Bosom-Buddy Guest Post #4

hello friends of mrs. robinson! i am so excited to be here today while she is on vacation! lucky her.. huh? definitely makes me excited for my vacation - but i have to wait until december. i've never wanted to rush winter - but with the combination of this drought and extreme heat warnings.. winter is looking pretty wonderful right now!

i should probably introduce myself a little bit.. :) 

my name is jennifer and i am the author of one43. i like to describe myself as this.. 

i have a passion for christ. relationships are my hobby. i'm a coffee addict. happily married to my best friend. i love to be creative in every aspect of life.

here are some photos of me and my best friend/partner in life!

 

my faith is so important to me. something i'm continuing to grow in and always up for openly talking about with others! :) today i wanted to talk about something that i struggle with.. something that i consider to be one of my weaknesses. my desire to is be real. to be open, honest and genuine with all my readers. so here it is - grab a cup of coffee, tea, soda, water.. or whatever your beverage choice is and let's talk about women who pray!

what does it mean to be a woman of prayer? what is the importance of a prayerful woman? how does one become a woman of prayer? 

these are questions i ask myself daily.. prayer is one of my biggest struggles as a Christ follower, a wife and a sister in Christ.

when it comes to reading, memorizing, and studying the word - it comes naturally for me. i don't know why.. that's just something i have always enjoyed. i love journaling and keeping notes of the things i study. those are my 'strong points' if you want to call them that.

but prayer.. i need more of. well - i could always read, memorize and study the scriptures more as well.. but i long to have a strong prayer life.

have you ever heard of [#shereadstruth]? well it's awesome - so you should check it out! right now we're studying... yes you guessed it! prayer! i am enjoying it too! i have challenged myself to study prayer, and then journal about what types of prayer there is.. what these prayers look like. and then i.. of course, pray!

i don't have all the answers to the questions above.. but so the Lord has been putting on my heart is that there is so much power of a praying woman. 

as women of prayer we can come together in as the body of Christ and seek Jesus. we can be prayer warriors for our husbands, children and loved ones. i am married.. and one of the best things i can do is pray over and pray for my husband. according to scripture, husbands are to be the head of the household, with that there is a lot of attacks on them to provide, minister, lead and support us and our families. as women, we have a special role in life. we were created to care, love, comfort and be in relationships. we can experience what it means to sit at the feet of Jesus like mary did. my husband listens to a lot of christian hip-hop. i really don't know how else to explain it.. it's the most powerful lyrics i've heard ever put into a song. and every song is like that! i mean.. these people have theology, scripture, doctrine in their lyrics. it's awesome! anyways.. the reason i bring this up is because one of their songs is called L.A.D.I.E.S and the chorus goes like this..

'Jesus did walk with women in a special way,

this is odd for men in the first century,

look at God callin' women to the ministry,

Jesus did walk with the ladies...' 

if you're interested.. you can hear the entire song [here] the song is by da T.R.U.T.H feat. flame. some other hip-hop artists can be found [here], [here], and [here].

so ladies - we are needed! our conversations with Jesus ARE important! so how do we do this..? i have started by just praying.. praying for the Lord to use me, to open my heart, to grow my desire for prayer. i pray for the Lord to reveal himself to me and to speak to me. sometimes my prayers involve just listening instead of always asking. it's a temptation to just ask, ask, ask and for me to talk the entire time - what i also need to do is just sit and be in his presence. to listen to what he wants to speak to me and show me. 

as you can see.. prayer is needed. and a praying women is also needed. let's continue to come together to pray and grow in community to help build those up around us through the mighty hand and power of Jesus!!

so there is my heart - if you want to see some of my diy projects, cooking recipes, faith stories or photos from awesome adventures - head over to my blog and check them out!

