#26: Celebrating Phil's Birthday

This almost never happens, but today we were both off! So, we decided to celebrate Phil's birthday. We slept in...waaaay in! Until about 11:30. It was so nice! And then we went to Maya's downtown. It is a Mexican buffet. So good! After then we went to the museum that is a few blocks from our house. It is free, and somewhat lame. But it was kinda fun to just be silly there for awhile. After the museum we went back home and just chilled for awhile, and we even splurged on pizza! Finally we topped the evening off with a movie that Phil has been wanting to see: I am number Four. 

The movie was pretty good, I guess. Phil really seemed to enjoy it. I thought that it was a very make-fun-able movie.

All in all, it was a good day of celebrating Phil's birthday and just getting to spend some much needed time together!

#25: Phillip's Birthday!

It's a bit funny to me that this is number 25 of my pictures, and it is Phil's 25th birthday. How ironic.

Anyway...yes today is my dear ol hubby's birthday. Unfortunately for us, we both had to work. I worked from 9am-4pm and then he worked from 1pm-10pm. Our schedules are like this most of the time, and it stinks!

However, I did go up to the hospital, where Phil works, and we ate dinner together in the Cafeteria. Of course, he only had 15 minutes, so we had to cut it short. But still, at least we got to eat together on his birthday!

Happy Birthday Love!

#24: Home-made Eggnog

No longer is Eggnog a holiday delicacy. Oh  no! 

Today I was craving eggnog, and I decided that enough was enough! It's not okay to have to wait until Thanksgiving and Christmas to consume one of my favorite beverages. It's only March, for crying out loud! How do they expect us to wait all year? Well no longer! I made my own eggnog and it was fabulous. 

Fabulous at first, anyway. It was not quite thick enough, and after a few drinks the eggs seemed to be a bit overwhelming. It needs some tweaking, but this was my first attempt. Practice makes perfect!

#23: Real Life Missionary Friend

 Jenna! She is my real life missionary friend (according to Mike Nichols). I love getting to hang out with her, it is such a glorious time. Jenna and I had a strange friendship early on. When we both first started college we were in the same group (both Undecided Majors) and we hung out a little bit. But soon we stopped hanging out altogether. We're still not sure why.

But every time we saw each other we would say we needed to hang out. We had a deep connection, even though we really didn't know one another all that well. In a series of random events, including Jenna moving in with Jessica, me quitting my job and going to Canada with Jenna, and then Jenna living with me for a month, we were able to really get our friendship going.

No more saying that we need to hang out and then never actually following through. Jenna and I are heart friends. And we see each other all the time now!

I love my real life missionary friend, my heart friend, my Jenna! She is real, she is funny, she is open and honest. I am so happy she is one of my best friends!

#22: Sweet Letter

I got a letter in the mail from Phil's grandma! It was sweet and I was thankful to receive it when I did. Getting mail is always fun for me (except those darn bills, of course), and it just makes it all the better when it something sweet and kind- something from Grandma.

Thanks Grandma Kemp, for making my day! I really appreciate you!

Broken

Today this song made me cry. Of course, I had already been crying. But hearing these words just brought more tears to my eyes.
Sometimes I feel silly and ridiculous for still being sad about the miscarriage. I feel that sting of pain when I remember the loss, and I feel silly that I'm not completely over it. Last night I felt so lonely and so overwhelmed with grief and sadness. I desperately long for what I have lost. And I pray that God will take away this pain in my heart.
For a while I was okay. Or so I thought I was. I guess I just wasn't letting myself think about it. But all of a sudden, the sadness and grief came welling up from seemingly out of nowhere.

I'm falling apart

I'm barely breathing

With a broken heart

That's still beating

I'm trying to wrap my mind around this, like I'm sure all women who experience this are. I know I'm certainly not the only one going through this. But today it seems like I'm alone. I feel empty. I feel sad.

God where are you right now? I can't see your hand in this. I can't understand why you would allow this. What good can possibly come from this heartache and this loss? Please answer me! Please heal me!

In the pain

There is healing

In your name

I find meaning

#21: Phil's Birthday Gift to Me

I finally got a kindle!

