What Happens in Vegas…

… gets posted on my blog!

You wanna talk about feeling LOVED!?!

After our trip to Punta Cana and then the loss of TJ, Matt and I decided we wanted to try to travel to see as much of the country as possible.  That adventure began with a trip "out west" to visit Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Devil's Tower in Wyoming, and the Minute Man Missile Silo, Wall Drug, the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore and Custer State Park in South Dakota.  It was a great week!!!

We'd mentioned on more than one occasion that we could fly to Las Vegas for cheap and see some more sights in that area… but no plans were ever made…

Our bumpy ride of 2013 continued when Dutchess reached her last days and we found ourselves without a canine companion to consider which allowed a DC getaway to happen.  We came home from that weekend without a dog and headed into the week.

I had a 2 day sub job lined up for Monday and Tuesday… Monday was a great day of teaching Math and Social Studies.  I left school excited to come back to the same classroom the next day.  I called Matt on my way home (he was working night work) and he asked me a few questions about things on the schedule later in the week and then informed me that I needed to pack a bag for 2 nights in a destination that was someplace sunny and 75.    

WOAH.  

Stuff like that never happens to me.  

Spontaneous getaways… hubby taking charge of travel plans… (ok in his defense he does normally book the beach house that we find together- but I planned both the Punta Cana and out west trips.) I did my best to pack- what do you pack when you don't know where you are going?!?  

Tuesday morning I headed to school and freaked out made sure Matt had all my stuff ready to bring with him when he picked me up after school.  It wasn't until we were arrived at the airport that I learned we were headed... Vegas.  

Yes ladies and gentlemen… my wonderful hubby planned a surprise 2 night getaway to Vegas.  

The plane ride there was full.  We were loading group C for Southwest (aka the last group) and lucked out to score aisle seats across from each other.  

We arrived in Vegas, picked up our rental car and headed to our hotel.  New York New York.  Hotel- smotel… this place was like a resort.  

By the time we were settled it was late, even in Vegas time.  So we took a peek around, grabbed some pizza, and then headed back to our room to plan our adventure for the next day.  All the planning must have exhausted Matt because he crashed hard.

We woke up early and headed to ihop.  (It was my first time ever- YUM!)  While we were there I got a text message from Matt…

It's hard to see, but there was a man in uniform a few tables over.

On to the Hoover Dam.  

We spent the morning here.  We walked across the dam bridge and I failed to get a "welcome to Arizona" sign picture.  We drove over the dam, looked for dam parking that didn't cost an arm and a leg, walked around the top of the dam, looked at the dam clocks (again failed to capture in picture), and literally walked between time zones.  We did not take the dam tour… 

Have the dam jokes gotten old yet?  Yes, we continued with them the entire time we were there… and we laughed every time.  

Hunger started to set in, so we hurried on our way to find food and then seek out our next destination: Valley of Fire state park.  

Valley of Fire is pretty nifty.  The rocks are a beautiful red clay and if you catch them when the sun is just right they live up to their name.  We spent some time hiking and pretending to be rock climbers here.  

The sand pile in-between my sneaks is the sand the I dumped OUT of my shoes after our hike back to Mouse's tank.  

We decided to wrap up our day and headed out of the park at sunset.  Pictures do not do it justice!!!

Our plans for the night included dinner, touring the strip, and trying our luck on the penny slots.  

Lesson learned… Vegas is not quite our cup of tea.  It was neat to see all the lights and nice to have had the experience but we won't be putting a stay on the Vegas strip on the top of our travel lists.  

You can't go to vegas without "pressing your luck"  and well given our luck this year we decided we should limit our luck pressing!  We headed to the penny slots under the agreement that we'd each play $1- just to say we did it… and if we won anything we had a friend who was going to benefit.  A few button pushes, some crazy lights and spinning that we didn't understand and we had 20¢.  I printed my ticket and called it a night… but… we forgot to get a picture… so I played another game that looked a bit more exciting.  because exciting means you'll win more One more dollar played… and Matt snapped a photo for your enjoyment.  

No, we didn't win anything else… $3 in… 20¢ out… sounds like winning to me.  We came, We played, We decided not to go broke!

This time I was the one who was beat.  Back to the room and I was soon fast asleep.  

Our second real day in Vegas was also our last.  We had a red eye home so we decided to make the most of the day.  Back to ihop for breakfast- it's a good thing there isn't one close to home! 

Pleasantly stuffed, we headed for:

The views in this place are breathtaking!!!  

Never before can I remember experiencing the sound of NOTHING.  No cars or trucks, running water, rustling of trees or wind blowing.  No animals making noise or even people.  It was absolutely silent.  

The little clicks are me moving… there is literally nothing to hear.

We also visited the lowest point in the USA.

