Day 8: A Place you have traveled to...

I LOVE traveling and have been able to visit some really cool places but I would have to say that my trip to Romania and Paris was one of my favorites.

My friend Rebekah and I went on a mission trip with our church that we grew up in and had a blast! Since then Romania has always had a special place in my heart and I hope to go back someday. Our trip was a "Medical Mission Trip" as it was a closed country so we wore scrubs and had a doctor and dentist with us. While the families would get medical attention we would also do VBS so share the word. There were times that it was a little scary in the towns but it was a time that I felt so strong in my faith. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and I am so thankful for it. We ministered to both gypsies and countryside people groups so it was crazy visiting the different towns and seeing how completely different everything was- event the way the people looked! The gypsies were beautiful, dark skin, hair and bright blue eyes while the countryside people who were equally as beautiful had very pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. God used me to bring a gypsy prostitute to Christ and I will never forget her face or the words that we spoke. We also made some lasting friendships with our interpreters and I still get emails from a few of them every now and then. Our group was made up of churches from all over the United States so it was such an experience to serve alongside them and get to know their stories. When I think back about that time in my life I was not the strongest in my walk with God before leaving- I was dating a guy who was not the best for me on a spiritual level- although he was a Christian he was not going to guard my heart or be the leader I needed him to be and I was honestly clouded by his charm and good looks and just the thought of being with him that overlooked alot. Thankfully the Lord used me anyway- even in a time that I was not making the best decisions and in retrospect I didn't deserve that experience but I am so thankful that He gave it to me anyway.

As an extension vacation to our mission trip we flew to Paris and met up with my sister and another mutual friend and had a blast!! It was definitely culture shock from where we came from but I fell in love with the city. It was so romantic, had amazing shopping and the food was fabulous. Those memories are so special to me and I feel lucky to have been able to go there!

I have been on many other mission trips and vacations that were amazing but that trip was the furthest I have been from home and yet I was totally comfortable staying.

Oh Blogging!

So, I have been trying to keep up with the postings everyday and I am definitely doing better than I ever have with blogging but I tend to drop off on the weekends because they are just so busy! Along with trying to stick to the 30-day plan I have not really been able to blog about anything of much importance so I did want to give you a quick update on life!

I say this all of the time but life has been super busy!! I feel like the days and weeks fly by so quickly that sometimes I don't even have time to think about anything! I have to say that things are going really great though and I wouldn't have it any other way. We have exciting things happening in our friends lives, youth events, family gatherings and weekend trips that have been so much fun and also the reason life is a little crazy.

Sometimes I really let the general business of life take over and I start becoming the energizer bunny and forget to stop and look around at all of the blessings in my life and thank God for where He has brought me. So, this post is all about that! I was going through old blogs of mine just for fun to read about what I was excited about, struggling with etc since I started this blog back in 2008 and it was pretty sobering  to read through some of them.

Blogging was something I didn't really understand for a while and then something I have had a hard time committing to since I decided to create one. I have never been a great journal or diary keeper- in fact when I was little I would usually loose the key to my diaries before I could ever put more than a few entries in so I am thankful for the blogworld. It was not until reading back that I really bought into it all- how great will it be in a few years to be able to look back at the posts from mine and Ryan's first few years of marriage, ministry and everything in between??? I really am going to make an effort to keep this thing going, even past the 30 day plan! I know I won't do it every day, sometimes I might miss a week or two but collecting my thoughts and placing them here will be a great way to see God moving and changing me so I am pledging to try my hardest to all of you people! I recently looked at my traffic with the blog and was astonished about how many readers I have out there and all over the world, places like Russia, Japan and even the Virgin Islands!

My hope for this blog is that it will make you laugh at times, entertain you, and most importantly show my love for the Lord. So, even if we don't know each other and will never meet I hope you will come out of hiding and comment on my postings as you read. It was definitely nice to know that I am writing this for more than just my own records and a few friends of mine who are regular readers :-)

This is actually the perfect time to start reading since the 30-day challenge will be a great way to get to know me better. So, welcome to my blog and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!

Day 7: Your Favorite Movies

I LOVE movies. So this one is both a hard and easy one to write about because I will have difficulty narrowing down the best ones so that I can finish this posting at some point today... I am going to break them down by genre...

