"How can I pray for you today?"

It's an interesting thing when you have a relationship in which you try to keep God centered. You have a different level of respect for your spouse. You find yourself wanting to pray for them, and grateful with they pray for you. You feel stronger, like you can take on anything.

Drew has taken on a role as head of our house. It is his job, no matter how early I wish to go to bed, to come in to the bedroom with me and pray with me. I know it's something he is passionate about, so I also remind him if he forgets or is distracted.

We also have this thing we do when we are talking throughout the day where we ask, "How can I pray for you?". It's monumental the effect it has on our relationship. It's hard to believe that I could love this man any more than I already do, but it just keeps growing! (Like I mind... HA!)

I'm trying to also put it in to play with those that I talk to during the day, too. I started today when I emailed Stephanie. It feels SOOOOOOO good.

My amazing man and I at the races, with the parents + Max.

{True Love}

I knew I wanted to update my blog, but I didn't know what to write about. As I sat staring at the title bar, the only words that came to mind were "True Love". A funny realization came to mind when I thought deeper on those words. I didn't just mean my love for Drew.


My love and reverence for God is something I am proud of. It hasn't been an easy road, my life, but it's been a good one. I dealt with things that I child shouldn't have had to. I was thrown in to some responsibilities that a teen shouldn't have to shoulder. I have a heart for other people's pain, which can be downright exhausting. When a dear friend of mine miscarried her first pregnancy, I bawled my eyes out at work, on my way home, and as I lay in bed that night. But, I knew that God would take care of them and that when I get to Heaven, I'll meet the little one that didn't make it to their life this round. Still, through all this, my love for God has never wavered.


I'm not saying that I had a traumatic life, or that my trials were any more intense than those of anyone else. But, it was a challenge for me. Thank God for always being there and never giving up on me when I felt like giving up on everything else.


It's crazy what can happen when you give up control and let Him do what He has planned for you. I was in a relationship in early January of 2009. It was a dead end and left me less than satisfied with myself and with him. I sat in church and heard, "give it up", so I did. I told my best friend Drew that I broke up with my bf. Two days later we started dating, two days after that we had our first kiss. I married that boy. If I hadn't listened, I might still be playing the detrimental dating game, being less of the woman I should be, giving my heart away to men who don't deserve or even want it.


How amazing is it that we have a God who loves us and genuinely wants the best for us? How amazing is it when you give up control, as hard as it is?


Thank you God for giving us all the second chances in the world to screw up and find you again.


I'm all giddy and full of love.

At my company's summer party hosted at my bosses' home. SO FUN. Next to us, our BFFs the Bishop family.

{Shame}

I have felt so much shame as of late because of my negative, selfish and slightly disrespectful behavior. I got my teeth out and have pretty much been a non stop whiner since then. I know my pain wasn't near the caliber that I was making it out to be. I didn't have the tell-tale signs of swelling that people usually get, so I guess I had to remind people that I was hurting. What for? Sympathy? Attention? Gag. Yes, I WAS in pain, but I'm not a child and I should have handled it with more dignaty that I did.


You probably noticed the "slightly disrespectful" piece there. I do feel like I have been disrepecting Drew by my actions. I have been thinking so inwardly lately and I have been neglecting my husbands basic needs.


I started feeling a whole lot better yesterday and called him while I was out and about running errands for work, and I apologized. I told him that I had been treating him unfairly and that I was sorry for disrespecting him with my negative attitude. I felt energized after doing this. I was totally ready to get home and be a more attentive wife. Our house was a mess and we had growth group in a couple hours, with a chapter still left to read. So, while I ran around the house cleaning, putting stuff away, doing dishes, etc., I had Drew read to me. I love moments like that.


I felt that weight on my shoulders yesterday. I have a new weight on them today. I made my apology after sitting on a deception for far too long and letting it eat at me. I'm just praying that my message gets read and my apology is accepted. I am a good willed woman... I just pray that I make that known by my actions more often.

Feeling a need to be set free from guilt.

{PAIN} My whiney post...

I am such a sucker. My last posts were about the excitement of getting my teeth out and being all healthy and such!

Boy, was I a bonehead.

I can't believe I was looking forward to it. I got them pulled on Friday afternoon. It is now Monday evening and I'm still in more pain than I had anticipated. I take the 800mg ibuprofen three times a day and when it flares up in between those times, I have (generic) vicoden. I'm also on an antibiotic, which I hate. I can't stand being on antibiotics. They leave a disgusting taste in my mouth, and they counteract birthcontrol. I'm tired all the time, my jaw aches, I have to take my antibiotic with a full glass of water, and I have been having to take it at bedtime, which means I'm getting up in the middle of the night. I honestly don't LIKE to complain, when I'm in genuine pain, the last thing I want to do is be a bother to anyone else. Now, if I have a cold? Yeah, I'm super obnoxious. I always end up feeling awful when I can tell on my husbands face that I'm being a pill.


