Hello 2014!

A new year, a clean slate, a blank page waiting to be filled.

I filled the year 2013 to the brim- tried a “real food” menu, got my license for school counseling, went to Disney World, vacationed in the Virginia mountains, camped in Idaho, attended two of my dear friends weddings, joined the leadership team for kids ministry at church, ran a half marathon and… started a blog J.

Tyler and I finished the year making many memories with friends and family over the holidays. We were blessed to host Thanksgiving with friends (our “Lynchburg family”). I made a TURKEY for the first time- believe it or not- and it turned out pretty good! I also made a “real food” sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole. I have really grown from my boxed mac-and-cheese days…

 

We also celebrated our 3^rd year of marital bliss on December 11^th. Three years baby! I can truly say I love that man more and more every day.

For Christmas, we travelled to Seabrook, Washington to celebrate with the Harris/Fenske family.

 

 

We stayed in a beautiful ocean view beach house. The week was full of games, a Christmas pageant, and sing along to Abba. Needless to say, we laughed until we peed our pants. Literally.  

For New Year’s, we enjoyed a New England style celebration with our “Lynchburg family” complete with Chinese food and the game Hedbanz. Just picture six of us with nouns strapped to our foreheads, trying to guess what the word is on our own head, and one of us has the word “Nude Beach.” Priceless.

My dad’s family also came to visit for the weekend. It was so good to spend sweet time with them. My siblings are growing up way too fast… my youngest sister, Zoe, turns 13 this year. Wasn’t I just 13 the other day?!

 

Thought for the day: Don’t move too fast through the day. Soon it will be gone… Slow down, look for the little blessings in life. Count them, breathe, enjoy life.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday celebrating time with the ones you love!

Stay tuned for Tyler and I’s first adventure of 2014… HAWAII. More info this week!

Fall Memories

I have about ten minutes to write. Ten precious quiet minutes before I begin to scurry about the grocery store on a last minute search for Thanksgiving items. It has been a beautiful fall. Beautiful in the fact that we live in the Blue Ridge Mountains and you just can’t help but lose your breath at sight of the glowing leaves and the hues from the sun crossing over the horizon. Beautiful in our friendships with nights of laughter and dinners and sharing life together. Beautiful because God is teaching me more every day to be content in the here and now and enjoy the moments.

I did a Media Fast with my tenth grade girls at LCA in October. Basically that means no movies, no TV, no social media. We unplugged from technology and plugged into reading and enjoying spending time with those around us. It was amazing to hear the things these girls (and me too!) learned from this break. Some quotes: “I felt like my brain could think more clearly.” “I realized that I was focusing on more positive things than negative ones.” “I spent more time praying and reading my Bible.” “I realized I can survive without Twitter and Facebook. I don’t have to know what is going on in everyone’s lives.” These girls stunned me. 21 days of no media for a teenager in 2013 is like punching them in the stomach and knocking the wind out of them. I am so proud of their willingness to try something new and so happy to be able to meet with them every Friday.

Tyler and I ran a race called the Freedom 4/24 race in October too. The proceeds went to help stop human trafficking around the globe. You can learn more at http://www.freedom424.org.

I also finished my FIRST half marathon on November 16^th! My favorite part: When my husband was there to cheer me on at Mile 9, then Mile 10, then Mile 11… and I suddenly realized- He is running super fast so that he can see me at every mile marker to the finish! When I finished the race, I said, “That is the most romantic thing you have ever done for me.”

Tyler also went hunting for the first time! I have a feeling he will be out there again soon…

Well, my ten minutes is up. Off to the store! Enjoy your Thanksgiving!!

XOXO- Mandi

Remembering Loved Ones and Embracing Life

This past week, Tyler and I experienced grief for one of the first times in our married lives together… the loss of a grandparent. A grandparent, Grandma Fenske, who told stories of a little boy who lost his tooth and played baseball and came to visit in the summertime. A grandparent who, through her loss, has brought a family together to embrace and love and comfort in this hard time, in a way I truly admire.

Tyler flew out to Seattle last week to be with the family and he comes home today (boy have I missed him).  This has allowed me a week, seven full days to sit still in the quiet and think about the life I am living… The life I have been given to live…

A good portion of my free time was spent running. Yes, you read correctly: running.  For those that know me well, you know that this used to be the activity I hated most in the athletic world. That is, until I married a runner :-). Now I find myself reading Runner’s World magazine for fun and training for a half marathon. I will be running my half marathon in a little over a month from now, November 16^th. And for the first time in my life I really have had to go through training- a regimented schedule someone else created for me in order to prepare me for race day. And if I am honest, most days, I don’t feel like lacing up my shoes and running 4 miles after work. But I do it anyways! I run up the hills and I run back down them and sometimes I can’t wait for it to end. Then other days I run and I literally feel like I am flying. I am lost in thought and floating on air and before I know it the run is over.

