Marriage Monday--How We Met

I have been dismally lax about participating in the Marriage Monday challenge, although I have been very energetic about reading everyone else's posts!

This week's topic is how we met our husbands and what drew me to him. I am going to follow Melissa's lead and direct you here to read our story. I wrote it around the time of our 10th anniversary, and the best part of the post was the comment that Trevor left for me. I literally cried when I saw it, and anyone who knows me would tell you that I am not a crier.

To see how other women met their husbands, visit Christine at Fruit in Season.

The Antidote to My Stress

I would like to take a minute and give a shout- out to my awesome husband today. Our church is in the midst of the craziness we like to call Vacation Bible School. I am helping with the refreshments this year (I did not want a repeat of last year's near heat stroke from being a "walker"), which means that I get to work in the comfortable, air conditioned kitchen and den. All in all a really cushy job and I am working with some truly wonderful women that I am getting to know better.

However, in order to participate in said VBS, I have to go directly to church after work with no time for dinner or winding down before hitting the floor running to get snacks ready for the kids. Our census is climbing back up at work and as a result, I am not leaving until right at five (or six, like last night) which really rushes me for getting to church on time.

Anyway, for the last two evenings when I have walked through the front door, Trevor has been so attentive and wonderful. It's like he knew that I would need extra love and attention this week and has really stepped up to the plate. He made sure my Vanilla Coke Zero was frosty cold on Monday night, and took care of getting the kids fed and into bed. Last night he brought me a cold drink (not realizing that I already had one), but he still gets huge points for the thought. It's not as though he has cooked 7 course meals every night and lavished me with gifts, but it's the little gestures that mean so much.

When he does things that make me more comfortable, it makes me feel more secure and loved and I want to do things for him in return. Isn't that what our marriages are all about, really? When you give cheerfully and with a loving heart, it always comes back to you tenfold. He doesn't do things for me to keep me quiet (I don't think) or to trick me in some way. He does things for me because he loves and cherishes me. I, in turn, am more motivated to submit to him willingly and gladly because I know he genuinely has my best interests at heart. It's beautiful the way God intended our marriages to be, the giving and taking is so circular and it just feeds on itself.

Thank you God. Thank you for a loving, devoted, faithful husband that I can count on day in and day out. Help me to love him better and to meet his needs the way he meets mine.

And baby....you rock my face off!

The Art of Compromise

Trevor set up a new itinerary for his trip to China. He will (supposedly) be leaving May 29 and returning on June 8. We'll see. He has been trying to make this trip since the beginning of the year and I've lost track of the number of times it has been cancelled. I'm seriously just ready for it to be over and done with so we can mark it off the list of things to do. It's hard to plan anything because those discussions always end with, "assuming I'm not in China, of course."

Confession: I enjoy my time alone when Trevor is in China. I get the remote, I get to choose what is for dinner, I get to read in bed for as long and late as I want to. Most importantly, I get to have the bed to myself. It's not that Trevor dominates the family when he is home and everything revolves around him. Trevor is actually very laid back and accommodating in most areas. But when you are in a marriage, everything that happens (from the seemingly insignificant to the incredibly important) involves more than one person. Everything on some level is a compromise.

What program are we going to watch on TV tonight? What is for dinner? Am I bothering him with the light on in bed so I can read? I do my best to take his feelings and preferences into account with every decision I make and when he is not home it's liberating to do everything my way. There is no one else to consider except for the kids, and that's a whole other issue entirely! When he is gone I make biscuits and gravy for dinner since it is not something that he enjoys. I watch girly movies after the kids have gone to bed and I stay up way past my bedtime curled up with a good book. I chat on the phone with my friends and family for hours and I leave my scrapbooking supplies out on the table for days at a time. And there is the anticipation of going to bed and not having to worry about bothering someone else when I roll over in the night, cough or have too many of the covers.

I could do all of these things when he is home and he would not complain (much), but I would feel bad knowing that there were other options that would make both of us happy. So, when he leaves on the 29th, I'll console myself with doing things my way for a few weeks. When he comes back on the 8th, I'll be thankful that I have someone to consider. Except for the bed thing. We seriously need a bigger bed. Seriously.

Love and Sacrifice

How can I take one day and attempt to show my mom how much I love her? I can't. It's like Valentines Day...if you have to have a special day to remind you to appreciate your lover, then you don't really appreciate your lover.

I'm one of the lucky ones...I truly love and cherish my mom. She's the first person I want to call when I have good (or bad) news. I trust her judgement and value her opinion. If you had asked me 20 years ago if I would ever feel that way, I would have answered with a resounding "no!" We had a tumultuous relationship when I was a child and adolescent and I hope that when my daughter starts to behave the way I did, that I will respond with half the restraint that Mama did!

I have so many memories of Mama that it's hard to decide which ones to include here. There are so many that are an integral part of who I am that it's almost impossible to explain them. They are like pieces of flesh and blood that have knitted together through the years to form the incredibly visceral feeling that I have when I think of my mom. The feel of her cool hand on my forehead when I was sick, the smell of her skin, the distinctive technique of her fingers on the piano, the comforting sound of her voice murmuring in the living room as I drifted off to sleep in my bedroom. Those things don't sound like very important memories in the grand scheme of things, but they are the ones that make my mom, well, mine.

Throughout my life she has always been there even when I pushed her away in adolescent ignorance. She always forgave me when I overstepped my bounds and said hurtful, mean things to her out of spite and frustration. I didn't realize it at the time, but she was a rich source of wisdom and knowledge. One of my real regrets as an adult is that I didn't listen to my mom more. I could have saved myself so much pain and grief if I had simply relied on her experience, but I suppose that is a regret that most people have.

I credit my mom's perseverance as the primary reason that I have a relationship with the Lord. She made sure that I was dressed and ready to go to church every week. She answered my questions about faith and God. She was an unwavering example of what a Christian should be in all areas of life. God uses many means to draw His elect to Himself, and in my case it was the love and joy that I saw in my own mother's witness.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I spent two weeks in the hospital recovering from surgery. Mama refused to leave my side until Aunt Gail (the next best thing to Mama!) came to pry her away from me and give her some much needed rest and relaxation. At the time, I didn't really think about what a sacrifice it was for Mama to stay with me like that. Now that I am grown-up with a life and family of my own, I see what a gift that was to put her life on hold to focus on my well-being and health. If there is anyone that you want near you when you have just had surgery, it is my mom. She has this uncanny knack for knowing what you want before you ask for it.

When I found out I was pregnant with Nathan, I had no idea how much his birth would change my relationship with her. I remember laying there in the hospital holding him one night after everyone had gone home and thinking that I had never loved someone this deeply. That's when it occurred to me that Mama felt that way about me. She loved me so deeply that she would sacrifice her very life for me. This intimate knowledge about the nature of motherhood made me love her even more than I thought possible.

So, even though I can't be with my mom today my love still stretches across the miles to her and I know that she is thinking of me too. Thank you for giving me life and for shaping me into the person I am today. I love you, Mama.

She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
“ Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 31:26-31

I Love My Husband

I love my husband. I love being married to a man who has seemingly infinite knowledge regarding all things mechanical. No matter what the problem around the house, Trevor will find a way to fix it and/or make it better than it was to begin with.

He was up early yesterday morning to make a run to Lowe's and Dirt Cheap Mulch Co. to get project materials. The first trip he made was to get a 1/2 yard of dirt to fill in some low spots by the deck. Once he unloaded that and spread it out, he was off again for more supplies. Trevor 1, House 0.

Our driveway becomes a wade pool every time it rains and has been this way since the house was built over 30 years ago. If you have the misfortune of having to park at the end of the driveway, you might as well take your shoes off and wade in. Anyway, Trevor finally got tired of the drainage problem and designed a way to take care of the excess water. He dug a trench along the end of the driveway and then laid perforated pipe in it. He covered it with rocks and when we tested it with the water hose, the water drained into the ditch perfectly leaving the driveway dry and puddle free. Trevor 2, House 0.

With the first two projects under his belt, Trevor decided to tackle the side yard where he had spread the fill dirt earlier. He called me outside so we could discuss what we wanted to do with the space. The problem we have is that the side yard next to the backdoor is low lying and tends to stay pretty muddy. This makes it messy to take the trash out and to get to the front gate. We decided that instead of laying slate or paving stones, it would be faster and asthetically pleasing if we extended the deck out approximately 5 more feet. So Trevor began the hot work of building the addition to the deck, but when he was finished, it looked wonderful and added about 70 square feet to the space. Trevor 3, House 0.

