new level of exhaustion

I'm experiencing a new level of exhaustion after two fun-filled, high-energy days. Yesterday I was just like one of the kids -- no hill was too steep to (try to) skateboard down, no slide was too high to climb up to the top of and fly down, I literally pushed 2 kids on swings at the same time for at least 2 hours straight. I was unstoppable.

Today is a different story. I feel like I'm in some weird movie, but the movie's all in slow-motion. The kids are still skateboarding and running, and swinging -- and as hard as I try to keep up I can't. Like one of those dreams where you're trying to run and can't move forward. Or like I'm stuck in quicksand. After about an hour the most I could do was pathetically lay in the grass and watch, remembering the days when I had that much energy.

And now, I just want to curl up in a dark room with no sound and lay in my big, soft bed with a fluffy fleece blanket, and sleep for 3 days.

That's not an option, so maybe I need to go pick up some Red Bull. But I'm way too exhausted to drive to the store. Or even type this, but I will anyway. :) 

Aside from being tired -- My sister's adorable little family is visiting from Minneapolis! Between her two little boys and my 8-year-old sister, the rest of my siblings, and my parents, I have had so much fun: swinging, skateboarding, biking, playing in the sandbox, having dance parties in the basement, dying eggs, going down slides, Easter egg hunts, games of tag, singing, telling jokes, cuddling babies, coloring, swinging a few more times...

 

 

SO MUCH FUN. But Preston and I don't have kids, you know, and as much fun as we're having --- we can't keep up.

And I'm not even in charge of actually taking care of any of them -- being aunt/sister, I just play around and have fun with them.

I feel like I just got done running a marathon yesterday - I can't even move. I think the excitement is just too much all at once for us.

We're a pretty low-key couple -- many nights you could find us at home with our cats, Preston playing his guitar or some videogame while I read or play piano. I usually take a nap at some point during the late afternoon. And on weekdays we go to bed at like 10:00.

Part of my sleepiness might have to do with the large amount of spiral honey-baked ham, cheesy potatoes, and double chocolate cake we had for supper tonight.

Of course I just feel so blessed that everyone is here and healthy and together. It seems so rare these days, with everyone's busy schedules, that everyone's able to get together for more than 24 hours. So, as exhausting as it is, I wouldn't trade this time for anything.

Preston and I have the rest of tonight, and two more fun-filled days ahead of us full of making family memories.

So other than kids being exhausting (which I know you all already knew), I wanted to write about why I started a blog.

I know it seems like these days everyone, their next door neighbor, and their dog has a blog. I've had a few people ask me why I started one. I really don't have an earth-shattering reason, I guess I just asked myself why not? It's free. I like writing. I like sharing pictures. And I prefer this to Facebook for uploading pictures and writing about experiences, because you can neatly organize it how you want it and change the look whenever you want -- I get tired of FB's rules and limitations.

I've read 5-10 blogs pretty regularly over the past couple years, and I think it's so interesting to hear what's going on in friends/family/acquaintances lives. I also like a blog, because people can choose if they want to read it or not -- the whole post doesn't just show up on their "FB Newsfeed" whether they care or not. So, I guess my reasons are: it's free, available, efficient, easy, and fun.

hour of desperation

My posts so far have been lighthearted. Life is good, Preston and I are happy and healthy, we are blessed beyond measure and don't take that for granted.

When I post little notes about having trouble choosing where we want to go on vacation or having a long day at work, I'm not complaining. I do realize we could have far harder decisions to make and obstacles to overcome -- and throughout our lives and marriage we have had struggles and confusion far greater than anything I've written about on here.

One of my favorite quotes is, 

 

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."  (Plato)

I heard a song on the radio today, and the lyrics reminded me of my personal struggle this past year.

It was "I Need A Miracle" by Third Day. If you haven't heard it, you should listen to it. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTjimzpyE4k 

The chorus goes:

"Well no matter who you are and no matter what you've done
There will come a time when you can't make it on your own
And in your hour of desperation
Know you're not the only one
Prayin', "lord above, I need a miracle."

If you know me, you know this past year has been a rollercoaster. If you don't know me, it's no secret. I've been a Christian for as long as I can remember, but I never fathomed there would be a 'time when I couldn't make it on my own.' I believed in God but never felt like I had to fully depend on Him for everything.

As a society, we're taught to be self-sufficient and strong and persevere -- and so often when we get through tough times, we say 'Wow I am amazing that I got through that all by myself.'

