Gifts // Vol. 26

1,775. a husband who cheers me up even when I don't want to be

1,781. sunshine

1,787. that my {truly almost empty} car made it to the gas station

1,790. my mom's CD playing in the car the whole way there {to the doctor} & back & all the time after

1,796. the flowers he brought me

1,808. Your faithfulness

1,815. leaving a love "note" on his car while he was at the movies

1,823. a rainbow - thank You for reminding me all Your promises are true

1,825. walking hand-in-hand

1,826. raindrops bringing cooler temperatures

Gifts // Vol. 25

1,656. Your sacrifice, Jesus - perfect & complete & all 

because of wondrous Love

1,663. Dan's love

1,665. Your great patience with me

1,683. walking with You - & that pink-turning sky

1,687. Dee & how You work awesomely

1,702. spying the bird on its nest

1,706. paying off more debt

1,713. Dan's Dr. Seuss inspired inventive dialogue to cheer us up when we were in a bad mood

1,721. talking to Miles {the 2-year-old nephew} on the phone

1,733. my mom - my most favorite lady ever

Easy "XO" Rustic Wall Art

What You Need:

▲ jute twine

▲ a piece of driftwood {or wooden dowel}

▲ X & O wooden letters {mine are from Walmart & came with the rustic finish already + were only 98¢ each}

▲ an electric drill

You could, of course, choose whatever letters you like, but I'm just a sucker for the old romantic X + O.  First, carefully drill one hole through each letter {I used a 3/16" drill bit for this project}.  Then, carefully drill through your drift wood or wooden dowel in 2 places {I centered mine & made them approx. 4" apart}.  Depending on how long you want your letters to hang, you may want more or less twine {eyeball it & then cut your jute}.  Next, thread your jute twine through the 2 holes in your drift wood or wooden dowel & keep the drift wood from slipping by creating a pair of double knots at the bottom of each hole.  Attach your 2 letters next, securing with a double knot at the end of each piece of twine & trim off any extra twine.  Hang + enjoy knowing you made this little rustic charmer with your very own hands!  Mine's going out on our mini screened-in patio for now.

Gifts // Vol. 24

1,554. seeing her little tear-stained face light up when I told her not to listen to that boy who said the rotten lie words because "You are a beautiful girl!"

1,564. dinner + games with friends

1,567. my gift of a husband - I love him

1,575. mug cakes in the microwave

1,586. a God who is forever faithful & always pursues me

1,589. making it to church on time after I forgot about the time change

1,605. shopping trips where I don't buy anything

1,608. for the way You made the stars & that they still shine

1,623. dear Leila, home with You

1,647. taxes done & money back

Gifts // Vol. 23

1,504. blue skies + rock hunting {the painted variety hidden around town}

1,509. church potluck

1,515. a picture of me as a unicorn a kid drew for me at school

1,520. mac-n-cheese + chicken nuggets

1,528. talking to mom

1,530. roses & a happy meal & ice cream

1,533. Your steadfast love & forgiveness

1,540. playing tag with the kids at recess

1,545. blooming life all over out doors

1,551. Your love, O Jesus

Gifts // Vol. 22

1,478. clean sheets

1,482. that dusky sky full of pinks, oranges, & reds

1,483. the kid at school who called me "Ms. Awesomesauce"

1,486. my craziest purchase ever - a swan princess rocker toy {&, no, we're not even expecting, but we're hopeful + prayerful - & that little swan makes me smile every time I see it + slightly wonder about my sanity & money-sense}

