Tag Archives: throw back thursday

Day 3449 – TBT To Our 2013 Road Trip

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Five years ago today, we were starting our 2013 road trip across the country. In some ways, I wish we were making the drive again this year. I love the freedom of the drive and having a car the whole time.

But I have to say, arriving the same day via plane is pretty nice. This year we’re renting a car the whole time, which is the first time we’ve done so.

This was also the trip where I wore my Ravens jersey for a few days straight, pretty sure it stood up on its own…

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Day 3043 – Throw Back Thursday To When I Knew I Was An Alcoholic

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Originally posted 8/6/17
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I’m working through my second draft of my memoir, and I’m happy to see it taking somewhat of a logical shape.

Yesterday, we had so much fun hanging out with some friends at a beautiful waterfront bar. Chatting with one of my friends, we talked about what was success for my first book, which was that one person’s mindset was changed.

In my current draft of the memoir, I wrote “I don’t want to write this book. Thinking back to these times doesn’t make me happy. Trying to read other memoirs about drinking is hard to do. I want to forget it all happened. I want to leave those memories in the past. Why would I ever want to go back there? Why would I want to share even more about the things I did? I suppose, if just one person is helped. If one person can move past addiction and treat it finally as a sin, it is worth it.”

I think I have my goal for this book.

So, when did I know I was an alcoholic?
Probably in the few days after my last drink. Here’s a snapshot from my journal, which is part thinking out loud, part praying, in the days after that last day.

September 29, 2014 (first day sober)
“I do enjoy it and I have had some great times, yet I’ve quit so many times. Can I really not control myself or am I trying to prove to myself that I can? Am I holding on to sin? Should I cut it loose? Do I need to cut it out completely? Truly? Forever? Is it standing in my way?”

On October 3, 2014
“Thank you also for the clear “it’s time” to quit drinking. Thank you for the strength already against temptation. Let it open doors to honest communications about how Christians aren’t perfect.”

Almost three years later and I think it’s so true – that it can open lines of communications. People are shocked when they hear about my sobriety – “but you’re a Christian!”
Thinking back to the months following this moment, I remember thinking that there is almost more stigma against people who don’t drink than people who do. Look at all the memes about drinking at the end of the day, or that say “how could I ever quit drinking, I’d be boring!” I was more embarrassed and nervous to say “no thank you” to a drink, then when I was downing bottle after bottle.

I’m so thankful for sober Jen, because she can go to places like we went yesterday, and remember every minute. I really hope we can live near the water some day.

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Did you like what you read? Here’s some ways you can support us and this blog!
Join our Facebook group, Planning an Epic Road Trip on Any Budget
Join the Journey With The G’s email list (bonus – you get my Epic Road Trip Budget spreadsheet)
Buy my book, Planning an Epic Road Trip on any Budget
Buy my book, Trusting God With 2 Cents: 22 Days To Becoming A Successful Christian Business Owner.
Shop on Amazon (no additional cost to you, this gives us a percentage of what you order).
Check out our resources page.
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Day 2742 – Throw Back Thursday To My First Visit To California

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About 9 years ago, Bret had returned from Iraq and we had just the best visit! I still remember wondering if we would end up getting married or not. So glad it all worked out, I like sharing life with this guy!

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Did you like what you read? Here’s some ways you can support us and this blog!
Buy my book, Trusting God With 2 Cents: 22 Days To Becoming A Successful Christian Business Owner.
Shop on Amazon (no additional cost to you, this gives us a percentage of what you order).
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Day 1867 – Letters We Wrote When Bret Was Deployed To Iraq Seven Years Ago

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About a month ago, I found a letter Bret had written to me from Iraq that he never sent. The past few days I’ve been cleaning up my files and found a whole big stack of letters. The bulk of these letters were written to each other when Bret was stationed in Iraq. We started dating about a week or two before he was deployed (only about 4 months after we met).

I want to share a few snippets with my readers. Not because I think we’re some great couple and have sweet/mushy/funny letters….but because the evidence of our trust in God in the situation is staggering….and humbling to me now…it’s crazy how mature my 25 year old self was about the whole situation. I share not to show how great we were….but how great God was and is in our lives. I see hints of who we are as a couple now and it’s wonderful.

So, take a read…it does get a little mushy, so you may want to skip out now if you’re not into that kind of thing. 🙂

Oh and here’s a picture of Bret from 2007. Take that throw back Thursday!

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3/14/07 Bret to Jen
thankfully, i have been able to see that “all things work for the good” of people who believe in Christ. its hard, but i have been able to.

8/7/07 Bret to Jen
ps, i hope saying i love you to you never gets old. i seriously mean it every time. you have been my greatest blessing jen, and even if we dont end up together, i will always want the best for you. i love you.