Daylight was fading and our time "in Vegas" (which was really not spent in Vegas) was coming to a close.  We headed back towards the airport, but not before snapping 2 more pictures for you:

I was so glad to come home and see gas was $3.25/gallon.

Packed up and ready to go… we returned to Vegas, grabbed some food and an amazing smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Cafe, returned the rental car and then found our flight home.  

The flight home was an experience… but we made it home in one piece.

Men:  You wanna make your lady feel Loved?  Plan a getaway!  It doesn't have to be a crazy last minute trip to Vegas… something simple will do!  

Three states in two days with no real planning ahead made for an awesome time with the Love of my Life.  

Thank you Matt for making sure I know that I am Loved!!!

My story- Part 2- Marriage

I told you I'd give you my story in parts... you got the 300ish word summary a few days well over a week ago...
Here's where you will get a little more detail.
Almost 10 years ago (December 21, 2003 to be exact) Matt and I went on a first date.  We ate at Ruby Tuesday- I ordered ribs and was a mess!  Yet he decided he wanted the date to continue... so we did some last minute Christmas shopping and drove around looking at Christmas lights.  I drove his truck and at one point he said something that caused me to respond, "Who says that!?!" and then remain silent for a while... after a few minutes he started to worry and texted me something about our "first date"- that broke the silence as I said "first date- you think there's going to be more than one?"  We laughed and that was the beginning of us.  After many years of dating we got engaged (no overly romantic story here) on Christmas Morning 2007.
Matt and I were married on May 9, 2009.  It was a beautiful day- perfect in every possible way!  (Maybe one day I'll tell you about how truly perfect it was...)

About a year after we were married I got the itch to go back to school to finish my Elementary Education degree.  I started off as a part time student and continued to work full time.  Eventually I was presented with a part-time job opportunity that would allow me to go back to school full time.  Thankfully my hard working hubby was willing to work extra hard to support us as I pursued my dream.  As I approached my final semester/student teaching, Matt expressed a desire to obtain his paramedic certification which meant school for him as well.  He worked full time and part time and went to school... I worked part time and went to school full time and had bunches of field experience hours... but we managed to make our schedules work.
Then entered student teaching... If you think teachers work 9-5 M-F and have their summers off... just ask Matt about my student teaching... On days that I didn't have class I left the house at 7:30 and returned home around 6 each night... Thursdays were my late night- and I'd get home sometime after 11... and then that one night a week I had class I would get home around 9:30... every night I brought work home with me- and it wasn't homework from class... I LOVED every minute of being in the classroom, grading papers, creating lessons- being a teacher... but it put a strain on Matt and I spending time together.
Student teaching ended and Matt was full swing in paramedic school... he was now working his "real" job, his part time job, going to class, and completing close to 25 clinical hours a week on average... so I suddenly had time to spend with him but he now carried the crazy schedule...
I graduated... he graduated... our schedules calmed down... you would think life would be great...
It wasn't- we had lost our ability to connect the way we used to... It was rough... I knew I still loved him.... but he started to have doubts because we just struggled to get our groove back.
It felt like the harder I tried to get things working again in our marriage... the farther we grew apart...
In a desperate attempt to save "US", I asked Matt to go with me to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (DR) for a vacation at an all-inclusive and to consider marriage counseling.
We went to the DR and had a decent time- we relaxed and we able to laugh a little... while we were there I got a call that I had an interview for a long term teaching position and I started to notice things were just a little "different" for me (aka my boobs hurt.)  We got home on a Wednesday.  I interviewed and landed the job on Thursday.  Friday I found out I was pregnant.  (stay tuned for more details in part 3.)
I nervously shared the news with Matt- who looked more scared than excited.... I would later learn that this was because he was preparing to leave me as he had felt life was completely unraveling for him and that was the only way out.  But Matt is a good man- he didn't want to walk out on his now pregnant wife and destroy any chance of our baby having an intact family.  With news of a baby on the way- we continued to work on our marriage... and fell into a holding pattern of barely surviving.
Enter January 24, 2013  (for the next 2 months I would say it was the worst day of my life.)  I got a phone call from a random number... it was Matt telling me he had been in a serious accident- he was ok but needed to go to the hospital and I was NOT to go to the scene- which was only minutes from our house.  I started to FREAK OUT- I called my mom to come drive me as I was in no condition to be operating a vehicle.  And then made phone calls to every person I could to get details.  THANK GOD Matt called me FIRST... on the way to the hospital I learned that it was bad... and once I was by my dear hubby's side- I learned he had rolled across 83 hit the center median and then back across.  Counting my blessings that he was laying in a bed talking to me, I sat in a chair by his side and waited for them to take him for a few last tests to rule out serious injury.  As we waited- he shared news with me that would shatter my world... (this is where I learned of his desire to leave prior to the pregnancy development) the room was spinning as he was wheeled away for tests and I reassured him that I would be waiting for him when he returned.  His tests came back all clear and my mom drove us home.  I got Matt settled at home and my mom stuck around to make sure I was okay... It was in this time that I had the most shameful moments of my life.  I didn't know what to do- I didn't want to hurt… I wanted to protect myself...I wanted to run.  In that moment my mom gave me the best advice she has ever given... She told me I needed to step up and be the wife I vowed to be.  She refused to take me with her- despite my begging- so I went back to caring for Matt.  It was the lowest of the low days thus far...
The ride to marriage "recovery" was long, bumpy, and emotional... but I stuck it out... because when I looked at Matt all I could see was a man who I loved deeply- and that man was the father of my baby.
2 weeks before our pregnancy complications developed, we learned of friends who lost their sweet little girl.  It hit us both hard as they were due just 3 days after us.  This ignited a fire in Matt and overnight things started to drastically change for us.  Our relationship was on the mend... we had lived in survival mode for so long that even the smallest improvements felt monumental... Little did we know that we desperately needed those 2 weeks of growth so we could face what was to come.
Our complications became known and for the first time in a long time- I felt like I had my husband back in full force.  He was amazing every step of the way during my week long hospital stay!  I stopped doubting our future together as I could tell his heart was back in the game.
Together we faced the best and worst day of our lives.
April 13, 2013.
Meeting out precious little boy and saying goodbye to him all in a matter of minutes.  I can not imagine having to do that without my husband by my side.  In the days and weeks after losing TJ we relied on each other, we were each other's source of comfort and strength... and we continued to repair our marriage and grow together.
I'd had lingering concerns that things would fall apart again- nothing that was substantiated- just my own silly insecurities getting the best of me.  Those were all laid to rest the day we got baptized... hearing Matt's story read to the church- hearing him declare his love for me and his love for Jesus... those insecurities started to melt away... and after getting dunked he turned to me and Kissed me... for everyone to see- I was his wife, the one he wanted to be with and he was letting the world know.
While I wish I could say we have a perfect marriage now- I cannot.  We still have our moments where we hit a rocky spot... but we work through it together... we face life together.... and I can't think of any one else I'd rather have by my side!!!

