Juli's Visit

An Aunt Visit

Juli, my sister-in-law is coming to visit today. I am super excited! Somehow the day sorta snuck up on me and like a typical Price encounter, the communication was lacking a little. So I am hoping that I will be able to find her at the airport. Pretty much every airport experience has occurred on the fly and so far no one has had to spend the night. Although, in Australia Katie and I did have to find our own transportation and accommodations for the first 24 hours. I still consider it a success because she did eventually find her friend and we were picked up at the hostel. So perhaps with a little prayer I will be able to find Juli. It will be an adventure from the start because I will have Addison with me and if today is any indication of how tonight will go, she may scream the whole time we search. I think the concept of having her first Aunt come to visit is over her head and she has not been on best behavior so that I can properly prepare. Maybe I will finish vacuuming and maybe I won't. Either way, it doesn't really matter because Juli won't mind a messy house and it will be so nice to have her here that I won't stress out about a messy house.

4 Years

Today Dan and I are celebrating our 4th anniversary. I can't believe it has already been four years. In my life four years of anything is quite a long time. In the last 12 years, I have not lived in the same apartment, city or State even close to four years. Yet, time feels like it has flown by. Everyday I thank God that He brought Daniel and I together. It is one of the best gifts God has ever given me. My life is so much richer having a best friend to spend my time with and a companion to explore and take on the different challenges in life. Dan constantly supports me in all my crazy adventures. He wrote me everyday I was at LDAC crawling through the mud. He slept in the jeep so he could be with me in Texas while I sat through hours of Army torture . He left his friends and family in the States so he could live on the other side of the world with me in Germany. Everyday he does tons of little things to help me out and make my life just a little easier. I am sad that not everyone is blessed with a husband like mine. I love all the memories we have made in the last four years and I can't wait to spend my life making more with him. Here is to the best four years I could have asked for from a husband!

Addison at two Weeks

Addison McKenzie

Baby Girl

Okay Baby Girl, it may be time to join the real world. I know I am a pretty entertaining person and I am sure it is nice to be carried around and enjoy life in a bubble (I actually wouldn't mind floating in a bubble myself at times) but this bubble wants to pop. Plus, I think you really will enjoy the world from the outside perspective! It is even sunny today and the flowers smell amazing. I think perhaps you have sucked up enough of my energy and now it is time to start stealing from other people:) Your Dad is super tall and has lots of energy to spare, and when he gives you rides you will be high up in the sky and able to see so much more than the dark unpleasantness that I can only imagine describes my insides. I like to be lazy and usually wouldn't complain about a few extra minutes on the couch, but feeling forced to stay on the couch out of shear exhaustion is different than out of pure pleasure because I have nothing else to do. So feel free to come join me on the couch, but instead of on the inside, I will make a nice nest with lots of blankets and toys you can lay on. It will be right next to me I promise, so if you start to miss my constant touch, I will grab you up in a second and reassure you I am still at your beck and call for 24 hour service. But you never know, you may enjoy the nest of blankets more than you think!

Peace

The other day I realized that my life has entered a very peaceful phase. I was looking at a picture on the wall at work and the incredible feeling overcame me that the picture was how I felt about life. It was a beautiful lake with water like a mirror. All around the lake were green trees and bushes with the occasional burst of color from different flowers. As I continued to stare at the picture I began to feel grateful that my life resembled this scene. It has been a long time since I could take a deep breath and not feel stress invade my muscles or mind. Of course no life is free from the small everyday stresses but I am talking about the major life stressers, such as illness, job insecurity, and others that fall into that category. I am content with where God has placed me, the job he has given me, for my husband who constantly goes out of his way to take care of me and the million other small things that makes life not just bearable but enjoyable. I know the peaceful phases in life can not last forever, and really should not or we would loose our appreciation for them, but for now I will revel in the quiet beauty I have been given. I will keep taking deep breaths like I can really smell the trees, flowers and water of my life. But mostly I will be thankful for this time and try not to forget how it felt when life turns to the next phase and stress creeps back in.