Five Weeks of AccomplishMEnts

I was inspired by Wendy's "Project: Me"...but I've never been good at setting goals.  Rather, I simply like to work hard, and be proud of what I can accomplish.  My husband returns tomorrow, so I wanted to reflect on what I'm considering to be my "AccomplishMEnts" while he was gone:

• Did a ton of yardwork...to the extent that the trash was full of debris every single week
• Cleaned the house from top to bottom
• Ate healthy...with extra servings of vegetables
• Fixed two leaky faucets in the bathroom
• Said "yes" to every single social invitation
• Got both cars serviced (and one of them washed)
• Picked up three huge bags of trash along our main road
• Treated myself to two massages
• Found and bought the perfect pair of shoes (and a second pair on clearance)
• Resisted the urge to pick up take-out every night (then rewarded myself with one meal on Friday)
• Cleaned out my closets and gave away a box of clothes
• Went to bed early (except for on nights when I was saying "yes" to excursions)
• Bought two new pairs of pants that actually fit 
• Watched girlie movies and cried my eyes out
• Went above-and-beyond at work, including helping out on the weekends
• Worked out or did yoga just about every single day
• Stretched my wardrobe to three weeks without doing any laundry
• Read a book that my mom suggested

Those are the highlights.  Sure, I could have accomplished more.  But I know that I was good to myself.  At the same time, I can't wait to have my husband back so that I can focus on being good to him again.  (Speaking of which, please pray for him as he's traveling back pretty much all day on Monday).

Today's blessing was great worship music at church.  I love it when God can really speak to my heart.through a song.

Out of Africa

It's Friday night for me...which means that it's Saturday morning for my husband in Djibouti...which means that he leaves Africa today...or tomorrow...however you want to look at it.  Essentially he leaves at 11:00 pm Djibouti time, or 1:00 pm my time--how's that?  He'll to Paris, well he'll spend the day, and then fly on to Salt Lake City...and then should arrive him around 4:30 pm on Monday.  Please pray that he's able to get through Customs okay in Salt Lake City, as he doesn't have a long layover, and I worry that he'll miss his flight home and then I'll have to wait even longer.  How much would that suck?

I spent the day preparing for his return.  In addition to cleaning up around the house (and getting the carpets cleaned), I also indulged in a massage and a bikini wax (okay, so I indulged in the massage and tolerated the bikini wax).  I typically don't spend the money for a wax (the last time I did was for our wedding), but I wanted things to be "nice" for him when he gets home (I apologize if I'm sharing too much...).  The massage guy totally did a number on my shoulders--apparently I'm caring a ton of stress in them...yet I don't feel stressed at the moment.  I didn't have that heart to tell him that the main source of my stress comes from my three losses and my desire to be a mom.  Like I said, I don't feel stressed about it at the moment--as I feel like I have a justifiable reason as to why this isn't our month--but maybe my body is trying to tell me something...

My blessing today is my clean carpets.  I know it sounds silly, but they truly look so incredible!  The stains were driving me crazy to the point that I had considered pulling up the carpet and piling on a new home improvement project for which we don't currently have the time, energy, or resources.  And I do realize that I could rent a steam cleaner and do it myself...but the guy did such a fabulous job that it makes it all worth it.  Let's just hope that my husband notices and agrees.

My Veteran

I met my husband in a bar.  I was attracted to his shaved head (I've always loved the feel of short short hair).  I should have noticed that everyone in his circle of friends also had short hair, and should have guessed that they were all in the military.  Good Christian girls are not supposed to meet guys in bars...and they especially aren't supposed to give their number to Army guys in bars.  But I did...and I feel deeply in love with an officer.

I remember proclaiming in high school that I "didn't want to be married to the military".  Funny how things turn out.  All of those assumptions and prejudices I had in high school were washed away ten years later when I met my husband.  He is kind, dedicated, loyal, committed, and faithful.  I recognize that part of that comes from his childhood upbringing and the values that his family helped to instill, but I also know that I have the Army to thank for shaping him into the man who stood before me on our wedding day, and stands beside me through the ups and painful downs of life. 

Shortly after we got married, my husband--my veteran--left his active duty role to join the reserves to "potentially" decrease his chances for deploying; although he would proudly, willingly, and bravely leave if ever called upon to go.  Each month, he's always the last to leave the reserve unit every night of their designated weekend.  I admit that as I wait for him in the car, an hour past when he promised he would be done, I selfishly curse him and his devotion.  But when I pull myself out of my selfishness and put it all into perspective, I realize just how amazing of a man and an officer he is to show this much commitment to his soldiers, his unit, and his country.  I am proud of him, and I'm proud to be his wife.

Today, on this Veteran's Day, while my veteran is halfway around the world, I'm blessed by those who served and continue to serve our country.

One More Week

My husband returns in one more week!  It will probably be a busy week, so hopefully it will go by quickly. 

Today's blessing is the opportunity to hang out with my friends from church tonight to watch Monday Night Football.  I really appreciate these friends and the joy that they bring to my life when I'm lonely.  And on top of it, the cheesecake I'll bring looks like it turned out pretty good. 

Too Much Information

I got an email this morning from a dear friend inviting me to go to a "Babies and Stress Lunch Talk" next week.  My friend (and her husband) are both in medical school, and this lunch is a part of an ongoing series that is geared towards medical students, but apparently open to anyone.  The speaker is from the Psychosomatic Medicine Interest Group, and the discussion is about Mind-Body Medicine and Infertility.  It does truly sound like an interesting topic.  (My friend will not be attending, as she will be out of town at the time.)

I kindly turned down the invitation.  I really appreciate that she thought of me (she knows the whole story), but I oscillate between wanting to know it all, and wanting to leave it all in God's hands. I think that I do a pretty good job (at this point) of managing the stress through morning yoga, my time on the elliptical, and more importantly--my daily devotional time with God. This may sound ignorant, but I find that the main thing I tend to stress about is (literally) "too much information". I start worrying that I'm doing something "wrong", when actually, the doctors have already told me that I'm doing everything "right".

To my pleasent surprise, my friend replied by saying that she is glad that I answered the way I did, and continued by affirming my efforts to prioritize and trust God.  What a blessing to have someone (who also happens to be a medical professional) who offers information, but yet applauds me when I know my limits.

Today's blessing was an "ah-ha" moment that came in the form of a reference request.  I mentioned previously that I was going through some professional disappointments.  But where one door closed for me, another window may open for a former colleague/supervisee who I totally admire.  She truly has such an amazing heart for working with students, and I really hope that things work out for her.  She is actually applying for a position that I held when I first started at this school, so it would be a cool "full circle" sort of thing...which somehow gives me hope for my own "open window" later on down the road.

All Mine

I must warn any readers that this post deals with bodily functions...so if you're queasy about "too much information", then please feel free to skip this post...

I found the "silver lining" with having my husband out of the country.  Ever since discovering that my cervical mucus changes when I ovulate, I've often wonderered which "liquids" are "his" and which are "mine".  But I wasn't about to give up a perfectly good cycle of trying, simply to fulfill my physiological curiosity.  But since he's now out of the country, I'm left with no choice but to "abstain" this month...which means that I know, beyond a doubt, that anything that I observe is indeed all mine.

Okay...enough with the TMI (don't say I didn't warn you).

Today's blessing is the amazing weather that we're getting.  It was freezing last week.  No really--it was literally freezing at 30 degrees when I left for work.  And now it's in the 90s.  I love the desert!  This weather allows me to accomplish more in the yard.  I'm really making a dent in my outdoor projects, and I hope to make some noticeable progress before my husband returns in 11 days (but who's counting?).  I've also been able to enjoy my daily devotional time outside in the beauty of the desert sunsets, which is truly such a blessing.

You're Kidding Me, Right?

My husband is still returning on November 16th...but now he tells me that he'll need to leave the very next morning to go to a class out of town for four more days.  You're kidding me, right?  God really must be trying to teach me patience...I just want my husband back!

I'll get a couple of hours with him on the 16th...and at least I can talk to him and text him again whenever I want (when he's not in class, of course).  But I teach a class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I can't just take the week off to be with him--and even if I did, I'd just be sitting in the hotel room for most of the day.

I'm not gonna lie--I'm disappointed that we can't "try" this month.  But it's not just about that anymore.  It's just lonely without him.  I'm doing as well as can be expected, and my friends and family are absolutely wonderful to me.  But I'm definitely ready to have him back.  Only 13 more days to go...then 4 more on top of that.  Sorry...I feel like I'm getting dangerously close to "complaining".   

Today's blessing was a surprise visit from one of my former staff members.  She graduated just over a year ago, hated her job, and realized that she was happiest when she was a student leader.  So she's going back to school to get her masters degree in student affairs, and tells me that she wants to do what I do.  It is such an amazing blessing to know that I had an impact on her college experience, and to know that she is going to do the same thing for future students.