Belated Anniversary

Our 11th wedding anniversary was actually the 24th of June, but Pete and I have rarely celebrated it on the real date. Usually we plan a weekend away sometime in the summer months. This year we split the weekend into two parts: a Friday evening, and then a Friday overnight with a full day on Saturday.

Our Friday night date took place about a month ago. We ate out at a local Mexican restaurant and bowled a few frames thanks to a merchandizer double deal coupon. We both hadn't bowled since college...at least 12 years ago. It was rather humorous, I must say!

Our Friday overnight and all day Saturday took place a week ago. You may recall that last year we took a day trip to Washington D.C. and visited the Natural History Museum and the National Art Gallery. This year we were interested in going to the American History Museum as well as taking in the free Clock Tower tour in the Old Post Office and visiting the WWII Memorial. If we had had more time we would have visited the newly dedicated Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial too. Alas, IKEA was calling our names and we wanted to beat the traffic out of D.C.

When we lived in Maryland, the White Marsh Mall IKEA was 15 minutes away. It was a dangerous but very handy store for us as newlyweds. This trip was primarily to pick up an inexpensive coffee table. And we set a new personal record! We were in and out in 15 minutes! If you aren't impressed, well then, I'm guessing you've never been to IKEA.

Our timeline was tight by this point because we were determined to finish out the day at our favorite Mexican place in Bel Air. (Can you tell we like Mexican cuisine?) LA TOLTECA is this tiny restaurant housed in a former bank, with delicious, authentic Mexican food, perfectly proportioned servings and value, and an absolutely fantastic staff. And they bring you warm tortilla chips, salsa and a spicy white sauce as soon as you sit down. That white sauce single-handedly won us over the first time we dined there.

It was a beautiful day weather-wise to be walking around, enjoying the sights. Cool but sunny. Hardly a cloud in the sky.

Here are a few pictures I took while we were downtown and up in the 315 ft. Clock Tower.

Anniversary Weekend

While we would have loved to travel internationally for our 10th, we knew it'd be better for our kids if we waited till they were a bit older...and our finances. Ideally a trip to Europe is about 2 weeks long. Maybe our 15th...or when the kids are in junior high. :-)



My parents were able to keep the kids, and we decided that instead of spending money to stay elsewhere, we'd do things in the area along with a daytrip to Washington, DC.



Since Pete is working construction this summer and this was his first full week of work, I made steak, salad & orzo for dinner Friday night after dropping off the kids. We decided on a movie to go see, pick up our tickets ahead of time, then stopped at Pine View Acres Dairy for some homemade ice cream. (It's incredibly yummy and organic!)



Saturday we took our time getting ready (no diapers to change!!!!) and were headed to DC by 8:30. We wanted to visit the Museum of Natural History, but also wanted to be free to wander, so we purchased a day pass for the Metro. It's perfect for daytrips, especially since parking is plentiful and free on the weekends.



We found some lunch at a Panera-ish place called COSI on Pennsylvania Avenue. I'd rate it "good". It was cool, clean, and worked for what we needed, but I'd probably try another place the next time we visit.



We walked through the National Post Office en route to the Museum of Natural History. It was a beautiful old building, but when we saw the mini-mall they had created inside we kept going.



The Museum of Natural History seemed the place to be that morning. Literally everyone and their motherwas there...but we got to see what we wanted. I especially liked the Mammal exhibit. Perfect for kids (or "big kids" like us) who want to see to-scale animals up close, albeit still life. The two lions taking down a water buffalo, the giraffe, and the hippo were my favorites.



Other highlights were the Dinosaur and Ocean exhibits, the elephant in the atrium, and the Hope Diamond.







We also enjoyed a visit to the National Gallery of Art and the various gardens and fountains nearby.






















The Impressionist gallery was moved due to them grouping together one contributor's varied collection, so I'd say our favorite part of our visit was the Dutch gallery...and watching these overly enthusiastic gentlemen. Tee hee. Such a sneaky shot.






Flies, beware!



The next time we're in DC I'd like to go to the American History museum, Union Station, and Ford's Theatre. We just ran out of time and steam--it was a very hot and humid day.


During our drive to and from DC I co-piloted and read excerpts of "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls to Pete. I had recently read portions of her "Half Broke Horses" to him. What a C.R.A.Z.Y. memoir! (Which reminds me of some more book reviews I want to post.)


The rest of our weekend included a stop to Five Guys for burgers, Carrabbas, alittle window shopping and time to relax.


My favorite part? Time alone with my best friend.

L-O-V-E

I have a wonderful husband, I must say. This past weekend was just another example of that. For those of you who get to interact with Pete on a regular basis, you will quickly observe that he loves to serve others. And I am on the receiving end of it most of the time. :o)

Now he won't mention it, and if you commend him, he'll probably shrug it off and say it's no big deal, but I beg to differ. It IS a big deal! And it is such a tangible expression of love that I have really come to appreciate.

Those of you who know me, may recognize that my "love language" is words. Written, spoken, it does not matter. But I love LOVE expressed through words. That being said, my husband's love language is, (can you guess?) acts of service. And you know how most of us tend to love our spouses in the way we most appreciate being loved ourselves? Sometimes minimizing the fact that they are loving us in other ways?

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Well, with this past Saturday being Valentine's Day, he covered all his bases. :o) (Even if some things were facilitated by others.)

On Friday he took some time off to be at home with the kids and I, and had me schedule a 1/2 hour back massage. (I'd been having alot of back pain--the toll of pregnancy, delivery and caring for a newborn having taken it's toll.) It was wonderful!
(Anyone who wants a very reasonably priced massage by a Christian lady in her home, let me know and I'll pass along the info! And I mean it's reasonable!)

Saturday he took Natalia with him to his Mom's house for awhile so I could have some down time with Adam. Again, it was wonderful!

Sunday after church I had a headache (it had been an especially rough night of feedings), so he gave Adam a bottle and entertained Natalia (who wasn't napping) so that I could catch some Z's. Won-der-ful.

Sunday evening our Care Group had a special Couples' Dinner. We took the kids, since there was childcare provided, and had a great time. Delicious food, lots of laughter, silly stories, and... wonderful words shared by all of the husbands about their wives. Our Care Group leader had asked each of the guys to come prepared with something to say, and I felt so honored (as I believe all of the ladies did) by the sincerity and thought that the men put into it. We ended the evening with a rather rambuncious "homemade" version of the Newlywed Game. It's been awhile since I laughed so much that my cheek muscles hurt.

...Good times. :o)

It's Been 8 Years!!!

Something happened today that I never thought would happen--I woke up this morning, remembering that it was Tuesday...but beyond that? Nothing.



So set in my mind is it that our anniversary lands on the weekend we're camping with my dad's side of the family, that it COMPLETELY slipped my mind that TODAY is the day. Oh my word. I had to laugh out loud this morning when Pete gave me a sweet kiss and said, "Happy Anniversary, honey". My blank look followed by confusion probably was the last reaction he expected, but we laughed and it seems once again that my pregnancy hormones (absentmindedness) took the fall! That's twice within the last few days that I had a brain lapse over something pretty significant, like leaving his house and car keys behind while I went out-of-state for the day! But I digress...


Now, dinner plans are in the works, as we always end up celebrating our anniversary earlier or later than the actual day. I'm thinking the Symposium in Centerville--that's one of our absolute favorites. The food and service are out of this world!


And we did have a nice relaxing day together. This morning we joined the masses at ROOT's Market, and enjoyed some pastries as we shopped for plums, lettuce, smoked sausage, free range eggs, homemade bread, and fresh roasted peanuts. Not bad for $20.


We had a leisurely lunch while Natalia napped and read our chapters together from Harvey's book (see earlier post) for Care Group tomorrow night. It was nice getting some uninterrupted discussion time with one another--that doesn't happen often. :o)



This afternoon we set up the tent in Natalia's room--our early introduction to sleeping in her own tent since the big campout is coming up. We'll try it out for the first time tonight. (Her naps have been much more regular since last Sunday, for which we are ALL benefitting from and thankful! We'll see if it's too big of a distraction come naptime tomorrow!)


