happy anniversary

Five years ago today my life was forever changed for the better. I think the thing all guys never quite get over is the fact that she said ‘yes’. It is humbling. This is the feeling I had five years ago as Emily and I exchanged vows before the Lord, family and friends.

Em is so gifted in the way she communicates through writing. It is one of the many things I love about her. While this is not an area I excel in, I wanted to use her (our) blog to share my heart and love for her.

When I look back over the past five years I am amazed by the Lord’s faithfulness. He has grown the two of us together in ways I could never have imagined. Daily I become more acutely aware of how blessed I am in the gift He has given me in Em.

While it might be cliche, she is my best friend. She has been my biggest fan and supporter, loved me when I was unworthy of her love, forgiven me when I was unworthy of her forgiveness, shared in joys and sorrows, been an encourager and unconditionally loved me for who I am.

My love for her continually grows. I love how first and foremost she seeks to know the heart of our Father. How she has been open to His leading in her own life as well as that of our family. I love how she dreams big with me and how she has let go of dreams as she seeks Him. I love how she gives, unconditionally of herself to others, whether it is baking cupcakes to raise money to sponsor children in Africa, loving on the kids at her AWANA table or crying and praying with the girls that come to LifeCenters. I love her heart for adoption, the hurting and the broken and how her heart breaks for those in need. I love how she loves my family and all she has added to it to make it complete. I love her cold hands, feet and nose and how she tries to use me as a heater to get warm. I love her passion for baking and the way she loves me enough to cook things I would like, even at the expense of her not liking it. I love how she cheers Stryder on as he chases squirrels and then says a silent prayer of thanks when they make it up the tree. I love how she creates the perfect voice for both Stryder and Annabelle and that she loves them enough to walk them every day, regardless of the weather.

Thank you Em for the past five years. I am so grateful for them. I think it is only fitting to share with you again the vows I made to you five years ago today. They truly represent my heart, the depth of my love for our Lord, you, and our family. I love you.

Happy Anniversary!

I Brian, choose you Emily, as my best friend, confidant, and lover for life. With the help of our Heavenly Father, I vow to you above all things to be a man who humbly seeks to do the will of our Lord, leading us to Him in every season of life as our source of shelter and strength, petitioning Him for His wisdom and guidance, in times of hardship and prosperity, recognizing true joy is found in Him alone.

I vow to serve and defend you in every circumstance, striving to fulfill my God-given role as your husband and earthly provider. While life will not always be as perfect as it is at this moment, I promise to choose to love and honor you with effort that transcends feelings.

I vow to encourage you constantly as you seek to know the heart of Christ and are conformed to his likeness. I vow to support you always, continually learning to love you in ways that fulfill you and shape you into the woman Christ created you to be.

I vow to remain faithful and true in my love for you in mind, body and emotion, pledging to you alone my fidelity for life, giving you all of myself daily without reservation until I am called home to our Lord.

I recognize it is only with the help of our Heavenly Father that these vows can be fulfilled. So, because of the confidence I have in Christ, I promise I will never forsake you or these vows I have made.

five years

To the glory of God, we're celebrating five years together today.

So thankful. So blessed. So excited for the next five.

Love you B - happy anniversary.

heat

The time we've been dreading anticipating for the past year has arrived.

Our little girl is growing up.

Annabelle's in heat.

The week before Christmas. In the midst of an 11 hour drive to Wichita. In the company of two un-neutered male dogs (Stryder and his brother Junior, my parents' dog).

Truly, this COULD NOT have happened at a more un-opportune time.

My poor parents. Not only did they welcome their four kids back into their home this week, they have also opened their doors to three dogs in addition to the one they already have: my sister's, a diapered Annabelle and an anxious, hormonal Stryder. It has been utter chaos.

Heat lasts around three weeks for most dogs and happens every six months. Days 11-15 are her fertile time, and coincidentally, also the time when Annabelle is most "receptive" to guy dogs. Her hormones turn her into a little flirt and the boys are left drooling. Literally. Drool all over the place. We're on day 15 right now and praying the worst is almost over!

Surely next year, we'll look back on this week and laugh...

Annabelle's chastity belt - the PABS.

