The One Flaw in Women

At my office building we have a security guard. He is an older gentleman, early 80's I do believe. His name is Roy and he clearly couldn't do much more than call 9-1-1 if anything seriously dangerous happened in our complex, but he's here because he's loved. Roy has been in the habit lately of coming in and telling me jokes every morning. I love it because it reminds me of my grandpa who literally pulls jokes out of his butt. We still can't figure out where he gets them all. Anyway, he came in yesterday morning carrying a stack of stapled pieces of paper. He handed them to me, told me to read it when I had a minute, and that it was for me to keep. I was expecting a long, funny joke, but was pleasantly surprised at how precious the words were, so I thought I'd share.

The title was, "The One Flaw in Women."

By the time the Lord made woman, he was into his sixth day of working overtime. An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"

And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart -and she will do everything with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements. "Only two hands!? No way! And that's just on the standard model? That 's too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."

"But I won't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord."

"She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.

The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."

"That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!"

"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.

The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief, and her pride."

The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing."

And she is!

Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends.Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Cute, right?! Anyway, it's Thankful Thursday and also a few days before Mother's Day so...

I dedicate this story to my own mother, who exemplifies all the qualities of God's glorious, meticulous, and masterful creation.

She has a spark. She can soothe and calm. She's emotional and full of heart. She will talk for hours on end if needed, or will just be a warm and encouraging presence when words just aren't enough. She's strength, faith, and kindness. She gives without question and never fully comprehends her impact as a rock in other people's lives. She is the greatest example of motherhood I've ever seen, flaws and all.

Until you're a mother, or a parent, you never fully appreciate your own. I never understood the lengths my parents went to, or the sacrifices that were made to ensure we had food in our tummies, a bed to sleep in, or clothes on our back. The moment I had Ella everything made sense. I saw my mom in a completely different light and appreciated all the discipline, the structure, and our upbringing so much more.

My mom and I have not always gotten along; we used to butt heads most of the time. There were very few occasions when we could be together and not end up getting in an argument over something. I look back at that now though and understand how full of despair she must have been not having a very deep connection with her daughter.

My parents had two babies that didn't make it before they had me, so I imagine how desperate they both must have felt to finally have a relationship with their children. It makes me sad to think about how many years my mom and I missed out on together, but I'm happy to say that I think we are making up for it now.

She is the one who is responsible for my dancing feet (not my athletic feet). She is the one who I know I can count on for genuine advice even when I don't want to hear it. She is the one who I know will be there for me no matter what. She's stood by my side for the last twenty-four and a half years, despite all the stupid and immature things I have done. She's the one I call when I'm in need of a recharge or pick-me-up.

We've grown so much closer since the birth of my own daughter and I'm just sorry that I wasn't wise enough earlier to know how great God created her to be. She IS the epitome of a woman and I hope she realizes even half the worth and potential that I see in her.

<3 I love you, Mom. Happy (early) Mother's Day.

I Don't Even Know My Last Na-a-ame.

Loooove me some Carrie Underwood.

It's the first official Wedding Wednesday and unfortunately I don't have anything pretty to show you yet, like my wedding photos (which I think I'm going to wait until I get those to officially kick off this fun weekly wedding business), buuuuut something that has been on my mind recently has been the change in my last name. Unlike Carrie's song I DO know what my last name is and I didn't go to Vegas and marry some drunk guy on a whim (thank God). But still, I see my last name and at times I don't know who that person is!

It is SO WEIRD seeing my last name as something different; seeing my initials written "LH" when it's "supposed" to be "LW." I can't tell you how many times people have said, "I saw the name Lindsay Hinkle and was like, 'who the heck is that?!'" Let me tell you, I feel the same way. It's been almost eight weeks since we've said "I do" and I've officially become a Hinkle, but I don't feel like any less of a Whetstine. How long will this feeling last? I'm not sure, but either way... it's strange.

Whetstine, as awkward of a last name as that is, has been my identity my entire life. And especially since I've grown up playing sports with my last name on my jerseys, on my letterman jacket, and a lot of teammates simply calling me by my last name, it is totally ME. I was pretty good at some of the sports I participated in, and with such an uncommon last name, it became something people recognized. As many times as I was teased for it, I grew fond of my family's name. I wasn't a Smith, or a Jones (no offense to anyone who is) or any other member of a family with a "normal" last name. When my sister got to high school, they called her "little Whetstine." It was such a huge part of my growing up.

