Leaping

It is a big week for me. My school break is officially over; four classes and a pile of homework are staring me in the face. I am ending one job and starting another. Transition makes me nervous until I remind myself how I got here in the first place. One decision led to a domino effect of things falling into place. In other words, God is faithful and He has plans for us.

One of my marriage books shares how it feels emotionally to act on faith. The analogy was that you jump from an edge and for a moment you feel like you are free falling. But God is the invisible rope around you; He suspends you and keeps you safe. The fear melts away when I remember He is there. He turns our leaps of faith into blessings and joy. I know that years from now, I will look back on this time and feel grateful that I chose to take the leap.

Ten Things

1. I am not sure I will go back to drinking coffee. My doctor had me take a week off (to see if I developed a sensitivity). The first day was terrible. I have no desire to repeat that!

2. I am completely convinced natural, unmedicated childbirth is optimal for both mother and baby. BUT I still think natural childbirth is frightening... or the gauntlet of the modern woman. Or like that scene from Alien.

3. Baking and cooking from scratch comes with such great satisfaction. Free aromatherapy!

4. The Gospel Church is seriously amazing. I am in awe of all those incredible people who hang out in our little church.

5. I really nerd out on planning healthy meals for the week, having leftovers for lunch, and utilizing leftover ingredients. Do normal people do this?

6. I get to work with kids?! I am so excited. I hope they like me as much as I like them!

7. My husband was running out the door the other morning, and then I saw him run back towards our house. He grabbed our watering can and rinsed the frost off my windshield. He's such a keeper.

8. I wish I could write a book about individuals from diverse backgrounds. People who lead quiet lives with varying occupations and lifestyles. Bus drivers, stay-at-home moms, homeless veterans, etc. There are so many untold stories out there!

9. I made my first tortilla soup last night. I am trying to warm up to tomatoes. Baby steps.

10. I love the feeling of being sore after a workout, but it creeps me out to think there are tiny tears in my muscles!

That's all. I love you.

Confession

Sometimes I really, really want to be a mom. Before you try to convince me to go for it- I already know we are waiting a while. I have things to check off the "Before I have a baby" list. (Degree, working with children for a while, fitness goals, etc.) Luke and I have financial goals we hope to tackle before making that leap too. We also want to do a little traveling and soak up our time together. And I love just being us. We have so much fun; things never feel empty or lacking in any way. But one thing I know: having a baby will be awesome one day.

For now, I leave you with these...

Mushy

It's not hard for me to be in awe of Luke D. Hawkins. Here are a few reasons why:

1. This guy will offer to do dishes, laundry, make dinner, or anything that will make me feel loved or relieve stress. He knows practical things make me feel loved in busy seasons. (Also, he always cleans and helps happily. Definitely something I need to work on!)

2. If he knows I am going somewhere, he will look up directions and send them to me. (He knows I could get lost in my hometown.)

3. He watchers Hoarders with me. (That takes someone special!)

4. He wakes up and sings me silly songs about whatever comes into his half-awake mind. I totally sing him songs too. We're probably the strangest people I know.

5. He gets just as excited as I do about date nights, books, fitness, cool words, trips, organization, food, and future plans.

6. He nerds out with me on health, nutrition, and fitness. This guy has lost over 70 pounds, and has done an incredible job working towards a long and healthy life with me. I love that!

7. He's up for anything. Whether it's a night in with Human Planet and the roommates or an early morning adventure, he is 110% in.

8. He was practicing before leading worship at our church the other morning- and I was blown away with how talented he is. His voice is a-mazing. Luke would completely deny this, but he is one of those people who happens to be great at everything.

9. My leader of a husband. I am so grateful that I married a man who is honest, kind, strong, and wise. He always makes me feel safe and honored. My prayer for every wife would be that her husband makes her feel this way!

