On long distance relationships

Long distance. You never know how truly hard or rewarding it is, until you are actually put into the situation.The tearful goodbyes and those joyful hello's.

Garrett and I are coming upon our 6 month anniversary of our relationship, next week. Wow, how time flies! It's amazing how much can change in your life, in just 6 short months. I have been mulling around a post in my head about long distance relationships. Honestly, I didn't know much about long distance relationship's besides knowing people who have been in one. I hope this will help some couples who are either in a long distance relationship or single adults who might be in one, in the future. I am certainly not an expert, but thought I would share a few things that we have found to be very helpful.

~Skype dates: This is something that has been a lifeline for our relationship. Nothing is worse than longing to see the other person but knowing you are miles away. If you set aside a night (or a couple nights) in the week to just sit and Skype with each other, this makes a world of a difference. Seeing each other, face to face is so, so nice! We have even watched movies together or played games, like Sudoku! Things like that can mix it up a little and make it lots of fun! 

~Day date to somewhere in the middle: This one would only work if you are about a state away. Luckily, Garrett and I are 457 miles apart and it was able to work for us. We met in the Tri-cities area and went to coffee, garage sales, shopping, more sudoku, and a picnic lunch. This is a nice way to mix it up a little! The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that it made for a really long day. It was 3-4 hours driving each way for both of us, plus one day together is just not enough! ;) 

~Communicate, communicate, communicate: This is the key to any relationship that lasts. Especially for the long distance couples, communication is all you have right now so you better learn how to communicate well with one another! Which is great practice for marriage. Long distance is usually harder on the woman's end, so it's important to relay to your man what is really important to you. For example: I really enjoy getting a "Good morning" text from Garrett and I've told him how much I enjoy it. Ever since I relayed that to him, he has made a point to text me in the morning. It's little things like that, that make you feel special and connected to the other individual. 

~Packages, letters, texts, etc..... : Sometimes, the best thing ever is getting a random text in the day from Garrett, telling me how much I mean to him. You seriously can't put a price on that! Packages/letters in the mail are a way to get back to the 'old fashioned' way of doing things and makes the other person feel so special! Garrett sent me flowers on a particularly hard day for me, it made me feel so great that I was on his mind. One time, I sent him pizza to his work and man, oh, man! He absolutely LOVED it! I knew he would love it but I literally had no idea how much! Ladies, send pizza to your man. You know what they say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach :)

~Talk about plans for the next visit:  When you miss the other person so much, it can help to plan out the next time you will see one another. Each time we get together we usually have a goal of when we will be together again. It helps to keep things in perspective and know that it won't be forever. 

There are just a few things that we have learned along the way and I'm sure we will learn so much more over the next 6 months!

A true story.

There once was a girl from Washington. 

And a boy from Idaho.

They had never met before, but little did they know God would allow them to meet in a great way.

One day, this girl and her sister took a trip to Idaho to visit a cousin and catch up with some friends.

The sisters went to their friends church one Wednesday evening, on a lovely April day. This boy from Idaho and girl from Washington caught a glimpse of each other that evening, but didn't meet. 

A few days went by and the sisters were at a friends house for a game night, the boy was there too. They were officially introduced and both came to realize how they really enjoyed the other's company. Through the next few days, they were able to spend time together, with others. They sat back watching and observing each other, but found how much they had in common.

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to Idaho. The girl went back to Washington not knowing if there would be anything evolving with this handsome boy. Still. she knew God would work everything out and that His ways were best.  

A few days after returning home, the boy contacted the girls' father and asked to 'get to know her.' The father and daughter both prayed and asked God for His will. Upon receiving peace, the boy and girl started corresponding via texts and many multiple hour phone calls.

A month later, it was now time for the boy to officially meet the parents! The boy from Idaho came to meet the parents and get the official stamp of approval. The approval was met and the boy and girl realized how much fun they have together. Their zeal for serving Christ and silly sense of humor brought them together even more over the next month.

Then one day, the boy knew it was time to make it 'official'. After receiving the blessing and approval of the girls' father, they began a wonderful new chapter in their lives. Courtship.

That's right, my friends! I am courting a wonderful, Godly man and we are excited to see how God will continue to work in our relationship :)

Idaho Trip

Well, here it is. We made a slide show with some pictures and also video's of our Idaho trip! We did fail to take pictures with the friends we were visiting (although we DID get our cousin), our awesome game night, and the great church we were able to attend. Boo. Yet, we did get some great shots from star-gazing in the park, the super-fantastic candy store, and other random things :)

Enjoy!

I'm baaaack!

After almost 3 weeks, I come back to my little corner of the internet. It was an impromptu 'blogging break' but it's nice to have a break every once in a while. 

First off, Happy April!! I cannot believe it's April already, because we just started March, didn't we?! Although, I can't complain about the wonderful, sun-shiny weather we have been enjoying. Plus, April is already promising to be a busy and fun-filled month!

