A Missionary’s Life :: Signs of Spring & Our 1st Anniversary

It’s that time again…
another exciting addition of our “Friday Update”;
the once a week blog where we catch you up
on the random things we’ve been up to 😉

363 Days. That’s how many days we’ve been married! (as of today 😉
That’s right… Sunday is our 1 year wedding anniversary! I can’t
believe it’s already been a year… it really has flown by. I’d love to
tell you how we’re celebrating but…well… I don’t know! Rusty has
been scheming for months now – stashing money, making secret phone
calls, having whispered conversations with our friends from church…I
feel like I’m in the middle of a conspiracy! I have absolutely no idea
what he is planning…but I’m excited to find out! Whatever happens, it
will be great to celebrate TOGETHER. After almost a year of being apart
(while he was on the World Race) we’re so thankful to have spent the
last year together!

Essential Oils. Here’s a post for all of you who love natural products! This week I got a crash course in essential oils from
my friend Shanona who’s in massage therapy school. (I also got a free
massage, and it was WONDERFUL!) She taught me about the natural healing
properties of essential oils and some home remedies they’re used for.
It was SO interesting! (It also explained why the Arbonne products I
use healed my acne and eczema; they use essential oils in their all
natural products!) I am excited about learning more! Here is a short
list of some oils I’ve tried and a few of their uses:

Lavender – it is one of only a few oils that can be applied directly to
your skin. (the others MUST be diluted in water or a carrier oil like
apricot, avocado, coconut, olive, etc) It is a home remedy for burns
(apply directly to injury), headaches (apply directly to temples or
neck), sunburn (put a few drops in your bath), and ear-aches (rub around
the outside of your ears). In aromatherapy uses it is relaxing/calming.

Tea Tree Oil – it can be applied directly to blemishes & it is a
lice repellent (I used it in India on my hair & scarves)

Eucalyptus & Peppermint – can be dropped into boiling water for a
facial steam. Just put a towel over your head and inhale. It helps with
chest congestion, sinus drainage, etc.

Ylang Ylang & Jasmine – these oils smell AMAZING! I have never
smelled anything more wonderful! They remind me of Southern India, where the women wear Jasmine in their hair. It is sold in bundles there in the marketplace! I mixed them in with lavendar &
distilled water for a ‘home spray’ (which I sometimes spray myself with
too!)

There are others that help you deal with mental & emotional stress,
some that help you focus & retain information, some that increase
your energy and happiness, and others that help you sleep. There are
also a lot more that help with physical ailments like joint
problems, cramps, muscle pain, etc. I love learning about the natural things God has created
to help improve our quality of life!

Girls Night & A Little Princess. Last Friday night I had a very
special “roommate reunion” with Kim, Andi, and Caroline. They were my
roommates when I moved to Michigan last year for the 3 months before
Rusty and I got married and I love them all SO much! It’s been awhile
since we’ve all hung out, so we kicked Rusty out for a few hours while
we girl talked, cooked, and stuffed ourselves with bacon-wrapped water
chestnuts & fruit tarts. YUM! We finished the night by watching A
Little Princess. If you’re female and have never seen this movie I
would highly recommend it! It is one of my childhood favorites. Though
it has a lot of sad parts in it, it is such a redemptive movie with a
wonderful message; EVERY girl is a PRINCESS and every girl is
BEAUTIFUL, no matter if you’re old or young, black or white, rich or
poor!

*note – to all you single ladies out
there with fabulous roommates, CHERISH your time with them! I didn’t
realize I’d miss my female roommates so much when I got married, but I
do! (including Dawn & Caroline, my GA roomies!) Once you’re
married, there’s no one to help you pick out clothes, give you opinions
on what accessories to wear, girl talk, or watch girly movies with…
so enjoy the time you have! 😉

Signs of Spring. Yesterday it hit 79 degrees here, which made me VERY
excited! Springtime is my FAVORITE season, and I’ve been so sad at how
much later spring comes here in Michigan than down south. I was
thrilled to see some signs of spring around here… trees are starting
to bloom, and we even have a few flowers blooming in our yard! The sad
news is, tonight it’s dropping back down into the 30’s. *sigh. Our
anniversary weekend is going to be COLD (yes, COLD in APRIL) the high
Sat & Sun is 49 & 50, and the lows are 33 and 35. SO SAD! It
won’t even hit 60 again until the middle of next week. So while the temperatures drop,
enjoy these images of springtime from our backyard! (I’m praying they don’t all freeze!)