In between the big projects, he fixed the railing on the other side of the deck and moved and adjusted the water nozzles for the misting system. He worked all day long to make our home more beautiful and functional and never complained or stopped working. He takes care of so many things for us and does them with a willing heart.

So this morning when I go out to the deck to enjoy my coffee, I will look around at his handiwork and be thankful all over again. I love my husband.

The Day I Changed My Name

Ten years ago today, I woke up in my old bedroom in my parent's house. I rolled over and grinned to my cousin Courtney as we shrieked together, "I'm (You're) getting married today!" And that's how it all started. I can't remember what I had for breakfast but I remember the overwhelming feeling of anticipation.

I went to the church early so I could get dressed and Kellye's mom Cheryl met me up there to do my hair. Now, when I say "do" my hair what I mean is that she put it up in a few pins so the headband to which my veil was attached would sit nicely. Nothing like the elaborate updo's I had for Amber's and Courtney's wedding. But she was there and did a beautiful job, and then I waited for my bridesmaids. And waited...and waited..and waited. Finally, I asked Cheryl if she would help me get into my dress on and she obliged. I was starting to get a little nervous...who ever heard of bridesmaids getting cold feet? I wasn't a Bridezilla or anything.

I finally heard them coming down the hall. Apparently the local hairdresser was overwhelmed with all of 4 people to handle, and they ran behind. But at least they had arrived, which was a good thing because I was starting to get a little antsy. Then I experienced what pretty much every bride since time began does: I had to go to the bathroom and my dress was already on. So, with some help I managed the task without dipping anything into the toilet.

As the parade of people started coming into the bridal room, it hit me that this was really happening. My grandmothers were dressed in beautiful dresses and Gramps told me how proud he was of me. Then came the moment when Daddy walked into the room and saw me for the first time in my gown. Years of memories flashed through my mind as I watched him walk towards me with that singular look of pride and love on his face. We cried a little and then laughed about crying because it was going to mess up my makeup.

Soon I was left with Courtney, Amber, Ronna and Pam as everyone else took their places for the ceremony. I remember quoting that line from "Steel Magnolias" when Julia Roberts is about to be escorted down the aisle by her father. He is partially deaf from shooting birds out of the tree in the backyard so that her reception will be perfect, and she has to half yell/half stage whisper to him "It's time, Daddy. It's time!" so that he will come over to take her arm. I guess we were getting a little out of hand with the joking because Mrs. Voytek (the coordinator) had to come back and tell us to keep it down like we were 12 year olds at a slumber party.

I remember taking a big breath before I stepped into the sanctuary and the sensation of my train being arranged one more time before the trip to the altar. I gripped Daddy's arm and off we went. As I rounded the corner to turn down the center aisle I went a little weak in the knees. All my friends and family were there and at the end of that aisle was the man I love waiting for me with a look that made me feel like the most beautiful, desirable woman on the planet. When I finally made it to him and Daddy gave me away, I took his arm and the air around us seemed charged with electricity.

My old youth minister and dear friend Roy Deane Webb officiated for us, and we made it through the ceremony without any mishaps. My veil didn't catch on fire from the unity candle and I didn't trip over my dress and fall which was really a miracle considering my natural state of clumsiness! After the wedding, we went across the street to the reception. When we were ready to go, we ran out to the limo amid a shower of bubbles and birdseed. I have a framed series of four pictures that were taken of us as we left the church that day, and they are my favorite photos from our wedding. We opened the sun roof of the limo and stood up so we could wave goodbye to everyone. It was just starting to drizzle (which is supposed to mean you will be rich if it rains on your wedding day....I may have to challenge that) so we quickly closed the roof and sat down.

As soon as my behind hit the seat, the exhaustion hit me. We were going all the way to Houston, so we had a few minutes to relax. I had Trevor unzip me and I actually fell asleep for a little while. If anyone thought that we were consummating the marriage on the way to the hotel, they could not have been farther from the truth! It was quite sad actually. We were too tired to even have much of a conversation....Trevor had driven in from Virginia just days ago, and I was crashing from all of the wedding planning. We were really looking forward to getting to the hotel and changing into something more comfortable than a wedding dress and rented tux.

