T.G.I.F.

It's Friday! That makes me very happy - mostly because that means I get the weekend to spend with Josh. I love having him home on weekends and getting to spend quality time with him. It's so much fun! I'm not sure exactly what our plans are for the weekend, but I'm sure we'll figure out something fun to do. It's always fun to be random and do things on the spur of the moment.

I got a lot accomplished today as far as organizing and cleaning the apartment. I washed dishes, finished up laundry, straightened up a little more, folded and put all the clothes away, and even sorted through some of my college things and got rid of some of the stuff I don't need anymore. I feel like I made a little bit of progress, so that's definitely a plus. I still have a lot more to do, but every little step is a great one.

Anyways, just figured I'd write a little on here before Josh got home. I have to go start dinner though. We're having pineapple glazed pork chops and green beans. Should be good, but we shall see how it turns out. Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the break from work!

- Jenn

Organizing

I got in a weird mood today - the mood to organize. That might not seem weird to you, but it is to me. You see, I seldom have things very organized and if you looked at our apartment you would see that. Organization is just not my thing a.k.a. I stink at it! It bothers me when things aren't organized, but I'm just not very good at it so I usually leave things go.

Anyways, I was sitting here looking at the apartment today and realized just how unorganized things are and decided I need to do something about it. I started off by putting some things away that were laying around. It's not much but it's a start.

Now I'm sitting here looking at our closet (which is semi-organized, but not enough for my liking), Josh's desk (which has things stacked on it), our bookshelf (which has books and random things filling it), and the rest of our room (which just isn't cutting it organizationally). Looking at these things is starting to bother me so I want to do something about it. The problem is I don't know where to begin or where to put things so that their organized better. In a little apartment with minimal storage space, it's kind of hard to keep things need and organized.

Anyways, my question is do you have any tips for organizing a small, cramped apartment? If you do they would be greatly appreciated! Being at home in an organizational disaster is driving me crazy so any tips or suggestions on how to improve would be welcome. Just let me know if you have any ideas. Thanks!

I'm off to see what else I can do around here before Josh gets home from work...

- Jenn

A Healthier Us

Josh and I have started a diet and exercise plan. We officially started it on Monday and it's been going pretty well. It's hard to get used to a new way of living, but I know that it's definitely worth it.

Josh started working out with his SSgt last Saturday. He set him up with an exercise routine. It's a really good workout and I'm sure that it'll be good for him and will push him physically. I'm still working on what exactly I want my workout routine to be. If you have any suggestions, let me know. I'm not good with knowing what exactly to do.

As far as eating healthier, that's going to be fun. We have been doing good this week so far though, granted it's only been three days. We're eliminating all carbs after 4pm (so no carbs for dinner or after) and are adjusting our diet before hand. I can already see a difference in how I feel just from these few days of eating differently and working out a little.

So, hopefully this will all go towards making a healthier us. It's going to be a challenge, but it'll be well worth it. We have each other for support, which is definitely good. I also have my friend Emily for support, as she's working on losing weight too. Right now I have a short term goal of losing 24 pounds by my 24th birthday which is on March 24th. I think this is a pretty reasonable goal since you always lose more weight when you first start. So we'll see how that works out.

Anyways, cheers to a healthier us! I pray that we'll have the will power and stamina to keep working at this and to stick with it!

- Jenn

Being a Good Wife

Being a wife is something that I always dreamed of. Of course most girls dream of it from the time they are young. It's weird though how it seems that you're a carefree kid one day and then the next day you're married with a husband. I've been honored enough to be a wife for almost a year and a half now. I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Though I love being married and love being a wife, it is difficult at times. It's hard for me to believe people, including Josh, when they tell me that I'm doing an amazing job. I know deep down inside that I'm trying my best, but I also think that there's so much more that I can be doing for my husband and so many things that I can be doing better at. I guess part of the reason I don't believe people is because of my stubbornness - which isn't a good thing. I need to start listening to them when they tell me I'm doing great, especially listening to my husband when he tells me that I'm doing a wonderful job.

Being married is definitely fun though. It's a never ending adventure and you never know what each day will bring. It's spending each day with your best friend and waking up next to them each morning. It's a giant learning and growing process, one which never stops. It's definitely cool to see how much you learn through marriage. As a couple we've already learned a lot since we got married. Some of these things include how to better communicate with each other (which we're continually learning), what each other wants and needs, how to serve each other better, and so much more. God's continually teaching us new things and showing us how to better love and serve one another. Marriage does require work, but it's definitely fun work and it's well worth it.

