May 7 - Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Yeah, yeah, I'm not a spouse. But I like to think that I cry and bleed the same patriotism, love and support that married spouses do.

For more about my life as an SO, check out the page link above to Me, Him and Our Story.

In honor of those women, May 7th is Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

Here's some great information and giveaways over at Skinnie Piggie about MSAD. Check it out!

Also, here is a Military Spouse Blog Hop, which is a great way to meet other women around the country supporting (and missing) their husbands and blogging about it.

The women I've met through this are a great group of people and I am blessed to be a part of the mil-spouse community. Thank you for all the support you give to me, and more importantly to those special men in your lives.

P.S. Just so you all know, I made my blog public today. I was having issues with my reader's ability to return to my blog and leisurely read when I made a new post and my followers never knew when I was updating.

Hopefully this will help. If I start having issues, however, with outsiders and snoopers (or with school and jobs) then I will return to the permission only.

Thanks for reading and I hope this makes your visit to my blog more enjoyable!

I freakin' miss him!

I wanted to post some heart-felt and eloquent commentary on how excited I am that he's going to be back soon. And I am, I really am. But right now, I miss him so much.

When I had no idea when he'd back (anytime between July and November), I was able to push it out of my mind and just take it day-by-day. Now that I have a date, or at least a guesstimate of when he'll be home, I can't stand it. I just want him home now!

I get to talk to him regularly, which helps. I wear his dog tags to bed and sometimes an old Army tee. I stay away from bad news and romantic comedies. But none of that changes the fact that I can't see his face in the morning; I can't eat dinner with him or tell him about my day; I can't go to sleep with him holding me. I just want him home.

So here I am, sitting up at 11:30 at night in the middle of finals thinking about him. The last three nights I've had dreams about him. Things I want to do when he gets back, places I want to go, "quality time" we HAVE to spend together, etc... And right now, I just don't have room in my head for four law school classes worth of information AND the emotions I'm feeling.

(Baby, since I know you read this, I want you not to worry. I'm really doing just fine. Still, I have to vent my frustrations because, well, I can't be classy and together all the time.)

I miss him. I just want him home. Like, RIGHT NOW! (You hear me, pesky Army?!)

And he will be soon. But I put this out there, specifically to my fellow mil-spouses & SO's, but also to anyone with excellent advice on the subject.

What do you do when you miss someone?

My Birthday Shoes

My second ShoeDazzle order came today. Super hot! Now I just have to find the perfect outfit to wear with them for my birthday next week.

Here's another pair of shoes I bought earlier this week - a fun, summery wedge sandal.

(Don't worry dear, I got rid of a pair of shoes to replace with these.)

Truth is, I already own too many pairs of shoes. I just can't help myself. But at the end of the day something that makes me feel pretty and in-charge can't be bad, right?

I'm a big girl now...

I will have my car completely paid off by the end of the month. When I was 20, I bought a brand new Saturn off the lot. I learned how to drive a stick shift to save myself $1000 and I've been driving my baby ever since. To be fair, my parents had to sign for the loan. I've been making payments to them for 6 years and this month I will have made my final payment, transferred the car title to my name and be the proud **official** owner of a lovely silver Saturn.

On another, but similar note, I found a great room for rent in a house with a couple of girls I knew in Undergrad. It's only about 1/2 mile from where I am now and it's a really good price.
The pros: washer/dryer, garage, walk-in closet, large kitchen, deck, and (did I mention a walk-in closet?!)

The cons: too far to walk to school, about $80 more than I'm paying now, and ANOTHER roommate situation that just might not work out

All-in-all, it sounds like I'm getting a lot for my money and I really think these girls will make good roommates. They both work and go to school and seem to be pretty dedicated to both. Plus, they have given full reign for Al to stay whenever he's home, no matter how long it is.

Car ownership, a new place & 1 week shy of 26. I really am a big girl now.

Finals

They're officially here. Students are slightly more agitated, there's a palpable air of stress-related tension, and people are just not screwed on straight.

I have a final on Friday, Monday, Thursday and Monday. About 3 days to study for each.

Mixed in there is my birthday, a couple law school events and a Pure Romance party.

Hopefully, I can maintain this seemingly manageable balance between healthy, stress-free living and diligent hard-work. I plan to study my butt off; attend all the aforementioned events; hit the gym a couple of times per week and come out at the end feeling tired and accomplished.