Snuggling with Stryder in her fashionable denim diaper. (This pic was taken at the beginning of heat before they both started going crazy.)

chicago

Last weekend, B and I got to make the 2.5 hour trek north to Chicago for a little get away (a la his birthday present from his parents - thanks, Mom and Dad Smith)!

We both really enjoy Chicago and had been trying to go for a visit ever since we moved to Indy, so we were very thankful for this gift that forced us to just go! We rode the megabus (so we didn't have to drive and mess with parking in the city) and it was awesome! We started out watching a movie but both konked out a few minutes in. We're a little behind in our zzz's these days... anyway, it was nice to not have to drive ourselves!

We stayed right on Michigan Ave in a perfect location that was close to everything we wanted to see! Although it snowed almost the whole time we were there, the air wasn't completely frigid and it ended up feeling nice and Christmasy rather than miserable and freezing.

(I just uploaded our pics and realized that they all involve food... does that tell you something about what we find enjoyable when we leave town? Ha ha!)

We got in late Friday night and although we had already eaten dinner, we made a stop at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop for one of their amazing brownie fudge sundaes! Mmmhmm! (Said sundae was long gone before we remembered to take a picture.)

On Saturday, we headed over to Gino's East for lunch. We had to wait about 45 minutes to get inside, but the pizza was well worth the wait! Can't beat Chicago-style pie!

After lunch, we walked over to Sprinkles for a sweet treat. The highlight of my trip may have happened here. I'm a fan of Sprinkles on facebook, so in my daily news feed, I read about their free cupcake deals. Every day they put out a "magic word" on facebook, and the first 25 people to whisper it over the counter get a free cupcake! I tried the magic word at the Dallas Sprinkles, to no avail. Well, it was my lucky day in Chicago - I walked out with a red velvet that I didn't pay for! Not much tops a free cupcake from Sprinkles!!! We also tried their seasonal chocolate peppermint and it was very delicious.

The afternoon held window shopping and marveling at the THRONGS of people that were out on such a wintery day! Our last stop before dinner was the eight-story Macy's/Marshall Field's. We had a great time wandering around the gigantic store, viewing the two-story Christmas tree and just watching all of the shoppers. Oh, and I got 50% off on a down coat that will serve me well during the quickly approaching brutal winter!

Our five-year anniversary is less than a month away (crazy!) so we decided to celebrate during this trip since we won't be able to travel anywhere on Dec. 30 this year. Carmine's, a local Italian favorite, offered the perfect celebratory locale and we spent a great evening enjoying our favorite type of food and toasting to the next five!

And that's it! I warned you... it was pretty much all about food... but that's just us! :)

my favorite commercial

With each year that passes, I realize more and more what an incredibly precious gift it is when families reunite. The togetherness of loved ones far surpasses any material presents given or received.

Maybe it's because I have a brother who spent half of this year in Africa...

... or maybe it's because I am growing sappy in my older age...

... whatever the case, this poignant commercial left me blindly grabbing for Kleenex!

Something pretty close to this scene has played out numerous times in my parents' kitchen. Regardless of whether you live near or far from your family, I bet you'll appreciate the sentiment.

hope for dube bute

The weekend before Thanksgiving, Brian and I were privileged to attend an orthodontic conference in Dallas. We've gone to this meeting for the past three years, and our favorite part about it, hands down, is getting to spend time with the amazing Alexander family.

To boil down a long, incredible, providentially-ordained story... one year ago, Moody and Emily adopted a little boy named Eyasu from a remote village in Ethiopia called Dube Bute.

They have recently teamed up with A Glimmer of Hope to help transform this village of 4,200 HUMAN BEINGS who are currently living in extreme poverty that often results in death. They're building 18 clean water wells, a vet clinic, a medical clinic and several classrooms, among other important essentials.

On Thursday evening, we were blessed to attend an amazing fundraiser in their home.

The video below was shown there. Be inspired as you watch! It is overwhelming to realize how the Lord will work if His people are willing.

Hope For Dube Bute from Kurt Neale on Vimeo.

Can you imagine what these people thought as they saw Eyasu riding into their village? Many in the community loved him and certainly thought they were saying goodbye forever when he was adopted. Then a year later and out of the blue, they see him enter the village, bringing with him an army of help. Tears fill my eyes as I picture it! God is good.

ode to thirty

I can hardly believe that I now have a thirty year old husband.