Anyways, back to the whole being a wife thing. I guess before I got married I never realized all of the things that a wife does and all of the things that a husband does. It always seems so "easy" on movies and you just lounge around with the love of your life without a care in the world. Maybe I'm just naive or maybe I'm just not observant, but it's taken me awhile to realize these things. Now I know that wives clean the house, do the dishes, do the laundry, pay the bills, cook, support their husbands in every way possible, help their husbands in every way and ensure his needs are met, and so much more. On the other hand husbands do a whole lot too. They go to work and work hard every day, help clean around the house, help with dishes and laundry, support their wives and ensure that her needs are met, and so much more. These are just how things are done around our house (as far as who does what), and to think that there's not even kids added into the mix yet is a crazy thought.

Now I don't want this to sound like a negative post or sound like I don't like being a wife or doing the things I need to do around the house. I was just thinking about how we often times don't realize what it means to be "all grown up" and to have the responsibility of being married and taking care of a home. So I wrote about it. I surely love being married and love serving my husband and doing everything for him! I just want to make sure that I'm always being a good wife for him and always finding ways that I can be even better. Being a wife is an honor and I love each second of it - even if it does require work!

- Jenn

On This Day In 2007...

On this day in 2007, I didn't know that my life would never be the same again. Let me take you to where I was on this day in 2007....

It was January 18th. I was just starting the second semester of my junior year in college. I was single. I was semi-content with where I was (or so I thought). I was roommates with my best friend, Emily. I had several close friends at school. I was happy for the most part.

Then my friend Eddie told my roommate and I about this new guy. This new guy, this Marine, was gonna be his roommate. New guy came around. He joined several of us at school to play games that night. We played Dutch Blitz and Apples to Apples. I sat across the table from him. We all thought he was a "bad boy". I thought he had the most gorgeous blue eyes and a great personality. He also had an amazing smile. I thought there was more to "new guy" than just a "bad boy". I wanted to be friends with him and get to know him better. It was January 18, 2007. This new guy had caught my attention...

... and we all know where it went from there. This new guy's name was Josh. From the time he initally caught my attention I was intrigued by him. We quickly became friends and started to get to know each other better. Before we knew it we were falling for each other. Then we were dating. Then we were in love. Then we were talking about spending forever together. Then we were engaged. And finally we were happily married - and still are today.

It's funny how God brings people into your life at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected ways. He brought Josh and I together at the perfect time, the time that He had planned all along. It's hard to believe that it's been three years since we first met! In one way it seems like just yesterday, but at the same time it feels like we've known each other forever. I'm so thankful for every moment that He's given to us together and I look forward to many more together in the future. I'm so thankful for the "new guy", the "bad boy", the blue eyed prince who I met three years ago today! I'm thankful for all he is to me and for God's provision of the perfect husband for me!

- Jenn

We Are Family

I decided to give it a go again at posting a picture on I Heart Faces weekly photography contest. This week's theme is "We Are Family" and is all about capturing families together. So I've decided to use a picture that I took of my sister at the hospital after having her son (in September 2008). The picture captures the love of a mother and the joy of being a big sister. It's a beautiful family moment in my opinion.

- Jenn

I've Got Haiti On My Mind

I woke up this morning in a comfortable bed, in a warm apartment, with a roof over my head. I could look outside and see the sun shining, houses standing, and people around. I could take a warm shower, get a drink from the faucet, and a eat a decent breakfast. I had clothes to put on my body and shoes to put on my feet. I was living in America, a land where we have everything that we can ever want and so much more.

As I sat in bed this morning, images of little faces came to my mind. Little faces just like these ones...



As I thought of the children of Haiti, I couldn't help but weep. Little boys like this one...



... now lived in a town that was devastated by an earthquake and looked like this.

Here I am living in America in my comfortable apartment and here are these poor, innocent children living in a country that's been devastated beyond what it had already been. I couldn't help but cry and pray for them and for their families, who I am sure are still in shock as to what has happened to them.

It's at times like these that we often ask "Why God?". Why would God let this happen to a country who was already so poor? Why would God let this happen to these people? Although those questions go through our minds and will probably never be answered, I know that God has let this happen for a reason. Already, He has opened up the eyes of the world to a country that is almost always forgotten by many. He has opened up our eyes to their hurting and their needs.

As I sat this morning and thought about Haiti, I just wanted to go there are wrap my arms around the people. I wanted to sit with a child who's hurt and confused - just to hug them and cry with them and tell them how much I love them and how much God loves them. I wanted to wrap my arms around the woman who is searching for her family and be there to comfort her. I wanted to be there to love these people and to help them sort through all that has happened.

