Well last month was a fabulous one. J and I have been married for a month and it has been absolutely beautiful! God has been teaching me so much and I know this is just a glimpse of what a lifetime following Christ is like.
After our honeymoon we jumped right back into work. It was different than I expected it to be. It was strange to drive to his house and stay after all of these years of just hanging out. It was strange unpacking boxes of my old life and blend our lives together in our beautiful house. It was strange washing our first load of laundry together. I know those seem like nothing, but it was like I was living in a dream. For a while I couldn't believe if finally happened... we were finally married.
Every day I fall more and more in love with my sweet husband. I mentioned that to someone and they mentioned that they hoped that would happen, especially since we just got married. But I didn't expect to actually learn about someone more after I've known him forever. He's funny and charming and incredibly caring. He's supportive and thoughtful and insightful. I appreciate my husband so much and I look foward to a lifetime together, as long as God gives us!
I started to wonder why I didn't think I would love my husband more and more each day? It's a funny thought. Maybe I just assumed that since we were in love we'd always be in love...even after the honeymoon bliss stage. I love him. Period. I really started thinking about this and I began to understand that my love for him is a direct correlation to understanding God's blessing of this marriage in my life. My marriage to J is a sweet, sweet blessing. One I don't feel I deserve sometimes... but that's the beauty of God!
I began to take this thought and apply it to other areas of my life: The stress at work, the difficulties I was facing personally, the transitions and questions. I realized that all of it, not just the sweet, happy moments are a blessing from God. If I can view them that way, I can see God's blessings and lessons in them. Does that make sense?! A lof of times I feel like I just talk and type what my mind is thinking and only I can understand it... that's ok with me, though! :)
We've already faced a few small struggles in this first month, but we have so much to be thankful for and so much more to learn! We came home to loving families, a sweet baby Olivia, jobs, a house, an incredible, incredible, incredible church family, and each other! If month 1 gave us any idea of what a lifetime together is like we are going to have fun!!!
February 24, 2012
February 11, 2012
Honeymooners :)
I had to wait to get onto Jeremy's computer to put more pictures from our honeymoon up. We went on a cruise, our first one, to St. Marteen, Puerto Rico, and Labadee, Haiti. We had an incredible time. It was quite the adventure. Our first 2 days felt like we were lost at sea. The boat was rocking pretty bad and the wind was so strong you didn't want to sit out by the pool. We played basketball instead, but since it was an outdoor court the wind kept our game impossible.
We had the most fun at our dinners. The couple we sat with had a 7 year old son and they were from Canada! Every night it was going to sit with family. We'd sit over dinner exchanging stories of the day! We really loved sitting with them! One night they went to a different restaurant to celebrate Glen's (the husbands) birthday and we had our giant 10 person table to ourselves. Our waiter made a candle out of the napkin and we had our first elegant dinner together as husband and wife... AW! I know, it was precious! Our waiter was incredible and fattened us up without us even asking. It was like he could read our stomachs! :)
The only visit we didn't get to enjoy was Puerto Rico. Our stop was so short! We walked to the forts and all around Old San Juan. We had lunch in a fantastic Puerto Rican bakery. We got far away from the tourist zone as we possibly could to experience PR together. We have visited, me multiple times and Jeremy 1 time, with family, but this was our first visit together. Some of you may know how much we love Puerto Rico and feel a calling to do ministry work there eventually. We continue to pray about that adventure in our lives, but for now our place in back home in SC! We look forward to God calling us to go back there for more than just vacations! It was sad to leave, but we were encouraged knowing we'd be back.