Seriously. That sounds so weird to say. I asked my seven year old cousin yesterday if she thought 30 was old. After thinking for a second, she responded with, "well... it IS middle aged!" Ha!

You're a blessing, B. Here are 30 more reasons that I'm thankful you were born this day, three long decades ago.

1. You never complain about what I make for dinner, even if it's not good.

2. Out of love for me and my easily upset stomach, you attempt to drive a bit more sanely than you used to.

3. You let us bring home our little Annabelle and while you love her like crazy, you make a point to show special attention to Stryder.

4. You don't get mad when I hit things with my car.

5. You watch Food Network with me.

6. When I can't decipher our ridiculous AT&T bill, you always call customer service to figure it out so that I don't have to do it.

7. You pick up the dog poo in our backyard.

8. You let me buy a steam mop.

9. You pray with me and for me.

10. You are quick to ask for forgiveness.

11. You still give awesome back rubs and foot rubs.

12. You dream big dreams with me.

13. You let God change the dreams you once had.

14. You could talk technology with Steve Jobs himself.

15. You can fix any computer problem that anyone has (and you graciously help others when they have issues).

16. You make a priority of talking with me weekly about our Bible studies.

17. Even though you could kill me every time in Mario Kart, you sometimes let me win.

18. You aren't afraid to cry.

19. You're committed to seeking truth.

20. You share my excitement and passion for adoption.

21. You truly love my family.

22. You make changes in your life when the Holy Spirit convicts you.

23. You let Stryder and Annabelle snuggle with us in bed.

24. You're a phenomenal Awana leader - you always go all out to make things special for the kids, and they love you for it.

25. You make me feel pretty.

26. You do a great job of sharing your day with me when you get home.

27. You take out the trash for me every week.

28. To save money, you change the oil in our cars rather than taking them to a shop.

29. You clean up the dishes after I bake cupcakes (even when it's an overwhelming mess).

30. You love me for who I am.

LOVE YOU!!!

surprise!

For a really long time, I've been dying to throw a surprise party for Brian. My dream came true when we were able to pull one off while his parents were in town visiting last week. Oh wow, it was so fun! Although his 30th birthday isn't until Nov. 26, it worked out best for us to have it on Nov. 6, which is his dad's birthday! A double whammy celebration.

After blindfolding a very reluctant Brian at our house, we stuck him in the car and took off for our undisclosed destination.

When we walked into the restaurant, everything was just perfect! B was shocked and felt so loved by all of his friends who came to celebrate with us.

I picked Bub's Burgers as the location because of the great food and fun atmosphere. I had no idea of the entertainment that would also be provided for our party.

Entertainment in the form of a 22 ounce burger, otherwise known as "THE BIG UGLY."

If you can polish off one big ugly, Bub's takes a 4x6 picture of you holding your empty plate. They post it on the wall and you go down in the annals of burger eating history. If you eat two, you get an 8x10 image on the wall. If you eat THREE (and only a few have ever done this), you get a veritable poster on the wall in your honor.

The Travel Channel's show, Man vs Food, recently came up against this infamous burger. The guy was able to put down two before he called it quits.

Six of the nine males present at the party were up for the challenge (in case you're wondering, zero females even considered it). Five finished it. Two attempted a second burger. The infamous iron-stomached Mike Fanning (Brian's dear friend and classmate) was the only one who could pull the double off.

Brian eating his last bite...

Ryan's empty plate

Mike's empty plate -

Mike starting #2 -

Mike and his proud wife, Rachel

So, everyone who cleaned their plate got their picture on the wall. They are all terribly proud of these pictures, but especially Mike. They even let him autograph his.

We had such an awesome night - it was a celebration we'll never, ever forget! A huge thanks to Mom and Dad Smith for helping me pull it off - I couldn't have done it without them!

Happy birthday B! :)

election day perspective

I wanted to share with you some wise words from a dear friend, Michael Bruce. He wrote the following before election day 2008. I think today, it's as poignant as ever.

Where does our hope come from?

Tomorrow is a big day. Tomorrow, the American voters will head to the ballot box and make a choice. America will pick between two flawed human beings to lead our great country for the next four years. Irrespective of the result, Wednesday morning roughly half of America will awake hopeful in the future whereas the other half will hang their heads in disdain hoping not too much damage can be done in four years. This stark contrast got me thinking. Where does our hope come from?

