Robin's Nest: A Photo Journal

Ever since we moved into our house in December of 2007, there has been a robin's nest tucked up in the rafters beneath our deck. Last year I had the pleasure of watching three baby robins grow up in that nest and fly away. This year the mama robin is back, and I plan to keep a photo journal of the entire event. Check the link often if you're interested, as I plan to post many photos. Today I discovered three blue eggs in the nest. I was also able to see the mama robin. How exciting! I have a new reason to love spring....

Choosing to be Happy

My good friend, Rebecca, just posted a blog entry that I find to be so true. Why would anyone want to radiate negativity and remain miserable? You really can choose to be happy. Thanks, Becca, for so eloquently reminding us.

Meant to be Tardy

A few weeks ago I had an awesome God moment at church. Our church has two services every Sunday: 9:30 and 11:15 am. Not being a morning person, I tend to go to the 11:15 service. This particular day I was running unusually late. I didn't get to the church parking lot until 11:45! Crazy! I saw my group of friends standing outside and had to say hi to them for a moment before dashing into the building. As I hurried up the stairs an older woman came up beside me. She said hi and seemed very friendly and nice. She told me she was a visitor and this was her first time at our church. She asked me when the service started. I told her it actually started 30 minutes ago, but that we usually do worship (music) for the first 20 minutes. She said that she would probably be sitting in the back because she was embarrassed about being so late. I said I would sit in the back too, since I was late as well. We sat next to each other during the service. We seemed to have an automatic affection between us, and it was nice. Throughout the service I thought about the fact that she was a first-time visitor. I felt that I had an opportunity and responsibility to welcome her, let her know what a great church it was, and encourage her to come back the following week.

After the service we introduced ourselves. I told her my name was Amanda, and she said she would definitely remember that because her daughter's good friend is named Amanda. Then she told me her name was Olivia, and I told her I would definitely remember that because I plan to name my future child Olivia someday. How funny! Then she said she just had to tell me something. She said that she had driven past our church many times and kept telling herself that she would go in one day. So finally she was there, but she knew that she was running late and was embarrassed about that. So she told herself that she would only go in if someone was walking in with her, and that person was me. What a blessing! I'm so glad that God could use me to do good. God really meant for me to be late that day. :)

A good Husband, a good Teammate

God gave me a wonderful husband in Luke. We have been together for nearly a decade now, yet my love still grows for him each and every day. Luke has grown into the man I need him to be because he allowed Jesus to change his heart. I respect him and trust him to be a wonderful leader for me and our family. Jesus is most definitely the reason that we are still together and why our marriage is so strong. I honestly believe that marriages fail because of lack of faith and relationship with God. I feel so grateful that Luke and I figured this out early on. We have saved ourselves much hardship by following our Lord and inviting him into our relationship. If you want an excellent message about how a marriage can be saved by faith, see the movie Fireproof.  For a humorous and Christian view on how to build a marriage that lasts, see Tommy Nelson's narrative on the Song of Solomon. Luke and I have sought out these resources and know first-hand that they speak the Truth and can make your view on marriage healthy and Godly. 

Marriage in the military is difficult and sometimes disheartening. Separation for long periods of time, constant readjustment and worry are sometimes hard to bear. These difficulties also make us stronger, though. I believe that we value our marriage more because of it. We don't have the privilege of always being together and always having the other available. This is why I think we probably appreciate each other more than the average civilian couple. So although being a military couple is a burden, it is simultaneously a blessing.

Teammates. It is a simple and brilliant idea. Luke developed this notion when he and I seemed to be arguing often last summer. The deployment just started and we were frustrated and stressed, no doubt. We have learned that we become vulnerable to arguments and fighting when a deployment is approaching or has just begun. Facing months of separation inevitably puts you on edge. Well, after a few unhappy phone calls Luke proposed this idea to me. He said that we were teammates, that we were on the same team. We were not enemies. Every time we begin to fight, we should be reminding each other of our "teammate status" and calling each other by that title. You are my teammate. We have been doing this and it has been working wonders. It is a good reminder, and I am thankful that Luke thought of it. Back in 2005, the Pioneer Press featured an article on our wedding story. We were interviewed by a reporter, who talked to us about how we met and how we were married before Luke's first deployment to Iraq. I recently read that article again. In talking about how our relationship began back in 8th grade I was quoted as saying, "It was a dodge ball game in gym class. We were on the same team." Looking back, that is an interesting statement. We were on the same team then, and we're on the same team now.

