Blowing a tire on the Interstate....

It's hard to believe but tomorrow is our 5th annual Ladies Tea! I have so many memories attached to each year's event- all the learning, meeting new friends, singing, and having a blessed day with other like-minded women. But I think this year will stand out in my mind for a couple reasons. #1- This is my first year attending the Tea after being married. I think it will change my whole perspective on the talks and the lessons. #2- I will always associate this years Tea with me blowing out my first tire. lol I went to church on Thursday morning to help out with food prep for this weekend. I had a lovely time talking, laughing, and cutting up veggies with all the ladies who came to help. Around 1:30 Justin calls and says he is home from work but the door is locked so he can't get in. Of course this happens on the hottest day of the year when it's 100 degrees outside. :P So anyway, I left the church heading home when all the sudden the truck starts to make funny noises, lean towards the left, and gets really hard to drive. I pull to the shoulder thinking, "I think I just blew a tire... joy". lol I called Justin who had no way of getting to me since we only have the truck. So he called the guy from work who had just dropped him off at the house. They both came to my rescue and saved the day! :) 

Here are some pictures of the event...

Doesn't the tire look like it was shredded? Well at least the rims didn't bend.

Dan Wagenbach, who we all call Boone, and Justin arrived shortly after I called. Here Justin is trying to get the itty bitty jack they give you in the back of the truck to prop the truck up. After awhile of trying to get it to work we realized that it was no way near big enough to even lift the truck an inch.

Shortly after Justin and Boone got there the Chief of Tremont Police stopped by to make sure we were okay and to park his car out a little on the road to protect the guys as they worked. I had a lovely time talking with him while the guys did all the work. :) 

Here the guys are still trying to figure out if it will get higher or not.

Getting the spare out from under the truck. Turns out the spare we had under there was nicer than the other tires already on the truck. lol

After deciding the jack we had wasn't going to work at all. We took the company truck back to where Justin works to get a much nicer jack that their mechanic uses. Once at the shop, Boone had to leave so Justin and I took the truck back to ours and fixed the tire in record timing. The Chief kept trying to get out of the way when I was getting pictures but I finally got one when he wasn't paying attention and he just laughed saying I had "caught him".

All-in-all it was a neat experience for me to witness, although Justin isn't too happy about having to look into getting new tires really soon. lol

 I had full confidence in my husband and I was proud of the way he just went to work on fixing the tire. I'm also thankful for Boone being so willing to help us out and for the sweetest police man ever who stayed the whole time and even gave us an escort to the gas station to put some more air in the spare/new tire. I'm also thankful that no one was hurt and that the Lord protected everyone even while we were on the side of a busy highway. :)

In other news: Josh, Jen, and Jael have finally moved into their new home!! After six months of them living with my parents they are ready to have their own space. Josh is happy to have his own place after spending 6 years in the Air Force. Jen is happy cause she grew up in a Air Force family which means she moved a lot, now she can put down some roots and stay in one spot for awhile. I'm happy because they only live about 25ish minutes from me now! *grins* It's a nice change after having them in Italy and then Oklahoma. 

Here Jael and I are playing in her new playroom while the guys brought in all their moving boxes and furniture.

 

And that's all for now! 

Until next time,

~Melinda

Courtship - A Year Gone By

It all started on June 19, 2011...

At this time last year my Daddy was asked by a very respectable man at church if he could start a courtship with his daughter. My Dad knew my heart on this subject, and after their nice long talk about intentions and boundaries, he gave his approval and said he would talk with my Mom and me to see if I wanted the relationship to begin -- although he pretty much already knew my answer. Later that day my Dad asked if he could see me in the Deacon's office at church (my mom came too). I personally thought I was in trouble for something and had no idea what was going on. When Dad told me someone has asked to court me he didn't even have to say who it was. I could see the excitement in his eyes as he watched my reaction. I had spent years wondering if the Lord would ever bring the right guy along and three years of being eligible and yet not finding the right man. On top of that I had spent a year praying that the Lord would either take the feelings I had for this same man away or make him feel the same towards me. It was a no-brain-er for me and I answered my Dad's question with a "HECK YEAH!"  I admit...*sheepish smile*... my choice in words was not the best but I think it shows my excitement and that I was still in shock that he had actually asked. :) 

That evening my parents and I sat down and discussed some things together. One of the main things we did was come up with a short list of some unanswered questions we had for this man. We emailed them to him and he answered within the hour. If I were to rate his answers as if it were a test he would have passed with an A+. ;) And so our courtship started... *happy sigh* 

 (Since it's no surprise who this secret man is I guess I can just go ahead and call him by his name- Justin. lol) The next morning was a rainy day and since Justin can't do his job in the rain- being in construction and all- we had his whole family over for a little get-together to discuss the purpose of this courtship. Even at that first meeting there was no misunderstanding of where we all saw this relationship going; aka. Marriage. 

Here is the first picture we ever got while courting and seeing it brings back so many memories.

I mean just look at how far apart we were sitting! *laughs*  I think it's safe to say that we were on cloud 9 in this moment though. He was happy that I said 'yes' and didn't act awkward after knowing he was interested and I was happy that he was interested. *grin* 

We have come such a long way since then. I seriously cannot believe it's already been a year since our whole relationship started. But I think it's good to look back and see how far we have come in such a short amount of time. *smiles* We're still so happy together and so blessed to have each other. 

Until next time!

Here are some more pictures from my love's birthday. 

In my opinion his work day as way too long! I think his boss should allow him a paid day off for his birthday next year. *grins* But anyway, once Justin got home he showered and then started up the grill with the new grilling stuff Mom and Dad Sanford got him for his birthday. He really enjoyed using the charcoal grill for the first time. 

Since the charcoal grill takes awhile to get warm, I asked Justin if we could get some pictures together. Thanks to our porch railing and the long self timer on the camera, we were able to get some really nice pictures together!   

 Like this one, and a couple more at the bottom of the post...

You know you cannot have a birthday party without ballons and presents, right? Well there's a funny story behind those ballons you see in this picture. I bought them without Justin knowing and I tried to blow them up before he got home that day to surprise him with the decorations. As it turns out, I don't have enough hot air or big enough lungs to blow those things up! *nervous laugh* So I sheepishly told that to Justin and he just laughed and blow them up for me when he got home. He did each one in practically one breathe too! lol But all is well that ends well, and in the end he got his ballons. :)

Here he is using the grill that Grandpa Fennema gave him the last time we were up their way. It worked like a charm and the Italian sausages he made were absolutely delicious! 

After dinner he opened his gifts from me...

...and we had some cake together. 

 

I even sang happy birthday to him all by myself just so he would be able to say he got it sung to him. *proud grin*

Here are two more of the pictures we got before dinner... Enjoy!

 

Oh how I love this strong man the Lord has given me. *happy sigh* 

Until next time!

Adios!

Happy birthday to my love

                                     Happy Birthday Justin!!!

Babe, you are the most gorgeous, sweet, kind, strong, funny, and loving husband a girl could ask for. You made all my dreams come true when you asked to court me exactly one year ago. I never imagined married life would be so easy to slip into and yet here we are. I'm am so blessed that God gave me you to spend the rest of my life with. *loving smile* 

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

If I had the opportunity to sit here and write down all the wonderful things you mean to me it would take me years. ♥ You're the best man a girl could ask for and I thank God for you every day. 

In your arms is where I always want to be! It's where I feel the safest and most loved. 

I miss you and cannot wait till you get home from work today! *blows a huge kiss your way* I love you so so much, baby!! ♥ ♥ ♥ 

 

Love, 

Yours forever and ever amen