The Best Surprise

It was the one thing he said he would NOT do. But I am so glad he did! Chris really surprised me by singing to me during our marriage ceremony. And every year we celebrate another anniversary its my favorite thing to watch! Today marks year 8. We have been blessed.

New Things

Not too long ago we got rid of Chris' truck and happened upon this gem. She's showing her age a little, but so is everyone born that year ... unless of course they've had a little help =) This ol' gal is scheduled for a little makeover. But until then we like her just the way she is.

I call it Ol' Blue. Its a 1969 Ford Fairlane and a massive macho boost for my husband.

He has always wanted to drive an old car. 1969 kind of old ... the not 1984 kind, ya know? Our family has enjoyed rollin' with the windows down (cause the air only kind of works). The Fall breeze has beckoned us. We respond with a trip in Ol' Blue.

The kids weren't feeling like waving that night. Guess they were a little too relaxed!

Grand Opening

It took 1 year, 2 months, and 2 days since moving to Texas, but Chris' first project with New Hope Church is complete! The East Campus, which was meeting in the YMCA, has a brand new permanent home. Our Grand Opening was this weekend. It was a true moment of worship for me when the doors were opened and people came to hear about the love of Christ.


East Campus Grand Opening from chris hughes on Vimeo.

Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

In the Mail

Look what came in the mail today ... 

Chris is going to be happy. He LOVES this sandwich at CFA. 3 coupons for a free Spicy Chicken sandwich is awesome. But when I flipped through the rest of the ad booklet that came, I found something even better ...

It says: "Don't Forget My Senior Discount! (I know, I look too young for it!)"

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Discounts are great, but this is just funny. I guess the seniors that may buy it may be ensuring they don't forget to ask for the senior price?  If anyone out there knows someone who has this hat, please send me a picture of it in action!

Also funny, the rest of the pages in the ad were for mattresses and recliners. Hmmmm .....

Chris' Marathon

(picture taken at mile 24!)

Today was another big one for our family. Chris ran his first marathon. It was insanely cold at 27 degrees, but we braved the cold - with as many clothing layers possible - and waited for him to pass us by on the 26.2 mile route through the Disney World Parks. We are so proud of him. The kids and I made signs to cheer him on. We talked about the hard work Daddy had put into accomplishing this goal. The children learned from their father what it takes to be a winner. Not to come in at first place, but to finish what you began.

Chris ran for more than 6 hours. Despite the freezing temps and hurt knees, he didn't give up. He crossed the finish line and we were there to see it. It was a special day for our family.

Pumpkins and Papa

Our family had a lovely visit with my dad who was here on business. We made an impromptu stop at a pumpkin patch. Both kids were more than excited to see grandpa. Mary Hannah enjoyed having her picture taken. Avery said, "Maybe I'm not good at pictures." We love their pics ... no matter what!

CHris' Birthday

Chris celebrated the big  three-o this year. Our family celebrated in downtown Houston at the Galleria Mall. We ate at the biggest cheesecake factory we had ever visited (2 stories! ... again, everything is bigger in TX!). Here are a few pics from our night.

The Galleria mall is 3 levels and even has an indoor ice rink. 

XYZ

Chris is an ordained minister. As the old saying goes, he can marry ya and bury ya! You can call him Brother, Pastor, Reverend, Man of the Cloth. Hahaha! I think he'd prefer to just be called "Chris." Regardless of title, he is a man who seeks God and feels called into full time ministry. So he preaches, teaches, speaks, delivers the sermon... whatever you may want to call it. He is part of the pastoral team at our church. This weekend he spoke about parenting the next generation. It was phenominal! I learned about being a better parent, showing my kids love, and teaching them about God. Check it out if you are interested in learning about parenting, too.

Best Husband Award

Chris is good at so many things. He is a loving husband, a hands-on father, a fabulous worship leader, a great singer... and even has an eye for style. (I love it when he brings home a surprise from my fav. stores!) He has been known to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He even took the kids to Disney ... BY HIMSELF! ... just because he wanted to spend some time with them.

Yeah, I know!

But tonight, he did something that makes him soar to the top of the "Best Husbands Ever" list. He did the laundry. All of it. Start to finish. Folded and all.

He gets the best husband award. I'm just glad I get to be the woman behind the man.

Mother's Day Celebration in Miami

Chris and I celebrated Mother's Day in Miami today. He planned a fantastic day of fun, and I loved it! We had lunch at Emeril's restaurant. (Yes, we were the only ones in the restaurant. It was awesome!)Then caught a girlie movie. After the movie we browsed the mall. I have such a great husband. He knows what I like... and he takes the time to do it with me. That's love.

Avery on the Field

Chris and Avery had fantastic seats at the Marlins' baseball game. So fantastic that they landed Avery on the field to stretch with the players! Mary Hannah and I watched from Grandpa and Grandma's house. We actually saw Chris and Avery on TV. How exciting!

I love it when he does that

I love it when Chris sings. Especially when he sings something new that I've never heard him sing before. This week at church he and a friend sang Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You Baby."

It fit perfectly with the new sermon series, IGNITE. Its a hot one! The series is about the passion and spark in a marriage relationship. If you are a married couple, I highly encourage you to listen to the sermon on Song of Solomon. Just a fair warning, though: its intense, and most certainly NOT for little ears.

Here's the song. P.S. The band did a great job, too. Didn't they?

Anniversary

As I write this post in the comfort of my bed, I hear from just one room away the sounds of little squeaky voices laughing and playing with their Daddy. I think he may be reading them a book. I am thankful for a few quiet morning moments that my love has afforded me. Today is our anniversary. And this is a perfect time for reflection.

Five years ago we began The Chronicles of Chris and Em. (Okay, so probably more like 8 or 9 years if you count dating... I digress...). Our wedding was a beautiful time. My favorite part was that Chris surprised me by singing to me! I was, to say the least, EXTREMELY HAPPY. I soaked up every minute of it! It was romantic and sweet and so personal for a very private Chris. We had our little moment, just us, no matter how many eyes were upon us. When the song was over, the pastor, our friend Steve Pridmore, said "You're a brave man!" Everyone laughed. He was brave... and he still is. My husband takes all kinds of risks to go out of his way to show me he loves me.

Looking back at the video and our wedding pictures, Chris and I are amazed by how youthful we are. Also, we are trying to figure out how, in 5 short years, we look so much older! All we can figure is that having kids ages youthful appearance to look a tad more "mature"? We don't know. But then we laughed at what the next five years might do. Holy Cow!

No matter how we age, or as the song says "Grow in Beauty," we will be doing it together.