It is an up-and-down kind of process. Sometimes the wind carries me and sometimes I have to struggle and push to the finish line. This up-and-down process… it goes beyond running. It’s those days at work and those days in our marriage and those days with family members and friends and the future…

As I have been thinking about my life this last week, I realize both the ups and the downs have been good for me in the long run (no pun intended). In training, my body becomes disciplined and I can do things I never thought I could do before. I think in life, these bumps in the road can do the same thing. The hurts can be transformed to help others, the waiting can develop patience, the arguments can turn around to strengthen relationships.

There is a grace, a beautiful mess that is going to emerge and prove itself good in time. Maybe we will see it here on earth or maybe it will come after us…

But not matter what, run hard. Don’t give up, especially on the hills. And hold onto friends and loved ones with sweet embraces and shared meals and spend life together. Enjoy life together.

And spend time getting to know our Maker… watch His sunsets and feel the fall breeze and breathe deep.

 

“I lift my eyes up to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heaven and the earth.”

Psalm 121:1-2

<3 Mandi

Sweet Summertime

Summer was here and left and now school is starting on Tuesday. TUESDAY! The amazing thing is: This summer was one our favorites so far. So, since my husband is working on his Fantasy Football Team Draft, I have decided to recap our travels from coast to coast…

Florida Adventures.

My dear friend Maggie got married in Florida in June. Her wedding was beautiful and I loved having some girl time in my hometown of Sebring. It felt like high school again, full of sleepovers, coffee, and giggles. I am so thankful to have these close friends in my life that you can meet with after not seeing each other for a year and never miss a beat. My grandma always told me when I was growing up that this friendship was a rare treasure. At 26 years old, I now understand what that means.

Tyler flew down to Florida the weekend after the wedding for our Disney vacation with the Sommers family. Water slides, Space Mountain, Tinker Bell flying from the castle… I wouldn’t be lying if I said I cried during the fireworks show. There is something about Disney, standing there with your family hearing Peter Pan say, “Let’s never grow up!” that makes you want to stay at the park forever. Needless to say, we made many memories, including Tyler experiencing dinner at the Melting Pot for the first time!

Virginia Adventures.

We were blessed with the wonderful gift of a timeshare in Massanutten, VA for one week in July. My mom and Grandma Doty were able to visit that week as well! We spent time in the mountains hiking and even Geocaching! Grandma was a true sport at 75 years old. She kept up with no problem. I hope I inherited those genes. (Special thanks to Bill and Jenny for this adventure!)

Idaho/Washington Adventures.

At the end of July, we flew out to Idaho to visit the Harris family. We visited the historic town of Idaho City, ID, induldged in my favorite coffee in the world (Dutch Bros), and enjoyed a weekend long camping adventure. Tyler’s brother, Ben, won not only the District Baseball Tournament while we were there, but State as well! The timing worked out perfectly and Tyler was so pumped to see his brother play. And I loved not only watching baseball, but working on my tan as well. :)

After the baseball tournament, we traveled to Seattle, WA to visit Tyler’s aunts and grandparents. It was beautiful weather, perfect for a convertible ride that we couldn’t turn down. We stayed up late playing Settlers of Catan and just catching up on life. It was a blast!

And now we are back to home sweet home! After our travels from coast to coast, we have spent the last week watching TV and eating dinner on the couch.  Maybe we will move to the table this week. :) 

We so enjoyed every minute we spent with our families this summer. We love you and miss you all very much! Please come visit soon. 

From the Burg, 

Mandi 

Update from the Harris Home!

They say time flies… I am pretty sure our time flew like a rocket ship at the Kennedy Space Center. From Spring Break to today, I feel like I blinked and we are here! The great thing is that in the middle of the blink, we have had some good times. No, great times. So I will summarize life with pictures. Enjoy!

 We literally packed our bags in minutes and met the Doty family (Mandi’s Mom’s side of the family) in Georgia for Easter weekend. Tyler and I enjoyed a run on the beach and later we played family volleyball. So much fun. And awesome weather, compared to the snow we encountered the beginning of April in Virginia!

 

 One of my favorite things about living in Virginia- Apple Festivals! We went to the Apple Blossom Festival with Marly (Tyler’s sister) in April in Bedford, VA. Drank apple cider and enjoyed the spring weather and some bluegrass music.

