New York, New York, What a Wonderful Town . . . ;)

Here is a cluster (or, more like a CLUMP) of pictures from our first day trip to Manhattan.

We started out with a ferry ride from Staten Island into the city - we saw the lovely Lady Liberty from the boat and the spectacular city in the distance.

We landed in Battery Park - featuring Statue of Liberty mimes

Oh yes, and a Thanksgiving turkey strutting his stuff.

Lamps at dusk

This was a statue of an eagle, dedicated to all those who had died at sea

I think that I remember this was an art museum - bordering the park

This mission was crammed next to a high skyscraper and it just made us smile -

Times Square -

we passed by where they shoot "Goodmorning America" :)

This store CAUGHT my EYE - GREAT AMERICAN CHOCOLATE COMPANY?! YUM!!!

We walked by this little church that seemed the only serene spot in the bustling city - it also had this weird 'root' sculpture that didn't seem to go with the rest of the architecture. . .hmmm

Umm . . . roots can't grow in cement. . .

Here we are on Wall Street - Haven is posing with Washington ;) I personally think my husband is better looking ;)

I loved this particular scene of Washington praying. The fact that it was such a central part of the Wall Street square really stood out to me -

And we wandered by Carnegie Hall - awww, shucks, didn't have golden tickets to get in though ;)

And, speaking on golden things, well, and diamonds . . .

Gotta take the dog for a run - more to come . . . stay tuned ;)

Sandy Hook, NJ

On our second day, we explored our surroundings, beginning with Sandy Hook, on the coast of New Jersey.

In Navesink

It was a beautiful day for exploring, and the sites were awesome.

After we drove around the coast for a while, we headed to Staten Island and met the Manhattan ferry. . .

stay tuned, more to come!

New Jersey

Haven took me here for our anniversary weekend-

it was a peaceful and quiet rambling victorian, 3 blocks from the Atlantic. It was about 2 hours from PA, and about an hour from New York city. Coming on an 'off season' time, we had the place pretty much all to ourselves :) My only regret was not taking enough pictures - the website is pretty neat though.

Bed

Sitting Room / Parlour

and, of course, Breakfast! :)

(he was laughing at me for taking pictures of our food - hey, can I help it? It was LOVELY!)

More to come . . .

Gotta get back to my baby . . .

Boy, I'm a zombie right now, gotta go to bed!

See ya'll next week - I will be back Tuesday!

Sweet Memories

Our Second Wedding Anniversary is coming up, but, as we will be on the east coast that day, I have to do a little posting ahead :)

~ *~

October 8th, 2005 was a precious day for us. I married my Haven, and I thank God for these 2 years He has given us together & I cannot wait for many many more!

Lord, can you send me a rainbow?

As I sit here, waiting for a rainstorm to pass by, I pray for a rainbow. A day full of sorrow should only end in a rainbow.

A rainbow is the symbol of a promise, a covenant that God made with Noah and his family after they endured 40 days and nights, tucked safely inside an ark. Even though they were safe from the rain and devastation going on all around them, I am sure that they wanted to get out of that wooden box many times. Imagine how it probably reeked with all the animals and the lack of privacy and plumbing probably drove one to the brink of insanity. And yes, it was probably really crowded. I can imagine how one would want to come up for fresh air any chance they could get. I am sure there was some grumbling. At least from the bears.

I guess that is how I am feeling right now. Trapped in an ark, dying for some fresh air. I don't want to sound like I am completely miserable either. Those who were on the boat knew that there was a greater good going on. Something that they could not see. And I feel like I have no idea what is going on, and yet, I know that God is working something greater than what I can see.

But I want that same phenomenally simple trust in God that Noah and his family had. To trust God to build an ark while the world mocked you. To trust God while you hoarded 2 of each kind of animal, then shoved your own family aboard. To trust God to direct a huge boat to where He wanted it. To trust Him to lead you to a better place, a place where He knew you would grow the best.
To trust Him that everything going on has a purpose, and a plan. To trust my life to His control. To trust Him when I take on something that is completely out of my comfort zone, to trust Him when He calls me to be patient, joyful, and enduring. To trust Him that He'll move me from the ark to dry land when He so deems.