How awesome is she, y'all?!  You know I'm a sucker for women are just real about their issues, and honestly, she spoke RIGHT to me because I don't pray nearly as much as I should.  It's always easier to pray during the hard times or when we need something - it's not so easy to remember to pray when everything is bouncing along perfectly.  So, thanks, Jennifer, for sharing your heart and reminding us all to make more of an effort to pray.  :) 

Bosom-Buddy Guest Post # 3

While I'm on vacation in Mexico, I'm leaving you in the trusted hands of my July Bosom-Buddies.  I only accepted 6 Bosom-Buddies this month in hopes of really promoting them and their blogs, because they deserve it oh so much.  While I'm all vacation, you'll hear from every single one of my July Bosom-Buddies! I asked them to write about something was "typical" of them so that you'd know what you're getting into by following them.  I hope y'all enjoy their posts & make some new friends while I'm away!  ***

Hey there fellow New Wife Life (try saying that 10X fast) readers!

 My name is Elise and I blog over and Forever Changed. 

I’m a pretty ordinary girl, I often refer to myself as Plain Jane, 

but despite that I believe I have an extraordinary purpose perfectly designed by God.

So let me tell you a little bit about myself and overload you with pictures, 

because lets be honest, pictures make everything more enjoyable. 

I come from an amazing family that consists of a dad, mom, older sister, 

brother-in-law, and younger brother. 

I have a best friend who without I would probably be lost 

I have the sweetest dog in the world

I run, for fun (and enjoy a good a rhyme ever once in awhile)  

I enjoy eating...

A lot...

Chocolate chip cookies are my weakness

I love Christmas 

More so than any sane person

And at the rip old age of 21 I have a bucket list that I take pretty seriously.

Some of my latest accomplishments consist of parasailing

Completing a Mud Run

And a Sprint Triathlon 

Riding a horse and buggy through Central Park 

Going skydiving

Bungee jumping

White water rafting class 5 rapids

And moving to Rwanda Africa to work in an orphanage.

December 27^th 2011 I went on my first mission’s trip to Rwanda and Ethiopia. 

On New Years Eve we visited an orphanage called Noel with over five hundred children and only eighty-seven nannies to care for them.

 New Years Day I made my decision to move to Rwanda and four months later I did just that. 

I have now been in Rwanda for almost two months.

These two months have been filled with smiles, laughter, new friendships, new adventures

As well as tears, frustration, anger, confusion and questioning.

But I wouldn’t trade these two months for anything in the world 

because this is where God has called me to serve 

And no matter the circumstance or consequences

 I will always seek to be obedient and follow Him wherever He asks. 

Forever Changed is my way of documenting this crazy journey that is my life. If you are interested in joining me on this adventure head on over to my blog, I would love to have you! 

Oh but before I go I think I should probably do a giveaway since ya'll are so awesome. 

Please excuse the ugly picture. 

I got food poisoning recently and couldn't manage to get up and take a good picture

No.41 provides skills, training and sustainable income to orphaned young women in Gisenyi, Rwanda as they get on their feet and transition to independence. The proceeds from their bags and beads will also fund a school-feeding program for secondary school students in the area. 

And conveniently is run out of my house and founded by my roommate Tara Clapper. 

So today I would like to offer you a chance to win a beautiful clutch made by one of the amazing 31 women that are currently employed by No.41.


REQUIRED ENTRIES:


+1  Like No.41 on Facebook, and leave a comment on this post saying you've done so.
+  Follow Forever Changed via GFC or Bloglovin', and leave a comment on this post saying you've done so.


ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:
+  Follow Elise on Twitter, and leave a comment on this post saying you've done so.
+ Follow Elise on Instagram, and leave a comment on this post saying you've done so.
+  Donate to Ten Talents International to help support mission work in Africa, and leave a comment on this post saying you've done so (you don't have to say how much).
+  Tweet about this post & tag @MyNewWifeLife and @e_coop57, and leave a comment on this post saying you've done so.


The giveaway ends July 28th at midnight!  