We're told over and over that we can do anything, and are told that we hold all the power over our lives. But nothing could be further from the truth. After going through a situation where I knew I only had a small amount of control, and the rest was up to God, I've learned that even in the small, trivial challenges of life I'm not making it through them because I'm strong - God is blessing me by helping me through them.

Like this song says -- inevitably -- that 'hour of desperation' did come for me, even though I thought it never would. And I felt like I truly was the only one who had ever felt that way and prayed that prayer. I was so used to "depending on myself" for everything that when I was no longer able to do that, I had no idea how to put my complete trust in God.

It took that 'hour of desperation' for me to realize it is not me on my own ever getting through anything. I don't deserve any of the credit. Every struggle I overcome is a miracle from God.

We're going to...

I am so excited I'm having a hard time sitting down to type this. I feel like I need to go pack my bags. Now.

We are trying to decide where to go on vacation this summer, and we have narrowed it down to Mallorca, Spain -- Maui, Hawaii -- St. Thomas -- Sicily, Italy or Nevis, West Indies.

That may seem like a long list, but we narrowed it down from about 25 options to those five. And we have to choose by next week. yikes. We've been weighing the pros and cons of each, and for a long time, we thought Italy would for sure be our #1 choice. But the more we looked into everything each place had to offer, we keep going back to Mallorca as "having it all." We also would ideally like to spend at least 2 weeks in Italy, when we go there, because there are so many places we want to see, and we know we'll get hooked on the food there and want to have lots of time to eat. We're thinking this trip will be 8 or 9 days maximum. So since it's a relatively short trip, maybe we should not go all the way to Europe?

My vote is for Mallorca -- It. Is. Gorgeous. I left my heart in Hawaii last year, but I get the feeling that I may find it again in Spain. I have kind of a pattern where everywhere I go is my favorite place I've ever been -- until I go somewhere new -- then that's my new favorite.

Here are a few pictures of Mallorca:







Preston and I like to stay active when we travel --- we do usually reserve a day or two for laying on the beach. And at the end of a fun day of hiking, "deep water soloing"

(something I had never heard of but apparently is popular in Mallorca. If you've never heard of it -- look it up, it's pretty interesting. We WILL do that if we go there.), snorkeling, exploring, eating, swimming... we usually end our day by the pool or with our toes in the sand. But, when we're on vacation (especially to somewhere we've never been), we set our alarm clock for 6am, pack a bag with everything we need for the day, and GO. We don't want to waste even a minute. You can sleep all you want on the plane ride home.

As far as the final decision on where we go, I'm letting Preston decide. I chose last year, so it's his turn. We want to go in July or August -- have any of you reading been to these places or would recommend one over the others?

Hope you're enjoying this gorgeous weather.

xo,
Emily

true joy

Hi everyone,

I was looking at Easter Bible verses and came across a couple quotes I wanted to share with my "blog friends."

 

 

I've seen SO many Easter cards that say something like,

"May your Easter be filled with joy" or even a simple "May the beauty of spring fill your Easter with happiness." Those statements are okay, but as a Christian I find them so lacking. Sure, those cards look super cute with their flowers and bunnies and brightly colored Easter eggs. But, I found this vintage postcard, with its simple message and painting of Jesus so much more meaningful.

 

 

This card isn't fashionable or modern - you wouldn't find this in your average store. But I just love how it shows Jesus.

You see hundreds of Easter cards with bunnies, and eggs, and marshmallow peeps, and chocolate bunnies, and flowers, and ducks, and sheep, but you have to search for the one or two cards on the shelf marked "Easter - Religious" which still doesn't always have a picture of our Savior on it. As a society we undoubtedly struggle with the commercialization of Christmas, but this year it has struck me as being much worse with Easter.  

 

Last Sunday in church, our pastor shared a quote from Max Lucado that I haven't been able to stop thinking about.

 

"As the echo of the crunching of the fruit was still sounding in the garden, Jesus was leaving for Calvary."

 

Don't get me wrong - I like chocolate bunnies and Easter egg hunts more than my 2nd grade sister does. But when all the eggs have been found and the chocolate bunnies have been eaten, and you have a stomach ache from eating too many jelly beans --- I am so relieved that my true joy comes from Jesus and eternal life, rather than cute bunnies and sugar.

 

Instead of saying 'Have a great Easter' to all of you, I think I'll copy the wise words from that sweet vintage card:

 

"May Heaven's risen Lord True Easter joy afford."

 

xo,

Emily

 



Phillip Phillips concert!

