Mar 28, 2014

Five on Friday!

-ONE- 
Sunday night I made my new chalkboard art! I am not the best at writing pretty yet but I am getting closer!
I really loved this verse and love even more that it mentions spring! 
Can't wait for that warm weather!

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-TWO- 
We haven't had salt and pepper shakers since we have been married so when I saw these little babes I just had to get them. Target... enough said.

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-THREE- 
On Wednesday I had a much needed retreat day. I work at a church in the town that we live in and one of the requirements of everyone that works there is to take a retreat day once a month. Basically it is a paid day where you take time away from work to spend in prayer, reading the word, taking walks, napping or whatever you need to do so you feel refreshed and close to the Lord. How cool is that?!! I think every place of work should require that! It makes me really appreciate our pastor and his mindset behind it. 


As you can probably tell I spent a lot of time at Panera that day reading and praying. I also spent a little time creating this print.

 I love the song Oceans by Hillsong and this is my favorite version! 


-FOUR- 
On Wednesday Jordan and I had our date night and we decided to go to the Muppet movie! Well, we were the ONLY ONES IN THE THEATER!!! It was pretty amazing! That has never happened for me before and I loved that we were able to laugh as loud as we wanted without worrying about disrupting other people. It was like we had our own private theater. 

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-FIVE- 
Weekend!! That means crafts, sleeping in, finally warmer weather, and time with friends! 


Have a beautiful day friends! 

Love,

             Lindsey

Mar 27, 2014

The Proposal!


This is the story of how my amazing husband Jordan proposed to me!
You know what is really fun? This is him telling the story!  

So here you go...

J+L
Proposal
August 22, 2012



(Jordan writing)
Lindsey loves me, and since she knows I love baseball, she wants to love baseball too. So at the beginning of the summer of 2012, we started playing catch in the backyard to try and subsequently teach Lindsey about baseball and spend some quality time together. Twinning.
In yet another demonstration of her quality as a woman, Lindsey requested a trip to the baseball mecca of the Field of Dreams, before the conclusion of the summer.  I had known for a while that I wanted to propose to Lindsey before the summer was over, and a trip to the Field of Dreams provided the perfect location and opportunity, so I hatched a plan to surprise Lindsey.
With the ring safely hidden in my pocket, I stood with my back to the corn at the Field of Dreams, as Lindsey and I played catch. At some point I knew that Lindsey, like other beginning baseballers, would make an off-target throw and that the baseball would end up in the corn. Sure enough, on her 3rd throw, the ball sailed out of her hand, waaaaay over my head, and deep into the cornfield. Perfect :). I entered the corn, rustled around for a bit (making a good show of pretending like I was looking for the baseball), and then called Lindsey over to help me look for the ball. When she got close to the field I emerged, ring in hand, and said, "I couldn't find the ball, but I did find this," got down on a knee, told Lindsey I loved her, and asked her to marry me.

She said yes :)

Here is the video for our proposal! 







(Lindsey writing) 
This was definitely one of the best days of my life. It was a beautiful day and Jordan and I got to spend time with some friends and family for a while and then we went on a day trip to Galena, Illinois. (Our special place) We spent the rest of the day talking, hugging, crying, calling people and just spending time together! It was amazing! 
Thanks for following along! 

Love,

             Lindsey



Mar 21, 2014

Five on Friday!

Good morning to all!! 
I just want to first say how much I have loved the blogging community. There are so many amazing and encouraging women that I have "met" through blogging and I feel so blessed and thankful for that! 

-ONE- 
SPRING! SPRING! SPRING!! 
Even though it is still not very warm here in the Midwest I am still excited that it is officially spring! Heard some birds chirping this morning and that just made me giddy inside! 

I found this adorable print on Pinterest and I am exciting to write it on our chalkboard at home! 
Keep Your Heart  Chalkboard Bible Verse Art Print  by BreezyTulip, $48.00


-TWO- 
Last weekend the hubs and I went back to my parents house for the weekend. We hadn't been there since Christmas and were anxious to get back there. We had a really relaxing enjoyable weekend. On Saturday night we went to a restaurant in town called Teluwut. It is in an old bank so they still have the safe from the bank days in it. For the first time ever, we were seated in the safe! We had a great time with my parents and our family friends! 