Happy Birthday, Jake!

Our Jake dog is 2 years old today. I love him SO much! He has been a blessing in my life, especially since Luke has been away. When we first adopted him back in January of 2008 he was ten months old. I could not believe that nobody had snatched him up before we did. He's handsome, smart, friendly, well-behaved, healthy... he's the perfect dog! Now I know that he was waiting for us. I believe that God meant for Jake to be our dog.

Since we don't have any kids yets, Jake is kind of like our baby. Jake loves watching movies with me. He literally stares at the screen, like we humans do. And he always cuddles with me when we watch movies. It's so cute! Today I used my lunch break to go to Petco and buy Jake a bunch of new toys and bones for his birthday. I will give them to him when I get home from work. Love you, Jakers!

My Vineyard Ladies

I've been blessed to receive a wonderful new group of friends. It started with a few, and quickly grew to 10! Unfortunately there are 3 missing from this photo. When Luke and I moved into our new house we started looking for a new church in the area. Luke quickly found River Heights Vineyard and we fell in love with it. It has a wonderful accepting atmosphere, contemporary Christian music, and three amazing pastors who (believe it or not) all deliver excellent inspirational messages. It was not long before I discovered that a girl I went to high school with attended the church: Rebecca Rosario. We started talking and met outside of church a few times. When I told Rebecca I was looking for a photographer, she introduced me to Tamrah Ryan (CT Ryan Photography). Tamrah talked to me about the possibility of having a ladies night gathering. Rebecca was invited, and she suggested we also invite some other ladies from the church. The group grew and grew and now there are 10 of us who have monthly ladies nights (and other gatherings in between!).

I feel it is such a blessing to have met this wonderful group of women. I've never really had a group of Christian girlfriends - girls who share my beliefs, follow Jesus Christ, and can truly uplift and encourage me in my faith. They all have unique and wonderful talents, as well as beautiful spirits. I am grateful for them and feel that I could go to any one of them with my concerns and my joys. So here's to April, Loni, Emarie, Tamrah, Naomi, Rebecca, Meredith, Jessica and Monique - I love you all!

Betty's Cafe

So this is it - Luke's special birthday surprise. Betty's Cafe was a little restaurant in South Saint Paul, where Luke and I grew up. The owner, Betty, was apparently quite a character. Sometimes she made you what she wanted to make you, not necessarily what you ordered, and you would eat it! Luke grew up near Betty's and often went there for breakfast before school with his dad. He has many good memories of Betty's. After Betty died nobody took over the business and the place shut down. Somehow my mother-in-law knew that everything in Betty's went to one particular family in South Saint Paul once it closed down. This included a photograph of Betty's Cafe that was framed and hanging in the restaurant. Luke remembered that photo very well and always said that he'd love to have it. After more than a month of detective work, planning and persistence I managed to track down the person who had the photo and convince them to let me scan it so that I could make a print (and I didn't even know them before I started on this mission). Then I had it custom framed and shipped it to Iraq for Luke's golden birthday present. I was able to watch him open it through Skype (online web cam). Best gift ever! :)

So much has happened...