We pulled up to the hotel and as we made our entrance into the lobby, everyone clapped and cheered for us. It was so sweet and we felt so important. I was so proud to be on Trevor's arm as we walked up to the desk and confirmed the reservation for Mr. and Mrs. Newly Married Couple. The wedding had gone beautifully, the reception was great and the day had progressed exactly as I had imagined it. Did I mention that there were no mishaps to mar my perfect day? That is until we tried to check in. Imagine my embarrassment when I realized that I had made reservations at the wrong Marriot. The one at which I thought I was making reservations was across the street from the Galleria. The one at which I actually made the reservations was just down the road! So after our grand entrance into that cavernous lobby, we had to go back outside in full regalia and load up into the courtesy van to be shuttled down the road a mile or two. I can't begin to tell you how mortifying that was, but in the end it really didn't matter. We were finally married and excited to begin our life together.

So here we are 10 years, 2 kids, 8 moves, 11 cars, 1 Bachelors degree and 1 name change later and we are still as in love today as the day we wed. If the truth be told, more in love because the years together just strengthen and renew that deep feeling of belonging to someone else and knowing that whatever comes, he has my back. And not because he was born into a relationship with me, but because he chose me and my life has never been the same. So tonight we will light our unity candle like we have done every year on this day, and remember the vows we took before God 10 years ago.

I Am My Beloved's

A week from today, Trevor and I will be driving to San Antonio for the weekend to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Ten years. It doesn't seem that long, but I can't deny the facts. At this time 10 years ago, I was tying up loose ends regarding the wedding and Trevor was making plans to drive home from Virginia with his best friend Phil.

Trevor and I have known each other for almost 22 years. We met in Jr. High band in 1985 and have been friends (with a few bumps in the road) ever since. We went through high school together and then I went to college and Trevor joined the Navy. Over the years, we still remained friends and even tried dating a time or two but it never seemed to work out. He would come home on leave for Christmas or some other holiday, and we would get together for a dinner and a movie, or I would go out to his parents house for a visit.

He came home in December of 1996 and we met for our usual dinner and catch up time. We were both involved with other people, but both of those relationships were coming to an end for various reasons. I vividly remember sitting across from him at The Black-Eyed Pea and feeling like I had been struck by lightning. I realized at that moment that I had been so blind to the fact that he was my soul mate and I felt a rush of regret that I had not seen it sooner. Retrospectively, we would have never made it if we had married sooner. We we were both too selfish and immature to even consider the covenant relationship of marriage. God knew the right time and place for the two of us to come to together and it happened exactly as He intended it.

Over the next few weeks we spent obscene amounts of time on the phone with each other and we gave the US Postal Service a run for their money with all of the letter writing that we did! By mid-January we were engaged and Trevor was flying home from Virginia every two weeks to spend the weekend with me. I had a little apartment in the Medical Center and we spent those weekends together remembering the times that we had spent together and planning for our future. I look back on those hastily snatched days together as some of the best memories of my life. I remember asking Mama how she kept the intense feeling of love and attraction alive in her marriage over the years. She told me that every marriage goes through highs and lows, but to remember one important thing. She told me to always remember how I felt when I saw Trevor walking towards me down the concourse at the airport as I eagerly awaited the feeling of his embrace. She said that no matter how bad things may get from time to time that if I could recall that feeling of total love and devotion, it would help me get through those difficult times.

I can say with complete honesty that her advice was some of the best she has ever given me. After 10 years together, there have been times when we were simply living from day to day with no real passion. During those times, all I had to do was see him through my minds eye walking towards me with his arms open and that beautiful smile of love and desire on his face. It wasn't a magical cure for our difficult times, but it gave me hope that those intense feelings would resurface and that our marriage would be that much stronger for the challenges we faced together.

Trevor is my best friend. He is the person I want to talk to when I have good news or bad. I turn to him for comfort, support, guidance and unconditional love. We have a mutual respect for each other and a relationship built on complete trust and honesty. When I ask Trevor if I look fat in a dress, I know that he is going to tell me the truth. We don't play those games with each other...it's counterproductive and only causes hurt feelings. I can tell him anything....even my deep, dark secrets that only God has heard.

