Beaches' Girls Night

It's been a while since the girls got together, in fact it was the night before little Maddy was born. We all decided it was time to get together and watch the classic movie, "Beaches," we only got through maybe an hour and we just had to start talking. It's so great to have girlfriends to gab with, we talk about everything, our marriages, our houses, our hurts, our happy times and more recently our kiddos! We had a few new additions this girls night, Emolyn and Maddy. It's so much fun to watch my friends be mommy's! They are amazing, patient and totally in love with their girls. Here are some pictures from the evening. By the way I LOVE hosting!!!

Let it be known that Andy artfully displayed the cheese and crackers...he was quite pleased with himself.Everyone's feet were healed...yeah!!The 2 newbies, Madison and Emolyn

Trying to relieve Jessica of her hiccups...it actually worked.

Sweet Miss Emolyn!

I look forward to the next time we can all get together!! Hopefully the rest of the girls can make it next time! I love you guys!

Engagement Anniversary

Sorry it's been so long, I know how much I like to read new stuff, so here is some more new stuff...1 year ago Saturday Andy and I celebrated the day we became engaged...it was soooo much fun. I spent all morning getting pretty, I got a hair cut, color, manicure and pedicure! We went to The Compass Room, we spent a lot of money and time just enjoying ourselves!! It was great. Here are some fun pictures, you can tell we don't know exactly what's appropriate and not in such a fancy place! But we had fun!

our biggest fear is not that we are inadequate our biggest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure, we ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? actually, who are you not to be? your playing small doesn't serve the world we are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. nelson mandela

I love this quote

Colorado

Andy and I went to ColoRADo the first week in July, it was awesome!! We did tons of hiking, eating and card playing with my family. The whole side of my mom's family has been going to this area for nearly 20 years. It's beautiful! It's a time we just sit around and catch up with cousins, eat a lot of food and enjoy the outdoors, including bears! My brother and his boyfriend Mike joined us this year. Mike is such a neat guy, we all get along really well with him. He fits in well with our dry sarcastic sense of humor! To be honest I was a little nervous for my extended family to meet Cody and his boyfriend, I didn't know what the reaction would be. I was pleasantly surprised, everyone was friendly towards Cody and Mike. I kinda think when you fall in love with Jesus and that overflows to others how can you judge other peoples choices. I trust God in Cody's life and I'm learning each day what that looks like.

I'll leave you with my favorite joke of the week, "what are the 2 sexiest animals on the farm?"

Andy's Hair Fiasco

So...in our attempt to save money Andy cuts his own hair. Usually this is not a problem, until for a split second he lost his focus. He was trimming around his cute little ears and noticed a small spot that needed additional trimming, so of course he went for it with vigor! And this is what happened! He then quietly asked me to come in a check to make sure he got everything, I began laughing hysterically.

My husband for the next 3 days will look like a Nazi Skinhead, luckily his hair grows fast!!
Ooooohhhh, how I laughed! I love my husband!! We thought tomorrow we'd do mine so we could be matching, what do you think??

June 27

Last night we had our good friends over for dinner John, Leanna and Lily. I've known Leanna for years and she and I were roomates a few years back. It was fun living together because it was right around the same time that she met John and I met Andy, who knew just a few years later we'd all get married and be having dinner together, with the addition of sweet Lily!

Check out their blog...www.machadominute.blogspot.com/...you HAVE to watch the video of Lily laughing!!

On a side note, I'm reading The Shack, an amazing book! The main character looses a child to a brutal abduction and "The Great Sadness" has overcome his life and God invites him to this shack to simply love him and talk with him. It is a profound depiction of what our relationship is like with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit when we choose trust over control of our lives. I have to share this part of the book with you, at the time a few days ago, it brought tears to my eyes, he is in the shack with Papa (God) and they are talking about "The Great Sadness." I'll change the name from Mackenzie (the main character) to mine, "Meredith, I know that your heart is full of pain and anger and a lot of confusion. Together you and I, we'll get around to some of that while you're here. But I also want you to know that there is more going on than you could imagine or understand, even if I told you. As much as you are able, rest in what trust you have in me, no matter how small, okay?"-God

I wanna live my life in that sentence, I want all the pain of my family junk to be OK because of that sentence. I want to trust more and control less, I want freedom and silliness and playfulness, but I feel like I can live in fear, doubt, anger and clutching to anything that brings me quick satisfaction when I'm not trusting Him. God I want to trust you more.

PF Chaings

Last night was a fun evening with an old friend. Her name is Katie, we've known each other more than 10 years now, it's fun to have friends who have known you for so long and still want to be friends!! We were celebrating her very overdue birthday dinner. Being adults now we both lead very busy lives but always find the time to catch up where we left off. We began the evening with a movie and then dinner at PF Chaings...I hadn't been there in ages! I love the food you can always count on ordering a good dinner. This time I ordered the Tam Tam Noodles, a new favorite. It had these big round things that looked like potato slices but where actually noodles....mmmm...so good, Andy already ate my leftovers!

We discussed books, work and the Myers Briggs test, you should all try it. I am an ESTJ, which means extrovert, sensing, thinking and judging. We boiled it down to I was a person who is very black and white about the world, easily distracted by objects or people while in conversation, that I make decision based on thinking through my options...I think that one is wrong and if you know me...you'd probably agree I like to make hasty emotional decisions, which isn't always bad but too many of those types of decisions and I get myself into a mess! It also means that I am an extrovert, really me, and extrovert, I'm always the quiet one sitting in the corner...HAH!

Today is father's day. Andy and I are gonna see "The Happening" and then head over to my parents house for dinner. I wish there was a daughter's day. I would like to make a "shout out" to my good friend Shawn...it's his very first father's day!! Happy Father's Day Shawn!! You are an incredible daddy! I'd feel safe leaving my children with you, in fact when I do have children you can watch all of them while Nicole and I go shopping! Deal?

Meredith