Our Story: A History of Love and Tolerance
The year was 1996. She was nine years old and new to the United States after living most of her life in Europe as an Army brat. It was an awkward age, moving countries while simultaneously growing up and away from her beloved Barbies. Thankfully, cable TV and reruns of Lois and Clark helped ease the transition. He was twelve and had discovered the joys of middle school, like hair gel, band and football practice, and long walks home in the Texas heat. It wasn’t love at first sight– they’re not even sure when they saw each other for the first time. Despite attending the same small church, they wouldn’t…
Dress for the Season
I smooth my hands down the front of my wine-colored dress, assessing my appearance reflected in the mirror. Does this dress hide my mommy tummy or accentuate it? I twist side to side and look at all sides. The back is lace detailed and stunning, but at a certain angle, my front looks about 2-3 months pregnant, which I am not. I dejectedly pull off the beautiful, yet unflattering dress, and root around in my closet for another. My anniversary is approaching; we are celebrating with a night away and a delicious dinner. I want to dress up and feel pretty, but since I’m planning to eat in abundance, I…
Coffee is Love
I awake to the sound of a mandolin, rhythmically strumming its intro to an upbeat song. My eyes open the tiniest bit, and my hand reaches out toward my nightstand, fumbling for my phone. It’s 6:25am, time to rise and shine. There is a mental struggle in my mind as I tell myself to get up. Well, not exactly a struggle. I tell myself to get up, and myself tells me no. I find my phone with one eye shut and snooze the alarm, or maybe turn it off, who cares. I’m not ready for this. Nine minutes later, the song plays again, trying to coax me awake with its…
What I’m Capable of
I logged onto my gym app and looked at the workout for the next day. Heavy power cleans and wall balls. The first movement is weightlifting, using technique and strength to get a barbell from the floor to your shoulders; the goal was to go heavy that day. Power cleans happen to be my favorite movement in all of Crossfit. The second movement wasn’t heavy, per se, but exhausting and repetitive. You take a large, weighted ball, squat with it, and then stand up and throw it at a 10’ mark. You then catch it and go straight back into the squat of the next repetition and do this over…
Silly Traditions & New Resolutions
Ten years ago, John and I rang in the new year/new decade on a snow-covered rooftop in Seoul. We took our dogs and two bottles of sparkling cider to the top of our apartment building and looked out across the skyline for fireworks. We couldn’t see any from our vantage point, but we laughed at our failed plan and enjoyed each other’s company anyway. As the clock struck midnight, we participated in our annual cider chug– a silly tradition started by my brother in the early 2000s. Each person cracks a bottle of sparkling cider or grape juice and races to drink their beverage first. The bottles had chilled in…
Under Pressure
I was excited walking into the first week of homework for a new-to-me Bible study on marriage. I’ve been doing women’s Bible studies for years on a variety of topics and books of the Bible, but this is the first time I have focused on my marriage with other women. Given the solid relationship John and I have enjoyed for over a decade, I was confident that this would simply build on our secure foundation. Fast forward to the second week of homework and I found myself sitting in my bed doing said homework amidst a pile of pillows and tears. I wanted to throw the book onto the floor,…
Fruit & Consequences
My nephew sat at our kitchen table writing scripture, a consequence for something he had done. I sat across from him overseeing his progress. As children are known to do, he was whining and crying, arguing and bargaining, anything and everything he possibly could to get out of the simple task. “If I say it to you 5 times can I just write it 4 times?” “No.” “Grandpa lets me do it that way.” “I’m not.” Heavy sobs burst out, “but it’s so hard!” “I know.” “But I’ve been working real hard at not fighting this week.” “You have, I’m really proud of you.” “It’s taking so long and I’m…
4, 6, 8, 13, 16, 32
I can remember myself as an 18 year old walking down the aisle, orange roses in hand, scorched by the Texas sun but focused only on the handsome man waiting for me. I was a fledgling baby adult, thinking I was grown- the hallmark of those who aren’t yet. I was marrying my best friend, he was joining the military, life was going to be perfect. We were going to have the white picket fence with 2 kids and 2 dogs. Our life would be a picture of stability, comfort, and well behaved children. My short sightedness makes me chuckle. I’ve always been a daydreamer, prone to idealism. I couldn’t…
So long, Baxter
12 years ago, we did something foolish, as 19 and 22 year olds are known to do. It is the faux pas of many a young military couple, and we fell into the same trap. We bought a brand new car with a massive loan, a 2007 Toyota Prius. We named him Baxter. My “responsible” 30-something self would counsel anyone at that age and in those shoes to just say no. It’s not a good idea to have a car payment that big, your husband is only an E4 and you don’t have a steady job, I would tell her. You still owe on your trade-in, that loan is too…
His and Hers
When you’ve got a large family, you spend an absurd amount of time cleaning things. (I may have mentioned that before.) Laundry and dishes pile up the moment you turn your back, and clutter happens in the blink of an eye. I put so much work into the house at large, that my bedroom is the one to suffer. My clean clothes languish in the laundry basket, my dirty laundry piles higher and higher until my 5 year old comments on it, and my bathroom… sigh… my bathroom. I wouldn’t say that there are chores that I actually like, but if I had to rank them, cleaning the bathroom would…