Favorite Romantic Comedy: 27 dresses...Mostly because this was my life. I have been a bridesmaid a million times and I love it. I love weddings.

Favorite Old movie: Breakfast at Tiffany's- this is an all-time favorite of mine. I love old movies and this one has everything- fashion, music, comedy and love.

 Favorite over-all Romantic Movie: The Notebook...I love The Notebook because quite frankly I love watching movies when people aren't together the entire time haha.

 

Favorite Action: The Transporter...My roomie in college and I used to watch this movie all the time, I love it!

 Favorite Disney movie: Sleeping Beauty... I have always loved this one!

 Favorite Kid movie: The Wizard of Oz-I was obsessed with The Wizard of Oz growing up. I was Dorothy, but without the braids... I had a dog named ToTo and the dress, the red shoes- everything. I watched it almost everyday. I still love it but the flying monkey scene creeps me out now as an adult. I also LOVE Wicked and got to see it last summer with 2 of my besties and it was fabulous

Favorite Comedy: Date Night... this one changes all the time but I love Date Night, it's hilarious.

There you have it!

Happy Birthday Love!!

Today is March 27th which is one of the best days of the year- the day that my husband was born! This year is extra fun because it is also his "Golden Birthday" which means he is turning the same age as the day of the month of his birthday- 27 on the 27th! This is the 7th birthday I have been able to celebrate with ryan and I can only hope for a hundred more! I am so blessed to be with him- getting to spend the rest of your life with someone so amazing is pretty unbelieveable! Love, you probably could have guessed this was coming but here are the top 27 things that I love about you!

27. Your beard- not many people can grow a beard like you and I think it's hot.

26. You are such a great preacher and public speaker- one of my favorite things is listening to you preach every Sunday night.

25. Your general knowledge of History and the Bible- if it happened back in time you know about it.

24. How patient you are with me no matter how long I may take to get ready.

23. How you will watch tv shows with me that you don't like too much because they make me happy (and then you secretly become obsessed just like me)

22. How you always put others needs before your own.

21. How much you love to minister to people who are sometimes the hardest to get through to.

20. How you can walk into a room of strangers and make 50 new friends before walking out.

19. The way you make me feel comfortable just by being next t me no matter how nervous I might be in any given situation.

18. Your laugh- it's contagious.

17. I love that you are a great athlete and you choose sports that are not mainstream to be awesome at like Judo and Rugby.

16. Your interest in art- I love going to museums and exhibits and I am so glad you do too!

15. Your voice- both speaking and singing. I've just always loved it.

14. Your sense of humor.

13. How supportive you are of me in everything that I do.

12. How loyal you are to your friends, family and me.

11. You are a hard worker in any job that you do.

10. The way you love and play with Scout- its adorable.

9. Your hair- it's the best hair in the world

8. The phrases that you say like "Cheers, yonder-way etc" that you claim are old sayings. I don't belive it, they are just random things you may up- its hilarious.

7. You are an amazing cook- I love that you can find anything in the kitchen and make a delicious meal out of it.

6. I love watching you interact with the students at FBC- you are so great with them!
5. Your smile- it makes me smile.

4. How much you make me laugh everyday. Not a day has gone by since being with you that I have ot laughed at some point.

3. How great you are with our cousins and our neice- they all love you so much and it's adorable.

2. The way you can make me feel good about myself even when I am really down and upset.

1. How much you love the Lord and strive to put him first in everything that you do.

Happy Birthday Ryan!!

I will now summerize what we did to celebrate- on Friday night we went to Bucca Di Beppo with a group of our new friends and it was so much fun! This is the 1st bday for us to celebrate living back in Houston and it was defiantely weird without our family back in Fort Worth but I have to say that we are so beyond BLESSED by our small group. They really have become such a huge part of our life and it's just great having a group of people in the same chapter of life to celebrate in the happy times and depend on in the hard times. The party was a blast and we love our friends!! Thank you to everyone who came out to help us celebrate- yall are awesome!

Saturday we spent the day together just relaxing and went to lunch at an Indian restaraunt that we love per his request and then we had my cousin Ethan's 6th birthday party at Chuck E Cheese's. We had so much fun seeing my family- it had been a while so I got to see everyone. I can't believe Little Ethan is 6, just insane how fast they grow-up! After the party we went to Saltgrass with my parents, sis and bro-in-law for a family celebration for Ryan and then we hung out with my sis and bro-in-law after that. Today we went to church where the youth serenaded Ryan in a very interesting version of Happy B-day that was hilarious and then we went to lunch at our fav. pizza place. We are just relaxing now and then we are heading back up to the church for Retro which is Ryan's junior high service that he preaches at each week and we are doing a surprise party for him with the students, I can't wait!

