Friday, December 22, 2017

Mom's Hot Chocolate


As Christmas approaches (like in 3 days), I've been taking time to reflect on the many wonderful traditions my family maintains. This is my last Christmas as a single woman and at home. Next year, I'll be starting Christmas traditions with my husband and it will have been 8 months of marriage. There have been many tears shed over this Christmas as well as anxiety. I repeatedly asked Michael one day if I could go back to being eight years old when life was so much simpler. He reached down and picked up my left hand, "Eight year-olds don't get this." My ring, his ring, was sitting proudly on my finger. He explained that life isn't supposed to stay simple. We are made to grow and live our lives. 

With Ende just married less than a week ago and my wedding coming soon, this Christmas definitely has a theme of reflection and taking in as much as I can. I wish I could bottle up all the traditions, songs, memories, ornaments, smells, and people I am spending this last Christmas with. (I know I'm dramatic, but still) This year, and next, are huge times of transition for my family. This time next year so much will have changed. It's hard to think of my mom as old enough to have children married and graduated from college. She has been through a roller coaster of emotions, but has borne everything incredibly well. She has made sure to enjoy every minute. She's always been the one to keep traditions going in our home. 
We blast Christmas music through the house from the day after Thanksgiving, till we take our tree down around New Year's. We dance and sing loudly while guzzling mug-fulls of hot chocolate and egg nog. 
Our tree gets decorated despite the boys never helping. They usually just lay around in the living room to say they played a part. 
We watch A Charlie Brown Christmas all together in the living room.
Christmas brunch with my mom's siblings and their families is always a joyous time. You really notice how small the tree is when Ra Ra and Pa finish unloading presents. Everyone packs in the living room super tight and everyone is sitting on each other; but that makes it fun. The "littles"(all the younger cousins) bounce around the room wanting to help unwrap presents and sit in laps. When they get a present they plunge to the floor and attack it with no mercy. Pa always (ALWAYS) gives Ra Ra some delicate piece of jewelry that makes her cry and cry and cry. We video it every year. 

It's strange to think I won't be around to help decorate or dance wildly to Christmas music next year. I am excited to be starting my own traditions and carry some of the old with me. I plan to soak up this Christmas more than I have others (which I regret) and make sure to be present every moment. It's times of transition that make us stop and really appreciate all of the traditions we were raised with. I can't wait for this Christmas to come and to be surrounded by all of my wonderful people!

Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy all the love and laughter of the season!






Monday, November 27, 2017

Never say Never

Never say never. I had been told by several people to never say never about any aspect of your life because the never would actually happen. However, 7 years ago, I had said never to considering Michael Shepherd as a mate. He and I grew up together and were crazy kids. I had the biggest crush on him, but I didn't think he returned the feelings. So I said never and went on with my life. He and I grew up and conquered school and matured and one day I randomly sent him a text. That text lead to facetimeing and eventually us meeting face to face. When we met, it was strange how much I wanted to know him and how the word "never" had left my mind. We talked and talked and decided to start dating. Both of our families are close to each other, so we made sure to date with Christ in mind and our families' relationships. Dating brought road trips, movie dates, study dates, long walks, workouts, and snuggles. Over the course of a year, I fell in love with the man I said never to. 
In August of this year, Michael began to write me letters. (Anyone who knows me knows how fabulous this is!!) These love letters became a source of constant happiness and I anticipated each one. I had no clue these letters contained the question I had been aching to hear ever since I was a little girl. I simply thought they were love letters sent to me by the man who loved me. I didn't give Michael credit for looking so far into our future to begin his plans in August. However, that's just what he did!
On November 22, 2017, I had 13 of the 14 letters needed to spell out "Will you marry me?" It was on that day that Michael and I went for a walk to my favorite spot on my grandparents' land. The old cross on the hill has been the place I've wanted to get married at ever since I could remember. I bounced around the cross telling Michael how our wedding would be set up. He just stood still and smiled as I went on and on and on, just knowing that in a few minutes we'd be engaged. He called me over to the cross and asked if we could practice exchanging the rings. I didn't think anything was suspicious and bounded over to him. He removed the promise ring he made and gave to me back in April. I still didn't think anything was happening. Then he slid a new ring on my finger. By the time I realized that the new ring had a diamond and was all glittery, Michael was on his knee and clearing his throat to speak. I fell to the ground and began crying and hugging him. He told me to stand back up, but through tears I told him I couldn't. I was so overwhelmed by his love for me. I kept crying and laughing and crying. He whispered his proposal in my ear and I think I said "yes" at some point! 
So here we are. After saying never 7 years ago, we are madly in love, seeking God daily, and about to start a family of our own!

