anniversurprises

myboy and i have been married one whole year!!it was the best year of my life, and went so fast... here's how we celebrated!

The festivities began Thursday night when we ate one of our fave meals together... chicken Marsala and mashed potatoes! MMM! Friday morning we had a yummy breakfast together, and chewed our fave gum that we chewed on our honeymoon. We worked 1/2 a day (thanks boss!!!),Jord surprised me with my fave...lemonade! then headed home to get our things together for the beach! here's where it gets interesting...(jord had asked me what I wanted to do for our Anni so, I had told him I wanted adventure and PF Changs:)... He told me to pack whatever I wanted to wear to dinner, like some make up and hair stuff...and we were off!!! while we laid out on the beach, jord told me we could change in this family bathroom on floor 9 of some hotel... he kept telling me "you said you wanted 'adventure'"...so, I didn't buck the plan, just smiled nervously and kept laughing at the thought of us washing off our oil with a boardwalk shower, then lugging my hair straightener, high heels and everything up to a random bathroom and try to look decent for dinner...so, as we headed to a REALLY NICE hotel with our stuff, I was gettin nervous, "Jord, let's go to 7-eleven!!!Please!!!!! how are we gonna get past the guys at the door?? i feel like we're gonna get caught or something!"...I had Kate's floppy straw hat hanging way low over my eyes so i didn't have to look people in the eye...then we got to floor 9.........and Jord pulls out a key to room 908!!!! can you beleive it! I was SHOCKED!!!!!!! he had this whole thing planned! the room was perfect and cheerful! our view of the beach was so fantastic that it didn't feel like we were at home! we got all ready, and he told me that there was another adventure! YAY...he led me to the boardwalk....it felt like he was gonna propose to me again or something :) and shocked me again with a pair of beach cruisers!!! we love to ride bikes together! Then we went to dinner MMMMM! then rode bikes on the boardwalk till really late!!! It was such a fun and romantic getaway! 

our bikes are on the left

our fortunes

my hot  boy

Thank you cutie, for your thoughtfulness on our anniversary. It was the best! Most of all thank you for your faithful friendship, zealous love, passion for God, humble leadership and for providing for us so well!! I am so thankful to God for allowing us to be married one whole year so far and for His provision for this weekend. His Grace is amazing! I look forward to years more of anniversaries and adventures:) ....and thanks to "everyone" who helped make our adventure very special;)

our little square in this world

Welcome to the Smith Square! Our little apartment wears whatever I want it to as long as Jord approves! So, i have about 10 projects going, to hang on the walls (I'll post pix as I finish the projects...don't hold your breath)! I would like to call my style a mix of Hollister/Pottery Barn/Urban Outfitters/Grandma's sigh-worthy house (minus the pink knitted tissue box covers)...but, i think it is still a bit bareboned! It lacks color and pictures on the walls...but, as i said I am slowly progressing in that...plus, i'm decortating on a dime, if you will! So, enjoy the tour of our wonderful home that God has entrusted us with!!! 

The living room viewed from the kitchen... the marble table was a gracious gift from Mom Smith! I love it. Projects for this room include:  paint the end tables, paint a picture for above the couch and love seat, cover the pillows, and make curtains! until then... we love to eat, have quiet times, watch American Idol when it was on, and hang out with friends in here...Oh yeah spy on the neighborhood..hahaha:) 

Kitchen viewed from the living room... the walls used to be pumkin orange, but are now a lovely green/grey color titled "squirrel"! The table and chairs were from Tim and Lisa Hulme...what a blessing! I do most of my painting projects on this table so it is covered in bright multi-colored right angles...i hope to paint or stain it down the road so we don't really care. The paintings on the walls are originals, except the one on the far right...Jacquelyn painted that for us as a wedding gift! This wall will eventually serve as the gallery spot in the house covered in paintings! The basket seats need covering and i store a lot in them. Kate and I made our "kitchen thing" (dishes holder) out of a dresser. I just figured out where to hang that wreath!

The view of the laundry area from the kitchen! Jord, Dad Smith and Pa Korday helped us so much with finding and installing the washer and dryer!!! I spend a lot of time in that odiously undecorated corner!!!

simply the bathroom...

if i ever paint it, the shade will be called "cairo blue" :)

Ahh, our repose! I failed to mention earlier that my 5 sisters, brother Clay, and friend Matt painted our living room and our bedroom while we were away on our honeymoon!!! it was the best surprise and just the colors we wanted (well, i wanted:)... this is my main priority! 

As most of you know...Katy made, yes, MADE the lovely and comfy quilt on our bed, it has this fine patchwork on the one side and an Urban Outfitters cover on the other side!We Love it!!! Jap found the corner dresser in someone's trash!!! My love hung everything in our room but the curtains. project's include: blown up photo above the bed, a sheer bed veil hung over the bed from my dear sis Liz, more photos!

this is our music room/library...we have so much fun in here!!! Jord rules in the music department! His own and borrowed guitars are in one corner and the great keyboard he gave me for Christmas has been such a blessing, and relief for my itching fingers to dance upon!!! Our projects for this room include: read some of the books we own HAHA, try to keep our music quiet after 10:00 PM,  glorify God with what talents he has blessed us with, and record songs to post on the blog and hopefully bless others with in the coming years! It seems that our dream to write and play and record music together has come true!!! 