Thanks!  Love, Elise :)


Wow.  I certainly hope all of you go check out Elise's blog, and not just click "follow" because she's hosting a giveaway.  This girl has such a huge heart for others and she's an inspiration to anyone who is hesitant to follow God's call.  This is the first giveaway ever hosted on this here blog, so I hope lots of you are able to participate and support this wonderful cause and this wonderful woman!  =)    

 

Bosom-Buddy Guest Post #2

While I'm on vacation in Mexico, I'm leaving you in the trusted hands of my July Bosom-Buddies.  I only accepted 6 Bosom-Buddies this month in hopes of really promoting them and their blogs, because they deserve it oh so much.  While I'm all vacation, you'll hear from every single one of my July Bosom-Buddies! I asked them to write about something was "typical" of them so that you'd know what you're getting into by following them.  I hope y'all enjoy their posts & make some new friends while I'm away! 
Also, I'm being featured on Brittany's blog today!  Make sure to check it out here!
*************

  Something amazing happened to me today, March 27th 2012. I need to share it. I feel at peace. A different kind of peace than I've ever felt in my life. I've never really had a relationship with God. I've never sat down and talked to Him about myself, my life, or my troubles. Sure, I pray when OTHER people need Him. But never when *I* need him. Since 2007, my life has definitely been a tumultuous roller coaster ride. I was with a guy for 4 years that destroyed every piece of me he possibly could. He destroyed my self-esteem. My relationships. Everything. The past 2 years, I've been in a really emotionally charged, complicated, relationship. And you can't even really call it that. I've made mistakes. I'm not proud of them. My mind has been swimming recently with all that I've experienced. All the failed relationships. The failed friendships. The tears. The heartache. The need and want just to be loved. 100%. No strings attached.

So today, more-so than any other day, I turned it all over to God. And the peace.. that sweet peace, that washed over me once I'd given it all over to Him, is something that I'll never forget. My mind is no longer swimming with how to make people love me. My mind is no longer swimming with how to fix things that are wrong with my life. My mind is no longer swimming with the concern that I'll never be good enough to find my prince charming. I've given it all to Him. He will lead me now. And, I think that is the one piece of my life that I have always been missing.

I find myself in friendships or relationships that do nothing but tear me down. I find myself struggling with so much depression on how to fix the friendships that have gone so terribly wrong. Or how to fix a relationship that is at this point, absolutely lost and not what I need in my life. He has been pulling me to Him more so than I could've ever imagined. I can't help but find myself thankful for the situations and hardships that have lead me to begin this new journey of discovery.

The majority of my life, my friends shoved religion down my throat. Getting mad at me for not following their rules. For not going to bible study or church with them... essentially shunning me. They failed to realize that each person finds God in their own ways. I am not someone that gives into things just because others want me to, ESPECIALLY such a close, personal relationship with God. I am not a perfect woman. I will never be a perfect woman, nor will I ever live a perfect, sin-free life. But finally, at the age of 25, I have realized that the only way to continue to live my life, is to have a relationship with the one who ultimately created me.

The changes going on inside of me are humbling. I feel like I'm rediscovering, or newly discovering, parts of me that have been long gone, or that I never knew existed. I've spent many, many years fighting with myself. Picking apart the pieces of me that I felt were wrong, or ugly. I've spent many many years carrying baggage and heartaches... wondering why I've never been good enough, strong enough, pretty enough. But here, now, in this moment.. I realize that I've ALWAYS been good enough, strong enough, pretty enough... in His eyes. I will never be a perfect woman and I certainly haven't lead a perfect life, nor will I.. But in His eyes, I will always be perfect. And amazing. And I need to grow in my relationship with Him, before I can grow in my personal relationships. He has been hitting me with hurricane force lately, with the situations I've found myself in. He has been talking to me... even when I wasn't listening.

