Eyes open and hearts full

Image via Katie Daisy

Something happened to me while I was in Australia, New Zealand and Bonaire, N.A. I became a full-on nature lover. I always loved nature, but the ocean, rainforest and mountains gave me a new appreciation for God's creations. Also, I've been reading Genesis in the Bible and read that we are to be stewards of God's creations. Reading that gave me this sense of responsibility to protect, love and nurture God's beauty. For example, when I was in New Zealand, there were two young women throwing rocks at the ducks, and I yelled at them. Yea, ME! I yelled at two complete strangers. And they stopped, but not without talking back to me. But, I think the ducks appreciated it and then proceeded to show their love by surrounding me and getting a little too close for comfort. But, I let them and even fed them some bread.

This little lady loved me and wouldn't leave me alone.

Anyways, I digress...I felt responsible, and while traveling, I began to see the beauty in birds, fish, trees, plants, etc. One of my favorite things the Hubs and I did in Australia was see the bird exhibit at the Cairns Tropical Zoo. Birds are seriously cool! And, while in Bonaire, I had the most amazing experience with turtles. One turtle swam so close and spent a lot of time with me and my friends, and another turtle, who was perched on a sea fan, let me swim right up to him. I was literally a foot away from him and he leaned into me like he wanted to kiss me. I melted. 

A friendly sea turtle.

And of course, there was my experience with the manta ray at the Great Barrier Reef and the eagle ray in Bonaire. The Lord really blessed me  on these trips. 

Me and the Manta Ray diving the Great Barrier Reef.

I returned home wanting to serve God in my own little way. I began planting and planting and PLANTING lots of flowers. The more flowers the better. I've been planting zinnias, daisies, cosmos, basil, geraniums, marigolds, ferns, hibiscus trees, a vibernum bush, and lots more flowers. My hibiscus tree has attracted a hummingbird, which I'm very excited to watch feed this weekend as I sit on my deck drinking coffee. Also, my mom gave me a some bird seed for our bird feeder that we got from the Hubs' "Mammy." I filled it to the brim the other day, and the birds are loving it! So far, I've seen cardinals, robins, mourning doves, chickadees and finches. I'm excited to observe them too!

The Hubs and I also will be digging up two trees that died :( and planting two new trees, but we're going to wait for the fall to do that. BUT, we are thinking a ginkgo tree and possibly a globe locust or a smoke tree.

AND, here's something crazy...I want to own chickens. Like really bad. I even got pamphlets educating me about chickens and building chicken coops at an Earth Day exhibit. And I posed with a chicken too...

Can't you see the love in that chicken's eyes for me!

One day, I will own chickens, ducks, goats and a donkey. Maybe even a cow and horse, if I'm really lucky :)

I think the Hubs is feeling this sense of responsibility too because he has been building a fish tank for almost a year! And last week, he finally completed it. I believe its a 65 gallon tank with a 40 gallon tank below it to help filter, monitor, etc. the tank above. Currently, we have 2 hermit crabs (Barnacle Bob and George), 2 snails and 1 coral, but we hope to get more soon. He has put a ton of work into the tank, but I'll feature his craftsmanship in a different post. 

Anyway, the Hubs and I are loving God and all His beauty, and are doing are best to glorify Him.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend basking in the sunshine, sipping on ice tea and smelling the roses. 

"Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." ~Job 12:7-10

Why hello there!

Posers at the Sydney Opera House

I'm back. It's been awhile since I last blogged because the Hubs and I went on two of the most amazing trips of a lifetime - Australia and New Zealand, and Bonaire, N.A. Yea, we did that.

About a year ago, the Hubs decided he wanted to do a HUGE trip before he started residency. Australia has been on both our bucket lists, so we decided, "Ok, let's do Australia," and then I thought, "Well, while we're there, why don't we do New Zealand too." So, we began saving and saving and saving and some more saving. Seriously, we had no lives. I think I went out for lunch with a friend once and I brought my own lunch because I didn't want to spend money on food. Oh, the things you are willing to give up/do for a crazy  awesome trip.

The Hubs and I at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Harbor Bridge in the background.

After saving EVERYTHING for a year, the trip finally rolled around on February 18. We left the States for Australia, and started our journey in Sydney, Australia. We spent 3 days in Sydney in King's Cross district. The area was pretty central to Sydney. We walked EVERYWHERE! We took what was suppose to be a 3 hour walking day tour that turned into a 6 hour walking tour, but it was worth it...Hello, it was FREE! We saw and learned a lot of things we would have definitely missed out on had we not done the tour. And we loved it so much, we pretty much did an unguided tour again the next day!