Getting married, the traditional way, is to take the last name of your husband and I never questioned whether or not I was going to do that. There were many times, as I'm sure other girls can relate to, where I practiced my new signature, or imagined being called Mrs. Lindsay (insert dreamy husband's last name here), but in all of my childhood fantasies or even during my own bridal adventures I never fully realized how attached to my name I have become over the years. Essentially, I have left my family to join another. I mean, obviously it's not THAT dramatic, but in a way it is. I thought my last name wasn't anything I'd ever really be bothered about changing... and it's not that I'm bothered, just more hesitant than I imagined I would be. It's not that I don't like the idea of having a new name, it's just a serious adjustment. When someone asks me what my last name is, Hinkle doesn't roll off of my tongue like Whetstine did. It's not even the first name that comes to mind when I'm asked. My last name is Whetstine! And I guess in my head and my heart, and I'm sure with my biological family as well, I always will be a Whetstine.

As a joke, we started calling ourselves the Whetstinkle's long before we got married. Was that just my subconscious' sad and ridiculous, yet hilarious attempt at holding on to what I've always known? Okay, now I'm starting to sound like a crazy person. I really need to stop reading into everything...

Moving on.

I guess I've felt like I've been giving a part of myself away since I've changed my name. Again, I know it's not THAT dramatic, but fellow wifeys, did you feel the same way?! Am I alone/crazy/delusional in this? (Please tell me no...) But anyway... I am in the process of embracing my new identity. There is such immense joy in becoming a member of a new family and I absolutely LOVE my new family. I will grow to become proud of being a Hinkle, just as I have worn Whetstine with pride all these years. It all just makes me feel so old... HA! Okay, enough with my dragging on and on...

Here's to new adventures with a new last name, but with the same family, love, and spirit as I've always had!

<3 So long for now,

MRS. LINDSAY HINKLE (My dreamy husband's last name!)

Letters to My Daughter

I've seen on a lot of blogs recently something that has brought me to tears on multiple occasions, letters to children. What a great idea. As a parent, there are so many things we want to be able to share and save for our children when they are old enough to understand and appreciate them.

Ever since Ella was in my belly my desire has always been to document everything. However, I have failed miserably to do so. I used to be very on top of it. I would put in my phone calendar all of her milestones; her first smile, her first noises, solid foods, crawling, etc. Unfortunately, technology wasn't very kind to me and my phone completely died. I lost eeeeeeeverything. I can't even tell me how many tears I shed because of that tragedy. After that I guess I kind of gave up. Not my proudest mommy moment, but just like everything else in life I can choose NOW to start over and change it. So here's the first of hopefully many letters to Ella.


My dearest Ella,

I will never forget the rush of emotions I felt when I learned I would be having a child. At twenty years old, one of the last things I thought I was ready for or capable of being was a mother. I grew up my entire life around kids; at church in the nurseries and preschool classrooms, babysitting, and dreaming of the day when I'd have a family of my own. To be perfectly honest though, at such a young age I did not think I had the emotional security, stability, or maturity to make it through in one piece,

But then I saw you.

My first ultrasound was when I was about eight weeks pregnant. I wasn't prepared for how much my life was about to change in that moment. I saw on the screen this little tiny being, hardly recognizable as something that would later grow up to be a beautiful, charismatic child. MY child. From that second forward, any fear or doubt about my ability to be a mother disappeared. My heart had exploded and it was on fire for you. It amazed me what my heart was capable of feeling for a person that I'd never really seen, someone I'd never actually met, and who was no more than a tiny black and white blob on a screen. The connection was immediate. There was no force in this universe that could take an ounce of the love I had for you away.

The remainder of my pregnancy was not the most glamorous, easy, or tranquil time of my life, but at the end of that long journey I knew I would have you. The moment I knew I would get to see your face and hold you in my arms pushed me through the discomfort and emotional roller coaster.

On January 30, 2009, which happened to be your due date, after a grueling twenty-seven hours of labor, I was blessed with your tiny little seven pound, fifteen ounce body in my arms. After the nine months of nausea, sometimes painful movements in my giant belly, not being able to see my own feet, or zip up my jeans, I laid my eyes on the most beautiful human being God has ever placed on this earth.

Thank you for teaching me what true, unconditional love is.

Thank you for showing me what is truly important in life.

Thank you for being my biggest joy and the light of my life.

Watching you develop, grow, learn, and become the amazing person God has intended you to be has given me the biggest sense of pride a mother could ask for.  When I see you singing and dancing around the house, identifying problems and finding solutions, relating and reacting to emotions, I find myself in awe of your spirit and curiosity. You are constantly reminding me to stop and smell the roses. Taking a pause in the middle of a hectic day to sit on the couch with cushions all around us in your "pool and cozy" aka jacuzzi, helps to not get caught up in the things that don't really matter. There will always be dishes to wash, designs to create, laundry to fold, and dirt on the floor, but there will come a day when these special, innocent moments with you will be far and few between. You will grow up and think you're too cool for me. I know I did, but just like my mom, your grandma, I will always see you as my little angel shaking her booty to Disney songs.

