Contest!

I know what's on the top of your Christmas list this year:

I'll just bet it's an HP TouchSmart. Why bother asking Santa to bring it (as we all know he only makes wooden toys) when you can win one and bump the #2 gift on your list up to #1?

I would highly recommend heading here and entering to make your holiday merry and bright!

How we met- Her side

I was visiting my grandparents in August, 2003. It was early in the morning and I woke up and started praying. I told God I was ready to get married and I would no longer consider seeing someone unless He impressed on my heart that he was the one. I proceeded to inform God of what I would like in my spouse. My requests ended up being similar to a list my mom had my sisters and me write when I was young. It listed what I wanted in my future husband. It went like this:

(If it's God's will I marry)

The Qualities I, Stephanie Ann Lasken look for in a husband:

Physical:

funny at times

serious at times

nice/understanding

talkative

truthful, but know when it's a good time to fib a little

tall

dark/or blonde

fit/toned (No IRONMEN OR LITTLE PEOPLE)

Spiritual:

Have a good walk with God

Want to hear about God in any way he can

Be involved at church

Excited about learning and growing w/God

Financial:

fairly high paying job so if God wills I have kids I can stop work until a later date

. . . .

Time moved on a few months. I worked for a computer networking company and continued daily walks at lunch around a lake that bordered my office. I enjoyed the time away from a computer screen, the exercise, and a cute guy that ate his lunch with his coworkers on the other side of the lake. Sometimes we would pass, walking opposite directions, sometimes I would pass him sitting at a picnic bench (praying I wouldn't stumble or look like an idiot).November came and I decided to take a trip to visit some of my Bulgarian friends in their city of Sofya. I love traveling to Europe and hadn't been in nearly (gasp!) 7 months, so it was time for another trip. I was gone about two weeks. It was great.

I returned home and back to my job. At lunch, I headed out to the lake. I was so consumed in my thoughts that a voice made me jump. "Do you mind if I walk with you?" I turned and stared at this tall, handsome guy. To this day I don't know how I didn't blush. I don't know how I remained calm. "Sure" I said, trying so hard to sound cool. There's nothing wrong with a walk. I just won't lead him on. I told myself. We started walking. He didn't say a word. I decided to break the ice. "So, are we going to talk or just walk?" yikes. Couldn't I be a bit kind? Poor guy was dumbfounded, he stumbled over his words. "umm, yes..." And with that he didn't stop talking. I can remember wondering if he was going to ask me a question about myself or give me a chance to comment. ha.

"the lake", August 2005

Lunch time being over, I headed back in to my office. The next day I struggled. I didn't want to be put in an awkward position where I had to tell him I wasn't interested. Especially if I was misunderstanding him and he wasn't thinking that- I mean, guys just ask girls to walk with them to be friends, right? I was irritated, too. I like my walks. I refused to allow some guy to dictate if I can walk because he is there and it makes me feel weird!

So, after talking some false confidence into myself, I headed out for my walk. Sure enough, he was out there with his buddies. The moment he saw me, he jumped up and smiled. He walked next to me again. I started a casual conversation, trying to decide in my mind how to brush him off. I finally decided to ask him what he did for fun. I figured he'd tell me how he liked to go to bars and drink and that would be my opportunity to tell him that just wasn't my thing.

To my surprise he told me he worked with the youth group at his church, and that took most of his time. Interested, I guarded myself. As if reading my mind, he added "It's an Evangelical Free Church". That feeling I talked about earlier, the one from God, giving me the signal...yea, that one...I was feeling it. Hard core. I stopped dead in my tracks. I told him I went to his sister church. We continued walking. Could it be? Was it really that easy? I just had to ask and have faith? Apparently so, because we were married October 8, 2005.

our wedding, October 8, 2005

Accomplished.

I'm feeling extrememly accomplished.

Thursday and Friday I did a deep clean of the house. Then I took out 7 bins of Christmas decorations.

Look really closely...you might just see my countdown to 30!

Saturday I made three gingerbread houses, 5 dozen gingerbread men cookies, 10 dozen rosettes, peppermint bark, and homemade marshmellows.

Sunday I took care of an (claiming to be) under the weather guy and a cranky 16 month old.

heartbreaking, isn't it?

Tuesday Christmas will blow up in my home, complete with what I hope will be another 15 foot tall tree.