Saturday, November 11, 2017

The Girl with the Horse in her Yard

She laughs and the sun shines more brightly. She is like the wind; wild and unpredictable. She goes where she wants when she wants and is never too busy for adventure. 
When I first met her, she shocked me with her adventurous life, and I was hesitant when she invited me to be a part. On our first outing together, she jokingly forced me around Walmart to carry her items as her little servant. We still laugh about that day and joke about her uncharacteristic harshness. Her room has always been a little safe haven for me. It's held many tears cried in her presence as well as bunches of laughter. There was the time we decided to paint her ceiling in 105 degree heat. The paint barely stuck to the wood and we were covered in droplets of white paint. 
Another time we worked for two hours pulling apart a lamp she had to hang wires and bulbs above her bed to be all romantic. I also napped one day while she painted her walls. 

There's always something new happening with her. The variety she brings to my life is unmatched. I can always count on her to have an adventure in her pocket. She collects them like she collects the little metallic things she finds on the ground.  

She makes others feel genuinely cared for. It's rare to find someone so outward focused. She always inquires how you're doing first before sharing her own burdens. She carries a lot on her shoulders and never falters.
She is the reason I seek adventure in every day. She is the reason I work hard to choose happiness. When asked who will be by my side forever, I quickly respond with her name. She is a forever friend, one I will cherish always.

Friday, August 11, 2017

Around the World in 28 Days


Summer school is hard. You don't want to be sitting in a classroom for hours a day while your friends go to the beach and send you pictures. Summer school is harder when you decide to take four 3hour credit courses in one month. ONE month. You go to class from 8am - 3pm every. single. day. On the first day, you see 8 students enter the classroom looking and speaking like they're not from there. The teacher explains that they are English teachers in their respective countries. That's why you're hearing Portuguese, Spanish, and Chinese fly around the room. You get excited to know these teachers because your mom taught ESL in New Orleans and you feel a connection to that ministry. This is a once in a lifetime chance. And you take it. 
Eliza from Brazil (there's 2 Eliza's) and Paula (also from Brazil) are your partners for a presentation. The intensity of the class makes for little time to meet and work on projects outside of class. So, you invite the ladies to your house to work on the presentation. You get to know more about each other and you start forming a friendship. They even start teaching you Portuguese. 
The next morning, you teach yourself "Good morning" in Portuguese while you walk to class, hoping to surprise your new friends. They get all excited when you greet them in their language! Paula invites you to lunch and you get to meet the other ladies from Brazil! Irene and Val. You all sit together at lunch and the Brazilians have you say foods in Portuguese (apparently all my French training has given me no American accent when speaking Portuguese). They celebrate your ability and keep adding words. You feel like a parrot, but a very happy parrot. 
Soon, you and Eliza from Peru are best buds! Y'all work together on in-class projects and come to find out that y'all share the same type of humor and awe for language and the world. 

One day, you decide to cook a traditional southern meal and host your new friends to help them gain experience in America. You cook: hamburger steaks with gravy, drop biscuits, butterbeans, squash, and sweet potatoes. Pound cake, sugared strawberries, and homemade whipped cream. (And sweet tea). You go pick them up from their apartment and drive them to your house. You eat the meal with excitement and praise all around. Soccer discussions take place and also talk about the food in Brazil and Peru. You then take them around the yard, talking about the different trees and plants you have. They take lots of pictures and comment on how green everything is. Back inside, they say words that make your heart swell with happiness. "We feel Jesus in this home." "You have learned the valuable lesson that God is first, then family." "I walked in your home and I felt comfort." You get teary-eyed and tell the ladies that you hope and pray those things over your home. Lots of hugs happen. 

Back in class, you soon meet the rays of sunshine from China: Anna and Mary. They are such cheerful ladies. They smile all the time and they love learning. They are the reason you don't hate the long class time so much. They invite you to lunch one day and you get to hear about their families and lives back in China. They talk about the food and atmosphere. Although you try hard, you can't master any of the Chinese words they try to get you to say. 

You (along with the help of another MC student) take all the ladies to Walmart. You become the "mother duck" and keep tabs on where everyone is. You help make style decisions, help navigate the store, and make sure no one is left behind. It's a wild time, but you'll never forget it. 
You also help take them to their first baseball game ever! You sit in the middle of them and explain everything you know about baseball. You answer questions, point out different people and bases, get recorded explaining the game. And soon enough Eliza from Peru is giving you the stats on the batter from looking at the screen and she's keeping score. You feel accomplished!

Before they leave the US, there are two meals you attend. One is a traditional Brazilian meal that makes you super happy! Dancing, game playing, and laughter accompany the meal. The other is a Chinese meal where you find out that you're too slow at making dumplings to survive in a restaurant in China. But, you smile and laugh with the ladies as you keep making funny-shaped dumplings. The end result is heaven in your mouth. 
Many tears accompany the last week of classes. Paula leaves on Wednesday. Class ends Friday. As you leave the classroom for the last time, you are made to promise visits to Peru, Brazil, and China. You hug those ladies 5 times each. On Sunday (after everyone has left and started their journeys home), you cry. You made friends from all over the world. You shared life with those ladies for 28 days. 

The impact they had on you is going to last the rest of your life. 