Let's be real- confession time

Let's take a minute (or 3) and be real… cause truth be told- I'm a real person and real people don't lead clean, perfectly organized lives… One of my favorite things about LCBC is that they know that life is messy!  And if you read the condensed version of my story you can see… my. life. is. messy.  (Still working on the additional parts of my story- writing about  your mess isn't easy!)
I've been working on trying to face some of that mess head on… sometimes it's by working through something I'm struggling with or facing a trigger…. today it's going to be by throwing out some of the messy truths of my life and mixing some fun randomness in as well….

Confession:  After holding my own child- a breathing, kicking, beautiful little boy- in my arms… I can not wait for the day that I have another baby of my own to hold.  Enough so that each month when I discover I'm not pregnant- I cry… and not just a few tears… it's a full out bawl- from the bottom of my heart… you know- the ugly cry… the kind you want no one to see… and that leaves you exhausted afterwards.

Confession:  I may have a small problem with shoes… I own 50 pairs… I can probably count on my fingers the number I have worn with any purpose in the last year… sadly most of the 50 pairs are either old navy flip flops or shoes that I have had since the pre-Matt days… I think I need to do some closet purging.

Confession:  When I got married I thought I knew who would be the Godmother of my children- someone who was like a sister to me… unfortunately that person has failed to even acknowledge that TJ existed… The days I needed her most it was too inconvenient for her to be there… to stay with Dutchess the night after TJ was born- so that Matt could be by my side in the hospital as I recovered from labor and serious infection… the day we celebrated TJ's life- because being uncomfortable with death is a reason to skip out on a few minutes of remembering and celebrating a child… I lack the words to even accurately describe the hurt- and I'm not sure how to even begin to heal the wounds left by this.

Confession:  I LOVE Clara… don't get me wrong- I miss Dutchess- she was my best friend during the hardest days of my life… but life with Clara is AMAZING.  She is almost perfect. (stay, come and life off a leash need some polishing yet) This dog is social, runs, and loves to just be with us.  She provides such simple joys like running on the rail trail, visits to grandmas and my fair share of space in bed… all things life with Dutchess lacked- at least lacked when Dutchess was involved.

Confession:  I need a gym buddy.  2 years ago an awesome friend helped Matt and I get "unfat"- neither of us had hit our goal- but we were well on our way and it felt amazing… and then life got crazy- I held my own for a while… managing not to pack the pounds back on… but that didn't last long… I'm not back up to where I was when I first started the adventure but it's getting scarily close… I worked so hard to find skinny… go so close… and let it all go… I desperately want to get skinny back.