I thank God on a daily basis for my husband. He is my best friend and the love of my life. I look forward to remaining years that God has given us. Whether it's 1 more year or 30 more years with him, I will love him as much at the end as I did at the beginning.

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. Song of Solomon 6:3

A Life of Generosity

It's been a little over 7 months since my Gramps died. Thomas Battice Effler. Mr. B. Daddy. Tom. Honey. Uncle B. He had many names, but he was Gramps to me. I still miss him terribly and I suppose that's never going to go away. I dream of him now and then....dreams where I can talk to him again and ask him about where I should plant a particular tree or shrub. Sometimes he's the young and vibrant man I remember from my childhood. Forearms like Popeye from years of hanging sheet rock and painting houses. Strong arms for hugging and picking me up. Making a "prison" by crossing his legs while sitting in his recliner and keeping me in it as I squealed to be let out, but not really meaning it. Sometimes he is the older man of more recent years....sick more than he was well. In those dreams he wants me to lay next to him and just be. In those dreams I know that he is dying, but I have time to say goodbye.

No matter what dreams I have about Gramps, one thing doesn't change. That unchangeable thing is my memory. I have a lifetime of memories that involve him. As was evident as I heard his eulogy at the funeral, the defining characteristic of his life was his unfailing faith in Jesus Christ and because of that faith a generosity of spirit that was unmatched. I could write a thousand stories that reveal the depths of his giving heart, but I'll stick with just a few that have special meaning to me.

I recently bought gerbils for my children. As I was standing in the pet store debating what kind of shavings to put in the bottom of the cage, I suddenly teared up. I hadn't thought of this in almost 20 years, but when I was in high school I had two white mice. I had gone home to Louisiana for a visit and when I told Gramps that I had mice, he didn't have too much to say. But later that day, he said, "Youngin', get into the truck. We're going to Teddy's" When Gramps said to get going, you got going or got left behind, so I hopped in the truck and went along with him. When we got there, he pulled out a long piece of cedar that he had gotten out of his woodworking shop. Uncle Teddy had a planer, and Gramps planed that piece of wood down to a pile of cedar shavings fit for a mouse cage. It filled a huge bag and lasted me for months. It was such a small thing, but it meant enough that I remember it still.

He and Granny never missed any big event in my life. I come from a Masonic family, and I was very active in Rainbow Girls. I was a Grand Officer (state officer) and held a position of leadership in the local assembly. They were there for all of my important ceremonies. Granny made all of the food for the reception that followed and Gramps made my wooden gavel out of black walnut wood. It sits on my shelf and I think of him every time I pick it up.

When I was 19, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease. I underwent a exploratory laparotomy and splenectomy 4 days after my 20th birthday. The surgery was at a ridiculously early hour of the morning and it was still dark outside when they came to get me. As I looked beyond my parents and the nurses, I saw my Granny and Gramps walk through my hospital room door. They had driven in the night before and made it to the hospital in time to see me and pray with me before I went in. You just cannot know how that made me feel. Knowing that Granny and Gramps were there somehow made it better.

A few weeks before Gramps died, Mama had called me on a Friday night to tell me that he was in the hospital again. It wasn't really any different than all the other times that he had been admitted in recent months, but it was the first time that I had a vision of him in a nursing home. I saw him as old and frail, and it shocked me. You would think that it wouldn't considering the fact that he had been old and frail for some time, but I guess some part of my brain still saw him as that young, vibrant man of my childhood. I had a sudden feeling that I needed to see him. I felt like I was being pulled home and I had to go. I talked to Trevor about it, and made arrangements to leave the next morning.

When I arrived in Hammond, I went straight to the hospital but was told that he had been discharged so I went to Granny and Gramps' house. Maybe he wasn't so sick after all....maybe my gut feeling was nothing. I surprised Granny (I hadn't told anyone that I was coming) and after discovering that he was in fact still in the hospital, I went back over there. I finally found his room, and as I entered, I greeted him with, "Hey faker!" The smile that he gave me was enough to just melt my heart. "Youngin'!" he said in disbelief, "what are you doing here?" We sat and visited for several hours. Just everyday stuff. Sick or not, Gramps was still sharp as a tack. He was never afraid of expressing his opinion and he didn't start that Saturday as we spoke. We reminisced about memories of each other and he told me stories of boot camp and World War II in Germany. He told me about how he met Granny and how much he loved her then and loved her still after 59 years of marriage.