Happy Birthday Ryan! I Love you!

Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy...

The Sun.
It makes me very happy. I could never live in a place that didn't see the sun often. In fact, this winter was one of the darkest, dreariest winters I have ever encountered and I was dreaming about the day the sun would come back out! I love the heat, I love swimming, laying out, camping, picnics, rock climbing, boating and pretty much anything else that requires a little sun to be fun.

So come on Houston- keep the sun coming!

Day 5- My Siblings...

I only have one sibling- my older sister. We are 2 years and 2 days apart and are very close. We used to fight all the time in highschool over clothes but once we hit college and didn't live together anymore we became super close.

She always has my back and is super protective of me and has always been a huge support to me throughout college and with my career. She is honestly probably the biggest advocate of my education and of my success in my career on the planet and I really appreciate that about her :-)

Having a sister is so great because no matter what you always have a friend and you always have someone on your side. A few years ago I went through a really hard time with a broken friendship and my sister was amazing through it! Loyalty is a big deal to me so it's great knowing that no matter what we will always have each other! We have countless memories of fun times but here are just a few of my favorites...

1. My Little Ponies
2. Barbies
3. Skating in the driveway and our roller skating lessons.
4. Ice Skating
5. Girl Of the Limberlost
6. On Our Own
7. Huntsville
8. Galveston
9. "You Give Love a Bad Name"
10. Marrying Cuddles and ToTo when we realized she was preggo
11. "Vampires"
12. "Pool Time"
13. Your visit to Fort Worth
14. my shoe closet
15. Mississippi
16. Tennessee
17. Florida
18. PARIS!!
19. Our matching pj's on christmas eve
20. The creepy way we pick-out the same cards and clothes without consulting one another.
21. Michelle Branch concert in Dallas
22. Our Vegas Trip
23. Napa!
24. double blow-outs
25. planning both of our weddings together
26. "Oh Lake Tahoe, Oh Lake Tahoe"

I am so lucky to be close to my sister, even though it seems natural to me I know there are a lot of siblings out there that let the rivalry get the most of them. Jess and I are definately different and don't agree on everything but at the end of the day we are besties and nothing will change that. I am so glad to be living so close to her now- we went from being 4 hours to less than 4 minutes so it has been great! Love you sister!

Day 4... My Parents

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have amazing parents. They will be celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary this summer and couldn't be more in love and more happily married. It's not an act- they truly are the cutest, happiest couple I have ever met and I know it is so rare that marriages last as long as their has. 

My parents were highschool sweethearts who did not grow-up in Christian homes but actually led their families to Christ after being saved when they were engaged. They have not only been a great role model of how a healthy marriage works but also taught my sister and I the importance of having a relationship with the Lord.

My mom is a preschool director at a church and my dad has owned a car repair shop since he was 19. They are both such hard workers and instilled this trate in both my sister and I.

I am also very lucky to have equally close relationships with each of my parents. My Dad is amazing- he is so strong, caring and hilarious. He always puts the needs of others before his own and is always there for me no matter what I need. It is because of him that I didn't settle for boys who weren't right for me and ended up with someone who reminds me of him often. I know I speak the truth when I say my Dad is better than everyone else's dad. haha I know I am biased but even though he isn't perfect by any means he is just awesome! No one else can push my buttons like him and make me laugh a few minutes later- we are so much alike it's ridiculous. I love how close we are and all of our inside jokes. One of my favorite memories was our conversation right before I walked down the aisle at our wedding- it is a moment that was caught on camera and one I will always hold dear to my heart. My Dad is just incredible :-)

My Mom is fabulous as well- if you read down a few posts you will see 51 reasons that I love her. She is beautiful and so very Godly. Her advice is always God-breathed and she is truly my Mother which I am so thankful for. Although we are very close and things start to evolve when adulthood sets in she is still my Mom and has never tried to be just a friend. I have seen so many Mother/Daughter relationships go wrong because the roles get smudged and I am thanful that mine has not. She is probably the most positive person on the face of the planet despite the hard childhood that she had. I can't wait for us to have kids just so that I can see her in action as a Grandmother!