Is our hope in the world system of state governance? Can selfish, fallen, limited humans deliver on their promised vision of tomorrow? Can the state fix the brokenness we see all around us? Can eloquent, well-intentioned politicians transform greed into generosity? Can checks and balances eliminate corrupt hearts? Can the rule of law instill righteousness? Can more jobs bring satisfaction? Can prosperity deliver happiness? How about joy? Can expanded health care conquer death? Will the perfect foreign policy guarantee world peace? Can freedom ensure love?

I believe the answer to all of the above is "no." And yet, our hearts yearn for kept promises, healing, generosity, integrity, righteousness, satisfaction, happiness, joy, life, peace and love.

History teaches us that humans and human systems are limited to exerting influence over external behaviors. The law can encourage a husband to stay with his wife, but the law can't force a husband to love his wife. The law can harness greed through capitalism, but it can't instill a generous spirit. The law can punish injustice, but it can't guarantee justice.

Our hearts all yearn for a better tomorrow, but hope is not simply wishful thinking. Hope is "confident expectation." The beauty of the vision does not instill confidence. Confidence is rooted in the power and virtue of the benefactor. Only one person has over possessed the power to transform our wishes into confident expectation. Only one person perfectly walked his talk. Only one person offers fundamental renewal of the broken and bruised human heart. Only one person conquered death. Only Jesus can deliver the "life more abundantly."

eight years old

I know, I know. Stryder's a dog.

But he's an amazing dog. And I don't have any kids. Therefore, I will write a post about his birthday.

You don't have to read it if you think it's silly.

Two puppies from his litter arrived on October 30 and the rest came on the 31st. We don't really know which debuted when. So Stryder gets a two-day celebration every year!

He was born in Wichita in 2002. I was at the Focus on the Family Institute in Colorado Springs, miles away. To say that I was excited would be an understatement. My parents e-mailed me a video of the entire newborn litter, which at the time was very high-tech - my roommates couldn't believe my parents had taken a video that I could actually watch on my computer. (Isn't it crazy how far technology has come in just eight years - now we're all skyping?!?!)

When I was finally able to spend time with the puppies a month later, choosing one was difficult. My parents were also keeping a male, so we narrowed it down to the darkest two, hoping that they would have the same handsome coat as Mannley (their dad and our family dog).

I ended up picking Stryder because he didn't whine in the car like his brother did. I needed a dog who would be a good travel companion. I brought him home on Christmas Eve. He was the best Christmas gift I'll ever get!

Loyal companion he has been, living with me in:

- two apartments in Waco

- my parents house in Wichita

- Steamboat Springs, CO

- Overland Park, KS

- with my parents, apart from Brian and me, for three months while we lived in Lancaster, PA

- our townhouse in Wichita

- now, our home in Indianapolis

What a trooper! A faithful constant in my life during a decade of change. I love him like crazy (like you couldn't already tell). And now Brian loves him too. :) Happy birthday buddy. I wish you many, many, MANY more.

Happy guy at the Three Dog Bakery down the street.

Birthday treats (he even shared with Annabelle). He got a s'more, in my honor.

funny frights

I am not a huge advocate for Halloween, but this kind of scary I can handle. Enjoy! And Happy Reformation Day! :)

Watch for Taylor Swift, I think she's the funniest!

recent faves

Following, find a few discoveries that I can endorse with enthusiasm!

1. The Shark Steam Pocket Mop

My number one despised household chore used to be mopping. I never felt like the floors got completely clean - most of the time it seemed I was just redistributing dirty water all over the place. Plus I had to push so hard that often I got blisters on my hands.

No more, friends, no more. This so-much-better-than-a-mop appliance first caught my eye when Target ran a great sale on it in the Sunday paper. Brian researched it online and after reading many favorable reviews, he approved the purchase. It was a little bit of an investment - definitely pricier than your average mop. But let me tell you why it is SO worth it.

- It uses steam alone to clean the floors. No solution and no chemicals. I will never have to buy a cleaning product for my floors again.

- It works on any sealed surface: wood, tile, laminate, etc. After you use it, the floors literally squeak they are so clean.

