Anniversary: Allow me to be sentimental

Is it sad that the first thing that pops into my head, as I begin, is Barry Manilow's voice singing, "Looks like we made it...."?! Yeah, it is actually bad seeing how it is a song about ex-lovers! I have to say though, that one line captures the theme of today.

July 30th, 2011. I logged into Christian Cafe and found a message waiting for me from this guy. Subject heading: "Hey Cutie!" I still remember the butterflies. After ten free trial days of sifting through very odd characters, this one was cute and appeared normal. (haha. I'll behave!). You can't always put too much stock in "gut feelings," but I did have a really good feeling about this guy. As always, I like it when I'm right! 

Neither of us were a paying member. My trial was set to expire that day (within a few hours, in fact) and Kevin had just received an e-mail for three free more days on the site. He was going to go to his parents that evening and ignore the e-mail, but through prompting of the Spirit, he logged on and found me. Let me say again, this window of opportunity was literally there for only a few hours and if he had waited 'till the next day, it would have been too late. God is good.

July 31st, 2011. The e-mailing began.  "I have to say when I first seen your profile the first thing I noticed is how beautiful of a smile you had," he wrote. Flattery does have it's impact...! Even though we had messaged each other twice and had never met, he invited me to be his guest at his best friend's wedding a week before the event! I declined because I couldn't see this going over very well with the bride! After a few more e-mails, we had a date set by the end of the day.

And it is a year ago today that Kevin and I met up at the Beer Store in the Eastgate parking lot! lol. I was nervous; I can't deny it. When I saw that he was better looking than his picture,  I thought I might be out of my league. Nerves and anxieties aside, as soon as I got in to his little Mazda that creaked like a canoe on the river, I felt an incredible peace. The worries were gone and I felt as comfortable as if I had known him for years. Kevin made a crack about some dude riding by on a bike wearing a Dora backpack (Oh Hamilton) and we were laughing and chatting.

We didn't make note of the day we called ourselves "official," so we go by August 2nd as the beginning of us. Neither of us have ever been in a relationship that even came close to a year, so this is pretty special. As much as a year can seem long, it isn't a long time at all. It's a grain of sand on the beach that we plan to walk on for the rest of our lives. It's our first milestone. Our first anniversary. I would like to tell my husband, Kevin, that I am so glad God made us a match and that we are going to have an incredible 2nd year together under God's grace and favour.

2 months

Married at 5 months

1 year together, 7 months married

Cornbread & Peaches

Yesternight's meal was chicken pot pie. I made it a couple of weeks ago on my make-and-freeze-it day. On choosing a side, I figured the cornbread would be best! After all, I only have 4 lbs of cornmeal in the pantry! I found this recipe on Pinterest linked from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. So credit where credit is due: Cornbread Recipe. 

It was really easy to make. It's very moist and a tad rich. It won't take too many bites before you start to feel full! While I was at it, I opened a can of peaches, left a little bit of the juice in the bowl and seasoned it with allspice and extra cinnamon. I put my dessert right along side my chicken pot pie on my plate. Salty creamy chicken, crispy pastry, butter melting on the fresh cornbread topped with the light pie filling peaches and washed down with homemade iced tea...MMM! Wish I had pics of that meal because it was darn good!

I wanted to have the leftover peaches and cornbread for my breakfast this morning, but Kev beat me to the bowl! I can't complain though as triple fruit jam (peaches, apricots and passion fruit) made an excellent substitute!

It's a great late morning snack while I do my blogging! Check out this recipe and more at "Mel's Kitchen Cafe." 

Behind Glass

Capture Your 365! Photo challenges may be nothing new, but they aren't passe either. I like Katrina Kennedy's site and the way she has organized her project. Even more, I am glad that she has shared it so that other photographers (wannabes or otherwise) can join her in a year of images.

Behind Glass

August 1st, 2012.

"Registered Massage Therapy" is located on Peel Street in New Hamburg.

I am intrigued by the garden growing in her store front.

An excuse for a massage? Maybe...

Inspirational of the Day - Aug 1

Via @karen4aloeglow, I was linked to the following blog "His name was Kenton. He had a Community."

 I don't hear the Hamilton news like I used to, so I didn't realize that a youth from Ancaster had recently, and tragically, died. The blogger is Hannah E. I wasn't sure what to expect if I read it. I was blown away. Two main points leaped off the screen and I had to reread 

them several times.

1. “Why? Where’s the plan or the light in this? Where is there good here? Because this sucks and he is gone and You have him, You are holding him, but I need You to hold me, I need You to hug me like he used to."
2. "But I find what a pastor said to everyone today really helpful. In trying to help students make sense of what was happening, he said for everyone to grieve deeply, because there is nothing wrong with being sad. But he said to make sure we leave room to hear God saying, “I am so sorry that you have to go through this pain, because this is not the way I intended things.” I truly believe that when our hearts break for someone that is close to us, God’s heart breaks with us."

 Everyone grieves for someone at some point in their lives. Kevin and I are moving on from the two miscarriages of this past spring/summer. It is still a sore spot, but it is not a gaping wound like it was. Hannah E.'s words are so appropriate wherever we are in our recovery. Point 1 summarizes my heart's cry to God. "You have my loved one safe and I am relieved in that knowledge, but don't forget about me! They may be at perfect peace with you in heaven, but I am a devastated wreck here on earth. I didn't want to be separated from my love! Why has this happened?"

 Then Point 2 suggests God's answer to that cry. I won't paraphrase or personalize it because it's perfect the way it is. It wasn't God's will for us to lose a friend, family member or spouse. A God of such love wouldn't inflict the pain on us. However, He did scoop them up into His everlasting arms. These same arms reach down to us willing and able to comfort those who mourn.

 I would like to thank the blogger for this post (and Karen for sharing it). God used it as a loving reminder of truth for me. It is a sweet irony that "Hannah" is what Kevin and I planned on naming a daughter because it means "grace and favour." What a double portion of hope.


Please take the time to read this blog. "His name was Kenton. He had a Community."

More Women Sharing.

I am learning so much about blog connecting and as Kramer says, "I'm loving every minute of it!!" Checkout more women's stories for encouragement on Living Well Wednesdays. Feel free to post yours, too!