8/11/07 Jen to Bret
Ah, ha, I just realized you’re super easy to please….and so am I….lol…that’s a very good thing. I really love that we can sit back and see what we are and what we have. God is so good for giving us this time apart so we can reflect on everything. It really has been an amazing time for me. I am so floored by the fact of how well I’ve been doing without you here…with you in a freakin other country dude. It’s crazy. God is so good to us. So very very good.

8/23/07 Bret to Jen
by the way, i received your letter today, or i should say letters, there was one typed, and i think another with a poem, and another hand written, or talon written (because i think a chicken scratched it out with his feet), letter from i guess it was you. but yeah, dont have a chicken write any more of your letters, i had to read the sentences a couple times. stupid chicken 🙂 but hey, dont worry, i really dont mind. its actually pretty amusing, i enjoy trying to figure out what some of the words are. its like a game: hmm, let me see, what word could go there, and still allow the sentence to make sense 🙂 although anything could go there, cuz i never really know what the heck jen is talking about anyways.

8/25/07 Jen to Bret
How good God is to us. ah, I can’t say it enough. It really is overwhelming, it’s so awesome God brought us together when we did, it was just the right time for both of us.
It is also a joy to be loved by you. You make it easy to wait. I know there are no guarantees we’ll get married, but isn’t that the way life is? I’m almost glad I don’t know.
“But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me…” 2 Timothy 4:17a
I read that line and couldn’t keep going. I was stuck. It made me think about where I was and how God has overwhelmingly strengthened me. I seem to forget my old self so easy. The person I was just a few months ago could never have handled having someone she loved as much as I love you in Iraq. I never could have imagined I could be as calm and truly thankful as I am. It’s so awesome I can be like this. Maybe the secret is thankfulness. I feel like that’s a big part, a heart of thankfulness really doesn’t have room for worry or future stuff. So here’s what I’m “us” thankful for:
– That we have a crazy story
– that we got together two weeks before you left – it makes things even more crazy/interesting
– that you make me love and appreciate who God is more
– that you also hate me more than I’ve ever been hated before (blogger’s note: when we were dating, we were “mean jokers” with each other. Thankfully, we had very wise pre-marital counselors who pointed out that this wasn’t a good thing…but it makes for a funny read.)
– that God loves us more than we love each other
– that you have, through how you love me, shown me even more deeply how much God loves me.
– still like me even though I write you mushy letters.

I love you like I love the oreo creame pie that’s in my freezer that I didn’t eat today because I’m not a fatty like you. 🙂
~ Your jennilyn

p.s. How’s that for an “I love you”

8/28/07 Jen to Bret
How good of God to give us such a large trial as you being in Iraq so that we can be made so very strong. Praise God I can say that! How good is our God babe, how good!

9/17/07 Jen to Bret
Overall, I want God’s best, whether that means we get married next year, or years from now, or not at all. I want his best, I know that I am no good at figuring things out, so I have to leave it with him. I do trust.

I really never knew what true friendship and love were before you. You encourage me to grow in ways I could never have imagined on my own. You help me to see clearly more and more every day how good God is.

10/1/07 Jen to Bret
So I guess I’ll try and send you more chicken letters. Though, I don’t know what you see in her. She has the worst handwriting. Oh well.

I think God is having fun and showing off with us, and I love that, it is so good.

10/2/07 Jen to Bret
do you know, like really know how much of a gift and blessing you are to me? Do you wake up in the morning and realize I’ve been thinking about you? That my days are a little brighter because of what God is doing in our lives? He is so glorified through us. It is such a joy to experience His hand so clearly.

Oooo! I’ll write you a poem. 🙂

a lifetime of tears
seemingly washed away
they kind of make sense
always running around
always seeking my own
until He stepped in
put His hand
smack in my way
after the air cleared
the rubble washed away
there you are
everything I think
I’ve always wanted
a love/hate relationship
(but mostly hate)
we’re on this adventure
crazy, new, perfect
made for us
with our special needs
mirrors His joy and creativity
we can only give Him all that we are

11/1/07 Jen to Bret
It is a wonderful dream though, you and me forever. What makes it so good isn’t that it would be all mushy, fairy tale like, it’s that it would be real, we would face trials and hard times, honestly I think that’s what I look forward to, working on things together. Man, I hope God is preparing us for each other. And my goodness have we both been through such rigorous preparation. I am thankful for every time my heart was broken now because of the joy it has been to have you mend it. I feel full and complete now because of your love.

11/5/07 Jen to Bret
I’m so thankful that I’m here for this part of your journey. You are such an amazing man. I can truly not wait to see what God has in store for you. You are going to do huge things for Him. I just pray He blesses me with serving beside you. I don’t think my imagination can fully grasp what God can do with us.