I love both of you so very much!

Day 3... Meaning behind my blog name

Well, this one is not a very creative answer but I created this blog around the time that Ryan and I were engaged. I have always been a huge Jane Austen movie fan and Becoming Jane has always been a favorite of mine so I kind of got the idea there and went with "Being Mrs. Jasper."

Day 2... My first love

Wow this post is going to take me down memory lane!

My first love was a boy that I met at summer camp right before my Junior year of highschool. He was in my family group and asked me for my email at the end of the week (like we all did) and I thought nothing of it. He started emailing me and then we started talking on AOL and finally graduated to the phone after a few months.

We were each other's first kiss, first relationship and first heartbreak. We had a lot of good times and thinking back makes me laugh because for the first 6 months we had a blast then the rest of the time we pretty much fought. Constantly. We were long distant- just 45 minutes but that can seem like an eternity when you are 16 and at the time my parents didn't allow me to drive outside of The Woodlands so he always had to come get me. He was hilarious, really sweet and a hopeless romantic. I had a few guy friends that he didn't like too much and our fighting really got worse when he wanted me to ditch them for our relationship. Even back then I somehow knew how important it is to have a balance and to keep your friends and family as part of your life regardless of your relationship status so I didn't give in. In the end the jealousy really ended our relationship and it was for the better because we fought entirely too much!

I wish I could say we just had a normal break-up but we didn't- we kept in touch for years, checking-in when one of us was single, texting randomly and I think just keeping ourselves in the back of each other's mind. For me it was more of a security blanket thing- I just wanted to remind myself that someone loved me at some point but it was super unhealthy. I dated quite a few boys in college before I met Ryan and never really cared about any of them as much as I had once cared for Caleb so it never bothered me to keep in touch with him. Then I met Ryan and everything changed- I have to say that although it was unhealthy I am glad I didn't get a ton of heartbreaks throughout my dating life. Even though it wasn't fair to whomever I was dating because I never really let my guard down I know it was because God was preparing me for Ryan and protecting me from being hurt by others for whatever reason. 

My first love is not one that I will forget but also not one that I ever think about. My love for Ryan is so much bigger, stronger and more real than I could have ever imagined that it makes my history blurry. Is that how all of you feel about your First Loves?

30 days of blogging..

So if you are a regular reader of my blog you know I am not very committed. I try to be but it just seems like weeks and months go by without me posting at times. Well, my friend Jalei did a 30 day blog thing and I thought it would be a great challenge and help me with my committment issues. So, here it goes- each day I will blog about something different off of my list starting with today which is supposed to be the Introduction and 15 random facts about me. Here goes nothing!


1. I used to be in a dancing, singing choir when I was younger. My sister and I have sung with 305 other kids at some pretty cool places.


2. I really love the Twilight series. I know it's teen drama but I really do like it. I recently started reading all of the books and I am now beginning Breaking Dawn. Don't judge me.


3. I eat Ramen noodles and I like them.


4. I have been to Romania and it is one of my favorite spots in the world. I would love to adopt a Romania child someday.


5. I love girl's ministry.


6. I could never live in a place that it wasn't sunny most of the time. I hate the winter, it puts me in a bad mood. Texas may be hot but I just love the sun so it's worth the humidity for me.


7. Even though I might need the perfect outfitt I really love to camp and be outdoors.


8. I almost drowned while in a tubing accident on the Guadalupe river. I had to be given CPR.


9. I love macaroni and cheese.


10. No matter how warm my house might be every night i get into bed I am freezing.


11. When I met Ryan I knew he was the one for me immediately.


12. I love antiques and vintage clothes.


13. I wish I could wear my wedding dress again.


14. Sometimes I draw designs for clothing. I used to really want to be a designer.


15. When I was in high school I flipped my dad's truck over the HOV wall on I-45. The truck was totalled and I walked away with just a few bruises.

I love my Mom!!

Today is a day that is to be celebrated, not because it's Texas independence day but more importantly it is my fabulous Mom's birthday!!


My Mom loves birthdays. She has always made my sister and I and now my husband as well feel special and loved more than it seems possible on our birthdays. She spoils us with our favorite cakes, dinner and a present that she always puts alot of thought into. That being said when her birthday rolls around we always want her to know loved and adored she is!