- It includes five microfiber cleaning pads: two rectangle, two triangle (for corners) and one with dusting loops on it. Each one is double-sided and machine washable.

- It's so fast! It heats up in just 30 seconds and you're ready to go. After using, the floors dry almost immediately, leaving no streaks and no footprints if I accidentally walk back over it.

Bottom line: overnight, this gadget turned my most dreaded chore into the one I now anticipate the most. It is simply awesome. (I think Bed Bath & Beyond carries them too... you could get it there with a coupon.)

2. It's a 10

Just might be the cheeziest product name ever, right? Well, this leave-in product can call itself whatever it wants and I will remain a loyal fan. My friend Carrie first told me about it last spring, but I had some other products I wanted to use up first so I just bought my first bottle a couple of weeks ago. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long!

It's named for the 10 things it claims to do, including repairing dry damaged hair, adding shine, smoothing and controlling frizz, detangling, enhancing body. Sound too good to be true? I thought so too. Until I tried it. With hair that is partly curly, partly wavy, partly straight with a little bit of frizz thrown in, I usually have to use a heavy conditioner and several products while styling. I worked up the courage to try the purple bottle solo and, no lie, my hair has never looked better.

Oh, and you can get it at the salon inside of Walmart!

3. Chase Mobile Banking Instant Deposit

This favorite has a couple limitations: you have to bank with Chase and you need to be an iPhone user. If you don't fit that criteria, skip this one.

This has to be one of my favorite apps. It allows me to deposit my checks (up to $1,000 per day) from home. All I have to do is use my phone to take a picture of the front and the back of my check. The deposit goes through immediately!

The other night, I made a deposit at midnight, just because I could. :)

4. The Vidalia Chop Wizard

Ok, I don't actually have this product yet, but it's on my must-get list. You may have seen it on an infomercial. Before your guard goes up, I have actually seen this used in real life by the woman who is hosting my Apples of Gold Bible Study. It REALLY WORKS!

In one whap, you can instantly chop onions or any other vegetable, fruit, cheese, chicken, really anything that can be diced. It comes with several different-sized cutting inserts. It's dishwasher safe. And the container where the chopped pieces fall doubles as a measuring cup. Cool! No more tears when chopping onions! I believe you can find these at BB&B as well.

If you decide to try any of these things (or maybe you discovered them long ago), let me know - you won't be sorry!

drink water to give water

Today, Living Water kicks off a new campaign called 10 days. They've reached out with this challenge: drink only water (no purchased drinks) for 10 days and donate your savings toward clean water wells.

While their primary target is college kids who typically consume multiple beverages per day, it's a good reminder for me to evaluate any little expenditures that I could easily do without! Creative giving opportunities abound if I'll only take the time to think outside the box. A little saved here in the US can make a huge difference on the other side of the globe.

Oh, and my talented little bro shot and edited this piece. :)

24 hrs in houston

Last weekend we were privileged to attend the wedding reception of our good friend, Cody Nath. Brian and I have known this guy since we were five years old (I looked for a kindergarten picture of us together, but I think our parents must have all of them)!

Cody got married this past summer in Grand Cayman. It was a beautiful time for their families to witness, but he and Christine also wanted to throw a party that all of their friends could attend.

Guess who had the honor of designing their invitations?

The reception was so fun! Especially because we got to reconnect with some other dear friends, Steven Reinemund and his lovely wife, Cristina. Although we only went to school with Steven for one year (fifth grade), over the years and the miles, he's remained a very special friend.

Cody and Steven were both in our wedding and Brian was a groomsman in Steven's wedding a few years ago. We feel so blessed by these lifelong friendships God has given us!

We flew down to Houston on Saturday morning and came back on Sunday afternoon. It was a pretty short trip, but we wouldn't have missed it for the world!

This was also the first time we have left the dogs in the care of someone other than family. The brother of a guy in our small group graciously agreed to spend the night and take care of them. I'll admit I was a little nervous to leave, since both dogs tend to suffer a bit of separation anxiety: Stryder's is manifested in upset stomachs and Annabelle's in eating non-edibles. I left two pages of notes (what kind of crazy mother am I going to be??) and I'm happy to report that both of them did just fine!

first date

Look back six years ago tonight, and you'd find two nervous, excited friends driving down country roads toward a corn maze in rural Kansas. A couple of goo-goo-eyed 23-year-olds, completely unaware that in six years, they would be looking back on this date as the night it all began.