And to trust Him to bring a rainbow.

Forecast - these grey clouds are gonna clear, baby

Its a drizzly day here. I just finished one last sip of a cranberry/sprite concoction flooded with crushed ice. Nothing hits the spot like a chilled and refreshingly juicy drink.

I can't really say that I have had a productive morning. Then again, I have not been lazy either. I had to get up before the sun to go to a leader's meeting and fellowship for BSF. . . it was a big mistake not to make coffee before I left the house. For 3 1/2 hours, I struggled to stay awake through singing, praying, training, and sharing time. I have a tendency to overestimate my energy levels, apparently. I think that I also forget that I am NOT in college anymore, and late-nite studying is not an option for me anymore.

You live and learn, I guess.


Anyway, I am giddy . . .

My hubby is flying me out to see him next weekend and I am so excited. He has a way of always surprising me even if I know what the plan is. :) I know we are going to have a day to spend in New York, and we'll probably be staying in New Jersey. Other than that, I am kind of clueless. What a fun way to spend our anniversary! Together!!!

A little Night Music

Screechy cicadas and throaty frogs, swooping owl wings, and my dog's heavy, excited breathing.

Nothing like an evening walk on a hot indian summer night.

With a pearl white moon illumating the way, I prod a 'gotta-take-a-pit-stop-every-ten-steps' pup along a broken weedy sidewalk. I try to help him ignore the scuffle of dogs behind backyard fences and the blindingly bright headlights of cars passing by. Kinda to no avail - I guess its kind of exciting being a dog in this neighborhood.

As we were walking, I was trying to work through a period of silence, kind of similar to a hard swallow. . . trying to think of ways to be a more encouraging wife, trying to overcome over 1,000 miles of distance.

I wish that I could get to my husband like I can get across 15 blocks south and 2 blocks east 30 minutes later. I wish I had a way to forward time like I can skip commercials with DVR. I wish I had a more patient spirit that would even pour out onto my hurried dog-walking.

Even my little dog is teaching me a lesson. The art of slowing down and actually enjoying the moment. In his case, that means never losing wonder in chasing hopping frogs. . .

Maybe I am not connecting the dots when it comes to getting to my husband. But it does come back to being patient, for that is surely required these days.

God is ever benevolent in making the days go by faster, all that He is requiring is to face each with hope and joy. There are only 24 hours each day, and only 7 days in each week. A week more will bring us to 3 more days and then a three or four hour plane trip to visit him. Oh yeah, and a heck of a celebration of 2 years of marriage.

But as for tonight, I am going to enjoy every hour of this 6 hour rest.

Goodnight.

Balance, part 2

I thought I'd share something that came up today. It reminded me, once again, how God is so powerfully at work in His children's lives, to protect them from even themselves.

I spent a lovely afternoon with my mother this afternoon, seeing 'Becoming Jane' and enjoying some girl time.

On our conversation on the drive home, mom brought up a time of life when I was 15, very weak, and very naive. I had a major crush on a guy who shared the same passion I had for horses and he had the whole 'bad boy' appeal.
But God really bubble-wrapped my heart and protected me from myself. Mom was telling me today how thankful she was that I didn't run off with him. I gave a hearty amen to that. Even though that probably would have never happened, it made me think. I don't know where I'd be if I did.

If I chose 'my' best over God's best for me, I probably wouldn't have gone to college. If I didn't go to college, I wouldn't have met my wonderful husband. And if I didn't meet my wonderful husband, I'd be in pretty bad shape right now. It sort of all has a domino effect.

Who knows where I'd be if I went with 'My' way.

I wouldn't give up this life, as confusing as it is sometimes, for ANYTHING.
God truly know what is best for us. Don't settle.

His blessings are far beyond what we could ask or think!

Balance

The teetering pole.

Often it seems like a teeter totter, that very fine line of staying on the straight and narrow and wandering off road.

Were it not for God's grace holding me upright, I'd be over the edge, off-roading myself into ditches.