Two bronze whalers below us scoping out the cage. Photos by Blake Corcoran Photography

The Big Guy, aka Bruce. Photos by Blake Corcoran Photography

Next stop was Port Lincoln, Australia where we were to go cage-diving with the mother of all sharks - the awesome Great White. The Hubs and I were the first in the cage, and probably stayed the longest in the cage too. I think we were down there for about 1.5 hours. Reason being, we saw bronze whalers for the first 45 minutes of the dive thinking they were Great Whites - how silly were we for thinking such a thing. Because, when you see a Great White, there is no "I think that is a Great White." There is only "Whoa. So that's a Great White." I spotted the awesomeness that is the Great White first. While we were bouncing around in the cage trying not to get motion sickness or hypothermia, I see the Great White come out of nowhere, and all I could do what to tap on the Hubs shoulders with my eyes open as wide as they've ever been. The Hubs notices my enlarged eyes, and turns around to stare the Great White in the face. It was awesome. It was AWESOME! HELLO! We dived with a Great White, and it even hit the cage with it tail as it went after food. We were in awe.

Our Dive Station off the back of our Dive Boat.

And we continued to stay in awe, as we traveled from Port Lincoln to Cairns, Australia where we headed to Lizard Island to begin our three-day diving expedition on the Great Barrier Reef. There are no words for how awesome the Great Barrier Reef is. The hubs and swam with a manta ray, potato cod, tons of sharks, and lots of little nemos (aka clown fish). It was beautiful beyond beautiful. I have a whole new appreciation for the ocean and the life that calls it home. 

Tarzan.

After the boat dive, we explored a rainforest and hung out at the Cairns Tropical Zoo where I held a koala and the Hubs hung out with some roos. Awesome.

Blake and a kangaroo.

Then, it was time to say good day to Australia and hello New Zealand! First stop in "Oz" was Queenstown, where we skydived. Yes, skydived. We jumped out of a plane at 12,000 feet and soared high above mountains. It was crazy and not scary at all. No fear.

Getting ready to jump out of a plane!

 After jumping out of a plane (no big deal), we then took a car trip to Te Anu where we took a bus to go kayak Milford Sound, which is actually a fiord land and not a sound. It rained early that morning so instead of seeing the usual 2 waterfalls, we saw more like 28 + waterfalls. And we saw a seal. Boom!

Kayaking Milford Sound.

Next, it was back to Queenstown where we chilled on the beach and fed some friendly ducks.

Final stop, Auckland, NZ. We didn't have much money left (haha) so we dined at a delicious French restaurant, visited a museum, and strolled around the city. 

It was such a fun, adventurous trip! I highly recommend doing it with your favorite loved one. I had the best time bonding, exploring and looking death in the face with my Hubs. He is my favorite person to travel with and my favorite person in general. Thanks for always encouraging me to do and try new things, and to not settle for average. I can now say that I have cage dived with a Great White, dived the Great Barrier Reef, skydived, kayaked a fiord land and explored the Land Down Under. 

God is good.

Ta-ta For Now

Be back soon ;)

I have this friend...

"A true friend is one soul in two bodies." ~ Aristotle

Well actually she is more like the sister I never had, or a soul sister, or as she likes to call us a "soul mate of friends". And I want to warn you before I go any further that this is going to be sappy and yes, I am crying as I write this. I cry for many reasons because 1. She is pregnant and 2. I won't be near when she has her little diva of a baby and 3. She truly is my soul mate of friends.

We met in 2003, both dealing with broken hearts and insecurities, while having to spend our summer in college algebra. Neither of us were good at math and we can't even begin to tell you what we learned in class. However, I learned more that year about myself, friendship and God's love for me through my soul sister. I can still picture my friend that first day; she was wearing a zip-up sweatshirt over tank top, fitted capri jersey sweat pants, bohemian hoop earrings, well done make-up and her hair was thrown up in mess. She looked fabulous and she sat next to me. We knew of each other prior to this meeting because we both went to the same church youth group, but we had never talked because we went to rival high schools. Plus, we were kind of the same person - both drama nerds, choir singers and leads in our high school musicals. She was Maria from West Side Story and I was Annie Oakley from Annie Get your Gun. 

