One Thing Remains

"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

The most wonderful thing about God and His word is the fact that verses that you may not have read for years are suddenly brought to the hearts' surface at just the right time, providing comfort, peace and clarity of mind and heart. Such is the story with this these verses. I'm one of those people who loves words. Like really loves words! And when I read something like Ecclesiastes, my soul is stirred. This isn't the first time this verse has been used as an entry point to one of my posts, but there's nothing more comforting than reading this, no matter what season of life you may be in. It reminds you that, as difficult as a "time" may seem, a new time will soon follow. Things come to pass, not to stay. And when your heart feels lonely and wonders why letting go can be so hard, you are reminded that God is in control and has taken care of all the details. When your heart feels rejected, you are reminded that one thing remains: God's love never fails. It never abandons, though we may feel estranged. It is stronger than any mountain we may face and deeper than any ocean we may wade. It reminds us that fear has no place in our hearts because God is on our side. It builds faith and strengthens the soul. It allows us to love the ones who hurt us and trust God to bring the healing. But more than anything, it allows us to find joy in the midst of any and every season. True joy. The kind that can't be manufactured by emotion or bought at a store. The kind that isn't dependent upon perfect circumstances. The kind that is brought about by the knowledge that God's love is never out of reach. Though all else may fail, this one thing remains.

How Feathers Save Chicken {and dog} Lives

Never, ever in my whole life have I been more grateful for real, live, breathing chickens than I have been today.  Here's why:

Part One: Remember how I moved back to Utah and have been reunited with my mountains?!

Well you better believe that once the weather warmed up, I've been making love to those dirt trails like no other! Actually, my shoes have. But you get the idea.

Lola and Piper have shared my enthusiasm and have been on cloud nine with all the new smells and poop trails that they've found along the way. Lola has been such a good girl lately, I've been able to let her off the leash so she can run and play as she pleases. You want to know why she can do that? It's because she comes running right when I call her name. Like the angelic dog that's burried deep within tells her to. Piper is still leash bound because her adventurous spirit tends to tune-out the sound of my voice once that leash is unclicked from her rhinestone collar.  The devil on her shoulder tends to drown out the angel on the other side. 

Part Two: Today, when I went home for lunch, I brought them out to the field next to our house to do business. Piper was leash bound and Lola was wandering, looking for the perfect spot to drop it.

All of a sudden, something caught Lola's eye. It was the neighbor's chicken that had somehow escaped the safety of the chicken-wired fence and was out-and-about exploring the wilderness of their backyard. All it took was the movement of feathers and Lola was off to smell out this new creature. My heart sank as I tried to run inside as fast as possible to lock Piper up {believe you me, we did not want Piper in that mix} and retrieve Lola before the smell of chicken brought out her inner bird-dog. No sooner had I closed the door before I saw Lola prancing across the field with her new-found toy. I was sick and starting to cry as I ran toward her, praying that somehow, the chicken would be okay.

She approached me, so proud of her big feathered prize, and to my relief, the only thing that her teeth had grasped was a mouth full of feathers on the back of Hulda {yes, I've named the chicken. We'd been through too much together at this point to not have given her a name}. I pryed Lola's mouth open and released the timid bird who ran to hide behind a bush while I drug my disappointed puppy inside to join her sister.

I returned to the field to look for my new friend, who I found hovering underneath a patch of thorny bushes. I picked her up without protest and cradled her like a baby.

The Part That's Somewhat Unrelated, Yet Necessary To The Story:
I feel like now would be a good time to insert the fact that, although I am a huge animal lover, I have had difficulty considering chickens as a receiver of that love. Mostly because I've been attacked by so many of them. I had one rooster who took it upon himself to be my horse's personal body guard. The only way to retrieve my horse was to go out in the field with a pitch fork and pocket full of rocks to ward off the claws of the attacking bird. I've hated them ever since.

Hulda was the most precious chicken I'd ever seen. She rested in my arms without complaint, and call me crazy, but I think she actually enjoyed the cuddling while I hiked around trying to return her to a place of safety.

To my dismay, all of the doors to the chicken coop were locked. My next option was to knock on the neighbors' door and come up with an explanation as to why I was holding their feather barren chicken. It had to be a good and believable explanation, one that wouldn't make them want to kill my dog. But yet again, it was a dead end. My only other option was climbing the fence. A fence that was lined with chicken wire and wouldn't allow climbing with my current and oversized bootwear.

You guessed it, boots came off and I was barefoot, climbing a fence, in someone else's yard, with someone else's chicken, in my professional work attire, like a freaking hill-billy!

But it was all worth it to see the relief in Hulda's eyes once she was back in the pen with her goat friends. Poor baby.

And that, my friends, was the day I was glad that chickens have feathers.
Not just because I love feather earrings, but because feathers save lives.

Obviously I'm feeling extreme satisfaction right now. I probably will be able to eat dinner {my nerves wouldn't allow lunch} and the shaking of my hands has subsided. All is well with the world and Lola will no longer be allowed off the leash in bird infested areas. Her instincts are stronger than the sound of my voice.

But you know what's stronger than instincts?

Prayers for a bird named Hulda.

Breakthroughs

"Breakdowns can create breakthroughs. Things fall apart so things can fall together."

Just thought I'd share a few of my views this week! I feel like a part of my soul that's been dormant for far too long is starting to come alive again! And man, does it feel good!

Happy Spring!

Reclining: the new walking.