Now if I can only figure out how to get a white Christmas...

Gate? What gate?

Apparently I have a climber on my hands.

How we met- His side

Preface...being from New York, there is an old saying up there: "We send our trash to New Jersey and our old people to Florida." With that said, I had no intention of ever moving to New Jersey. As the Lord does in fact work in mysterious ways, I was attending church in New Jersey, working with the youth group there, found my first job after college there...it would only be fitting that I found the woman of my dreams in New Jersey...

I had started aforementioned job in April of 2003. The office of this particular firm was located in front of a nice little lake with a paved walking trail around it. I started walking during lunch in May, and being the people-watching person that I am, I walked the opposite direction of everyone else. I immediately noticed a tall, gorgeous woman who walked at lunch nearly every day. We passed each other countless times with not much more than a smile and a nod. I was actually dating some else at the time, so the most I ever mustered in the way of conversation at this point was an admittedly weak "Hi". Jeff, one of my coworkers, and I would occasionally walk to Wawa for lunch. On one trip we found out where this gorgeous woman worked. On another, we found out what car she drove. It sounds like we were stalking her...I assure you, I was only being observant. Anyway, the girl I was seeing moved in September, and we mutually ended the relationship. In October, I had thoughts of finally meeting the girl around the lake. Then she disappeared. We had not seen her (or her car) for three solid weeks. I figured she had quit, gotten fired, moved...something...and I missed my shot. Imagine my surprise when I was eating lunch by the lake with a few other coworkers and she appears out of nowhere and walks right by us.

If you are still keeping track, it was Monday, November 3rd. I was eating lunch with Jeff, the new guy Joe, and the obnoxious Frank. Frank is a loud Italian who is all talk. As she walked passed us, I had an epiphany. I leaned over to Joe and told him that if she walked around the lake and passed us a second time, I was going to get up and walk with her. I told Joe that I wanted him to keep an eye on Frank so he could describe his reaction to me. Sure enough, around she came. True to my word, I stood up and said, "Do you mind if I walk with you?" She agreed and off we went. After a minute or two of walking, she said, "So are you going to talk or just walk?" I was so surprised that my plan worked that I did not realize that I wasn't saying anything. So we talked all the way around the lake. Needless to say, Frank's jaw had hit the ground.

The next day we walked together again. At about half way around, she asked what I did for fun. I told her that the youth group at my church took up a lot of my free time. She asked what kind of church I went to. I told her that I went to the Evangelical Free church in Haddon Heights. After a few steps, I realized that she wasn't walking with me anymore. I turned around to find her just staring at me. I thought maybe I said something wrong. She said something like, "No way! I go to an EV Free church too!" We walked and talked our way around the lake again.

And that is how we met...unless, of course, you read Stephanie's version, because that is actually how we met.

Thanksgiving

For our Thanksgiving we traveled to Southern Virginia to visit my sisters. My youngest sister, her husband, and their horse of a dog played host/hostess:

Eric and I had some free time while Mason was entertained...

Mason learned an important lesson.

When you spend a week playing with cousins,

being swung to new heights,

slidding down ridiculously long slides,

and stuffing your face with mashed potatoes,

not to mention sqeezing in celebrating Christmas,

when you get home, you'll need to catch up on all of that sleep you lost.

3 am woes

Is that even how you spell woes? I don't know, and my eyes are so heavy I don't feel like looking it up. We left town for Thanksgiving. It's been great. I love visiting my family. My sister decided to host everyone at their home in Virginia. We've had a great week of eating, game playing, hiking, bowling and laughing. Mason's done his best to destroy every cell phone and camera he can find. And empty the recycling bins on the floor.

We celebrated Christmas today...or I guess yesterday? I believe that it's not the next day until you've gone to sleep and woken up and it's light out. It's not light out. And I only slept for 2 hours...more in a  bit.

Like I said, we celebrated Christmas. My older sister dashed around her house and decorated and cleaned to host us. We won't see each other like we normally do this December, so we decided this would be a great chance. So much fun! My youngest niece must have asked me 100 times over the past few days what her present was and if she could open it. I love the excitement! I get the same way, only I have to bottle it up. For some reason it's not as cute for a-nearly-30-year-old to beg to open presents. I digress...

And I'm up now, wide awake, reflecting on the weekend and God's blessings on all of us.