June 7, 2008

Any way, I'm not really sure how it all went from there, but I just know we became immediate best friends after that. We clung to one another that summer, crying over our broken hearts, mending and building up one another, singing like divas in the car, sipping on wine coolers, golfing and laughing so hard we annoyed the other golfers, hanging out on the 4th of July, running together, swimming in her pool, rapping about Jesus and sharing our deepest hurts and dreams with one another. We were real with one another. Both from small towns, neither of us ever felt like we fit in or had a true friend until that summer. I don't think I even knew what it meant to be a friend or to love someone who wasn't family till that summer. To be honest, I was afraid to be friends with other women. I had been hurt by girlfriends and I had hurt them back, and I just felt like maybe it would be best for both parties if I just stayed away from female friends. But, she embraced all my silliness and my sadness, and taught me to not be afraid or ashamed to be who God made me. She loved me for me, and we had the most fun I've ever had with another woman. But like all summers, they end and we had to go back to college - she went north to U of I, and I headed southwest to MU - rival colleges. Fortunately for our hearts, we went back whole and revived. I was more open to love and joy that year thanks to my summer with her.

May 30, 2010

That next year, we both found the men we would marry, and just a year before we were broken. And that my friends is the power of God right there. He brought together two broken people to mend one another through His love. And I can honestly say, I love her. We've been there for one another through break-ups and marriages, and now she is going to be a momma. And I'm so proud of her. She is going to be a wonderful mother, and her daughter will be blessed to have her as her mother. I know this because I am blessed to have her as my soul mate of friends. God knitted her soul to mine, and I will forever be grateful for the love, wisdom, forgiveness, grace and kindness she has shown me through the years.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.  

~ John 15:12 - 15

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:  it is the time for home.  ~Edith Sitwell

I am counting down the minutes to the weekend. I am excited to be home, watch movies, make dessert for a special lady's birthday, work out, read my Bible, clean the house and get in some good R and R with my Hubs.

As you know, I am not a fan of winter, but sometimes it is nice to just give in and stay home. I have already begun to daydream about my garden. I can't wait to be planting flowers, picking fresh herbs and talking to the butterflies as they flit by. But for now, I will embrace winter's blessings and bundle up by the fire.

Have a lovely, warm weekend!

Singing for Joy

{Pinterest}

 My heart craves joy and peace. And these winter months make me crave it even more with the cold temps and cloudy skies. Thankfully, this winter has been kind. I love sunshine, so during these dark months, I strive to find the light in the darkness. 

One positive I have found is that the winter allows for quiet hearts and self-reflection. God has been searching my heart this new year, and revealing to me His truth, love and even joy that I can find in Him. There is much sadness in our world, and you will easily find it if you should turn on the TV. But, God has created a desire for me to find joy in His word. And joy I have found. He knows me so well and provides me with all that I need. 

Joy. I know I said it already, but I crave it. And not only have I found it in His word - I am reading through the whole Bible. It is one of my New Year's resolutions  - but I am finding joy in the dark months of life. One wouldn't think they would find joy in the story of Adam and Eve, but there is! God has given me new eyes, and I feel like I am reading and hearing the story for the first time. I guess it could be because He is teaching me about Grace and there is so much joy to be found in that. 

Grace. I crave and desperately am in need of Grace.

I've also found joy in two little girls getting adopted by a lovely family. Both little sweeties just celebrated their birthdays and express so much joy in the video their parents made for them. 

There is joy in a baby's smile...

And I find that there is even joy in the changing of a baby's diaper. 

What a lesson about humility for both parties.

Conversations that bring about repentance and forgiveness; bedtime prayers with my husband; letters of encouragement to friends in need; songs of worship; cooking dinner for loved ones; and the sharing of laughter with friends all reveal joy. Grace upon grace.

I am thankful for the grace that has been given to me during these winter months. The darkness has given me time to dwell in the light of savior. And I have tasted such sweet joy, love and grace.

{pinterest}

I hope you find joy, grace, faith, hope, and the greatest of these, love during these winter months.

"My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for JOY." ~ Psalsms 63:5-7

January Photo Challenge

One of my New Year's Resoloutions was to live more intentionally in all realms of my life - relationships, finances, faith, art, work, etc. I thought doing a photo challenge might hold me accountable and be fun along the way. And I was right. It has been fun AND challenging. When I look back at the photos, I can remember that day clearly. January was a actually a pretty fun month, and that's saying a lot coming from me who typically loathes January. But the photo challenge has helped me to enjoy and appreciate the little things in life more, look for excitement and creativity in all things, and realize how incredibly blessed I am.

Good bye January 2012. It was nice to meet you.

And now, I'm excited to discover the challenges that February will bring!