I am humble on my knees tonight.
I have found the piece of me that was missing. Not a man. Or a best friend. Or food. Or a car.
God. and only Him.
It only took 25 years.   *************I absolutely adore Miss Desiree!  I hope you've learned a little about her and her sweet soul.  Go check her out and let her keep you company while I'm away.  :)  And more importantly, offer her some encouragement.  If you're a Christian, you know how hard it can be when you're first starting out & you know how much she'd love some extra kind words.  Have a great day!! 
~ Desiree's Blog~ And don't forget to check out my guest post!

Bosom-Buddy Guest Post #1

While I'm on vacation in Mexico, I'm leaving you in the trusted hands of my July Bosom-Buddies.  I only accepted 6 Bosom-Buddies this month in hopes of really promoting them and their blogs, because they deserve it oh so much.  While I'm all vacation, you'll hear from every single one of my July Bosom-Buddies! I asked them to write about something was "typical" of them so that you'd know what you're getting into by following them.  I hope y'all enjoy their posts & make some new friends while I'm away!  

*************

Hello fabulous readers of Mrs. Robinson’s blog! My name is Lauren and I blog over at the merry mrs. mobley. I am honored, and oh so thrilled, to be here sharing a bit about myself at The New Wife Life!

 My sweet hubby and I have been married a little over two years, which I think takes us out of the “newlywed” category. Too bad because it still feels like we’re in the honeymoon stages of life:-) No kiddoes yet, but we do have a precious furbaby named Daisy who might as well be our child. Want to talk about attachment issues? You should meet the princess.

I am here today to talk to you about the importance of dates. Let me guess what you’re thinking, “Huh? Aren’t you already married?”. Why, yes, we are already married, but that’s why it is all the more important to go on dates with your spouse! When you start a new relationship you go on all sorts of dates to get to know the person; why does that have to stop when you get married? Far too often we allow outside stressors to enter our marriage and disrupt the flow of things. We allow ourselves to become too comfortable in our marriage, which in turn causes problems. Don’t get me wrong, comfort can be a great thing, but being too comfortable can have the exact opposite affect and act as a poison to your relationship. Instead of dipping into a rut, pursue your partner through dates!

David and I are HUGE proponents of date nights. Even though we don't have kids yet, there are still things that keep us busy (work, church responsibilities, volunteering, the list goes on and on!). Carving out that time once a week helps us continue to learn things about each other and get away from the day-to-day stressors that have the potential to bring us down. People never stop growing and changing, so why not make the effort to get to know them as that happens? Ask them questions, try something new, just get out of your comfort zone! I love knowing that I get to grow and change with my studly husband, and I am excited to get to learn these things as they happen.

Your dates don’t have to be anything fancy schamncy at the most recent hit restaurant. They can be so simple as turning off all technology and watching a movie together or a picnic and movie in the park. Here are some of our favorites:

• Breakfast dates: Panera Bread and Crack-o Barr-o (or Cracker Barrel for those of you over 4 years old) are two of our favorites. Breakfast is often cheaper than lunch or dinner and can be just as yummy!
• Fro-yo and the mall: Living as close as we do to the mall this happens quite often. Not to mention, with my sweet tooth dessert is a must!
• Dinner and a movie: an oldie, but a goodie. And, with Living Social and Groupon you can often get dinner at an uber discounted price! Try Restaurant.com for other good restaurant choices. 
• Pizza, beer, and a movie: You don't even have to leave the house for this one! Take it from a run-of-the-mill evening to a special night by turning off all phones and computers and just being. It can be just as wonderful as going out, I promise.
• Do you have a local brewery or winery close by? What about taking a discounted tour on a weeknight? A lot of times you can try some new brews by going on an off-night!
• Summer is a great time for movies or music in the park. Lots of local places have music and movies playing in the evenings. Grab your picnic basket and blanket and find a spot!

Everyone’s idea of date night can be different, but as long as you are making time for your spouse you are on the right track. I know this can often be difficult with budgets (I'm a babysitter, I know how much that can cost!) and schedules, but it's important to show your spouse that they are worth the effort. What kinds of things do y'all do on your date nights??