Confession:  I am an emotional eater.  When I'm feeling crappy- horrible food soothes my soul… for a few minutes anyway… wanna know how I am feeling?  Watch me eat… care to know how the week is going?  look in my fridge… I would love to get back to the point where I go to the gym when I'm feeling down- but I HATE working out alone.  and honestly I'm still at a point where some days I don't want the world to see me- to see what the mess of life has turned me into… so instead of going to the gym- I stay home and eat…

Confession: Candy Crush… I'm addicted! It was a game I played while pregnant, especially for the week I was on bed rest.  I'd conquer levels as TJ kicked away… it was a mindless game that passed the hours when I was alone… now it's something that occupies my brain just enough to keep me from falling into darkness… I play and my mind is transferred back to a week where all I worried about was "baking my baby" for as long as possible…

Tell me one of your confessions… maybe it will free your mind!

Meet Clara

Last week I introduced you to Dutchess.  She was our old girl, our unique lab who posed quite a few challenges for us over the years.  Matt and I had discussed on more than one occasion what we would do when Dutchess went to doggie heaven… cause lets face it- the worst part of owning a pet is that they never live as long as we do.  There was no doubt in our minds that we would have another dog, or 2… it was just a matter of how we would go about acquiring said dog(s).

The official decision- we wanted to continue to own a rescue dog AND we wanted to get a puppy. Ideally we would have a black lab and a golden doodle and maybe a few more down the road- because every kid needs to have their own puppy.  

We began our search by going to the SPCA- we visited 2 different locations- where the population of dogs was 90% pit bull.  Our lease does not allow pit bulls so that limited any chance of success.  There was one black lab that we took out to play with- he was nameless… Matt and I have never named a dog.  We were at a loss and decided that after having a Jasmine and a Dutchess the only possible name we could give a male dog was…. Aladdin… sadly "Aladdin" provided a Dutchess-like response to other dogs- a major NO on our list… so we said our goodbye and continued the search.  

We had some very firm in our requirements… MUST be friendly with other dogs, and have hope for being around children….

After this visit we met Clara… she was a love!  We had some thinking to do because she was YELLOW and not dog in need of a new home.  We were really hung up on the rescuing a dog thing so we debated for a few days and had our DC getaway...

We went to a Lab adoption day after our DC trip.  We found Dutchess at a similar event many moons ago… we found several dogs here that were ok- they met our requirements and preferences… black labs, needing to be rescued, good with other dogs, children friendly… we even took one (Tank) for a walk to try and bond with him… he was a great dog but the connection wasn't quite there.  Sure we could have brought him home (same with 2 others) and had a happy life together but it wasn't the perfect match we felt we needed.  All the while Clara was hanging in the back of our minds…

As we drove home it was clear as day- Clara was meant to be our next fur-kid!  (side note- Tank did find his "furever" home)  

Let's talk about Clara… we learned about Clara after I sent a message to my mom's BFF who breeds golden doodles… I asked her to put us on the list for the next litter of doodles… she offered her condolences for Dutchess, assured me I was on the list and then shared about Clara- a sweet yellow lab who she had gotten as a puppy.  She was giving Labradoodles a try and Clara was the lady to produce the pups.  After the first litter she determined that she should stick to golden doodles and that meant Clara was now just one of the gang- no future litters for her… When she learned that we were looking for a new lab- she shared that Clara could use a home that would offer her lots of love, attention and just a bit of spoiling.  WE HAVE THAT!  So we met Clara- loved her… gave finding a dog needing rescued a fair shot… and kept coming back to Clara… Before we headed for Vegas (more on that adventure to come) we made the official decision to give Clara a new home once we got back.  

There was a small part of us that felt guilty for getting a dog that already had a home- Clara wasn't being given away to just anyone- she had a home where she  could have stayed forever… but when our attempts to find the perfect rescue dog were unsuccessful… 

I picked Clara up on Saturday… she fit in right away- tail wagging, sniffing everywhere, giving kisses, asking for belly rubs, playing with toys… it was like she was meant to live with us!

 We took her for a walk and it was a completely different experience from the walks we have had with Dutchess.  No going crazy at other dogs, walking calmly at our side and no need for extra bags!

This sweet girl loves to be my shadow.  She lays in the middle of the kitchen floor while I cook.  She jumps up on the "dog" couch to snuggle (but not the good couch) and she snuggles in bed but jumps down to sleep on the floor.  

The tail is wagging or she is snoring- she's just a happy girl!  She carries around her toys proudly and alerts me if there are any strange people around- including the neighbor getting his mail (yea we are gonna work on that).  We are also working on not wrapping me up with the rope when playing fetch.

She came from a home that had other dogs and kids running around- which means we are looking forward to a new social life that includes puppy play dates and visits to Grandma's and the pool.  