10. He is my best friend. I never thought someone could know everything about me and still love me. (Besides Michelle, of course! But that's a different kind of love.) He never makes me bad about my shortcomings, but he knows exactly how to encourage me and make me want to be a better person in every way.

  

Reason To Celebrate

Something has been going on that I have not been completely open about. Nope, I'm not pregnant. (But nice try.) To make a long story short(er), Luke and I came to a fork in the road months back. One path was "Emily does nursing/lactation education and will be in school for about seven years" and the other was "Emily continues in child development and finishes her degree." I struggled with indecision. When Luke and I got back together, one of the things that I wanted to grow in was decisiveness. I wanted to make (big and small) decisions and stick with them. That can be hard for certain people. (Ahem.) After identifying my values, personal strengths, and what I enjoy doing, I realized that child development was the fit for me. I shouldn't have ever questioned it. I made that decision, and told God that I would not look back. I immediately began to receive confirmation that I had done the right thing. I had friends tell me I had a way with their children. (Thank you!) I had people ask me for resources. I was able to tell parents that they were doing a fantastic job. I would cry when children would sing or do something sweet. (I have become such a crier!)

That's when an unexpected opportunity emerged. I received an interview at a preschool that was a dream job, dream school... everything. I was so scared to interview. I wanted it- and I didn't want to admit how much I wanted it. I had studied what was necessary but I was lacking the formal experience. I was seriously terrified that I would not get it. But guess what? I got it!

I spent this morning being hugged by little ones. Watching them dance and practice their letters. Letting them button my jacket and brushing hair out of their eyes. And it felt like home. I am so happy and overwhelmed at the same time. How amazing our God is and how thankful I am to have this opportunity. I am so encouraged- that God knows the desires of our heart and He knows the journeys we must take in life. He challenges us and strengthens us through His blessings and His plan. (Not our plans, by the way!) I hope my experience can give you even more hope for your big and little dreams. God has intricate and abundant plans for your life.

Sweet, Busy January

This weekend was filled to the brim with plans and celebrations. Saturday began in the best way: breakfast with my beloved friend Kielly. You know those people who know everything about you and still love you? Yep, that's her. She's been by my side through thick and thin. We can go months without seeing each other, and then reunite with fits of laughter and delight over shared snippets of life. Seeing her is like taking a deep breath the morning after a good rain.

After breakfast, I grabbed the Mr. and we ventured to Orcutt for a grand event. My mom just opened a yoga studio! I am so proud of her for achieving one of her dreams. She and my dad did a gorgeous job getting the place ready. She couldn't let everyone into classes last week because they reached maximum capacity. This weekend she had an open house to let the community share in her joy. It was such a blessing to be a part of her day. Naturally, I received plenty of compliments on how amazing my mom is. I couldn't agree more. :)

Luke and I were determined to have a date night this weekend. After the open house, we headed to Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos. We felt right at home with the bustling activity of the restaurant. I adore exposed kitchens in restaurants. It presents this attitude of "Our food is fresh, our kitchen is clean, and we are proud of what we make!" We enjoyed watching children gleefully shove flatbread into their mouths. There were also plenty of delicious desserts and flatbread pizzas presented to cheerful crowds. We even ordered a dessert- which we never do. But this was no ordinary dessert... it was one made by Kielly Lewis. Kielly is now the head pastry chef at Full of Life. She is also famously known for the cupcakes at our wedding. This girl has worked so hard to perfect her skills and find a great place to settle in and bake. I am ridiculously proud of her. I demonstrated that pride by consuming every ounce of the glorious crepe cake we ordered. I had to fight my husband for a fair share. :)

We couldn't quite capture our dessert with the restaurant lighting... but this is a likeness of the wonder that was my dinner. As far as dessert goes- you must see for yourself!

Sunday morning began with watching Eli. We brought the baby monitor into our bedroom and listened to him sing to himself for a while. When he was ready to play, we pulled him out to relish in the morning sunshine that filled our home. We got the little man ready to go, and headed to The Gospel Church with our friend Lukey and Eli in tow.