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

-Ephesians 5:21

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Thanks, Lauren, for all the great tips!  Mr. Robinson and I are not too great at remembering to plan for date night - but we'll have to keep in mind some of your suggestions.  :)  

The Pack-Rat In Me

I came across two articles today that I thought were fun & informative.  Obviously, I had to share.  =)   
(source) & (source)
10 Grown-Up Things Every Woman Needs In Her Home
1.  Frames for your posters turn tacky memorabilia into art.2.  All of the necessary props for a sophisticated dinner party.3.  A living plant to show off your responsible & nurturing side.4.  A comfortable, beautiful, and matching sheet set.5.  A tool kit.6.  A decent sound system to help set the mood.7.  All of the ingredients and utensils needed to make your favorite cocktail.    8. Some art that you love, even if it's inexpensive.9.  Curtains to help pull the room together.10.  Mirrors and lighting that make you look and feel fabulous.  

10 Things Every Woman Needs To Throw Away
1.  Memorabilia and physical reminders of past relationships.2.  Makeup that is any older than 6-months, because it can spread germs. (Ew!)3.  Painful shoes.4.  Clothes that are too small for you - if and when you reach your goal weight, you'll want to go shopping anyway!5.  Old greeting cards from ex-friends or people who aren't all that important to you anymore.6.  Dorm room dishes have got to go.7.  Junk mail, magazines, and fliers that just pile up on the counter.8.  Old bra's and panties that are stained/worn/stretched.9.  Old cell phones, iPods, etc.  Why keep them?  10.  Books you'll never read again, especially your old text books.  

If you check out the articles themselves, you'll get a good laugh out of the explanations provided for each item.  I thoroughly enjoyed all of these points, and have added some new items to my to-do list!  :)  

Things To Do / Buy:
- Frame stuff.  Mr. R and I are so bad about this!  We own several things that we keep saying we're going to get framed, yet we haven't done it yet.  We have some certificates we'd like to frame, some different pieces of art....  Maybe apartment-living will force us to get our ducks in a row, or throw the ducks out.  Poor little ducks.  
- Buy a live plant.  It's crazy that this was on the list, because I was thinking the other day about how I would like to buy a plant for our apartment.  We currently live in the woods, and I know all four of us will miss nature.  Having a plant would help counteract the concrete-jungle effect.  :)  I just hope our two little critters don't mistake the house-plant for a house-tree and pee on it.
- Get some pretty curtains.  I have fabric.  I have a sewing machine.  I need to buy some clear thread or something, and make us some dag-um curtains.  :)  
- Throw out old memorabilia.  Not just ex-boyfriend stuff, but tons of old "junk" that the pack-rat inside me won't let go.  Yeesh.  I have BOXES in the attic of ex-boyfriend stuff from high school, that I've kept just because I thought it would be funny if I can read the dumb little love notes in my 40's or something.  Seriously?  I hope I have better things to do when I'm 40.  I need to just throw it out, even though reading all that stuff would be pretty entertaining, I'm sure.   This includes old book bags, college books, piggy banks, etc.  
- Throw out old make-up.  Why do I struggle with this so much?  I just can't seem to grasp the fact that if I haven't used up all of my  bright purple or lime green eye-shadow by now, I'm probably not going to...EVER.  When I'm going through old make-up and old-jewelry, I literally wonder what I'll do or where if I'm ever invited to an 80's theme party.  I'll have to buy all new make-up and accessories!  I'm out of control.  I've got to get rid of some of these tacky things and stop holding onto them "just in case" the Backstreet Boys invite me to a secret, slightly retro concert.  Get real, Mrs. Robinson.  
- Get rid of clothes that are too small and stop carrying them around.  Can I do this?  I don't even know.  Getting rid of them means I'm never going to lose weight, right?  I spent SO MUCH MONEY on clothes, and have the bad credit rating to prove it, so why should I throw out the only concrete reminder of that?  Oh....right....because it was a dark time in my life that I don't need concrete reminders of, perhaps.  Duh.  But, no, seriously?  I love my pretty clothes, even if they don't fit.  I should totally get rid of them, right?  But I can't.  But I should... 
- Throw out old technology devices.  I horde old laptops that I can't remember the passwords to, and cracked-out cell phones because I want to keep the pictures.  
- Give away old books.  I'm an English-nerd, guilty as charged.  I still have the Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen mystery books that are seriously packed up & ready to go to Charlotte right now.  I should probably get rid of them because I will never, ever read them again.  
What is wrong with me?!  Haha!  
What do you need to throw away?   