I'm sure there will be many more posts that include Clara in the future cause we just LOVE our new fur kid! 

Old School Blogging

My Feedly feed (the app I use to follow blogs) is filled with Old School Blogging posts… so I decided I'm jumping on the bandwagon.
Credit goes to my friend Jess at Get Busy Living who not only blogged old school today, but provided the connection to several other blogs that went old school.
If you want an amazingly inspiring blog to follow- I strongly recommend checking Jess's out.  This girl's strength is incredible!  She has been a huge inspiration to me in many aspects of life and is one of the people responsible for Matt and I attending LCBC.  She has quite the story to tell and is just an awesome person!

Now about old school blogging… take a trip back to the days of instant messenger, myspace and Facebook notes… You know (unless you are a youngin') where you answered a list of questions and then told people they had to take the same "quiz."  Most of these lists has the same basic questions in different variations.  Enjoy!

• Where's your cell phone? Hidden under the dog who is sleeping next to me.
• Your significant other-  Matt.  We've been through thick and thin… to hell and back… and I love this man to death.  I can not wait to see what the remainder of our life together holds!
• Your hair- desperately needs some attention from Coby (my hair stylist)… I haven't had it cut since June.
• Your Mom- is often blamed for many things that I inherited from her… the most often include turning into a bear when I'm hungry and my love to travel.
• Your Father- has been an amazing help during the trials of the last 7 months… he provided infinite wisdom from a medical standpoint during my pregnancy complications and he helped Matt and I burry our old girl, Dutchess. 
• My favorite thing- God tops the list!  If you told me it had to be something I could physically hold in my hands to show you… it would vary depending on the day- my wedding ring and TJ necklace are the best second place
• A dream from last night-  I don't remember any dreams from the past few nights other than the ever popular "falling dream"  which I never remember what was happening- I just jolt awake and take forever to fall back asleep.
• Favorite Drink- Water is my drink of choice… however I occasionally get strong cravings for Perrydell chocolate milk or orange drink
• Your dream/goal- to have rainbow children and my own classroom
• The room you are in- living room- it's tiny and a bit messy… I was crafting tonight (blog about that coming soon!)
• Your "ex"- Matt and I have been together for almost 10 years (Dec 22) so my ex is from my way past… Jeremy- the guy I dated in college before I met Matt… he is now dating the girl who was one of my best friends in college.  She didn't like him when I dated him- how funny is that.
• Your fears: losing another baby, Matt leaving me, snakes
• Where do you want to be in six years? (this answer is probably the same as it would have been 10 years ago) living in my own house, with a family (children) and a job teaching.
• Where were you last night? LCBC for Jcrew and then packing up Operation Christmas Child Boxes… then I came home to snuggle with the pup.
• What are you not? Innocent… this past year I lost a lot of innocence I didn't even know I had… I wish I had it back- but I am now very much aware of things that can & do go wrong in life that no one wants to talk about.
• Muffins? I don't do muffins generally- unless you count a cupcake that I've licked the icing off of.
• One of your wish list items- a house
• Where you grew up- York PA… I've lived within a 15 minute drive of my childhood home for all but the first 2 years of my life.
• The last thing you did- wrote a future blog post.
• What are you wearing?  Ahh- remember when the goal was to be as cute as possible with this answer? (or maybe it was as suggestive as possible) Sorry guys- jeans and a hoodie- super exciting.
• Your TV- has provided background noise tonight since Matt is working… 
• Your pets- Clara… a yellow lab.  
• Your computer- A Macbook Pro that was a Chrsitmas gift last year to use for my teaching job… one day I'll tell ya about how that didn't really work.  (but I Love my macbook!)
• Your life- has been a mess… is taking a new shape… is nothing what I expected it would be at 30 years old…
• Your mood-  kinda blah… it's just me and the dog tonight… I'm in a weird place- not awesome but not awful… just kinda meh
• Missing someone? Everyday for the rest of my life!  
• Your Car- Darcy… a 2003 Saturn Vue…. I love my car.
• Something you are not wearing- socks
• Favorite store- Ikea, Kohls, Target… depends on what I'm shopping for
• Your Summer- Last summer is a blur… hoping this coming summer has GREAT things in store…
• Like someone? There are lots of people I like… do I have a crush/like someone- just my hubby!
• Your favorite color- Blue (although I do like me some pink)
• When was the last time you laughed- earlier today… I asked Matt- WTF?!?  **Disclaimer Matt made a face in response to something I said… see image below…
• Last time you cried- Earlier today… I'll refrain from going off on a rant about what caused it
• Who will repost this?  LOL  

Maybe one day I'll look back and find one of these survey blogs things and post it providing the "then and now" answers.  

Loved DC edition

What do you do when you've had dogs  continuously for 9 years and you suddenly find yourself dog-less? You start looking for a new dog!

