Invincible, right?

On Sunday night in Boston, we had dinner with Lulie’s cousin, Alex.  He is an amazing man, a Director at Harvard, has three books published and a lifetime of experience.  We had a great time catching up with him and hearing about all of his recent travels all over the world.  One common topic kept resurfacing throughout our dinner, though, and that was his belated wife, Susan.  You can tell that Alex is not healed from his wife’s death several years ago of cancer.  He spoke with tears in his eyes of their 30 years together and how he knew the first time they met that there was something special about her.  He told of us of how they met and their quick courtship.  Seeing him reminisce nearly brought me to tears.  He had great marriage advice for Newton and I—from “she’s always right” to “always check with her first before committing to anything” to “put down the toilet seat.”  One piece of advice was said in all seriousness—that life is fragile and you should never take your health or anyone you love’s health lightly, it can be the difference between life and death.

This was such hard-hitting advice for me.  I am so young and don’t realize how often I think I am invincible.  I hear all the time, “it’s not if you hit hard times, it’s when” and I recognize and wholeheartedly believe that, but it’s in some distant, far away land.  There’s no way anything can hurt us now, right?  We haven’t even had kids yet!  There is so much life ahead of us! 

Wrong. 

Life is fragile and I see that every day.  I know I can’t shift to the opposite side of the spectrum, though, worrying about every time Newton leaves the house that something might happen, but I need to savor each moment in this life because all too fast it can pass you by or be taken from you too quickly.

Even after one short year of marriage, I cannot imagine my life without this man.  He is my best friend, my rock, my support, the leader of our family, my lover and my partner.  Sometimes I forget where I end and Newton begins—I am no longer an “I”  but a “we.”  Losing him would be the hardest thing I have ever gone through—I can’t imagine that multiplied by 30 years of marriage.  You truly would feel like you’ve lost half of yourself. 

Two become one.  

This is, biblically, how marriage is supposed to work: you die to self every day for your partner, you love unconditionally because you feel the unconditional love of Christ, you work to communicate, you invest and spend intentional time with each other and then it can be the most rewarding relationship in the world.  However, this is so counterintuitive to what the world preaches today.  So often it’s not about dying to self as much as it about keeping score, seeing what you can get out of the other person, noticing the shortcomings of your partner, and holding grudges. 
I am sure in 30 years of marriage Alex and Susan were not perfect, in fact I know they weren’t—and neither is any couple, especially us.  However, this was such a reminder to me that even in my imperfection and fallen state, I have been so blessed with what I feel is a “once in a lifetime” type of love and I should not take that for granted.  Alex has what the world would define as wealth, success and power, yet sitting at dinner with this man it was clear he would trade it all and give anything to have his wife back. 

I pray that I never forget how fleeting this life is and that I can appreciate my moments with Newton every day.  I pray that when the hard times hit—however they may come—that our foundation is strong and our faith is in the right place to help us through them.  I pray that we continue to surround ourselves with family and friends and strong support.  Finally I pray that we never stop working at our marriage; it’s not always easy but it’s always worth it.  I am so thankful for our night with Alex and all of the wisdom he shared with us.  I will keep his words close to my heart and never stop nagging about Newton's health.

Wicked fun in Boston!

This August I had a work conference in Boston.  We decided to turn it into a vacation/anniversary celebration.  Newton and I stayed in the city for three days and had such a great time—surrounded by history and getting to spend some much needed quality time together away from the hustle and bustle of Dallas. 

It’s amazing how easy it is to start interacting like roommates rather than husband and wife.  We constantly make an effort to plan date nights, spend intentional time with each other and everything you are “supposed” to do, but so many times life gets in the way!  More than anything on this trip, I just enjoyed spending time with my husband just the two of us.  It was so fun to laugh and joke with each other and spend three whole days just with one another—no work, no friends, no family.  You need that every once in a while to reconnect! 

And vacation confession: I would totally trade in our king size bed for a double (or even queen)—there’s not a better feeling in the world then knowing your husband is right next to you as you sleep.

Saturday was the Samuel Adams Brewery Tour and Dinner at Faneuil Market.

Vacation confession: I created a detailed itinerary that included every meal and attraction we would see while in Boston...we didn't follow even one day of it...

Sunday was brunch at Finale, a tour of Fenway Park and dinner with Newton's mom's cousin (additional post to follow).

Vacation confession: Fenway Park was so cool, probably my favorite thing about the trip...almost enough to make me want to cheer for the Red Sox...almost.

Monday we walked the Freedom Trail and enjoyed our last dinner in Boston.

 Boston Common--one of my favorite places in Boston

 The site of the Boston Massacre

Paul Revere's Hosue 

 On the way into the church where Paul Revere warned the British were coming

The end of the Freedom Trail...we didn't quite make it :)

Vacation confession: I loved Boston, but I wouldn't choose to live anywhere than where God has us at this exact moment.  I feel beyond blessed.  Although it would be nice to walk everywhere!

The one thing that was so cool about Boston was how much history was within the city and the mix of old and new, past and present throughout the whole city.  It's amazing we are just one moment in time, and how small that point is, especially in comparison to eternity. I get caught up in this moment and my life so easily, that I don't often think about the past or how much had to be done throughout history for me to enjoy my life exactly as it is today.  Big confession: there is not enough gratitude in my heart for the past, nor is there enough appreciation for all our troops do for us today.  This trip was eye opening in that way!

My Best Friend's Wedding Part I: Bridal Shower

My best friend is getting married in less than three months!  I could not be more excited for Kandace and Eric as they start their life together.  Kandace and I have been friends for almost 12 years now and we’ve been through so much together—from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.  There is not enough I can say about my best friend—she is fiercely loyal, the best listener, encouraging, beautiful, funny, very smart, patient (with me…maybe not in traffic) and has been there every time I’ve ever needed her.  Together we have celebrated huge milestones…making the Varsity Golf Team, getting driver’s licenses, passing AP Calculus, Prom, graduating high school, starting college, pledging sororities, moving into our first apartment, picking majors, graduating college, first jobs, being young and single in Dallas, girls trips, engagements and of course, weddings .  Together we have also dealt with the hard times…boyfriends and breakups, emotional break downs, stress, health problems, broken relationships, failed friendships and lots of tears (okay, way more on my side than hers).  Kandace is truly my “lifetime friend,” an honestly more like my sixth sister.  I don’t know what I would do without her friendship in my life.  I can’t wait for her wedding to add another milestone to our list and for all the future celebrations to come!! 

As matron of honor, I had the privilege of helping host a bridal shower for Kandace.  I have realized over the last year the joy I get out of playing hostess and especially out of decorating and opening our home for family and friends to celebrate joyous occasions.  This was no exception.  I loved planning the shower with the other bridesmaids, preparing the decorations and the food and facilitating the event.  It’s such a blessing for me to be able to share in this special time in Kandace’s life and help her know how loved she is by all of us. 

Her mom (and my mom) and Eric’s family traveled all the way from Kansas City and Amarillo to attend the event—plus all of Kandace’s Dallas friends.  We had a great time eating, drinking, playing games and opening presents—below are some of the pictures of the event.  Look for more posts to come on Kandace’s wedding season!