1,490. new adventures in Alabama {Opelika + Auburn}

1,491. taking pictures with the intricate mosaic tigers

1,493. a smiley pink strawberry donut

1,496. church

1,498. You - my 1st love - Jesus

1,499. a clean closet to pray in

Gifts // Vol. 21

1,437. flowers

1,439. Cracker Barrel date + happy chatter

1,441. seeing the "birth" of a butterfly as it emerged from its chrysalis

1,446. walking around the large pond + in the woods at the park in Alabama

1,447. the love note left on the table for me

1,460. Jesus + blue skies

1,462. Margherita pizza - my favorite

1,465. playing on the empty playground together in the snow

1,470. loving me, dear Jesus, in spite of it all

1,473. how he brought me a strawberry bar + a whole box for us to share

Gifts // Vol. 20

1,300. a beautifully full moon

1,303. the old basket with the carved bird on top

1,330. perhaps the most beautiful morning sky I've ever seen

1,336. food + fellowship

1,346. that I can give it all to You

1,383. You {Jesus} + me + heart-to-hearts in the closet

1,407. a rolled ice cream date

1,411. how patient You are {oh, my, yes}

1,431. fireworks

1,432. praying in the New Year

Gifts // Vol. 19

1,246. safety & health

1,249. chocolate

1,257. Your forgiveness + his

1,267. taking the nature trail down by the creek & hearing the leaves go crunch, crunch, crunch

1,271. safe travels

1,273. my husband's love {always & forever}

1,276. how we went to the field where we got married after church & I told him, "I still do" + his "me, too"

1.280. a night time stroll together with a sliver of a moon

1,286. You, dear Lord, my 1st & truest love {always & forever}

1,295. that You gave us creativity

Happy Thanksgiving from me & mine to you & yours!

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving & His courts with praise; give thanks to Him & praise His name."

-Psalm 100:4

Gifts // Vol. 18

1,165. how he said, "You're precious to me," & wrapped his arms around me this morning

1,172. that he laughs at my crazy

1,173. the blessing of employment

1,178. a dusk into dark walk by the lake - complete with lightning bugs

1,185. Your patient love & overwhelming mercy with Your daughter, O Father God

1,206. that You answered ours prayers & my uncle's family is safe in Puerto Rico

1,213. butterflies

1,221. a husband who drops everything & comes rushing in to hug me close when he gets home, because he heard my fears on the phone earlier

1,237. picking wildflowers at the park

1,245. that it's fall ❤

Heart + Soul Check-Up

I notice something when I haven't been writing down the gifts - all the rich blessings tiny, big, & all the in between that I began when I first read Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts a couple years ago now...  My mind & heart focus on all that has gone wrong & is wrong & will probably be wrong or could possibly be wrong, & deep inside the troll cave I've turned into my mind I'm alone & overthinking every little thing & stuck in the muck that I over-analyzed & zoom-magnified into... & it is dark & scary & devastating & I am broken there & I forget who I am in Christ, & that Christ is in me.  Let's soak that in for a mere moment {or a thousand}: Christ is in me.  Thus, can't I do all things {Philippians 4:13}?  Hasn't He given me what I need through the gift of the Holy Spirit {2 Timothy 1:7}?  And with prayer - not worry - can't I talk to Him about what is hurting my heart {Philippians 4:6}?

Sometimes I just need to do a gratefulness heart & soul check-up to see where I'm laying the focus in my circumstances.  To see if I'm counting up the gifts or the fears & worries.  To see where I'm fixing my gaze.  To see if I'm fixing my eyes on Jesus who gave it all for me {Hebrews 12:2}.  Who better to trust my life with, than the giver of every good gift {James 1:17}?  Who better to look to when the doubts start piling up in my noggin?  He is the truest source of joy {He created it, after all} that never fades in this temporary, passing life, & sometimes the best place to start remembering that is to start looking around with new eyes & counting every gift.

This girl definitely needed that check-up tonight, too.

