Abiding in Christ

Abiding in Christ

In Sunday school this week, our lesson was on abiding in Christ. The teacher (who happened to be Jonathan) brought up some things about the concept that I hadn't really considered and I ended up thinking about the lesson off and on all day. When night fell and I couldn't for the life of me go to sleep, I went downstairs to putter around and straighten up the kitchen and ended up with a notebook and pen... and wrote down these words.

 Note: I wasn't going to share this but my sister said I should and I agreed on the chance it might actually encourage someone. It seems dumb to feel self-conscious about sharing something I wrote when, in fact, everything on this blog is something I wrote but whatever. (*Cue awkward stammering.*) 

Abide in Christ


"Abide in Christ," I heard today,
But what do these words mean?
Are they just another lesson,
Just another truth to glean?

Or is it truly possible
To walk with Christ each day,
To be in constant fellowship,
To not just come, but stay?

It's easy to begin, at first,
To fall in step with Him;
But to remain is difficult
Because at times the path grows dim.

But like a tree beside the waters,
We too must dig down deep;
And, with roots firmly planted,
Trust in Him our souls to keep.

Each trial, test, and circumstance
Is working for our good,
And through the "pruning" process
Becoming all He knew we could. 

Drawing strength from His provision,
And growing in His grace,
We'll bear fruit that brings Him glory
And a smile to His face.

Sometimes our roots can shrivel,
And our leaves begin to dry,
When we stray from His protection
And neglect His vast supply.

For only by remaining close,
Abiding at the source,
Can our own plants be thriving
And our growth remain on course.

He wants us to draw close to Him,
To give our very best,
And stay so He can, in return,
Give matchless peace and rest.

So, if you're in a season now
That seems dry and alone,
Abide in Him and know
He'll never leave you on your own.

And if you're being tested,
Don't deny His pruning shears;
Abide in Him, for He's creating 
Beauty through the tears.

And if you've come but haven't stayed,
Then know you're welcomed back.
Abide in Him and drink from
His supply that has no lack.

Just like the plant and vine,
We must remember day by day
That thriving only happens
When we trust Him and obey.

A relationship is possible,
Close together, side by side,
Knowing every minute
That in Christ we can abide.


Ash
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Guilt and a Baby Picture

Guilt and a Baby Picture

So, it's been a while. Miss me? Whether you did or not, Facebook must think that you have, because I've received no fewer than five emails with this subject line in the past few days: 


Do I have fans? That's a little pretentious, Facebook.

Since there's nothing like guilt to spur me into action I'll pretend that these emails have some validity and that someone (anyone!) is eagerly awaiting a new post. It'll be like The Kid, when Lily Tomlin comes in and says, "Dozens of highly irate and important people are clamoring for you. There is pandemonium, I'm sure, somewhere, and you really must go- gasp!- right now." 

So, here I am. Where have I been? Let's see- sister-in-law's wedding (beautiful), followed by the worst stomach virus (or any kind of virus) that I've ever had in my life, which lasted for five days and made me hate all food during that time. Also, my sister and niece  and nephew were here, but I feel like our whole visit was spoiled since pretty much all we did was lie around and moan (she was sick too.) This round of devil sickness was followed by preparing my students for their final exams, grading research papers, and a little shopping because Belk was having a giant sale and I have no self-control. Then a little visit to Mamaw's (she caught the demon virus, so I vacuumed and swept for her because when I was sick my dirty floors only made me more miserable and I may have diagnosed myself with OCD) and a final lunch with the newlyweds before they headed back the wilderness Alabama. Then church, then (surprise!) another round with the feeling-like-I-got-run-over. (And no, it's not morning sickness. Trust me, when we get on that train you'll be the first to know.) 

Man, you're SO glad I broke my silence for all that, eh? 

I know my posts have been sporadic at best lately, and I really am sorry about that. I really want to be writing, but I'm in one of those funks where I have so much to say that rather than try to narrow it down, I just don't say anything. (And the whole puking-my-guts-up thing has been a pretty heavy deterrent here lately.) It's kind of a vicious cycle because I get rusty and when I'm rusty it's harder to write, but I need to write to not be rusty... you get it. And I'm rambling. Sleep has been eluding me lately, so I'll blame that. 

I promise I'll come up with something intelligible and noteworthy soon... but for now, here's a picture of me wearing a pirate hat. Enjoy. 


