I'm married!!!!

I was married to my love last weekend on Oct 1st, 2011. A lot of people at the wedding asked if I could put my vows up because they could not hear them at the wedding so enjoy....

Ruth 1:16 states, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God."  Before I met you, Dustin, I knew God but my relationship with Him was weak and stagnant. You have encouraged and challenged me to strengthen and grow my relationship with Christ.  From that moment, I knew you were sent for me and I knew I loved you.

"I love you" means that I accept you for the person that you are and that I do not wish to change you into someone else.  It means that I do not expect perfection from you-- just as you do not expect it from me.  It means that I will love you and stand by you even through the worst of times.  It means loving you when you are in a bad mood or too tired to do the things I want to do.  It means loving you when you're down-- not just when you're fun to be with.  "I love you" means that I know your deepest secrets and do not judge you for them-- asking in return only that you do not judge me for mine.  It means that I care enough to fight for what we have and that I love you enough to not let go.  It means thinking of you, dreaming of you, wanting and needing you constantly, and knowing that you feel the same way for me.

Dustin, I promise to be your helper while you lead our family down the path God has laid out for us.  I promise to challenge you, support you, learn from you, and encourage you every step of the way.

Dustin, I promise not only to be a good and faithful wife to you, but also a patient, loving step mother to Rylee, Jacob, and Bethany; caring for them and providing for them to the best of my ability. I promise to be their strength and their emotional support, loving each and every one of you with all my heart. Where you go, I'll go, and where you stay, I'll stay.

I stink...

... at writing more than twice a year! Haha.. I have been soooo busy. I thought once school was out for the summer, my life would slow down a little but that is soooooo not the case. In its place I have a new job, mini vacays, friends to visit, family to fit in, and Dustin and the kids. I do love my life right now though. Among all of the other craziness, I have been trying to find time for the gym. I was doing pretty well up until about 2 wks ago when I hurt my knee. Turns out I have a Baker's Cyst in the back of my knee that causes pain and swelling. Good news is no surgery; Bad news is it can reoccur.  This can't keep me down though. I really want to lose this last 30 lbs that I have been talking about for 5 yrs now.

Even now typing that makes me feel like a HUGE failure.  The good news with failure though is that it forces you to learn new things. For instance, I know that I have a problem sticking with a weight loss/gym program for longer than 3 wks.  I like team sports more than lifting weights solo (BORING!).  In my photography, it took me wishing I had more opportunity for growth to finally get my website up and going and I have business cards now. I have a feeling my photo business will be on hold for a while with everything else going on in my life but I think this is an opportunity for me to perfect my skills and establish my art and style. 

I don't know if you have noticed with just the few words I have written thus far but I am also trying a new thing... well maybe it's not a new thing for me but I am bringing back the power of positivity. I am finding at least one good thing in every situation.  I call it "Look at the bright side."  I think this is hugely important because now that I am spending so much time with Dustin and his three kids, I am very aware of the effect of my words and actions.  I like to observe them and wonder where in the world did they hear that or see that exemplified. 

Just the other night, Dustin's two youngest were outside playing with him and I was relaxing on the couch with his oldest daughter, Rylee. She got up all of a sudden and said she wanted to go outside too and went to get her shoes. When she came back down and was putting them on she said, " Meggie, you know how you said your sister is your best friend? Well, I have decided you were right that sisters should be best friends." And then she told me her and her sister started laughing together the other night for no reason at all and it was so fun :)

This got me to thinking at how much I tell them intentionally and how much they get from just observing my actions and unintentional words.  My motto has always been, Live with intention but until I had those  little eyes on me all the time did I ever think how vitally important that actually is. So now I have been trying to voice a "bright side" to every situation. It has been working to decrease my own negativity too and has been helping me to take a step back and think before I react.

I am not perfect and still fall to quick irrational reactions but I am getting better:)

I Won't Let You Go

I love this new song by Rascal Flatts...

Rascal Flatts – I Won’t Let Go Lyrics

It’s like a storm
That cuts a path
It’s breaks your will
It feels like that

You think your lost
But your not lost on your own
Your not alone
I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
If you can’t cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I wont let go

 

It hurts my heart
To see you cry
I know it’s dark
This part of life
Oh it finds us all
And we’re too small
To stop the rain
Oh but when it rains

I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
And you can’t cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight

And I wont let you fall
Don’t be afraid to fall
I’m right here to catch you
I wont let you down
It wont get you down
Your gonna make it
Yea I know you can make it

 

Cause I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
And you can’t cope
And I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I wont let go
Oh I’m gonna hold you
And I wont let go
Wont let you go
No I wont