Awwww.... :) Read on, it gets better!

Six years ago, I was living in Wichita with my parents and Brian was in his second year of dental school in Kansas City. We had spent a lot of time together the previous summer, and while we both knew there were mutual feelings between us, nothing had officially been verbalized. Several weeks before October 15, B let me know he would be coming to Wichita and asked me to reserve the evening for a mystery date. He showed up that crisp, fall night with handwritten clues I had to solve that would lead us to our destinations.

The first one took us to Barn'rds (Wichita's yummiest sandwiches) for dinner. This may sound like a lame first date but seriously, they have the BEST sandwiches. I was not disappointed by this choice in the slightest, because my gracious date even bought me one of their sugar cookies with orange frosting and a candy corn on top. Is it pathetic that I remember the cookie I ate? :)

The next clues brought us to the Bergmann Family Corn Maze in Haysville, KS. This little country attraction is a fall wonderland. There's a pumpkin patch, hayrack rides, apple cider, popcorn, scary movies playing in the barn and of course, the infamous corn maze.

(For those of you who don't live near corn and have no concept of said maze, visualize 15 acres of corn taller than your head. Walking paths have been strategically cleared throughout it, and you have to find your way from one end to the other. In the dark.)

Thanks to the flashlights Eagle Scout Brian brought for us, we eventually made it safely through the maze, took advantage of some cider and popcorn, and snuggled under a blanket to watch The Ring (scary!) in the barn. No hand holding yet, but I do remember sitting awfully close. And I'm pretty sure I acted more terrified by the movie than I really was, just for the excuse to bury my face in his shoulder.

Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures together at the corn maze, but six years later I can still remember everything so clearly. Autumn time, especially October 15, will forever evoke memories of those sweet early days together. Happy first-date anniversary, B!

I just looked up all of our October 15's together since 2004 - how much can change in a year! Here's a sampling -

2005: 2.5 months out from our wedding, our lives were hectic but the future was bright.

2006: We were living in KC. I was in a job that was killing me. Brian planned a special weekend trip to Big Cedar Lodge in Branson, MO to lift my spirits.

2007: Still living in KC, now working for myself, B had graduated and was in his AEGD program. On the 15th we were once again in Branson to celebrate the wedding of a dear friend.

2008: On Oct. 15, we moved out of our apartment in Lancaster, PA. On Oct. 16, Brian flew to Indianapolis to interview for one of seven spots in their ortho program.

2009: Now living in Indianapolis and B was a first-year ortho resident. Praise the Lord. We hosted new friends in our home for dinner.

2010: We'll be packing our bags and going to bed early, more on this to come!

growing pains

I'm A Good Girl I Am (Annabelle's fancy given name) still has some work to do before she can back her title up with her lifestyle. She's been a bit naughty over the past few weeks. I should have taken pictures along the way, but the one below will have to do.

Uh oh.

Bad girl, Annabelle, B.A.D.!!!!!!!!

It all started when we came home two weeks ago to find only traces (on her dog bed) of a medium sized cardboard box I had left near the front door. The contents, thank goodness, were in tact along with the protective plastic bubbles, but the box itself was nowhere to be found. Annabelle had a tasty cardboard snack that evening.

I came home a few days later to find bits and pieces of our mail strewn across the house. Every day the mailman puts our deliveries through a slot that falls into a box inside our wall, and then we open a little door in the wall to get it out. Well, the mail must have been heavy and fallen through the door onto the floor. Maybe Annabelle thought the envelopes were a predator trying to get into her home? Whatever she thought, she clearly took the victory over our mail that day. And we were left guessing on the totals of a few bills.

A couple of days later I went to Target. As often happens there, I went in for a birthday card and left with a birthday card AND a really cute jacket. I tried it on for Brian and then draped it over the back of a chair in our dining room. The hanging tags were just too much for a little girl dog to resist. The next day I found my coat in the living room, covered in dog hair and lying on top of Annabelle's bed. All of the tags, as well as the plastic bag housing the extra button, had been devoured. Brian convinced me that the button would pass (not that I wanted it back), so I checked her "passings" for days afterward... but I never did find it.

