Am I still young?

So here's the deal.
I'm 28... will be 29 in October.
I've been married 9 years.
I have 4 kids... under 7 years of age.

I feel old!  Not because of my age...
maybe because I have 4 kiddos?

maybe because I'm tired all the time.

maybe because I can't bounce back after staying up late anymore.

maybe because I don't really think plastic forks stuck in my yard, oreos all over my garage door, car, and mailbox, and plastic wrap everywhere are really that funny.  (that happened to our house last night.)

maybe because I'm not losing my post-baby weight as quickly as the other times. 

maybe because I rarely feel like I can "tackle the world" anymore.

maybe because I'm stressed and crazy busy all the time.

But I'm ONLY 28!  ...that's not actually old at all.  Some people aren't even married yet at this age! 

I don't want to feel old... and tired... (big sigh.)

What happened?? 

JJ and I's anniversary was Wednesday... Jeremy's mom was here and she offered to watch the kids so we could go on a date.  It was really sweet of her.
We decided to go to a late movie after the kids were in bed so that we could enjoy her a bit and not subject her to Virgil's screaming tendencies. 

After the movie, at 1:00am, we were both dead tired.  We are accustomed to staying up late... but this was like the 5th night in a week and a half that I'd stayed up super late (two of which were around 4am).
BUT... we felt so pathetic!  It was our anniversary and we didn't want to just head home!  So... we grabbed some Red Bull and made a bee line for Walmart. 

This was the result... our somewhat pathetic attempt to feel young :) :)

"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:30-31

Blessings,

Today is your birthday...

Jeremy... your birthday is almost over, but I didn't want the day to end without me telling you a few things.
There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not so incredibly thankful for having you as my husband... my companion. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude when I think of how the Lord has blessed me through you.  We were so young when we decided that we wanted to marry each other... only 17.  I didn't know what I was doing... neither did you...we were just goofy kids :)  I didn't know what I was getting with you.  I just thought you were cute and really fun to hang out with :)   But God did... and he gave me you.  He gave me so much more than I could have hoped for...

I didn't know that you were going to make me feel like the most beautiful woman in world.  I didn't know that you would cherish me and take care of me the way you do...that you would spoil me with endless diet coke, insanely late hang-out nights, and lots of babies. :) 

I didn't know that you were going to be such an incredible father.  A father who not only loves and encourages with tender affection, but also diligently strives to instruct his children in biblical truth.  I didn't know that you would be such a partner in parenting... that you would be so supportive and encouraging.

I didn't know that you were going to throw away your dreams of success in the business world to follow God's call into ministry.  I didn't know that you would become a man who would inspire me... a man who's passionate and holds to his convictions...a man who's optimistic and strong... a man who's full of dreams and plans... a man who wants to be used by God no matter what the cost.   I look at you and see all your God given strengths.  I don't know what exactly God is going to do with all those strengths, but I feel priviledged to be the woman on your arm... because I know he's going to use you.  And I can't wait to give him all the glory as I see him accomplish his purpose through you.   

I didn't know that I was getting such a good man... I didn't know that I would feel so proud to be your wife... I didn't know that I could love you this much. 

Happy Birthday, Baby :)

When we were little... How JJ and I met

JJ (I like to call Jeremy that if you haven't noticed... sorry if it's ever confusing how I switch back and forth between the names :) )  and I met a long long time ago.  I was 5 and he was 6... When I was 5 my dad took a pastorate position at a church in KS, where JJ and his family attended.  There weren't many other kids, being that it was a small rural congregation, so we often ended up hanging out together.  My older brother and his older brother were also good friends.  Our families often got together for Sunday dinner at his family's farm.  So between that old country church and the near by Litke farm, thus began a childhood romance :)  Cute, huh?  He thought I was pretty... I had long dark hair and was a tom boy.  I loved to hang out with our older brothers and him... he thought that was cool.   Racing around the church ( I won), wrestling in the church basement ( I won...but I fought dirty :) ), getting in trouble together in Sunday school...laid the foundation for the relationship that would later develop.

Fast forward to High School youth group... I still had long dark hair, which he still thought was pretty.  I still liked to hang out with the boys, which he still thought was cool.  On Sunday mornings it was tradition for the high schoolers to sit up in the balcony together.  Jeremy and the other boys would sit behind the small row of girls... so they could watch us of course.  Sometimes I'd sit with the boys, but that made it especially hard to listen like a good pastor's kid should :)   JJ, his brother, my brother, and I still hung out together.  I still liked Jeremy, but I liked his older brother more!  Jon was the tall laid back one, JJ was the fun and goofy one.  Both were cute, but I had my heart set on Jon.

So I went to work, flirting and giving my attention to Jon.  It worked... to some degree.  He flirted back and we enjoyed hanging out at youth group activities.  There was a banquet coming up at Jon and Jeremy's school and I was hoping, dreaming really, that Jon would ask me to go with him.  There was also a youth group trip to Estes Park coming up that I was hoping Jon would go on so that we could hang out more.  Ended up Jon couldn't go... but Jeremy could.

So guess what happened....  Yup.  JJ and I talked the entire way there, till 5 in the morning.  We hung out the whole weekend. And when we got back to KS a week or two later, JJ asked me to that banquet, not Jon.  Hmmmm..... I was a conflicted girl!  I still really liked Jon, but Jeremy was sure growing on me!  He was so sweet and SO persistent!  I did end up going with JJ to the banquet... and I had a wonderful time :)

2 1/2 months later Jeremy and I went on our first official date, and shortly after Jon left for college.... So began our dating relationship.  We were 17.

Blessings,