I thought I'd post some pictures of "the event". Pete got in the tent with her and I couldn't resist taking a shot of the two pair of feet sticking out! Natalia is so excited to try out her new sleeping bag.

More Books

My last book recommendation fit into the recreational category. The two I want to share with you today are specifically geared towards parenting and marriage--marriage at any stage of life.


The first was lent to me by a friend but I am quickly realizing I want my own copy. There are so many post-it tabs sticking out of it's pages, it resembles a filing cabinet drawer. It is entitled "Don't Make Me Count to Three!--A Mom's Look At Heart-Oriented Discipline" by Ginger Plowman.

Now, if you've never read "Shepherding A Child's Heart" by Tedd Tripp, I'd highly advise doing that first, as his heart-oriented approach towards discipline forms the backbone of Plowman's book. BUT, I think you'd get the same general idea from her work as well. I just personally feel you'd benefit by reading Tripp's book in it's entirety in order to truly understand his premise.

My only complaint regarding SACH is that there was little referencing the stage I currently find myself in--the 2-3 year old stage. The main thing emphasized was focusing on obedience, and I get that...there are just times I wish I had some specific, practical, simplified phrases, scriptures, etc. nearby as a resource. It's hard to know what parts of my discipline my child is truly grasping at this young age when she can't articulate her feelings with words.

That's where "Don't Make Me Count to Three" comes in. Now, again it's geared towards children a few years older than Natalia--those that can articulate their feelings and answer the simple probing questions she suggests. But, she provides (as a template--not a hard and fast rule) possible questions to ask your child to help them evaluate their heart and their sinful response, as well as numerous scriptures to help them "put off" and "put on". She covers behaviors such as: aggravating/picking on others, bad friendships, blame-shifting/making excuses, bragging/conceit, complaining, anger, and disrespect. (I especially appreciated her inclusion of specific, situation-based scripture.)

I'll still have to attempt to simplify them further and discern what Natalia might be able to grasp. If any of you have any practical, specific advice on how to approach this age group, please speak up.

Anyway, I'd highly recommend Plowman's book as I found it so very helpful and practical--with a capital P. I think it will be particularly helpful in the next few years.

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The other book I want to highlight is one our church is studying in our care groups this summer. It's entitled, "When Sinner's Say I Do--Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage" by Dave Harvey.

Now my immediate thought when I saw the title was that it was one of those premarital counseling/newlywed-geared books...and as I began to read it, it certainly would be beneficial to that group. BUT, and I can't emphasize this any more, Harvey's premise (as the title states very clearly) can transform your relationship at ANY stage of marriage. The power and message of the gospel is not limited to the new believer and therefore unimportant to those that have their act together. (That last phrase truly is not biblical when you think about it!) It is also meant to focus and provide hope to the believer THROUGHOUT his journey.

The author starts out with the gospel boiled down to this simple but profound element: I am, by nature, a sinner--who without the grace of God and His salvation deserve God's wrath and hell. Because God is perfectly holy and just as well as loving and merciful means that there is hope for those who place faith in Christ. Does that make a believer perfect...by no means! It requires that we live ever-mindful of our desperate need for His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to live in a manner that honors God and showcases His mercy.

Paul, in 1 Timothy 1:15, states without false humility or needless deprication, "...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." For Paul to be saying this, one of the most "spiritually-put-together" leaders of the early church--it seems backward in our present day and age, doesn't it? BUT, if we take the time to understand where Paul is coming from, and the essence of the gospel, it makes perfect sense.

Which of the following phrases might describe best how you view yourself in light of sin?
*Innocent till proven guilty
*Worse than some, better than others
*Good days/bad days
*I'm doing the best I can
*I'm the worst of sinners

How does this view affect your approach to your marriage? How does it affect your approach to God?

The title of Chapter 2 in Harvey's book is entitled, "Waking Up With the Worst of Sinners". How transforming would it be to consider ourselves as the worst of sinners, and let the mercy and grace of God catapult us towards bettering our marriage relationship with an attitude of TRUE humility, rooted in the gospel?