As part of this blog dedicated to my Mom I want to tell you to top 51 things I love about her- although 51 might seem like a lot believe me there are millions of reasons to love my Mom!


51. Her sneeze. My mom is known for being a loud sneezer and we teese her but it's so endearing when she sneezes 6 times in a row. It's just something that has always made me laugh about her.


50. Her handwriting. She has beautiful handwriting that reminds me of something from the past, always cursive, always perfect. I didn't get great handwriting so I covet hers.


49. Her love for children. She is better with kids than anyone on the planet! They adore her because of how creative and fun she is. I can't wait until we have kids so they can have fun with her.


48. Her singing voice- she sings really well and used to sing to us all the time when we were kids along with at church regularly. She gave my sister and I the gift of music and for that I will be eternally grateful!


47. Her love for birds. This one is funny because she has always loved birds but she has a hard time keeping them alive. She spritzes them too much and they always catch pneumonia so she no longer has them as pets but she always has bird feeders all around the house.


46. Her love for people. There is not a more loving or forgiving person in the world. My mom has seen alot of her in her life and she loves those people unconditionally. I have alot to learn from her in this because I don't know how she does it!


45. The way she read aloud. She has always been a great reader of stories, the Bible and anything else! She used to read aloud to my sister and I which led to my sister reading aloud to me when we go on vacations and I read aloud whenever I can. It's random but I like it!


44. Her chicken soup that will heal any cold or flu you have! She delivers it to me with crackers, kleenex and a sweet note along with a magazine or something fun whenever I am sick. Almost makes me wish I got sick more often.


43. Her skin- my mom has great skin! Always, clear, always tan.


42. Her love for adventure- she's always willing to try something new, visit a new place or try new foods.


41. Her caring nature- she is so nurturing and not just to me but to everyone, I can only hope I care for my children like she cares for us, our friends and anyone else who comes along!


40. Her enchilada casseroles- beef or chicken. If you haven't had it, you are missing out!


39. How excited she gets when opening a present. She is the funest person to give to.


38. How she lies about her shoe size because she wishes her feet were smaller.


37. How she can roller skate better than anyone and used to do tricks that would amaze my sister and I.


36. How hard working she is.


35. The way she prays and the way it seems God hears her more clearly than anyone else.


34. How loyal she is.


33. How she loves Matlock. We used to watch it every afternoon when I was growing up.


32. Her sense of humor.


31. The way she decorates the house with hundreds of pictures of family- I do the same thing.


30. She is beautiful.


29. She is young. I love how young my parents are, they still travel and do fun things.


28. Her love for shoes, her hate for shopping for them.


27. Her love for sweet treats- i definately inherited this one!


26. The way she can get to know someone better in 10 minutes than most people can get to know each other in 10 years.


25. Her patience.


24. Her pantry- it is always stocked with anything you could possibly need, like there is a flood coming.


23. She has really pretty eyes.


22. How she treats Scout, our dog. He gets so excited when she comes over!


21. The way she just listens when things are hard.


20. How involved she is in my life without being controlling. She has always been involved but never invasive- my parents are masters at this and seem to be the only people who understand how to balance that.


19. Her laugh.


18. How girly she is. I am my mother's daughter.


17. The way she always gets my favorite birthday cake made, it looks like a small wedding cake.


16. How resourceful she is. When we were growing up she always had a job whether it was a paper route, making bows or babysitting.


15. How she stayed home with us. I hope I can spend time with my children like she did with us, she never missed anything.


14. How giving she is.


13. How she stuffs our stockings for Christmas- one of my favorite things about the holidays.


12. How she still does an Easter egg hunt for us.


11. How she enforces our family traditions.


10. How she loves my husband and made him feel welcome from the beginning.


9. Her way of making everyone feel comfortable no matter if they are strangers or not.


8. The way she decorates her house- it's so comfy, homey and welcoming.


7. How she likes Bella to always have a bow.


6. How she went with me to EP!


5. How she loves going to the movies and getting a hotdog.


4. How she brings God in on every detail of her life.


3. How she loves my Dad- I have never known a more submissive, caring wife.


2. How she loves me.


1. How she loves the Lord.


I love you so much Mom!!! Thank you for being such an amazing Mom- I wouldnt be me without the impact you have had!