Matt and I had decided we needed to rescue another dog so we quickly checked out the organization that connected us to Dutchess... And they had a lab adoption day this past Sunday in Burke, VA.  We agreed to make the trip to see if we could connect with a lab seeking a "forever" home.  We were going to make the trip early in the morning (because we had plans the night before) and then turn around and come back so Matt could work that evening and I could make the evening services at LCBC.

I got a phone call Saturday mid-morning from Matt (who was at work) requesting a bunch of items for him and instructing me to pack an overnight bag for myself and meet him at work.  I was in the middle of cleaning and laundry... All of my jeans were mid-wash... So my departure was a bit delayed... But I packed up and headed to meet my hubby.

Our lifegroup topic last session was about saying "yes" to adventures and not always needing to follow a program... That these adventures can be some awesome experiences God is providing us... In keeping with the way of our lives as if late- God wasted no time in allowing me an opportunity to practice what He was teaching me.  It was something new for me- not having a plan, not knowing what I was walking into...

When my jeans were all dry, I pulled on my skinny jeans followed by heeled boots, jumped in the car and headed to see what this adventure was going to be... When I met up with Matt he shared we were going to stay in Washington DC for the night.  Some friends of ours were there (the ones who experienced the loss of their sweet baby shortly before we did) and we were going to meet them for dinner.

We arrived at our hotel... Located just off of the George Washington University campus and learned parking was $47.50- YIKES!  I circled the block while Matt checked us in and I managed to score an amazing spot!  But this meant the car was staying put until our stay in DC was over.  

We dropped our items in our room and departed on the 5-6 block walk to meet our friends... Only our GPS suggested walking path took us all sorts of craziness and it took longer than we thought... Once we met them, we picked where we were headed to eat and began the walk. Our first choice restaurant had a 2 hour wait... So we back tracked to our second choice place and ate totchos (tater tots prepared nacho style) on a nicely heated patio.  As we wrapped up dinner we discussed going to see some of the sights... My hubby was kind enough to suggest we go back to the room so I could put my piggy toes in more comfy shoes- yay!!!

In my sneakers (with very grateful feet) we walked a much faster route to meet up with our friends again.  

First stop- the Lincoln Memorial.  (There may have been some jay walking in our attempt to reach our destination) It was like 9pm... I had visited the Lincoln Memorial numerous times as a kid but not one visit was after dark.  Folks this place looks awesome all lit up against a black sky!

Matt had never actually been to see the memorial so we walked the stairs and paid a visit to good 'ole Abe.  (He's my great great great great great uncle twice removed or something crazy cool like that.)

After we had our fill of the man "sitting in an uncomfortable firehouse chair" (thanks K) we looked out on the Washington Monument and reflecting pool- another awesome sight at night.  There may have been some debate about how far away it was (.6 mile) and we decided to go check out the "new" WWII memorial.  

We trekked the length of the reflecting pool and looked in awe at the amazing tribute to the men and women who fought to protect my freedom.  The mister half of our friends has served in the Navy and was part of an event to give WWII vets a chance to see their memorial.  He shared some cool facts (like it was funded entirely using donations- not a cent of taxpayer money) and recommended we make the trip during the day and take a guided tour to learn all the details.  You can bet that I added that to my bucket list!  The memorial is beautiful!!!

The night was brisk and we decided to head back towards "home."  We stopped on the way to pay respects at the Vietnam Memorial Wall as well.  Afterwards we returned to our hotels by way of passing the  department of state.  They have some serious security measures to get into that place!!!

That was the end to the excitement if our DC trip... We were beat when we got back to our room so it was off to sleep and then waking up to head to the lab adoption event.

 We mapped our course of travel and determined we covered 5 miles in our short visit.  (The part done in sneakers was much more comfortable and was done at a faster pace.)

Our DC tour was short but breathtaking!!! If you ever get the chance to go after dark- DO IT! 

And I can tell you that a surprise adventure is pretty great!  

P.S. I typed this at 32,000 feet on my way to LasVegas... Surprise trip #2 in a weeks time... Gaurantee you there will be a post or two about it in the not so distant future!  