I'll keep you updated, but for now, I'm diving in. Yee haw!

Anchors Away!

This is my wicked-awesome, sexy haircut the Navy gave me.

I have previously alluded to the fact that my military affiliations go beyond Al's service to this country. Although my personal experiences are nothing compared to his, I would like to think that all service-members provide something that allows the process to go on.

Shortly after I graduated college, I started training for the Navy, both physically and mentally. In April of 2008, I left for Navy OCS to become an officer. The plan was to complete the 16 week training program, start my initial contract and then transfer into the JAG Program to start law school.

Day 4 I fell on a run. It was 4:30 AM in a downpour and I slipped in a mud hole. I fell hard. I ended up with a deep tissue contusion on my knee. I fell out of my training class, and spent three weeks healing up while sitting in a dorm-size room. They encourage you to use this time to study and learn your "Orders of the Sentry" and ranks, as well as prepare all your uniforms to be within code. I didn't want to. I was angry.

I was mad that I was injured. I was mad that my class was going on without me. I was mostly mad that the people who doubted my ability to do it were right. But my injury was actually a really good thing. Not for the pain or the waiting, but for what happened while I was healing up. I met with a career counselor about my future Navy plans and discussed my desire to go to law school and become a JAG Attorney. He informed me that it would be years before the Navy would issue me a lateral transfer into the JAG program so I could go to law school. Which meant I was still 6-10 years from getting my law degree.

I requested permission to cancel my contract, leave the program and start the law school process. Don't get me wrong, it was a very difficult decision. I'm not a quitter and I certainly didn't want to leave the new friends I had made. On the other hand, I didn't want to put law school off that long. So I requested to go home.

To my surprise, it was granted and as soon as I was healed up, I headed home.

I loved my time there and I think about the alternative often. But I made the right choice. I am now finishing up my first year of law school - two years and a really difficult test away from my license to practice law. I have a letter of recommendation to return to training and join the Navy as a JAG attorney when I'm done. I'm not sure yet if that's in the cards, but it's nice to know the opportunity is available.

Pappdeckel

It means cardboard in German. Not very exciting, I know. But for me, it has extra special meaning.

Quite a few months ago, while struggling through yet another long-distance phone conversation the word came up. We were discussing each other, or rather the qualities we liked in each other. (Sometimes quality affirmation is all you have when you can't kiss each other goodnight.)

I rattled off the list of things I loved about him (funny, hard-working, etc...) but he was having trouble putting his into words.

And then he said this: "You're my cardboard. When my table is a little lopsided, or I'm feeling a little uneven, you're the piece of cardboard I put under it to balance it out." (I'm paraphrasing.)

Not going to lie, I thought it was romantic as hell.

My Happy List

I am stress-free and happy. The following is my "happy list":

The gorgeous spring weather we're having
My morning coffee and PB toast w/ bananas
School will be OVER in 18 days
Diet Dr. Pepper
That Al will be here in just a few months
Country music
I put away/threw away most of my WRAP materials
Wearing his old Army PT shirts to bed
Having a glass of wine, a cold beer, or Crown on the rocks with a friend
My birthday shoes that are on the way from Shoedazzle
Waking up to sunlight coming in my window
That Minnesota finally has outdoor baseball AND that the Twins are kicking ass this season
The cafe within walking distance that sells great sandwiches and chocolate-y goodness
My trusty little Saturn
The smell of grills and bonfires

Oh, and it's my bestie Caroline's Bday! Happy 25, love.

The Bad Guy

It's never fun when doing the right thing makes you the bad guy.

I've been in an unwelcome living situation for months now. Last August, when I started school, I moved in with my childhood best friend. We knew each other, we trusted each other, and we had a dynamic that worked well. PLUS, we'd be home on opposite schedules so we'd really only see each other on the weekends. What could go wrong?

Nothing, at first. Things were fine. He was a little messy and smelly (what boy isn't) and he rarely picked up after himself, but after we set up a cleaning calendar and other ground rules things got better.

Then he got a girlfriend. She is a darling. I like her a lot and I think they're great for each other. But in the few short months they've been dating she's practically moved in. To make a long story short, she still has a lease elsewhere but it's too far from her new job to stay during the week. This means she can't actually move in and pay rent, help with groceries, etc...