I've been a lazy blogger lately. So much has happened since my last post. Luke's grandpa passed away on Sunday, February 8 - less than three weeks from diagnosis. We were all stunned at how quickly it happened, but thankful that he didn't suffer for long. He was not very responsive during that final weekend. Luke had been calling every day from Iraq to check in with his grandpa. On Saturday, the day before he passed, gramps actually responded to Luke. He said I love you and goodbye. That was the last time he talked to anyone. I was there at the hospital in Duluth that Sunday, the day he passed away. Luke's aunt and uncle and I drove up together. Just before we were going to leave the hospital around 3:00, Luke phoned the room for his daily check in. I got to talk to him and then he asked me to hold the phone up to his grandpa's ear. I held it there for a few minutes while Luke talked to him, though his grandpa was unable to respond. That was hard. Tears came down as I tried not to shake with the phone in my hand. A few hours after we left his grandpa passed. Luke's granny and mother were there by his side when it happened. What a good man he was, and what a legacy he left. He will be missed.

After Luke left I anxiously waited to see if our attempts for a baby were successful. I found out yesterday that they were not. Although I told myself I would not be upset if that were the case, I must admit I was a little sad. I just have to remind myself that God laughs when we tell him our plans. Luke will be home in a few months and we can try again then. A baby will come in God's time.

Luke's golden birthday was yesterday. The big 2-4. I spent a month planning a special surprise for him and he will be receiving it today. I told him that he must open it while skyping with me (web cam). I will be able to post more about that later - don't want to give it away yet. :)

Off to another blessed day in Minnesota!

Then & Now

The photo on the left was the first one ever taken of us. We were in 8th grade band class in the spring of 1999. Luke played the clarinet and I played the french horn. The photo on the right was taken when Luke left for his second deployment to Iraq last June of 2008.

The story of how we met... We were in 8th grade gym class together. Luke noticed me while we were playing a game of dodge ball. I, however, did not know he even existed at the time. He would not talk to me, but asked all of my friends for my phone number. Not a single one of them would give it to him. You see, at the time my parents were unlisted in the phone book. They told me that if I ever gave our number to my friends that I should tell them never to give it out to anyone else. They listened well. :)

One day my friend and I were going for a walk after school. She lived near Luke. We came up to his house and I asked her, "Hey! Isn't that the house of the kid who wants my phone number?" I don't know how I knew that was his house, but apparently I did. My friends had told me of his efforts to get my number. I asked the girl I was walking with to dare me to knock on his door. She did and I agreed, but I made sure she came with me. I knocked on the door. In a house of 5 people, Luke was the one who answered it that time. He answered the door with his fly down and his pet bird on his head. I remember that very well. He looked a little shocked that I was standing there and didn't know what to say. We had never talked before that moment. I simply said I heard he wanted my numbered. He said yeah and ran to get a pen and paper. I gave it to him. He called me and we arranged our very first date. We went to the movie theatre (escorted by his mother in her gold Ford Taurus station wagon) to see "10 Things I Hate About You." Our second date was to Wooddale Roller Skating Rink, where we shared our first kiss. And the rest, my friends, is history.

Luke's Leave, part 2

The second week of Luke's leave was..... interesting. Our anniversary was Wednesday, as I mentioned in my last post. We celebrated our 9 years at Forepaugh's and had a wonderfully romantic evening. Luke ordered the pork tenderloin and I ordered the slow roasted salmon. The atmosphere at Forepaugh's is perfect for a special evening out with your significant other. We were seated at a table that was nestled within a corner of the restaurant surrounded by octagonal windows. We were on the third or fourth floor and there was a beautiful view. For most of the meal, it was snowing lightly. It was quite lovely. Luke looked incredibly handsome in his suit and I wore a simple black dress with the pearls his mother gave me for my birthday in December. It was fun to celebrate in style.


On Thursday we went shooting at Bill's indoor gun range. Luke had purchased a Winchester 30-30 rifle at a pawn shop while we were in Duluth the week before. He is very proud of his new gun. Apparently this gun is no longer in production, so it nearly quadrupled in value. Luke got it for only $350, which is closer to its original cost. "Quite a steal," he and all the guys were saying. Luke's dad, Tim, met us at the range. It was pretty fun, although I wasn't very keen on going at first.












