I love you, Matthew Ryan Belstra!!!!
Happy Anniversary!!!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Two Years and Counting
God did a good thing when He put Matt in my life and I couldn't be more grateful. I love sharing life and growing in the Lord with my best friend.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
A Great Success (At the beginning of May!...I'm a bit late with this post.)
For those of you who missed it, Mattapalooza was a great success this year! You may remember me writing about this annual event before, but for those of you who don't know or remember, it is the week-long celebration of Matt's birth :)
A few years ago, a friend mentioned how over time her birthday celebration continued extending farther and farther to include additional days. Since she loves celebrating holidays and especially loves having her loved ones celebrate her :), she suggested the tradition of a week long celebration each year...and for some reason, they all bought into it! lol
When I met Matt and began learning more and more about him, I realized it would be a blessing to him to make much of his birthday. Borrowing the idea from my friend, I coined the term Mattapalooza to mark the full week of celebration. I have to admit, it was easier (somehow) to be creative with the celebration before we were married. This year, the celebration each day largely involved making a favorite meal of his for dinner and special desserts. (NOT the best idea when we are both trying to trim down!)
Here are a few of the most notable aspects of our celebration week:
Matt (and I) love fajitas. Deciding to buy some flank steak to use (for the first time), I knew proper preparation would be essential. I found a recipe online to use as a marinade and he grilled the meat for me (normally I cook it on the stove). Adding the leftover marinade to the peppers and onions, cooking it long enough to be safe, I constructed the fajitas (for the first time) without using packaged seasoning. It blew us away! The flavor was unlike any fajitas I'd ever had before. That recipe is going to be revisited, often.
A while back, I found a peanut butter cookie recipe I wanted to try. It was something I hoped to bake around Christmas, but it never happened. Matt and I love a good peanut butter cookie. Let me just tell you...these are probably the best cookies I've ever eaten! Matt Oooos and Aaahs each time he takes the first bite of one. lol He's reminded me at least twice to keep the recipe :)
Matt's birthday was on Friday this year, so it would make sense for him to take the day off, right?! Well, I asked two months ago, but that wasn't early enough. Due to another critical employee already having the day off, he'd have to work. Bummer.
That didn't stop me though! I secretly planned a little getaway and didn't let on, except to say Friday night and Saturday were mine. All mine.
At about noon on Friday, I showed up at work with cupcakes and an invitation, letting him know he'd be kidnapped at 4 p.m. I'd be back to pick him up and I'd have everything he'd need. It was really cute to see his face and know he didn't know how to react.
When I returned, I had our bags packed (and a change of clothes for him) and off we went on a road trip! I'll tell you more about our trip on another post, but suffice it to say, we had a great weekend and as always, enjoyed our time together. I love that man. And I'm glad he was born. :)
A few years ago, a friend mentioned how over time her birthday celebration continued extending farther and farther to include additional days. Since she loves celebrating holidays and especially loves having her loved ones celebrate her :), she suggested the tradition of a week long celebration each year...and for some reason, they all bought into it! lol
When I met Matt and began learning more and more about him, I realized it would be a blessing to him to make much of his birthday. Borrowing the idea from my friend, I coined the term Mattapalooza to mark the full week of celebration. I have to admit, it was easier (somehow) to be creative with the celebration before we were married. This year, the celebration each day largely involved making a favorite meal of his for dinner and special desserts. (NOT the best idea when we are both trying to trim down!)
Here are a few of the most notable aspects of our celebration week:
Matt (and I) love fajitas. Deciding to buy some flank steak to use (for the first time), I knew proper preparation would be essential. I found a recipe online to use as a marinade and he grilled the meat for me (normally I cook it on the stove). Adding the leftover marinade to the peppers and onions, cooking it long enough to be safe, I constructed the fajitas (for the first time) without using packaged seasoning. It blew us away! The flavor was unlike any fajitas I'd ever had before. That recipe is going to be revisited, often.
A while back, I found a peanut butter cookie recipe I wanted to try. It was something I hoped to bake around Christmas, but it never happened. Matt and I love a good peanut butter cookie. Let me just tell you...these are probably the best cookies I've ever eaten! Matt Oooos and Aaahs each time he takes the first bite of one. lol He's reminded me at least twice to keep the recipe :)
Matt's birthday was on Friday this year, so it would make sense for him to take the day off, right?! Well, I asked two months ago, but that wasn't early enough. Due to another critical employee already having the day off, he'd have to work. Bummer.
That didn't stop me though! I secretly planned a little getaway and didn't let on, except to say Friday night and Saturday were mine. All mine.
At about noon on Friday, I showed up at work with cupcakes and an invitation, letting him know he'd be kidnapped at 4 p.m. I'd be back to pick him up and I'd have everything he'd need. It was really cute to see his face and know he didn't know how to react.
