anniversary!!!

Joel and I retreated to Brown County in Becca's cabin from May 7th-May 9th to celebrate our 2nd anniversary!
We spent nearly all the time at the cabin...with a few detours to the local country store (where there was a sign 'register your wild turkey's here...) into Nashville for a fun lunch, over-priced tourist knick-knack browsing, and a stop at a candy store for some yummy caramels
We enjoyed hiking, reading, relaxing, loving, snacking, hot-tubbing, laughing, talking about baby Draper, and watching an entire season of FRIENDS
This weekend away was exactly what we needed!!!!!

crazy love

crazy love - by francis chan
this is a bible study our entire church is going through this month and next
we are split up into small groups to meet each week to discuss the reading and watch short videos and come together on sunday morning for a larger, community message on the topic

joel asked this question in his bible study this morning:
"if Jesus came back right now and asked us to follow Him, leaving your family, home, everything behind...how hard would that be?"

showered and celebrated

This past Saturday I was so blessed to have a baby shower thrown for Joel, baby Draper, and myself! (granted, it was really all about the baby...I didn't really get anything to use that doesn't involve that new little bundle!)

Kim headed this all up (she's amazing!) with Brittany's help (she's amazing too!)

My mother-in-law made a great cake to go along with our polka-dot theme

Baby Draper got to celebrate with Grandma Karen, Grandma Kari, and Great-Grandma Phyllis

Also Aunt Leslie (with baby draper's cousin in there!) and Aunt Roni too

And all the Merkle aunts, Jayna, Dawn, and Jill

Lastly, George and Karen's family of almost 18!!!

We are so blessed!!!

its a beautiful day!

is that a U2 song?

this monday has been joyous so far!
1. made oatmeal for the first time ever - not bad, but not my favorite thing to eat either
2. cleaned and organized around the house
3. got my hair into a ponytail (any girl who has ever had short hair and grown it out, or has a layered haircut knows how exciting this is!)
4. went on a 2 1/2 mile walk and didn't pee my pants! (meaning i made it home just in time...)

now i'm at school working...so...not as joyous as earlier, but the day started off with me NOT having to be here at 7:45am...so i'll take what i can get!

i currently can't fall in love with any of my pandora stations today - anybody have a great one they want to share?!

catching up on a month

i am sad that my last post was a month ago.
i am even more sad that i feel like i have nothing to share on my blog - and that is why i did not post!

this all began because i was going to put up pregnancy photos of how we (baby and i - not daddy) have grown through the last 26 weeks (can you believe its been that long!?!) BUT our camera card is dysfunctional and would like to erase those pictures and not load them on to our computer...
i am still bitter about this - but trying to get over it and look on the brightside of purchasing a new camera to use for the new member of our family arriving soon!

in addition to that i've had waves of some pregnancy/grad student blues this semester (remember my post about my busy schedule?!)
luckily - spring arriving is helping me overcome these blues - but i still battle them weekly
i am so blessed to have such a loving, supporting, encouraging, and happy best friend/husband that let's me talk over these blues again and again and again - and then he helps me deal with it and feel good about myself and life in general!

since my semester is mere weeks from being finished (YAY!!!!) - i am looking forward to the summer and what it holds for continuing my education and balancing life with the unpredictability of our new draper bundle's arrival...
i am SOOO thrilled to be doing my first internship of my program at our faith community, Life, in Bluffton (also 10 blocks from our house...)
This has been an earnest prayer of ours for months, if not over a year
I can't wait to begin ministering in this way to our community - i am nervous and very excited for what God has in store for me there!

i will also be taking a class that meets one weekend a month all summer - let's see how exciting a baby arrival will make my class attendance and ability to complete the work!
If all goes well and as tentatively planned - in a year i will be just weeks from graduation and an MA in Counseling!

i hope it isn't too long before i reflect on life again - fellow bloggers - keep inspiring me by your recipes, testimonies, house projects, exercise plans, funny stories, and insight!!! i love it!