As a mother, I will never forget the moment on January 30, 2009 when a miracle that was laid into my arms. I will never forget the sound of your first laugh. I will never forget the image of your sweet, crooked, and goofy smile when you look at me and tell me that I am your heart, or that you think I'm so complicated. You'll always be my little monkey with her adorable sense of humor and sensitive soul. I'll always remember the times when I've been sick or sad and you come up to me patting my back ever so gently and tell me that you'll make me feel better. You will always be my little girl.

Whenever I look at you I'm reminded that miracles happen. And if for nothing else other than the gift of being able to watch you grow up, this life of mine is beautiful.

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as you're living my baby you'll be.

Ella, you are my heart and I like you so much.

Your mommy

<3 All my love for always.

Time Fliiiiiies...

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope your weekend was fantastic, and for those in southern California I hope you enjoyed our fairly decent weather! (It's about time...)

I know it's not Wednesday, but part of my weekend fun was attending a bridal shower for a dear friend of mine from high school and tonight I am going to be putting together plans for my best friend's bridal shower coming up here in about a month. I guess I'm just in that mode this morning. So, since it's Monday, and I haven't talked about MY wedding or bridal festivities yet, I'm going to make an exception to "Wedding Wednesday" this morning and go back in time to Saturday, February 4th, 2012. It was not that long ago, but myyyy how time fliiiiies!

Being a bride can be incredibly overwhelming at times. If you're the kind of person who does not like to be the center of attention, it can definitely cause some anxiety. I remember the days leading up to my shower and being at work thinking, "I don't know if I can handle all those eyes on me at once for an entire afternoon!" It's hard to fly under the radar at an event when you're the whole reason the event is taking place. After all of my stupid and immature worrying, I realized that I was fortunate enough to even be having a shower, so I put my big girl panties on and went on with the show.

Dylan was out of town on the weekend of my shower, so I was at home with my monkey girl getting ready for the big day. I dropped her off at my parent's house with my dad and knew I would be seeing her later. I requested a special guest appearance from her towards the end of the afternoon because she's too cute not to be included. Ella and I said our "see you laters" and I was on my way.

I arrived at Heather's house, only to be greeted by this adorable set-up. P.S. I had no idea what to expect going into my shower. The plans were kept secret from me during the whole planning process. So when I walked up, I was beyond pleasantly surprised and couldn't wait to see what else was in store for me.

As I walked in the door, I was instructed to put on these...

They were my "Wedding Taboo" clothespins. For anyone who isn't familiar with the game, upon arrival, every guest was given a list of words with several clothespins to wear. The words on the list are words everyone was supposed to keep out of their vocabulary for the afternoon. If you were caught saying any of them, you are supposed to give up one of your clothespins. The person with the most clothespins by the end of the day won. My special blue clothespins were worth double points!

Anyway, I walked in and was immediately STUNNED by all of the gorgeousness and detail. Here, let me show you...

We were having a TEA PARTY!! I couldn't have been more excited. I'd never been to a tea party before, and how amazing that my first one was in my honor! (I have the BEST friends.)

The food and menus...

YES, those are homemade Uncrustables aka PB&J without the crust. I don't even think I need to tell you how good they were.

SHAMROCK cucumber sandwiches with homemade cream cheese... there are no words.

Now for my favorite part... DESSERT!

I can't even look at these menus without drooling and remembering how delicious each one of those tasted.

The details killed me! (I got married on St. Patrick's Day... is it all making sense?)

 Ahh... Nothing Bundt Cakes, you know JUST what a girl needs to put in her mouth! ;) If you haven;t yet experienced these bundts, get off your rear end and go get one. NOW!

More outrageously gorgeous details...

I think you can see from even just these details how incredible my bridal shower was. Having my nearest and dearest with me to celebrate made that day one of the most memorable in my entire life. It was a reminder of how far I have come because a few years prior, half of those people probably wouldn't have wanted to attend. My "Dark Ages," which I've talked about in a previous post, had broken a lot of my relationships. I was in awe of the people who showed up for me and poured out their love and friendship to me on this day. It was such a gift to see how far I have come, and who I have along side of me. I literally have the BEST friends. Thank you to Heather and Jessica in particular for taking the time and spending the energy to put this all together... I could never thank either of them enough. My day was full of delight, positive energy, memories, and photos to be envious of.

See all of the green?

I think ending with that sweet face summarizes my bridal shower perfectly; precious, sweet, and impossible to keep a smile off of your face. It is impossible to put into words how beautiful everything was. Any expectation I thought I had about my shower was completely blown away. I hope every bride gets to experience the love and magic I felt on my day. I wish I could go back and relive each and every moment.

Love. Love. Love.

