Day 8: Dreams

Dreams... I have vivid dreams. There are a few things I truly hope become more than just dreams. Writing them down is a little scary... because what if they never happen? Or what if I change my mind? Oh well. As of March 8th, 2011 these things are what I consider my biggest dreams...

A white house, with navy blue shutters, and a red door

 That is my dream house. It just looks like home. Oh, how I wish it'd be my home.

 

A Master's in Social Work

As my parents have been going through the approval process for becoming foster parents, they've told me stories about the people they've met with (many have been great!) and some of the problems they've encountered. Since I graduated, I really had no clue what I wanted to do with my degree. I really just picked it because the classes were interesting (not such a great idea), but recently I feel like I've found out what I really want to do... Social Work. I talk about how adoption pulls on my heart and how I wish I could do something for the fatherless and motherless in the world... this could be it. I started doing some research and found an online master's program through the University of Tennessee (who happens to have the #26 program in the nation). I've missed the deadlines to get in Fall 2011, but that gives me a lot of time to research for grants or scholarships.  I really hope this dream works out because it would open doors for other dreams... like working for an organization like Bethany Christian Services, Life Choices, or Agape. 

But would that mean I have to be a UT fan!?

Twins

While I can choose to go back to school, I definitely can't choose this dream... It'll have to choose me. I want twins. So bad. :) My dad is a fraternal twin, which means I may be lucky enough to have inherited the twin gene from my Nana. While I will still be 100% happy if I never have twins, I know I'll be 100% happy if I do.

 

Adoption

I really hope that one day God will reveal to Dane and me that there is a child already waiting for us. I don't know when or where... but I feel like those answers will come in time. Maybe we'll adopt a baby from a foreign country, or maybe like my parents we'll adopt an older child after we've raised a few first. As of today, only God knows.

Day 7: Hobby

"An empty canvas is a living wonder.. far lovelier than certain pictures."

Wassily Kandinsky

I love to paint. I love getting a blank canvas and turning it into something else. But Kandinsky's right, being covered in paint doesn't necessarily make it any more wonderful. But I do love the challenge. I really love a lot of Kandinsky's stuff. Whenever I paint I get too restricted by my OCD perfectionist goals... that don't get reached anyway. One day I'd like to paint something truly abstract. I'd also like to loosen up. Do something crazy. Maybe after this blog challenge, I'll do a painting challenge... Hmm...

Here are a few of my most recent paintings... And yes I have an obsession with birds :)

Day 6: Friends... Old and New

There are four girls that are very special to me. Three have been friends of mine for years and years. The other is someone I've known for awhile, but I've recently come to think of as one of my favorite people.

I've known Hannah and Hope since 1997 and Lacey since 1999. While we may have gone through different phases of how often we hung out or saw each other... I will always consider these three to be some of my closest friends. They make me laugh. I know they'd be there for me through anything (because they have). I know I can trust them. I love them so much.

While I've had three of the same friends for a decade... I've recently added one to that list. Katie and I met in our college years, due to our husbands becoming close. But in the past year, I've really come to think of Katie as my friend, rather than Dane's friend's wife. She is my go-to-girl for how-to-be-a-good-wife advice. She's a great cook, a wonderful mom (I absolutely love her little girl), and a trustworthy friend. She was the first person I told about my new brother, because I knew she'd share my excitement and keep the secret until it was more official. I am really thankful for her and her friendship.

Day 4: Parents and Day 5: Siblings

I had a busy day yesterday and didn't get around to blogging, but that's okay because I think these two topics belong together.

Parents

I am so incredibly lucky to have the parents that I have. I can't imagine it being any better. My parents love the Lord and it shows in their lives. My dad left an extremely comfortable job to follow God's call for him to serve in the ministry. While it was my dad's job, my mom also had to step out on faith that his career change would support our family. She is the picture image of the Proverbs 31 woman. She supported my dad's decision and she has been a constant support to all of us. I don't know any other way to explain other than that my parent's have set the example of how I hope to raise my future children. 

Love. Spiritual guidance. Discipline. Encouragement. Support.

I now consider my parents two of my closest friends. It seems we have grown so much closer now that I'm married. I hope it just keeps getting better. 

Siblings: Big Brothers, Sisters-in-law, and my Not-so-little Brother on the way!!

I have always joked that I missed out on a girly childhood because I grew up with two big brothers... but honestly, I don't think I missed out on a thing. Growing up with two big brothers made me feel safe. I never remember needing protection, but I think if I ever did... I could count on them. As I've gotten older, I realize how much I look up to them. Jeremiah is a student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I couldn't be more proud of him. I know that he is going to do some awesome things for God's glory. Zach is currently in EMT school and it makes me so happy to see him thriving. He is doing amazing right now and one day he will save lives. How awesome is that? I don't know if they know it, but these two men are two of my biggest heroes. If you're reading this... I hope you know how much you mean to me. I love you.