Picture: (Left to right: Mary, Eliza from Peru, Me, Paula. Front: Irene)

Friday, May 26, 2017

Dating a gladiator


This is a charm on my keychain. Back in December I decided to be a cute girlfriend and get me and my dear boyfriend matching keychains! His says "Her BEAST." I did this because I liked the thought of looking down at this charm and knowing that he has one similar to it. It gives us some sort of connection in the distance. (I know, sappy right?) I chose this charm because of the dumbbell attached to it. That dumbbell did not always hold significance to me, but it did for the man I love.
I always knew Michael Shepherd to be a man addicted to working out. All those years ago when we were growing up together, he would wake up at the crack of dawn to down a pre-workout shake and rush off to the gym before the effects wore off. He would come back from the gym complaining of something being sore and tired from his "totally pumped workout." I marveled at his dedication and how he got excited over working out. I never fully understood his passion for this. 
Then, we started dating. When I would go visit him, he wouldn't skip going to the gym to hang out. He kept up his regimen. The first couple of times I stayed home and napped or visited with his grandparents. But then, I got up the guts to got to the gym with him. On my first visit to the gym, I was his toddler. I wanted to touch everything and I asked TONS of questions. I made faces at him while he worked out to make him laugh and I had NO idea what the machines did. He finally calmed my curiosity and I found a corner to sit in. I never took my eyes off him because I wanted to know why he loved this so much. I soon had an epiphany! The man I was dating, who made horrid facial expressions when lifting 100+ pounds over his head and growled when he breathed, was a gladiator! I was dating a gladiator. At that point, I realized that working out was not something Michael was going to give up anytime soon (and I didn't want him to). I also realized that I wanted to learn how to enjoy working out. I wanted the little dumbbell on my keychain to mean something. 
So, I started changing my lifestyle to somewhat match Michael's. It was a little challenging at first, but soon I embraced it and made it my own. I found myself looking up to him as a role model and hero. I wanted to be as devoted to living a healthy life as he was. I wanted to be like him. He never asked me to change or said his love was dependent on my being a certain way. I think that's why I started modeling my life after his. 

Changing my habits to match the man I love's taught me how to appreciate him. It showed me why he cared so much to workout and what a difference it made on his attitude. It helped me understand him more. Working out with him brought us together. We now have an activity we both enjoy and can do together. I still make faces at him to make him laugh. I now know what the machines do. But, I still have TONS of questions. ;) We joke and laugh together during our workouts. He makes me do more reps if I whine about it. He teaches me new techniques. And he always encourages me. 

It's hard to keep up with a gladiator in the gym. But living a healthy lifestyle and working out with the man I love is worth it. 




Sunday, April 9, 2017

Chicky: The "hole" to my "donut"


The woman most of you know as "Ende" goes by many other names. First, there are the names people call her because they either can't pronounce her name or rearrange the letters in her name to create a more "normal" name: Elde, Ednie, Edna, Andy, India, . Second, there are names her family and friends have used to summon her: E, EE, Cecilia, fungus, and the one I named her with...Chicky. 
I honestly don't know why I named her Chicky or why I make bokking noises to get her attention, but I did and I do. All I know is that this woman, this sister of mine (with her many names) has always been the greatest blessing in my life. 
As most of you know, this woman is getting married in 8 months. That's EIGHT months! Yes, things are going well and we are having fun with the preparations. Yes, I have loads of anxiety about the wedding and am trying to convince my sister to adopt me or at least let me live with her. It is a strange feeling to watch my sister's life blossom and change so drastically before my eyes. Soon she'll have more in common with my mother than she will with me. I think that's what freaks me out the most. 
Dear ole Chicky and I have been close from birth (we're only 20 months apart), and although we have butt heads more than a few times in our lives, we always come back to the foundation of loving each other. Her love for me is vast. She shows it in the practical ways of giving me guidance and speaking truth into my life. God has used her as a powerful tool for reshaping my life and showing me what it means to love God more. Her childlike love for God inspires me. She is a wonderful woman. 
Because I love her dearly and will miss her greatly, I have cried over every aspect of her upcoming nuptials. I cried when she tried on dresses. I cried when we went to find me a dress for the wedding, I cried over her going to counseling, I cried over the table decorations we discussed. The point is, I've showered this wedding in my tears (and I'll still have some left for the day of, don't worry). All of these tears have been mixtures of happy and sad. I am thrilled that she is becoming a wife, homemaker, and one day a mother. I could not be more happy for her. But, I am sad. Sad she won't be living in the same house as me, we won't have late night talks on her bed. Our family meetings will be short one person...her quirky laughter won't be heard on a regular basis any more...
This woman is an inspiration. She's a hard worker. She is a godly witness. And soon she'll be an excellent wife. I am excited for the new things coming in her life! My little sister is growing up. 

So, here's to all the exciting memories I got to make with my roommate of 15 years, my secret keeper, my truest friend. And here's to all the great memories that will be made with the future Mrs. Woodward! 


*photo: taken at yellowstone national park when she and I decided to hike off the trail barefoot.