Take Comfort

A dear friend's family recently had a very sad and heart breaking tragedy occur. As a group of people surrounded her, religious affiliations mostly unknown, many of them had similar words of comfort, "I don't believe God wills things like this, everything happens for a reason." At first I found it perplexing that this group of people, with different levels of belief in God, would all find solace in believing that terrible things don't just happen to innocent people for no reason. Is this because they want comfort in a world where evil exists or because it's actually true?

As I thought about this more it dawned on me that many of the phrases and sentiments we use to comfort and console one another, Christian and non-Christian alike, are very basic and biblical principles. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." My friends are right, God doesn't want or cause terrible things to happen, his desire is for us all to prosper and to live with hope. It amazes me that while our Nation continues to take God out of everything the word of the Lord still infiltrates our everyday language and lives.

Whether someone is churched or not, the Bible has proven itself so real by the fact that even people who do not know the Lord are using his words to relate with one another. This really shouldn't surprise me all that much, the Bible tells us that this is true, Psalm 19:1-4, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Then in the New Testament we're told again, Romans 1:20, "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." The glory of the Lord is all around us. You don't have to go to church or have heard a single word from the Bible. He made the world a beautiful, complicated and wondrous thing to reflect his image and his nature so that all men may know him. Whether those friends realize it or not, they are testifying to the reality that God is real and active in our lives.

I'll close with a line that one of my favorite pastors usually says after he's finished reading the scripture, "this is the word of the Lord, it is given to us in love, and it is absolutely true."

Giving Thanks

My family has never taken on the ever infamous Thanksgiving tradition of going around the table and saying what we're thankful for. Perhaps it's just hard enough getting us all to sit at the same time, maybe it's because saying grace takes long enough and we're gluttons who just want to eat the delicious hot meal before us or maybe by the time dinner gets around we're all just too exhausted from sitting on the couch watching football the day of cooking. Regardless of the reasoning, this year I'd like to take a bit of time and really reflect on what I'm truly thankful for and could not imagine my life without.

• Jesus' immense love, saving grace and unending mercy.


• My Hunka Hunka Burning Love


• Living so close to family and getting to be a regular presence in the life of growing nieces.


• Other family members who aren't close, but are willing to drive a really long way, with three kids, to celebrate and spend time with us.


• My mother's willingness and diligence in reading my blog posts immediately upon publishing and letting me know of all the words I misspelled or misplaced punctuation what a great job I did. And everything else she does to love me and who she is.


• Obviously the usuals: health; a warm house; food on the table; freedom; wealth (we don't have much, but we have much more than many others).


• Friends with whom to celebrate, cry, rejoice, play and talk into the night.


• A job


• The gift that is delicious food


• Laughter and games


• Blaring out and singing along to Christmas music with my HHBL


• A warm, cozy and comfortable bed where I like to snuggle up and pretend I'm in the clouds.

Some of these things are a little more fun than the dramatic line "truly thankful and could not imagine my life without", but none the less they are what make up the small things in life that I do not care to take for granted.

Happy One Year Anniversary, My HHBL!

HURRAY, WE DID IT! WE MADE IT A WHOLE YEAR!

And what a year it has been!!

My Hunka Hunka Burning Love started his first year of law school on top of our first year of marriage; it was the first year for a lot of things...

 My HHBL killed our first Christmas tree

We won the Olympics

Our first "honeymoon" to San Diego

We sold a car, we bought our first car

We celebrated with friends



We welcomed the newest member and first grandchild to the Greene family

Baby mama in blue, baby papa in purple, baby Layla in pink.

 We tried loved our families well



  
My HHBL joined my family for our beach vacation for the first time
 
We took some great road trips
 
We went to a wedding at an aquarium with a private sea lion show and a beluga whale

We successfully found our way through a mystery corn maze (in 30 minutes)

My HHBL had shoulder surgery

Baby, I love you to the moon and back and am so grateful and thankful that we've made it one year and that we have 75, if we're still alive, but remember, I get to die first, left to go.

