Category Archives: Life

Friday Favorites

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Well…we’ve been in Del Rio for just over two weeks.  Just yesterday we got the last of our furniture.  Woo hoo!!  Now we have to tackle the mess (and I do mean mess) left for us by the movers.  Not complaining about the movers…they did a great job!  But they aren’t allowed to put away anything they unpack…therefore….we have piles and piles and piles.  And piles.  Of stuff.

Obviously we haven’t been blogging much…but just this morning I spent some time brainstorming some ideas and hopefully we will both be back to blogging more.  The Pilot keeps wanting to write some posts…hopefully with his busy schedule he can still fit some more in!

Until then…I leave you with a bit of my happiness this week.

On Wednesday when the movers unloaded our stuff from California, I was so excited to see this.  I had a big old smile on my face pretty much the whole time they were wheeling it in.

Can’t wait to start playing again!!  (Included in the picture is a tiny
taste of that mess I was telling you about.   That was not
part of the big old smile on my face.  😉 )

I was also very happy to see this.  I’ve missed you, my friend!

And now I need to head off and tackle some more piles!  Have a great weekend!

-Bonnie

Identity

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For a while now I have been pondering the idea of identity.

God’s timetable is very often not our own.  Most recently this is demonstrated in my life by the fact that He has chosen for us to not yet be pregnant.

The past several months have been incredible months of learning again what it means to really trust God.  But it hasn’t always been easy.  As I spend time thinking about it all, I am reminded that motherhood is not my identity.  It’s not who I am, it’s not my main focus, it’s not what drives me, it’s not what makes me me.  If being a mother or not can change the core of who I am, that’s a problem.

Who am I?  What is my identity?  My identity is in Christ.  I must be founded in Christ.  He is the One that makes me who I am, He is the One who I must identify with and pursue and invest in.

If God chooses for the Pilot and I to be parents, then GREAT!  And of course that will change…just about everything in our lives.  But it can’t be my identity.  My identity must first and foremost be in Christ.  Who I am…and my purpose in life…is not determined by what I do.  Not being a mother doesn’t call into a question who I am as a person or as a woman (although sometimes I feel like it does!)  My identity, worth, and value is determined only by Christ.  And as He brings things into my life (my sweet husband, children, job, college, family, friends, moves, etc) my responsibilities will change.  But always as it relates to God and His perfect purpose for me.

There are so many aspects of identity in Christ…here are only a few of the passages that talk about some of those aspects:

 

Colossians 2:13-14, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together
with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 
by canceling the record of debt that
stood against us with its legal demands.
This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

Psalm 139:13-16, “For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.”

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, 
created in Christ Jesus for good works, 
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

-Bonnie

Week 1

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Well we’ve been on the road for a week.  We’ve had lots of fun.  Definitely some unplanned things (such as one day turning into 16 hours of driving, getting us to our hotel at 3:00 am), and definitely some great times and memories.  Here are a few pictures from what we’ve been up to this week!

We visited the Grand Canyon…

…kissed at the Grand Canyon…

…enjoyed the beautiful drive through Arizona and Colorado…

…stopped by Four Corners….

…briefly visited Mesa Verde (please note that if you ever go,
you should allow several hours.  This is one of the reasons our 11 hour drive
turned into 16 hours.  Mesa Verde is a national park…but once you get
in the gate, it is several miles back in the mountains before you actually arrive.)

…had lunch with The Pilot’s Uncle and his girlfriend…

…visited Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs
to see Whit’s End downstairs…

…visited The Pilot’s brother, E.  But unfortunately we
didn’t get any pics of all of us.  😦 …

…visited Jewel Cave, the second longest cave
in the world.  It was difficult to take clear pictures
in there….

…visited Mt. Rushmore…

..and kissed at Mt. Rushmore!

It’s been a great first week!!  Today we are off to Nebraska to visit The Pilot’s sister-in-law and three children.  (His brother is currently deployed and we’ll miss seeing him on this trip.)

-Bonnie

The Night I….Stole a Car??

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It all started one night when I was at my in-law’s house.  My sweet husband was outside working on cars.  (Yes, cars plural…our main car in preparation for the road trip….and our second car in preparation for selling.)  It was getting late and when the Pilot came to a stopping place, we said farewell to his family and headed out to our cars.