And although I can't be there in person right now, I am comforted to know that there are others who can. There are Christians in the country who can tell them about God. There are people there who can comfort them through this horrendous tragedy. And above all, there's a God in Heaven who will wrap His loving arms around each and every one of them.

So as I sit here typing this, though I wish I could help these people in person, I know that there are things I can do from right here. First of all, I can pray for these people and pray for the relief workers who are there or who are heading there. Prayer is probably the best thing that I can do right now. Second of all, I can give money to be sent to help the people in Haiti recover from this. This month I've been doing an Eat From the Pantry Challenge to save money on groceries. I can give the money that I save to those in need in Haiti.I'll be donating that money to Compassion International to help them reach the people of Haiti. Though it doesn't seem like much, every bit helps.

I know these people will be on my heart and mind for a long time. I pray that through this tragedy God will work in people's hearts and lives and that He'll use all of this for His honor and glory. I pray that our eyes will continue to be opened to the needs of those throughout the world.

- Jenn

How You Live

Great song with a great message!

- Jenn

What I Want vs. What God Wants

I often times find myself thinking about what I want or what I think that I need. As I've been thinking these things I've been reminded that it's not about me. If I sat down and made a list of the things that I want and/or need, it would look something like this...

• A job
• A bigger apartment or a house
• To live close to my family and friends
• To start a family of our own
• To lose weight so that I can look and feel better

... and the list would go on and on. But I've realized that it's not about me, it's about God. I'm reminded that God has promised to supply all of my needs not all of my wants. Even though it's so hard to remember this and to cling to this, it's something that I need to do.

To be honest with you, I've been discouraged and sad lately. I graduated a month ago and had an interview for a job which I thought was perfect for me and felt confident that I would get it. It turns out that I didn't get it. I know that this was God's plan, but I was discouraged that it didn't work out. Since then I've been looking for a job without a whole lot of luck. I found out today that to substitute in the public schools I need to have my state certification in my hands. I don't have that yet - it's still being processed. Because of that I can't sub yet. Yet again I find myself discouraged, but I'm being reminded that it's not about what I want - it's about what God wants. In his timing He'll provide the perfect job for me.

Since I've been sitting around the house because of my lack of employment, I've also found myself having a pity party that our apartment "isn't big enough" and "there's not enough space to store things" and just wishing we could live in a different place. I haven't been sitting here thanking God for providing us with a place to live that is warm and gives us a roof over our heads. Again, I've been focusing on what I want instead of what He wants.

I can continue to elaborate on my list of things that I want and how they've been on my heart and mind lately, but I won't. Instead I'll try to begin looking more at the things that God wants instead of the things that I want. It's a hard thing to do, but it's something that I need to continue working on. Afterall, my existence isn't about me, it's all about Him!

- Jenn

It's Been Awhile...

It definitely has been awhile since I actually wrote out a blog post that had some meaning to it. Of course the past several months have been quite hectic with student teaching, holidays, graduation, and more. But now I am going to try to get back into a normal blogging routine. I like to blog - but I just haven't really had the time to do it.

Let's see what's been going on lately....

First of all, I finished my student teaching and graduated from college. It's hard to believe that 5 1/2 years of college are over and I am now a graduate with 2 bachelors degrees - one in Bible and one in Education. Graduation was a great day! It was a nice simple ceremony and I had 7 people there cheering me on (aside from friends and people who work at the school). After graduation we went out to dinner at the Olive Garden and then went to my in-law's house for dessert and hanging out. My mom, dad, sister, nephew, husband, mother-in-law, and father-in-law were all there for me on graduation day. Others would have been there but were unable to be. It was definitely a blessing!

Second, I am officially on the job hunt now. I had an interview for a long term subbing position which I didn't get. But now I am looking for other positions. I haven't found anything yet, but I know that in God's time I will find the perfect job.

Third, Christmas has obviously come and gone. It was definitely a great Christmas. We went to my in-laws' house on Christmas eve and spent time with them, as well as my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. We exchanged gifts there, had dinner, and watched a movie. It was a lot of fun. On Christmas morning Josh and I opened our gifts at home together. It was a blessing to spend our second Christmas together. On Christmas afternoon we headed up to my parents' house for the rest of the weekend. My sister and her fiance hosted our whole family at their house for a great dinner. Then we opened gifts and visited with family. It was a great Christmas all around!

Of course the New Year has also come. It's hard to believe that it's 2010 already! Time sure does fly! I'm eager to see what God has in store for us this New Year. There are alot of things on our hearts and minds and alot of decisions to make, but it's exciting to see where God is going to take us and to see what He is going to do in and through us!

I guess that's about it for today. Hopefully I'll be better at blogging now that I have more time!

- Jenn