Valentine's Day Surprise

"My, oh, my! What is that heavenly aroma?" you ask.

Quite simple, really.

You see, I've got a husband who adores in the most Christ-like way possible the ground I walk on. Though we still claim the "newly-wed" title, we're past the stage of doe-eyes, and we're learning to deal gently, yet firmly, and in truth, but also in love with each other. And it's a trip, but I wouldn't change it for the world.
But I digress....

The smell......is because the one I love loves me back with all of his heart, and he shows it in the way that's most meaningful to me. (I like gifts. :) To cap it all off, he had them delivered to my work office! Can't get much more special than that! :)

Happy Valentine's Day! :)

How We Spent MLK Day

What's the best way to spend a day celebrating a man who loved peace, fought for justice, and celebrated the American right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

We went down to Vonore and shot some guns.

For those of you a little shocked that this is how I wanted to spend one of my rare days off, you're not alone--Kevin was shocked, too. Guns are not something I grew up with, nor are they something that I'm completely comfortable with, which I blame more on my nurture than my nature.

Needless to say, I do enjoy pretending to be Annie Oakley and seeing how good my aim is. Beside that, the silhouettes will make great guest-room wall paper. :)

Who Says Teaching is a Thankless Job?

Well, for most of the year, maybe it is. But, let me tell you, come Christmas time, Kevin sure cleans up (ahem, see above image)! And the best part is I get much of the benefit of the gifts, seeing as how many of them are girly note pads and post-it notes that he has little interest in. :)

And then, of course, there are other benefits of this time of year, like the encouragement to keep going.

My favorite one (currently lighting up the coffee table he's sleeping next to so that its luminescence can softly pull him from his slumber).

Teaching (whether personally or professionally) is no easy task. I'm very proud of my husband, who is a qualified, hard-working, dedicated, passionate, gifted man. At times, though, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way. :)

The Blessing of Zero!

$32,938.11 (not counting interest).

25 months of payments.

Discovering Dave Ramsey this summer.

Cutting back to live off of one salary.

$22,000 paid off since the end of July alone.

And it all comes down to one last interest payment of $8.75.

Lord, may we continue to be faithful with the resources You have allowed us.
We are humbled by your provision.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt;
Open your wide mouth and I will fill it."
~Psalm 81:10

Playing Catch-Up

It's been quite the time in the Fowler household. We're very grateful for those of you who have hung with us through this sparseness of posts. :( Lord willing, time will return for blogging, but for right now, I'm having to rely on "catch-up" posts.

First off, the Lord is returning health to our household! Amazingly, Kevin, though a public school teacher, is sick very rarely. This past week, however, it hit him hard--no voice, sinus pressure, the works! He's healing, though, and it's great to have him back to normal--whatever that may mean. ;)

Also, as some of you know, I've been sick with chronic tonsillitis since roughly August. I was given the option to continue a barrage of antibiotics, but when I thought about that, coupled with the multiple times I've had strep and tonsillitis in the past year or so, Kevin and I decided that surgery was the best option. Last Thursday, I underwent my first real surgery since having my wisdom, teeth removed in 10th grade. I wasn't nervous about the surgery; it's routine enough. I was nervous about the recovery. Tonsillectomies in adults bring with them incredibly difficult recovery processes. But, friends, the Lord has been merciful! A mere four days post-op, I was eating spaghetti with a little ground beef, and the next day I was eating chicken stir fry! There have been some rough spots, but it's humbling to think that the Lord would protect me from having to go through weeks of pain before healing.

Along with that, my parents drove down and spent 9 days with us to serve, care for, and manage our household while Kevin was at work and I was recovering. I think we were all a little anxious to see what would come of it, since that amount of time with anybody can be a bit of a strain under a tiny roof. But, again, the Lord was gracious, and we had one of the best visits with them. Funny enough, they're turning around and coming back in just 2 short weeks for Christmas.

And now we're busily set about getting things ready for Christmas. We've got our tree up.

Do you like the tree topper?

And I'm wrapping presents like mad trying to get it all done before I go back to work on Monday.

But in all things, friends, may we never forget who this season is truly about.

May you have a wonderful, safe, happy time of celebrating all that Christmas is truly about!

The View from the Top!

For my one and only's birthday,

I took him somewhere far, far away.

I took him somewhere exotic.

I took him somewhere only nerds like us would go.

I took him to Chicago.

But, not just to Chicago. I took him to a live taping of NPR's "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" It's probably one of the last surviving radio programs out there that isn't purely news, and it's probably THE only one filmed before a live studio audience. Needless to say, the audience was filled with people just as hopelessly nerdy as us! It was bliss!

If you're not familiar with "Wait, Wait..." you're missing out. Those two podiums on the left are for the judge/score keeper, Carl Kasell, and the one on the right is for the host, Peter Sagal. The table on the right is for the show's three panelists, who vary week-to-week. This week's panelists were Paula Poundstone (Kevin's favorite), Roy Blount Jr. (my favorite), and Faith Sailee (new to the show). We figured two out of three ain't bad!

As I said, the recording is live and the panelists, who are all comedians, answer questions on the week's news. In between those questions, listeners can call in and be on the show live.

After the show, which was incredibly fun and enjoyable, the hosts and the panelists stay around to answer questions, sign autographs, take pictures, and just generally chat it up. We didn't do much chatting, but we did meet Peter, Carl, and Paula. Needless to say, I scored big on the birthday gift! ;)

Since we took all day Thursday to drive down and watch the show that night, we didn't want to drive back the next day, and why should we--it was Friday! So....we stayed an extra day and saw the sights of Chicago.

