Steve's Bar Celebration

We got some big news last Friday - Steve passed the Texas Bar Exam!  After months of studying, sitting for the exam and waiting for the results, we were finally able to bring this chapter of life to a close and celebrate!  And celebrate we did.

Celebrations Galore

Last weekend, we headed up to Indiana for a long weekend full of celebrations.  The fun began with a surprise welcome at the airport when I landed.  I miss my small group girls like crazy and seeing them all lined up for me with these homemade signs made me weepy.  I love these ladies!  #lylas

steve's 29th birthday

Steve turned twenty-nine on Sunday - his last birthday in his twenties!  My parents were in town for my cousin's wedding, so we had a weekend full of wedding-related events planned.  We were along for the ride for most of the weekend.  Steve was very sweet and laid back about the whole thing - whatever we ended up doing was fine with him.  It was important to me, though, that the wedding festivities not overshadow his big day.  Fortunately, we were able to set aside all day on Sunday to celebrate all things Steve, so it ended up working out really well. 

dear monday

Dear Leah & Stephen, your wedding was the perfect opportunity to spend time with my extended family.  I love it when we can all get together and even though the weekend was short, I loved every minute of it. An added bonus was that you got married in my hometown!  We really enjoyed seeing old friends and driving by our old house in between wedding festivities. 

two years

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.  For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.  We love because He first loved us."

-1 John 4:18-19 (esv)

chicago christmas

This year, Steve and I began a new Christmas tradition of spending a December weekend in Chicago.  In the midst of all the hubub that is the holiday season, it was so great to just get away from everything and be tourists in one of our favorite places.  Steve lined up all of our hotel/dining reservations, so all I had to do was show up.  This girl was certainly spoiled over the course of the weekend!

 

We drove up to Gannie's house on Friday night through a snowstorm.  It got so bad that at one point, Steve and I debated which small Indiana town along I-65 would be the best option for seeking shelter in case we got stranded.  I'm happy to say that we made it to Gannie's safely and if we had waited until Saturday morning to make the trek, we most likely would not have made it to Chicago since the snow just kept on comin' down.

 

Our first stop on Saturday was a long-time beloved one of mine - the Museum of Science and Industry.  We caught several of my old favorite exhibits (the train, u-boat submarine, planes and ice cream parlor) along with a few new ones (the annual Christmas Trees Around the World exhibit and model trains).  I grew up going to the museum with my grandparents, but it was Steve's first visit so I was excited to share in his experience! 

 

We spent several more hours in the museum than we had originally planned, but it was totally worth it.  After we saw everything we wanted to see, we headed off to check into our hotel.  Steve found a little boutique hotel a couple of blocks off of Michigan Avenue, which worked out perfectly.  We had a great room and the service was terrific.  Also, a huge plus in my book - they served a continental breakfast on every floor so all I had to do was put on a comfy robe and walk down the hall.  Perfect! 

Anyway, back to our sight-seeing... after checking in to the hotel, we did some serious window shopping on the Magnificent Mile.  There were shoppers everywhere and after a while it started to get overwhelming, so we took a break on a love seat in the top floor of Crate & Barrel. 

Nap-time!  It was all I could do to get him to leave this chair.  He was way too comfortable to move.

After shopping wore us out, we took a break in the hotel and headed out to dinner at Gilt Bar.  Steve picked the place, and oh my goodness was it good.  We ate to our hearts' content and then took a (very chilly) stroll along the Chicago River before crashing back at the hotel for the night.

On Sunday, the high in Chicago was 12 degrees, so we were all about staying indoors.  That didn't stop us from still catching some great views, though!  After thoroughly enjoying our continental breakfast (seriously, I loved it), we made an impromptu decision to visit the Chicago Skydeck.  The Skydeck is at the top of Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) and has incredible views of the city and Lake Michigan.  We tried to go once before when we were in town for a wedding several years ago, but the line was 2.5 hours long.  No thank you!  This time, though, we beat the rush and got there right when it opened.  Before we knew it, we were at the top - and oh man, what a view.

 

My favorite part by far was The Ledge - a series of glass boxes protruding out of the side of the building.  You can stand in them and look 100 stories down to the street - it's a crazy/thrilling feeling!  And of course, the perfect photo opp.

 

Look, Mom - no hands! :)

 

So, so cool. If you're ever in Chicago, this is a must-do.  And I highly recommend beating the rush early on a Sunday morning.