You're welcome.


Ash


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At Last

At Last

I'm certainly guilty of impulse purchases while shopping (who isn't? Just me? okay, fine.) But I do have a few items on a running list of things that I'm actually looking for when I shop and for the past several months (well, longer, really) one of those things has been a gold link necklace. (Not a chain... I'm not Mr. T.) 

 So, that search has proved fruitless for quite a while. Most of the necklaces I found were, in fact, Mr. T-like, or looked super cheap, or were too long, or had too much bling, or something. (Am I sounding picky yet?) Also, I'm super cheap frugal so I wasn't about to spend much money on this dream accessory.

 Well, my big break finally happened last week when J.Crew Factory had a 30% off + free shipping sale. Um, yes. I'm a sucker for free shipping. And the perfect gold necklace I'd been stalking on their site for months was finally marked down to a price my tight-fisted soul could justify. (My husband will probably snicker when he reads that description of myself.) 

Finally... the perfect gold... chain. (Yes, it's a chain.) What a triump! ("Triump? It was a lucky guess! Have you never known the triump of a lucky guess?" Name that movie!)
Find it here!

This weekend when we were in Lynchburg, VA, for Jonathan's graduation, I had one priority: visit the J.Crew Clearance Store. My ridiculously fashionable cousin Kailyn (seriously, my style icon since probably age 10!) has been telling me about it for years and I knew I had to see it for myself! This striped oxford was one of the few (I promise!) things I picked up... and it was only $12! Sweet! 

 Speaking of Lynchburg, we got to stay with Kailyn and Kevin Friday night in their beautiful house (aren't we still 15? How do we have houses? And HUSBANDS?). It was so much fun to catch up... we were insanely close in high school- talking for hours every day- but stupid growing up now with busy jobs and lives and blah, blah, blah we just don't get to talk nearly as much as I'd like. It was a too-short but very needed visit. =) 

Out to lunch on Sunday... I love downtown New Bern!


Ah, yes... the awkward hands pose. It's one I've perfected. And the twisted skirt.


Hands in pockets... a little better.

Top: J.Crew
Skirt: Loft
Shoes: Target

I don't do "preppy" nearly as much as I used to (I owned waaay too many polo shirts in high school) but this outfit, with my striped shirt, pleated skirt, and slightly patriotic color combination, I was feeling very preppy indeed. But mostly ready to get out of those heels. Flats forever!


Ash

P.S. Linked up with Lindsey! 



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Disney Playlist Series: The Party Songs

Disney Playlist Series: The Party Songs

Some songs make you think, and some songs make you cry, and some songs make you sentimental, but SOME songs make you really, really happy and make you want want to dance around the room (or bust a move while you're driving, or whatever.) This is that list of songs for me. They come from a bunch of different movies (with a few double features), but they all just feel like a big party that I've been lucky enough to be invited to. These songs have livened up many a study session or cleaning spree at my house, that's for sure!

(Source)
Without further adieu, I give you... the PARTY SONGS! Crank 'em up!

1. Be Our Guest (Beauty and the Beast)- if this song doesn't make you want to sing along, I don't know what will. (Bonus points if you sing it in Lumiere's French accent... double points if you change voices for Mrs. Potts!) Beauty and the Beast is one of my very favorite Disney movies and, naturally, the songs reflect the genius that is Alan Menken (who also wrote the score for Newsies, of which I'm a bit of a fan.) I LOVE this song. 

 2. I Wanna Be Like You (The Jungle Book)- jazz and Louis Prima and a bunch of dancing monkeys? What's not to like? Phil Harris (Baloo) is one of my favorite Disney actors... his voice credits include Little John from Robin Hood! He's the bomb. But seriously, this song has some of the best orchestration on this playlist. To quote Bing Crosby, "That's jazz!"

 3. Portabello Road (Bedknobs and Broomsticks)- this one is probably not as well known (I wrote about the movie here) but it's SUCH a fun song... clever lyrics, street dancing, and I always love David Tomlinson. Another triumph for the Sherman brothers!

