The Best Birthday Ever

Before I give you the spiel on the above topic I would like to take a moment to congratulate my dear and loving husband on the Cardinals win of the world series. Congratulations Love, I'm so glad that it was for you.

Onto the topic at hand. Sunday was my 21st birthday. This weekend my incredibly amazing husband put together the most beautiful weekend ever for me. On Saturday he got some friends together and we all went out to dinner at this wonderful Italian market style restaraunt, it was lovely. Then today my fantastic coworkers took me to Blue Koi for dumpings and ginger basil chicken...oh so yummy. The apex of the weekend was Sunday when the man that I love went the extra mile and loved me excessively well.

Below I chronicle for you the events of a lovely evening:
-Jesse got out of car after a trip to the Prayer Room and gave me flowers
-We got into the car to go to shopping on the plaza and he gave me more flowers
-We went to Antrho and Banana Republic (my favorites!)
-We got back in the car to go to dinner at a yet undisclosed location and Jesse read me a story that he had written about me...he's the cutest.
-Jesse took me to the Crown Center neck of the KC woods and we got to a street where he got super excited and pointed up and said "Look! Look! There it is!" Again, the cutie
-The restaraunt was Skies on the top of the Hyatt, it is KC's revolving restaraunt lit only by candlelight
-I had the KC Strip (mmmm, yummy) Jesse had a double cut pork chop stuffed with crab and shrimp (mmm again)
-Jesse took me home where when I got in our room there were more beautiful flowers

All in all it was amazingly beautiful, Jesus is so amazing, He simply stamped my heart with love over the whole weekend. I have fantastic friends, an amazing family and truly the most lovely dear and loving husband that has ever been. I hope that your birthday will be as lovely as mine.

Isaac

Did I ever tell you that we have a dog? I was realizing this evening as I was sitting here with him that I've never really spoken of him. Nights like this one make me extra mindful of his existence. You see Isaac, our 9 year old Beagle, is terrified of thunderstorms. He has kept us up for long nights, urinated all manner of places, tried to live in our closet and drooled directly into my mouth. Isaac has an interesting plethera of mannerisms when the clouds roll in. These storms generally occur as we are trying to sleep so the drama increases by a minimum of twenty points. Here is what to expect on one such occassion:

-Isaac feels the storm coming an hour before it gets here
-Nervously, he paces around our room
-At the first crack of thunder he is in between us
-At the second he is curled around my head nervously panting streams of drool onto my head, into my mouth and on my pillow
-Jesse and I kick Isaac of the bed
-Isaac paces around the room and tries to get into the closet
-Isaac pees in the closet
-Char gets real upset
-Char or Jesse takes Isaac outside at 3 am in the thunderstorm
-Char gets the dog bed, the cushion, the blanket, the monkey, the octopus and whatever else she thinks may help and then sets up camp on the floor of the bedroom next to Isaac
-Isaac wont lie down for more than 10 consecutive seconds
-Char gets back on the bed
-Isaac gets back on the bed
-Jesse kicks Isaac off of the bed
-Isaac gets back on the bed
-Char keeps Jesse from maiming Isaac
-Isaac manages to simultaneously drool on both of our faces (we don't know either)
-We collectively hurl Isaac across the room
-We feel real bad
-Isaac ends up sleeping on the bed in between us curled into a little ball of dog directly at the center of the bed

The next day: Isaac sleeps the entire day and we wish that we were beagles.

Tell Me Something

These three little words are the key to getting to know someone. I tell Jesse this all the time, just a simple little tell me something can unlock a memory lost in the sand of time that make you again realize why you are so in love with someone.

Today I am encouraging you to ask someone, anyone really to simply tell you something. It is really interesting the varied responses you'll get to such questions, the things that different people think you should know. If the person that you asked is confused, favorite cereal is a good default, it will unlock a myriad of things that you didn't know about someone.

Here, I'll go first. Tell me something.

Hurricane Kim Mono

Jesse just bought me this to commemorate the situation between N. Korea and the U.N.

Jesus has a sense of humor and so do we dang it.

Here is to the platypus that has helped us get over ourselves. Some times life is ugly and so is this platypus. May we always remember this as a time when Jesus made us more like Him and laughed real hard.

What is man that YOU are mindful of him?

Fan by marriage

Go Cards...

A long way from home

Times like this make me realize that I have a long long way to go. You know what I'm talking about, times where momentary light afflictions make you want to curse and trade all your oil for mud to sling at the afflictor...unfortunately my oil would translate to very little mud therefore making me the fool cubed. Why are Matthew 5, 6 and 7 so hard? Answer me that...I know you can't...why is simplicity so difficult? Be silent...why is that hard? Why is it easier to curse the thing bringing you closer to home then to take it like a wo/man and just die? This is what I'm saying to myself today...just die already...but when momentary light afflictions and vapors feel like they surely aren't either of those cursing comes easily...my flesh is grass but it fights quite the fight for something that will be food for cows...why is that? I don't understand...

You, yes You, You're crazy...You know it too, it's the way You made it...You said to Yourself this is crazy...let's have them do that...You crazy Uncreated You...Silly Jesus tricks are for kids...not Uncreated Beings that rule and reign with a rod of iron...okay, so I don't know Your hobbies, and I definitely don't understand You...okay...I'm done now...I'll get back to my vapor and love You...You rockin' crazy rocker You. I love You more than anything...I pick the momentary light affliction, that the grass would die and a sweet offering would be given up to You. Let's hang out so I can know Your hobbies, what things deserve a Shandai and what things I can laugh at...bring it on...I'm coming home dang it, I know the way.