 The Sommers family (Mandi’s Dad’s side of the family) came for a surprise adventure on my birthday! We had a picnic in the park and had an delicious dinner at a restaurant called Jimmy on the James. It is right on the James River, complete with a piano playing restaurant manager. 

Graduation Time! I went to Florida to see my little sister, Kati, graduate from Palm Beach Atlantic University! We also helped move Marly out her dorm here at Liberty. Next year she will be a senior- So crazy! I am telling you… Time flies.

Currently, we are finishing up another school year at the high school! Exams are this week and graduation is on Saturday. As I am thinking about these seniors I love so dearly, embarking on a new adventure, I can’t help but think of the song by Trace Adkins, “You’re Gonna Miss This.” Listen to it if you get a chance (click the link below) and be reminded to live in the moment and smile.

 

<3 Mandi

"You're Gonna Miss This" Music Video

Waiting for Spring

I don’t want to hold my breath, but I think its here.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I am sitting on the new balcony at a warm 72 degrees. I have been waiting for this day since we moved into our new place in November. The balcony was one of the things that confirmed my love for our new abode, but I knew I would have to wait for Spring to test it out.

It’s funny how it happened, finding our new place. Actually, it found us. Tyler and I lived in our townhouse, our first place as newlyweds for almost two years. And as much as I enjoyed making it our home, we started to have some issues. Like spiders. Big huge spiders that I can remember Tyler beating off our walls with a broom while I stood on the couch screaming. Scary moments, funny memories. :) And then there was the neighbor who I am pretty sure answered his door naked when we came over to welcome him to the neighborhood when he moved in. Sure, we loved the Canadians with the cute kids and our awesome wall-sharing neighbor Lori who never made a peep. But it was time for a move. And it was confirmed when Tyler’s boss came up to him and said, “There is a place that is opening up near Liberty. There is a waiting list but I can move you up. If you want it, it’s yours.” The best part: Our drive to work is about three minutes long.

And so, I introduce you to our home… 

Living Room

Piano from Grandma Doty

Kitchen/Dining Room. I call it the breakfast nook. It is my favorite part of the house!

Bedroom

Laundry Room. Tyler and I went to the Laundrymat for almost two years and now we have our own washer and dryer! :)

Just a few pics to give you a tour. For the complete tour, come visit us! :) We do have a guest room, I just didn't take a picture because it is currently covered in scrapbook paper. :)

"Updates for our Real Food Adventure"

We are on week 10 of trying to eat mainly natural foods (and still loving it!). For great recipe ideas, visit www.100daysofrealfood.com. 

I went to the farmer's market Saturday. Beautiful weather and great buys!

Downtown Lynchburg

Goodies!

Soaking up the sun, 

Mandi

Life in the Burg

Sometimes I wonder just how I ended up in this town. When I talked to my dad this week, he reminded me that it has been 7 YEARS since I packed my bags in my little green Altima and hit the road for Liberty University. Both Tyler and I can get frustrated with this fact: We are still here. Why haven’t we moved on to something better than this?

But who is to say what is better? Thinking back on our time here, I am grinning from ear to ear. I have friends, a church I love being a part of, a job with kids I care so much about, and an amazing husband who loves me even through my emotional girl breakdowns. (I am so glad he married me :)) So in those times we feel frustrated, we have been clinging on to this scripture, this truth from God’s word:

"And we know that for those who love God ALL THINGS work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

It is all going to work out. Everything, every step, will work together for GOOD.

And so, straight from the Burg, here are a few of our awesome adventures the last few weeks:

Adventure #1- Cody Turner’s Wedding. We had our first experience going to an Anglican wedding. People must have been laughing as Tyler and I tried to keep up with the kneeling and full-length hymns. But it was a beautiful to see such a happy couple be united as husband and wife!

Adventure #2- A Meservy Roadtrip. Two of our good friends, Matt and Jo Meservy, invited us to travel to West Virginia for Matt’s birthday weekend. So the four of us, along with Matt’s brother, hit the road for Charles Town, WV (not to be confused with Charleston), for a weekend of slot machines, black jack, and horse races. Note: We lost. But not too much :)

Adventure #3- Tim Tebow speaks at Liberty University. TIM TEBOW! I may or may not have decided to strategically take a long jog towards areas where I knew he would be touring campus that day. But alas, we did not meet. It still was a great message! You can watch the video too! Just click here: http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=18495&MID=82127.

Posts soon to come… Pictures of our new place and more natural food recipes!

Enjoying Spring Break this week!!

Mandi