Lastly, the incident pictured above. Why, at nearly 11 months old, is she chewing on wood now? WHY?!?!?!? She has been SO good up until this point. We have no idea what is going through her little brain, except that she's going through some sort of hormonal phase. Or so we hope.

After hearing a terrifying story yesterday from a guy at Brian's school whose 6 mo. old golden died after eating a sock, we finally got out the crate last night. Back to confinement when we leave the house. We HATE putting her in there, but as our parents told us when they disciplined us, so we now tell her: "It hurts us more than it hurts you. We do it because we love you!" :)

a long-awaited visit

Last week, my parents finally came for a visit! We've been trying to schedule a time for them to come ever since we moved, so we'd been looking forward to this for quite a while! My mom had been here once (she helped us moved in), but during that time the house was in disarray and we were using our GPS everywhere we went. We were SO excited to show Mom and Dad around and introduce them to some favorite places that we have discovered during the past year.

Our first morning started out with a bang. Literally. While backing out of the garage, I was blabbing about something and ran the front of my car into the edge of the garage door. Uh oh. Thankfully, the guy who was riding in my backseat is the ultimate fix-it man and the problem was resolved by the end of the day. Seriously, he can fix ANYTHING, even a huge dent and a big white paint smear on the side of a black jeep. And he did it with only a 2x4, some goo gone and a little bit of polish. Thanks, Dad. :)

Some highlights from their trip:

- Our first stop, which was the Fresh Market in our neighborhood. I know it's ridiculous that I take pretty much all of our visitors to a GROCERY STORE, but it's just an amazing place! It's so beautiful and relaxing (sadly, I rarely walk out with a purchase because their prices are pretty high, but it's still fun to look)!

- Bub's Burgers and Ice Cream. Friday night we enjoyed gorgeous weather as we sampled Bub's famous burgers and shakes on their outdoor patio. Mmmhhmmm...

- We spent all day Saturday at Ken Ham's Creation Museum, which is about 2 hours south of Indy. After hearing rave reviews since it opened a few years ago, we had high expectations for our visit. We were not disappointed! From the planetarium to the dinosaur models, to the recreation of the Garden of Eden and Noah's Ark, the museum was filled with top of the line exhibits and fascinating displays that gave glory to God, Creator and Designer of the Universe. We would recommend the museum to anyone (especially families with kids)!

- Ambrosia. Our FAVORITE restaurant in Indy, hands down. Authentic, old country Italian. The type of place where all of the dishes are secret family recipes and made from scratch (even the pasta). Chances are if you have visited us over the past year, we have taken you here. You might notice that our plates in these pictures are practically licked clean.

- Our tour of the Indianapolis Speedway. Coincidentally, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the racetrack that hosts the Indy 500 race every year! We got to drive the 2.5 mile track and visit a museum that houses many of the winning vehicles, some of which date back to the late 1800's! For my sweet Dad who was a bit obsessed with cars in his "BC days" (as he refers to his life before Christ), the museum was a special walk down memory lane. We loved hearing him tell stories from his childhood and provide unique insights into the development of racing cars.

- Riding bikes on the Monon. After hearing about this trail that runs straight through the entire city (with an entry point just a couple blocks from our house), my mom has been DYING to ride a bike on it. She finally got her wish! We were blessed with cool fall temps and spent several hours enjoying a peaceful ride. Now, Mom is on a mission to see that Wichita builds a trail just like it... :)

- BRICS (Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station). Oh wow, this neighborhood ice cream shop is good. It opened just a few months ago in a 100 year old railway station - it's right off the Monon, so close that we can walk to it any time that we want to. All of the ice cream is made in Indiana and it is simply delicious. So delicious that we had to visit twice. :)

- Zionsville (an adorable suburb of Indy). Note to self: don't visit here on a Monday. Everything is closed. Oh well. We have a memory, a very short one, that will make us smile and remind me to always check store hours before making plans.

- Our welcoming committee. Every time we came back to the house, Stryder and Annabelle were at the window, beyond anxious to greet us. As you can imagine, they were spoiled with love and attention by the grandparents. For days after my parents left, the dogs would run down to the guest room in the morning, to check and see if they were there. Awww.

Well, that probably sums up their visit pretty well! Thanks for the great memories, Mom and Dad! Love you!