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-THREE-
On Monday, our community group split guys and girls. The guys usually end up going to a bar somewhere in town and watching sports and talking. The girls usually stay at someones house and do crafts or watch a movie. Well this week we went to Holly's house and ate LOTS of yummy food, chatted and watched the movie, The Help. I had never seen it and oh my goodness! It is a amazing and adorable! What a great story! I love having such a great church community. We have our community group on Monday nights but once every month we have a girls/guys night. It is so fun to be able to spend time together and enjoy the things that we love! 

YUM! Chocolate fondue bar and wine!
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-FOUR-
Last night we had our date night at home and I made a honey pork roast, homemade mashed potatoes and veggies! I am still getting used to cooking and trying new recipes so this was a really big win for me! Love feeding my sweet man well. We also watched a lot of basketball last night. March madness is a pretty big deal in our house and we have a bet to see who has the best bracket. If I win, Jordan will watch four episodes of One Tree Hill with me in a row! Any OTH lovers out there? It was my favorite show in high school. He hasn't decided what I will get to do if he wins. Probably involving pizza and a superhero movie. I love marriage and the fun little competitions we sometimes have. Makes life fun and playful!

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-FIVE-
The sweet Rachel from Oh Simple Thoughts was hosting a giveaway this week from Lavender and Linen and... I WON! This is my first time entering a giveaway and I am SO excited to receive the goodies! Make sure to check out the shop Lavender and Linen! They have awesome products and she has such a beautiful heart.



Have a great day friends! Enjoy the sunshine!

Love,

             Lindsey


Mar 19, 2014

Our Love Story

I can't believe how long it has taken me to write this post but I am overjoyed to share our love story with you today! Yesterday was our 10 month wedding anniversary. I cannot believe how fast the year has gone so far and it won't be long till we are celebrating our 1 year anniversary. I feel so blessed to be married to Jordan and I can't wait for 80 more years to celebrate the marriage God designed us to have. 

Our story is not perfect and I am sure I will not write it perfectly but I hope and pray you will see the workings of Jesus in it. 

L+J
    Love story...

I didn't date in high school. Believe me, I wanted to, but I grew up going to a very small Christian school and there were literally 3 boys in my grade. After my sophomore year I transferred to a public school for my last two years. It was not a very easy transition and I was pretty shy so I didn't have very many friends for the last two years of high school. This was a really hard time for me and I suffered with a lot of insecurity and self doubt. Why didn't anyone like me? Will I ever find someone who will love me, for me?" 


                        

My freshman year of college I thought for sure I would meet the most amazing Christian guy right away. I mean there were so many more options, right? Wrong. I didn't meet anyone that I was interested in, or interested in me, my freshman year. Every time I attended one of the college ministries on campus I wondered, would I meet someone today? I kept hoping that there would be someone there who would love Jesus but also would be interested in me. So many of my friends were in relationships and I hated the thought of never meeting anyone. In spite of my loneliness, my freshman year was an amazing year of college. My roommate and I were inseparable and my relationship with God grew so much that year. But I still wanted to find someone... 
  

My sophomore year of college was very much the same. I was always on the lookout and every time I met a godly man I would think, "is he the one?" I was constantly feeling frustrated and rejected. The end of my sophomore year I even considered dating the first guy that was interested in me just so that I could date someone...anyone. I am SO glad I didn't end up dating him though. He was one of those "Christian" guys who said all the right things and pretended to act a certain way just to get me to like him. One day he showed me his true colors and I decided not to continue talking to him. 

                                    
                                 
                                    


That summer I gave it all over to God. I was tired of feeling defeated and rejected. The next 3 months I was completely focused on my relationship with Jesus. I led a Bible study and spent time with my roommates. I also got a job at a recreation facility in town and I worked a lot. (important information for later) It was refreshing and exactly what I needed. God really showed up in my life that summer and it was amazing to really surrender my desire for a relationship to Jesus. I am thankful for that time. 


Song of Solomon 2:7 "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."