Were it not.

Thanks be to God for balance. For placing temptations in our way to strengthen our resolve against sin. For giving us the power to deny them, the cleansing grace to wash away the stain they leave on the exit. For His faithfulness to the unfaithful.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Icky Allergies

This has been the worst two-day episode ever. I hate the fact that I am being licked by tiny little pollen clusters.

Nature's got my number.

Ragweed is of the devil.

Get some 'Hairapy'

Need a little 'pick-me-up'? This site is so much fun & too hilarious - It absorbed me for an hour! Go get a makeover

Roses dried

I always find dried roses to be a prettier decoration than the fresh ones - more effort goes into the drying, and it's only the really special ones that are dried.

My sister Michelle was right - dried roses are beautiful, in such a quiet and serene way. When roses are alive and in water, their petals slowly open, the color grows very vibrant and then, one day, the color starts to fade, the corners tinge dark brown and curl, and each petal falls off, one by one. . .

Such is the story of a lovely bouquet. It always begins so beautiful, but beauty fades.

But I threw out the roses tonight. I have roses from bouquets past. Bouquets of all sorts - from courtship, from engagement, from my wedding, and from the past two years (shy a few weeks) of marriage.


I washed a cookie rack, shaking off the crumbs from cookies made by my hubby, cleaned some other dishes and felt satisfied about this day.

Emotions, mute homeless man, a kind vendor I shunned with horrible rudeness, shame and frustration, conviction and repentance, rain, the love of my husband 1500 miles away, the thought of being alone for the next couple of weeks, my sisters . . .

All these things random speak of the ways that the Lord continually reminds me that He is faithful . . .

You are probably wondering, what the heck is she talking about???

Just life after a really good day.

All these things random come together to make a day sweeter, deeper, richer.

I cannot ever make sense of this life. It is altogether too wonderful and too exciting.

Psalm 139:17

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

Yesterday was filled with sorrow and tears. Today God filled an empty cup overflowing.

I've got roses on my table

There's a heavy haze settled over the city - with the sun sitting on top of it, its a warm and rosy glow. I am sipping coffee and appreciating the healthy hum of my computer, working obediently with the internet, to make this blogging experience possible.

Actually, I'll let the credit go to my repair man.

Yes, the man is home. Stronger, tanner, and more addicting than ever. I don't think I am going to let him leave again tomorrow.

Yes I am selfish.

To anyone who has ever said that marriage just gets better over time - I am beginning to realize this more and more. Through the hard times that we have faced, God has grown us closer together. I can't wait to go through more, with the hope and prayer that we'll be more in love than we are today because of where He has brought us.

I'm glad I took the day off. Today is my holiday.

Today is my 'husband appreciation day'.

Long time, no blog . . .

Its 'Amy outages' this week ;)

My internet router went kaputt - I got a new one, only to discover that it was not compatible with our DSL service. . . crudd.

Life is a little on hold until we get the new router. So, I am hit and miss here.


Oh yeah, my car brakes went kaputt on Saturday as well - thankfully, we got that problem fixed. Now, if everything can just wait until my hubby comes home . . .


5 more days . . .

My sky is grey, I miss you, Blue Eyes

Okay. . .

Only 8 more days to go . . .

I miss my hubby :(

What I've been up to lately . . .

Well, I finally got my camera back, and I had fresh batteries too. . . These are some pics of the house, in a new coat of color, some parts still have yet to be finished, but, you get the picture ;)
*(Some of these pics are a little bit blurry)

~Living room~

(I still need to hang my wrought iron candle sconce back above the fireplace);)

~Bedroom~

~Master Bath~

(for the 'Befores' go here)

California, calling me

The sand beneath my toes, the shriek of seagulls, salty misty air, seaweed stalks littering the beach, bonfire smoke, eucalyptus trees, the chilly pacific ocean.

Sigh - you can take a girl out of California, but you can't take California out of a girl . . .

Purpose

The struggle to find a 'purpose' for your life is such a journey. There are so many hours devoted to just thinking about it. So many more hours devoted to praying about it. And sometimes, the conclusion is inconclusive. . . you are still right in that same place where you started, and you still don't really know where you are going.