 4. Step in Time (Mary Poppins)- in case you didn't know, Mary Poppins was my favorite movie as a kid. And what was more fun than watching all the chimneysweeps dancing around "on the rooftops of London"? That and Dick van Dyke's cockney accent make this one a classic for me. I still get happy every time it comes on my Pandora station. =)

 5. Hakuna Matata (The Lion King)- man, this is like the ultimate happy song! You just HAVE to sing along to it... I think it's a law somewhere! (Again, bonus points for changing voices with Timon and Pumba.) And it's not a bad mantra to live by..."It means NO WORRIES for the rest of your days!" (Maybe not practical, but it's a nice sentiment anyway. =)

 6. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Mary Poppins)- two songs from the same movie? Gasp! Yes, because they are that good! I remember feeling very accomplished when I was little when I could finally pronounce the whole word... and then even more excited when I learned how to spell it. Anyway, I really think Julie Andrews is one of the great legends of musicals in our lifetime... she is amazing. And I've already gushed about the Sherman brothers but I'm certainly not above doing it again. They're ridiculously talented!

 7. Everybody Wants to Be a Cat (The Aristocats)- I already mentioned how much I love Phil Harris, and this movie, where he voices Thomas O'Malley (O'Malley, the alley cat), is no exception. More jazz, more Sherman brothers magic, and three cute little kittens. (Animated is pretty much the only way I can tolerate cats.) Another "swingin'" number! (Jonathan isn't a fan of this one... I still haven't forgiven him for it.)

 8. Bare Necessities (The Jungle Book)- more Phil Harris! This is another "makes me feel good and happy and forget my troubles" kind of song. If only we could all live a simple life and float around in the jungle with a domesticated black bear. Ha! (I admit when I was little I seriously envied Mowgli's floating down the river and I really wanted to swing across like the monkeys did. (I was a weird kid.)

 9. Under the Sea (The Little Mermaid)- I saved the best for last because, honestly, this just DEFINES a Disney party song for me. You really can't sit still through it... the reggae sound and sweet orchestration is only as awesome as the ridiculously clever lyrics. (Disney lyricists are some kind of wizards.) Anyway, how can you top a "hot crustacean band"? You just can't. 

 So, next time you need a party playlist (or a situation that needs livening up, or just a crummy day that needs brightening). look no further than the Disney party playlist! It'll put a smile on your face (and maybe a little swing in your hips... unless you share my heinous inability to dance. The expression "dance like nobody's watching" is only true for me if, in fact, NO ONE is watching .=)
Ash


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An Outfit Post Because... Why Not?

An Outfit Post Because... Why Not?

It's been a while since I've been done an outfit post, and I really liked my outfit the other day, so... a Wednesday blog post is born. Usually I try to put together some cutesy story or some other anecdote that ties together what I'm wearing with maybe a life lesson but really, today... it's just clothes. As Fiyero says in Wicked, "There's no pretense here. I am genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow." =)

Skirt: Loft
Sweater: Old Navy
Hat: Target
Keds: gift from my mom




Giant shoulders: Genetics
Pose: c/o My Own Awkward Personality


So, yeah... pattern mixing is nothing new (SO 2013) but I'm still loving it and stripes and floral are still my favorite combination. The hat seemed a little frivolous (and don't worry... I most certainly did not wear it to school) but I love it anyway. And these shoes are one of my favorites ever... Gigi has good taste! Oh, and I snatched this sweater up for like seven bucks before we went to New York and I was happy to get one more wear out of it before the weather goes back to "surface of the sun" temperatures that we love so much around these parts. 

So, after all my other exciting posts lately, it's nice to be lazy talk about clothes and shopping. Don't worry, darlings... I'll never forget you. =)


Ash

Linked up with Lindsey!



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Living in the Big Apple

Living in the Big Apple



I have dreaded writing about our final day in New York, partly because this last post represents closure... the real end of that magical trip... and partly because I've had a hard time even putting into words just how much I love that city. But, since it's been almost two weeks since spring break started, I guess I'll just power through and try. Here goes...

 On Thursday, we left the hotel not long after Blake and Brook checked out and rode back to La Guardia for their flight home. I must admit to feeling a bit bereft without them (and looked over my shoulder for the first two hours we were out, forgetting every time that Brook was not back there.) But it was nice to have an extra day (obviously... no complaints!) and we headed straight for Brooklyn (which turned out to be Jonathan's favorite borough, actually.) Our first stop was (of course, choir nerds) The Brooklyn Tabernacle, which wasn't quite as imposing as I had expected but still cool to walk into... we didn't get to peek in the sanctuary, though, because there was a recording going on! Pretty cool! 





