Big Stuff

Today I had a job interview.

For a job I really want.

So...yeah.

One of the questions they asked me was, "What is the most difficult decision you have ever made in your life."

And honest to goodness, for a good few seconds the only thing I could think of was to highlight or not to highlight. Because a girl has to have priorities in life.

Clearly, that's not what I told them.

Rules for clothes

Last night, I learned a very valuable lesson from a three year old and her mom.

Girl: Mommy, I want to take my clothes off. (Her friend, a 3 year old boy, had just taken his clothes off....it was his house, he was comfortable)

Mom: No, honey, leave your clothes on.

Girl: Mommy, why? I really want to take my clothes off.

Mom: Honey, you need to leave your clothes on at other people's houses. It's only okay to take your clothes off at your own house.

At that point, I was laughing so hard I was tearing up. Andy did the same when I relayed the story to him.

Just remember: it's only okay to take your clothes off at your own house.

This is what I need!

Tonight I got to spend a few hours with a group of wonderful ladies...and it was so perfect....except that it was for a moving away party. Exactly what I have been longing for. Female fellowship. I feel like I get so little of it these days, and I have so missed it. I was so bonded to my friends at Purdue...heck, I lived with my two best friends....it doesn't get any better than that. And then to move away from that, from everyone and everything I have known to a place where there really aren't people my age has just been a really difficult transition.

I have started to develop relationships with women here, but it's harder. A lot of times it seems like things stay at the surface level for so long. Most of them are mothers, and I am not. Many of them are already friends with each other. I am not naturally a very bold person...so asking people to do stuff is kind of difficult for me.

But after tonight, I know that I need it. I can feel the change in myself after having spent Wednesday with Linsey and Margo in Indy and then tonight at Michelle's party. I feel so much lighter, so much happier. I know that the Lord has blessed me with these relationships....I just need to be bold about pursuing them more! I need a friend who will get up in my bid-ness! Someone who will help me figure out this being a wife business....and someone who I know I can call for anything.

So that's what I'll be pursuing this summer.

If you need me, I'll be out pestering someone to be my friend.

My identity is my own

I think I finally got my whole banking situation figured out today. The money that was taken will be credited back to our account within 10 days and my credit report looks good. I have a new card, and I just need to activate it. Woohoo! I have access to money again! I was down to about 11 dollars in cash and we need groceries. Of course, I could have used Andy's card if we got really desperate. It's just been a really trying time. I've been praying a lot about it, though, because it has really revealed a lot about my heart. The anger and the frustration that I have felt have really shown me how much value I have placed on earthly things, and not on storing up treasures in heaven. It's amazing the things that God uses to teach us lessons and show us the state of our hearts.

We just started a ladies Precept study at our church tonight--and I am so crazy excited. I know that this study will bless all the women involved. So many have never had this experience before, and I am so thrilled for them. It's an immense undertaking...but the rewards are so incredible! It was the largest Bible study class I have seen since we started at the church (there have only been two....and they both had fewer than 10 ladies involved...there were nearly 30 there tonight!)

What to do with year old cake

Go here to see!

Not quite what we had in mind....

Later this week I will post a lovely photo essay entitled, "What to do with year old wedding cake." But not right now.

Right now, I'll share with you how our anniversary was supposed to go. And then how it really went.

How it was supposed to go:

Lunch at Cheesecake Factory.

Shopping at two malls in Louisville.

Watching Prince Caspian.

Dinner at a really kitschy restaurant in the arts district of Louisville.

Come home, enjoy evening together, eat cake.

How it went:
Lunch at Cheesecake Factory, but no dessert...because we were too full.

Shopping at just a few stores in one mall because....

The first dress I tried on at Forever 21 made me look 5 mos. pregnant and made me really sad.

Then my card was declined at Ann Taylor LOFT.

And again at Williams-Sonoma.

But Andy's worked at both....and they are attached to the same checking account. The checking account I meticulously balance and know the state of daily.

I start to get frustrated. My attitude was beyond lovely. And I want to leave. So we do. We go home to go to the bank and figure out what is going on.

At the bank, as the super sweet girl behind the counter is telling me what has happened, someone from the bank headquarters is calling Andy to share with him the same thing.

My card has been restricted. Because of unusual activity. Unusual activity that I didn't put on it. Someone got ahold of my card number and made some purchases on it....there were three or four that the bank had noted before they froze the card, but things haven't posted to the account yet, so we don't know to what extent. Of course, this means that I am without my card for a few weeks, until a new one arrives. And we have to fill out a police report to try to get back the money that has been stolen. And essentially, this is going to be a long week.

Happy Anniversary!

One year ago today, I went from a Miss to a Mrs.



And what a year it's been.



This first year of marriage has been a fun, exciting, exhausting, exhilirating, trying, and totally awesome time.



So many things changed for me last May--I finished student teaching, I graduated from Purdue, I got married, I moved to Madison. Essentially nothing stayed the same. My name went from Keller to Cook. My address from Warren to Madison. My occupation from student to unemployed. It was intense.



And it was perfect.



Because I got the greatest husband. Every day I learn more about him and more about myself, and I am so thankful that the Lord has brought us together. So today, I want to post a few pictures from that perfect day last May....and think about what it began--this amazing marriage, this exciting life, this imperfect but blessed union.

Our first kiss as a married couple! Woo-hoo!



Leaving the ceremony, just escaping the last of the bubbles. But not the sunlight, which is why I look so squinty and this definitely wasn't the picture I thought. The other one is cuter. But I'm not in the mood to go back and switch it.

We've been married about 35 minutes in this picture....How exciting!


Our totally adorable pink cake. I loved that thing. The top is sitting in the refrigerator waiting to be eaten tonight. I'm a little nervous about that....but even if it's bad, it's okay, because we're going to Cheesecake Factory for lunch.