Thirty-eight years ago, the world rejoiced when a dark-haired little baby boy was born.
Well, okay, not the whole world. Just a few small pockets of world in Nova Scotia and various spots in the Northeast. The lucky people.
There was a young couple in the Deep South who didn't know it was a significant day. They had no idea that one day their little girl would grow up to marry that little boy. That's because the little girl wouldn't actually exist for another three-and-a-half years. So really, this Southern family doesn't have much to do with this story at this point. But I'm writing it, so we're in here anyway.
It hasn't been the most festive anniversary/birthday season we've ever had. I've been sick for twenty-three centuries, and today Darren developed a cold. But you know something about Darren? He doesn't really complain. He sees what needs to be done, and he does it. He cherishes his sick wife. Which is why, as more pockets of the world get to know him, more people rejoice for that October day 38 years ago.
And see why I'm so anxious to get a foothold in this story, even three and a half years before I actually was anybody? Who would want to miss out on a guy like this?
Happy Birthday, DJ. Love you!!
-- SJ
Showing posts with label Anniversary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anniversary. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Eleven Years
1. Who
2. Would I
3. Be without
4. You? Who would you
5. Be apart from me?
6. Less love, less fun, less faith.
7. So let's stick together.
8. Let's make more faith, more fun, more love.
9. We've spent eleven years together.
10. Another eleven will be a
11. Good start on the journey to eternity.
Darren's gift to me was a commissioned painting by Rachel Estrada.
My gift to him was a tote bag with artwork from his favorite Christian artist.
I love you! You love me! We love each other! Happy anniversary, sweetheart.
-- SJ
2. Would I
3. Be without
4. You? Who would you
5. Be apart from me?
6. Less love, less fun, less faith.
7. So let's stick together.
8. Let's make more faith, more fun, more love.
9. We've spent eleven years together.
10. Another eleven will be a
11. Good start on the journey to eternity.
Darren's gift to me was a commissioned painting by Rachel Estrada.
My gift to him was a tote bag with artwork from his favorite Christian artist.
I love you! You love me! We love each other! Happy anniversary, sweetheart.
-- SJ
Saturday, October 09, 2010
Giveaway #4: Sacraments or Spellcasters
In celebration of ten good years together, we're hosting a giveaway of some of our favorite things.
Darren reads a great deal in two genres: theology and sci-fi/fantasy. One or the other is up for grabs now.
1. Covenants by Lorna Freeman (this is the Fantasy one)
2. Is the Reformation Over? by Mark Noll (this is not the Fantasy one)
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling what book you're currently reading. And be grateful that Darren didn't try to initiate you into the Wheel of Time cult (series length: 13 books and counting).
You can enter all the giveaways if you want to.
Next week we'll randomly choose a comment, but we all know that the winner is probably predestined.
-- SJ and DJ
Darren reads a great deal in two genres: theology and sci-fi/fantasy. One or the other is up for grabs now.
1. Covenants by Lorna Freeman (this is the Fantasy one)
2. Is the Reformation Over? by Mark Noll (this is not the Fantasy one)
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling what book you're currently reading. And be grateful that Darren didn't try to initiate you into the Wheel of Time cult (series length: 13 books and counting).
You can enter all the giveaways if you want to.
Next week we'll randomly choose a comment, but we all know that the winner is probably predestined.
-- SJ and DJ
Giveaway #3: Nancy Drew
In celebration of ten good years together, we're hosting a giveaway of some of our favorite things.
Hey, y'all, you gotta try the Nancy Drew games! If you're the type who liked Myst, you'll like the original games, which have mysterious objects and impossible scenarios (who in the world would build miles of passageways underneath the ground? In Nancy's world, practically everybody who ever owned any property.) If you like puzzles but not a long, drawn-out game, go for the hidden-objects version. Both types have good voice actors and interesting dialogue.
If this type of game, in any form, makes you want to break pencils in half and then stick them into your monitor, then you should just back away slowly.