XOXOXOXO

Happy Autumn

Photo/art credit to Katie Daisy.

As of Monday, September 22 at 10:29 p.m. autumn is officially here! I LOVE FALL! It is my favorite season by far. My favorite used to be spring, and I can't really pinpoint why that has changed, but nevertheless it has. I still love spring though. I want two weeks of summer, for the beach, two weeks of winter, for Christmas and New Years, and then I want the rest to be split between fall and spring!

Things to love about Fall!

• Apple picking
• First fires in the fireplace
• Snuggling under warm blankets
• The colors changing on the leaves - The Blue Ridge is an incredible place to see this
• The crunch of leaves beneath your feet
• Pumpkin patches and a corn maze
• Pumpkins and mums on people's doorsteps
• Burberry perfume - it is fall in a bottle. One spritz and you're cuddled up on the couch; eating something warm; smelling fires, deep tanons of red wine and brightly colored crisp leaves
• Brunswick stew, chili (red and white), jambalaya, gumbo, etc.
• Football and tailgates
• My Hunka Hunka Burning Love's birthday
• Going on walks with my HHBL and handing him every beautiful leaf, so that by the end he has an entire bouquet of the richest reds, oranges and yellows
• The bright, chilly breeze across your cheeks and through your hair
• Wearing scarves!

Welcome Fall, I'm so glad you're here!

HOT-LANTA

The cat's out of the bag... we're my Hunka Hunka Burning Love is headed to Atlanta this summer, interning for Alston and Bird!! This was a much anticipated decision with some stress, but overall we are just so thankful that the decision is made and that my HHBL got his first choice.

I didn't draw this... thanks google.

Now the only problem is that he'll be in ATL for 10 weeks while I'm in Cville. I suppose though if we survived a year of separation while he was in the Philippines and I was in Cville, then this will be a piece of cake... right? Hardly!

If anyone has any advice for living in Atlanta and fun things to do in the summer, and friends we could connect with, cheap travel tricks (for me to visit often and to avoid miserable traffic delays), or insights into being married long distance (we did dating, but is that different than being married?) - we'd love any and all suggestions!

The Harvest

My Hunka Hunka Burning Love and I were given two tomato plants from our neighbor. We put them both in big pots, pretty quickly after we got them. One died of blight, but it has been so fun to nurture and care for the other that survived. I would love one day to have a decent size garden to grow tomatoes, squash, zucchini, red, yellow and green peppers! But for now, my potted tomato, rosemary and basil will have to do.

Tomatoes do and don't need a lot of care. They must be watered frequently, but besides that they just kinda grow. It was soo fun to check out the tomatoes every morning as I walked out the door to work and then again on the way back into the house after work. It was such a treat to spot the new little buds that were forming and know that our plant was not a dud.

 

We're still picking. Our dear plant is a late bloomer. I don't think he got the memo that he's supposed to yield all his fruit in mid-August. Just last week we picked our first harvest and we still have about 10 green tomatoes on the vine.

 

The Harvest!

I hope the rest of our tomatoes ripen before the nightly frosts kill the plant. Last night was 54 degrees. I was told earlier this summer, "there's nothing like a home grown tomato." I wasn't sure I believed that, until I had one of my own. MMMmmm, Mmmm, good! I want more!



Our first tomoato pulled off the vine. (Not my best picture... I had just gotten back from the pool.)

Lattes

Although I don't get them often, I am such a sucker for a caramel latte with skim milk.

When My Hunka Hunka Burning Love and I first started dating he worked at a local coffee shop in town, so he'd often stop by my office or on a Sat or Sun morning he'd bring my a "yummy treat." Essentially, my addiction is his fault. As a one income family with someone in grad school, we attempt to be very conscious about our spending habits. The career services office at the law school told the students if they ever walked into their office complaining about money woes holding a Starbucks cup they'd get no sympathy and be kicked out.