I know I'm a couple weeks late posting about the Phillip Phillips concert we went to ---- but compared to being 3.5 years late in posting my wedding pictures, I think I'm doing better. :)

I adore going to concerts. I love the high-energy crowds, live music, and overall excitement in seeing and hearing someone you listen to everyday - in person. One downfall to living in the middle of nowhere, is that unfortunately it is a rare, RARE occasion when any current band or artist comes within 6 hours of you. And it's even rarer when that band/artist is someone Preston and I both like, since we have pretty (extremely) different tastes in music.

Thanks to Augustana College, Phillip Phillips (last year's American Idol winner) came to Sioux Falls and performed 2 packed shows back-to-back at the Washington Pavilion. Getting tickets was a little bit of a fiasco -- the first time tickets went on sale, they literally sold out immediately. So many people were bummed that they weren't going to get to see him, that somehow it got worked out for him to do a 2nd show. Preston and I stood in line, and got tickets to that one.

It was general admission, and we lucked out and got 2nd row seats. That was pretty much the closest I've ever sat at a concert. I looooved it. We were up where the orchestra would normally play - so he was literally standing 10 feet from me. It was ridiculous -- in a good way.

Preston and I have earned a hilariously bad reputation for taking TERRIBLE pictures anytime we "dress up" to go to a concert or wedding. We always (think we) look ok when we head out for the event -- but then we try to take a picture together and we have triple chins and closed eyes, or you know, the lens breaks. So I'm warning you now - these pictures aren't so great. Now, if we try to take a picture when we haven't spent 2 hours getting ready -- our eyes are always open and are smiles are always perfect. Regardless of any of that, we still attempt to take pictures together.

So, here's what I've got!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I got one of his signed guitar picks from the security guy! :)

 When we went out to dinner after the concert, Preston said I was holding on to that guitar pick like Gollum holds onto "the Ring" in "The Lord of the Rings" and had to take it away from me.

 

 

Life will be a bit crazy (in a good way) the next few days, as we get to spend time with our amazing families and celebrate Jesus' resurrection. If you're looking for somewhere to go to an Easter church service - you are welcome at "The Ransom" in downtown Sioux Falls - there will be services at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 (infant - 5th grade nursery/childrens' church is available at the first 2 services.) I pray that every one of you has a blessed Easter and are filled with the eternal, real hope this holiday brings.

I'll post early next week -- so stay tuned. :)

xo,

Emily

soak up the sun

Good morning, everyone! Yesterday was the BEST day I’ve had in a long time. First, Preston surprised me with a beautiful blue orchid. How sweet is that? Orchids are my favorite, and it’s so nice to have something “springy” to look at inside. My challenge now is to keep it out of reach of my cats, who would love to get their paws on it.

 

 

As if that wasn’t enough, he also brought the key to my heart home for breakfast. My absolute, hands-down favorite drink in the entire world. A “Butterfly” smoothie from Juice Stop. It's like a strawberry lemonade smoothie, but that description doesn't do it justice -- simply amaaaaazing. If Preston and I ever move out of Sioux Falls -- this smoothie will be the food/drink I miss most. No other drink even compares. One of those smoothies can put a smile on my face, make me lose 5 pounds, energize me, and cure any illness that comes my way. Ok, not exactly – but one of those smoothies sure can make my day. I would drink them EVERY day if they weren’t almost $5 each. In that case, they’re a “once-every-couple-of-weeks-treat.”

After breakfast we headed our separate ways. After a productive day for both of us, we headed to Palisades State Park for the first time since last summer. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the snow was melting, and it was just SO serene and beautiful. It was really muddy and slippery, but the fact that we had the entire park to ourselves totally made up for that. In the summer, there are always people (obviously) camping, and biking, and running around -- so it was fun to see the frozen, softer side of the Palisades. My body was in desperate need of some good ‘ol Vitamin D and a walk OUTSIDE instead of on a treadmill or elliptical. I think I may have even gotten a little bit of a tan. ;)

Here are some photos I snapped when we were there. I learned a long time ago to always keep a collapsible tripod in my car and in my suitcase whenever we travel -- otherwise Preston and I wouldn't have any pictures together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bunny tracks!

Today will be busy for both of us. Preston’s working a 12-hour day. Good thing he LOVES his job. I have a haircut/color this morning, a doctor's appointment, some shopping to do, and then I’m giving piano lessons in the afternoon. Since Preston's working late, I think I'm going to meet a friend for supper/some girl-time. :)

I still can’t believe Easter is THIS Sunday. It seems unreal to me. We'll be busy spending time with family Friday through Monday -- so I feel like I have so much to do before Friday rolls around. yikes.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!

xo,

Emily