The Thunderbird (the car I drive) was parked behind the Neon (the Pilot’s car).  As soon as I climbed in the car, I noticed a weird smell. Leather?  Immediately, I knew there was a strong possibility that there was some creep in the backseat of the car.  I bravely turned around and examined the back.  Nothing.  Not quite satisfied, I searched again.  Still nothing.  Well, that’s good.

But the smell remained.  Maybe “they” had planted drugs in the car?  No, of course not.  That’s silly.

So I glance up to see if the Pilot was ready to go, but the trunk to his car was still open.  He must still be loading things from the house.  Okay, well, I’ll just go ahead and go and meet him at home.

Placing my hands on the steering wheel, I froze.  This was not our steering wheel.  It felt a lot bigger and softer.  I was in someone else’s car!!  I panicked a little, but when I looked around, I saw all the familiar things of our car.  Yet it still smelled funny and felt funny.  Oh, well.  It must be our car.

These seconds of panic feel like several minutes when you’re actually there in the moment.  But finally I put the car in drive and looked up to see that the Pilot and his car were nowhere in sight.  This increased my uneasiness, but I knew that I was over reacting and he had just pulled out and I missed it.  I had to act on faith.  I pulled out and started driving, all the while wondering if I was taking someone else’s car.  Not too far up the road I saw what looked like the Pilot’s car on the side of the road…and he was standing by it.

What?  What’s going on?  Did he pop a tire?  Did he forget something?  Why didn’t he turn around and go back if he forgot something?  Debating what my course of action should be, I finally decided that if something were wrong, he would text me to come back.  So I kept driving, keeping my ears alert for the sound of my phone.  Nothing.

The whole drive was the weirdest thing ever.  Finally I realized what had happened.  That day while my love was working on the cars, he had bought a new steering wheel cover for the Thunderbird.  Thus the new smell and the new feel.

And my husband on the side of the road?  Yep, he had accidentally driven off with his trunk open.  But obviously he realized it before going too far.

Why, yes, I do have a vivid imagination.  😉

-Bonnie

Off we go!

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Tomorrow is the day!  We are saying good-bye to our families, climbing into our car, and driving off.  My amazing husband and I are going on another honeymoon….33 day road trip around most of the United States….and finally arriving at Laughlin AFB beginning of October.

Not sure how much blogging we’ll be able to do on the road, but I’m hoping to get some posts scheduled to automatically post while we’re traveling.  And I’m sure there will be a couple updates from our trip.

*Air Force song plays proudly in background*

“See” you on the flip side!

-Bonnie

Lessons From a Small House – 2

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We’re now down to a little less than three weeks until we move.  Crazy how quickly time is passing!

As we’re about to leave our first home together, I am reminded of how the ideal woman and the ideal wife is not made from a cookie cutter.

When we first got married, I compared myself to other women.  I would see how they would take care of their house, how they blessed their husband, how they planned for and prepared meals, etc.  I saw single women doing some things better than me.  I felt like I wasn’t good enough.  I couldn’t be a good enough wife.

I admit….yes, I definitely still do struggle with those thoughts.  But I know that there is no such thing as THE ideal wife.  God made every woman different.  God made every husband different.  What works in one household may not necessarily work in another.  Sometimes it’s just for a season of life….sometimes it isn’t.

When our church was hosting a Home Fellowship (basically a home Bible study with a few families from church) I was so embarrassed to be taking….a salad mix for the dinner.  A mix.   None of the other ladies in my circle would bring a mix.  They would buy their own lettuce, chop it up, and of course have other fresh vegetables to add.

But those other ladies are not me.  For one thing, they don’t have a 9 x 5 kitchen with little counter and refrigerator space.  For another thing….they might be gifted differently than me.  It is not bad or wrong or sinful to purchase and offer a salad mix at a potluck.  It does not make me less of a wife or less of a woman.

I used to think that I needed to do all these things to be the perfect wife.  I needed to be able to cook proficiently (and generally speaking, enjoy it!) and have the house constantly clean.

It’s okay that I am not a gourmet chef.  It’s okay that I’m not a proficient cook.  It’s okay that I am not able to invent my own recipes or know the substitutes for ingredients that I don’t have.