Anyways, you're here to see more pictures! Don't let me bore you! xoxo
We had the most fun at our dinners. The couple we sat with had a 7 year old son and they were from Canada! Every night it was going to sit with family. We'd sit over dinner exchanging stories of the day! We really loved sitting with them! One night they went to a different restaurant to celebrate Glen's (the husbands) birthday and we had our giant 10 person table to ourselves. Our waiter made a candle out of the napkin and we had our first elegant dinner together as husband and wife... AW! I know, it was precious! Our waiter was incredible and fattened us up without us even asking. It was like he could read our stomachs! :)
The only visit we didn't get to enjoy was Puerto Rico. Our stop was so short! We walked to the forts and all around Old San Juan. We had lunch in a fantastic Puerto Rican bakery. We got far away from the tourist zone as we possibly could to experience PR together. We have visited, me multiple times and Jeremy 1 time, with family, but this was our first visit together. Some of you may know how much we love Puerto Rico and feel a calling to do ministry work there eventually. We continue to pray about that adventure in our lives, but for now our place in back home in SC! We look forward to God calling us to go back there for more than just vacations! It was sad to leave, but we were encouraged knowing we'd be back.
Anyways, you're here to see more pictures! Don't let me bore you! xoxo
February 8, 2012
Tears of joy!
Do you have them? Tears of joy? Well, over the past few months I have experienced what can only be described as tears of joy. Most of you, knowing what's going on, would say this is normal. With marriages, births, the holidays, being with family, it's all natural to shed tears of joy. My feelings are a little different.
When Valerie and I were little girls we had this 'no crying' competition. We wouldn't talk about it or look at each other, but we'd hide our tears... it became this secret competition. Every time we watched a movie that made us cry, had something happen in our lives that made us cry, whatever it was, we'd hold it in and if our eyes started to well we'd turn around to clear them up and go back to normal. Who knows why we did this, but we did.
When we are about 10, I think, we had a conversation about these tears. We placed a bet. A bet on who would cry in front of everyone on their wedding day. We placed 100 dollars on this bet, I guess assuming we'd one day be rich :), and the betting began. Valerie bet me that I'd cry and I bet Valerie she'd cry. Well, friends, the wedding days have come and gone and I hate to say it but Val won. You see on her wedding day she didn't cry at all! I was SHOCKED! She's much more emotional than I. On my wedding day, the second I turned the corner to see Jeremy my eyes filled with tears. Although I didn't shed any, because I didn't want to risk raccoon eyes for pictures, I had never felt more excited and happy... and for that, I wanted to shed tears!
I didn't think anything about these tears, though, until I was driving to the hospital to be with Valerie as she awaited the birth of her first daughter, my first niece. As I was driving I realized how excited I was, how blessed our family was, how God had given us so much and I started to cry. When you stop to think about it it's overwhelming and we should cry tears of joy because God is always so good to us!
As I cried I remembered this little bet Val and I had. I remembered how I hated crying. (Some of my friends know that I hate crying more than anything and Valerie will tell you that I think it's the ugliest thing someone can do... I know, it's harsh, but it's what I've said about it. ) And I began to laugh as I realized that God has begun to use something I hated so much to show his love in my life, his presence in my life, to make me weak and fill me up with himself!
As I look back on the past year, going to Africa, accepting a proposal, celebrating the holidays and engagements with my family, watching my sister and brother in law renew their marriage and relationship to Christ, being reminded of Christ's birth and experiencing that with my beautiful church family, getting married, welcoming a niece, I see tears everywhere. Every big decision I made was with tears flowing from my eyes, filled with God's presence and love. I can't believe it took my 26 years to understand these tears and to feel good to cry, but as my pastor would say I am a stubborn one!
Here are some pictures of the wedding and sweet Olivia, such joyful moments in my life! I look forward to many more tears in my life because I know that God has awesome things in store! Thank you, as always, for reading! XOXOX
When Valerie and I were little girls we had this 'no crying' competition. We wouldn't talk about it or look at each other, but we'd hide our tears... it became this secret competition. Every time we watched a movie that made us cry, had something happen in our lives that made us cry, whatever it was, we'd hold it in and if our eyes started to well we'd turn around to clear them up and go back to normal. Who knows why we did this, but we did.