Wow, friends, so much to tell!

I'm not going to appologize for neglecting you, because I'm not sorry.

I've been so busy living life that blogging about it hasn't been a number one priority.

I am, however, sorry for the fact that I miss the connection that blogging has brought me to all of you pretties.

Let's start here.

Today I am at work...which means I am currently employed!!

Employed by a wonderful company, the one I mentioned here, about the job that I had all of you crossing your fingers and toes for me for! {Thanks for that, by the way!}

I feel so blessed.

Matt and I both do.

He loves his job, the variety and challenges that accompany it every day.

He has bid farewell to monotony and embraced the changes that each day brings.

And if there was any question before on whether or not I was overcome with obsession over my niece, all of those questions can cease to exist as I can officially tell you, I'M OBSESSED!!!!

Seriously, I am so in love with that little sassy pants that it could probably border on mental illness.

She's at the age where she recognizes people and is equally obsessed with pulling my hair and glasses.

I call them "love tugs".

Would you even believe me if I told you she took her very first steps last week?!

Because she did. She did it and she's not even 10 months old yet.

Gypsy baby is growing up so fast, I can't even handle it!

What I can handle is this:

Just chillin'. Like a villain. In the grocery store.

Homegirl is obviously is wayyyy too cool for all us folks who choose to push the carts instead of recline in them.

Get with it people.

Is it Thanksgiving?!

If only you knew how many remarkable blog posts would be on here, if only my brain had a recording device that could type everything that I think of while I'm either showering or running.

It's pretty insightful stuff, folks!

But alas, you will never know those thoughts.

Instead, you will be stuck hearing stories about my dogs or my current sickness or moving. And while your eyes graze across the page, I bet you never imagined the one writing this has two tissues sticking out of her nose whilst her fingers ramble away. Just revert back to the comment on "current sickness".

It's a beautiful sight over on my side of the screen.

And though he would never say it, I'm sure husband would beg to differ.

Sweet as he is, he would never whisper a word of how much he dislikes the fact that I have to lift those tissues in order to give him a kiss. And kiss me, he does.
True love.

Marriage is funny that way.

It brings about both beauty and hardship.

I feel like I've grown so much the last two years, that sometimes when I look back at the girl who stood at the altar to say "I do," I don't even recognize her.

Marriage is a beautiful thing in which two individuals, working together, achieve one of the most incredible acts ever known to man; they become one.  Not through some miraculous happening, but through a lot of bending, giving, breaking, sanding, fighting, mending, forgiving, loving and accepting.

No easy task.

It's opening yourself up to another person and giving them every part of you, knowing full well that they could crush you in the deepest way, but trusting that they won't . And vice versa.

Marriage is knowing and being known to the fullest and sometimes most embarrassing ways and yet still loving that person no matter what pet-peeves {or tissues} may try to interfere.
And it is for that reason that I am grateful.
Grateful for having the opportunity to marry my best friend.
Grateful for the fact that he puts up with my oddities.
Grateful that he allows me to dream and evolve, never once asking me to change.
Grateful that nearly four years ago, he had the guts to email a girl in Utah who he'd never met.
Grateful for his heart
Grateful for his love.
And grateful that he's mine.

Salt Lake or Bust

So a few things have changed since we last talked.

1.)  I'm in a new state. The state where Utahns reside, to be specific.

2.)  In true Marcie fashion, I have a new hair color to go along with my new life change. 

Burgundy / brunette would be a great description of it. 

3.)  It's a new year!! 2013!!!! Can you even believe it?! If you're reading this, I'm assuming you, like me, survived the dreaded "End of the World" fiasco that was supposed to go down in December. 

Silly Mayans. When will you ever learn?!

{source}

After a long drive {approximately 25 hours} and five states later, Matt, the girls and I all made it safely to our new home in Salt Lake City.

The girls made the trip doped up on dramamine and kisses.

 They were the sweetest road trip buddies! Such little angels for having to be in the car for so long. And would you even believe that they still LOVE car rides?! I can hardly believe it myself. They must get their adventurous spirit from me! ;)

All in all, we're getting settled into our semi-temporary home! The cold has been a much bigger adjustment than either of us expected, especially considering I grew up here! I don't know how I managed to forget how frigid the winter air in Utah! Husband started his job this week and I've had two interviews with a company that I'm hoping will love me as much as I do them! 

{Please, oh please cross your fingers for me!}

And one last thing....Matt and I feel so UNBELIEVABLY grateful for the love and support that we've received from our families during this transition! Moving is no easy task, and we couldn't have done it without their help. From helping us get packed up, flying down to help with the drive and then to helping us unpack when Matt was sick with the flu, we both feel overwhelmed with all of the love and support our families have given us. We would be lost without all of their generosity! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts! We love you all so much!

The Flip Side

I'm nearly to the end of my goodbyes and about to start hellos!

Have I mentioned I'm no good at goodbye?

I like to think that I soak in every moment. The happy ones and the sad ones. 

When there's happiness, I'll be there basking in every ounce of sparkle and joy that arrives with that moment.  The same is true with the flip side. I feel every tickle of every tear, every brick that arrives with the weight of sadness and despair. 

Sensitive.

My double-edged sword.

Husband doesn't quite know what to do with this yet, but he's learning. 

The great thing is that with every sad goodbye, I know there's a more exciting hello waiting for me!
Specifically, this little hello.....

Really, could the flip side be any cuter?