        

The beginning of the fall semester of my junior year I felt excited to focus on how God would use me as a single woman for His glory. I was excited at the idea of moving out of state or out of the country after graduation. Since I was single I could move anywhere or do anything that the Lord was leading me to. About a month into my junior year, my roommate and I were invited by a guy named Jordan to a Bible study he was in. We both worked with Jordan at the Rec Center but he was gone most of the summer coaching baseball so I hardly knew him at the time. I only had to attend that Bible study a few times and I started to be attracted to Jordan. He was funny and really smart. He also had a desire for God that I had never seen in a guy before. He led discussions and asked really great questions. However, I never thought he would be interested in me. 

                              
                              

Two months after I started attending this Bible study I got a text one night from Jordan. He told me he had an extra ticket to a play his brother was in and wanted to know if I wanted to go with him. Well let me tell you, I was ecstatic! I had never been asked out on a date before and I couldn't believe this amazing Christian guy was asking me. Well since I had never been on a date I was VERY nervous. I was ready two hours before he was supposed to pick me up and I was second guessing whether or not it was a date or not. He didn't specifically say it was a date and I was very inexperienced. Well, as soon as he pulled up in his car, I knew it was a date. He opened my door for me and told me I looked "very pretty." It was such an awesome night. He was soooo nervous and I thought it was adorable because I was equally nervous. After the play he drove me home and we talked for a while in my apartment with my roommates. When he went to say goodbye, his hand got caught in his coat and it was super awkward but completely wonderful at the same time. 

                          


                          


Unfortunately after that we didn't talk for a week or two. He texted me every once in a while but not consistently. It was really frustrating. Well, I had told my Bible study leader about our date and one day when she saw him at the Rec Center (she had never met him before) she went right up to him and said, "are you Jordan?" He said, "yes I am." She said, "I just wanted you to know that I have been praying for you." (When I found out she said this to him, I was mortified!) He said, "well... thank you!" (HAHA so funny! He was probably so confused.) She then continued to tell him that I was in her Bible study and that she just thought she should pray for him because I had talked about him. Long story short she basically told him I really like him. He told her, "The feelings are mutual." When Jenny told me this I was SO mad at her. I kept thinking, "he must think I am crazy!" 
                           

                         


That night, Jordan wrote me a 9 paragraph email on facebook basically explaining why he had not contacted me very much in the last couple of weeks and how he really liked me and wanted to get to know me better. It was an amazing message and I still have it saved. I told him I would love to talk to him more about this in person and so we decided to meet at a coffee shop in our town a few days later. That night was amazing and I will never forget it. We talked for HOURS and the place actually had to kick us out because they were closing and we had been there so long. When we got back to my place we talked even longer in the car and at the end of the conversation he asked me if he could pursue a dating relationship with me. I said yes and we were officially dating.

                                 
                      


 After we started dating I could see God's hand in everything about our friendship and now relationship. God used that summer after got the job at the Rec Center (where we met) to help me realize that I needed HIM and not a relationship. But I also see why I got the job there. God placed me in that job so that 4 months later, I would meet my future husband. 

"Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life."
-1 Corinthians 7:17

                              

Jordan was my "first" everything. He was my first date, first boyfriend, first time holding hands, first kiss. I am SO thankful that I got to experience all of my "firsts" with my now husband.

                


We went through a lot of wonderful times throughout our dating relationship and we also went through some hard times. Throughout our entire relationship I saw God's hand it it. We both were on the same page about everything we wanted to pursue and our desires for the future.                 
       
                 

We dated for 1 year and 9 months before he asked me to be his wife. (I will be posting the story of our proposal next Wednesday.)We were engaged for 9 months and were married on May 18, 2013. For the next month, every Wednesday I will be posting about our wedding. So, stay tuned! 



These 10 months of marriage have honestly been the best in my life and I feel so blessed to be Jordan's wife. Through engagement and marriage I have learned so much about myself and also about my selfishness. I have also learned more about what God desired for marriage and how it can truly represent Christ and the church. Jordan and I have learned so much about communication, unconditional love and forgiveness. We have to continue to choose to love each other every single day and that is only possible with the help of Jesus. Jordan is absolutely my best friend and I pray that we will continue to laugh together, pray together, serve together, play together, endure hardships together and do life together for the rest of our days.


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to give you a hope and future." 
Jeremiah 29:11 



Thank you for reading our love story. I feel so blessed to be able to share with all of you how God is faithful and he demonstrates His love for us. 

Have a beautiful day! 