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling where you'd like to find a hidden passageway.
You can enter all the giveaways if you want to.
Next week we'll pick the winner. We'll post it in code, and you'll have to collect seven different tokens and arrange them in the right order before the ceiling caves in. (Not really. That's just a day in the life of Nancy Drew.)
-- SJ and DJ
Hey, y'all, you gotta try the Nancy Drew games! If you're the type who liked Myst, you'll like the original games, which have mysterious objects and impossible scenarios (who in the world would build miles of passageways underneath the ground? In Nancy's world, practically everybody who ever owned any property.) If you like puzzles but not a long, drawn-out game, go for the hidden-objects version. Both types have good voice actors and interesting dialogue.
If this type of game, in any form, makes you want to break pencils in half and then stick them into your monitor, then you should just back away slowly.
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling where you'd like to find a hidden passageway.
You can enter all the giveaways if you want to.
Next week we'll pick the winner. We'll post it in code, and you'll have to collect seven different tokens and arrange them in the right order before the ceiling caves in. (Not really. That's just a day in the life of Nancy Drew.)
-- SJ and DJ
Giveaway #2: Music
In celebration of ten good years together, we're hosting a giveaway of some of our favorite things.
Two brothers and two sisters make up L'Angelus, a cajun-folkish band out of New Orleans. Not only do they have great voices, but they play all their own instruments. They're totally homeschool nerds. We love their music and even got to see them live. Twice. In one weekend. It was pretty wild and crazy for us. We'd love to share them with you.
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling what your current favorite song is.
You can enter all the giveaways if you want to.
Next week we'll randomly choose a comment as a winner. We already own this CD so won't try for the prize ourselves.
-- SJ and DJ
Two brothers and two sisters make up L'Angelus, a cajun-folkish band out of New Orleans. Not only do they have great voices, but they play all their own instruments. They're totally homeschool nerds. We love their music and even got to see them live. Twice. In one weekend. It was pretty wild and crazy for us. We'd love to share them with you.
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling what your current favorite song is.
You can enter all the giveaways if you want to.
Next week we'll randomly choose a comment as a winner. We already own this CD so won't try for the prize ourselves.
-- SJ and DJ
Friday, October 08, 2010
Giveaway #1: Really Cute Pitcher
In celebration of ten good years together, we're hosting a giveaway of some of our favorite things.
Sara loves Fiestaware, but hasn't justified buying any for herself yet. But now, she at least gets to buy a piece: Fiestaware Mini-Pitcher. It could be yours!
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling what your favorite way to show love is. Do you buy a gift? Write a note? Give a kiss? Throw a party?
You can enter all the giveaways if you want to.
We'll choose a comment at random next week to find out who wins this adorable little pitcher. Wouldn't it be funny if we commented on the post ourselves and won it? Haha!
-- SJ and DJ
Sara loves Fiestaware, but hasn't justified buying any for herself yet. But now, she at least gets to buy a piece: Fiestaware Mini-Pitcher. It could be yours!
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling what your favorite way to show love is. Do you buy a gift? Write a note? Give a kiss? Throw a party?
You can enter all the giveaways if you want to.
We'll choose a comment at random next week to find out who wins this adorable little pitcher. Wouldn't it be funny if we commented on the post ourselves and won it? Haha!
-- SJ and DJ
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Ten Years
There's a "like" going around on Facebook that says, "Every woman deserves a man who still looks at her like he did the first day he met her."
I can't "like" it because I'd rather Darren pay more attention to me than he did when we first met. Because we can't actually remember meeting. The singing violins, the slow-motion smiles, everybody else receding into the distance, the meaningful looks across the room -- every single one of those classic romance cues missed the memo that Darren and I met on some cold day in early January in 1997.
Things were better on a warm September day in 2000. Much better. One of my cherished memories is starting down the aisle holding my brother's arm, peeking from side to side at the rows of smiling faces. And then seeing Darren standing up front waiting for me. I wouldn't say that the whole world receded and left just us. It felt more like the whole world stood up and cheered for us.