SPOILER ALERT!! – We did end up together. 😉

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Did you like what you read? Here’s some ways you can support us and this blog!
Join our Facebook group, Planning an Epic Road Trip on Any Budget
Join the Journey With The G’s email list (bonus – you get my Epic Road Trip Budget spreadsheet)
Buy my book, Planning an Epic Road Trip on any Budget.
Buy my book, Trusting God With 2 Cents: 22 Days To Becoming A Successful Christian Business Owner.
Shop on Amazon (no additional cost to you, this gives us a percentage of what you order).
Check out our resources page.
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Day 1769 – Throw Back Thursday – To The Day I Started This Blog

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It has been 1,125 days since I wrote my first post on this blog. In honor of that, I wanted to re-share my very first post and day. Check it out below!

Dated: 4/16/2011 (holy crap, can you believe I’ve been blogging every day for the past 3 years? Well, a FEW back blogging days….and a few missed days near the beginning).

Today I had the idea to create this blog. Here is my goal:

I am a wedding photographer. I love it. Dearly. But I believe that the real journey begins after the wedding is over. I want to continue sharing the joys and sorrows of marriage with my clients, friends and family. To that end, I am going to take a photo of my weddings rings every day. A photo that captures what that day has meant to my marriage. What I learned, etc. My hope is that first, I will actually take one every day! Second, that my journey through marriage will give you joy. That you’ll have a few laughs. Maybe a few tears. And ultimately, see how much I love my husband. So, come take a journey with me!

You will notice there are days posted before today. I realized that my “day 1” was the day I married my best friend…so, it would be “wrong” to start on a random day. I did a little back blogging. I realized while looking for pictures that even though taking pictures is my job…I take very few pictures of us! Hopefully, this project will help me take a lot more!

I took this picture with my iPod Touch. Using the Instagram App. I decided to keep it this direction, because I think it shares the silliness of me. I took this picture right after I had told Bret about my idea to create this group and then I had the idea of taking a picture with every couple of all four of our hands (i.e. the ring shot, but times two!) at the wedding. It made me start to cry because that truly captures what I strive to do with every couple…be a part of their marriage. So then I tried to rush and get the picture of me crying! Alas, it didn’t work, but I think it was still a fun picture.

I took this right before we watched Date Night. We’ve had these chairs for a while now and just realized there was a pocket. Perfect for a Guinness, which we are both big fans of! Great night with my husband!

Also, here is a fun story that also happened this today!

A few weeks ago, a friend posted a recipe for Banana Pancakes. It looked pretty good, so I printed it out. It’s been sitting on the counter…tucked away with the cookbooks…out on the counter…tucked away…and finally, underneath two very ripe bananas.

I kept meaning to make these pancakes, as the bananas got riper and riper, I wanted them more and more.

Last night we attended a Bull and Oyster Roast Fundraiser for Team In Training. It was a wonderful event by a really wonderful group of people. The food was simply amazing! Well, it was a late night, since the roast didn’t start until 8 and it was about 30 minutes from home. I had also decided last night that I was going to make the pancakes Saturday morning! We were planning on traveling to Jersey to visit some friends in New Jersey on Saturday and meet with the soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Curran (in one week!!) on Sunday. I slept just a little longer than I mean to and in my rush to pack, print directions, etc, I just ran out of time. I didn’t decide that I ran out of time until I had mixed the flour mixture and cracked the egg. I had even asked Bret if bananas could make you sick if they were too ripe….ok, I’m not going to lie, they were pretty much black. Anyways, so, I put the egg in the fridge, covered the flour mixture and asked Bret to put the bananas away. I even put the milk (which we only had enough for the pancakes!) in a coffee mug. We rush out the door and Bret grabs a bag of compost that had been sitting on the floor. Since we were going to be away for most of the weekend, we didn’t want it to stink up the place.

Bret was going to do some training with our friend and former groom at Top Flight MMA Academy. [note: there is sound when you open this page] I figured I would go to Panera Bread while he was training…I’m seriously considering buying stock in Panera with how often I go! While there, I got a call that our plans weren’t going to work out with our friends. I was very sad that we wouldn’t be able to see them, as they are very dear friends. But, I had a wonderful morning reading great books and writing out some ideas. I created a list of things I wanted to get done with the time I now had. The list included things like finalizing my new postcards and emails. Watching Date Night with my husband and making those banana pancakes.

Bret had trained pretty hard and was pretty much starving. So, I thought, AH! I can make the pancakes now! I took the egg and flour out of the fridge….grabbed the mug of milk….and the bana…hmmm, not in the fridge….not in the freezer….not on the counter….Bret? Where are the bananas? (this is where I started to laugh)…to which he replied…uh…I think I threw them out. By this point, I think I was on the floor laughing (literally).

I guess I can cross banana pancakes off my list…