Visiting my second home

Here I am, typing away, in Grand Rapids, and marveling that I am away from my husband of one month, visiting friends and picking up wedding photos.

He is only three hours away, one really expensive gas tank from here, but three hours seems a long distance to be apart from your other half. Especially when you have been married for only one month.

I'm not the type of wife who needs to be by his side every minute (and I never thought I would be), though I enjoy his company immensely. But I relish his nearness, his thoughtfulness, and the way we argue about which of us is "funniest."

I like it when he cooks, and when he cleans up. And I especially like it when he vacuums! Then there's the great sport he is, taking me to SteinMart, and letting me spend money on summer clothes. But the best part was the way he gamely tried to evaluate my clothing purchases--everything looked "really nice," except the neon green shirt, but it is growing on him. :)

And so, here I am, three hours away, redeeming the time, jetting all over town to rendezvous with good friends, sharing wedding pictures, and celebrating the mutual admiration and fondness we will continue to enjoy across the miles.

In summary, God's been so very good to me. I couldn't be richer with relationship, and I know the God who has sustained and guided me this far will help me find new companions for the journey on my new patch of earth. He's famous for providing what I need when I need it. Even though his calendar and his watch differ from mine, he is always right on time.

One man at my new church said it was nice to meet me, but I "was a little late" in marrying David. I couldn't have agreed less. In the grand picture, the weaving that's underbelly may be covered with knots, God's master design is perfect. Turns out, I showed up just in time.

David and I, separate all these years, being shaped, formed, molded, and prepared for the love God has for us to share. As one friend put it when he found his wife in his late 30s, "It's not perfect--but it's good."

update from the Mr. and Mrs.

Oh, my aching neck
Ouch! Don't ask me how I threw my neck out while standing at the kitchen counter last week...maybe it had something to do with moving boxes and situating stuff. In any case, I've seen a new chiropractor here twice in the last 5 days, and I'm more sore than ever! Where is my old chiro when you need him? Anyway, there's something very humbling and gratifying about having your husband pray over you for consecutive days straight. Thank you, David. Hope to be back to the old Suzie soon.
Then there was Barnes & Noble
And while we were there the other night, David bought a best-selling novel, The Shack. USA Today said it was too "edgy" for Christians and too "Jesusey" for others. A David/Suzie book review will come later.
And also at B&N
Suzie attended a writing group last night and made some fast friends in April, Tom, and Helen. She came home bouncing off the walls, and her happiness made David happy. A very stimulating conversation, indeed! I was especially tickled that those in the writing group were not put off by me working for a Christian book publisher. I'm eager to make new friends, wherever I can find them.
Wedding pictures should be here anytime now...

The honeymooners

The wedding photos come later. For now, meet the honeymooners...

It all started with generous friends who shared their lipstick with our windshield...actually, all of our car windows.


This is the happy couple the evening of their wedding overlooking the Grand River from the Amway Grand Hotel, dining at Bentham's. Surprisingly, we still look alert after a long wedding day!


The next morning we shoved off for one of our favorite up north spots, Empire. We were blessed to borrow our friends' cottage for a blissful four days surrounded by God's great creation. Cold, but beautiful!

While we were up north, our Saab took us on many excursions, on one of which we journeyed to Mission Point, with a delicious stop at the Chateau Chantal winery, for free tasting. And the view wasn't bad either! (The groom or the scenery.) We also enjoyed downtown Traverse City and can't say enough about the unique menu choices at Poppycock's restaurant. David had a whitefish sandwich on homemade bread, I had a salad that included dried apricots and an amazing dressing--we topped it off with orange mousse for dessert.

The next day we traveled up to Leland's fishtown and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. Suzie bought a magnificent coat that includes just about every color in the rainbow--but trust me, it's one of a kind and beautiful.
David traversed some stones to get out to the big rock on Leelenau Peninsula. In case you can't tell, he's flexing his muscles.

The next day we took a 7-mile scenic drive, recommended by a deadpan national park ranger. He insisted it would be beautiful in the most matter-of-fact way. :)

And here we are, at one of the most beautiful places on the dunes. We were happy to finally enjoy 50 degree temps that day.




This is a picture of the happy couple who almost lost all of their honeymoon pictures. Minutes before, my camera thudded to the wood planks below and the memory stick sunk down to the ground--who knows where. We remained calm, had someone take our pictures with the original memory in the camera, and 15 minutes later--presto, David retrieved the memory stick. He received a big kiss in return.

Isn't Empire Bluff beautiful?

The last leg of the honeymoon had us driving down to Chicago for a short stay. Here we are at the famous Palmer House Hilton, where we stayed for one night.

While we were enjoying the city, we were thrilled to see tulips blooming...

To eat at the fabulous Tavern in the Park restaurant...

Followed by an AMAZING evening attending the broadway musical Wicked. Buy tickets now. Before it closes. That's all we can tell you. (And we can tell you that it's a "prequel"--what might have happened before the Wizard of Oz. And that the musical isn't nearly as political as the book.)