We flung ourselves into marriage: we'd never been in love with anyone else, and we were certain that no one else had ever been in love like we were. Vowing to love each other? Of course! For our whole lives? Sure! Before God and witnesses? No problem! Years later we looked at each other and said, "We had no idea what we were doing."
Today, ten years later, it rained all day. Darren took the day off, and we had a very ordinary family day at home: homeschooling, playing computer, dragging the toddler off the piano, picking up and cleaning up and finally just ignoring the mess. Darren made ham and potato salad for supper, and we shared sparkling grape juice with the kids.
I remarked, "If ourselves of ten years ago could see ourselves now -- we'd be pretty happy about how things turned out."
Darren snatched me away from the sink and kissed me. He thought so, too.
Happy anniversary to the man whom I don't remember meeting all those years ago. You've made up for lost time.
-- SJ
I can't "like" it because I'd rather Darren pay more attention to me than he did when we first met. Because we can't actually remember meeting. The singing violins, the slow-motion smiles, everybody else receding into the distance, the meaningful looks across the room -- every single one of those classic romance cues missed the memo that Darren and I met on some cold day in early January in 1997.
Things were better on a warm September day in 2000. Much better. One of my cherished memories is starting down the aisle holding my brother's arm, peeking from side to side at the rows of smiling faces. And then seeing Darren standing up front waiting for me. I wouldn't say that the whole world receded and left just us. It felt more like the whole world stood up and cheered for us.
We flung ourselves into marriage: we'd never been in love with anyone else, and we were certain that no one else had ever been in love like we were. Vowing to love each other? Of course! For our whole lives? Sure! Before God and witnesses? No problem! Years later we looked at each other and said, "We had no idea what we were doing."
Today, ten years later, it rained all day. Darren took the day off, and we had a very ordinary family day at home: homeschooling, playing computer, dragging the toddler off the piano, picking up and cleaning up and finally just ignoring the mess. Darren made ham and potato salad for supper, and we shared sparkling grape juice with the kids.
I remarked, "If ourselves of ten years ago could see ourselves now -- we'd be pretty happy about how things turned out."
Darren snatched me away from the sink and kissed me. He thought so, too.
Happy anniversary to the man whom I don't remember meeting all those years ago. You've made up for lost time.
-- SJ
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Blogging (or, The Lack Thereof)
This morning I started a long, meditative post about why I've not been blogging as much lately. Three paragraphs in, I got bored with it.
So instead, here's the brisk and breezy version as to why my blogging has trickled off lately:
1. I'm *not* pregnant, so it's not like that is a contributing factor. I just thought I'd mention it sort of as a celebratory thing.
2. I've been channeling what writing energy I have into writing Pieces (as we journalists call it) that I can sell.
3. I've been researching markets that might buy my writing.
4. I hate researching markets.
5. I got my first rejection back yesterday. I'm a little discouraged, because my pool of potential markets isn't very big. The "pool" is more like a "puddle." On the other hand, the only way to become a successful writer is to submit, which involves collecting rejections, so I consider myself well begun.
6. I'm homeschooling. Now, I'm not the do-it-all homeschooling type. I read the advice articles for first-year homeschoolers that said, "Don't try to do it all!" and thought, "Okey-dokey!" In some ways, my natural low-key approach is good. We don't get keyed-up, burned-out, or overwhelmed. But this year I'm having to ratchet things up to get the kids up to speed in a couple of subjects. It's mostly going fine, except on Mondays when I am a living, breathing bundle of inadequacies.
7. I have a one-year-old.
8. Want a list of the one-year-old's current favorite activities? Standing at the kitchen sink while the water is running; pushing chairs up to the counter and eating leftovers from lunch; pushing the water dispenser on the fridge; letting himself out the front door; banging on the computer keyboard; and pushing buttons on music toys and SINGING LOUDLY. The last one isn't destructive, but it's not very tuneful, either. All of what he does is awfully cute. Lucky for him.
