Juno and Love

The first movie Micah and I saw together in a theater was Juno. Something unexplainable happened while we were watching it and created a special bond between the two of us and the movie.

When we first saw the movie we were the kind of in love that involved butterflies and giddy hand holding. Our eyes were tired from late night talks and our faces were tired from constantly smiling.

It has been about 2 years since we saw Juno in the theater and Micah put it on in the background as we settled in from our trip to Nashville today. (Spoiler alert) When the scene where Vanessa meets her son for the first time was on the screen, Micah said, "I always get teary at this part." I answered with a sob in my throat, "Me too."

It was then that he got up from the computer to come sit next to me as we watched the last 10 minutes of the movie squeezed onto our couch with his arm around me. The experience was very different than the first time we saw it in the theater.

Life has become wonderfully comfortable. The butterflies have been replaced with a deep love ingrained into every fiber in my body. I am starting to understand the term "one flesh."

I still have the butterflies from time to time . . . when Micah comes in from a long day at work . . . when I see him singing to Campbell . . . experiencing the love and devotion he has for his family . . . but our love has grown since the theater two years ago.

This life is pretty wonderful.

peace.

100

For this monumental occasion, in that this is the 100th post, I would like to tackle a sticky subject.

Eh, I was thinking about writing on submission, but I'm in Tennessee with Micah and baby c. I'm tired, C is whiney, and I don't really feel like putting effort into writing anything deep. So I'll just say this.

Submission is good. I highly recommend it. Especially when you have a rocking hubby like myself.

peace.

2009 Recap

I've been having such a good time writing letters to Campbell that I have kind of neglected this blog a bit. My guess is that I will start using it less and less frequently. Which is OK. Maybe a resolution can be to write in it monthly or so.

I've been thinking about writing a lot lately. I really miss the days of really taking the time to thoughtfully organize my thoughts and challenge my beliefs. There have been moments of that recently, for which I am incredibly thankful, and hopefully they will become more and more frequent to eventually encompass days and weeks.

But I digress . . . here are some of the highlights from this past year.

• Experiencing the craziness of pregnancy hormones, all the while knowing that I am loved by my husband.
• Crawling on the floor of Target in an attempt to get Chunky Monkey ice cream.
• Celebrating our first year of marriage a week early because we thought Little Miss Bell was on her way (when she didn't come until 2 weeks later).
• Finding Elmer a great new home.
• Gradually becoming more interesting.
• And, of course, meeting our beautiful daughter! You can read more about that at Dear Campbell. :)

peace.

Thankful

I've been spending most of my blogging time writing letters to Campbell since she seems to be taking up a larger part of this life now-a-days. But I wanted to take a second to write about this past year and give thanks.

The past two years of this life have been altering to put it mildly. Micah and I started "facebooking" about this time 2 years ago, we soon started dating, got engaged, got married, got pregnant, and became physical parents all within 20 months. We are now starting to relatively settle in...

And I am thankful.

I am thankful for an amazing husband. He loves being a husband and father. I love that he is passionate about Jesus, family, and being a photographer. I love that he and I were on the same page and willing to sacrifice financially so he could stay home. (Which has been amazing for his relationship with Campbell AND our marriage.)

I am thankful for an amazing daughter. She is hilarious, fun, and absolutely the most chill girl I know. I love getting to know her and seeing her personality develop. I love getting to teach her that we are always here for her and comforting her. I love reading to her and starting to teach her about Jesus and other nations at such a young age.

I am thankful for a heart that sings to be a mother. I am thankful Campbell will be a big sister (someday) and for being one flesh with a man who has a desire to give the lonely a family.

I am thankful for my quirky and loving family, as well as my amazing in-laws who love us so adequately.

I am thankful to my friend Becky for giving Elmer such a wonderful home.

I am thankful to my community at School 91. I have an amazing job and am blessed to be living into God's desires. I love my students and the staff. I appreciate an administration that allows me to stay home part time this year as well as a great job share partner.

I am thankful to be a part of a great church family and house church. Common Ground constantly challenges me to grow in my faith, encourages me to seek the Lord, and teaches me more and more about what it means to follow Jesus. My house church keeps me in check, loves me when it is both easy and difficult, and provides me with accountability and friendship.

I am thankful for friends to read books with and live life with.

I am thankful that God is faithful and persistent. I am thankful He whispers that he loves and misses me in my ear and that He is pursuing me.

I am thankful for Jesus' life on this earth and the legacy He has left for us. I am thankful I have an opportunity to follow in His footsteps and I pray that my heart continues to form to His.

May you recognize many thanks in this season. And may God's blessings be upon you.

peace.

Get out the VOTE!

Campbell is a finalist in a Halloween photo contest! If you would please go vote for her here:

http://murraycrew.blogspot.com/2009/11/4tunate-halloween-photo-contest-top-5.html

it would be MUCH appreciated!

peace,
Carter

quick update

So, it's almost midnight here on Kingsley Drive and I promised Micah I would stay up with him while he finishes a proof book for a client. He didn't ask me to stay up with him, I just knew it would be another way I can support him. He is an amazing man and wonderful photographer. I don't know if it is possible for a woman to be more proud of her husband than I am of him. It is my joy to stay up with him...to show my love and support of him, but also it gave me a chance to write my first entry in our new blog!

dearcampbell.wordpress.com

I've always wanted to have some kind of clever niche to blogging...for a while I thought I would incorporate the phrase "drunkenly staggering," or at the very least "staggering," into every post. But, alas, I couldn't smoothly make that happen.

But I discovered I like writing Campbell letters.

We will still maintain this blog, but my hope is to turn it back into something a little reminiscent of previous blogs...something to share our thoughts, and not just the day to day and statistics of our absolutely perfect daughter. :)

See, she's pretty perfect.

So anyway, check out dearcampbell.wordpress.com and check back in here sometimes as well.

peace.

3 months

Dear Campbell,

In true Bell fashion this letter to you is late. You turned 3 months old on Monday. Three months of our lives have been filled with your snorting, wiggling, crying, smiling, and pooping. Three months of our lives have only given us a fluttering notion of how you will change us.

You are the most precious gift God has given us. You have taught us so much about love and given us a glimpse of how God must love His children. Never would I have imagined the feelings I get when looking at you. It's like my heart is about to jump through my chest.

You've gotten too big for Daddy to toss you in the air. I swore I would never let myself forget how tiny you started, but it's already starting to fade. I just do my best to remember how it felt to have you fall asleep on me since you are no longer content snuggling.

You love to see the world and are always checking out your surroundings. You love looking at the fan above our bed, watching Dinosaur Train (much to Daddy's pleasure) on PBS, following the dogs while they play, and staring at pictures in books as we read to you. You love when Daddy reads you Cat in the Hat or when Mommy talks about the pictures in Eric Carle's Animals.

More often than not you are happy. You have the best, gummy smile and laugh at all our silly songs and voices.

I miss the days of cuddling, but love the baby you are becoming!

Love you, baby Campbell!