had no time to think about it. I marveled at his handiwork instead of fretting over falling off the edge of the mountain lined in Aspens with no railing.

We stayed in Broomfield which is only about 10 minutes north of Denver. We arrived after the sun had set so we didn’t get to experience the awe of seeing the mountains for the first time until the next morning. Oh the next morning as I pulled the curtain back in our hotel room. The mountains were the only thing I could see for miles. You seriously can not stop staring at them. They demand attention.

Denver was lovely in all its city-fied-ness. I prefer a big city normally but not after seeing those mountains. I wanted to be in them. I wanted to get as close as possible and take tons of pictures.  However a camera just can’t capture something that perfect. You can not sit here on a blog writing about it either because its unexplainable. It is perfected by God and isn’t meant to be captured in a camera. You have to experience it in person. Everyone should at least once in their life experience and marvel at the wide open spaces lined by the mountains.

So that is all I can remember about September until the calendar page is found. Colorado. Enough said.

Not So Silent Sunday September 20, 2010

**I decided to change the name since 99% of the time I end up bringing my own thoughts into whatever I have decided to post.  So from now on its a “Not So Silent Sunday”.  Amen.  Ha!

I have been reading a devotional everyday for the past couple of months by the lovely Beth Moore.  The most recent devotional had the following verse:

“Greet one another with a kiss of love.” 1 Peter 5:14

I was thinking about that verse this morning at church during our time of greeting and honestly no one would ever think about literally walking up to another person and giving them a kiss in this generation.  For one I know my husband would freak out and two I don’t particularly like the thought of it myself.  I seriously doubt God meant for us to walk up and give the person next to us a smooch other than a slight peck on the cheek.  

However in my own family on my mothers side they are very open about the greeting with a kiss.  Her second to oldest brother, Charlie, his family is all Catholic and I can’t remember a time visiting that each one didn’t kiss my cheek.  I’m not sure it has anything to do with being Catholic since my brother in law, Chris, his family is of that religion and they do not greet this way.  Who knows maybe they just like smooches in my uncles family?

Anyway I was thinking about this verse today because I was much more aware at church of how people tend to greet one another.  Most definitely handshakes are involved and the sort of half hug handshake deal but never is it what I would call warm or brotherly.  Its almost thoughtless.  And  honestly there is not many that take time to greet me and its probably because I choose to remain in my pew instead of wandering the aisles.  BUT they do tend to greet Richard which is fine because hey he’s a sweet guy who married a somewhat shy not so sweet sometimes sort of girl.   I never witnessed anyone giving a brotherly kiss though.  I’m guessing those days are LONG gone in this world.

My point is this…I do have one…promise.  You can really tell a lot about a person on how they greet you or others.  You can see it in their expression and how they speak to others.  I think God intended for us to greet one another warmly and kindly.  I think he probably wants us to be humble in our greeting and gracious even if its someone you feel is your enemy.  I know myself that I have enemies and I still greet them kindly because that’s what my mama told me to do.  I think it makes them feel not so tense and maybe they feel more important and maybe they don’t feel so threatened?  It put the wind back in our sails, right?

So my question in regards to the verse.  How do you greet others?  Do you even think about your body language towards that person?  Is it different when its someone you know or if its only an acquaintance?  It could make or break their impression of you and I honestly feel we don’t think about it enough.  Do you?

Silent Sunday September 13, 2010

“I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Philippians 4:11

This verse for some reason stood out to me this week.  Richard and I have unusual circumstances right now with his work and its hard.  It’s really hard.  What makes it even harder is when other people in our lives who really don’t know us or they don’t know me particularly well tend to not exactly judge us but make assumptions.  It makes me feel emotionally bankrupt sometimes to know that someone has assumed something that isn’t true and isn’t the situation at all.  

We had a few comments about why we haven’t been at church and honestly its no ones business really.  They make it sound as if never darken the door.  It’s actually opposite and what makes it even harder to swallow is the persons that made the comments hardly ever darkens the door.  It’s as if they do one thing at church such as teach a class to be showy and not because it’s a gift.  I seriously think teaching is a gift as is playing the piano or running the sound system.   Sad thing is sometimes those people don’t do the showy very well because they don’t show up!   

And all right I’m a hot head people you never know what you’re going to get sometimes with me or what I might say about it.  If you really knew me  you would know this as true.  Unfortunately 95% of the people in this town don’t know me well because 99% of my life is spent in the city.  They know me as Richards wife which is great but it can really bug sometimes.  

You can’t know a person because you have seen them for 1 hour of a morning worship service from across the room of a very big auditorium.  You can’t know a person because you are on their Facebook or other social media outlet.  You simply can’t know someone this way.  And its funny sometimes the people who really know me and laugh at something I said because most of my status’ are observations I’ve made by something I’ve seen.  I have lots of random thoughts.  And there is the other 1/8 of people who are simply using me as a Facebook “friend” to bring up their number of friend status.  It’s that group that think I’m being judgemental.  There is a huge difference between a judgement and an observation.  And aren’t you being the judge and jury if you are judging what my status says?  It’s all really ridiculous and I should probably delete them.  What can I say though its funny to ruffle feathers at times and that includes my own family. 

So let me focus back on the verse.  I am content with my circumstances even though people are rude sometimes.  I’m happy and sad at times over our current situation but we brave it.  And we all know people who are content with making us miserable in life and most of those people need a change of heart more than a change in circumstance.  God really won’t allow us to go on for very long in that matter.  Sometimes it makes us not fully enjoy God’s presence and word because we may not be spending adequate time with Him, but you know what we are content for now. 

