Things I Appreciate...

<=======  About this guy.

I think there are days when I know I'm lucky. And then there are days when I forget. It seems, the longer those stretches of forgetting - the more likely I am to wake up one day, weighted with the heaviness of gratitude. Not that gratitude is a burden. It's just that we can feel it so immensely, sometimes as a result of incidence - or sometimes simply because it floods the far recesses of our hearts and minds and reminds us to appreciate - to love - to be thankful. Such was this morning.

And for no reason in particular, except that as I tiptoed into our bedroom after letting him sleep a couple of hours more - breakfast tray full of goodies, in hand - his awakening from slumber had such an innocence and adorableness to it that the gratitude began to flow. The etchings of a good sleep in comfy sheets written all over his face, and the grin inching towards his eyes with delight at the discovery of my morning surprise. Even now as I hear the echoes of our lawnmower bounce off the brick walls of our lovely home, I'm thinking of a myriad of things for which I'm grateful for about him. The things I appreciate so much about who he is and what he does.

These sorts of things...

• He wonders about the most absurd, random and imaginative things.
• He reminds me to dream.
• He makes my dreams come true.
• He gets things done.
• He never does anything halfway.
• He tells me to go to the pool with my best friend on a day which had previously been designated yardwork day.
• He communicates with me, whether or not I'm resistant to doing so.
• He sings in the shower, without regard to audience.
• He often tells me the meals I get around to cooking these days are better than any he could have at even our most favorite of restaurants.
• He is the king of post-it love notes.
• He is clean as a whistle and yet, strangely never afraid to get dirty.
• He would shower three times a day if he could.
• He sleeps (and snores) hard.
• He makes faces at me.
• He could walk around our house everyday inspecting the health of our plants, trees, and shrubs, never growing weary of the chore.
• He asks, just about everyday, to see the baby... by which he means my belly.
• He lets me be a kid sometimes, in the way I really wasn't able to as an actual child.
• He is a kid... often.
• He plays with me.
• He travels with me.
• He has never once turned down a request from me to do his fingertips on my arm or back.
• He would trade every dollar or luxury in the world for my happiness and peace.
• He is so patient.
• He is undeservedly kind.

... to name just a few.

So Far, I'm Liking It

I am 25 now and have been for a whole day or so.

And it's not all that weird, save the part about being closer now to 30 than I am to 20.

Apart from not being with family this weekend, I couldn't have imagined a more appropriate way to celebrate than to do exactly what I did this weekend. From Friday night until now, I have been lavishly blessed with reminders of all of the good and wonderful things God has given me in the last quarter-century and all that is yet to come.

I can barely put into words everything these last three days have meant to me. And the most astonishing thing is that nothing has been grand or lavish about them. I think it's really the small moments that have left the most lasting impressions...

Laying in a hammock with one of your best friends and reading a timeless and favorite book for the third time, while the sun filters through leaves littering the sky above you. Being out on the water. Sitting around a fire with three people I absolutely love with all of my heart, listening to the flames snap and crackle as the scattered raindrops fall, mixing with them the scent of honeysuckle, viburnum, and smoke. Blowing out the first of two candles placed ever so craftily in a just-perfect S'more. Being able to do what I've come to really love to do here in the last year or so. Receiving messages and calls from people who really, really love and care about me. Opening up handmade cards from afar. Eating not just one but two fabulous birthday dinners with my best man, one of which was at one of our most favorite restaurants around.

These twenty-five years have been very well-spent. It's nice to look back, even on the handful or two (or five) of years I've been around, and to see the patterns - see the places where God has been working all along and continues to do so.

And for everyone who's thought to ask, "So how's it feel to be 25?"

So far, I'm liking it.

Our New Baby (& More) Arrive Tomorrow!

Okay okay, let's be serious... my baby. BUT. It is our labor of love and will continue to be. Because as much as it has become my dream, it has also become Cliff's as well... supporting me, giving me space in my life to pursue, to dream, and to work and still choosing to do all of that with me.

This little delivery means a whole lot to me, particularly in developing and growing as a photographer. If you don't know what I'm talking about, well, you'll just have to wait and see until tomorrow!

Brief Tidings

I can say...

Yesterday was: busy, busy busy. We got our to-do's done, though, and for that I am thankful.

The Lampo Christmas Party was: incredible. Thanks to everyone who is a part of that company and made last night what it was. All of you who work so hard and are rightfully presented with some pretty amazing food/service/accolades/gifts at the end of the year. What a blessing this company has been to us!

Our drive ahead is: long, long, long. But worth it, for sure. We'll pull into Mom's driveway tonight and the twelve hours may (or may not) feel like a blink. But we're up early and ready to go, let our Tour de Mid-Atlantic, begin!

Next time you hear from me, we'll be in Virginia... and as of now, we're on vacation!

Provision

Cliff and I finally had our "spousal interview" yesterday afternoon with his would-be boss and his wife. It was funny, coming into the interview, because we didn't really know what to expect and I was especially curious as to what my role would be at the lunch. But it was great, I mean, really great. The fact that they invite spouses (or in my case, future spouses) into the process to show that they don't just care about the individual filling the job but the person behind the individual filling the job speaks volumes about the culture of care and inclusion that The Lampo Group has. Anyways, we had a great lunch that was just really comfortable and exciting - everything sounded really promising not just about the job and company, but Cliff's fit with the organization and the prospect of him working there.

Well, he got the call today and the job is his. How cool, right? Gosh, I'm excited! This process of job searching has been one of the more challenging things Cliff has faced in awhile (besides living in Sudan for five months) and I've been right alongside him for the good and bad of it all. He's put in a lot of hours and work at Belmont, helping the students succeed and really investing in SIFE - instead of just biding his time until something else came along. Because of that, his work with John and SIFE turned into a conversation with individuals that work with Dave Ramsey who are also partners in some SIFE projects, which turned into a series of interviews for a position that seems like the perfect balance of stability and challenge for Cliff. And it's SUCH a cool company and environment to work in, seriously - it was named one of the Nashville Business Journal's Best Places To Work in Middle Tennessee (I'm kind of jealous, actually).

Not to mention all of this happened with Cliff putting in a whole month's worth of work at Belmont with no paycheck, and his only income coming from a pair of tickets to an event that John gave to Cliff as compensation for him to sell on eBay that didn't amount to hardly a third of what he'd been making the previous months. But Cliff didn't give up... and that's what I love about him and about our God who both guides and provides for us. And a great job doesn't solve all of the problems in the world or ensure a perfect marriage, I know, but as Cliff and I continue to dream about, plan for, and pray over our future together, it's nice to see just another example of how we can't do this on our own and most great things in life happen not because of what we do but because of a gracious and loving God who knows us and sees the big picture and is faithful. That's good... that's real good.