Well, I guess technically it is Phil's. After all, I did get it for him for his birthday. What a crazy man I am married to! All he kept saying he wanted for his birthday was a kindle. I knew he didn't really want one. I'M the one that wants a kindle. But no, he just kept saying that's all he wanted.
I knew what he was up to from the very beginning. He wanted me to buy something for myself.
Here's something I have learned about Phil: He's not really into the birthday thing. It's kinda ironic, because I like to go overboard on birthdays. I think that birthdays are special and very important. It's the one day when you get to celebrate one specific person and cherish them and love on them and show them how much they mean to you. I love birthdays! And I love getting to do awesome things for people on their birthdays.
My dear old hubby likes to make things difficult for me though. So, this year I gave in. I bought myself something for his birthday. And boy was I excited!!

I did buy some stuff for him too. But they were practical things. Guys and their practical things! He wanted those comfy things for his shoes (whatever the heck they are called) and new hair clippers.
Of course, his birthday isn't until Monday the 14th. I just got too excited about the kindle to wait any longer and I made him open them a few days early.

So maybe I'll plan something special. We are both off on Tuesday and I plan on having a great date planned for me and birthday boy!

#20: Weird Craving

After work today I had the weirdest craving. Well, weird for me. All I wanted was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! This is weird because I do NOT like peanut butter.
But for whatever reason, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is what I wanted. So a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is what I got. And it was delicious!

Maybe my taste buds are changing...

#19: Late Night Indulgence

After work last night I kinda gave up on eating healthy. But just for the night. I hadn't been to Wendy's in a very long time. And for some reason I was craving a spicy chicken sandwich.
So, after Phil and I dropped the in-laws (my in laws, not his) off at their hotel, we headed to Wendy's for my late night indulgence.
And let me tell you...it was delicious. Well, aside from the fact that they forget my tomato...which I was really looking forward to for some reason.

But nevertheless, it was delicious and I was satisfied!

#18: Ruth study

My friends and I are doing this study on Ruth. It's actually really good and I'm glad that we decided to do it.
Of course, we haven't all been able to get together in a couple of weeks, so some of us our doing it on our own.
But it will be nice when we all do get together and talk about it. Also, there are some recipes in the book too, so it'll be fun to make those and discuss what we're learning.

I just absolutely love the devotion time I have with these 3 girls. It's amazing to have such awesome friendships in people!

#17: My Joy in Life

Two of my favorite things combined into one delicious and amazing beverage: Coffee and Almond Joy.
Actually, I'm not a huge fan of almonds. I think it's the chocolate and coconut that I love so much. So if they made a coffee creamer that was Mounds....well then that would be heavenly.
Of course, it's not like I have to eat almonds when I drink this creamer.

Anyway. Mounds are one of my favorite candies! And coffee is one of my favorite drinks. So it was such a joy when I found this coffee creamer and indulged!

#16: Family Time

 My mom and Dennis and little Nolan came up for a visit today. It was great to get to see them! And it was really nice to be able to play hostess. I can't wait until I get a real house with more bedrooms, so that I can truly play hostess to my friends and family.

But anyway, it was a nice little visit. We got to chat in the morning over coffee (one of my all time favorite things!), and go out to dinner with the grandparents. Dinner was an added bonus because it was one of my favorite restaurants- Darcy's Pint. I get the same thing every time-the buffalo chicken pony shoe- because I convince myself that it might be the last time I ever get to eat there, and the buffalo chicken is AWESOME!

Anyway...I probably shouldn't have eaten it, considering my stomach situation. Which, by the way, has not gotten much better (in case you were wondering...which I know you were). But, I thought that the family pictures would be much better than the toilet picture I posted yesterday.

Wow, this has turned out to be a long post.

If you didn't know it already, I am the baby whisperer. I have this strange ability to get Nolan to go to sleep. And usually when I babysit him, he sleeps through the night! It's totally awesome.

Isn't he just adorable! I love that little guy!

 Me and mom at Darcy's. This picture...I debated whether or not to even put it up. 

It is not very flattering of me at all!

 Mom and Jake at Darcy's. He's my 'little guy', which is ironic since he's the tallest one in the family. But I've alway called Jake 'little guy'. There was a time....long long ago, when I was actually taller than Jake. Imagine!

 Mom and Dennis at Darcy's. How adorable!

The grandparents with mom and Dennis and baby Nolan. I think Nolan is distracted by the plate on the table...or maybe by Tim, who was acting...well, like Tim!