Love,

             Lindsey



Mar 18, 2014

Liebster Award!



Hello Beautiful Bloggers! I am SO pumped to write a special post today! 

I was nominated by new bloggy friend, the inspiring and gorgeous Rachel from Oh Simple Thoughts. I feel so honored! The Liebster Award is an award given to a blogger by other bloggers in order to get to know you better and allow you to connect with other bloggers outside of your circle! I am SO excited to be nominated by Rachel and even more pumped to nominate some awesome ladies for this award! As a nominee I am asked a series of questions about who I am and what my blog is all about. And then I ask a series of questions to the ladies I nominate! Let's get started! 


Questions from Rachel: 

1. What led you to the blogsphere? I absolutely LOVE connecting with other women. I love hearing and discussing troubles and triumphs. Last year I was on Pinterest a LOT when I was planning my wedding. Through different items I was pinning I was able to find multiple blogs by some amazing ladies! I started following them and never stopped. Somewhere along the way I decided to start my own blog. At first I was not very committed to it, I was pretty busy with wedding plans, but I continued to write every once in a while. This last November I really decided to pursue blogging more frequently. I loved the posts I was reading and finding different link-ups! I have been really encouraged by the friendships I have made and the women I have "met" through blogging! 

2. What are the dreams for your blog? I would love to see my blog become a place of encouragement and joy for other women. My dream is that I would be able to connect with women all over the world and share the gospel with them. I love seeing blogs that are written by "real people." What I mean by that is, women who write about the exciting seasons in their life as well as the hard seasons. It is so refreshing to hear from people who are willing to be vulnerable and honest about their lives. I would like to continue to post more often and frequently about the things God is teaching me about Him, my marriage and life's joys and pains. That is why my blog is named Bliss and Blunders of a Newlywed. I am not perfect and I don't want anyone to think that I am. I just want them to know that I have a Savior who IS perfect. 

3. What is one thing you are learning right now? Lately I have been learning about myself and my insecurities. I have been struggling a lot with my insecurities as a wife. I have so many goals for myself for what I want to become and things I want to accomplish. I want to make my house feel like a home for my husband. I want to be there for him at all times and encourage him daily. I want to make delicious meals for him and provide good nourishment. I want to look a certain way so that he finds me desirable... What I am learning is that these goals are not bad... but they are overwhelming to me right now. I need to give myself a break a little bit and try to only tackle a few things at a time and not break down every time I mess up at them. God has been teaching me that only with His help can I accomplish these goals. 

4. What is one thing you would like to accomplish this year? I would love to get into a workout routine. I have been struggling so much lately to have the desire to work out and find a time that works well with my schedule. I would love to get into a routine that works best for me and use my time well! 

5. What is your favorite accessory? Definitely scarves! I have SOOOOOOO many and I probably wear one almost every day. I love that you can dress up or dress down an outfit with a scarf. Can't wait to wear my summer scarves soon! 

6. What are your favorite posts to write? My favorite posts are definitely writing about my walk with Jesus and my marriage. Those two things are the most important things in my life and I love encouraging other women in their faith and in their marriages. I would love to continue to write more about what God has been teaching me and more about things I have learned in my first year of marriage! 

7. What inspires you? Good conversation inspires me! I absolutely love having a good, quality conversation with others. Whether it is with my husband, a girlfriend or a complete stranger, I love deep conversations. It inspires me when others feel comfortable sharing something that is on their heart. Plus, you know all great conversations happen because of the Lord. That is very inspiring! 

8. What is your all time favorite book? Definitely my favorite book is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I never cried so hard and felt so moved than when I was reading this book. If you haven't read it, DO IT! 

9. Coffee or Tea? Absolutely coffee. That is the easiest question you could ask me. I think a lot of people can relate to this but there is just something wonderful about starting your morning with a delicious cup of coffee. I love the smell and just adore the taste! Coffee makes me feel cozy and comforted. 

10. What is your favorite hobby? Probably baking or crafting. I love doing both things. I love making delicious desserts for my friends and hubby and I also love knitting and doing crafts to create beautiful things! In college my roommates and I would have craft parties. We did crafts, drank wine and ate lots of yummy food. Such an amazing way to spend time with ladies! 