<3

P.S. I've put a few more designs up in my Etsy store! Go check them out!

I Blessed the Rains...

Welcome to Friday! We have survived yet another week! I've been contemplating all morning what the heck I'm going to wrap this week up with, but my "thank goodness it's Friday, please let this day go by as fast as humanly possible because I can't focus on anything" brain can't come up with anything. At least as of yet.

So, in honor of one of my best friends, here's something to lift our souls this morning. It's the song I walked down the aisle to at my wedding, and just is something that takes the stress out of any given moment in my life. It's a little band aid for any pain I'm experiencing. It may be just a song, but it's hope and it's a glimpse of what's beyond this rough patch. So without further ado, I present...

Africa

Heath, I love you and no matter what bad times lay before you, know that I will always be right by your side singing and dancing my heart out to this 80's classic (and any other song for that matter).

I hope this can help heal someone else's soul today, or any day you're feeling down. It's weird, but it works for me EVERYTIME.

The weekend is almost here, so hold on for just a bit longer!
<3 Happy Friday!

My Heart.

So in an attempt to start some sort of schedule, or set the tone for each day, I have officially named Thursdays, "Thankful Thursdays." I know it sounds corny, but I also know how important it is to express what's in our heart. Life is for enjoying and loving. The more joy we express, the more likely it is that the things we are most grateful for will continue in abundance.

I've been in deep thought about mine and Dylan's relationship lately. I still can't get over how lucky I am that God found a place for him in my life.

Everyday he wakes up and is happy to see me, without fail. He always has a smile on his face and I know that everyday I wake up next the person I'm supposed to. On my way to work this morning I had this overwhelming rush of warmth and happiness after thinking about him. I sent him a quick "I love you" text because driving did not allow me to say much more without putting myself in even more danger. He ended up responding with the lyrics to "My Girl":

"You are my sunshine on a cloooooudy daaaaay... What can make me feel this waaaay? My girrrrrrrrl."

Okay, so granted he's not the best with remembering all the lyrics to the song, especially considering I'm a freak when it comes to memorizing song lyrics, but the attempt nearly had me in tears.

So today, in tribute to my adorably dorky husband, my first "Thankful Thursday" is dedicated to him.

Side Note: Prepare for some sappy, emotional, picture-filled, mush that's about to go on up in here.

We have so much fun together. Looking back at these pictures instantly puts a huge smile on my face. When Dylan and I first met, we had a lot more time together. The weekends were toddler-free and we were able to go on nearly any adventure we were in the mood for. Spontaneity was definitely a spice in our life. Once we had Ella full-time, things changed dramatically and our last-minute adventures went from kayaking and road trips to Disney movies and bubbles in the backyard.

I'm thankful for the time we had to be alone, to be adults, to fall in love, and discover the fun-loving, adventurous qualities we both share.

I'm thankful that although our relationship progressed quickly, we also knew very quickly that a lifetime without each other would be dull and have less meaning.

I'm thankful for his kind heart and gentle spirit.

I'm thankful for his unwavering optimistic outlook on life.

I'm thankful for and admire his ambition, work ethic, and goals for providing a better life for our family.

I'm thankful that he puts up with my crazy; my mood swings, weirdo-ness, laughs at my dancing and singing whenever possible, and always tries to lift my spirits when they seem low.

I'm thankful for his willingness to help, even when I tell him I don't need it.

I'm thankful for the ability to be myself all of the time, and that regardless of where I've been, he looks forward to where WE are going.

I'm thankful for our understanding and patience with one another.

I'm thankful that he loves me as much as I love him.

He is my heart.

<3 Happy Thursday! Find something to be thankful for today... I know there is so much to be grateful for if we stop and just take the time to acknowledge them.

Wedding Wednesdays!

Okay, so in my attempt to get a "groove" going here, I'm dedicating my Wednesdays to weddings!

I mean, after all I STILL spend way too much time in a day oohing and ahhing over wedding blogs. I don't have anything official to get started yet, but just wanted to make the announcement. My dream after all is to be a one-stop-shop for all things weddings; the graphics, planning, design, coordinator, guru.

I can't wait to share my wedding one of these days too. I hope we get our DVD soon! We're also going to be getting a video, so I'll share that once the time comes.

Until then, what do you like about wedding blogs? What kind of things spark your interest? I love the color inspiration boards (I already have some started) and obviously love seeing what kind of graphic design people use; invitations, save the dates, menus, programs, etc.

Which reminds me, I added 2 more designs to my Etsy store last night. It's grooooowwwwing! I also got my first stranger's "favorite"! What a little detail that has brought so much joy to my day. We all have to start somewhere right?!

Besides Wedding Wednesdays, what other things do you like reading about? I love being random, but I'd also love to add a little structure.

<3 Until next time!