We had a great Resurrection Sunday, celebrating the fact that Jesus Christ conquered death and rose from the dead! I am so thankful the gospel message doesn't end at the cross. 

{Over the past two Sunday's, THREE of my junior church kids have made a profession of faith! SO exciting and blessed to be used of the Lord in their lives.}

I made these cute and yummy cupcakes for my junior church kids to enjoy!

April fools day was filled with fun pranks and laughter. I really haven't done too much in years past, but this year I was in the pranking mood. :) When someone opened the fridge for something they saw these little eyes looking back...

Some other pranks included tissue paper stuffed in the toe of shoes, plastic wrap on a shampoo bottle, safety pins holding together clothing {so when you pull one out, several more come out too}...

Kali decided she would fight back and put salt on my toothbrush, luckily I caught it before it went in my mouth.

Kali and I were laughing about it, but Braxton reprimanded Kali saying, "Salt doesn't go on toothbrushes, it goes on food!!" Silly boy.

I did see a prank online that you put chicken bullion in the shower head, so when you turn in on it rains chicken broth. I decided that might not be appreciated too much :)

How did we get so blessed?

I was looking through all the pictures and videos in my phone yesterday. I couldn't help but laugh and smile. Quite a few of my pictures and videos consist of the kids.

{I'm not sure if I have ever explained it for those who might not know me personally. Kali (sister) is the nanny to Braxton and Lizzie. I am the nanny for Julian. They all come to our house during the work week.}

So, I was looking through all these pictures and videos, laughing and smiling at all the silliness of the kids. Also, its so neat to see the progression of their lives from even the past couple months.

Here are our kids... and a few fun things about them :)

Braxton

{3 years old, next friday}

--The oldest child in the house and certainly acts like it

--Been 'a part of our family' for a little over two years

--Loves, loves, loves anything monster truck or sports related

Silly stories:

--When we were teaching him the concept 'God made everything', we would point to things and say 'God made that' and ask him in return 'Who made that?' Later, he went home and his neighbor was mowing the lawn, Braxton proceeded to yell at the man mowing {across the street}, "GOD MADE THAT!!" He said this loudy over and over again trying to get his attention. Silly boy.

--Today, as the little ones were napping, he went with Kali and I to workout downstairs. He was trying to do the exercises with us, laying on the ground trying to do bicycle crunches. All of sudden, he let's out this big 'whew!', gets up, and goes to sit on the couch. I guess it was a little too much for him!

Julian

{2 years old, next friday}

--Yep, you read that right, Braxton and Julian are exactly one year apart. Pretty funny.

--I have been caring for him almost 6 months already. When he first started coming he was barely talking, now he is spouting off words left and right. He is always ready to babble off some kind of story. Although, he will not say Maggie for whatever reason. I guess he will say my name in his good time. Stinker.

--He's also our little laughing boy. He loves to laugh and when he does, it's very contagious! He enjoys tickling and being tickled.

Silly stories:

--When he falls down {in the snow, for example} he will just lay there for a while, like a bug stuck on his back. He stays still and doesn't even cry out for help or anything. So, so funny.

--I'm pretty sure he has this cell phone radar attached to his brain. We usually set our phones on top of the piano and one day I found that he had climbed up on the piano in order to reach the phone. One of those moments that you need to punish the child, but laugh behind a corner.

Lizzie

{2 years old, in May}

--Kali has been caring for Lizzie for about a year and a half.

--She's our little princess. Totally different from the boys. A snuggle bug and very sweet.

--She was a little baby when she started coming, so it's been so fun to watch her progress into a toddler. As she was getting bigger, she basically skipped crawling and went straight to walking. Anytime I would try to get her to crawl, she wouldn't have any of it!

Silly stories:

--We found a kids song on pinterest that is sung to the words of a book. The kids absolutely loove it, it's called the 'pout pout fish song'. Whenever we refer to it during the day Lizzie then says, 'waaaatch it' in her little girl voice, without fail.

--I went to check on her during her nap time last week, and I found her standing there without pants AND without a diaper! In the midst of quietly laughing to myself, I asked her where they were and she just closed her eyes and looked down. She had tossed her diaper over the play pen. Haha, I guess she was saying she is done with that!

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All this to say, we are so, SO blessed to have these sweet children in our lives. I absolutely love being a nanny and am so thankful God saw fit to bless our lives with these precious kids. They always keep us laughing. Kali and I get good practice in being Mom's and our parents are enjoying taking on the Grandparents role. :)

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."

~Psalms 127:3~

Moldy Cheese or Caramel Corn?

Have you ever had these?

There are several types of jelly beans but two kinds of each color. You can pick your color but as you place it into your mouth you don't know what you are about to eat.