Twists take you directions that you never thought you'd be going. You thought you'd be 'there', and not 'here'. Point 'A' made more sense, but you ended up strangely at Point C. You scratch your head and wonder 'how did this happen'?

Before you presume I am leading this discussion onto a gameboard of chess . . . let me assure you, I am not at all saying that we are just little pieces being moved to and fro about a wooden board.

Hardly.

We are moved, yes. God's will has a purpose though. A divine one. He's not like the wind either. The wind is too predictable. He is completely unpredictable and yet He still is faithful. I still can't understand how those two fit together, but it makes complete sense whether I understand it or not.

But I am wandering.

The Purpose Driven Life expounds these fumbling thoughts a bit more. It is a little bit more 'go get 'em' for this particular hour, but, it had some good points:

Sovereignty simply means God is in control, and that he has the right to be in control. Regardless of what you believe, the truth remains – God has been and always will be in control. He rules from his heavenly throne, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8).

It's essential that you understand God's sovereignty as you move forward faithfully; otherwise, you won't be able to see the hand of God working actively through the details of your life (Romans 8:28). You're likely to become overwhelmed by the immensity ofthe task before you and soon you’ll be plagued by worry, doubt, and fatigue. By understanding his sovereignty, you’ll readily remember that God goes before you and God comes behind you as you faithfully serve him.

You may feel inadequate in your walk with Christ, but God created you for just this very moment, and he believes in you. He is able to take what you give and use it for his glory, and he is able to handle any of your problems or concerns: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him …” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Why is this important?

· God is sovereign -- and that means he’s capable of providing for your every need. If you don’t trust that, ask God to show you why? I believe, Lord; help my unbelief.

· God’s greatness – Focus on God's sovereignty by remembering his greatness. We have a tendency to maximize our problems and minimize God's greatness. But when we do that, we also minimize - in our minds - God's ability to handle any problem. Instead, praise God for his greatness.

· When you pray, praise God. Begin your prayers by acknowledging God's sovereignty. You could start by quoting I Chronicles 29:11, "Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything." As you get to know God, you can add other praises related to his power, his goodness, and his faithfulness.

· Hezekiah’s Prayer -- When the city of Jerusalem faced certain destruction from an advancing army, Hezekiah, the king of Israel, sought God in prayer -- but instead of starting off with the problem of Jerusalem's imminent destruction, he first praised God and acknowledged God’s sovereignty: “God, God of Israel, seated in majesty on the cherubim-throne. You are the one and only God, sovereign over all kingdoms on earth, maker of heaven, maker of earth ….” (2 Kings 19:15-16).

Bridget Jones' Diary

Ughh. Day number 142.

This is a FAT day.

The kind of day that makes you cringe at everything you eat, as if each thing will automatically add 2 lbs to your mass upon swallowing.

This is the kind of day when you have trouble zipping up your pants.

This is the kind of day when you put your scale as far away from you as possible. It is your absolute WORST enemy.

This is the kind of day you exercise as much as possible and reward yourself with some ice cream. The exercise makes you feel victorious, so of course, you have to celebrate with a treat.

You burnt off all those calories anyway, right?

This is the kind of day that you just let it go, after all, its just one day.

Tomorrow it will be much better.

I promise.

Pink Clouds & Socks

The sky was cotton candy pink tonight. Bubblegum, ballet shoes, a string of pearls, bridal pink - soft and inviting, like a down comforter.

Sorry, floating in la la land here.

While folding my laundry this evening, a stowaway brown sock, fitting a foot belonging to my husband fell out. Sigh. A lone ranger it was, no other sock to make it a pair. Kinda like him and I when we're apart.

No boohoo-hooing here. The man has safely arrived in Pennsylvania after a 30+ hour drive and the days are flying by like sparrows in the sky.