Sunday was made memorable by celebrating our niece's 5th birthday. Bella is five! How the years fly by. She is shooting up and becoming more gorgeous by the minute.

Bella at Avila Barn this last October

After becoming truly tuckered out by our time at Chuck E. Cheese's, we scooted home to pajamas and responsibilities. I made "Portland Porch" lettuce wraps with edamame pesto for dinner. Luke says it's one of his new top 5 favorite recipes. I am so lucky to have a husband who will eat whatever veggie-filled, nutrient-dense meal I prepare with a huge smile on his face. What a champion! We topped off our weekend with some lazy time with the roommates.

How full and glorious was this weekend?!

One and a Half Years of Marriage

I routinely spend the first half of January wondering how it is already January. This morning I realized the presence of this month means Luke and I have been (almost) married for a year and a half. Folks are not kidding when they say years of marriage fly by. Luke and I have learned a great deal in this short amount of time. We have learned how to work through disagreements and grumpy moods. We have grown in silliness, ability to make each other laugh, and how to be a better team. I love Luke now more than I did on our wedding day. He is more intelligent, challenging, honorable, patient, hilarious, adventurous, and loving than I could have ever imagined. Saying I am spoiled would be a radical understatement. ;)

Things we like: weekends together, well-crafted coffee beverages, discovering new recipes, The Gospel Church, our friends, reading books in our pajamas, talking about new workouts/wellness research, the rare bottle of wine, roadtrips, dancing around the house, singing and worshiping, visiting our families, date nights, our roommates, and seeing our Godson daily. 

Things we watch/have watched: Dexter, Mad Men, Hoarders, documentaries, and we just started John Adams. (We only get to watch things when I am not in school... or when I'm sick. 

Things we eat: burritos, veggies, smoothies, homemade wheat bread, and a plethora of new recipes I find each week. Our kitchen is like my laboratory. Luke's current favorite is dill stew. I try to make us vegan dinners, for the most part.

Places we would like to go: Washington state, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Alaska, Spain, Italy, France, New Zealand, and back to Oregon. At least. ;) 

Dreams we dream: Getting a dog to take on hikes, doing some sort of marathon together, buying a home, (eventually) having babies, writing books, playing music, travelling, and living long, healthy lives together. 

If money grew on trees: We would buy a big Victorian home or a big chunk of land that we could split with the Elling family. We would build our dream homes and buy some goats and chickens. I would plant a gigantic vegetable garden and Eli would dig in the dirt with me. Luke would write more. The boys would have a bigger man cave. Emily and Michelle would craft more and take sewing classes together. We would have big feasts and sleepovers with all of our friends. Luke and I would make time for international trips and visit other places in the U.S. 

Luke encourages Emily in: writing more worship songs, writing in general, mixed media and drawing projects, achieving workout and health goals, making nutritious meals, working with children, and finishing school... for now.

Emily encourages Luke in: writing, singing (amazing- just sayin'), working on his book, writing children's books with his wife, achieving workout and health goals, building things for our home, and growing professionally.  

 

Love List #2

My plan is to keep up these love lists. I will never tire of writing them!

• Warm California days in winter... oh how I love you, Central Coast!
• Finding increased comfort in God's timing and plans for others and our family
• Following through with healthy eating and fitness goals with Luke Hawkins
• Letting go of things that bring me down... and having more energy to focus on lovely things!
• Enduring friendships that keep me laughing and looking forward to "doing" life together
• Discovering more natural and cost-effective ways to take care of myself (d.i.y. honey face wash and teeth whitener!)
• Cherishing the moments. Like waking up with Ben Ayers in our home... or Eli's newest "thing". (Eli will knock on doors when he wants you to come out. He also "sings" when you sing.)
• Growing in faith and learning that having a relationship with God is nothing like having a relationship with a person...

O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. - Isaiah 25:1