On June 7, 2008, I got a big sister, Darlene. I know without a shadow of a doubt that there is no one better for my big brother than this sweet, godly, wonderful woman. I am so happy that they found each other. I am also thankful that I now have the older sister I always longed for... someone I could go to for advice or share my concerns/fears with. When Jeremiah married you, he made my dreams come true too. Then on August 28, 2010, when I married my best friend, another one of my best friends, Haley, became my little sister. How do I get so lucky? I finally have the little sister I've always wanted... to watch Disney princess movies with, to go shopping with, to go on silly adventures with. I love my sisters.... they were so worth the wait.

And now the biggest news of all.... I'm getting a new brother!!! Around Christmas, my parents told us that they were feeling led to take in a foster child with the intentions of adopting him. A few weeks ago I met him for the first time. I am so excited! His name is Brandon and he is 16 years old. So far, from the two times I've hung out with him I know he is very positive, incredibly respectful, really nice, pretty hilarious, and he loooooooooooooves football. We're all hoping that the approval process will go quicker than normal, but becoming approved as foster parents takes a lot of meetings, classes, and paperwork. My parents really hope they can get approved and get Brandon moved in in the next month or so. I can't wait to get to know him better. I also can't wait for next football season... I plan on going to a bunch of games to cheer on my little brother. :)

Day 3: First Love

First Love...

When I first thought about my answer I immediately thought Dane. I can't imagine comparing the way I feel about Dane to any of the silly relationships I had in middle school. Did you have those? Those 1 week, maybe a few months if you were "serious" relationships? I did. Lots of them. And I remember telling a few "Love you" as we got off the phone. Garrett, Michael, Logan... I remember. But I also know that although I cared about them, my little 13 year old heart had no clue what love really is.

I met Dane in eighth grade (he was a sophomore) when he came to help the Schilling Farms director with our production of Annie. We met when he and another assistant found out that Daddy Warbucks and Annie were crushing on each other. So, our love story begins with a matchmaker story. Dane and his friend played matchmaker for Logan and me. Funny, huh?

Flash-forward a year and I'm now a freshman. Youth pastors put together this city wide youth revival called Synergy... and both Dane's and my church were involved. We met again and I immediately fell... hard. My friends never heard the end of it. They would help me come up with ways to run into him. I remember them coming over before the Christmas parade and waiting as I changed clothes umpteen times because we were planning on meeting up with Dane. It is really hard to dress cute when its really cold by the way. But they convinced me I looked okay and we trekked out to meet him. He ended up giving me a ride home that night and I think that's when he actually started to like me too. He asked me out on our first date in January 2004. :)

There's lot of funny stories I could tell but I'll save them for other days, but I've said all this to say I don't believe in love at first sight. Not very romantic, huh? I think it is. Love takes so much more than a look. It has to grow. Its the nervousness before the first date. Its the first time you hold hands. The first time you laugh til you cry. The first time you kiss. The first time he sees you cry. Its when you know you can tell him anything in the world and it'll be okay. Love is so much more than a look. Its also a choice. It means choosing to be with someone despite any of their faults or your own. Love means fighting. Fighting about dumb things, fighting about important things... and fighting to stay together. Love is hard, but love is worth it.

So to end, I thought I'd share my vows that I wrote for our wedding. It is my goal in life to live up to the promises I made.

I, Kelsey, take you Dane, to be my husband. I promise to be patient and kind, to not envy your successes or be too proud to admit my failures. I promise to not demand my own way and to keep no record of being wronged. I promise to never give up and to always be faithful. I promise these things because I love you and my love for you will endure through every circumstance.

Day 2: Blog Name

I made up this name while humming that old song "Wishing and Hoping." I just changed it up a bit. When I first started blogging, I wanted to use it as a way to talk about the things that were on my mind...

At the time that was adoption. I was getting incredibly caught up in reading other people's stories about adoption that my heart started craving it. I've realized now that that kind of obssession is pretty unhealthy. Dane and I aren't at a place where we could even begin to think about adopting yet. We want to one day, but obsessing over it now is too painful. I hope that I can come up with another way to support adoption until we get to be a part of it...

I can wish.
I can wait.
I can hope.
And I can pray.

Daily Blog Challenge: Day One

I abandoned my blog because I ran out of ideas. So until I determine what I want to do with this blog, I'm going to use a daily blog challenge to figure out what I enjoy writing about most.

Day One: Day 1-Introduce, a picture, 10 Facts

1. I'm a believer. Blessed beyond measure.
2. I'm a wife (6 months yesterday!).
3. I love to paint. I wish I found more time to do it.
4. I'm addicted to google. If I don't know, I google it. :)
5. I'm a big fan of happy endings. I believe if it is a movie, tv show, or book it should have a happy ending.
6. I love the Memphis Tigers... even though they haven't been so hot this season. I'm a true blue fan.
7. I am a sucker for all things baby. Baby people. Baby dogs. Baby hippos. If its a small version of living thing, it'll melt my heart.
8. I love to dance. Since going out dancing will pretty much never happen... the Kinect is a dream come true.
9. I love crafting. I love seeing something in a store and trying to make it myself.
10. My heart aches for orphans, for families who choose to adopt, and the foster care system. I pray someday I can do something.