Best for last...our quaint coo-coo clock from mom and dad Korday above the stove...i love the tiny "tick-tock, tick-tock"

So, there you have it!!! I would be remiss to end our tour without thanking God for our warm-in-the-winter, cold-in-the-summer (jord likes it refrigerator cool), cozy, happy Smith Square home!!! And everyone who had even a small part to helping us get started and settled! We are so grateful! We can't wait to invite more people physically into our home... have more dinners and ice cream nights with the Smith and Korday family...boys nights with Dowling boys, Joey and beau...more girls' game nights... and so on..

We Love being home, and at home is where we have most of our fights and most of our happiest times together! At home is where we are most ourselves and where the "working out our faith with fear and trembling" takes place... it is a place, if not THE PLACE of loving refinement that God works in and through His children... I will leave you with these words...

"But, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15

and these...    "Think about the last time you took a little time to count each blessing one by one, for makin your lunch in the little kitchen, while the sound system bump boogie root drum".... from: boogie root 

I will set before my eyes no vile thing...

Here's the true test: can you walk away from a movie or a tv show actually and honestly thanking God for what you have just viewed??? 

I just finished a chapter in the book Not Even A Hint by Joshua Harris entitled "Half A Poison Pill Won't Kill You" (How Do I Cope With The Temptations Of The Media?) Jord had encouraged me to read it, and I would encourage you adults to also read it for yourself.

The chapter was refreshing, convicting, and prompting! Here's my trouble: I'd like to answer that agitating question without a moment's thought -purely and honestly- "Yes!"...but, i don't think i could, in full faith! Why? Because I am a sinner (saved by Jesus). And this sinner (saved by Jesus) makes choices to listen to the Spirit's voice or to my own sinful desires... and those choices, when not informed by and submitted under God's word, bring consequences. Here are some quotes from the book about media that i found very insightful and helpful:

"Television and films stir up feelings and emotions that bypass our minds and go straight for our affections. The incredible power of media is that it can make something evil look good or exciting without appearing to make any argument at all" (p.118)

again...

"No rating system based on content can replace a heart that wants to please God. If we're to honor God with our entertainment choices, we must be willing to carefully evaluate how what we watch affects our love for God" (p.119)

and again...

"Take this rule:Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things, in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself." (p.120- John Wesley's mother wrote this describing sin to him.)

lastly...

"and if we're the only people in the world who don't see the latest summer blockbuster movie, we'll be alright" (p.125)

"The only thing that's essential is walking with God and pleasing Him".

I am excited to take all this in and apply it to my own life, i have so much to learn!!! And I  hope what I have shared encourages you in your striving to please God and to walk in His wisdom, and deepens your love for our Savior who came to save us from sin... which is crafty enough to masquerade as good, bright and beautiful.

Here are some tools that Jord and I wish to keep close and have found helpful when we are considering viewing (primarily) movies, but these apply to tv too...

#1 God's word: Psalm 101:26

"I will set before my eyes no vile thing"

#2 God's word...okay, we get it!

#3 friends'/family's advice not to watch something

#4 Chapter 7 from Not Even a Hint

#5 http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/

(Excellent, descriptive reviews on movies)

#6 God's word

 

 

coming soon to a blog near you....

pictures of NEW ATTITUDE 2008!!!!!!

pictures of our apartment-sweet-apartment!!!

see ya

"Lord....let me recover my sight"

"Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!"

"Lord, let me recover my sight"

From Luke 18

When my EYES and ears and lips and heart and mind and strength and song- created to worship God- worship the creature rather than the Creator...When they seek inspiration and sustenance from things other than the all-powerful, almighty, merciful Lord and Savior...when they attribute beauty and awesomeness to anything but God...when I allow my gaze to drift form the Cross, my hearing to tune into another message, my words to subtly or overtly worship me, my heart to flutter at whatever temporal happiness the world has to offer, my thoughts to run a marry-go-round of me me me, my desire to be for anything but Him, my strength to be conjured up in me, my song to credit myself and not Christ.......When I am in this place...which is -to one degree or another- as long as I live here on earth, a sinner saved by the blood.....I will cry "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me...Lord, let me recover my sight" Oh, let me behold the Almighty Creator, the Crushed Lamb,the Obedient Substitute, the Victorious Savior and his empty cross and grave, the Merciful Intercessor, the Radiant King on high.....worthy of worship...worthy that my gaze should catch and fix magnetically upon Him, His glory, His creation, His ways, His words, His awesomeness...worthy that my ears should relish in His children's tunes and filter through the stones cries; and what God-glorifying beauty will my ears find in both that is not to be credited to Him? ...worthy that my tongue should move to praise and sing His songs, confess my endless sins and lift thanks to Him who forgives them, speak his truth and love to all while it is called 'today'... worthy that every faculty He has endowed upon me- those which are currently strong, weak, effortless, draining, pleasurable, loathsome- should be motivated for His glory, empowered by His grace, controlled and convitcted by His infallible perfect Word, conformed to Him, Inspired by Him, grateful to Him, flourishing in Him, Serious about Him, held against a standard of Him, cling to Him, Look to Him, Interested in Him, filtered through Him, Strengthened For Him and His purposes...finding all rest, joy, sustenance, peace, hope, faithfulness, love, mercy, self-control,  trust, perseverance, discernment, forgiveness, conviction, perspective, satisfaction, supply...In Him alone! Whatever the cost. 