When I returned, I had our bags packed (and a change of clothes for him) and off we went on a road trip! I'll tell you more about our trip on another post, but suffice it to say, we had a great weekend and as always, enjoyed our time together. I love that man. And I'm glad he was born. :)
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
A Favorite Place
In the early morning hours of this mild summer, my Dad's favorite place at our house is on the deck facing our backyard and the woods behind. Though I don't get out on the deck in the early morning, it's a beautiful view that we take in through all of the windows on the back of the house. I love it!
Matt and I share a similar dream of how we want to live. I have been saying often that this is basically my dream house. The only thing it lacks (other than not being in the South) is the amount of land we prefer. We are interested in a place with double digit acreage. That simply can't be found this close to the city, even if we could afford that here.
As it is, there is an undeveloped piece of land behind our house and our neighbors' homes that will eventually hold many houses. We have no idea how long it will remain undeveloped, but the house is 8 years old and in all of that time, it's remained untouched. We are hopeful.
In the meantime, it seems an extra special gift that the Lord would lead us here. We feel like we have more space and have a prettier setting than we would with any other house.
The first time I looked at our house I was quick to exclaim, "Matt will love that!"...old growth trees right out back. What I didn't know is how much I would love it too.
This morning I enjoyed watching a couple of baby deer in the backyard. I quickly grabbed my camera, began to focus the shot and just before I took it, they sprang back into the woods and my shot didn't even capture a glimpse of their tails. :) I'm looking forward to seeing them visit us again.
Matt and I share a similar dream of how we want to live. I have been saying often that this is basically my dream house. The only thing it lacks (other than not being in the South) is the amount of land we prefer. We are interested in a place with double digit acreage. That simply can't be found this close to the city, even if we could afford that here.
As it is, there is an undeveloped piece of land behind our house and our neighbors' homes that will eventually hold many houses. We have no idea how long it will remain undeveloped, but the house is 8 years old and in all of that time, it's remained untouched. We are hopeful.
In the meantime, it seems an extra special gift that the Lord would lead us here. We feel like we have more space and have a prettier setting than we would with any other house.
The first time I looked at our house I was quick to exclaim, "Matt will love that!"...old growth trees right out back. What I didn't know is how much I would love it too.
This morning I enjoyed watching a couple of baby deer in the backyard. I quickly grabbed my camera, began to focus the shot and just before I took it, they sprang back into the woods and my shot didn't even capture a glimpse of their tails. :) I'm looking forward to seeing them visit us again.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
An Unexpected Path
As many of you know, Matt and I have been hoping for a baby for several months now. Ever since we lost our first baby, we thought it was going to happen and happen rather quickly. Unfortunately, it has not. Due to my age, my doctor recommended that we begin fertility testing if we were not expecting after 6 months of trying. So, on Monday, we're off to see a specialist for a consultation.
The truth is I'm not at all looking forward to it. It needs to be done. At least to give us the chance to have some answers about what's going on with us. Even though I know a couple of people who've had minor issues in need of correction, I've known far more who have serious, irreparable, long term or permanent infertility. Though we don't have any answers because we haven't even had the first test run yet, I feel like I'm already grieving the loss of ever having children with Matt. I must confess, I've always jumped too far ahead in my thinking. So with Matt's help, I'm trying to back up and take this step by step.
If you think of us in this, please pray God will help us as we make decisions in this process. I'd just as soon avoid this altogether.
The truth is I'm not at all looking forward to it. It needs to be done. At least to give us the chance to have some answers about what's going on with us. Even though I know a couple of people who've had minor issues in need of correction, I've known far more who have serious, irreparable, long term or permanent infertility. Though we don't have any answers because we haven't even had the first test run yet, I feel like I'm already grieving the loss of ever having children with Matt. I must confess, I've always jumped too far ahead in my thinking. So with Matt's help, I'm trying to back up and take this step by step.
If you think of us in this, please pray God will help us as we make decisions in this process. I'd just as soon avoid this altogether.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Hospitality
Although it is not at all a gift of mine, I've come to deeply appreciate the ministry of hospitality. When I was younger, I dreamed of having a house full of children and envisioned my husband and I crowded around a huge table with them for daily meals. The energy, conversation and excitement of that picture pleased me.
My family life has always been rich and full, but family is family and then there is everyone else. At least that's how it was for me most of my life. One of the things that puzzled me was how you ever draw near enough to another person for that person to become family. Marriage alluded me for so long in part because of that. I couldn't fathom where that connection would begin.