Sometimes I simply get tired of fighting the good fight. I can’t muster up the energy to please everyone anymore and to hang on to making sure everyone is happy.  I trust in my Christ and know that he will gather me up and renew my strength even when the going gets tough.  Any circumstance he throws at us I know that we are strong as a couple and know that we can face it together.  I pray every night that others have that same bond as a couple.

Silent Sunday September 5, 2010

I missed having a Silent Sunday last week due to being completely away from a computer for a solid week.  The song I picked today became a favorite of mine a long time ago.  It was the first hymn I was taught to play on the piano and I am told its because this was my maternal grandmother,Eula’s, favorite hymn.  Church sometimes makes me sad because it is rare in my generation that the music minister makes it a point to include a hymn from the actual hymnal.  The next generation after me is completely missing out on some very moving songs with some very moving words.  We did sing a common hymn (in my opinion) a few Sundays back and I swear not one young person knew the words well enough to attempt singing it.  So sad!

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Robert Robinson

Come, Thou fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call or songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of God’s unchanging love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I come.
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger Wand’ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood.

Oh, to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy grace, Lord, like a fetter, Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.

Four Years Later…

**This post was constructed over a week ago**

 

I woke up this morning from a night full of dreaming. Not bad dreams but strange dreams. I slept so soundly but my mind raced with thoughts all night. When I woke up the feeling of anxiety from all the dreaming reminded me of exactly how I felt a year ago today…

Four years ago I was at the end of planning for our wedding, it was the day before our rehearsal dinner, and I felt completely anxious. When its the day before your rehearsal I think you realize that there really isn’t anything else you can do but pray it all comes together as you had planned it. You realize that if something was forgotten you have to move on and not think about what you left out. You realize that the something you forgot isn’t nearly as important as what you thought. And then you wonder how this day arrived this quickly and wasn’t it only 8 months ago that he was down on his knee proposing to you?

I looked down at my engagement ring this time last year and the wedding suddenly didn’t matter to me at all. The only thing that mattered was this amazing man that God made only for me and that God had put us together at the exactly right time in our lives.

We met by chance 6 years ago this coming November through an online website called E-Harmony. Most people find that unbelievable to hear but its true. We were matched up and almost instantly began talking via instant messenger. Instant messenger turned into phone calls. We didn’t know if we would ever meet, but with those phone calls we learned more about one another. I found out that he lived only 1/2 mile from my sisters home and that he attended the same church. I was already planning to move to that area and had already bought my first home in that town.   All of that happened before I even knew he lived there and would only be a stones throw away. 

 

And honestly I was actually dating someone at the time of us meeting and had been for quite some time.  It didn’t occur or even matter to me what that might do to the other person I was dating.  All I knew was that I was supposed to be with Richard.   Amazing how much clarity God gives when the time is right.

 

Some people don’t believe in love at first sight and honestly I was one of them until one day in June of 2005 I was proved wrong.  I mean there were other times I felt I loved someone but never like being IN love with someone.  I knew immediately when I met Richard that he was the one.  It was this strange eye locking moment and we both had the same weird gushy feelings.  Who ever thought that a short 6 months later we would be engaged and then 8 months after that we would be married?   BUT here we are 4 years into this marriage of ours and I still get the same gushy love feelings every time he looks at me that certain way.  I don’t think that will ever change. 

 

I would do all of it all over again if I had to and I know God would put us right back in the exact same situation. 

Happy Anniversary to us! 9-2-10.

Tuesday Twinkle Of Me on a Wednesday…Things I Collect July 22, 2010

1) Soda Cans-I do this mainly at work.  Many of the fellow co-workers love their sodas and I finally set up a special trash can area in my cube for cans.   As soon as we have a good load we take them to the recycle center and they give us cash.  Seriously its not much but it adds up quickly when you do it all year!  Last year within 2 months I had made $70 for my Change Angel at Arkansas Childrens which is my main goal when collecting said soda cans.  People thats pretty good considering its someones dirty soda can.

2) Buttons-its almost like when you were a kid and your grandpa collected marbles well I like buttons.  They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and they look great in decorative bottles.  I admit that many find their way into my dresser from those plastic baggies that come with new clothes.  I can never throw them away. 

3) Useless Kitchen Gadgets- I use a lot of them but some of them such as that corn cutter I purchased last month has yet to have the tag taken off.  Last year it was a cherry pitter and last week it was this set of really cute mini spatulas in different colors.   I figure at some point I will have every little gadget from Williams Sonoma. 

4) Old Paper and Cards-I love stationary.  I love buying new stationary to send people letters or notes on ACTUAL paper with a stamp.  I love buying address stamps the kind you have to use real ink pads to press the stamp onto that will then press whatever color onto the envelope.  I love keeping every Christmas, birthday, and every in between card people send to us.  I love paper.

5) Light-up Christmas houses- this love first started when I was a teenager and my mother collected the Dickens Village houses.  She started buying me a house every year in the Christmas in the City line of houses.   They were my favorite when they came out with that line because I love BIG cities.  Love them and now I can look at these replica buildings of them any time I want to because I have them.  And they light up!

Now our office at home the one with the walk-in closet is FULL of my collection.  I love them and had once actually put a few on Ebay to sale because I had duplicates, but it seriously nearly broke my heart.  I know duplicates but what if something happened to my other one and they didn’t make that one anymore?  Richard keeps promising that he will build me something to display them on during the holidays.  I’m still waiting. 

 

That’s all I have for now.  There is always more.  Lord help us all.