Here are your options:

Skunk Spray or Licorice

Rotten Egg or Buttered Popcorn

Canned Dog Food or Chocolate Pudding

Booger or Juicy Pear

Baby Wipes or Coconut

Pencil Shavings or Top Banana

Toothpaste or Berry Blue

Barf or Peach

Moldy Cheese or Caramel Corn

Centipede or Strawberry Jam

Disgusting right?!

This was very comical with the kids but some even kept coming back for more! Of course, several adults from church {myself included} tried some and I can tell you that the risk is not worth it!

These jelly beans also doubled as my object lesson for the kids. How our 'yummy or good words' can leave a good taste in someone's mouth, but those 'yucky or not nice words' leave a very gross taste in someone's mouth. The thing about those bad words too is that just like the gross jelly beans, the taste usually stays longer in your mouth than the yummy ones.  

Just thought I share a little humor from my weekend!

Happy Tuesday!

Valentines Banquet

Our Valentines Banquet was a hit and went off without any problems on Friday! Not only did the couples have a great time but so did the workers!

Skit crew! It turned out awesome! {If you didn't watch the skit we performed, check out my last post!}

As I mentioned in my previous post, Kali and I were in charge of the decorations {with the help of some others to help get it all up}! It was great to see the place transform into a love oasis! ;)

Valentines Day is coming early this year

We have our annual Valentines Banquet at church tomorrow and we have been super busy preparing for it. Kali and I are in charge of decorations and dessert. We have had a great time seeing the visions in our head coming together! Here is what's been going on......

Getting our craft on with lovey-dovey decorations

Baking 108 mini cheesecakes

{they will have raspberry sauce on the top too!}

Practicing for a skit that goes something like this

{ps--I'm playing the one dying}

         

Teen Blizzard

I had the privilege, this past weekend, to go with a group of teens {and other adults} to an overnight youth activity! It's called 'The Blizzard' and a church around our area has it every year for a fun time of fellowship in the winter months. Lots of games, food, awesome preaching, getting to know our teens better, and meeting more like-minded Christians. 

It was a pretty loud trip to the church, but fun! I had forgotten how loud/crazy teenagers can be! Haha!

Take a picture of you, taking a picture of me :)

The teens didn't want to cooperate with the picture taking process. I believe we had 8 total. They definitely

kept us adults laughing the whole time.

One of the games was tossing a swimming noodle through a hula hoop, it's harder than it sounds!

The theme for this year was 'Who you gonna call?' centered around superheroes. The preaching was excellent! Bro. Fountain Jr. brought out the fact that those people/images are not real superheroes, but God is the real Superhero!

I was able to catch an absolutely beautiful sunrise, over the snow covered mountains. God's creation is truly majestic!

One nanny--two babies

I'm outnumbered.

Today, my dear family has gone off to the city to drop off a friend at the airport, who was visiting us this week.

At the house, with Julian(my boy) and Lizzie (little girl Kali usually cares for), both born within two months of each other and on the verge of the big 2. I am beginning to see a small, little glimpse of what it might be like with twins.

The first part of our day when a little something like this:

--I go to put a load in the laundry...Julian decides its a good time to throw orange pieces all over the floor.

--Charlie (dog) barks and acts crazy outside waiting for me to respond....I tell dog not to act like he owns me. Dog goes in kennel.

--Lizzie arrives....poopy.

--First thing Lizzie says is "Where's Kayyayy??" (Kali)....uh oh. (Not much you can do for a baby who wants someone else, who is not here.)

--Find Julian on Lizzie in a choke hold.

--During play time, Lizzie continues to ask and call out for 'Kayyayy'...to which I respond, 'she is at the airport.'

--Lizzie then starts working herself up to crying and calling out for 'Kayyayy'.....then I want to cry for 'Kayyayy' too.

--Lunch time....alternating feeding kids. Oh wait, I need to eat too?!

--Try to occupy the kids by practicing their piano skills.

--Several giggly rounds of 'I'm gonna get you!!'

--Nap time...Lizzie is now crying because its time to sleep....I've never quite heard that rendition of 'Jesus loves me' sang before by a crying baby.

Even through crazy/funny days as a nanny, I wouldn't trade these precious kids for anything.

They are the best.

Christmas Party

My family had our Christmas party on Saturday night!

We all had so much fun with games such as....

{Throwing marshmallows into a bucket}

{Trying to get a pom pom attach to your vaseline covered nose}

{Transfer M&M's to another plate with only a straw, then make a smiley face}

{Get the cookie from your forehead to your mouth, without using your hands}

{Stack the metal nuts with a wooden dowel}

{Unwrap presents with snow gloves}

It was so nice to sing and play Christmas hymns, praising our Saviour for sending His Son so many years ago...

We also set up a photo booth...and maybe had a little too much fun with it! :)

8 Days until Christmas!!