I left him later that day fully intending to spend most of the next morning with him before I had to head back home, but a call early Sunday morning from Trevor sent me flying home to him. We didn't know it at the time, but he had a kidney stone and didn't know the cause of his pain. There was no way for me to know when I leaned down and kissed Gramps goodbye that it would be the last time I would see him alive. I told him that I loved him and he said the same and then I was gone.

The call came in the middle of the night just a week or so later. Gramps went quickly due to a pulmonary embolism....we could not have asked for a better way for him to go. No pain, and he was lucid right up to the end. His was a life well lived for the glory of God and he left behind a legacy of love and generosity that knows no equal. I like to think when I perform a random act of kindness that I am somehow channeling Gramps a little bit. He would be horrified if he heard me say that, but I don't care.

So, I'll keep dreaming of him and telling my children stories of his exceptional love and generosity. We will tell and retell the stories of how Gramps threw us in the swimming pool to teach us how to swim, when we get together at Christmas, along with all the other familiar stories that we know by heart. I will keep seeing him in unexpected places and in my dreams, and I thank God for letting me be fortunate enough to be his granddaughter.

Things I Love

In no particular order:

1. Swinging in a hammock on a perfect spring day enjoying a cool breeze carrying the smell of BBQ.


2. The smell of my daughter's clean hair and skin right before bed.


3. The sound of my son's laughter when he gets really tickled about something.


4. The sparkly clean feeling I get after going to the Lord in prayer for forgiveness and worship.


5. The thrill I get when I know that I am about to see my husband in the evening.


6. Friday nights with the anticipation of the whole weekend ahead of me.


7. Watching Survivor on Thursday nights.


8. Pad Thai from Pei Wei.


9. The sweet breath of newborn babies.


10. The satisfaction of cooking a really good meal that everyone enjoys.


11. Completing a scrapbook page.


12. Clean sheets.


13. Staying in nice hotels and ordering frivolous room service.


14. Getting away for the weekend with Trevor.


15. The sound of my children saying "I love you, Mommy".


16. Dove truffle eggs.


17. Getting home after work and finding dinner on the table.


18. Singing hymns around the piano with my family.


19. Hearing my children spontaneously sing hymns and praise songs.


20. Having theological discussions with my brother.


21. My morning phone chats with Ronna.


22. Getting random pictures of baby Jack on my cell phone.


23. Checking my email inbox and seeing that I have messages from actual contacts and not just spam.


24. Sitting on the porch at Granny and Gramps' with a big mug of coffee full of cream and sugar on a cool morning.


25. A roaring fire in the fireplace on cold nights.


26. Having a houseful of friends over to play games and hang out.


27. Going to a friend's house to play games and hang out.


28. A cold Shiner Bock with a big bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo.


29. My father-in-law's smoked ribs.


30. Granny Traylor's banana pudding.


31. Having my mom take care of me when I don't feel well.


32. Spending time with my sister when I go home to Louisiana.


33. Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate.


34. Curling up in bed at the end of the day with a really good book and reading myself to sleep.


35. The look on the face of the person I gave the perfect gift to, after the opening frenzy is over.


36. The sight of my children sleeping in strange, contorted positions.


37. The smell of a new car.


38. Spending unlimited amounts of time in a bookstore just browsing without interruption.


39. Roller coasters.


40. The sharp smell of burning leaves on a crisp fall day with a clear blue sky.


41. The fact that my husband thinks I'm the most beautiful, wonderful woman in the world.


42. My new covered deck.


43. Telling people that both my parents have their doctorate degrees.


44. A clean house that smells fresh.


45. Watching Gone With the Wind when I am home sick.


46. The path of sweet smelling grass that trails behind me when I am mowing the lawn.


47. The feeling I get as I am treating the last patient of the day knowing that I will be heading home in just a few minutes.


48. Recalling years and years of memories with my siblings and cousins when we all get together.


49. The clearance aisle at Michael's and Hobby Lobby.


50. Rolling over in the middle of the night and feeling Trevor next to me.