Oh how things change

I once lived in a house with people I loved and adored. Some were my heroes others were those who looked up to me. I moved on with life, love and the pursuit of happiness and watched heroes become fools, others wounded and some made into objects...I watched as friends became enemies, hope turned to despair and faith was tested time and time again.

It's been two years since my dad came back and is now once again on the path of destruction...why is life so cruel?

Jesus will soon come back and wisdom will be justified...wisdom that looks like foolishness...today it's hard.

Stream of conscioussness excerpt as I sat in a pew:

Char: Jesus, why did Luke die?
Jesus: So you would love Me more.
Char: That seems cold.
Jesus: Don't worry, he likes it here better.

Odd, but so comforting. It will only be a minute...just a minute.

The things I miss...

Ode to Love:
You are the most amazing human being I have ever come into contact with. You're beuatiful, wonderful, caring, you love me, you're real, you could never lie to anyone, you're a man of integrity and you are truly my best friend. I love you too.

Sorry this is so depressing, it's just the mood.

Oh, on a happier note...HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTEN!!!!!! This will truly be a good day. Also my Happy Birthdays need to go to David and Seth.

Frat boy, formittable prankster and Friend

I know you beat me home but I'll meet you in the sky. We all miss you already and are completely jealous of the view that you now behold. As for everything else I am going to let you in on a few secrets. I also want to take this opportunity to say happy birthday since I never did...so sorry friend.

The Pranks:
I know that it was always you and I'm ever grateful that it was never Jasmine in the box.

The House:
We know you weren't really the only one who cleaned.

The chair:
I could have taken you but I didn't want to embarass you.

Your Name:
I know now that it doesn't mean 'rising sun soaring eagle running elk buffalo heart", but it was fun while it lasted. I took the liberty of looking it up, Luke actually means "bringer of light" which makes so much more sense.

Luke Simmons you my friend were a true hero. Your faith inspired us all and your life was an offering. I love you buddy and wish that you could have stuck around, but our God is faithful and you my friend are with him now. Give Jesus a hug from us and tell Him that He is so lucky to have you with Him.

See you in the MK,

Love Char and Jesse

All for not

Recently I have been struck by the level of vanity in my life. Leah Morgan preached at the Women's conference and proclaimed boldly, as she should have, that anything that doesn't make you alive on the inside are the things that wont mean a thing when we meet Jesus. That means the Gucci sunglasses I want, the anthro dresses I own, this computer in front of me, my CD collection, the doted upon VW, my cell phone, insert your favoirite thing here isn't going to matter at all in just a minute.

I was cruising around myspace today checking up on old school friends and my heart broke. People that I once knew to love integrity, morality and just plain being nice swallowed whole by the spirit of the age...this of course I do not count as their fault but rather mine.

Morality, integrity and genuine care are all sweet characteristics but unless they are the fruit of the Spirit they also are all for not. People knew I was one of those radical Christians in high school, but what does it even matter? I don't think it really mattered that they knew it or saw it because it wasn't contagious enough to change anyone...if I truly made an impact it was only through intercession, which brings me to my next point; this place is real. What happens here is written in heaven, not only here of course but anywhere people pray, places where angels and demons are affected, places where hell is losing it's grip, places where the foxes are trapped and no score is kept is where vanity has no place. I want my life to mean something for real, something other than not, something that was poured out seriously. My desire used to be to change the world but now it is simply to be changed and let my testimony ring from the rooftops. I have come here to die.

And I Quote...

Today love said something that I've always known to be true about him but just was suprised to hear it outright.

"I'm just a floral pattern kind of guy."

These are the moments people...

A Grief Observed...

Not CS Lewis...but today the home team lost to the A's bad...real bad. The A's swept the 5 game series in three...three pathetic games...today was salt on an open wound since they beat us soundly with the final being 8 to 3...sad face....go Cards...

Awkward Moments

In the past 36 hours many an odd event has transpired...here I chronicle one to share with you.

Yesterday Jesse and I went to lunch at 54th with a few friends...he and I were splitting an appetizer sampler...which at 54th is not called an appetizer sampler but rather someone thought it's name was undoubtedly marketing genius. His conversation with the waitress went as follows:

Waitress: "And for you sir?"
Jesse: "I'll have four play please."
Waitress: "Hot or regular?"
Everyone at our table but Jesse: "Giggle, laugh, cough, etc."
Jesse: "Umm, hot please...wait (to Char) you don't like it hot do you?"
Everyone again: ".............giggle, cough.....silence...."
Now Jesse has realized what has happened and why we are all so awkard and yay terrified.
Jesse to waitress now laughing along with the rest of us: "I'll have regular please."
Waitress: "Calm down for me baby it's only Monday."

I don't know what she meant by that but I was the first one to laugh in the situation...but it was because B was staring at me awkardly...93B and Thigh Highs also joined the laughter.

The Home Team

A BIG thank you to the Kansas City Royals (who have the second worst record in the ALB) for pulling it out and beating Detroit last night! As a result the Twins snagged the central title and are the 2nd best team in all of baseball falling behind the tied for first place Mets and Yankees.

That makes me happy...meanwhile the Vikes bit it and are on their way to having a rough season for the let me see here...8th year in a row...Mike Tice isn't the problem people...Anyway, wahoo, go Twins!