For starters, the weather could not have been more beautiful! I mean, can you see that sky?! And it was mid-50's--cool enough to walk; warm enough to not freeze.

Of course, you can't make a trip to Chicago without visiting the historic, record-breaking Willis Tower! Never heard of it? Well, you probably have, but didn't know it. It used to be called the Sear's Tower, but when the building was sold, the contract stated that the largest tenant could rename the tower in 2008. The largest tenant was--you guessed it-- a company named Willis and they renamed it last year. I agree, though, it is a little unimpressive to say, "We got to see the Willis Tower!" Doesn't quite have the punch that the Sear's Tower has.

And there's a new addition to the Willis Tower--retractable glass encasements you can step into and look down...103 stories! Are you brave enough!?

I thought I was doing well just standing there, but...

Kevin took it a step further!

This is the only picture we've got of both of us in the Tower. It's a shame you can't see any buildings, sky, birds...flying saucers....anything! It was crystal clear that day, but the sun was also shining too bright for good pictures, and, well, there's only so many pictures you want to ask complete strangers to take! :)

So, friends, that was our visit to the Windy City. Hope you've enjoyed this little taste. There was actually much more involved (Pizza! The Field Museum! Lake Michigan!), but I've got a birthday boy to tend to!

Happy Monday! :)

Anniversary Flowers

Maybe you can help me...I'm looking for something. It's quite precious, as things of this nature are. I know I had it, but I just can't seem to find it. Maybe I misplaced it, but I have a feeling that maybe, just maybe, it's gone...

Have you seen the month of July? I mean, seriously, I have no clue where it went.

Hm. Strange.

Well, regardless, the arrival of August means I get to celebrate the day Kevin and I committed our lives to one another. It's been 1,467 days of wedded bliss, and I wouldn't change one second of it.

You hear all the time, "I just keep learning new things about him/her." I never believed it--even when we were dating, I was sure that I'd hit the point where he would bore me or (more likely) I would bore him...But we've not gotten there.

I'm daily amazed that Kevin chose me as his wife, and it only makes me love him more.

I was actually out of town when August 5th rolled around, but upon my return, Kevin had some beautiful red and yellow flowers waiting for me.

Here's to many more August 5ths!!!!!

Two Things That Chirp

I (Kevin) was placed with the responsibility of blogging this, and surprisingly the Getting Things Done (GTD) guru has procrastinated for almost a month of these very important additions to our family. Yes, we at the Fowlers added two things that chirp to our family.

1. The Apple iPhone 3GS


This is probably the most extravagant purchase I have ever made. Yes, the guy who prides himself on buying hardly anything just bought one of the hottest items on the market. For those that have been around me the past year, this purchase probably isn't a big surprise. I used my (free) iPod Touch religiously and I came across a small bonus at work two weeks before the phone's release. So, I wanted to use this newfound chunk of change on something that I could use everyday. I chose the iPhone and I absolutely love it.

Lydia figured that since I am making this rather expensive purchase, a little treat for her was in order...So, she chose the second thing that chirpped.

2. Optimus Prime (O.P.)


This is our little parakeet budgie O.P. He's quite the contented little dude. Its taken him a little while to get used to us, but he's getting there!



Welcome O.P. and iPhone!

Fowler's 40th Anniversary

Haha--no, not us!  Silly you!

Kevin's parents celebrated their 40th anniversary on Sunday, and they let us share in on the fun!  We went to Puleo's in Maryville (highly recommend if you're in the area!).

And we showered them with technology!  They got a digital camera from Greg and Melinda, and they got a new webcam (with a microphone) from Kevin and me.  Super fun evening!  We just wish Kim and Josh could have been there to round out the "kids."

I owe them much.  They raised the man I love.   And they raised him well.

Brothers and sisters-in-law!!!!   

(Greg obviously didn't get the white-shirt memo...)

Happy two-days-after your Anniversary, Mom and Dad!  

We Love You!!!

Weekend Happenings

We've tried quite a bit to reign in our weekend activities. I love spending the entire weekend with friends, having fun, and just bumming around recovering from the week...but it means that we don't get anything done around the house or the quality time with each other that we should. Sooo....we've tried to cut back or at least limit and be aware of where we're spending our time. This weekend was a good example.

Friday, I went to a graduation for a couple girls from church (one of whom I met when she was in seventh grade!!!!), and then afterward, Kevin and I watched a movie.

Yesterday, Kevin headed down to Vonore for some assistance installing a new stereo in his Explorer (which ended up never working after an entire day on both his and his brother, Greg's, part!).

After cleaning the fish tank in the morning, I worked for a few hours at Sorenson and then went to The Home Depot to buy some flowers for our porch. It was honestly I think the first time I'd actually enjoyed myself there (sorry, Chris Borders!). :)

Check them out:

We started pretty basic: Flower, Pots, Soil.

Pouring the soil....
Planting the Plant.....
Enjoying the view!!
And these are the wind chimes Kevin bought me a couple weeks ago. I love the brassy color, and they make the most heavenly sound when the wind blows (and they sound like ska music when the wind really blows! :).

We also celebrated Mom and Dad Fowler's 40th wedding anniversary! Can you believe it!?! 40 years of marriage! I'm excited about us nearing 2! :) I'll post some pictures from that later on...Don't want to overwhelm you. :)