But she still spends 75% of her time here: showering, eating dinner and watching TV (from a money standpoint, using groceries, utilities AND rental space - none of which she's contributing to.) I agreed to live with Scottie, not with his girlfriend. And I certainly didn't plan on running a hotel (especially a free one!)

Well, the shoe finally dropped last night and I said what I should have said earlier: this just isn't working. We need to set some boundaries or make new arrangements. She took it personal. I know it's hard to separate, but it really isn't personal. Regardless, it is important and it does need to change.

Bottom line: if they wanted to live together, I would step aside and let them have the apartment. We'd have to work it out with the landlord, of course, but it's theirs. That means I'm turning 26 in a few short weeks and probably moving back with my parents.

Honestly though, I will be saner, healthier and richer - so I guess it's not all bad.

Wordless

I've been at a loss for what to write the last couple of days. I try to be diligent in updating every day, or at least every other day. There really isn't any new information: I'm finishing up my last week of classes and about to head into finals; I'm relatively healthy and happy; and I miss Al a frickin' ton!

So, since I have few of my own words to share today, I will share this instead. Because what better than country music to say the things we can't.

A Great Man

Early August. Boots on the ground in El Paso. Unofficially, of course.

So, imagine my surprise today when Al came to me about volunteering to stay later.

Yes, you heard me. He wants to volunteer to stay behind and make sure all the loose ends get tied up.

I have to give him credit for coming to me and discussing it, as though it was a decision we should make together (although it really wasn't). He already knew he was going to do it. Still, out of respect, he explained that he wanted to stay two extra weeks after his unit to make sure everything was squared away before he headed back himself.

It's only two weeks. But, as any mil-spouse or SO knows, two weeks is a REALLY long time in Army world. It's about as long as forever. He reassured me that this extension would still have him home to Minnesota for the same block leave either way. The downside: I would miss the homecoming ceremony and likely not get to greet him in EP at all (being that classes would be starting that week.)

After I explained all my selfish reasons for wanting him home (NOW, not later; out of the question) and wanting to be a part of the ceremony (I like the parade and formality, not to mention the hugs and tears), he explained his side.

They were coming home early. Great for everyone involved, but it meant that a large handful of guys in his unit had not been granted mid-leave (also known as R&R) to go home and see their families. Many of them hadn't seen their families since November when they left. Al was granted mid-leave early on, so he'd already been home to see us.

He wanted to stay behind so the guys in his unit who hadn't seen their families, especially those with kids, wouldn't have to. He said he would hope some of the young, single guys would step up down the road and return the favor.

But for now, it was his turn to do that for them.

Am I with a great man, or what? Amazing.

Needless-to-say, his argument kicked my selfish argument's ass and he will be volunteering to stay behind. I will have to wait just a little longer, but I couldn't ask for a better reason why.

150 Days

This is how long it's been since Al left for Iraq.

Originally, this would have been about the half-way point of his deployment. Instead, it marks the 75% mark! Although it's not a guarantee (it is the Army, after all), we are pretty sure he's coming home in July. Of course, he'll be in EP for about a month before I'll actually have him "home" with me. Still, this is much better then the original November return date.

I am doing my best not to get overly excited so when the time comes (as it usually does with the Army) for them to change their mind, I can handle the new information. If there's anything I've learned from my time as a military SO, nothing is ever the final answer.

Either way, this is fantastic news and I am looking forward to the next step in our life together.

10 Things I've learned in the past 150 days:

1. The heart really is a lot tougher then I'd initially thought

2. Talking on the phone over thousands of miles is a much different kind of communication

3. Absence does NOT always make the heart grow fonder

4. But absence DOES help teach you what's really important

5. Emotions are more intense and conversations more vital when you can't have them face-to-face

6. Being able to "kiss and make up" is hugely underrated

7. So is make-up sex, morning sex, and really any kind of sex we don't get to have

8. I miss fighting over the covers and explaining why I bought another pair of shoes

9. Even when he's crabby, smelly and sweaty, a soldier still looks hot in uniform

10. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world

Undomesticated

I don't like cleaning. I especially don't like cooking. I have always been an organized person and my apartment certainly isn't a disaster, but I just don't have any natural inclination towards domestic activities. I can shoot a gun, change the oil in my car, do 30 push-ups and change a tire. But I'll be damned if I can cook more than a pot of spaghetti. Mostly because I don't want to.