Next up on our agenda was seeing The Hobbit in 3D.  We saw the first one last year around the holidays, so it's become a tradition and was perfect for sticking with our plan of staying warm and avoiding the frigid cold.

It was a really good movie.  My only complaint is that I felt like they overdid Evangeline Lilly's role.  I appreciated the addition of a woman to the cast, since the book itself doesn't have any female characters whatsoever... but I just felt like her story took up too much screen time.  Nevertheless, the movie is well worth seeing.

 

We had one more stop to go on our trip - Milennium Park.  Originally we planned on taxiing it, but at the last minute decided to walk instead.  It was great, until it was not.  After a while we started freezing, but still managed to snap a quick (albeit blurry) picture with the snow-covered Bean.

On our way back to our hotel, we stopped in a nearby Giordano's to warm up and to devour some delicious deep dish pizza (my favorite) before heading back home.  There are few things I enjoy more than eating pizza with this cutie.

All in all, we had a truly wonderful time.  It was the perfect getaway - one in which we did a lot but not too much, and got to take a step back to enjoy each other during the most hectic and busiest time of the year.  It's a new tradition that I am already looking forward to for next year.

 

Chicago, you were splendid as always!  Until next time!

the thankful project days 20-22

{Linking up with Kenzie at Chasing Happy}

I was out of town for work this week and fell behind on The Thankful Project - oops!  Here's a quick recap to catch up to today.

 

November 20th: Something About Your Significant Other.

There are many things about Steve for which I am thankful (and I wrote about a few of them here).  It's hard to pick just one.  But what I am most thankful for is his heart for the Lord.  I can't imagine what our relationship would be like if Steve did not pursue Jesus above all else (yes, even above me). 

I am thankful that he studies the Bible, works on his own prayer life and spiritual well-being, and takes the initiative to lead us in prayer time.  I am also grateful for the biblical love that he shows to me every day.  He studies my love languages and remembers the little ways that I feel cherished as a wife.  He learned pretty early on, for example, that flowers are always a good idea. 

 

We are by no means a perfect couple.  We fight - sometimes more often than I'd like to admit.  But even in those fights and disagreements, Steve works hard to "fight well."  By that, I mean that he tries to listen to me and to show his covenant love to me even when we are not on the best of terms.  I am grateful that he takes this marriage covenant seriously, both to me and also to the God who brought us together, and that he works daily to strengthen it and to be a godly husband to me. 

 

Life isn't always perfect, but I'm so glad I have a godly man at my side who loves the Lord.

 

November 21st: Something That's Easy To Take For Granted.

This one is easy - it's my paycheck.  In our society, it's easy to think that a paycheck is something that you are entitled to.  You do the work, you get paid.  It's that simple, right? 

 

I beg to differ.  Sure, I put in long hours and hard work in my job, and I earn my salary.  But today I choose to be thankful that I have a paycheck - period.  I am blessed to have the job that I enjoy, and that I can make money working with the people that I work with.  They are great. 

 

I am so thankful to have a source of income to pay off those pesky student loans and to build a life with my husband.  I'm also grateful that my firm sees value in the work that I do.  And lastly, I'm so thankful for all of the schooling opportunities that I was given that qualified me to hold the job that I have now and to bring home the paycheck that I do.

the whole family at my law school graduation

I don't know what the future has in store for me career-wise, but for now I am thankful that while I must work, I am able to work, get to work where I do, and can earn a paycheck.

 

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.  - Col. 3:23-24 (esv)

 

 

November 22nd: An Expectation.

Today, I'm thankful that I can expect that Jesus will return some day.  I don't have to hope, or wish, or wonder whether He will come back - I can expect it.  I may not know when He comes (in fact, no one will know), but I know with certainty that it will happen. 

 

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” - Luke 12:35-40

 

It will be one glorious homecoming. 

monday mornings

If you asked me to pick a highlight from this past weekend, I have many to choose from:

• Attending our last wedding of this season and catching up with old law school friends
• Finally painting the guest bathroom a beautiful blue from a boring beige
• Putting up new curtains in the living room that I've been dreaming about for months
• Prepping the house for the arrival of my mom, grandma and aunt to stay with us
• Staying up too late to watch an incredible Colts win against the Broncos (and a touching tribute to Peyton, who will always be a Colt to the city of Indianapolis)
• The crisp and cool arrival of fall

But there's one moment that outdid them all.  That was on Monday morning, when my sleepy-eyed husband poked his head in the bathroom while I was curling my hair and said,

"I love you with all my heart, and with all my heart I love you."