Gifts // Vol. 17

1,029. spotting a few painted rocks on our walk

1,036. Butterfinger gelato

1,051. date night

1,081. walking downtown {hand-in-hand} & taking pictures

1,102. moolit stroll + happy chatter

1,105. You & Your faithful patience {I need Your strength}

1,108. lovely flowers in a blue glass bottle waiting for me when I got home

1,111. the kids mesmerized by the opera {in the music class I was subbing for} + the one little girl who said it "touched" her

1,126. the little kiddo who came up to me during class & said, "Excuse me, I love you.  You're a great music teacher!" ❤

1,147. writing Laura loves Dan in the reversible sequin pillows at Hobby Lobby to surprise him

Gifts // Vol. 16

981. walking + talking

989. saying "no" to things today, 'cause I can't do it all & have to make choices for what matters most - God, Dan, & us {in that order}

993. chicken cooking in the Crockpot & making the house smell yummy

994. how he came in to tell me he loved me during his game night

998. finding rocks

1,000. sending up that lantern into the night sky with a secret wish & a prayer

1,001. a hummingbird

1,008. how he told me I was his "amazing & wonderful" wife

1,010. more hummingbirds

1,012. butterflies on the trails

The Gifts in My Marriage

If there's something I've learned in dating, becoming engaged, being wed, & living out married life with my 2nd love {God is 1st}, it's this: everyone's story is different.  Sure, there are some similarities, but there's also loads of sweet uniqueness that make each person's love story their own.  It's so easy, especially for us women, to fall into the compare snare when we look at each other's lives... & the compare trap leads to discontent & envy &, in a word, sin.  I say all that to say, this post maybe written more for my love & I than for anyone else, but I wanted to chronicle the gifts in my marriage, so when the clouds come I don't lose sight of the sunshine we've got hidden right behind 'em, waiting for them to blow by.

If we are together, then there's always a goodnight kiss.

Prayer before we head out the door every weekday. {We didn't really sit down & plan this or really even discuss it prior, it just sorta became our thing.  We prayed for each other that 1st day, then the next, & next, & so on, until now it would feel strange if we didn't.  It's a humongous blessing in our marriage.}

Someone to study the Bible with.  I still have my personal Bible/prayer time daily, but it's so wonderful in the evenings to be able to come together as a couple & read His Word & talk to Him.

An adventure partner.  We both have hearts that crave adventure & we love to share in that together.

I get to live with my best friend.  For this girl whose never had a roommate & is an introvert for sure, I was anxious about sharing a dwelling with another human {I'd been living solo for about 6 years}!  There are challenges & adjustments, but in the end, I wouldn't want to live with anyone else.  He's my BFF, protector {he also wields a light saber with skill}, lover, & safe soul.

Someone to laugh with {& make those special inside jokes only the two of us get}.

Unexpected tokens of love in the forms of cards, flowers, & sometimes pink cookies.

Someone to run to greet at the end of his busy day.

Someone to call me beautiful always.

A hand to hold every place we venture.

A love who prays for me - & I for him, throughout our days.

A strong someone to keep me safe & loved.

My lover's lips to kiss again & again & for as long as we have breath.

Someone to cuddle in front of the TV with {+ kiss during the commercials}!

A man who opens the car door for me + clears away the dishes!

A partner to serve Christ with.

Someone to send all the heart eyes texts to. 😍

Arms to hold me + a lap to sit in.

Someone to know + keep my secrets {& vice-versa}.

A lover + partner + best friend for life!

I love you, Dan!  I know these are just a few of the gifts in our marriage.  You are my gift & I treasure you.

Gifts // Vol. 15

949. hiking adventures with him

950. spotting a scarlet tanager on the trail

952. 2 strawberry sprinkle donuts

958. my dad in heaven

960. that You are my perfect, patient, faithful, loving, merciful, all-knowing Father - I need You & I love You

962. hearing the missionaries speak

965. a potted Gerber daisy from him

966. a love card with glittery white "sand" in it

969. exploring old abandoned bunkers together
977. trip planning

Gifts // Vol. 14

883. his hugs + kisses throughout the day

889. the confidence of my value in You & how You made me

892. a Checker's strawberry milkshake

893. moonlight swims

895. a bill finally paid off - praise God!!!

898. a bear hug from a student I saw while out shopping

901. exploring antique stores together

905. Beauty & the Beast date with my love

915. wedding cake ice cream in a waffle cone to celebrate 9 months married

917. exploring Oxbow Meadows hand-in-hand

Gifts // Vol. 13

834. a homemade rainbow pencil cup holder gift from a kiddo at school - a sweet surprise & a reminder that all His promises are true

838. my sister getting offered a new job

839. his messages throughout my day

855. passing by the chalkboard sign with the scripture on it as a friend & I walked downtown

860. snow cones at the Icey Girl & Co.