Whenever anybody comes over, I sometimes die a little inside because our house isn’t spotless.  But…it’s okay if the house isn’t constantly clean!  It’s okay that oftentimes our couch has to be storage for things like books or mail because there is no other space in our house.

And guess what?  It’s okay if my house and our life looks nothing like my parents.  Or my in-laws.  Or either of my sisters.

God has gifted people differently. God has called people to different life seasons and experiences.

This house has helped teach me hat I don’t have to live up to certain standards….because sometimes I just can’t.  And that’s okay!  As long as I am striving to honor the Lord and adequately take care of my husband, our house and our life is beautiful just the way it is!

-Bonnie

Lesson from a Small House – 1

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So we’re moving in just under 4 weeks.  I am extremely excited to be finally heading off for pilot training!  We both can’t wait to truly begin our Air Force life together.

But it is very bittersweet to leave our first house….our first home together.  The place we will have lived in for nine months.  Even though it is only 12 feet by 12 feet, we have made so many memories here.  We have both laughed here and cried here.  Yes, this has been a wonderful house in which to start out.  Not to mention the fact that we have amazing landlords right next door!

This house has taught me several lessons, though.  One of which is creativity.

When our house looks like this…

…we have had to learn to be creative as far as storage and just living life.  In the above picture, you can see our bedroom, family room, and library.  The Pilot’s office is just to the left of the bedroom, and the cameraman (my wonderful husband) is standing in the corner of the room.  (We do have a mini kitchen and bath, not pictured.)

I will admit, that yes….at first it was very difficult to get used to.  Storing bath towels in the main room and sometimes having to unpack the refrigerator every time I want to get one thing out (and then repack it just so) were not on my list of preferences for a house.  It did get annoying a couple of times when cooking to get out, say, my crock pot, a cutting board and knife, only to have nowhere to place the ingredient I got out next.  Then, while taking the lid off of a can, placing the lid to the crock pot  on top of the only free surface (the top of the refrigerator), and using my elbow to balance a bowl I had knocked over in the small space, somehow being dexterous enough to get a meal together.  It was challenging.

But somehow it all came together.  And I even became bold enough to try side dishes.  One night we even had two!  It took a while to get the swing of things, but we definitely did.  After that first week, I had only mild irritations at the space.  It really has been perfect for us, suiting all our needs.  Definitely not spacious….but honestly what more do we need right now?  There hasn’t been anything that we realized we needed desperately in order to live but we couldn’t have it because there was no room.

We did learn to get creative, though.  Like how my love’s remote controlled airplane is stored behind the TV.  Cardboard boxes have served for much of the Pilot’s clothing storage.  The TV screen is on top of our dresser.  Our ironing board hangs on a wall in the kicthen, the vacuum cleaner is on the side of the dresser, and the Pilot’s ties are on a rack behind our bedroom door.

Together, we have made this house a home.  And we love it!  Four canvases of rose pictures hang above our bed, and in the picture above you can see the mirror wall set that was a wedding gift.  On it are four candles and a “Liberty” sign that we got on discount at JoAnns.  Even those touches aren’t what made it a home, though.  It was the late nights we lay in bed talking together.  The times we laughed so hard it hurt.  The times we cuddled up to watch a movie.  The dinners we shared.  The game nights with our amazing neighbors.  Everything made it the most wonderful first home we could have asked for!

-Bonnie

Scrapbook Party!!

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Last week my Mom and I were scrapbooking a bunch.  We’d been trying to plan this for months and finally it worked out for us to have a few days.  It was so much fun spending time together and saving memories into albums!

This is what our work space looked like!

I started out by making a couple page layouts so later I can just add some pictures.  It had been a long time since I had scrapbooked and I wanted to start out slowly.

One of the first pages I made…

After a few other pages…I began working on wedding photos!!!  It was SO much fun!  Here are some of the pages I made…


The above layout was actually given to me as a wedding present.  Grandmommy,
Aunt Cheryl, and Aunt Carri made me an album with a bunch of page
layouts.  All I did was stick in the pictures!

(Another one of the layouts given to me…)

(Also one of the layouts given to me)

(Sorry about my foot making it in the picture…)

So glad to have a start on wedding photos.  I love our pictures so much!!