The closest I'll ever come to recording with Brooklyn Tab... =)

We both enjoyed Brooklyn... the area we were in (around Barclay Center, where the Nets play) was nice and clean and not nearly as crowded as many of the other areas, which was a nice change. Jonathan loved seeing Barclay Center and shopping (okay, fine... I loved shopping) and we had a pretty leisurely afternoon.

I really, really, really (x100) wanted to go back to Newsies and we did find tickets but they were a bit more expensive than even my selfish little heart could justify, so I decided to be a good wife asked Jonathan what he wanted to do and he promptly replied, "Well, the Yankees are in town..."

So, off to Yankee Stadium we went! (This was after a long and arduous mixup with our hotel that involved having to switch to one several blocks away and a cab ride where the driver was listening to a radio show that made a man admit to cheating on his wife on the air while she- and apparently everyone else- listened in and our cabbie turned around to see our reactions multiple times while laughing hysterically. That was a treat.) 

Anyway, my twelve-year-old self would have been SO stoked about this (and, let's be honest.... my 25-year-old self was pretty excited too.) I've always been a huge baseball fan and obviously the New York Yankees are classic baseball. So, my excitement was no surprise... HOWEVER, I was not prepared for the kid-in-a-candy-store, euphoric joy of my husband, who all but skipped into the park. (Not really, but he was super pumped.) He wasn't just excited either, he went full-out Yankee fan on me. He refused to let me laugh at him though, and just kept replying, "It's ICONIC!" every time I questioned why we, as Braves fans, needed a souvenir Yankees mug full of hot chocolate. (Well, the hot chocolate was because it was FREEZING.)


Ready to move to Brooklyn and be a Nets fan...



Go Yanks! (If my dad were dead, he'd be rolling over in his grave.)


If there's one thing I miss about living in California (other than Jamba) is garlic fries. And lo and behold, there they were... my first in nine years! Such is the magic of Yankees Stadium, I guess.


That souvenir cup he just HAD to have =)

So, we wandered around the stadium, checked out a bunch of cool exhibits, ate our (heavenly) food, and even got to watch Derek Jeter bat (now that IS iconic, and pretty cool since it's his last season.) We left the game early, partly because we had such a horrifically early flight the next morning and also because the Yankees were getting PASTED by the Angels, but still. We really wanted to go back to Times Square for one last hurrah but it would have added so much more time that we headed back to the hotel like the geriatric tourists we are. (Plus to have put myself back in the same vicinity as the Nederlander would have simply depressed me far too much.)

So, we made it back to the hotel, slept for about four hours, and got back up at a terribly ungodly hour to catch our flight home.


One more Jamba in the Atlanta airport...


It seems like this was kind of an anti-climactic ending for this series of posts, but like I said, I just don't want it to be over. And when I say that I want to live in New York City, I'm dead serious. (Someday... someday!) Since I was a little girl, my family has lived in or near big cities (Seattle, San Jose, San Francisco, and Atlanta) and I've always loved the hustle and bustle (corny phrase, I know) of city life. 

There is so much about New York that I love... the giant buildings, the clash of cultures on every corner (I'm a slave to alliteration), the sheer volume of food choices (seriously, I'm pretty sure I could live in NYC and do nothing but try new restaurants) and the mass of humanity no matter where you go or how late it is. And talk about endless fashion inspiration...granted, some of it is completely terrifying (like the girl I saw in H&M who literally had on just a shirt, not a tunic... no shorts, no skirt, no pants...) but the best of New York style, to me, is that trench coat, heels, sweet-looking bag (Kate Spade?), and a scarf. Those New Yorkers love their scarves (they should... the wind is freezing.) When I'm dreaming, I see myself scurrying through Grand Central Station with a leather tote and a coffee and a hat that I toss into the air Mary Tyler Moore-style. Or I'll finally be a famous writer, bundled up and perched on a bench in Central Park to write as I glean endless inspiration from the gazillions of passers-by. OR I'll just have some minimum-wage job and spend every dime of it on Broadway tickets... but let's not get crazy. 

It's not that I'm discontented with my small-town life (small town mall? Definite discontent.) But then I watch You've Got Mail (or something similar) and I just want an apartment in Manhattan where I can walk to work and buy flowers from the corner market on the way home and sit and read at Starbucks and see a butterfly in the subway and own a charming shop passed down from my mother (okay... obviously I'm hung up on Kathleen Kelly.) But really, to live in a carefully neutral wardrobe entirely from Gap and walk around with, "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City" as the soundtrack of my life... ah. It's a nice dream, anyway.