Middle School Makes My Day

It's no secret- I am a life group leader for Jcrew (5th-8th Grade) at LCBC Church (York Campus).  I am blessed with an amazing group of 7th & 8th grade girls who come to the 4:30 gathering.
This past weekend was pretty great!  (Watch for my loved. DC edition update)  I ended my weekend with my Jcrew girls and they had no problem matching the level of awesomeness that Matt had achieved Saturday and Sunday morning.
I was greeted by M- a normally calm chic- bouncing towards me… announcing that she "got a boyfriend on Friday"… ahhh middle school love… She told me all about him and then laughed at me as I failed at printing my name tag (you know- cause I was paying attention to learning about her dreamy boy)  A few minutes later she asked me "not to tell" the Jcrew pastor.  When I asked why she wanted me to know but not him… she stated, "cause you're like my second mom- I can trust you with everything."  Talk about making you feel LOVED!  My job as a Jcrew Life Group leader is to make sure that the Jcrew kids know they are Loved (period)… it's pretty awesome when they turn the tables and make sure you feel loved too!!!
Jcrew was good fun as always- laughing, sharing, loving kids- good fun!  We had 2 new ladies join us and I had the opportunity to give them Loved. stickers.  I shared with them that the stickers are a reminder that they are loved (period) for who they are.  That I love them, all the Jcrew leaders love them, and most importantly that God loves them!  They are loved for who they are now- who they will be in the future- and there are no strings attached- Loved just as they are!  Their faces lighted up and they immediately accessorized their phones.  It was so cool to see these girls and their excitement over a reminder that they are Loved!
We were wrapping things up and another one of my ladies visited.  (She now spends 4:30 serving with the little munchkins so I don't get to see her as often)  A huge hug from her is an absolute awesome end to an amazing weekend after a rough week!
And that is why- Middle School Makes My Day.
I Love my Jcrew girls!!!

What a week...

I can't believe I disappeared for a week… well not completely… in my absence I have been working on crafting future posts to tell my story… they take a lot out of me so I write one day and then review later to make sure it really says what I want it to.
But the real reason for my absence is that 2013 continues to kick my rear end…. I am SO ready for this year to be over!  As if losing my son, an extremely difficult spot in my marriage, and resigning my job and ruining my chance on getting hired for the current school year (more on that later) weren't enough… We said good-bye to my old girl this weekend.

Meet Dutchess… She was my best furry friend this past year.  

We adopted Dutchess from Lab Rescue in September 2006.  She was our 2nd black lab- and she had BIG shoes to fill after having Jazzy.  The moment AFTER we committed to adopting her we learned she literally knew NOTHING about being a pet.  She had been a stray (the adoption event had info on each dog- her info said something along the lines of: Found as a stray.  Spayed and heart worm negative.- Other dogs had huge paragraphs… we picked the one who had zero info.)  She didn't know how to jump into the truck, how to walk on indoor floors, how to climb stairs… not to mention she knew nothing of basic commands like sit and stay. 

With a lot of love and work we turned her around as best we could.  The vet helped us determine that the spots on her ears that we were told were fly bites were really scars from dog fights… which explained why she NEVER liked other 4-legged creatures…. 

2.5 years into our lives with Dutchess- she had turned into a Daddy's girl and only slightly gray.  

Dutchy loved people- she thought anyone who came to visit was there to see her… we had to speak in code to use words like walk (klaw, stroll or tour),  food (doof), and ride (r-i-d-e) as they were all things that got her attention even when she was in the deepest of sleep.  The beach was one of her favorite places to visit even though she hated the water.  She was a snuggler and in her old age had started to enjoy "selfies." 

She was our side kick for sure!  Phil at our garage- Quality Service Center commented on more than one occasion that Dutchess reflected our personalities/expressions perfectly.  

We had noticed her getting very old- you can see the "gray beard"… she moved slower, her back legs working as one, slept longer, eating changed… we knew her time was coming… Last saturday she started going down hill quickly and late Monday night (at bedtime) she stopped eating (and the tears started flowing.)  Matt and I spent the night taking turns sleeping on the floor with her (she wouldn't jump into bed and refused to be picked up) and she snuggled us close!  In the morning she got up and wagged her tail for a few steps and then curled up on one of her favorite blankets.  We called the vet (that's a very hard call to make!) and carried her (all nestled in that blanket)… one last ride in the car to the vet… where we learned she had kidney failure.  They took her out of the room (after much hesitation from us) to put in an IV and she decided she needed to WALK back into the room to be with us… she walked in tail wagging and planted herself right next to Matt- all she wanted was to be with us.  We bawled!  We loved on her and said our goodbyes.  The vet said "I can tell she was a special pet."  No sir- she was a life saver during the hardest months of my life!  She was a big sister- we realized after we knew- that she knew I was pregnant much before we did… she was a best friend… she stuck around until she knew Matt and I had our stuff together.  I strongly believe there is a reason she went downhill a week AFTER we were baptized… 

Dutchess was a disaster… a slobbering, shedding disaster… but she LOVED us… and we LOVED her… she LOVED our friends… and you either loved her or couldn't wait for her to leave you alone… She made life interesting… and we now have quite a list of "requirements" for our next dog- most of them things we learned from dear Dutchess…

One thing is for sure… We loved Dutchess and we miss her terribly!  I hate coming home to a dog-less home!  

