This is....

At dinner, we somehow stumbled onto the circumstances in which Michelle would kill me (clearly i was exasperating her)....which led to Mike saying that Michelle could not kill me in ANY circumstance because it would make him very sad. How sad, you ask? That's exactly what I wanted to know. And this, supposedly, is how sad....


is it just me, or does he kinda look like he's smiling?? ;)

Day 2 on the Potomac

So, here we are! Right now, I am posting from this room above. It is beautiful. I want to transport this dining room back to my apartment. Even though it would take up most of our apartment. But that's besides the point.
Where are we? We are on the Potomac River in Falling Waters, West Virginia.
Yes, I said West Virginia.
There are a lot of us in this house at the moment. It is the entire Smith Family along with the entire Leach Family. I think we are....9+2+6=17. I just needed Michelle and Mike to add that up for me.

So, this morning, Mike went running. And nearly got chased down by 2 dogs. But he outran them. *NOTE - THIS WOULD BE HYPERBOLE* He asked me to come with him, but I think I am just going to run up and down the hundred steps that lead from the house down to the river. It is seriously a good work out :)





And here is John getting mad at me for taking his picture during breakfast. His cereal is a combination of Lucky Charms and Cocoa Puffs, to which Michelle exclaimed, "That's brilliant! Why haven't I ever thought of that?!" To which Mike said, "Michelle, they offer that combination at Cereality in the City!" To which I thought (and in wisdom did not say out loud), "I never would have thought of that because I don't know how that could even come CLOSE to tasting good." But, like I said, in wisdom, I did not open my mouth to communicate my thoughts. I was clearly in the minority.



Well, it's only day 2, and we already have a few good stories:

- so, Mike and I are on a pullout that has an air mattress, but it's deceiving because it LOOKS like a regular mattress. So when I originally pulled it out, it definitely seemed rather flat to me, but it didn't appear to be an air mattress (as I was told), so I didn't think there was anything I could do about it. I figured it would all be ok, even if we ended up with broken backs by the end of the week. Until Mrs. Leach walked by and said, "did you inflate the air mattress?" I informed her it was not an air mattress. But she insisted, and sure enough, after some investigation, we found an air valve. And yes, the mattress was completely deflated. I am an idiot. Thank you Mrs. Leach for being such a genius :)

- last night Chris had a dream that he drank Martinis with John, and after it was all said and done he had to go to jail because he broke the law. I imagine it was a rather traumatizing dream.

- Chris, Amy and Dan went to bed earlier than everyone else, and when Cyndi walked in to check on them, what did she find? Apparently they had all 3 gotten ahold of those airline eye masks that block out all light. So when Cyndi walked in, there they were, all 3 asleep in bed, with eye masks strapped to their face. It was hilarious :) I belive there was some disorentation that occurred when the woke up and it was still pitch black.

- Mike and John have discovered that 7-11 sells more liquor than actual liquor stores at home. Welcome to West Virginia :)

I hope to be posting regularly!! I think today we may try to go on a hike or do some kayaking if the river isn't too swift. We will see!

The Lunch Box

So, I'm thinking if I sent Mike to work with a lunch like this, I may be permanently fired from lunch duty. I'm not gonna lie, it's an appealing offer.
Because, you see, the one thing that stresses me out more than anything else is what to send with Mike for lunch. Living on a budget means packing lunch most of the time. Sadly, for me (i realize it doesn't have to be this way) that also means packing boring and not always so substantial lunches. See, I'm perfectly content with fruit, veggies, hummus and pita. But, apparently, this does not go over so well with men. They need "men food."
Which, I'm assuming if I sent something like THIS, for lunch, I would be praised and worshiped as the Lunch Goddess for many years to come.



But that's not happening any time soon. (Sorry love!)
So far, I have this:

Tuna Sandwich
Fried Rice (if I have enough time....)
Leftovers (if there are any...)
Fruit, veggies, hummus (he's a real sport...there have been days when this is all I've sent him with....and he has not complained one bit!)

And that would be my list. Impressive, I know.

So this is basically an SOS to all you out there reading (if anyone reads my blog, that is) - what are good, packable lunches that I can send with my man?! What do YOU like to eat for lunch??? I need ideas! So PLEASE, if you have any, let me know. I am desperate! :)

Steadfast Love Never Ceasing

So, last week, Michael wrote me an old-fashioned love letter. Well, old fashioned in every sense except that it was typed ;) This letter melts my heart - because it was written out of true love - biblical love - for my soul. One night after being particularly discouraged about finding a house EVER (no..i don't exaggerate...never...), Mike sent me a 6-page letter full of encouragements and truths to think on - and part of it was a section called "Truths to Cling to when Buying a House (And Every Other Time)" And listed under it is several truths with scriptures that support each one. It has been like a personal devotional study for me! It's been so helpful, and I wanted to share one that spoke to me in particular this morning.

Truth #2: Because of the Cross, we have been brought near to God, in whom our hope is found. Once we are His, He will never abandon us.
Lamentations 3:21-24 "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.'"

I have been brought near to God - that's why I'm sitting here at 5:50 AM, reading my Bible, listening to the rain falling outside, aware that there are new mercies for me - like a package waiting for me as soon as my feet hit the ground. They are here for me today, and there will be new ones tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that! God will never abandon me - there will never be a day that I will wake up and find that no mercies await me. New EVERY morning! How amazing is that?! And therefore, I have hope. For I know, on a future day, when it may be hard to spot the new mercies waiting for me at the foot of my bed, they will be there all the same, and it will be because God has promised them to me in this very verse.
On that day, sometime in the future, when we're looking for a house - God's mercies will be there. On the day we buy a house - God's mercies will be with us then. When we move in, when things need fixing, when little feet start pattering around that house, when we use that house for hospitality and serving, when those little feet turn into teenage stomps, when trial and sadness come to that house, and joy and laughter, whatever the days may bring into that house, one thing will be sure to arrive new each day: the steadfast love of my Lord, and the mercies that He showers on me because of what Christ has done for me on the Cross!
So on this I will think, and call constantly to my mind. For God is my portion, and the One I need - He is the only constant and sure thing in this world, and He will never abandon me.
Steadfast love NEVER ceasing, mercies NEVER coming to an end! What an amazing promise! And all this because I have been forgiven and brought near to God! He truly is our hope - I will cling to this truth, and I will wait for Him. Great indeed is my God's faithfulness.
What do you need new mercies for today?