Gentle Cycle

My meditations on an ordinary laundry day:

We all know the routine. The break up of the darks and lights, the stain stick being liberally applied to those articles of a more soiled nature. With one basket on each hip, I carefully make my way down the stairway, over a 73 lb labrador and through the kitchen only to be met by one final obstacle. . . the garage door. PUtting both baskets down, I brace open the door with an agile foot and push one basket after another through. Whew.

I tip in the first load, cascades of smelly clothing fall in. The trick is to settle all the clothing in a centered ring around the middle to prevent the 'hiccups' that sometimes happen in unbalanced loads.
Now to select the settings. . . hmm. Always seems like such a gamble, but I test the water for the "Cold" setting. Didn't mom always say that that cold would keep the colors from bleeding? Or was it warm? Oh well - we always find out the hard way, right?

Water starts filling the full barrel. Time for the best part - detergent. The smell is absolutely intoxicating. . . if I didn't hold myself down to sanity, I'd be washing my hair in this stuff. After filling a cup halfway, I make three circles of dribblings all over the clothing. Then, I slam down the lid and pull the lever for a majestic finish.

Time for the washing machine to do its magic. Who ever said doing the laundry was a monotonous chore?

So Far Away

Well, its 4:40am and I just kissed my hubby goodbye. He jumped into a luggage-laden A-Lert truck and is off to Pennsylvania. Sigh.

I feel like all of the things I want to say are stuck in my head. Maybe its just because its so early in the morning. I was having trouble going back to sleep, but now I am realizing quickly that if I don't, it might be a pretty lousy Monday.

So life goes on.

This time around, I feel like we are somewhatly better prepared. We have cellphones with cameras & text messaging, and he has a laptop with internet (so he can read how sappy his wife gets when he's away ;)

And this time around, grounded in me even more is how I will never take this wonderful man for granted. He is my hero.

I love ya Babe.

*and now, I am crawling back into bed for a tidgen-of-a-smidgen more sleep ;)

Girl, put your records on!

(To quote m'dear Corrine Bailey Rae)

More like 'Girl, put your bloggin' on!'

Excuse my absence. Excuse this spurt of random-ness. I guess that I am just so happy to be sitting down and actually blogging again, that I have lost my mind

(what else is new, and hey, no comments from my little peanut gallery on that ;) - yes, I mean you, WILL & JULIA) ;0) (-:

Well, here's the what's up 'round here. . . Haven is going to be leaving for Pennsylvania Monday morning (or, perhaps, late Sunday night). This project is a big cahoona - its actually the Hershey's cocoa plant that they'll be working on :) -
Hmm, maybe I can wrangle some free chocolate out of the deal (I mean, after all, I am giving up my hubby for several weeks. . . ;)

We enjoyed spending some of the fruits of Haven's labor this week, with upgrading our ancient cellphones to new, sleek ones. . . & they are camera phones :) and yes, we finally got text messaging! WOHOO. Oh, and mine is pink ;)

Okay, so we just got back from seeing the Simpsons movie - pretty silly stuff. My DH was pretty amazed at all the new and funny lines. You'd think that things with the Simpsons would get a little stale after all these years, but that Matt Groening is kind of a genius at putting out hilarious material.

Tomorrow is the beginning of a new BSF year in the book of Matthew. Training is going to be all morning, and then we start our class the Tuesday after Labor Day - I am going to be leading in the Children's ministry this year, which is really exciting & altogether overwhelming at the same time. . . I was able to rearrange my work schedule a little bit to get a couple of hours off in the middle of each day to be able to prepare. I am encouraged at how God covers a fretful soul with peace!

Someday I will get my camera from my parents - here's a little snap of us from our trip :)

V is Very Very, Exrta-Ordinary ;)

We're home :) Well, we've actually been home, but I have not had a chance to sit down and write a little bloggerro until now.

It was a lovely wedding. The bride was gorgeous, the flowers were perfect and the day was spectacular. Everything went without a hitch (except the bride and groom of course ;)

Haven and I had a chance to visit grandma and his uncle in Baltimore as well. It was so good to squeeze in a visit. We even had a late night excursion to the harbor. Its definitely a place we would like to come back too.