3 Ways Slumber Parties Prepared Me For Marriage

Sounds interesting, doesn't it?  ;)  

Y'all just have to go over to sweet Alison's blog to read the post, though!  And make sure you snoop around and learn more about the SoKool's while you're there, because they're awesome.  

So...if you want to know 3 ways slumber parties prepared me for marriage, you should click here.

Mr. Robinson's Favorite Meal

Today, you can find me over at Lo-Mo's blog, the merry mrs. mobley to share my husband's favorite meal. He's a picky eater who likes to feast upon cheese pizza, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, fruit snacks, and Kraft mac & cheese. Go visit Lauren's blog to get the recipe for his all-time favorite meal I cook for him...& make sure to snoop around here blog while you're there.  You'll love her sweet, genuine writing style!  

Happy Saturday! 

Funny How Melody Sounds Like a Memory

Isn't it funny how little things can just send you back in time?  

As you know, we're moving in less than a month - and with a month as busy as ours, we're packing little by little.  Yesterday after work, my mom came over to our house before VBS started.  We went into the master bedroom and I started to sort through a drawer while we talked.  Our new apartment is going to smaller than any place we've ever lived, so I'm trying to defy my pack-rat tendencies and keep only the really important things.  I came across my first iPhone, and plugged it up to charge while we went to VBS.    
I've been finding things in this phone that make me remember a girl I barely recognize now.  I thought I'd share some of my findings with y'all today.  :)  
The Music
I love Eric Church's new song "Springsteen."  If you aren't familiar with the song, the title of this post is also one of the lyrics, and it rings true for me.  There are so many songs that I associate with certain memories or certain periods in my life, and hearing those songs can send me back in time.  On my old iPhone, I found the music of my wilder days.  
Airplanes by B.o.B. reminds me of a house party my old roommate and I threw.  The party had it all - drinking games in the living room, people mixing & taking shots in the kitchen, beer pong on the back porch, a fire pit in the back yard, and boys playing acoustic guitar in a circle of people passing around pot.  I once regarded that party as the best night of my life, and now... it all seems so silly...
All for You by Sister Hazel reminds me of my freshman year of college. I hated the all-girls school I had chosen that was 2 hours away from my family.  Sister Hazel played a concert at the campus one night, and I bumped into them in the stair way.  It was the highlight of the most horrible year of my life thus far.  
Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy takes me back to the only real heartbreak I've ever experienced.  I was in love with a guy who was incapable of loving me back.  He suffered some extreme emotional and mental issues - half the time he loved me and we were great together, but the other half of the time he felt empty inside and couldn't feel anything toward me.  I thought he was "the one" but when he told me he had purchased an engagement ring, I begged him not to ask me to marry him because I knew I couldn't say yes.  Following our break-up, this song filled the silence.
Beast of Burden by The Rolling Stones makes me think of a carefree time in my life where all I did was skip class and smoke pot with my best friends.  We would lay in the grass and listen to this song, ride around with the windows down and our sunglasses on while listening to this song, and we had not a care in the world.  
Bubble Toes by Jack Johnson takes me back to evenings spent alone listening to my (then) favorites - Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Bob Marley...   
DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again by Usher reminds me of the time I dated a bartender who was 10 years (to the day) my senior, who worked at a club.  He would get me in for free and at that time in my life, I thought a guy who could serve me free drinks was all I'd ever need.  He would work the bar, and I would dance to this song and hang out with my friends.   
The Pictures
Zombie's "baby pictures" are on this phone.  He weighed about 3 pounds and had permanently floppy ears that made me swoon.   I have a video of me getting my anti-tragus pierced in the back of a thrift store in Charlotte with my then-roommate.  There are before & after pictures of a tattoo I had redone.  Zombie's first time being thrown into the river is recorded.  I took a picture of my first bowl that I bought in Columbia once I started smoking pot heavily.  Pictures of me as a brunette pepper pictures of Zombie doing a variety of cute things.  Several pictures from a vacation to Mexico with my family & then-bff are on the phone.  I have lots of pictures of tiny moments in time that now don't mean anything, but at the time...they meant everything.  There is a video of the second time I tripped on Salvia.  There are pictures of food, pictures of friends, pictures of myself, pictures of the seasons changing.... 
The Conversations
The two-year-old text messages are probably my favorite, but there are also some that weren't much fun to read.  I got to relive the emotions following two break-ups, and I also got to relive falling in love with Mr. Robinson.  :)  Since I never throw away anything, including text messages, I have records of Mr. Robinson asking me to give him a chance to make me happy.  I have records of me begging him not to hurt me, and him promising to never leave.  There is a different tone to our text messages, but it makes me swoon.  :)  
What takes you back in time?  Do you recognize the person you've become when she stands next to the person you once were?  