When we are about 10, I think, we had a conversation about these tears. We placed a bet. A bet on who would cry in front of everyone on their wedding day. We placed 100 dollars on this bet, I guess assuming we'd one day be rich :), and the betting began. Valerie bet me that I'd cry and I bet Valerie she'd cry. Well, friends, the wedding days have come and gone and I hate to say it but Val won. You see on her wedding day she didn't cry at all! I was SHOCKED! She's much more emotional than I. On my wedding day, the second I turned the corner to see Jeremy my eyes filled with tears. Although I didn't shed any, because I didn't want to risk raccoon eyes for pictures, I had never felt more excited and happy... and for that, I wanted to shed tears!
I didn't think anything about these tears, though, until I was driving to the hospital to be with Valerie as she awaited the birth of her first daughter, my first niece. As I was driving I realized how excited I was, how blessed our family was, how God had given us so much and I started to cry. When you stop to think about it it's overwhelming and we should cry tears of joy because God is always so good to us!
As I cried I remembered this little bet Val and I had. I remembered how I hated crying. (Some of my friends know that I hate crying more than anything and Valerie will tell you that I think it's the ugliest thing someone can do... I know, it's harsh, but it's what I've said about it. ) And I began to laugh as I realized that God has begun to use something I hated so much to show his love in my life, his presence in my life, to make me weak and fill me up with himself!
As I look back on the past year, going to Africa, accepting a proposal, celebrating the holidays and engagements with my family, watching my sister and brother in law renew their marriage and relationship to Christ, being reminded of Christ's birth and experiencing that with my beautiful church family, getting married, welcoming a niece, I see tears everywhere. Every big decision I made was with tears flowing from my eyes, filled with God's presence and love. I can't believe it took my 26 years to understand these tears and to feel good to cry, but as my pastor would say I am a stubborn one!
Here are some pictures of the wedding and sweet Olivia, such joyful moments in my life! I look forward to many more tears in my life because I know that God has awesome things in store! Thank you, as always, for reading! XOXOX
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| My friends from Uganda came from all over the US to my wedding. |
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| A twin moment! |
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| Putting me together :) |
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| ready to get married! |
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| me and B! So thankful for her! |
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| Checking my back as only a pirate would. |
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| my support group! |
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| all the girls before the big walk down the aisle. |
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| My mom and her girls. |
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| my pops walking me down the aisle. |
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| almost there! |
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| my sweet husband! |
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| so excited! |
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| i love this picture! |
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| husband and wife! |
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| so sweet! |
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| my maid of honor still doing her job! |
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| job well done kisses! |
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| my beautiful dress! |
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| The Dickersons |
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| With my parents |
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| Jeremy and the original Krueger posse! |
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| With Jeremy's parents |
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| my b-maids! |
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| of course we would! |
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| we are not above cake smashing! |
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| I waited and prayed for this man. So blessed! |
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| typical! |
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| honeymoon: at dinner! |
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| our awesome bike ride in St. Maarten |
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| nothing is more attractive than safety! |
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| what a view! |
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| at an old fort |
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| quick shot during a traffic stop |
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| the beach! |
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| enjoying the chilly, blue water. St. Maarten |
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| action shot! |
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| Jer's first snorkel. |
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| enjoying the sights! look at that ring!! |
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| this coral was massive! |
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| brain coral, my favorite! and a purple sea-fan |
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| this sea-fan was as big as me! |
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| afterwards. |
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| our awesome waiters at dinner! |
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| Our dinner table, just the 5 of us! |
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| an after the wedding shot :) |
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| on the cruise ship |
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| trying to capture the sunset |
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| PUERTO RICO!!!! |
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| saying goodbye to PR. |
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| Valerie and Jason: last picture before we welcomed Olivia! |
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| she grabbed his finger. sweet moment! proud daddy! |
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| proud grandparents! |
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| Welcome to the world, Olivia Kay Hite! Born February 2, 2012 |
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