Here I sit, on the couch... Again. I've been pretty well acquainted with this couch for the past 3 days. Good thing this giant purple cat hair magnet is confortable! But... my stitches feel like they are pulling and there is a flap of skin that seems to be loose. I'm just worried that it's going to keep getting worse. I'm such a negative Nancy, a real Debbie downer. And I hate it.


Maybe I just feel like being negative right now? That's not fair at all. God gave me an opportunity to go to a good dentist adn take care of a problem in my mouth. God gave me an amazing husband who just wants to help me feel better. I just need to shake it. I'm healing, that's a good thing. Healing doesn't come without a little pain, still.


Buck up, you big sissy. There are worse things out there.

The man who makes me sing with joy. At my mother in law's birthday July of 2009.

Ouch...

I'm the biggest nerd with the incredible ability to underestimate my pain threshold.


All day yesterday I had been saying how excited I was to go to the dentist. I'm glad I went, don't get me wrong. But, I completely forgot about how painful having sensitive teeth can be at times.


I had my regular cleaning with the gritty paste by the dental assistant, which was fine. Then I had the exam by Dr. Ed and we talked wisdom teeth. Next was the ultra sonic cleaning. This is the super powered water that jets out of the cavitron tip and can blast away calculus build up. Oh my goodness, this hurt. It gets into the sulcus (the space between gumline and tooth) and cleans it out. But, if you have sensitive teeth and sometimes sensitive gums, this can be a painful thing. I shudder at the thought of it. It's a necessary evil, I know this. My teeth are amazingly clean, though. Dr. also said that I don't have any new cavities, which he is proud of.


Two Fridays from now, on the 30th of July, I will be leaving work early and heading to my house where Drew will meet me. From there we are going to hustle over to Sunrise Dental and get at least one of my three wisdom teeth out. I have one that just decided to start really pushing through and it's not very pleasant! Drew is nervous on my behalf because he knows I don't manage pain very well.


Here is where prayer comes in!


God, help me be a strong woman and deal with whatever pain or fear that comes with dignity. I pray that I don't lose myself and become a child just because I have been known to be a sissy. I don't want this time to become an excuse for me to not do my wifely duties and maintain my home as I try to do. Amen.

Us in Maui in 2009. :-)

I {less than 3} the dentist

As silly as I am sure that sounds, I can't help it. I love going to the dentist. I love going to the optometrist. I love LOVE going to the doctor (it helps that it's my mom's clinic).


I have been in some serious pain with my wisdom teeth as of late. I know most of you are simply appalled that I still even have mine in at the ripe age of 23, but it's true. I only have three. Two are fully erupted and the third has recently decided to ascend into the world. This new pain has given me a huge appreciate and new level of sympathy to children who are just recently cutting teeth. It HURTS.


I'm going to the most awesome dentist in the whole freaking universe, Dr. Im at Sunrise Dental in Bellevue. Not only is he a dentist, but he is also a physician. He is also connected to my CEO in a way that gives us something pleasant and non generic to chat about.


My appointment for my general cleaning is tomorrow, but I am going to point out the angry little bugger poking it's way through my gums and hopefully we will be able to work out next steps to get them all out.


ACK! So excited. :-)


Mrs. P


(I love this man)

Thank God

Thank God for every day.
Thank God for unpleasant times, they remind me that I'm just human, I'm prone to mistakes, but I AM forgiven.
Thank God for good times, they remind me that I am blessed to be a child of His.
Thank God for my family, without them, I wouldn't know who I am.
Thank God for my friends, they keep me in line and bring joy to my life.
Thank God for my husband, he is my rock and my sanity.

After crying all over talking to Drew last night about the things in my previous post, he gave me a VERY valuable suggestion. "Give it up to God." I started to bawl when he said that because I truly had forgotten to do this. I prayed about how I wanted children, but was mad at myself for thinking too far ahead in the future and forgetting my present. After a refreshing shower, and time with my husband, I spent a little extra time with God where I prayed hard and said, "I am completely giving up control of this to you. I can't do it on my time, I need to be patient for yours. Help me to remember that it is my job to be a wife right now. Help me be a damn good one.". I felt much better after that. I know we aren't ready to start our family. I want to focus my energy on something I can control right now, and that's my intensity at my job, and in my marriage. Those two things will set the stage for whatever next comes along. I need to be ready for that. What better time to build my foundation than NOW?

Thanks God... You ROCK.

A reminder of where I am: