{ baby a n n o u n c e m e n t }

Our big Christmas present will arrive sometime in July this year.  We couldn't be more excited!

Here was our Christmas card/announcement this year . . .

Our little Patriotic Peanut (one of it's many nicknames, already!) is due on the 4th of July, 2012. 

I've been busy brewin' a baby and officially took the month of December off from Blogging as we told our family and friends our great news! Many more posts to come, including our big gender reveal when we find out on February 8th!  Bring on the sleepless nights, the chaotic life, and the abundant
b l e s s i n g s .

With Love,
All 3 Reeds

{ a new chapter }

Wow, after ten months of searching, I finally landed an awesome job & couldn't be more excited.  Do you remember my post about endurance [found here] that I told you I had a 5 hour interview for?  Turns out it was worth all that hard work - that's the job I got [employer relations manager at oregon state university]!  I really truly placed the outcome in God's hands and felt a peace about that job & interview process & trusted that regardless of whether or not I got the job, that the Lord had used this opportunity to teach me that I truly can do all things through Him, who strengthens me.  I kept praying for confidence through Him, because truthfully my confidence felt shot for quite a while after losing my job, and then not getting jobs after interviewing in the job search process.

There are a few things that I've enjoyed [+ a lot of things I've hated - just to be honest] these past ten months of being unemployed, as I really tried to draw closer to the Lord & discover HIS will (not mine) for my life.  This was a much-needed time out that I never would've taken on my own.  It was a situation I was thrown into and now [not so much at first], I am so thankful. 

Some of these things I've enjoyed include:

• more quality time with family & friends
• joining a Bible Study
• Serving at church
• sleeping in [!!!]
• staying up late [!!!]
• being in charge of the "household" chores
• babysitting & spending time with my nieces & nephews
• joining a bunco group + meeting new friends
• being there for friends & family during difficult times
• learning to live on a much tighter budget + trusting the Lord to provide
• BLOGGING [favorite.new.hobby]
• not dreading monday mornings
• prioritizing what's most important in life
• enjoying newlywed life

Reasons this job is so perfect:

• I've always dreamed of being a school counselor, helping students achieve their goals - in a sense, that's a large part of what I'll be doing
• I've said ever since the day I was laid off that my heart is so heavily burdened for people who lose their jobs.  I really don't think anyone can truly understand - unless they've been there.  I've known I want to help unemployed people [who are truly trying to find employment] in their job search process and encourage them as much as possible.  Well, I will be helping set students [who need jobs], up with employers, and be creating internship & job opportunities for students.

God is so great.  Truly, this particular job application process has been in HIS hands from the start...


After months of submitting my resume to employers online and nothing really panning out, I quickly realized [or so I thought] that the only way I was going to get a job, was if I had a personal connection somewhere to help get my foot in the door.  The sea of unemployed folks is large, and submitting my resume online seemed as successful as throwing a penny in a wishing well and hoping I would get a call back. 

But, silly of me to doubt the Lord's hand in all of this.  I received a call from OSU about one month after submitting my online application and resume.  I literally had applied to so many other jobs, that I didn't even remember what this one was for.  I survived the first interview with a panel of 5 people.  I didn't feel confident about getting a second interview.  But, at this point, I pretty much had no confidence of ever getting a call back. 

I then got a second call asking for me to come for a 2nd interview.  This was the 5 hour interview with role play I told you about in my endurance post.  I almost didn't go through with this interview because I was so fearful & feeling inadequate.  With encouragement & prayer from my husband, realizing I had nothing to lose, and feeling like I owed it to myself to at least TRY, I decided to go for it.  This took a huge amount of prep, which my husband again helped me with [thank you honey!].  I also tried using my network to get additional help to prepare, but not much panned out [other than my best friend - thank you sheesh!].   I think this was the Lord's way of saying, "hello, stop looking for someone else to help you through this long ordeal - all you need is ME!" 

I really felt the Lord's peace that ENTIRE day of my long interview.  My husband and Mom seemed were much more nervous than I was.  My only explanation for not having the typical "sleepless night-before the interview-with heart skipping a beat & pounding out of chest-plus shortness of breath-nervousness" is that my husband kept praying with & for me and I completely felt like it was in God's hands.  And, once it was all over, I felt such a great sense of accomplishment.  I had really contemplated NOT doing the interview at all because it seemed so difficult [felt way in over my head], and like so much work, for a job I didn't think I would even get.  But, I not only survived, I felt like I did the absolute best I could.  It was all in the Lord's hands then.

A week and a half passed and I didn't hear anything.  Then, this past Friday morning I received a call and a verbal offer for the position.  The guy left a voicemail first and I called my mom right away [originally I wanted to keep it a surprise from my hubby in case I did get the job & could surprise him in some creative way].  Being the amazing mom she is, she prayed for me right away, before I called the guy back.  I was so nervous to hear whether or not I got the job.  As soon as I heard they were making me a verbal offer, I hung up the phone I started crying.  I was overwhelmed with God's faithfulness and provision.  I could not believe it.  Finally, a job I really wanted, & with meaningful work was offered.  I called my mom back [still crying] and told her the great news.  Then, deciding there was no way I could wait any longer to tell my husband in a creative way, I called him.  I could hear the relief in his sweet voice.

Shortly after receiving that call I also received an e-mail from my old boss [from the company I was laid off from] asking if I had found a job yet, and if not, if I wanted to come back to work for them.  God's timing is crazy.  CRAZY I tell you!  I'm moving on from seniors to students [I used to work in the retirement living industry] getting paid more than I was, and ...

I could not be more excited to do meaningful

Although this past chapter was not easy for me, I'm so grateful for what I've learned, been able to do, and now, for this new opportunity & new chapter of life!  I don't have any great pictures to go with this post, but hopefully you feel encouraged that whatever your current or future chapter in life is, God's got your back!  And a HUGE thank you to everyone who let me babysit, kept me busy, encouraged & prayed for me, and just listened during the past [rough] ten months!!!

via

{ one year + one month + one day }

Love bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things,

endures all things.

Love never ends.

[Corinthians 13:7-8]

Since it's almost been 1 year + 1 month + 1 day since we said
"I do"
I decided I should tell you about our fun little one year anniversary get away. . .

the snowy, 3 hour drive to bend, OR

when we arrived in Bend, we went straight into downtown to watch the Blazer basketball game.  Our team lost but it was OK because that meant they weren't going to play on our actual anniversary [ no conflict of interest ]

this is the HUGE hd projector screen we watched the game on & then decided this would be perfect in our big living room [someday]

we ate breakfast at this adorable little cafe that has delicious organic food.  it started snowing while we were in there.  it was heaven, so cozy & so romantic.

We loved walking around this little lake  & even though it was still cold, it was gorgeous.

Amazingly after breakfast, it turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL day.  Our hotel was downtown, so we pretty much walked everywhere all weekend.  Side note: this turned out to be a perfect location because our car temporarily wouldn't start on our anniversary morning. I chalked it up to being reflective of our first year of marriage: unpredictable & forcing us to rely on God. And thankfully, the Lord provided [we were able to fix the car on our own] and we were able to just laugh about it later.

we love bend!

i love sweets !!! they have home made pop here too [ soooo good ].

i love him so much.  he gets better and better looking the longer we're married : ]

thanks to both of our very sweet & generous parents, we had our anniversary dinner at Zydeco's in dt bend (a friend recommended it) and it was so amazing. I had the best halibut I've ever had.  bummed this pic turned out weird [i look like a ghost].

The family heritage bible my husband gave me is so awesome, so meaningful & definitely something we'll pass down for many generations to come!

kinda blurry, but this is the watch he surprised me with too!

our wedding vows framed, with a pic of us reciting our vows in the background: for our bedroom

also for our bedroom [ i don't know why, but i love this saying ]

we ate our wedding cake, lite our unity candle, exchanged presents, did our daily devotions together, reminisced about our wedding day, listened to our wedding cd, looked at pictures, and thanked the Lord for blessing our love for one another, our marriage, and our journey.

we ended the fun, long, celebration weekend by meeting up with our close friends ashley & nate at a fun little brewery & sat outside [we had great weather all weekend] before heading back home.

the daily devotional my hubby bought for us

There are a million & one things I love about marriage.  But I have to say my favorite thing so far is living with my best friend.  He's the best roommate I could ask for.  We didn't live together before we got married so this year has been such a fun adventure.  I'm so glad we waited because it not only gave us something to look forward to, but now our house is truly "ours" and we cherish every day in it as our own little family. 

It's the little things that make being newlyweds & living together so much fun: cooking together for the first time, making & enjoying coffee, working on the yard, hosting friends & family.  All these things are just that much better when you're married & share the experiences together, under the same roof, for the first time.

Each day keeps getting better and although we have a few rooms in our home, we prefer to be in the same room.  I'm looking forward to at least another 70+ years of being roommates, best friends, and enjoying our love-filled-journey.

"I have found the one whom my soul loves."
| song of solomon 3:4 |

{ celebrating one year }

Today is a happy day.  One year ago today, I married my wonderful husband.  Love is definitely in the air and we are

c e l e b r a t i n g .  More on our anniversary weekend & celebrations later.  But for now, enjoy these love-inspired pics & let your heart be filled with love .

With Love,

Mr. & Mrs. Reed

{ this past year }

In our very first post, I alluded to the fact that this past year has been at times great {after all, we got married this past year!}, and at times, one we wish we could erase.  This past year {or our "happily ever after" as some may refer to it as} has been eventful - to say the least.  Without getting too in depth, here's a quick recap (somewhat in order) of what's been going on in our little Reed family (of two).  Embrace yourself, this post is long.  There's your fair warning.

• My young, precious uncle and wonderful grandpa both passed away. 
• My very young aunt passed away the day before our wedding, after a long battle with breast cancer.
• We bought a house.
• Adam and I got married.
• I was laid off.
• We endured the hardest family/friend situation we have ever faced.  Without going into detail, I will say it involved a great deal of emotional hurt, betrayal, and anger (even though we were not the direct victims).  This has challenged our faith the greatest, brought the most tears, and created the most frustration.
• Adam's sweet grandma passed away.
• Many other random, yet unfortunately very common "can't we catch a break?!" moments {such as my ER visit which cost a fortune, and without health insurance (ramification of no job) set us back big time}.
• Oh yes, and I also gained the "not-so-sweet marital 15."  {15 LBS that is!  Superficial?  Yes.  But still, you add that to everything else and that is hard on a girl's self-esteem!}

The one constant thing, that has sustained us through this eventful (and often times sad) year is God.  I've clung to three verses that constantly remind me of God's ability to use tough, uncertain times, to bring Him glory.   Here are those three verses:

 { Romans 5:1-5 }

"Therefore, since we have been justified through our faith,

let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. 

And let us rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 

Not only so, but let us also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope.

And hope does not disappoint us, because

God has poured out his love into our hearts

by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

{ James 1:2-4 & 12 }

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trails of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

..."Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,

because when he has stood the test,

he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

{ 1 Peter 1:3-9 }

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade -  kept in heaven for you,

who through faith are shielded by God's power

until the coming of salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 

 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 

These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than any gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire -

may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 

Though you have not seen him, you love him;

and even though you do not see him now,

you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the

 salvation of your souls."

I feel very blessed to have lived a wonderful life with a supportive family and loving husband.  This past year I have come to realize how much I've taken for granted this wonderful life and that saddens me.  But, I've learned a lot this past year and honestly, without enduring each of these painful experiences I don't think I would be as close to God, Adam or my family.  It's sad, but very true that often times I neglect God when things are going great, and then desperately cry out to Him when things don't go well.  Can you say selfish?  Gees.  I don't know {and may never know} all the reasons why these things have happened, but I do know that God has used these things to draw me closer to Him.  For that I am so thankful.  I also know that God probably planned this out to all happen within our first year of marriage because it would've been too much for either of us to handle alone - first without the Lord, then without each other.  But even in the saddest of days for us, it's so awesome to realize that we have grown closer to God and to each other throughout all of this. 

For the first time {ever!} this year I went to a women's bible study at our church.  I'll be honest, I was expecting not to like it, to feel out of place, for it to be a bunch of old {sorry, but it's really what I thought!} women sobbing, and to come home regretting ever going.  Just the opposite happened.  I loved it.  I wondered why I had waited so long to go, and why I had made so many assumptions!  There were women of all ages, and I loved each of them who openly shared, encouraged each other and me, and prayed for and with me.  Here's the thing, when your parents are in ministry or you've grown up in the church, it's so awesome; but it can also feel like, "OK there are SO many people hurting, lost, sad, etc. that need help.  My job is to buck up, not to ever ask for help, always help others, etc."  My parents never once made me feel that way, or any of us kids for that matter, but I think it's a pressure {I know I at least} put on myself.  So, when this year rolled around, and I realized, "Hm, nothing seems to be going good.  I'm now the sad one going through a rough time," it was a very humbling experience.  After all, I am supposed to be the one that has it all together.  Or so I thought.  Anyways, the study we went through was called "Discovering the Voice of God," by Priscilla Shirer.  The whole study is amazing, and I highly recommend it - even if everything in your life is just dandy!  One of my favorite parts of the book says this,

"Never think your circumstances are disconnected from God's leading and His will. 
Don't spend your time wishing you could get out of the season of life you are in;
rather, spend your time looking fervently for God's hand in your situation."

Wow.  This was exactly what I needed to hear.  Instead of being frustrated or sad, wishing or hoping for our situation to change, I felt encouraged to embrace each circumstance and be content just listening for what God might be trying to teach me.  It also reminded me that while these things felt earth shattering to my somewhat sheltered life, there are MUCH worse things that could have or might still happen in the future.  In fact if you're reading this, and have faced a trial, no matter how big, or small, you might be thinking, "what a wuss she is!  She wouldn't know a trial if it hit her in the face!"  Haha, I hope you're not thinking that, but just know that for me, my world was somewhat rocked upside down this past year.  Yet, how assuring it is to know that every circumstance {big or small} in our lives are connected with God's leading and His will for us. And what a blessing to early on in our marriage learn to fully rely on the Lord to provide.

At the end of the day, God is good and I have no excuse to complain.  His blessings are abundant and I certainly do not deserve this life God's graced me with.  Each day is different and I would be lying if I said I live everyday with a euphoric feeling of "everything is going to be OK."  But regardless of how depressed I might feel some days, I also feel so abundantly blessed.  I pray that you too, no matter what trial you're experiencing, will remember to fully rely on God and remember to thank Him for all the blessings in your life.

Here are a few wedding pics.  Just because, well, this was & still is the highlight of our year!