Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

At one point when my little sister, Annie, and I were growing up, we made a pact that if we didn't get married, we would live together in an old farmhouse with a big garden and barn raising pigs and cattle.
I thought this plan was the most magnificent idea ever. Annie and I were best friends, we loved all of the same things, worked well together, and always had fun… who needed to get married when this option was available? Honestly, how could being married to any man compete with the awesome life Annie and I could have?
…And then I met Taylor. With him in my life my ideas of "not needing a husband" flew right out the window (sorry Annie). :) Last week reminded me of just how much I do need him.

Last Saturday Taylor and I both had our bags packed to leave on a trip, but it wasn't a trip we got to take together. Taylor was headed to Vegas for his soon-to-be brother-in-law's bachelor party. I was headed to Denver to catch a plane to Orlando. My sister-in-law Eryka had chosen to go on a short cruise with her bridal party, mother, mother-in-law and aunt instead of having a specific "bachelorette party".

As cool as it was to be able to go on a cruise with them all, and as good of a time as we had, I gotta say I had a really hard time being gone from Taylor for a week on a boat in the middle of the ocean without the ability to call and hear his voice.
The worst part was leading up to our departure - the time while I was moving farther and farther away and knew that soon I wouldn't even be able to talk to him. Thankfully it got easier once we were on the boat. After we sailed away, there was no going back, so I was able to relax a bit and enjoy a cruise through the Bahamas. :)

One of our stops had to be cancelled because of bad weather, but otherwise everything was great. We spent time laying out on the boat, dancing at the club, watching shows & comedians. We watched "Frozen" while laying by the pool, climbed the rock wall on the boat, and went snorkeling in Nassau. I even got a massage at the spa on the boat.  The gentle rocking of the boat on the ocean made the massage even more relaxing.

A "Silent Party" - one of my favorite thins on this trip was the silent party. On the first night instead of playing the music over the sound system at the club, they had headphones for you to put on and you could pick which of the two DJs you wanted to listen to. At first I didn't know what to think of it, but it was A LOT of fun. My favorite part was when us girls were doing the Wobble, and everybody else busted out in YMCA.

It was a great trip, but by Friday I was chomping at the bit to get home to Taylor. Getting to be with him would have been enough, but I got some extra surprises since I'd been on the boat on my birthday. By the time we got back, he'd been home for a couple of days, so when I got home, there was a beautiful arrangement of flowers on the counter and a pair of diamond earrings to match the style of my wedding ring. The next morning when I went out to do chores, I found that Taylor had cleaned out the tack room of my calf shed, and bought me some shelves and cabinets and organized my calf supplies for me. I couldn't have asked for better birthday presents. He's a keeper! :)

Maybe I'd rather not take trips without my husband but, on the positive side, I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder. I can truly say I've appreciated each moment with him this past week.

Western Kansas Fact: Spring and green are not synonymous.  Growing up I took for granted that when spring time rolled around, things would turn green. We don't always have enough moisture for plants and grass to automatically green up as soon as the weather turns warmer.

Love suffers long and is kind. 1 Corinthians 13:4
This Scripture lesson made me think about how often I place my own needs and desires above those of others. I neglect the opportunity to show God's love through my actions. I pray that in the future I would recognize when my outlook and actions have become selfish, and then make an effort to change them.

Have  a wonderful weekend!
Lyndee