father's day

For 22 and 24 years, respectively, these men have been our dads.

They put up with our obnoxious, headstrong ways. Taught us to ride bikes. Played hide-and-seek with us. Sat there (possibly terrified) as we climbed behind the wheel of their vehicle and learned to drive. Disciplined us and encouraged us. Supported us financially for quite some time. Loved us. Prayed for us. Smiled as they watched us officially leave the nest and marry each other. 

We love these men and are so glad to boast two wonderful fathers to celebrate today. 

Happy Father's Day!

just because

all sorts of pictures and captions to go with them. lucky duck.

On some random night, we were grocery shopping at Albertson's. I thought these cakes were hilarious and ridiculous. So Carson told me to smile with them. 

Erica and I went dress shopping for formal some time in April. These dresses did NOT look this bad in person, and we still like the cut of them. 

On May 1, we dissected a fetal pig in Science class. It was disgusting  but I wasn't that grossed out. This picture was right after something squirted out though. 

Letters to and from my sister... our writing is so different!

I really love conversation starter books and this is a pretty good one. Look it up on Amazon!

What I probably should have been doing on any given night. The running shoes are Carson's but the idea still applies.

 This is my new nightguard (the $400 set back). No, it's not the most attractive thing you've ever seen. 

But it's been working! I've had little to no jaw pain!

Carson is disgusted when I smile with it in. It's not pretty but I don't think it's that bad. 

I was clearly bored one night. Clearly.

 This one was funny to me. Carson was studying unaware. 

Apparently, he saw fit to purchase the entire Costco warehouse while he went shopping

(yes, he does the majority of both grocery shopping and laundry [i fold it] because he's home during the day)

just because. 

some thoughts

I love this man. 

I could not be happier to be his wife. 

We have seen God use our marriage to grow us both.

It has been beautiful, wonderful and humbling. 

Oh, so humbling. 

We are sinners and this relationship shows us that more than we'd like. 

But it also shows us that God is glorious. 

That He's merciful when we are so weak. So sinful.

And He shapes us into more and more of His image. Daily.

He allows marriage to be a picture of Jesus' relationship with the Church.

Wow.

And that's one more reason I love Carson.

He points me back to Him. 

He allows and accepts God's changing and growing.

And encourages me to do the same. 

I am so thankful.

What an amazing God we worship.

A Quarter of a Century

Twenty-something years ago, my parents met through the forethought of a friend. "He looks like someone you used to date", this thoughtful person said. So it wasn't a blind date but it sounds like it wasn't too far from that.  I'm not sure if they'd met before that first outing or not, but looking like a former date isn't a very solid foundation for a first date. 

Apparently, the attraction went beyond who he looked like, because they dated for three years before getting married. He proposed right around her 20th birthday and six months later, on June 7, 1986, they were married. Twenty-five years ago.

They were 20 and 22  when they got married, a year younger than Carson and I. It's funny to picture my parents as newlyweds now that I'm in this stage of life. I wish they had a wedding video because it would be so fun to see familiar mannerisms, in them in their 20s. They look so young in this picture, yet exactly as they do now (minus the 80s style all around and the mustache on Dad). 

Today, they boast twenty-five years of marriage, three children, one son-in-law, three dogs, several goats, a beautiful home, two relationships with Christ, and zero mustaches. 

Love seems the swiftest but it is the slowest of all growths.  No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century. 

 ~Mark Twain

Graduation Week

This picture isn't related to the post as a whole, but I thought I'd include it anyway...

Some people asked what I gave Carson since he gave me tickets to Wicked, for our paper anniversary. 

I gave him this book:

(and in my defense he really wanted it. AND he set an anniversary gift budget which this book was just in, and which he broke with the tickets. I don't mind, but he definitely gave the better gift)

In a way this picture continues the anniversary theme. 

This was part of an anniversary gift from his parents. 

I love that face. 

And this is what our living room looked like while they stayed with us. SO WEIRD.