I have been cooking as much as possible recently. Trying to revive any remaining morsel of domestic ability within me. I've had a handful of successful meals recently and the ones I've made more than once are getting better every time. Still, I have the feeling I will more likely be the sports fan, bread winner and disciplinarian in my relationship.

I'm pretty sure Al is OK with this. In fact, I think he enjoys cooking and he certainly doesn't want to yell (outside of work, that is). I know he's OK with my success and future-earning-potential. (Correct me if I'm wrong, babe.)

I used to think if I could cook and be more demure I could "catch myself a husband." I think my grandmother has said just those words to me. Now, I'm in a relationship where those roles are shared a lot more than I ever expected. And if I chose demure over my stubborn, opinionated and loud-mouth self, I wouldn't be me.

And "me" is the woman he fell in love with. "Me" doesn't have to do the dishes.

Outdoor Baseball = American Dream

As I mentioned previously, I am a HUGE baseball fan. Today, I was thrilled to experience my first Twins game in the new Target Field!

Anyone who likes baseball knows that an outdoor stadium is where it's at. Target Field happens to be right in the middle of downtown Minneapolis, making for a gorgeous skyline. And, as you can see, it was a gorgeous day!

So mom and I had a beer, a hot dog and watched a great game of baseball all while basking in the sun. I am pretty sure THIS is the American dream!

Oh, and it didn't hurt that the Twins beat the Royals 6-5. What a great game and a great day.

Something tells me I will have a pretty tough time concentrating on anything else today.

Fight or Flight

I chose the latter. It was a good decision.

On the other hand, I would have loved to lay him out. Although I don't know if he would have hit me back. He's a bad person; he probably would have. He is also a coward, so maybe not.

I am not a violent person and I have thick skin. Rarely will someone offend me or hurt my feelings. Saying something disrespectful about those I love is a horse of a different color.

My sister and my man are NEVER to be the subject of some ignorant a**hole ramblings.

I am a better person than him. I walked away when I should have punched him in the nose. I didn't give him the satisfaction of stooping to his level. At the end of the day, he will get what he deserves. Someone down the line won't have the restraint I did, or won't care. He will be a miserable person for the rest of his life and I will sleep soundly at night.

And since he doesn't deserve any more of my time, energy or words, this is the last I'll say on the matter.

HAPPY FRIDAY all!

This One Goes Out to the One I Love

(**Note: I cannot and will not take complete credit for this idea - my new blogger friend Amber has formatted her blog as a letter to her overseas hubby. Just this once, I am doing the same. Oh, and sappiness alert!)

Hey baby,

I am about to go to bed after a very long day at school. Over there, you are already up and starting your day. Even though you feel so far away, I have never felt so close.

Each night, I am harshly aware of how large my queen bed feels when I'm the only one in it. Plus, it's really difficult to steal the covers from myself. I cannot wait until you return so I can steal them from you instead. As I get ready to fall asleep, wearing your old Army PT shirt, a few things come to mind that I simply need to share.

I am proud of you. Of your work, your character and your continued & unfailing dedication to your country. I am proud to be your girlfriend, your support and your inspiration.

I am impressed by your resilience and everlasting patience (especially with me.)

You never fail to make me laugh or to remind me to relax and have a little fun. You encourage my dreams and help me reach my goals on a daily basis and you constantly kick me in the pants when I get lazy and tired.

I can't wait for your return. I want to travel to new places, preferably warm and try new things, mostly new food. I want to go mudding on the four-wheelers and shooting at the range. I want to get dressed up for fancy dinners and cocktails (yes, that includes a tie and matching your shoes to your belt.) I want to stay up all night, wrapped up in each other, covered in sweat and tears of laughter. Mostly though, I just want you here; to share my morning coffee, the remote control and even the bed covers (I promise I'll try.)

Thank you for being a good boyfriend and a great man. You're my best friend and the love of my life. I miss you. I love you.

Hurry home and remember, I got your six, always.

Melissa

Spring!

It has been an absolutely beautiful spring in Minnesota. We made it through the month of March without a single flake of snow. The last time there was no snow in March was 1878, although some records say it has never happened. Either way, it's been wonderful.

I pulled the plastic off the windows and actually got some air blowing through my apartment this morning. I've started running outside instead of at the gym. I get to wear sandals and skirts and use a cardigan or light jacket. The bulky coats have been put away until fall.

It's officially spring and I couldn't be happier.

What's your favorite thing about spring?

