Home Sweet Home

Hawaii really runs through my blood. There's no place else on earth where I feel more at home, where I'm more relaxed and I feel most connected and loved. Today my parents took me and my husband to the Kahala Hotel for a delectable brunch. I must've packed my plate three times with a variety of seafood...raw, fresh and seasoned just how I like it! We took gorgeous photos on the beach and near waterfalls...I'm simply in heaven. My mom will have to shove me on the plane back to Peoria...I don't want to leave my hometown. It's been really great for our marriage...I feel so much more connected to Jeff now that he's had a dose of my Hawaiian heritage and family.

Paradise

Hawaii really is the prettiest place on earth.
Jeff and I are enjoying a "second honeymoon" of sorts in my home state. It's surreal to introduce my husband to the people and places that helped shape my identity...for better and for worse! The beaches are beautiful...hearing the waves lap on the shore while I bake in the sun is so relaxing. It's so good to be home. Hawaii is like second skin to me...it's not perfect but it's such a significant part of who I am and I love sharing it with Jeff. It's been interesting to see him try different foods and be introduced to a whole new culture and way of life. He's been a great sport...And my family's been great and unbelievably generous in gifting us with this breathing space to enjoy each other and the beach!

Ode to Small Group Joy

"It was the sort of house that you never seem to come to the end of, and it was full of unexpected places."
--The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

Tonight Jeff and I enjoyed an evening full of joy and laughter with our dear small group friends. It's past midnight and I'm still buzzing on the inside with excitement, amazed at how a group of a dozen wildly unique people with various personality quirks and interests can bond like blood. It's only by God's grace. Our small group is truly our family.

I remember when our group first formed a year ago...Our host, Jada, said, "I just want my home to always be full of joy and people." Mission accomplished, my friend. Our small group isn't even so "small" anymore. It's ballooned to include lots of people who float in and out of the group Friday nights.

Tonight we blared Christmas carols off-key, celebrated Jeff's birthday, and best of all, exchanged white elephant gifts from the Salvation Army. A brilliant idea thanks to our fearless leader, Michael!

I returned home with a gorgeous new set of candles, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" classic, Scrabble, a flower arrangement, and a Tiki light. Jada was pretty inventive with her $10 limit!

Here's to sticking together for many more Christmases to come! Kaya! :)

Dirty

Jeff encouraged me to violate some scriptural advice on his birthday:

"Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh." 2 Corinthians 7:1
"Be ye clean." Isaiah 52:11

Every night I beg him to take a bath or a quick shower. For goodness sake, I'll accept a 2-minute washing! But for some reason he has an aversion to cleanliness and complains on the way to the tub...So on his birthday I told him he doesn't have to bathe if he doesn't want to. (For the record, this makes it two days in a row, which about makes me sick). And Jeff requested that in addition, he'd like me to go to bed dirty as well.
I couldn't believe it. It's really one of my pet peeves that my bed be absolutely clean. And I never go to bed without showering...it makes my skin crawl!

Nonetheless, it was Jeff's day and while he fell asleep with a sloppy smile on his face, muttering, "This is like a holiday..." I tossed and turned and felt the bed bugs bite. It took hours for me to knock out. My greasy hair and unshaven legs were begging me to crawl to the bathroom for a cleansing...but Jeff wouldn't let me go. I hope he enjoyed it because he'll bathe double-time on my birthday!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

35 years ago my mother-in-law gave birth to the greatest guy in the world, my husband Jeff. I really should be giving her a present in exchange for the tremendous gift my husband has been to me.
The other night my hormones got the best of me and I cried while holding Jeff, dreaming of what my life would be like without him in it. It would certainly be missing lots of love and companionship. And who on earth would remind him every day how precious he is and how cute he looks?
I've had a mad crush on Jeff ever since our first non-official date and seeing his messy hair and crumpled laundry in the morning only makes me love him more. It's a miracle that we met, married, and defeated lots of odds to stay together. I only hope our love for one another, our family, and the Lord gets stronger as the years go by.
Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Homebody

It's been 36 hours and I'm still in my bathrobe.
My husband looked a little concerned when he returned home for his lunch break.
The beauty of being a freelancer is that I don't have to leave my home, except for special occasions. It's especially helpful during ice storms. I get paid to write from the comfort of my bed.
I waved good-bye to my husband as he left our toasty home and skated down the steps to his car. I cheered him on as he chipped blocks of ice from my car...I think he was encouraging me to leave the house and do...something.
Jeff's so used to seeing me decked out in nice clothes and a coat of make-up. But now--dare I say it?--He looks better than me! I could get used to this life...

Iced Out

While my family in Hawaii is groaning about 70-degree weather and downed power lines (an anomaly in the islands), we in Peoria are still trying to chip out of an ice storm. It was kind of nice to have an excuse to stay indoors. I managed to stay in my bathrobe all day...We played about six rounds of games with the kids before they were picked up by mid-afternoon. At that point, Jeff wandered upstairs to take a shower. About a half hour later I thought he was eerily quiet so I went up to find him knocked out in his birthday suit on our bed. It was such a lazy day.
We enjoyed a pizza and movie night for two...About a month ago I stocked up on soup and pizza in case of an ice or snow storm. Jeff poked fun at me then...but tonight he was grateful!
I kicked his butt at RA and he returned the favor during Round 2. I wish we could be ice-bound again tomorrow!