7 Hectic Little Things

So, we made a huge life decision recently, and it changed everything pretty quickly.  Honestly, it suits us to make a huge decisions on a whim.  I love the spontaneity of this particular adventure, and it mirrors other decisions we made together - decisions liked getting married, taking vacations, or quitting jobs.  Perhaps we're starting to establish a pattern.  Perhaps God created us both to need a new adventure from time to time because He knew that we one day be involved in ministry, and our life may never be stable or permanently settled.  We will experience one adventure after another, and it's amazing to think about how perfectly a lifestyle I was terrified of really fits us and our personalities.  Mr. Robinson and I were both starting to feel a little restless here, and thought buying a home might be the answer.  We contacted a Real Estate Agent and looked at several homes, but nothing seemed to fit.  Moving to Charlotte for Mr. Robinson to attend seminary fits.  We're moving in less than a month and while we couldn't be more excited to start this new adventure, a big move like this brings lots of other emotions to the surface, as well.  We have so much to do in a short period of time, and we're trying to get everything accomplish while cramming as much life into these next few weeks as possible.  Both of us want to savor our last month in this place we love and spend borderline excessive amounts of time with people we'll be sad to leave.  Needless to say, our life is hectic right now due to several little things.           

  Little Thing #1

The air conditioner units in our house broke over the weekend - both the downstairs and upstairs units.  We were going to try and make do, but when the ceiling fan in our bedroom stopped working we went to stay with my parents at their river house.  This meant that we weren't able to pack or work at the house for two days, which is frustrating when our to-do list seems miles long.  However, it worked out great because we were able to spend some extra time with them.  Mr. Robinson played PS3 and jumped in the river, so he was happy.  I loved having morning coffee with my parents on their front porch, as it reminds me of the summer before our wedding.  I lived with my parents for a few months, and every morning we had coffee together by the river.  It was fun to step back in time like that, so we didn't really mind that our air conditioner was broken for a few days.  :)
Little Thing #2