863. hearing my nephew sing his sweet church solo via video {He did amazing!}

866. Dan making me a mini 'Laura' Lego figurine at the new {unofficial} Lego store here in our city

870. exploring a mini abandoned cemetery at twilight with my love

871. how I got a husband who uses a legit light saber as a flashlight & checks to see that the doors are locked before bed

873. those pink cotton candy clouds that appeared at dusk

The Day The Eggs Made Me Smile

I was having a bad moment - an I'm-not-so-proud-of-me spell that I wish I could legitimately blame on the pancakes.  But, you know, they're pancakes.  How can those fluffy-ish, albeit slightly over brown, wonky-shaped yummy things be to blame?

Well, I know they can't, but there is an uncanny strangeness with me + making pancakes.  I don't feel good at it, & somehow these seemingly "easy" breakfast {or, in this particular case, dinner} treats stress me like no other.  Every time I offer to stir up a batch 'cause my husband loves them & I want to see that smile {you know, the pancake smile}, I pretty much instantly start an inward monologue that goes something like this... "Why?!  Oh why did I just say that?!" {Also, overly dramatic music plays in the scene in my head & I kneel in despair in a puddle of Aunt Jemima's maple syrup - okay, maybe not that extreme, but I thought it makes for an interesting image.  P.S.: It's pretty close, though.}  I digress.

On this particular day, the pancake prep panic paired with some other bugging things was making me pretty rough around the edges. {I am being kind.  I was mildly upset/testy.} {To do list: alliteration ✔!}  My foul mood drifted in like the smell of burnt pancakes to where my husband was.  I'm sorry, Dan.  So very sorry, my love. 

He could of reacted in a million ways... gotten mad, fallen victim to the contagious factor of bad attitudes, pretended he couldn't hear me & my mumbles & complaints...  Instead, he draws on the eggs.  He takes out a Sharpie & with a few little motions, he's made a smiley face & a heart, & he stashes them back into the fridge.  It is to be noted that I was out of the kitchen when this happened - totally unaware of any goings-on.  And he waits patiently for me to reenter & get finished with my pancake arch nemesis & onto the eggs, all the while, quiet & oh-so-patient in his chair. {Gosh, I love my man!}

I finish the pancakes with mumbles like the Israelites in the wilderness {I asked for forgiveness from my Maker for this}, & I move to get the eggs.  I open the carton.  I smile.  It takes a moment, but I do.  I just can't help it.

You know what else?  That carton had a Bible verse printed on it!  Crazy, right, how God speaks through Sharpies, & patient loving husbands, & egg cartons.  It was eggs-actly what I needed & I am so thankful.

P.S.: I hope that last part gave you the pun smile, Dan.  It kinda reminds me of the pancake smile, but this one has a little higher-reaching grin action going on.

Gifts // Vol. 12

803. hugs & kisses from my nephews

805. how he told me {when asked what he was doing} "I'm just thinking how beautiful you are... I'm glad you asked that then."

809. getting our tax refund back

812. teaching the kiddos at church with Dan

813. & how the one little girl said, "You're married now & I was at your baby shower!" - we had to carefully correct her, "No, wedding shower."

814. juicy, fresh pineapple chunks

818. pastel M&Ms

821. strength from You

822. his "I'm sorry" & mine

823. &, most importantly, Yours

Gifts // Vol. 11

769. how patient, faithful, & merciful You are to me

775. the butterfly that flitted by so close

776. how he whispered "I love you" at the restaurant tonight

777. chocolate

784. yoga faith class

790. the sweet way he told me I'm beautiful, took my hand, & asked, "Will you marry me?" after Bible study {I sure do love him!}

792. the blue bird

795. prayer with You in the parking lot

797. getting to help with the kiddos at church & seeing a little boy go up & hug Dan

801. GNL