love is

love is...

brushing your wife's hair until you both fall asleep.

giggling over nothing.

telling your wife she can buy the new Tyra Banks book.  (I haven't bought it, by the way...)

crying together.

telling your daughter it's going to be okay, even though you're going to miss her terribly.

telling your sister you're excited she's moving halfway around the world when all you want is a hug.

making jokes with your brother about McDonald's being more important in an international move than the Church.

realizing the above statement is made barely in jest.

calmly realizing  your wife's panic is normal and hiding your own.

plotting a giant family reunion when time, money, employment, and school would normally get in the way.

trying to plow through moving your mother into her new condo so you can focus on sending your son and daughter-in-law overseas.

mourning the loss of a woman who is just as much a mother to you as the woman who gave birth to you.

going to work to provide for your family, even when work really sucks.

phone calls from across the pond discussing fish measuring spoons from Anthropologie.

felt by the words, "I love you" heard through the receiver.



I am one lucky girl to have such an amazing family.   I love you.

buying affection

We had a service auction at church to raise money for humanitarian aid. While this was being advertised, we as a congregation were asked to consider and enlist whatever services we might be able to offer. I heard murmurings of tax preparation, car repair, home-cooked meals, mending, and all sorts of other things I really didn't feel comfortable with.

What sort of service could I offer?

Then, in a stroke of sure genius, it hit me. Hugs! I can auction off hugs!

For a few weeks now, I've been excited about this, knowing full well that some of my girlfriends would bid for my hugs. The night of the auction came. These same girlfriends I had in mind came to tell me that they were going to make bids on my hugs. I was so excited! The bidding started with some guffawing as unknowing individuals wondered who the weird girl was that would auction off hugs. But the bidding went on, and I was happy to know that someone I knew would be getting hugs.

I am pleased to report that my hugs went for $12 to a dear friend of mine who I am more than willing to give a hug to whenever they are in need.

I just feel mildly bad that they felt they had to buy the hugs. It was for charity though, right?

but who's counting?

My brother, The Stud, has been gone a year...today! That means effective today I get to say I can see him in LESS than a year! If I were really obsessive I could begin counting down the days today. "Only 365 to go," I could say.

But I won't.

The Stud is an amazing missionary! Like, uh-mazing. He is giving his heart freely to the Italian people, serving them, teaching them, and most importantly, loving them. In his email this morning, The Stud lamented over how little time he has left. While I may be excited that my best friend will be home in less than a year, I'm not going to count down so i can better support him as he works his heart out.

But just for the record, only 365 to go...