47th Monthiversary

Two days ago, we crossed the line of 47 months of marriage. You know what that means, right? NEXT MONTH is four years. What in the world!?!? How has this happened?

I posted a picture of the two of us on Instagram and said I still can't get over the idea that this marriage thing is my real life. True story. I also said I don't take it for granted. Also a true story. I know some of you are waiting and praying and struggling with discouragement {especially heading into a fresh round of major holidays}, so I want to pause to say I still remember.

This week, I was wrestling with another desire of my heart that hasn't quite looked how I maybe hoped or dreamed it would, and as I unloaded that frustration on Ryan during lunch, I was freshly aware that the feelings are not new. They're the same ones I had as a single girl longing for love. The details of the longing are different, but the feelings are the same. And that realization did two things for me. First, it made me stop and pray for you who are waiting for love, because it was a fresh reminder of how much those days hurt when I lived there. Secondly, it reminded me that just as God handled those details in His timing, He will handle these details in His timing too. He's proven that to me through our history of journeying together, so this is a great time for me to, you know...be still. {Gulp.}

So if you're single and waiting, I'm sending a hug your way today. I'm happy to pray for you if you want to shoot me a message and let me know you need a boost! And regardless of where you are in the single/dating/engaged/married spectrum, I want to also encourage you that reaching almost four years does not mean boredom has set in. Not by a long shot. :)

We did something we NEVER do, and started off the day with apple pie for breakfast. WHAT!?!!?!? We'd hosted Tuesdays at the Table the night before, and our guests/friends Wayne and Shari brought us apple pie. Ryan joked about us having it for breakfast Wednesday morning and then said something about having yogurt. I stopped him and said, "You can't joke about food like that. My heart is already set on rebelling and having apple pie for breakfast." HA!!!! Anyone else take their food that seriously? So apple pie for breakfast it was. {Two scoops = Ryan's piece.}

Ryan actually had a long work meeting in Indianapolis that day, so he had asked if I would be willing to make a brunch for him and the co-workers traveling with him. So after my carpool run, I scurried home and finished making brunch for about a dozen people, and I drove it over to the hospital so they could eat before they left for the meeting. Ham, egg, and cheese sliders, a fruit bowl, and homemade pumpkin bread...and they cleaned it up!

Before he left, we did our monthly photo:

And then he was gone. :(

I worked at home while he was gone for the day, and although he had planned to mow the yard when he got home, it was raining, so we went to plan B.

Voting.

I wanted to be sure we got that done early, because I'm not great with being trapped in long lines. Anxiety sets in over that. So we were in and out in no time, and on to the place we almost always go on our monthiversary: Lowe's. HA!

And...Starbucks. Because of course.

Kokomo has this longstanding tradition called We Care, which is an annual fundraiser to help the underprivileged at Christmastime. {You can read the history of how it started here.} Anyway, back in the 90's, they added the Trim-a-Tree festival to the fundraiser. People/businesses donate fully decorated trees {and gifts, in some cases}, and they are on display in the mall for a couple of weeks before they're auctioned off.

The trees are up for another few days, so we went by the mall to peruse them.

You guys. I laughed until I cried. Not at the trees. The trees were lovely.

AT RYAN!!!!!!

Every tree is named, and most of the names are a play-on-words of a Christmas song. He sang every song when we got to that tree. Serenaded me the entire way through the mall. I was cracking up. {Well. Until we got to the Joy to the World tree and he stood at full height and belted from the bottom of his feet, JOY TO THE WORLD!!!! Then I elbowed him to bring it down a few decibels.} It was so funny! You've not looked at a tree display until you've looked with Ryan.

After the tree fun, we came home had dinner, and watched as much of the final game of the World Series as my stress and his tiredness could take. At midnight, I hid in bed with the covers over my head , because I just could not take it anymore! {PRETTY EXCITED to wake up to the news that the Cubs won!!!}

So that was monthiversary 47. Unique, fun, and thankfulness-inducing!