And that is the most uncomfortable couch bed ever... we slept on the floor the next night. 

We went to see the Falls

And Carson still insists he can't open his eyes for a picture when it's sunny. He could at least smile with squinty eyes but whatever. :)

The Bay men. Carson's pointing out the courthouse in the background - the castle-looking building. 

Good sports. 

We visited an antique store. For about two seconds Carson wanted one.

Tons of old, very neat looking books that we couldn't even dream of affording. 

Love the covers. 

And the green one reminded me of my father. Get it, Mom?

Old postcards

Fun visit! You've seen the rest of the pictures from that weekend - graduation!

i hate goodbyes

Alternately titled: ''In Which Lindsay Cries In Public and Makes a Fool of Herself"

I'm not sure when I became super emotional. 

It's never been a characteristic of mine. Oh sure, I would cry, but they were little tears that you could barely see. 

This week, and particularly this weekend, I have cried so much that I'm fairly certain I could not cry any more. It has made me tired, not hungry and ultra contemplative. 

Why? 

Because Carson has left. I won't see him for a few weeks at least. 

Here are a select amount of pictures from the last few days together. 

movie night

breakfast saturday morning

dinner saturday night

(um, also because he was leaving we ate a lot... "this is the last time for awhile"... so someone needs to make me run. just saying.)

Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza from Papa Murphy's, minus tomatoes plus artichoke hearts. We LOVE artichoke hearts on pizza. And i don't want to know how bad this was for us. Like I said, I'm going to run.

Sunday morning breakfast. He's been dying to go to this waffle place in town, so we did. 

He likes coffee. I should get a coffee maker for him.

At breakfast 

He got the banana split waffle. It even came with ice cream.  

All packed to go. 

My sunglasses served a dual purpose. Yes, it was sunny. But I was crying SO much and my eyes were red. My face is still puffy. The smile in the picture masks it a little bit. 

Buckling the seat belt. 

I've used the phrase "I lost it" a lot this weekend. Because I've cried a ton. Saturday night, we argued about something and I started bawling. Sunday during our membership interview I teared up. Right before we walked out the door for him to leave I started hiccup-crying (hence the glasses). And when he left... yikes. 

We live on church property and this was about thirty minutes after church, so you have to understand that people were out there going to their cars. And there I am, sniffling and sobbing. Several people turned around (to wait it out?) and walked back toward the church. As he was backing out, two older men from the church were walking past and one asked "Going camping?" I quickly stated that no, he was moving away for the summer for the forest service. 

And then, I lost it. 

Carson was waving goodbye and they were standing there wondering what to do. They said that they were praying for me and that I was brave (which was clearly not the case, but they were so nice). Then they asked if they could do anything for me. I sniffled and cried and said no and went up to my apartment while they headed to lunch or where ever they were going. 

Carson texted me a picture of the house when he got there this evening. It looks a lot cuter than last year. For pictures of the inside, browse archives from last June - August... it's our first little place :)

new to the northwest

We are privileged to have amazing friends all over the country (and globe, for that matter!)

One such couple is Gary and Jillian. 

Jillian has been a good friend of mine for years and she got married last year to a great guy named Gary. 

Oddly enough, he was in the Northwest recently and we were able to spend an evening with him, showing him some of our beautiful city and enjoying fellowship and food. It made me miss Jillian more than ever, as she was the center of quite a bit of our conversation and my thoughts :)

We went out for Thai food

We took a walk downtown to visit the falls. Love how big they get with all the snow melting!

Carson sharing his thoughts on how to run the river in a kayak

He loves doing this and Gary asked better questions about it than I do

And finally, the picture we took for Jillian. We missed you, love!

Last but not least, here's a video of part of the falls. 

In the background, you will hear Carson and Gary are discussing how to best jump in and save someone,

 in the event that someone were to fall off the walking bridge you will see.  

Thankfully, that didn't happen.