My HHBL still spoils me though, because every morning he wakes up and makes a pitcher (?) of French press coffee for us. However, in the month of September we get FREE LATTES! Thank you Hot Cakes! In the month of September Hot Cakes gives one free latte a day to all U.Va. staff, students and faculty. It's fabulous! Nothing gets Fall off to a great start like a free caramel latte every morning.

The sad news is, that nobody reminded me and so we didn't get our first one until this morning. But, we kicked it off in style and also split a pumpkin muffin - oh heaven! So long French press, I will see you again on October 1st.

Project Completion: Numero Uno!

If you know me well then you know that I typically always like to keep my hands busy with a project. As they say, idle hands are the devil's handywork. However, you probably also know that my timeline for completetion is indefinite. A slight purpose for this blog was to document those fun projects that do get completed. I teased you a little with this post, but have yet to update you on my success, but I promise it's coming. I have less that 1/4 left to finish. If I can finish in the next few weeks, it might be the quickest project completion to date.

Here's a pillow I made. I started this circa fall 2011 and completed it circa spring 2014. Only 2.5 years isn't bad. I stole borrowed the pattern from something I found online, drew it only the canvas, picked the colors and needlepointed it. Then turned it in to a b-e-a- utiful pillow!

 

I'll save my Hunka Hunka BL a little dignity and not post the pic of him taking a little nappy poo with it. I joked that by the time I finished it better be his favorite napping pillow. He was proving to me that indeed it was. Except now I don't want him to nap with it, because I don't want it to get ruined.

Woohoo, I actually completed a project... at least most of the way at this point.

School's In Session

Good bye beach, until we meet again next summer.

School is officially underway for my Hunka Hunka Burning love and myself. But, my HHBL and I headed down to the beach, just one last time, for Labor Day weekend before saying our good byes until next year. I'm not much of a fan of summer or winter. I just need about two weeks of each. One week of winter for Thanksgiving and Christmas and two weeks for the beach. The rest of the time can be fall and spring for me.

Here are some highlights from our beach trips to tide me over until next year.

This picture is blurry because the turtle was moving so fast it was hard to capture.

My mother's perfect day at the beach includes a book, her umbrella, some wine coolers and of course peanuts with the shell. However, this is evidence that my mother is not the only one with the craze for peanuts. I was with my HHBL's family when we found these shells that I had to shuffle through in order to put my towel down. It was actually quite sweet to have a little bit of my own mom with me while I spent time with my in-laws.

While most of the houses at beach communities are awful, gaudy or a little too shabby chic for my admiration, my HHBL and I found this little gem that we'd like to buy one day. It's on the Sound side in OBX, so you get to watch the sunset over the water every night - ahhhh, magical!

Family photos 2014

Luzars - Isle of Palms

Greenes - OBX

Last but not least, the signs of love...

My HHBL is such an arteest

Have no fear if I accidentally leave my rings at home because I took them off to put on lotion. The sun has helped to brand me as a married woman. I don't need no stinkin' rings to show that I'm off the market. The pale spot on my finger almost blinds me more than my bling bling.

 Ok, you get the picture, I love the beach for two weeks in the summer and I really love vacation. Enough is enough, good bye summer beach vacations. Using the words from one of my favorite books, "TTFN, ta ta for now."

Heaven on Earth

I really think I have found heaven on earth, or at least I sincerely hope that when Christ returns and we are made new as part of the new heavens and the new earth it looks a little something like this...

My Hunka Hunka Burning Love and I have gone from 0 - 60 in 3.7 seconds. The summer was absolutely wonderful. He was working at the U.S. Attorney's office here in town, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and after 5, he was all mine. No reading and law school work from 6 p.m. - 1 a.m. We fell asleep most nights together, we spent good time with great friends, we went to the beach... twice. It was simply splendid. However, then came interviewing with law firms for next summer, 2015 (already, geesh! He only finished this summer's internship 2 weeks ago). We have had 2 weeks of interviews here at the law school followed by 3 weeks traveling to the firms for callback interviews.