I know, this is the part where I am supposed to have pictures - well, this is the part where I have to confess to you that I managed to leave my camera in D.C., but, I did remember it just in time for a family member to pick it up for us. Alas, no pictures for now.

Haven is deciding when he will leave for his next project today. Its been really nice because his boss has let him have that flexibility. He might be in Pennsylvania this time, but will be able to come home more often. I know it sounds rough all this time apart, but I am amazed to see how sustaining the Lord is, and our marriage has grown so much from it. We do hate to be apart, but we are troopers, and I am so excited at how the Lord is leading my hubby :)

Anyway, I have to go get ready for work. Hope ya'll have a happy Tuesday!

Jetta

My hubby is finally home. :)

I am pretty sure that we can handle any amount of distance and time apart now ;)

(not that I want that, but there has been something about this time to build up some emotional fortitude, and the homecoming was indescribably awesome)

~

Well, I am packing for our trip out to D.C. for David and Kirsten's wedding on Saturday! Wohoo!!! I am so excited!!! Family weddings are the best!

While we are in that general area, we are going to try to visit some of Haven's family in MD. It will definitely be a whirlwind trip.

Haven does have to go back to KS next Monday, after we get home, never fear though, this time is much shorter, and he'll be back by the weekend, most likely.

Well, I got to jet. Ta ta everyone - be back Sunday!

P.S. This font is so huge - I apologize, I have it on normal font, I think that there is a little quirk in my system :)

At Last

At last. My man has come along. My lonely days are over. And life is like a song

Tonight I am going to bed and I will wake up to a new day. A new day when I will see him again.

Life apart is hard, but time flew.

I can cross 33 days off the calendar and can truly say that God gave us strength, hope and was ever faithful to us.

What a blessing . . .

This is the day, this is the day, that the Lord has made

Today is the day of rest for the week. Today I am delivered from this chaotic position of 'doggy-sitter'.

For the past two days, I have had my parents two boston terriers. The little one has 'terrorized' my household with misplaced poops, chewings here and there on rugs and flip flops, and has tried to take on Hector several times. I am tired. They should be tired too - where is all this energy come from? Will they finally burn out from ripping around the house, up and down stairs?

How about trying to settle three dogs of different natures for the evening? Ummm. . . lets just say that I have not slept very well these nights. Is this what life is like with kids? (Believe me, I still would rather have kids!)


So anyway, that was my weekend, dogsitting and trying to finish a couple of things before my hubby comes home. WOHOO - TUESDAY!!!!


I have a ton of pictures I need to upload from last weekend's family trip to Six Flags, and some other things. :)

Happy Sunday to everyone!

Of these little breakdowns

Thank you Lord for these tears, for tears help me to appreciate smiles all the more.

Thank you Lord for surprising me, for challenging me, for stretching me in ways I never thought I could be stretched. It may hurt for a while, but it is for a purpose good and wondrous.

Thank you for teaching me to wait on You. Life has such ups and downs, uncertainties and hiccups. Thank you for being Constant.

. . . and yes, even for these little breakdowns

Of days grown short

There doesn't seem a lot to tell of lately. I am working (undercover) on the house, and it is almost done. I am getting excited about how its looking too ;) I will post pictures, AFTER AFTER AFTER my love comes home ;)

And the countdown, yes, the countdown. But I suppose you probably don't really care as much as I do about that. Its 9 days, by the way. ;)

Hector just begged me to let him out so that he could chase a poor bunny dizzy around our yard. That dog is driving me insane. (My brother is convinced that its because we named him Hector.)

Is tonight a full moon night? Just wondering - he is turning into such a wolfy-beast.

Today, after church, I met with the family to go see the Bourne Ultimatum - go see it, its great! It was the best of the bunch so far, I think.

I spent the rest of the afternoon going through a big box full of pictures from all sorts of things; high school graduation, baby pictures, family reunions, college days, our old house in CA, my parents wedding pictures, my grandmother's wedding reception, the horse I had in high school, etc, etc. Such memories - I am hoping to scan a ton of these!

Well, I am waning, the dog is whining, and this post is whittling.
Goodnight :)

11 more days

Till my hubby comes home!