9. I've got three things in the planning stage: anniversary festivities, an upcoming party, and aforementioned giveaways.
10. I hate planning things.
11. When I have something to plan, I seize up and don't get anything done until the deadline sneaks up behind me and shoves me into action again.
12. I've got four articles lined up for the next year. Articles that, if I write them well, bring in money.
13. I love getting money for my writing.
14. I just finished two Nancy Drew games. Nancy Drew games are cool. They siphon off a lot of blogging (reading, praying, eating, breathing...) time. I recommend the following games:
The Secret of the Old Clock
The Secret of Shadow Ranch
The White Wolf of Icicle Creek
The Ransom of the Seven Ships
Warnings at Waverly Academy
I also recommend Universal Hint System because otherwise you'll never solve the games and will be reduced to a creature slobbering frustration and shrieking, "What do those stupid hobo symbols mean? How do you beat the coyote game? What do I do after I find the T-rex bone?"
15. Is it disturbing that I wrote more about Nancy Drew games than I did about homeschooling?
16. It's suppertime, and I made green chile quiche, and I'm hungry. So, um, the end.
-- SJ
So instead, here's the brisk and breezy version as to why my blogging has trickled off lately:
1. I'm *not* pregnant, so it's not like that is a contributing factor. I just thought I'd mention it sort of as a celebratory thing.
2. I've been channeling what writing energy I have into writing Pieces (as we journalists call it) that I can sell.
3. I've been researching markets that might buy my writing.
4. I hate researching markets.
5. I got my first rejection back yesterday. I'm a little discouraged, because my pool of potential markets isn't very big. The "pool" is more like a "puddle." On the other hand, the only way to become a successful writer is to submit, which involves collecting rejections, so I consider myself well begun.
6. I'm homeschooling. Now, I'm not the do-it-all homeschooling type. I read the advice articles for first-year homeschoolers that said, "Don't try to do it all!" and thought, "Okey-dokey!" In some ways, my natural low-key approach is good. We don't get keyed-up, burned-out, or overwhelmed. But this year I'm having to ratchet things up to get the kids up to speed in a couple of subjects. It's mostly going fine, except on Mondays when I am a living, breathing bundle of inadequacies.
7. I have a one-year-old.
8. Want a list of the one-year-old's current favorite activities? Standing at the kitchen sink while the water is running; pushing chairs up to the counter and eating leftovers from lunch; pushing the water dispenser on the fridge; letting himself out the front door; banging on the computer keyboard; and pushing buttons on music toys and SINGING LOUDLY. The last one isn't destructive, but it's not very tuneful, either. All of what he does is awfully cute. Lucky for him.
9. I've got three things in the planning stage: anniversary festivities, an upcoming party, and aforementioned giveaways.
10. I hate planning things.
11. When I have something to plan, I seize up and don't get anything done until the deadline sneaks up behind me and shoves me into action again.
12. I've got four articles lined up for the next year. Articles that, if I write them well, bring in money.
13. I love getting money for my writing.
14. I just finished two Nancy Drew games. Nancy Drew games are cool. They siphon off a lot of blogging (reading, praying, eating, breathing...) time. I recommend the following games:
The Secret of the Old Clock
The Secret of Shadow Ranch
The White Wolf of Icicle Creek
The Ransom of the Seven Ships
Warnings at Waverly Academy
I also recommend Universal Hint System because otherwise you'll never solve the games and will be reduced to a creature slobbering frustration and shrieking, "What do those stupid hobo symbols mean? How do you beat the coyote game? What do I do after I find the T-rex bone?"
15. Is it disturbing that I wrote more about Nancy Drew games than I did about homeschooling?
16. It's suppertime, and I made green chile quiche, and I'm hungry. So, um, the end.
-- SJ
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Anniversary Giveaways
Next week is our anniversary. Our tenth anniversary. Of course, y'all knew that because you've all got it marked on your calendars, but I thought I'd record it for blogging purposes.