I can't really describe why I love this place so much. Other people are like, "the germs! the crime! the corruption!" and I'm like, "Um, there's a million great things about this place, starting with the fact that there's a chance I'll run into Jim Caviezel and the cast of Person of Interest." Sold! 


My scarf from Chinatown and TWO Yankees cups... am I a New Yorker yet? (Probably not... too many pastels and not enough black. I'll work on it.)
Sung in Frank Sinatra's voice and with a big-band ending:


These little town blues, are melting away
I'm gonna make a brand new start of it, in old New York 
If I can make it there, I'm gonna make it anywhere 
It's up to you, New York, New York! 


My heart skips a beat at the idea of riding a subway full of strangers (weird? oh well) and I want to experience the thrill of finding an establishment with both a non-terrifying restroom AND an open electrical outlet, or the agony of losing a MetroCard that cost a small fortune (okay, not really) and I want be moved to tears by a Disney musical (well, that's my life, regardless), so my quest to live in the Big Apple starts now. (Or, you can just give me money to go back to Newsies and I'll probably get it all out of my system. Maybe. Probably not.)


Ah, New York City. I'm coming for you.

"For sure? For sure." (That's a Newsies reference that you'll only understand once we see the show together. You'll love it, I promise.)

Ash




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A Magical Week in New York City: Day Three

A Magical Week in New York City: Day Three

I thought about combining days 3-4 of our spring break trip since day four was pretty light, but I decided I'd combine that post with the one where I go on and on about how my destiny is clearly to live in New York someday. (So, you now have that to look forward to. =) Anyway, Thursday got off to a bit of a sleepy start since we were pretty worn out from our late night (and still riding that cloud of Newsies happiness!) but we got going as soon as we could because our first stop was the 9/11 Memorial and we had to be there by 10:45. 

 I'm ashamed to say that, other than around September 11 every year, I don't spend a ton of time thinking about that awful day in 2001. As with so many other tragedies, the memory of it tends to fade with each passing year. But visiting Ground Zero and walking through the memorial brought it all back and it was a very sobering, thought-provoking time. 


The Freedom Tower


North Tower Fountain- every name of every victim is engraved in these fountains, and roses are placed in their names on their birthdays. The sheer volume of names alone... thousands of them... was so heartbreaking. People are still grieving over these losses nearly 13 years later. So many brave men and women gave their lives that day, and so many innocent victims were killed without mercy. (And people say we're fighting a war for no reason. Hmm.)

Our next stop was Battery Park... we didn't get to take a ton of pictures because, while the temperature wasn't really that cold, the wind was FREEZING and got even stronger the closer we got to the water. We had planned on taking the ferry across to Ellis Island so we could pass the Statue of Liberty but I'm pretty sure we would have regretted it since none of us were dressed for the arctic blast. 


So this is as close as we got! Still a pretty good view!


And close by Battery Park was Wall Street so we popped over there to see where all the financial magic happens (of course the New York Stock Exchange isn't open to the public, so we mostly saw a bunch of guys in suits running around.)



Not terribly exciting but pretty cool to see such an iconic place.

We headed toward the Brooklyn Bridge... and walked and walked (and walked and walked) until we got to one of the first columns with different plaques (which suggested to me that perhaps we had nearly made it across... ha! No... it was like a third of the bridge.) So, we only walked about a third of it and back but it was a really cool view of the Navy Yard and the water and commercial shipping and everything. Plus, walking across such a masterpiece of engineering was a little thrilling.



Gazing off into the distance... =)


By this time we were STARVING...and super excited about heading to Little Italy for lunch. A few people recommended Lombardi's (one of the oldest pizza joints in the city) and it did not disappoint. We waited for a long time but it was worth it!


Also, the calzones were like the size of my face... a bit of a step up from Little Caesar's =)


Next stop- 5th Avenue! We went to Rockefeller Center, Trump Tower, Tiffany's, FAO Schwarz... all that jazz.



It's not like I've never been to a big city, but the size of these buildings still blows my mind.


Trump Tower... fancy schmancy.