Answer the monthly TPQ here.

Scheduling

As I mentioned before, I am very close to the end of my first year of law school. I am getting more excited day-by-day and looking forward to my free-time. Before I can enjoy it, however, I have two weeks of classes and four finals to get through.

This is my calendar through April

This is my calendar in May, after finals.

It's not entirely accurate because I will be working and taking a class or two this summer, but I certainly won't have the loaded calendar I've had the past two semesters. I'm really not sure what I'm going to do with all that blue-space on the calendar.

I can only hope that I am able to relax enough to truly enjoy it.

Shameless Plugs Ahead

My heart is full today. In a good way. For the first time in a few weeks, I am happy.

I feel a little more in control than I have been.

I am ready to get up in the mornings and join the world.

This is a huge improvement.

I am looking forward to this feeling lasting as long as possible.

Since I've been feeling so much better, I figured I'd give a shout out to a couple of important people in my life. Pay it forward, so-to-speak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I saw Home Free in concert last night. They are on their spring tour and I brought a friend with me to see them.

The concert was fantastic. They sounded great and performed very well.

Not only are they great friends of mine, they are talented as hell!

Check out their website and songs and be sure to go see them if they come to your area.

And if you want a good laugh, as we all do. Check out this video - "How Nice I Really Am", based on one of their original songs about a stalker. The girl in the video is my best friend for many years; check her out here.

If that doesn't make you happy, nothing will.

Army Wives

The new season (season 4) premiers tonight at 7. I will not be watching. But only because I don't have cable. I am forced to wait until Lifetime.com releases the episodes on Monday nights.

I love this show. Not because I'm naive enough to believe that it's realistic. Not because it ALWAYS gives me a good cry. Not even because there are good looking men in camo.

I love this show because it makes me feel at home.

Even in it's Hollywood-ized, no-grip-on-reality glory, it still reminds me that there are hundreds of women out there struggling with the same things I am. It reminds me that it might be a sucky life, but it's an amazingly beautiful one too!

Al rolls his eyes at me every time I watch this show, Kleenex box in hand. He'll never admit that he likes the show, but he has seen it. He scoffs and laughs and regularly tells me how stupid it is. But I don't care; I love it.

Not as much as I love him. And it's nothing compared to real Army life (although I've never had the luxury of living on a post and having a Army family).

The reality of my life is becoming more and more clear. If this is the life Al wants to have, I will continue to support and love him. I will whole-heartedly embrace that lifestyle. And I will make a damn good Army wife. The farther we get through this deployment and through his Army career, the less I want this forever. I am proud. I am patriotic. But I want to have a career and a family and I don't want my whole life dictated by a military.

I am on board with whatever life I am blessed enough to have. I am so happy to have the relationship that I do and I am equally proud of him and all he does. I know that whatever life we choose together, it will be a good one whether the Army is a part of it or not.

In the meantime, I will live vicariously through the sappy, comedic and unbearably addictive Lifetime show.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

I am a month away from the end of my first year of law school. I am two weeks from the end of classes. I am almost one-third done with my degree.

All that's standing in the way of enjoying my free-time is a motion memorandum paper, 4 finals and an oral argument. No big deal.

It's exciting. Terrifying. Nerve-racking. Refreshing.

So, in order to inspire myself to get through these next few weeks and on to the next step, I have compiled a list of fun, free-time, summer things I want to do:

(I will revisit these before I head back to school to see how I do)

Read 20 books on my reading list

Sew pillow cases for bedroom

Make one new meal each week

Re-organize closet, shoes & accessories

Have one Lia Sophia show each week

Cover ottoman with new fabric

Paint & stain bookshelves & side table

Clean & detail the Saturn

Organize & put-away 1st semester papers

Plant new tree in pot

Full spring cleaning of apartment

Go through photos, frames and put on the wall

Single

This word has been a major contention in recent conversations with Al.

The conversation started after recalling a ladies' night to him over the phone. I mentioned a silly comment a girlfriend of mine made where she basically said I had to dance to "All the Single Ladies" with them because, well, "he hadn't put a ring on it" yet.

Al didn't find this funny. He is, by far, the least jealous person I know. He is also understanding of the fact that I want to have a good time, rather then sit at home watching the clock until he comes home. Still, I know how hard it must be for him to think of me out dancing, drinking and hanging out with friends when he's thousands of miles away.