11. What is one thing you have learned from blogging? I have learned that I can make friends and be encouraged by people all over the world. I have learned so much from my blogging friends about cooking, marriage, wedding planning, creating, and Jesus. I feel so blessed to be able to share my thoughts as well as hear about other peoples thoughts and reflections. I am very thankful for all of you blogging friends! 


Here are my 6 nominees! 







Here are my questions for you lovely ladies! (Just answer them, link back to me and tag 6 blogs that have 200 or fewer followers with questions for them!)

1. What inspired you to start blogging?

2. Describe your "perfect day." 

3. What are some of the goals you have for your blog?

4. What is your biggest fear?

5. What is one of your favorite memories? 

6. What is one thing you have always wanted to do? 

7. What is your favorite thing to do during your free time?

8. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be? 

9. What is one thing you would like to accomplish in your life? 

10. What is your favorite Bible verse or inspirational quote? Why?

11. What is your favorite thing about blogging? 

Can't wait to hear your answers to these questions and get to know you all better! 


Love,


             Lindsey

Mar 14, 2014

Five on Friday!

-ONE- My mom came on Saturday and we had a great day shopping and spending time together. While we were shopping, we got some frames for my family wedding photos. It was a lot of fun putting this wall together! I loved how it turned out!

  


-TWO- My mom also gave me such an incredible gift! She made a scrapbook of our wedding photos and invitations! I was SO surprised and so thankful. There is no way I would ever have enough time to put that much time into a book like that. It will be so awesome to have and have our children look at someday.

  

-THREE- Our date night is always on Thursdays and last night we did something a little more special than usual. We went on a little road trip a couple of hours away and watched a state semi-final basketball game. We walked across this gorgeous bridge to get to the game and I snapped this pretty little picture. Wish it wasn't so dark though. Love my handsome hubs!


-FOUR- I started crocheting this week and this is my first project. I have been knitting for years but this is my first time crocheting. It was so fun to make! I am still not fantastic at it but I am getting better. What a fun hobby! 


-FIVE- I have been having struggling with some health problems over the past couple of months and I have been reflecting on this verse this week. He is in control. 





THE GOOD LIFE BLOG


Love,

             Lindsey

Mar 13, 2014

Honest wife moment...

                          

There are days when I feel like I am rocking at my duty as a wife... and then there are days when I feel like I'm not... Let me explain.

Before we were married I had this idea in my head that as soon as I said “I do” I would turn into June Clever and make elaborate and healthy meals for my husband, as well as keeping the house spotless, AND look perfect and put together all at the same time...

Well, that was a silly idea wasn't it? It’s fine if you are chuckling right now as you read this. I’m not sure what I was thinking by having this idea. It isn't real life. I set myself up for failure even before I started. Now don’t get me wrong, I do believe that I have the potential to tackle one or more of these “aspirations” at a time on any given day. BUT for me to believe that I was going to be PERFECT at all of these things at once is just plain foolishness.

When we first got married (only 9 months ago) I was working a full time job, as well as a part time job on nights and weekends. My husband was working over 40 hours a week as well as co-coaching a freshman baseball team. We didn't have much time at home together and I definitely didn't have much time to plan meals or keep our house spotless… Well, I probably did have the time but honestly, I was just exhausted.

Thankfully, now I only have ONE job and my husband has a different job with much better hours. Praise Jesus for that! Now that we have MUCH more time together and I have more time at home to clean and cook you would think I would be rocking this wife thing! I have to admit… I’m not. At least the cooking and cleaning part I’m not. I have tried coming up with cleaning schedules and even put up a cute menu board… it still hasn’t worked!

I know that my identity should not be found in my role as a wife but I have a very strong desire to make my house a home for my husband. I want him to feel comfortable and at ease when we are at home and not stressed about deciding what we are going to eat tonight and walking around the piles of laundry and clutter...

So there you go. Honest wife moment. 

In all seriousness though, I would love some practical tips or suggestions for how to balance working a full time job and keeping a clean and happy home. Also, I am in desperate need for some quick and yummy meals to plan for our weeks ahead? 

If you have any suggestions I would LOVE to hear them! I am also interested in hosting a guest post on my blog so if you are interested please let me know! Thanks for reading all of this!


Have a beautiful day fellow bloggers! 


Love,

             Lindsey