The newlyweds returned home and lived happily ever after. You'll have to come back to find out for sure, of course! The end.

Suzie Homemaker attempts capellini--with fresh tomato sauce!

I don't believe I've ever been called Suzie Homemaker, but I have to admit, today I'm feeling downright domestic.

It all started when I discovered this morning that "capellini" means "angel hair pasta" and that a "non-reactive bowl" does not include cast iron or aluminum. Glass will do. After these important discoveries, I attempted what I believe is my first pasta dish with totally fresh ingredients (i.e., only the pasta was cooked). Ooo-la-la!

Thank you Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook, which has tons of recipes that make you feel like you're not sacrificing any flavor at all! And thanks to the unknown person who gave us this blessed cookbook at the church shower. Your name is recorded and you will receive a thank you note that expresses my undying, heartfelt gratitude. (David may even send his own note of thanksgiving.)

And so my cooking commenced at about 1 pm, as I minced garlic and chopped tomatoes, onions, and fresh basil. The basil smells like heaven when you chop it and prompted only one sneeze. (But here's the amazing part--we actually bought a basil plant today for me to grow indoors. Unbelievable. No, ladies, I don't wear an apron around the house all day!)

So, any-hoo, then I added the red wine vinegar, evo (extra virgin olive oil, silly--look out Rachel Ray) and sugar. Then the happy mixture sits for no less than 4 hours, during which time it starts to smell like a really good Italian restaurant. And here is what it looks like when you're about to eat it...complete with shaved parmesan on top.

As you can see, capellini with fresh tomato sauce produces a happy husband who loves to have his picture taken while he is eating...


Perfection!

And tomorrow night, honeymoon pictures are going up. A must-see, for sure.

The Sheer Joy of a Laundry Sorter

Sometimes it is the simple things in life that bring the greatest joy. Like a three-bin laundry sorter from Target...on wheels, no less. It's enough to make a girl happy for a week. Especially when she's getting down to the business of making a house a home. (Then there's the pictured yoga mat in a special yoga bag my friend Jen bought for me--makes me feel prepared, even though I'll only use it occasionally.)

Entertained David's mom, dad, sister, and nieces Saturday night, and used our new three-tier serving set...sorry the pic is sideways. :)

I made fruit medley cookies and that fresh broccoli salad with nuts, raisins, vinegar, mayo, etc. Also served fresh fruit with chocolate whipped cream...my personal favorite made by folding hot chocolate mix into whipped cream. Always a hit!

Y'all come back for honeymoon pics later this week...Peace.

Real life after the wedding

Looks to me that this picture was snapped sometime the day or evening of our wedding. Good news--we're still smiling!

I downloaded the honeymoon pics today, and we'll post them soon, as soon as we can get organized! And when our wedding pics arrive, probably within the next week, we will give you a rundown of the wedding day as well.

For now, everyone is asking if we are happy. My reply: "I'm very, very happy...but I've only been married 1 1/2 weeks!" There is a chaotic routine we find ourselves in the middle of, all the unpacking with so many boxes yet to find and tackle. Needless to say, our study is a tangle of all things yet unfinished...but we are being kind to ourselves and are going slowly as we situate into our new shared life together.

This one month off for Suzie to settle in was the best idea ever. We both agree. David gets up at the crack of dawn for work, and I emerge from dreamland a few hours later. Then I get up, eat breakfast, brew coffee in our new fancy-schmancy coffee maker and watch the Waltons or ER. Really. Then I get down to business and exercise at the Y or outdoors, unpack boxes, situate things in the cupboards, clean various parts of the house, and get something out of the freezer for dinner.

When David gets home, he helps me whip up something on the George Foreman grill (thank you Baker, we use it daily!) and then we have a wide variety of possible evening activities. Let's see, shall we register Suzie for health insurance at David's workplace, or clean out the freezer, or run to the social security office, or go to Sprint for a new family plan, or...

You get the idea.

Then we lie in bed and talk and laugh about everything in general and sometimes nothing too specific. And this is one of the supreme joys of married life, at least from my vantage point.

We are already cooking up a list of "The Top 10 Joys of Married Life," which will probably slowly emerge on this blog in about a month. I'll give you a sneak peek now and let you know that "double-dipping" made the Top 10. Yes, double-dipping in that we have now shared tartar sauce, salsa, and ketchup, with no fear of offending the other by dipping in more than once. As you can see, life is good.

Talk to you soon!

Officially, wonderfully wed!

We are officially Mr. and Mrs.!

The wedding was beautiful.

The flower girls tore down the aisle in 2 seconds flat.

The woodwind music was beautiful and reflective.

The bride wore white and Jack walked her down the aisle!!! (Thank you, heavenly Father.)

The guests sat at tables and waited for the ceremony, which was immediately followed by lots and lots of chocolate!

It was meaningful, sacred, overwhelming, and the start of an amazing union.

The honeymoon was FANTASTIC...and I promise I'll post more soon. :)