We are taking advantage of our dog free time… Matt took me on a spur of the moment overnight getaway- something that always had to plan well in advance so we had a dog sitter… I'm cleaning like crazy (and feel like I'm getting somewhere without a dog shedding over everything I clean) and we are making plans for bringing a new dog home.   

In the mean time… one last snapshot of my BFF (Best Furry Friend) and all of her fuzzy, squeaky friends…  

We Love You Dutcy and Miss you so very much!

Bingo

Sometimes it's the little things in life that make you feel loved.  Tonight I had my first Bingo experience...  "31" bingo no less.  (I'm on "31 probation" so I didn't buy anything to add to my collection)  My friend Lauren treated me to the event- I in turn bought her dinner.
We had arrived early- so we had time to catch up as we ate.  We laughed.  Shook our heads in disbelief.  Talked a bunch.  Then it was Bingo time.  Like I said it was my first real bingo experience... I played Bingo in college but YCP Bingo is NOTHING like this!  I felt like I had stepped into of the scene in Roseanne...

I survived my first game- with BINGO no less.... although the lady next to me said I didn't yell BINGO loud enough and that I needed to raise my hand higher- because straight up was not high enough... I wasn't the only winner so they had "bingo sudden death"- you know where they keep calling and the first person to have the number wins... yeah I didn't know that either... but the lady next to me kindly watched my card and informed me I had won.  YAY!!!  The movie night themed bag was all mine!
My luck ran out after that... although I did manage to make a false call on "Y" bingo- I didn't realize I needed to be a letter expert to play- geesh!
Lauren wasn't as lucky- although she got to spend the evening with me so I think she was the real winner...
With all games over and the place clearing out- we headed to our cars and continued to chat.  If it hadn't been so cold- we probably could have talked for hours...
It was a simple night... but one that left me feeling warm and fuzzy... and loved by a great friend!

Spolier alert:  Day 3 of my Count Your Blessings calendar has Lauren written all over it!

Not digging November

Keeping this short and sweet- because I don't want to share my ugly thoughts you don't want to know where I am right now...
Normally November- and it's abundance of Thankfulness- is a great month that I easily come up with the many things in my life to be thankful for.
This year it's a bit of a struggle. I have been working to face my struggles and this one is no different.
I found an awesome Count Your Blessings 28 day printable with the suggestion to write something for each day- and then after you have filled the calendar you take a picture of each thing and write a post about it.
Enter sigh of relief- this is exactly what I needed.  Something that takes the pressure off of right now... I can focus on facing my struggle as it forces me to search for things I'm thankful for and share about it all after I've had some time to work through my thoughts.
So this month- you will not be seeing a daily post of something I'm thankful for- instead watch for one giant post after the big Thanksgiving Celebration.

My Story- Part 1

So I've talked about sharing my story... I could share one VERY LONG post that tells all the nitty gritty... but I know you have a life- so I'm breaking it down into several parts.
To make it easy- I'm starting by sharing my baptism story.  It provides the basics (and might put some of the pieces together for you.)  In the future I plan to expand on this story and also share my baptism experience... but for now this is where I'll start.

This is my story- as read to LCBC

My name is Bekah Dietrich.  I live in Dallastown with my husband Matt, who is joining me in the water today.  I am an elementary teacher and a life group leader in Jcrew.

I grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ as my savior at an early age.  I struggled with living up to the rules of being a Christian and lacked a real connection with God.  

I started attending LCBC with my husband a little over a year ago and immediately felt God’s Love through the love of the people here.  I left each week wanting to share in the love that poured from the people of LCBC.  I started to feel a connection to God that I had only experienced in short bursts growing up.  That connection would prove to be paramount as my marriage began to unravel.  It felt like my husband was ready to check out of our life together as I shared with him the news that I was pregnant.  Feeling completely helpless, I began to seek Jesus for guidance.  Slowly my marriage began to heal.  In April, I developed severe complications with the pregnancy and spent a week in the hospital.  During this week I could feel God working in my marriage- I had my husband back.  I thanked God for his goodness in our marriage and prayed for him to keep my baby safe.  One week after being admitted to the hospital I went into labor, many weeks too early.  For all 33 minutes of his life, my son was surrounded by love before joining Jesus in Heaven.  Although I felt immense pain as I lost my son, I felt peace that God was with me.  

God has provided me with peace as I continue to face the challenges life.  He is healing my marriage, comforting my hurting heart, and opening new doors in my life journey.  

I am getting baptized today to demonstrate my commitment to following Jesus-  I am a life changed by Christ!

That is my story in 300 words... only problem is 300 words allows for the bare bones... It shares the basics and shows that there is hope!
What it doesn't show is the journey, the persistence of love, the moments where I cried and felt hopeess, and the things that helped carry me through... that part of my story is for another day.