For all those asking, "Where?!?!?!" - Washington, D.C., Richmond, Birmingham, Atlanta and Charlotte. You'll have to stay posted to see what we decide.

All this to say, we are fully back in the swing of things and running 90 miles a minute. This past weekend we wanted to go to a B&B for a little QT before he was out of town, again, this week and next. Just some time to sit and be with each other before we said an official goodbye to summer and hello to the craziness. All in all, we decided the B&B was too expensive and too much of a hassle, so we called on our dear friends J&E.

J&E are some of our favorite older wiser friends. They graciously and so generously opened their home to us and allowed us the opportunity to get out of Cville and settle our hearts and minds the way we were hoping. When I asked my HHBL if there was anything he'd like to add about J&E he responded, "coolest cats this side of the Mississippi!" I Yi Yi - he's nuts! 

I think I sat in this position from about 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. I took a little nap, read my book, snuggled my HHBL and (emphasis specifically inserted for J&E's pleasure. They seem to think I say "and" funny when I'm telling stories) still found time to take a break for a little lunch of grilled cheese with fresh tomatoes from their garden with a side of raspberries and mangoes - YUMM!!

Who doesn't love a little Calvin and Hobbes on Sunday morning?

If I had to describe my favorite place to feel at home one of the hands down contenders for first place would be their house, sitting on the porch, overlooking the vineyard. One of the only other places that really comes close would be the sofa in the sunroom at my parents' house, gazing out the window into our backyard. 

Our backyard wasn't one of those lush, green yards with lots or room to throw the baseball, but it's home. Now a days, typically at Thanksgiving or Christmas, you can occasionally look out the window and see my oldest brother (35 yrs old, 6' 7", 260ish lbs) sitting in his childhood tree fort, bow and arrow in hand, trying to shoot a deer.

Sorry, the only picture I had of my backyard was from fall 2008, I was living in NOLA and missed home, so my mom took several pictures of the changing leaves in our neighborhood to bring me a little consolation.

I don't know what it is, but I just eat up the juxtaposition of the manicured grape vines, the groomed pasture with grazing cows, to the complete ruggedness of those Blue Ridge Mountains. Maybe I just have a thing for staring out into the wilderness and getting lost in the infinity of the Lord's creation and even attempting to grasp how much creativity, joy and pleasure he takes in his creations. Food for the soul!

Shark Week!

It's one of my favorite weeks of the year... SHARK WEEK!!

If you haven't been watching, get with the program (literally, hahaha, Discovery Channel).

Thus far I have seen researchers crazy lunatics on the search to find Colossus, last seen here on Shark Week 2012 from the footage taken for Air Jaws Apocalypse.

Apparently, we can tell it's Colossus based on the notch that is missing from his dorsal fin.

Then I got to see a double feature of researchers people mentally bonkers on the search first for the legendary 38 foot great white "Submarine" - the infamous scar across his face, the dead give away that it's obviously him continuing to terrorize people. Then the 60 year old, 20 foot, hammer head in Florida "Old Hitler"/ Bahamas "Harbormaster" - could they be one and the same...?

Last night I wasn't paying much attention. I've become a little burnt out on the research for the elusive legendary blahdy blahdy shark, but of course we had it on. My Hunka Hunka Burning Love was paying only slightly more attention than I and says with total enthusiasm, "Babe, guess what's on next!" Me - "Air Jaws IIV?" My HHBL - "No... look in the top corner of the tv screen." Me - "Uhh (cue eye roll as I look up) ZOMBIE SHARKS! Are you kidding me?!?! That is soo stupid, what is the deal with zombies?" My HHBL (completely genuine) - "Babe, don't worry, they aren't real zombies." BAHAHAHAHAA, really baby?!?! They aren't real zombie sharks, whooo I'm safe!

We both just lost it laughing on the couch. Thank goodness those sharks aren't back from the dead attacking anything and everything in their wake under the sea.

Oh My Hunka Hunka Burning Love, you keep me laughing!

This is a card My HHBL gave me last year just because it was Shark Week!