Fall Break 2012

This weekend was jam packed with so many wonderful things to talk about that I could literally go on forever about them. I'll refrain but I want to touch on a few of my favorites.

1. We got to go camping. As someone who has never been and is rather terrified of bugs, it wasn't the ideal option. However, I've always wanted to go camping and yet in 22.50958904109589 years (doesn't seem so silly to celebrate my half birthday anymore when I don't have to round, does it?) it hasn't ever happened. Leave it to Daniel to take me. As if he hasn't already made enough of my dreams come true, he now has taken me camping!

2. We got to go climbing... with real rocks! I'm not the best climber so give me some real rocks and we've got a bit of a problem (get it? #climbingpuns) Anyways, whenever we go climbing I always feel as if I'm holding Daniel back. Instead of getting to climb the really cool stuff, he has to spend his time as I try and simply move one hand to another rock-a feat easier said than done. Not only does Daniel tolerate my inability to climb, he encourages it and praises me along the way. Never once did Daniel get frustrated that I wasn't a great climber or tell me that I needed to do better. Instead he was able to find something more on my level that I not only got to successfully climb, but also top out!! His patience is astounding. In addition, I got to see Daniel climb some really tough problems. I mean, he was upside down, climbing Spider Pig style. It was amazing. He never ceases to amaze me with what he can do. His passion for the sport is incredible and feel honored to be able to share in that experience with him.

3. We got to fry pickles together. The image of us standing in the kitchen, filling the entire apartment with smoke as Liz fans the air out the door with a giant throw pillow will forever be engrained in my head. We couldn't have had a more perfect Thursday evening.

4. Speaking of Thursday evening, we got to watch Flatland together. There's very few people who will engage in my math-ness with me outside of my math classes. Daniel willingly watched Flatland with me (I think the mere 35 minutes of it was a huge persuading factor) and endured all my geeky laughing and explanation of math things. I'm so lucky that he also encourages my passions and wants to experience them with me... even if he gets frustrated by the 4-D cube.

5. Finally, we got to hang out with his family. Daniel has the absolute best family around. Every time I get to be with them, they're the most welcoming bunch that has ever been. This break, we got to hit up all of the family from his dad and Karen to his extended family on the other side. Seeing everyone decked out in their favorite UT gear, cheering on a rather pitiful team was so great. Not only that, they're mostly math people! After seeing them for only a few minutes Daniel could already tell that they liked me. One of the best parts is seeing how engaged they are when he talks about his work and schooling. They love hearing about his successes and I wanted more than anything to tell him just how much his kids love him and it all ties back to my last post about how perfect Daniel and Youth Ministry are for one another. Anyways, as someone who hasn't always been able to enjoy my family as much as other kids it's great to be able to spend time with them and finally have those experiences.

6. PS-Daniel made a comment as I was all teary-eyed and sad as he left. We were talking about how unfair this whole long-distance thing is where there's plenty of other couples who don't have to do what we do and yet don't deserve that luxury, for one reason or another. Daniel brought up a really great point when he said, "You know what boo bear? This whole thing just makes me appreciate you that much more. I think about you all the time during the week." Well Daniel, what I couldn't say then was that I agree 100%. Not having Daniel at my disposal has made me really value the few hours that we do have together. It makes every action, word, phone call, text, and blog post that much more meaningful and valuable. As they all say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well boo bear, my heart has grown pretty fond of you. I think this whole thing will make us even stronger as a couple and will always serve as a reminder of how beautiful it is that, one day, we will get to be together... forever.

Daniel, this has been the absolute best fall break I've ever had and I can't wait to experience many more to come with you. I love you, boo bear! :(=))

Puppies.

To say this past weekend was amazing would be an understatement.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love puppies. So surprising me by taking me to an adoption fair was the best thing ever. There were so many puppies and Daniel and I got to dream about which puppy we'd love to buy. It was the perfect surprise for a Saturday afternoon. Not only that, Daniel had to deal with my over-emotional, puppy-deprived self for a few hours and that in and of itself deserves a reward.

Nonetheless, the weekend greatness didn't stop there. Sunday afternoon we decided to be adventurous and try some Turkish food for lunch. After stuffing our faces the night before on chicken, cake and cakeballs, the last thing we needed was a feast of eggplant, stuffed things, bread and tea... but that's what we got. It was great being able to explore foods from various parts of the world and meet wonderful people named "Corey."

Overall, it was a perfect reminder of what a weekend should be. It was filled with events but was probably the most relaxing weekend I've had in a while (but maybe that's because I got to nap through the entire movie...). Everyone always craves the weekend but I think us more so than the average Joe. The weekend doesn't only bring about a break from the humdrum lives of working adults (and waking up about 2 hours before anyone ever should-am I right?) but it provides an opportunity for us to be together and delight in each other's company. Because when I get to spend time with Daniel, even if it's just for a few hours, I treasure every minute of it because he means the absolute world to me. And for those few minutes, it's okay that I don't have a puppy because I've got my boo bear and nothing, and I mean nothing, could be better than that.

Zesty Piggy

So this weekend was great. See Daniel's blog for all of the details on the puppies, the hours of Netflix, the pizza, the slick new climbing shoes and everything else.

But I want to talk about what happened after we had to split. This weekend, Daniel got to lead youth group all by himself. From praise band to group meeting to Harvest Supper, Daniel was the top dog of this Sunday.

I got a call from him Sunday while I was at Sam's Club, and Daniel was less than enthused. This weekend hadn't gone nearly the way any of us had hoped or planned and this was just the icing on the cake. The parents were cranky, the kids picked up on it, and the other staff shirked off their responsibilities. It wasn't fair and it broke my heart to hear Daniel be upset about it.

What amazes me is how much Daniel loves these kids and how passionate he is about Jesus. Daniel is always trying to connect with his students even if it's just sending a quick text-something to make them know he cares. Anyone who is lucky enough to get to talk to him about being a youth minister knows how much zeal he has for all of it. He's so excited about every project, every meeting, every rehearsal. And not only that, he's so passionate about Jesus and sharing his truth that it's contagious. It's one of my favorite things about him.

That aside, we can all say that this weekend didn't go quite as we had planned. But even so, it was still a great weekend and it's filled with some of my favorite memories (mainly about Subway, being kleptos in hotels, and the sweetest puppies you'll ever see).

Lapin Lapin

In France, there's a superstition that says if the first words out of your mouth on the first of the month are "lapin, lapin" then you'll have good luck all month. The literal translation is "rabbit, rabbit."

(At first it seemed silly to me, but then I remembered that us Americans carry around rabbits feet for good luck.)

I've made it a habit to make sure that every morning of the first of every month I always call out to my lucky rabbits.

However, I don't think what we Daniel & I have is luck. I think that when two people mesh well and have that uncontrollable chemistry, something is bound to happen. Toss in all the love that we have for one another and you're making magic.

So here's to 7 months of magic, love and piggies and many, many more to come.

:(=))