Cuddly

(Jeff, honey, please don't gag or kill me when you read this...)
People often me ask why I married Jeff. I could rattle off a list of wonderful qualities he has, like his sense of humor, faith in the Lord, kindness, intelligence...Frankly, there's not much about him that I don't like. But if I were to name the one thing I love most about Jeff, it's his high Cuddly Quotient. I know it makes me sound like a ditz but it's true. I have to restrain myself from smothering him when other people are in the room. I love snuggling up to him on the couch. Even when I'm overheating in our bed in the summer, I'll cuddle up close to my husband because I like to feel his skin on my skin. I'm just crazy about him. If I'm cooking in the kitchen and he walks in after work, I'll drop my mixer bowl to give him a hug. It's simply the greatest high.

Game nights

Jeff is a board game freak. A lot of our free time is occupied by playing games. I find it's the most useful tool we have to interact with the kids in a way that's fun and fully engaging. I love this new world of games but I hate it when Jeff consistently beats me.
90% of the time he wins. But not tonight. I claimed victory in a game of RA, an auction game with an ancient Egyptian theme. Jeff was so sure he'd win. He egged me on to counter him tonight. And he was sorry. I whipped him and it felt so good.

3 Most Important Choices in Marriage

Jeff called my attention to an article in Christianity Today entitled: The Three Most Important Choices (You Make in Marriage):

http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/2007/004/1.22.html

Those choices involve forgiveness, prayer and staying united. It's really a blessing to read. All three played a critical role in keeping our marriage afloat. My spiritual connection with Jeff is something I especially treasure...It was an element not initiated consistently by either party in his previous marriage...So we make prayer a daily priority to strengthen our connection to one another and to the Lord.

The author of the article wrote, "Sometimes all a marriage needs is that little bit of vision, that little glimpse of what we can be."

Today I returned home from a long trip to Bureau and LaSalle Counties. I trekked 180 miles in the car and upon my return had to pick up the kids and whip up a family meal. My body was beat. But on my computer was a note from Jeff saying, "I love you and missed you today. You are the light of my life."

I just long for the day when we're old and gray (of course he'll beat me to it by a decade!) and the hard work is behind us and we're just enjoying each other's company. That vision makes all the work now feel worth it.

school day

Today I filled in for Delaney's teacher. I enjoyed the class and I especially enjoyed snacking on awful cafeteria food (warmed over green beans and chicken nuggets) with Laney. We skipped ahead to the front of the food line and took our trays to the classroom. We had a nice girl chat before classes resumed. It's pretty sweet to be considered cool by the kids in your life. I'm sure I'll be an embarrassment to her in no time.

ice storm

This weekend I convinced Jeff to take me to the mall after the ice storm settled down...He was so eager to start the car, he raced out of the house, and flew in the air after sliding on a sheet of ice covering our front porch. He landed with a thud on his bottom, straight on the cement ground. While he screamed in pain, I screamed back that he could be seriously hurt and what was he thinking--running on ice? He can't skate! We both joked about the whole thing afterwards as we gingerly helped one another to the car.
But tonight as he dropped his pants, my jaw dropped that a bruise the size of a football is stretched across his bottom. It's really something. I felt awful for minimizing his pain...I'm trying to convince Jeff to let me take a picture and share it with all of you.

No Looking Back

Genesis 19:26 But Lot's wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt.

I've been asking the Lord to reveal a Bible verse for me to meditate on during this season of my life. The verse above may seem like an odd choice, but the story of Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt keeps running through my mind as I pray.

The Bible says just before Lot's wife reached a place of safety, she disobeyed the angel's commands by looking back and she turned into a pillar of salt. The Bible isn't clear on exactly why she didn't listen to this seemingly simple command when her life was at stake. All we know is that she looked back with longing, perhaps with some regret, at what she was leaving behind.

Since becoming a wife and step-mom, I've often looked back at my old life with longing. Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if I made different choices during critical times in the past few months...If I didn't reconcile with Jeff and took that promising TV job in another state, what would life look like? What if I pursued my TV dreams in Hawaii? Would I be more fulfilled surrounded by the ocean and my family? Would I have fallen in love with someone else?

These thoughts run through my mind when I'm vulnerable and weighed down by past hurts...I dwell on what could've or should've happened. It doesn't serve any positive purpose other than drain my energy on the present.

So today Jeff prayed passionately to the Lord that He would redeem and restore our past and the choices we made that led us to where we are. Jeff asked the Lord to keep us focused on the blessings of the present and keep us looking forward to the future.

In this present state, I've got so much to rejoice in. I've got my salvation, my health, and an amazing husband who helps filter my thinking with the Word of God. And I'm looking forward to growing old with him and serving the Lord for many years to come.

Substituting

Before landing a freelance gig at the PJStar, I signed up for substitute teaching jobs in the area. I put that practice on the back-burner to focus on my new work, but tonight I got a call asking me to fill in for my step-daughter's teacher. Delaney was so overjoyed by the prospect, she proclaimed, "This is gonna be one of the best days of my life! Can you announce to the whole class I'm your kid?" I was so tickled by her excitement. I was hoping to catch up on my writing and making contacts but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend the day schooling Delaney and her friends. Tonight as I tucked her in, she shared that she had a mean substitute teacher a little while back who yelled at her and made her feel stupid. She told her principal how the sub mis-treated her and the principal promised she wouldn't return. Delaney said, "See? Children can do a lot!"