(Thank you, baby, for your continued patience and trust.)

I'm not single. I certainly don't act like I am, nor do I want to.

Nevertheless, legally I am considered single.

When filling out tax forms, any documents at school and really anything else that asks for a marital status, I select the "single" option. It sucks every time I do. Even more, I know that until Al and I are married, I am virtually non-existent as far as the Army is concerned. Sure, there are steps that can (and have, in our case) be taken to ensure that I am properly notified and "taken care of" should anything terrible happen. However, I am just not afforded the same recognition as an Army wife is.

Considering these factors, and the increase in pay, housing, health care, etc...that the military provides for servicemen and their families it is no wonder that many couples marry prior to deployments. Getting those legal and financial benefits is a huge privilege and certainly makes life a little easier. We chose not to do that. We didn't want our time line to be dictated by anything other than our own feelings and our own ideas. As a result, we are in our current situation.

Really though, I don't mind.

Someday in the near future I'll have a ring on my finger and I'll have the recognition of society and Army that I am no longer "single." Nothing will be different in my heart or in my head. The commitment doesn't change. The love doesn't either.

Baby, with or without the title, the legal recognition, or the ring I am still continuously devoted and committed to you. None of those things make that more true. And even if the Army doesn't know it, I am fully and entirely supportive of you and everything you do.

I love you.

(Now if this isn't a reason to comment on my blog...)

Baseball Season Begins!

I love baseball. I was 18 months when I went to my first game. It was in the Metrodome (a moment of silence, please.) I was 3 when I had my picture taken with Kirby Puckett on family day. I could tell you the entire line-up of the Minnesota Twins before I pronounced my own name properly. Pucket, Gaetti, Gagne, Herbeck...All the World Series stars. They were my friends, I knew them personally.

At 19, I met Tony Olivia, courtesy of a first-date. Tony O. delivered our tickets personally and proceeded to sign and take pictures with us. We watched the game from 4th row behind home plate.

At 23, at Twins v. Red Sox, Johan Santana pitched a ball to David Ortiz. Big Papa smacked it down the left-field foul line and it bounced into the stands. He ran it for an easy double. That "bounce" landed right in my hands (to be fair, a friend caught it for me, but it still counts!) It also happened to be my birthday.

This year is a historical marker for the Minnesota Twins. Outdoor baseball has arrived in Minneapolis and I couldn't be happier. There is nothing greater than a hot dog, cold beer and a baseball game on real grass under real sky. It's American. Today, as baseball season kicks off around the country, I have high hopes for Twins baseball. And with that, an emphatic, "We're gonna win, Twins!"

Easter Reflections

I grew up in a fairly religious household. I was baptized in a Lutheran church. (Hey, it's Minnesota and I'm predominantly Norwegian.) I went through Confirmation and I received my engraved bible in 4th grade. As a teen, I went to summer bible camp and attended church on Sundays and youth group on Wednesdays at an Assemblies of God church.

During my Junior year of high school, I walked away from my church. Without making any unnecessary accusations or negative remarks, my leaving had a lot to do with the youth leaders and my friends in the church. I couldn't be involved with a group of people who I felt didn't live like the Christians they claimed to be. So I made the difficult decision to walk away.

I spent most of college deciding what was important to me religiously, spiritually, etc... I came to the realization that my relationship with God was between me and Him. I can be a good person, live a good Christian life, and have my "religious" practices be on my terms and behind closed doors. Having someone in a church tell me his interpretation is fine, but it's not the only answer.

There's a book, Velvet Elvis by Pastor Rob Bell. In his book, he discusses the fact that we should question our faith everyday; that it's OK to read, learn, discover our religion and others around the world; it's OK to constantly ask for answers and not simply go on "faith" alone. I recently started going to church again. It's a nice little Methodist church near my parents. The pastor (who's a woman!) gave me the book when I expressed my hesitation about starting another path towards a church membership.

Tomorrow is Easter which, according to the bible, is the day that Jesus rose again and returned to Heaven. I think it's so much more. Take it to relax, to love, to laugh and to reflect and who you are and what you believe. Whatever it is, Happy Easter!

Monthly Thought-Provoking Question: April 2010

April Fools, everybody. We've been blessed with gorgeous weather to welcome in the new month, which happens to be the inspiration for this month's TPQ!

What is your favorite thing about Spring? Least favorite?

Please participate!