In celebration of our tenth anniversary, we'll be hosting a giveaway. Giveaways. Plural.
So stay tuned! (A phrase whose origin is almost obsolete.)
-- SJ and DJ
In celebration of our tenth anniversary, we'll be hosting a giveaway. Giveaways. Plural.
So stay tuned! (A phrase whose origin is almost obsolete.)
-- SJ and DJ
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Almost
Nine years ago, we got married. We're still congratulating each other on what a great idea that was.
How do you commemorate the ninth anniversary? Its major significance is that it's Almost Ten. I guess we'll just offer a few Almosts in honor of our ninth:
1. We're almost maxed out in love with each other. We'll revisit the question on our fifty-ninth and see if we've reached our saturation point yet.
2. We've almost got the baby-toddler thing figured out. (We had it totally conquered till we had another baby.)
3. We can almost always guess what the other would like to do.
4. I can almost beat Darren at Trivia.
5. Darren maybe one time was almost late for church.
6. When grocery shopping, Darren gets almost only what's on the list.
7. Now that we're operating on a budget, we're almost able to take that delayed honeymoon trip to England! Just seven years and $3,980 to go!
8. When I vent, Darren almost always remembers that I'm not asking for advice.
9. We love almost everything about each other.
Thanks to all of y'all who have wished us a happy anniversary. We're particularly remembering all our family friends who made it to our wedding nine years ago. That was a grand event, one we'll still be reminiscing about for a long time to come.
-- SJ and DJ
How do you commemorate the ninth anniversary? Its major significance is that it's Almost Ten. I guess we'll just offer a few Almosts in honor of our ninth:
1. We're almost maxed out in love with each other. We'll revisit the question on our fifty-ninth and see if we've reached our saturation point yet.
2. We've almost got the baby-toddler thing figured out. (We had it totally conquered till we had another baby.)
3. We can almost always guess what the other would like to do.
4. I can almost beat Darren at Trivia.
5. Darren maybe one time was almost late for church.
6. When grocery shopping, Darren gets almost only what's on the list.
7. Now that we're operating on a budget, we're almost able to take that delayed honeymoon trip to England! Just seven years and $3,980 to go!
8. When I vent, Darren almost always remembers that I'm not asking for advice.
9. We love almost everything about each other.
Thanks to all of y'all who have wished us a happy anniversary. We're particularly remembering all our family friends who made it to our wedding nine years ago. That was a grand event, one we'll still be reminiscing about for a long time to come.
-- SJ and DJ
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Five Years
We started our blog five years ago yesterday.
Darren had been following blogs for some time already. I rolled my eyes at him and called him a geek. Then Amy started her blog, and I became a faithful reader. And secretly wanted to start my own, but virtuously decided to be responsible and not fritter away time online. Then Darren created this blog so he could comment on others' posts.
Absolved from the blame of *starting* the blog, I was free to start posting. It's not exactly that I took it and ran with it. More like broke the sound barrier with it.
This blog, and the community of blogs I follow, turned out to be much more than frittering time online (because of course there's none of that). It became indeed a way to "keep up." It's allowed my long-distance friendships to stay fresh. I've made some very good new friends via blogging. Best of all, it gives me an outlet for writing. (Darren posts to convey information. I post because I want to write and maybe some information gets in while I do it.) It was partly because of my blog that I found a place on a magazine as a freelancer.
So, when we began this blog in 2004:
* We'd been married for three and a half years
* We had two children
* Addie was 3, Stuart was 2
* In general, I found motherhood overwhelming and not so much fun
* I hadn't discovered Nancy Drew computer games
* I had not yet discovered that my fascination with names wasn't a universal interest, like breathing
* Darren and I had never had a fight
* Oh, wait, we still haven't
* Yeah, but we've discovered that not all conflicts involve outright arguing
* I was fairly obssessed with blogging.