Every night this week, my mom & I are teaching the 2 and 3 year old VBS class at church, and VBS starts at 6.  I work until 5, so I get next to NO down time, which tends to make me a little grumpy.  Saturday, we'll take VBS to the projects in town and cram it all into one day.  Did I mention that I'm just not a kid person?  Being around children just causes me stress, and VBS reaffirmed that God didn't give me the talents required to teach or work with children.  Meanwhile, Mr. Robinson has been getting some work done around the house, but he is sort of at a loss for what to do without me there to help.  He's not one that's able to look at a situation and determine on his own what needs to be done, and I'm too busy this week to really work on packing or cleaning... so not much is getting done.  I come home at 9:00 at night exhausted and utterly frazzled, and this week is just dragging by.
Little Thing #3
Next week, my husband is going to Atlanta with my dad and some guys from church.  They're going to see a baseball game and will be gone for two days.  These plans have been in the works for while, and I'm glad my husband and my daddy will get to spend some quality time together before we leave.  It warms my heart to see the two of them loving each other.  I just hope Mr. Robinson doesn't spend too much money while he's away, haha!  The upside is that my husband will be gone for one full night, and I'll hopefully get a chance to get a lot of work done at the house!  :)  But I'll miss him terribly... 
Little Thing #4

Since Daddy is going to Atlanta, my last day working with him will be July 17th...next Tuesday.  That makes me sad.  Even thought we don't spend quality time together at work or engage in long, meaningful conversations daily...I do get to see my Daddy every day.  I'll miss working with him...I'll miss just knowing he is always in the next room.  My last day of work is July 19th, which is a Thursday.  Thursday's are the one day a week my mom comes to work to help with payroll, and I go out to the lunch with her and my dad.  It's our special, weekly date and I'll miss it terribly.  I love chatting with them about what's going on in life, at church, or at work.  I love the added face time we get by just having lunch together.  Sometimes my sister comes with us, and it's just...it's like the old days.  Not to mention that my dad's parents live right across the street and are always in and out of the office.  Being at work means being surrounded by family...and leaving my job means leaving all of that.  It means leaving the life I'd always planned on having.  It's hard to pretend like all of this doesn't hurt my heart ... but it's a little easier if I just don't think about it.    
Little Thing #5
We leave for Mexico on July 21st, and return home on July 28th.  I've vacationed in Mexico several times, and it's probably my favorite place in the world thus far.  I love the culture, the weather, the scenery, and especially the authentic food.  Not to mention that it's a full week to spend not working & with my husband + my parents + my sister (and her friend).  I'm SO excited to travel... but, it's another 7 days we won't be home packing.   
Little Thing #6

  Speaking of packing... we have a lot of packing to do, in case I haven't mentioned that minor detail.  When I say we have lots of packing to do, I mean that we currently live in a huge house and we're moving into an apartment (pictured above) that could almost fit inside our back porch.  We have to sort, downsize, and pack and we have a million "little things" going on right now that are taking up our time.    
Little Thing #7
Mr. Robinson's first day of school is July 30th, and he'll have to go stay with a host family until we can move into our apartment on August 2nd.  I'll stay behind and work on washing clothes and finished up packing, before taking a car load of things up to Charlotte on the 2nd.  We'll sign the lease, and then move all the big furniture stuff over the weekend.
Busy, Busy, Busy. 
And I just want to soak up every little moment until we have to leave.  I want to appreciate everything about this place - I want to smell the grass the men are cutting outside; I want to notice the smile lines on my grandma's face; I want to know drag my fingers through the dust on my daddy's desk; I want to feel the sounds of a truck backing into the loading dock; I want to smile at every stranger who waves to me; I want to burn the images of every field of corn and tobacco into my brain; I just want to be here before I can't anymore.  

I've left here before, obviously.  I haven't only lived in this tiny little corner of the world, but the circumstances under which I moved were different.  Last time I left "home" it was because I didn't want to be here anymore.  But "the plan" was to be here for the rest of our lives ... and we could do that and be perfectly happy.  But God has a plan for us better than anything we could ever imagine - and we want to experience it.  We want to be obedient.  
Anyway...I'm sure you can sort of see what life is like for us right now.  It's hectic and there are so many different emotions.  We are excited about the move and about our new adventure.  Thanks to everyone who has offered us love & support during this hectic little time.  :)  I hope to get back to blogging regularly soon!