my very greatest earthly blessing

People have been encouraging me for years to start blogging… and I’ve always wanted to, but just never started. Lately, I’ve been especially interested and motivated~ contemplating and praying about this for several weeks and then finally decided to begin this journey. With the help of some of my amazing students, I chose the name  simply love  for my blog– because well– it is my favorite word of all time and I do love so many things in life. It was adorable to see them write down my interests and come up with ideas… Vintage Love was another option, which I also loved — so I included it in my blog address. *On another note, some of the boys in my class wanted “The Wolfster Snake Slayer,” “Peanut Butter and Janelley,” and then “Harmonaco” for after the wedding; however, we thought 
simply love would be best. 


I’ve decided to post the things that inspire me and most of all, 
the things that I love.  


               …. various inspirations, ideas, shabby chic decor/do-it-yourself projects, books, my current road to healthy living, teaching, my faith, recipes, 
and my wedding planning process- 
the big day is june 29, 2013. 



Love. 
    


When thinking about what I love most for my very first blog post – I decided to dedicate my initial post to (besides my parents and tim- of course) the one person who I’ve loved so strongly throughout my life – the one who I have always had such a special connection with
 – my sister. 

We are so close today and I love her with my whole heart. She is everything that I could EVER ask for in a sister and so much more. Over Christmas, my parents had our home videos ready for us to view when we arrived … and view we did! We’ve never really watched them prior and it was so fun to do so… so many special childhood memories and SO many laughs. As many of you know, Jess was a VERY funny child and stole the camera and the hearts of so many – what a personality. 






Here she is wearing sunglasses to protect her eyes from tearing up while helping my mom “cut the cotton balls” … also known as onions!! 


However, more than anything, it was very evident that our love for one another was so very strong even then. We adored one another and were always near and very close to each other; always getting along, laughing, and showing affection. Although I knew I loved my sister dearly, the videos showed the depth of our love. 


baton concert 1992 – only one with striped shorts!! 
Here it took her at least 15 minutes to put trees in this bush….

message from our wedding webpage: 

“birth made us sisters- life made us friends”


   I am so blessed to have the most loving, caring, hard working, fun, and energetic sister. We’ve always been so close in so many ways. She is my confidant, supporter, and biggest fan. I can open up and talk to her about anything and she’s always there with the best advice in return. It is always clear to me that she loves and supports me for who I am and would do anything in the world for me. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her and her contagious personality; however, I know that she is always close to my heart; never far in spirit. We spent our childhood playing and exploring with an abundant amount of imagination… as an adult, I have learned that having a sister always keeps childhood moments close to your soul. She is the most genuine and loving sister a girl could ask for and although I am two years older, she has taught me so many lessons in life and her spirituality is so powerful and inspiring to me. My entire life, anyone who has ever met Jess, has fallen in love with her from the moment they meet her and it’s no mystery why; she’s the strength of our family, the one that holds us all together, yet the one to make us all laugh at the same time. Her love for life is remarkable and I am so honored to have my beautiful sister stand close to me at the altar on my wedding day – she is ‘my very greatest earthly blessing’ and I couldn’t be more proud of the person she has become.
jamaica- november 2012
              I love you, Jess! 





cincinnati – beware of photobomber
sprinkles–  chicago
our favorite poem: 


i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
                                                      i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you


here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart


i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)



— ee cummings 
                       

chicago 2011
we loved dressing up/putting on shows
christmas 2012
so much help searching for bridesmaid dresses- hours and hours of calls, emails, face time, internet searches…
THANK YOU so much!!  


 We share a passion for coffee – and Cincinnati has the CUTEST shops. We can sit for hours and chat, sip, and laugh. 


Jess-
 Thanks for always being there for me and for being my biggest supporter and confidant. I have always loved you more than words can ever say. xo



         

Comments (1)

  • Unknown

    January 13, 2013 at 5:05 am

    Grateful. Blessed. You are an amazing person, sister, and friend and I can't wait to see all the lives you touch through this amazing site!! I. Love. You xo

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