* Ha! Not all things change.
Thanks to those friends and family who have come along for the entire ride. Thanks to those who joined us later. Here's to Keeping Up for another five years!
-- SJ
Darren had been following blogs for some time already. I rolled my eyes at him and called him a geek. Then Amy started her blog, and I became a faithful reader. And secretly wanted to start my own, but virtuously decided to be responsible and not fritter away time online. Then Darren created this blog so he could comment on others' posts.
Absolved from the blame of *starting* the blog, I was free to start posting. It's not exactly that I took it and ran with it. More like broke the sound barrier with it.
This blog, and the community of blogs I follow, turned out to be much more than frittering time online (because of course there's none of that). It became indeed a way to "keep up." It's allowed my long-distance friendships to stay fresh. I've made some very good new friends via blogging. Best of all, it gives me an outlet for writing. (Darren posts to convey information. I post because I want to write and maybe some information gets in while I do it.) It was partly because of my blog that I found a place on a magazine as a freelancer.
So, when we began this blog in 2004:
* We'd been married for three and a half years
* We had two children
* Addie was 3, Stuart was 2
* In general, I found motherhood overwhelming and not so much fun
* I hadn't discovered Nancy Drew computer games
* I had not yet discovered that my fascination with names wasn't a universal interest, like breathing
* Darren and I had never had a fight
* Oh, wait, we still haven't
* Yeah, but we've discovered that not all conflicts involve outright arguing
* I was fairly obssessed with blogging.
* Ha! Not all things change.
Thanks to those friends and family who have come along for the entire ride. Thanks to those who joined us later. Here's to Keeping Up for another five years!
-- SJ
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
See What I Got?
This arrived from "Edible Arrangements" today, courtesy of my husband. They're strawberries, in case you can't tell because of the layers of chocolate, nuts, and coconut. There's plenty to share, if anybody wants to drop in!
-- SJ
-- SJ
Remembering
It was eight years ago that I married my best friend.
I remember packing up the minivan we were going to drive back to Virginia, being very careful not to look up at Sara's window, because I didn't want to see her before the wedding. (Sara wasn't so careful; she was standing at the window watching me. I knew this, because I know Sara :) )
I remember standing in the pastor's study at First Baptist in Lucedale, listening impatiently for the wedding processional music to start. I kept poking my head out, thinking that the song was starting, only to realize that it hadn't.
I remember taking Communion together for the first time as a married couple.
I remember my first words to my lovely bride as a married couple: "You little minx!" (The kiss had been, um, more enthusiastic than I was expecting.)
It's been eight wonderful years, and I am so very much looking forward to many more to come.
I love you, my wonderful wife!
I remember packing up the minivan we were going to drive back to Virginia, being very careful not to look up at Sara's window, because I didn't want to see her before the wedding. (Sara wasn't so careful; she was standing at the window watching me. I knew this, because I know Sara :) )
I remember standing in the pastor's study at First Baptist in Lucedale, listening impatiently for the wedding processional music to start. I kept poking my head out, thinking that the song was starting, only to realize that it hadn't.
I remember taking Communion together for the first time as a married couple.
I remember my first words to my lovely bride as a married couple: "You little minx!" (The kiss had been, um, more enthusiastic than I was expecting.)
It's been eight wonderful years, and I am so very much looking forward to many more to come.
I love you, my wonderful wife!
One Plus Three Plus Seven Plus Nine Minus Twelve
How many people were saved on Noah's ark?
What's your Chinese lucky number?
How many medals did Phelps win?
How many white pawns on a chess board?
How many bits in a byte?
How many ounces in a cup?
How many years ago today was our wedding?
Happy anniversary to my very favorite person!
-- SJ
What's your Chinese lucky number?
How many medals did Phelps win?
How many white pawns on a chess board?
How many bits in a byte?
How many ounces in a cup?
How many years ago today was our wedding?
Happy anniversary to my very favorite person!
-- SJ
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