So simple, so sweet.  The perfect way to start the new week.  We've been through a lot in this little marriage of ours, but by God's grace each day gets better and better.  May I never forget that love is in the little things, like Monday mornings.

weekend in wheaton

Steve and I headed up to Chicago this past weekend to attend his 5-year class reunion at Wheaton College.  We left Indy after work on Friday and spent the night at Gannie's house (really enjoyed catching up with her and my aunt!) before leaving for Wheaton the next morning.  We arrived on campus mid-morning and checked in at the student center for a full day of Wheaton Homecoming festivities!  I was the delegated photographer for the weekend, so sorry in advance for the photo dump :)

We made a quick stop at the campus bookstore, where Steve was pleased/perplexed to find that Perry Mastadon, a Wheaton College resident, seems to have become the university's new mascot.  I think he's cute.

After a short walk around campus, we were off to the chapel!  Edman Chapel is perhaps the most beautiful building on campus where students attend services three times a week.  It is huge and the entire student population can fit inside. 

We took the seats of two Wheaton students, which I was initially concerned about - but Steve assured me that those kids would consider themselves lucky for a free pass from chapel to study. Sure enough, right after we sat down, a student came up and bashfully asked if I would mind moving over a seat to take his spot so he could cram for an exam. I obliged, and no longer felt guilty for stealing someone's seat :) plus, we had a great view!

The chapel service was amazing. We sang a couple of worship songs to begin the service and I was nearly moved to tears when the first verse began... everyone was singing! That's 2,000+ voices, with harmony, praising the Lord three days a week like that. Needless to say, I was incredibly envious of Steve's college experience at that moment.

After chapel, we had lunch with Steve's pre-law professor in the campus servery (which was delicious, by the way) and grabbed some ice cream!  Mine was pumpkin-pie flavored.  SO. GOOD.  I may or may not have gone back the next day and ordered the exact same flavor...

We stopped by the Wheaton College archives, which included this sweet letter from Mother Theresa.  I love the sweet short poem on the second page.

We also found a fun game of Wheatonopoly - complete with Hell instead of Jail and crossing the Jordan River instead of passing Go.  Very clever.

Next up was the campus tour!  We trekked alllllll over campus.  The architecture was beautiful.

 We met up with some friends and Steve's old professors later in the afternoon for a cookout... 

 

 

...caught a star gazing session from the roof of the school's new science building... 

...and wrapped up the evening with the most delicious milkshakes of all time.

On Saturday, we caught up with some of Steve's old classmates at a cookout before the Homecoming game.  So much orange and blue! 

Then it was off to the football game!  (I couldn't get over how cute Perry Mastadon's mascot costume was.  I felt sorry for the poor kids inside that costume though - it was 80+ degrees outside and very humid!)

 After a thunderstorm interrupted the game, we took a tour of Steve's old dorm with our friends Charlie and Amanda...

...and headed over to the "official" Class of '08 Reunion.  It was great to see Steve catching up with some old friends and for me to meet people who were a big part of his college experience - they are all great!

Of course, it wouldn't be a trip to (the suburbs of) Chicago without some deep dish pizza.  We went to Gino's East and stuffed our faces.  We were exhausted from the long day, but nothing would stop us from devouring that pizza.  It was delicious.

Random aside - if I ever ask Steve to take a picture of me, he is guaranteed to take at least 20.  His favorites are the random awkward ones where I make weird faces.  He took this...interesting collage below and declared the bottom right to be one of his favorite pictures of all time.  I don't get it.  But for your viewing pleasure, here is happens when I just want one little picture of me smiling and holding a piece of pizza.  Oh well!

On Sunday morning, we caught the early service at Steve's old church.  Isn't that pipe organ gorgeous?  

After church, we had a delicious breakfast with Steve's old roommates (+ Amanda).  They are a great group and breakfast with them was the perfect way to wrap up our trip.

 

 I'm glad to have a connection to Wheaton College through Steve.  It is a special place and affiliated with so many wonderful people.  We had a great weekend and I can't wait to go back again sometime soon.