Andy-Bob

Where do I even begin? Andrew is honestly the best brother I could have ever asked for. God has been so good to give me such an amazing brother. I think back to when we were younger, and we really couldn't stand each other. Well, I couldn't stand him - he seemed to have all the fun annoying me and driving me insane :) I still remember my mom telling me we would be friends one day and not believing her! But that is what has happened!
Andrew, Mike and I love hanging out with you - you make us laugh to no end, and your joy in the Lord is so refreshing. I think one of the things I admire most about you is your purposefulness in everything that you do. I really respect the way you went about choosing a college. You have not only done well academically, you have sought to honor God in what you will do with your future, seeking what HE would have you do. You have been very thoughtful throughout the entire process - praying, getting counsel, thinking through all the pros and cons about being close to home or going away. You have been mature and responsible in a way that is far beyond your years, and I cannot wait to see all that God has in store for you :)

Some favorite memories:

- me mispronouncing 'Oregano,' (ore-a-GAH-no) and you quickly corecting me with still another mis-pronunciation of the word. (Ore-a-GAIN-o) And mom being convinced that neither one of her kids was any good at words :)

- me playing doctor and sticking a Q-tip in your ear...causing it to bleed....which led to Mom having to take you to a REAL doctor. I'm glad your hearing was not permanently damaged :)

- the year you dressed up as a dice for Halloween, and you didn't get past the front yard because you fell off the front porch and landed on your side. And being stuck in a huge box, all you could do was to flail your arm and yell for help until someone came and picked you up :)

- our first day in G-burg when Dad took you to soccer practice, and before you left you thought it would be nice to let Felix out of his cage and let him roam around your room. Except you forgot to mention this to mom, and she walked into your room and stepped on him and screamed bloody murder? That was a fun time.

- remember in Lake George - you and Angela were making pancakes one morning and somehow the smoke set off the fire alarm.....and the entire condo complex had to be evacuated...and you wandered out and asked an old guy what was going on? Even though you were the main culprit and knew exactly what was going on? that was a good one ;)

Andrew - thank you for being my brother :) I pray that your years at PSU will be some of the best years of your life, and that God will meet you in ways you can't even imagine! I love you!

Russell Boys

So today Mike and I watched Silas, Micah and Levi. And we had a blast :) Vicky, yes, I do have much more respect for what you do as a mom (not that I didn't respect you before....but, well you know what I mean!)
Silas had a Tee-Ball game in the morning so we went and cheered him on. Even with one broken arm, that kid can throw and hit like you wouldn't believe!
Micah had quite a few good one-liners today as well, but they are not blog-appropriate :) he sure keeps us laughing!
And Levi is the most content, cuddly, loveable kid ever. Whenever we watch the boys, I tell Mike, "I call Levi!" Gotta call my dibs - that's the only way to ensure you get the baby :) Mike said he wants all our kids to be just like Levi :)










Also, a highlight of watching the Russell kids is that they call us Mr. and Mrs. Eyebrows. This stems from some kind of joke that Mike told them a while back, which none of us can remember. So, the story is, we can't remember it :)

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and the plan is to go out to brunch with my mom and then hang out at the Smiths later so we can spend time with Cyndi too. The Smiths are going to Hibachi for lunch, and since our brunch is earlier, Mike was thinking we could go staight from America Bar and Grill to Hibachi and just double up on lunch. I think I will be vetoing that plan :)

The weather is finally warming up it seems. I LOVE it! We are determined to go to the beach as much as possible this summer - i NEED the beach :) we're also looking for fun things to do on the weekends when we can't get to the shore, so if you have any ideas, please do share :)

sUprise!

So this past Friday, Mike had quite a surprise up his sleeve. April is a special month for us - we got engaged a year ago, we started dating two years ago, and it marks 6 months of marriage for us. So he rolled all three celebrations into one by taking me for a night out on the town.
The plans for Friday were that we were going over Margie's for dinner after work (or so I thought) - but it turns out that was just a cover. (Margie, you have some 'splaining to do haha) When I went out to my car after work I found a sticky note sitting on the driver's seat that said "Lover, hurry home, there's a BIG surprise waiting for you!"
No offense, love, but I was thinking flowers. Or maybe, the teapot I'd been wanting for a long time.
Imagine my surprise when I found a note on our apartment door telling me that the plan for the night was NOT what I was thinking, but rather an overnight in Philly! He came home with beautiful red carnations, and after I got ready we went to El Vez for dinner and then spent the night at the Loews Hotel! It was wonderful.
The next day he took me to Bubble House and we had some fun just walking around Penn's campus. We wanted to stick around longer, but it was super windy so we decided to head to KOP to do some shopping.
Mike, you definitely got me good - I had NO idea at all that you had this up your sleeve.
Also, I should include that my initial response was one of guilt, as earlier in the day I had told Mike that I wished we were more creative and got out and did more spontaneous things. *EEK* I wonder what was going on in his head when I said that, seeing as he has had this planned for quite some time. :) Oh well!
Here are some pictures of the beautiful flowers Mike got me as well as some pictures we took on our trip to the Bubble House.