In my journey through singleness, God showed me many things. One of them is how friends can become family, if you both choose it. After all, God calls all believers a part of the family of God. So any of us who are believers are family, whether we act like it or not. It finally occurred to me that our biological family is a physical representation of a spiritual truth, yet again. The primary example for us of what our relationship bonds should be with other believers. As with anything, I laid hold of that truth and began living it with the believing friends in my world.
In some cases, I got burned. My commitment to some relationships was not at all reciprocated. In other cases, the bonds of friendship and depth of relationship increased to sisterly proportions. I'm so very grateful for learning to take the risk for the stronger bonds of sisterhood I've found with so many precious friends.
Although the deeper friendships started with friends in Memphis, I hit the ground running when we met and made new friends here. We actually struggled, both Matt and I, for about a year taking notice that other people weren't quite ready for that kind of friendship. Praise the Lord things have changed. We have found that several friendships have deepened or are deepening to the point of family.
The ministry of hospitality has become a huge part of building those relationships and it has been intentional. Recently a friend posted on Facebook a comment made about Hospitality.
Although it doesn't come naturally, I hope for many more opportunities to welcome friends into our home...to show them love and acceptance and to encourage them as much as we can through the good and difficult times in life.
My family life has always been rich and full, but family is family and then there is everyone else. At least that's how it was for me most of my life. One of the things that puzzled me was how you ever draw near enough to another person for that person to become family. Marriage alluded me for so long in part because of that. I couldn't fathom where that connection would begin.
In my journey through singleness, God showed me many things. One of them is how friends can become family, if you both choose it. After all, God calls all believers a part of the family of God. So any of us who are believers are family, whether we act like it or not. It finally occurred to me that our biological family is a physical representation of a spiritual truth, yet again. The primary example for us of what our relationship bonds should be with other believers. As with anything, I laid hold of that truth and began living it with the believing friends in my world.
In some cases, I got burned. My commitment to some relationships was not at all reciprocated. In other cases, the bonds of friendship and depth of relationship increased to sisterly proportions. I'm so very grateful for learning to take the risk for the stronger bonds of sisterhood I've found with so many precious friends.
Although the deeper friendships started with friends in Memphis, I hit the ground running when we met and made new friends here. We actually struggled, both Matt and I, for about a year taking notice that other people weren't quite ready for that kind of friendship. Praise the Lord things have changed. We have found that several friendships have deepened or are deepening to the point of family.
The ministry of hospitality has become a huge part of building those relationships and it has been intentional. Recently a friend posted on Facebook a comment made about Hospitality.
Although it doesn't come naturally, I hope for many more opportunities to welcome friends into our home...to show them love and acceptance and to encourage them as much as we can through the good and difficult times in life.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
The Fleshers
While in Memphis on the tail end of my trip, I messaged Hannah with an invitation for dinner Friday or Saturday night. She reminded me her sister-in-law, Janell, was moving in town that weekend so the whole Flesher crew (or at least most of them) would be in town helping with the move. (I thought the move was the weekend I was in Memphis.) Hannah said that would be too many people for dinner, but they'd at least have us out for dessert during their visit. We love the Fleshers...all of them...so I was glad we'd be able to visit with them however brief. Even so, I told her they could all come for dinner.
While getting to know Matt back in Memphis, I hosted a few pre-holiday dinners at my house. Usually there were 8-10 attending, so this wasn't a first for me. The more the merrier, right?
With plenty of food in the frig to make a respectable meal for as many as would come, I assured her they were all welcome. There would be 9 adults and 3 babies coming. That would be no problem...just enough room with tables and chairs, barely. That was the only real limitation (I had to leave an extra table behind when moving from Memphis that would have been perfect for this.)
The day before the dinner party, I was straddling a fence. You see one of the Flesher brothers, Joe, is dating Patty, the sister of one of our friends who lives here. It only made sense to invite Stefani and her family so they could also spend time with Patty while she was in town. My only reservation was seating!
In the end, I invited them (2 more adults and 2 more babies) and they agreed to come! Fun!!
You may be asking, why not use paper plates and sit wherever they want around the house? Because I planned a menu of barbequed ribs, potato salad, macaroni, baked beans, deviled eggs and dessert. So, it isn't the kind of meal that can be carried off with paper plates.
In the end, we made it! In all, 13 adults and 5 babies filled our house with fun! And boy, did I eat up every minute holding those babies!!!
My sweet, photographer friend, Hannah, thought to take a group picture.
Let me just add, I LOVED holding baby Titus and watching Mattias play. Those sweet little red-headed boys had me hoping for a red-headed baby in my future :)
After dinner we spread out a bit, with the men staying at the table and women and children taking over the living room. It was a lot of fun getting to know Hilary, Patty and all of the women better. Since Janell lives here now and we've managed to lay hold of two (of five) Flesher children, I'm hopeful to see many return visits from the Indiana Fleshers.
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