I did end up shooting quite well and it was exciting! Tim and I agreed that it was a pretty intimidating environment, though. There are people all around you with guns. It's very loud. You can smell the gunpowder the minute you step into the range. I couldn't stay in the range as long as Luke and his dad did. So I waited in the store area while they finished. I'm still unsure how I feel about guns. I am definitely supportive of having a gun for home protection. I am not sure how I feel about concealing and carrying, though. Luke has very strong opinions about guns and their usage, but I'm on the fence right now.


Also during Luke's second week home, we met our good friends Howie and Lynn for dinner at the Beirut Restaurant in West Saint Paul. It is an excellent family-owned restaurant serving authentic Lebanese food. Delicious! It was so nice talking with Howie and Lynn. They are such good friends and good examples of how to live the Christian life. It's interesting to see the relationship between Luke and Howie. Luke is 23, almost 24, and Howie is in his 40's. Yet they have such a bond because of the faith they share, the musical interests they both have, and their sense of humor.


Our neighbor, Doug, had a beach party the last weekend Luke was home. He brought two truck loads of sand into his garage and set the heat to 90 degrees. He even put his jet skis out on display. It was a potluck and most of the neighbors came. Luke had fun playing with the kids. He and the boys made sand volcanoes. Luke is so good with kids. That makes me happy. I know that he will be an excellent parent one day (hopefully soon!). It was a fun party and it was nice to pretend we weren't living in Minnesota in January, if only for a few hours. :) We have such wonderful neighbors. Our entire block is full of wonderful people. They have all lived together on this block for decades. Their children grew up and are growing up together. They get together every Friday night April-December to have a bonfire. They all look out for each other too. It's such a tight-knit community. That is a rare thing these days. I feel very grateful to have moved into this particular house on this particular block, especially with Luke being deployed for so long. I feel safer just knowing these are the people who surround me.


We did have some house troubles while Luke was home. During the second week we had both electrical and plumbing issues. First, Luke noticed that the wall in the laundry room was sparking. It was sparking all on its own. Scary. He knew we had to get someone over to check it out ASAP. Thankfully we had already asked his electrician friend Kevin to come over the very next day to give us an estimate on re-wiring for an electric stove that we will be purchasing in March. So when he came Luke showed him the sparking wall. Kevin was able to fix it very quickly, thankfully. That could have caused a fire! Luke and I gave Kevin a check for his time and efforts, although he did not ask to be compensated. It's funny how God's perfect timing never fails. It just so happened that Kevin was coming the day after Luke discovered the sparks. And it just so happens that Kevin has been layed off for some time now and really needed the money. God works for the good of all who believe. That's for sure. A few days after the electrical issue, our drains backed up. It was only two days before Luke was leaving again. We could not use ANY water. No flushing the toilet, no taking showers, no doing laundry (and of course, Luke had piles of dirty clothes he needed to get clean before leaving). Water was all over the downstairs, causing quite a mess. Luke had to do some work, and Roto-Rooter had to do some work. $370 later, everything is back to normal. But we did end up spending most of our last day together with the Roto-Rooter guy. How romantic.....


Overall, it was a good leave. We very much enjoyed finally being together. Our love was confirmed once again. We both agreed that although the military life is hard, we probably have a much deeper appreciation for our relationship compared to non-military couples. We are apart so much that we can truly see and understand what we have in each other. Although a lot of unfortunate and sad things happened during Luke's leave (his Gramps' cancer, our house issues, etc.) it was definitely bittersweet. Of course one wouldn't want all of those things to happen during the only two weeks you are home. But Luke sure was glad he was home for all of it. He was able to hear the news of his Gramps' condition while at home surrounded by family. He was able to take advantage of that time to see him. He was able to help me solve the house issues. I'm sure I would have been much more upset had I been home alone when all of that happened. So as I said before, there is God with his perfect timing. We've been watching God work out his plan for us throughout our entire relationship. Why then, would his perfection and purpose change when it comes to our first baby? The answer, of course, is that it wouldn't. We have so many reasons to trust him on this, and no reason not to. So in closing, here's to our first baby, whenever he or she comes to be.


"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."
-Jeremiah 29:11