Lots of cool Lego statues (and cheesy poses =) in FAO Schwartz

When we left FAO Schwartz, we stopped outside and were discussing where to go to dinner and mentioned the fact that we were all disappointed that we hadn't seen any celebrities all week (yes, we are trolls.) We knew of several stars that were in town and had kept our eyes peeled, but no luck. But, we knew we couldn't just spend our last night tracking famous people so we went off in search for some food.

Sometimes, though, fate smiles upon the hopeful (or we just had dumb luck) and literally right down the street we came upon what looked like a pretty big hoopla going on. What could it be? Well... it just happened to be the premier of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and we literally walked right up to the it (Blake actually nearly stumbled onto the red carpet with the paparazzi... that was short-lived, but cool nonetheless.) 

So, we stood on our tiptoes and go showered with red and blue confetti and cheered as each person came down the red carpet... we saw Dane DeHaan (who plays the Green Goblin), Pharrell Williams (a singer, I guess?), Alicia Keys, Dennis Leary, Jamie Foxx, B.J. Novak (from The Office and Saving Mr. Banks!) and Emma Stone.

Speaking of Emma Stone, I got to have my own cool little celebrity encounter... you probably saw it on Facebook (or Instagram) but each star gave away two tickets to the premier (no, I did not win.) But Emma Stone saw a little girl who was literally standing right in front of me with her mom (she noticed thanks to the group of girls screaming SO obnoxiously at every famous person) and I saw her mouth the words "I'm going over there." Um, okay? She's crossing the street to come where I AM? (I got totally starstruck and I have never even really seen her movies, so I can only imagine how I'd freak out if I saw someone I really love (hello, Psych cast.) Anyway, she came over to the little girl and was literally close enough to touch (I didn't. Her security guards looked like Vin Diesel.) 


She was really sweet and very pretty up close... which is more than I can say for Dennis Leary, so... =)

After being so hung up on seeing famous people, we did pretty well... a whole red carpet! That was a highlight of the trip, for sure. (Now, if we had run into a member of Newsies? Fainting. Right there.)

We headed back to the food court Dining Terminal at Grand Central Station for dinner once again (I had soup from Hale and Hearty and it was delicious, thank you) then spent the rest of our evening in Times Square. It felt like the end of the trip, since Blake and Brook left a day before us, so it was our last night together. (Tears!)


We've talked forever about planning a vacation together but who knows if you'll ever really make something like that happen? I am so, so glad we did. I can't even describe how much fun it was to take a trip like this with our two best friends... to get away and relax, laugh our heads off, eat way too much, and just generally have a truly wonderful time. We've been double-dating for six years now and have more fun than ever... (there I go getting sentimental.) I love these three people so, so much, and I'm blessed to have them. 

(And not to spoil the happy illusion above, but this picture was taken right after a very creepy life-sized Elmo had tried to embrace Brook for a picture... um, no thank you.)


Don't worry... there's another day left (and days one and two if you missed them!)


Ash



























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You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Today is a special day... my sweet husband turns 26! Most of the time I try very hard not to be too lovey-dovey about him because, honestly, who wants to hear all my sentimental mush? Probably nobody, that's who. But every now and then I just can't resist, and his birthday is one of those times. 

 I did the math yesterday (painful for me) and it's been over 13 years since Jonathan and I first really became acquainted. That means we've been friends for over half our lives! It seems crazy, especially since back then, other than having a major crush on him, I certainly had no idea that we would eventually fall in love, get married, and go through life together. (I would have LOVED to know that around age 15 when every other crush ended in heartbreak. =) 

 Psalm 37:23 says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way." I thank God every day that I married a good man. Throughout our marriage, he has followed God (and I've followed him) and led us in the right way. He isn't perfect (and clearly neither am I) but he works so hard, take initiative, and lives with character and integrity, no matter what. People at church ask me all the time, "Does he ever sit still?" I usually laugh and say "Not much!" (although when he does it typically seems to be when I ask him to do laundry or something... huh! Interesting...) But really, he is constantly working, studying, helping, and just trying to be productive in general- not really a trait we share, given my love of naps! 

 Although we didn't have nearly as much time with my Papaw as I wish we could have, he always described Jonathan that way... "He's a good man." (Or a "fine man," as he liked to say.) And he is. He's good to me and to our friends and our family and our church. He's good FOR me. He encourages me in my interests and goals and dreams, he challenges my walk with God, and he indulges my silly little hobbies like shopping and writing about Disney movies. =) 

Happy birthday to my good (great!) man! I love him!



Ash

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