A little self-motivation

Sooooo since I only have class three days a week, and there aren't that many weeks left of school...... I only have 15 days left of actual class before finals and before GRADUATION!  And then summer will be here!!!

I Just Haven't Met You Yet...... but now I have

I never expected that when Israel Sánchez first left me a comment on my blog in November that it would lead to this.  It would lead to meeting the love of my life, the man who has every quality I've asked God for.  He is the sweetest blessing in my life, the definition of God's sweet mercy and grace.  

Blogger comments, emails, texts, phone calls, handwritten letters, packages, and Skype dates... this was life before meeting Israel in person.  These are screenshots from a few of our many Skype calls-- what we knew of each other before March 13:

I could probably tell this story a thousand times and never tire of it.  We first started talking about meeting in December, and everyday I imagined what it would be like meeting face-to-face at Kansas City International Airport in March.  We started counting down the days and dreaming of our meeting each other.  Each day that passed brought us closer to that perfect day in March.

We had thought about this moment for so long that it almost seemed like the day would never get here.  Finally, it was the night before and I saw Israel for the last time on Skype before seeing him in person.  It was a rather crazy night at his house as he sat at the table eating and talking to me, with his family all around him, chaos ensuing.  I hung up with him, and went about cleaning my room and the rest of the basement, preparing for his visit the very next day.  I barely slept that night, feeling incredibly nervous and excited all at the same time.  

The next morning I woke up with a very surreal feeling-- "having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream."  That word sums up the whole day for me.  I got ready in the morning, making sure my makeup and hair were absolutely perfect and put on the new dress I had just bought in Kansas City.  I made sure I had the correct directions to the airport, cash on hand, Israel's flight info, camera and purse and I left for KCI.  I listened to a mix I had put together for Israel on the way there, blaring the music and hoping to drown out my nervous feelings.  I had to stop myself and pray several times that God would calm my anxious heart!

I pulled into the parking garage at KCI, walked into the American Airlines section at Terminal C, and answered a call from Tricia just moments before meeting Israel.  I found the right gate through which he would be coming.  Words cannot describe what I was feeling at this moment!  As I stood there waiting for the passengers to get off the plane, or really for the only passenger I cared about, a small part of me wondered if he would really be there, if I hadn't dreamed up this whole thing.  

I was nervous and could not stop shaking.  My heart beat faster every time I saw a new person come off the plane.  I kept thinking about Hugh Grant's dialogue at the beginning of "Love Actually" about how he loved watching people reunite at the arrivals gate and seeing their reactions.

I've always had a fondness for airports, fascinated with the coming and going of people, their stories and destinations.  I think now they must be the most romantic places on earth, in relation to this story. 

 

Finally, I saw a face come into view around the corner, a very familiar face I had only seen through a computer screen.  Suddenly he was in 3-D form.  We recognized each other right away-- there was no doubt or hesitation.  And it truly was amazing!  Like I was seeing my future and all of my dreams standing right in front of me.  

We met in the middle of the now short distance between us in a fierce embrace.  I couldn't believe it was really him!  I felt myself shaking as I clung to him, tears of intense joy welling up in my eyes.  And then he kissed me for the first time right there in the airport in front of everyone!  I didn't care who was watching, my existence was wrapped up in that moment.  

We walked hand-in-hand over to baggage claim, and I could not stop staring at him, widening my eyes, and just saying "Wow!" over and over.  Any time I would look away and back at his face, I had to tell myself all over again that it really was Israel in human form staring back at me.  

And that is how I met the love of my life.  The rest of the week was pure bliss.  I have never been so happy before, so comfortable and natural around someone.  It was truly the best week of my life, I loved every single moment spent with him.  It was a sad day when the week ended and we had to part ways again.  We both were miserable the first couple of days we were apart, until I surprised him by buying a ticket to Miami!  Originally I wasn't going to see him again until my graduation in May, but now I will be seeing him much sooner in only two weeks!!!  :)

Not counting today or Saturday...

Just 5 more days until I meet Israel Sánchez in the airport!!!!!!!

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Haiku to my space heater

Son, you run all day--
all night too, so thankful for
your warmth that you warm.

A good reminder

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

-Philippians 3:13,14

I dedicate this post to Tricia

Tricia was doodling in church, which is not so uncommon, but upon this particular Sunday there was a guest speaker and we were not such fans of the message. What a great time to doodle then!

As Tricia sat beside me drawing an elaborate design, feigning the appearance of a cabbage, I requested that she add the head of a baby at the top. I was thinking it might look something like this:


As she planned out an idea of where the baby's head might appear out of the cabbage, she began to draw. I looked over and noticed the eyes were a bit close to its forehead, so she added more hair. It appears that the cabbage patch babe has turned into a jungle boy.


But I am not poking fun. This is my own church doodle of an unfinished strange gnome man: