Yes, it is true. I am an aunt. I have a new little tiny niece and a young little nephew. I have yet to meet the two little people that make me an aunt, but I can't wait until I get to hug them and love them like only an aunt can. Come to think of it, I have yet to see pictures of my little niece, that's how new she is! I don't really know anything about being an aunt, but I am certainly excited to learn. Now I really need to start remembering birthdays, as I would like to be the kind of aunt that remembers important things like that. I want to be as involved as I can from a few hundred {if not thousand} miles away. I will always pray for their lives, that they may grow and live in the Lord.
It was quick, it was short, and it was unplanned. It was emotional and it was uplifting.
We saw the Lord at work.
Last Monday, Erik and I boarded a plane set for Kentucky, with heavy hearts and intense emotion. We were on our way to a funeral, to bury not one, but 9 members of our extended family. We had only seen them once and only met them briefly, but we felt the overwhelming need to be together during this difficult time.
On Tuesday, March 30th, 2010, 8 members of the Esh family, along with a fiancé and a family friend, were celebrated, honored, loved, and buried after being called home just a few days earlier in a car accident. They were a family dearly loved and it was truly incredible to see the Lord’s work through their lives.
They were family to us as in-laws (it was our brother-in-law’s dear family), but much more importantly, they are family to us through Christ.
Families opened their homes to strangers, cooked food for thousands, and loved as the Lord’s calls us to love. It was remarkable to see the outpouring of compassion from such a beautiful community.
The Lord was truly at work.
Our flights were yet another example of the Lord’s provision as they were given to us by my dear sister and her husband.
Again, the Lord was at work … Our love and prayers are continually with the Esh family as they are truly dear to our hearts. {P.S. We also can't wait to meet the newest member of our family, due to arrive any day! We better get a phone call when the arrival is made!}
“… God gave to us this passion play to reenact, right here and now, the story of the ages. This is the story of mankind, the one story we have been telling ourselves over and over again, in every great myth and legend and poem and song. It is a love story, set in the midst of desperate times, set in the midst of war. It is a story of a shared quest. It is a story of romance. {We} are playing out before you now the deepest and most mythic reality in the world. This is the story of God’s romance with mankind.” Love & War, John & Staci Eldredge
“Year One”of theBenson Adventurehas been fully recognized and celebrated! To say the least, year one has been a blessing. We have loved, laughed, cried, grown, dreamt, lived, experienced, misunderstood, talked, learned, understood, and LOVED. We attribute this ALL to the LORD as He is the sole reason we are together.
……………
March 21st, 2010… sunny, warm, and beautiful … much like we were praying for March 21st, 2009, but alas, I wouldn’t dream of changing it! It was a perfect day!
Day 1of the anniversary celebration: rode scooter around Downtown Sacramento.
We have talked about going to Suzie’s, the old fashioned burger joint, every time we drove by, so last weekend, we scootered our way on over.It was just as cute and quaint as anticipated!
We then scootered our way to Old Town Sacramento (one of my favorite parts of my home-town) and stopped at the Candy Barrel to load up a bucket of salt water taffy before our movie date … mmmmm!
After the movie (cute romantic comedy), we scootered to a coffee shop to sit outside, drink deliciously, sweet, chocolatey-coffee concoctions, read, and dream about the coming year.
Our little apartment was a delight to return to after a day on the town.We grilled up some fabulous burgers and retreated early to prepare for day 2.
Day 2:Drive to the Bay Area. We picnicked at the spot. My heart began to race (I’m a nerd, I know!) as we walked up the trail that a year and half ago changed my life!
The first time Erik took me to this spot, I left with a ring and a fiancé.This time, I went with my husband.We had a wonderful lunch while on top of the cliffs that extend over the bay.
The Golden GateBridge decorated our view as we ate and read and talked some more.After our long, relaxing afternoon, we treated ourselves to a few trinkets downtown and to a quiet dinner while being serenaded by the notes of a jazz guitarist.It was perfect.
Day 3:Relax some more! Early morning coffee date, shopping, and movie watching … all while holding hands.
We didn’t need a “weekend away” to enjoy each other and refresh our souls.We prayed together and praised the Lord for the many great blessings He has bestowed on us thus far.We know HE had great things in store for the coming years!
WE are BLESSED to be TOGETHER.
…………..side-note………………
Erik and I are reading a book called"Love & War"along with some friends of ours. It is written by John & Staci Eldredge, who are the authors of “Wild at Heart” and “Captivating” (respectively). These are two books that Erik and I have both read (at different times in our lives) and we have developed a true respect for the passion this couple has for God above all else. “Love & War” is their “marriage” book and it is different than every other marriage book we have read. They communicate over and over again the reason God created marriage … as the example, or symbol, of God’s love, redemption, and salvation to mankind. It is the closest we will get to ever knowing the true, pure fellowship He craves to have with us. BREATHTAKING.
This truly is an incredible adventure and I am so blessed to be able to pursue oneness with my Lord along side my best friend.
Short Story: Two weeks after I graduated from college, I boarded a plane set for Ireland. I convinced a friend to accompany me on my Irish adventure and we set out in search of just that, an adventure. For four months, we worked, we traveled, we lived, we learned, and we loved everything Irish. It was a blessing, a journey, a life-changing experience.
Oh, how I miss Ireland. I dream of the day I get to walk through the green fields, smell the turf, and climb the MacGillicuddy's Reeks surrounding the town of Killarney ... with my husband. I want to show him the castles we stormed, the trails we rode, the fields we danced in ... I want him to be a part of my Irish Adventure!
Ross Castle: Home of our afternoon picnics and journal sessions
The view on our drive through the Ring of Kerry
An Abbey we found driving around
An Enchanted Castle: The Killarney Castle A friend from work took us through private property to show us this castle ... unknown to tourists ... truly, a hidden treasure!
Today, like most days, I am dreaming of Rome. I have been blessed with the opportunity to have walked the grounds of the Coliseum, sat on the Spanish Steps, gazed upon the Sistine Chapel, strolled along side the Vatican, and I even threw a penny into the Trevi fountain to ensure I would soon return with the love of my life. It has been 6 years and I am very ready to revisit the romance with Erik. He has always dreamt of seeing the home of the gladiators and the Roman Empire ... and oh, there is so much romance.
Being 3 months into this "new year", it no longer feels so "new". Although it is hard to believe that it is already March, I have come to realize that the year is well on it's way. The 2010 Winter Olympics have already come and gone ... and the dreams of spring have already begun to grace my wardrobe. {NOTE to SELF: even if it looks sunny outside, check the temperature before putting on that sundress}
Since we do not have T.V. (well ... we have a T.V. but its connection to the wall only allows us to watch movies), we have missed out on nearly ALL major sporting events thus far. Yes, that means we missed the Superbowl ... and the Olympics. Is it a shame? Are we Un-American? Am I depriving my husband of sports fanatic-dom? Am I depriving myself of ... anything at all? I can honestly and easily answer you ... NOPE. I love the fact that I can truthfully say this was a mutual decision. While I am sure that someday we will have T.V., for now, we love not having it. While I offered to find Erik the best venue for watching the Superbowl, he asked if I would like to go find new antique shops and thrift stores with him instead. We saw the first 5 minutes at our favorite restaurant (the gourmet, Chevy's). We shopped around, treated ourselves to a few trinkets, caught the half-time show, caught the score, then retreated to our apartment to watch a marathon of movies. First, a romantic comedy, then an action. I love Superbowl Sunday.
With February came Valentine's Day ... and a 3 day weekend! Woohoo! That NEVER happens where I work ... and Erik's boss is a real tough guy too (or Erik is just an over-achiever ... one of the 2 ... or maybe both!). BUT, since most of our friends and family were out of town, we were left to spend time with only ourselves ... and it was truly a blessing! Erik brought to my attention that Valentine's Day weekend was the first time {since we were on our HONEYMOON!} that we have spent a solid 2 1/2 days together, with no commitments or obligations! That is TOO long. Needless to say, our weekend was amazing! We visited nearly every "old town" on HWY 80 between Sacramento and Tahoe. We drove all around the lake and back and TALKED and talked and TaLkeD. Another one of God's great blessings ... As we are just weeks away from our 1st ANNIVERSARY, one of the greatest things we have learned is that our continual focus on our personal relationships with GOD bring us CLOSER to each other. Without that anchor, we sink. The Benson's have decided that we like our heads {and marriage} well above sea level. It's a fun adventure :) We are not perfect, therefore our marriage is not perfect ... but with God's help, we are trying to be the best we can be ... While I would like to portray the perfect little life in this little blog, I cannot. My antique-shopping, romantic-comedy-watching husband is not perfect (although I think he's pretty close) and he certainly knows that I am VERY far from perfect. So, I'll just say that we try ... it's a VERY good thing we have forever to get this right!
RECENT CULINARY UPDATE: For my sister's 28th birthday, the ladies in the family decided to battle and CONQUER Julia Child's Boef Bourgingon. Might I say ... Julia is brilliant {and a little crazy} and we are successful adventurers. My cooking resume is continuing to grow!P.S. I'm not entirely sure this is what it looked like when Julia made it, but who would really know that?? Right?!!
The beginning of the “New Year” has flown by so quickly … I was barely used to saying “January ___, 2010” and now, I have to say “February”. Alas, a problem that will probably continue throughout the year until I will have to readjust, yet again, to “2011.” I remember when 2010 sounded like a time when we would be flying like the Jetsons … ah, my imagination got a little ahead of the technologically gifted. {Come on people, get on it!}
Maybe it’s the adventure, or the stress, or the general busyness of life that makes time travel so quickly. Regardless of the true reason, I prefer to think it’s the adventure in life that travels with us as we age instead of the stress that gives us wrinkles. That is simply an unhappy thought … the wrinkles I will wear in my later years will be from nothing more than laughter, adventure, and love … not stress. It is one of my many goals in life to make that the truth.
To sum up the days that have been “2010” so far, the Benson’s already feel greatly blessed and are thus thrilled to see where the Lord takes us in the months to come. Christmas spent with my family was fabulous … absent of drama, full of joy. New Year’s Day was entered into with new friends and many laughs ~ couldn’t ask for anything better. {SIDE NOTE: For anyone who enjoys a night on the town but hates to suffer the crowds and overly-loud music; January 1st is the day! Erik and I enjoyed an evening at the Lounge on 20 in Downtown Sacramento … with a fire pit to ourselves; we bundled up and enjoyed the first night of the New Year with nothing but each other! Again, fabulous}
It was quickly decided by the Benson’s that the this would be “The Year of Finished Projects”. We started off on a good note when a beautiful piece of furniture was completed on January 1st (after a year of sitting half finished in our apartment) … it was a joint effort (joint meaning: Erik 99% Julie 1%) and spurred our excitement to work together in the future. Oh, our dreams are big :) Not long after the New Year began, my dear grandma {affectionately referred to as Omie} was taken to the hospital for treatment of an infection. Although the infection (though not good) was not an immediately life-threatening situation, her stay at the hospital was lengthened when her heart stopped during a picc line procedure. Sitting in the hospital hearing “code blue” followed by my sweet grandma’s room number was paralyzing. The Lord gave her back to us after CPR, 2 weeks on a ventilator, and long days in the ICU waiting room (seriously in need of a make-over). However, I am extremely excited to report that after almost a month in the hospital, she is home with her husband with more life in her than I’ve seen in a very long time. She is full of beautiful smiles with rosy cheeks and her witty sense of humor. God has blessed our family greatly with the opportunity to enjoy her sweet company for as long as He sees fit. I love HIM. We were even able to throw my grandparents a small party in the hospital to celebrate their impressive 55 years of marriage. They graced us with their love story for the hundredth time … it will never get old. I can’t wait for 55 years.
To add another “PRAISE” to the list of 2010 events, I can now refer to my very own handyman as a General Contractor, licensed and ready for business! Erik is working hard (thank God, yet again, for the full schedule) and loving every minute of it. I am so proud to be his wife, to be chosen by him, and to walk beside him through this absolutely incredible journey! FABULOUS.
Introducing Creo Casa Construction Owner: Erik Benson, General Contractor
Yes, it is true. I am an aunt. I have a new little tiny niece and a young little nephew. I have yet to meet the two little people that make me an aunt, but I can't wait until I get to hug them and love them like only an aunt can. Come to think of it, I have yet to see pictures of my little niece, that's how new she is! I don't really know anything about being an aunt, but I am certainly excited to learn. Now I really need to start remembering birthdays, as I would like to be the kind of aunt that remembers important things like that. I want to be as involved as I can from a few hundred {if not thousand} miles away. I will always pray for their lives, that they may grow and live in the Lord.