"Heavenly Father, Though hast placed me in the church which thy Son purchased by His own blood. Add grace to grace that I may live worthy of my Vocation...My heart is not always a flame of adoring love, but, resting in thy Son's redemption, I look forward to the days of heaven, where no langour shall oppress, no iniquities chill, no mists of unbelief dim the eye, no zeal ever tires. Father, these thoughts are the stay, prop, and comfort of my soul." (parts taken from "Vocation" from The Valley of Vision)    

If you think of it...pray for me to fix my eyes on Jesus, release any idols to Him and allow His Spirit to help me change to love Him and His word more!

Happy Ma's and Mom's day!!!

I love you both so much! Ma, thank you for loving me. Thank you for homeschooling me all those years. Thank you for teaching me bible verses and playing with me when I was little. thank you for your humble example of a wife and mom! thank you for always forgiving me! thank you for your friendship!! And thank you for teaching me how to be a good wife and homemaker. thank you for being one of my closest friends...i adore you! Mom, thank you for raising Jordan up to be a wonderful man, for teaching him about God and the bible, for loving me and wrapping your arms around me into your family. I love being a Smith!!! Thank you for always taking time to talk when I call you. Thank you for your example of warm and loving hospitality and kindness! i love you so very much!

The thing I am most grateful for in both of you is this: it is very evident that the most important part of both your lives is Jesus Christ!!! I hope I can be like both of you mixed together when I am a mother!

Love you so much, Nelly

mild salsa sisterhood

To the most loving and kind and precious sisters in the world!!! I love you each so much and am so thankful to God for each one of you! Liz, you have been a huge example of caring for others. I remember one night when we lived in our town house and it was just you and me home, you had a TON of homework to do and i wanted to spend time with you...so, you took time away from your mound of school and made smoothies for us and we listened to Point of Grace music together! I'll never forget that night...it made a huge impression on me! I know it is a huge blessing to mom and the rest of the family that you help with making meals while mom's leg is healing! A few months ago, you also showed me so much care when you lovingly brought an observation to me! Your demonstration of joy, trust in God, and submission to God's will for your life are just a few evidences of the wonderful fruit in your life! I am so grateful for you! Kate, you inspire me by your close walk with God. I love it when you post on your blog or tell me on the phone how grateful you are for the big and small things God is doing in your life! you remind me to take advantage of the gift that each day is and not live like life is just the same old routine every week. Your love, care and loyalty to Clay are such an example to me, and -now that I am a wife, too- i am very thankful for a humble example like you to follow! Jord and I love hangin with you and Stanger! Jappy, you are my sunshine. Your love for God and strong desire to honor Him makes my heart rejoice! I have loved growing up as "the younger two" and learning from you even though you are "the younger one". One thing that i am so grateful for is your tender heart! When we would get in fights, we would both be mad and i would want to quickly make up...but, you would really think about your sin and come crying to me repenting and asking forgiveness! That has made me want to be more concerned about the sin in my heart toward God, than even making up quickly. 

You each mean so much to me and I love you so much!!!! 

Beach date...Or not!

A few weekends ago, me and myboy went on a really fun date!!! On a pleasantly warm and sunny evening, we headed to the beach around dinner time. From the parking garage to the last road before the boardwalk, it was nice and warm... but, the moment we crossed the street and reached the boardwalk, we were so chilly. So, we took a few pix by Neptune and booked it to our car! So, then we hit Lynnhaven mall and walked around for a while, took pix on the sweet mall rides :). And -of course- I couldn't leave the mall without smelling like four different perfumes!!! Then we got Pizza hut and picked up the movie Band of Brothers(thanks Dad Smith for letting us borrow that... it's so long, but I'll make sure we have it back to you by '09). We watched as much as we could before 12:00am! See, last datenight movie (which took like three evenings to finish) was Jane Eyre!!! One of my top favorite books...so, this it was one of Jord's fave books on movie! I'm so thankful for my cutieboy...He is truly my very BEST FRIEND and I love spending time with him all alone...What a treat!!!"Hi-ho silver" Alright, that's all    

we spotted our sign!

On the way home we had fun with the camera!

Bona fide accountant

myboy started a new job on monday working at a law firm as an accountant. We are grateful to God for this job! (And I think he looks so cute with his tie on!!!)

just 2 kids...

the dishes pile up

the trash overflows

the bed's not made

we're just 2 kids in love

"Luke...i am your father"

we have a new little addition to our family... can you guess who he is?

oh and.... may the force be with you!