-Bonnie

On Asking the “Why?” Question

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Those of you who have read our blog for a while know about some medical issues I have been going through.  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)  Last Friday I had my very last procedure done.  A couple days ago we got the results and I am so, so thankful to say that we and the doctors are now (finally!) satisfied that all things are normal in my body.

Praise the Lord!!

Sometimes I do wonder “why?” though.  Not the gut-wrenching kind of “Why?”.  But more of a…”Whew!  Now I wonder why that all happened?” type of why.  Why did God decide for us to go through these difficulties?  Why did I need to go through so many emotionally difficult and physically unpleasant procedures if it turned out to be nothing?  Why were The Pilot and I both pretty sure that I was pregnant back in May only to find out (the day before Mother’s Day!) that I was not?

Honestly….I don’t know why.  I don’t really understand.  But what I do see is all the ways that God taught me and changed me through it.

  1. It caused me to see the love and support of the body of Christ in a deeper way.  I was honestly overwhelmed by all of the comments and love from friends and even complete strangers after this post.  I didn’t expect to receive that kind of encouragement.  To know that some people were not judging me or telling me I was over-reacting, but were understanding my words and feelings meant so much.
  2. It taught me how to both rejoice and weep.  “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.”  Romans 12:15.  This verse….is so amazing.  During this time I have been able to have my heart better in sync with others.  My heart has broken and I have cried real tears with family and friends (both in real life and in the blog world) who have gone through the severely difficult processes of infertility, infant loss, and miscarriage.  On the other hand, I have been called to put aside my own heartache, pain, and questions, in order to rejoice with others who announce pregnancies and welcome babies.  It is amazing how a time of trial and testing in my life has refined this one verse in my life.  Because of this, I am better able to minister to others!
  3. It taught me to know and understand more of the presence of God.  On one of my doctor trips, I was so nervous and just so, so ready for the appointments and visits to end.  I sat in the car, listening to “Blessings” by Laura Story and crying a bit.  Suddenly I was just overwhelmed by the fact that I was not alone.  When I set foot in that doctor’s office, I wouldn’t be by myself.  God was with me.  I was not going through that process in general, that visit specifically, by myself.  God is with me 100% and He already knows exactly what is going on inside my body.
  4. It taught me again that God truly is in control.  Even when I had no idea what or how or why….I could know beyond a shadow of a doubt that whatever was going on….would bring God glory.  From in the middle of that situation, I might have been confused or unsure or in pain…but God is above the situation and is carefully orchestrating it all.  It will bring God glory.   And it will be for my good.  Regardless of the outcome.  That was sooo comforting!
  5. It taught me the great value of a baby.  Pretty much everyone I have ever known or talked to agrees that a baby is a gift and a joy.  But going through this process really showed me the truth of that so much more.  God took something that for years I probably took for granted (in that I assumed that of course “someday” I would likely get married and we would have a baby) and showed me what a great treasure that really is.  He caused me to examine my motives for wanting to have a baby.  A dear friend of mine who has struggled with getting pregnant is one of the most joyful mothers I have ever met.  She is someone who knows that the time that she can spend with her daughter now is  a tremendous, tremendous gift from God.  After everything she has been through, she is truly a mother who doesn’t take her children for granted.  Even though the Pilot and I have yet to have a baby….I definitely appreciate how God showed me that.  When we do get pregnant (if the Lord wills!), I will not forget the years of not knowing if I would ever face that moment of seeing the positive pregnancy test.  I really think that going through this will make me a better mother.  I never want to take our children, their lives or their milestones, for granted.

Are these the answers to the “why” question?  I don’t know.  I don’t know what God’s reason/s was/were.  But I at least know that these were some of the results.  And I thank God for that!  I can’t wait to see the next chapter of our lives!

-Bonnie

Two Months To Go….

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Perhaps some of you may have noticed the new counter on the side of our blog.  That’s because we now have “final” dates for when we have to be at our first base!!  We have to be there on October 1!  Originally it was going to be next February and we are very excited to have gotten the date moved up.  On our trip out there we wanted to stop and visit family and friends on the way…and that trip got extended to an entire cross-country trip.  Can’t wait to head out on September 1st!  Only 2 months away!

On another note, my sweet husband commissioned on June 8 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force!  With right-hand raised, he left behind his ROTC days and became an officer.  Five years of long, hard work.  Definitely such an exciting moment!

-Bonnie