Lynse Leanne

4th of July weekend I was sobered by some advice I recieved while walking from our local (small town) parade back to our home.

It was hot, I was sweaty, I was uncomfortable.  I don’t like the looks I get since I look like I should be having a baby sooner than I am.  Some people smile, others just have a slight pitty twinge in their eyes.  It freaks me out….maybe I care too much.  Whatever.
We were walking home and a lady sitting there with a new baby and a 3 year old.  She asked when I was due and I said “August 13th…about 6 weeks…though I wish it was now.”  She smiled and asked if it was our first, we responded with yes, we are excited.  She paused for a second and said something that I hadn’t thought about…and Chad hadn’t thought about.

These is our last month (maybe less).  Never again will it just be us.  Never again will we leave the house at 11:23 because we really want pancakes.  Never again will we get that care-free life that we have enjoyed.  It sunk in that life is about to change for the better.  We are so excited to welcome Print, don’t get me wrong, but I realized I was wishing away these last 4 weeks of just us and the care-free life we get to have.

Yes, I am uncomfortable and I can’t walk nearly as fast as normal. I have to pee a million times a day and have a baby kicking my bladder or ribs…sometimes both.  I am tired all the time, but it is the last month of Chad and Lynse.

And because of the discomfort, bathroom changes and so forth I was wishing this time away.  I was wishing it away because I am excited to meet our little man, but I don’t want to wish away this time with Chad.

So we committed to savor each moment before Print joins our family.  Each time we watch a late movie, go to bed late or go out to eat we are going to be fully there because things are going to change….for the better.  And instead of wishing it away we are going to live in the now.

Have you ever spent time wishing things away? I am guilty of it all the time.

Many of you know that Chad and I are pregnant…well, I am, he is lovingly gaining sympathy weight.  We are due August 13th with a baby boy.  We have finally chosen a name for our little man.

We narrowed it down to 2 middle names so we let our dog choose. The first name was the same, but we equally liked the 2 middle name options….so we let the other family member choose….Jett the dog.

The first name is a family name on Chad’s side.  We really really liked it because it gave us the “family name” as well as a unique name.

So there you have it….the little one has a name.

Did you or will you go traditional or unique when it comes to names?

I am a worrier.  I know that it’s very unhealthy, but I have been this way for as long as I remember.

I worry about everything.  I worry about paying bills when I know we can.   I worry that the baby I am carrying will not join us in less than 4 months.  I worry that the medical bills to have the baby, even with insurance, will be too much to handle.  I worry about Chad dying when he doesn’t call me when I think he should.

I literally worry about every. little. thing.

But I am realizing slowly but surely that my worry can’t change any of those things.

I am realizing that worrying can actually cause more harm than good in some cases.

The truth is, if any of those worries become realities I know that I am surrounded with people that can and would support me. I have a faith that would sustain me in those times. I just have to let it go and that is the hardest part.

But I am learning.  And isn’t that what life is about?  Learning and growing into a better and wiser person?

Are you a worrier or a pretty go with the flow kind of person ?

This picture was taking in High School…the summer between my Junior and Senior year.

The four of us were inseparable. We did everything together. We met at church…well, i met them at church, they were friends much longer than I was in the picture because we moved between my sophomore and junior year.

There were so many fun memories that we all had together. There were a lot of things we learned about each other, life and ourselves. Together we dealt with big life issues and played…usually in the same day.

These 3 girls made my last 2 years in high school enjoyable. They were the first friends to know my story. They loved me. We loved and still love each other.

- we would sneak out to fork our youth pastors lawn, video tape it, show our parents and then lie about WHEN it was.
- we shared some of our darkest moments.
- we kept up on each others lives through our spybooks.
- we had random photo shoots.
- we snuck in and redesigned Irene’s room, while you were out style.
- we went camping.
- we endured, each Sunday, the bible study we were in and affectionately referred to it as “torture.”
- tattoos before we were 18.
- we drove one early morning to Denver to see Hanson. Sat in the hot sun all day for a 7pm show. And Zac touched our hands. Irene and I cried.

That time in life felt like a movie. We all had different styles, different life stories, different families and different perspectives. But it worked.

We have all gone our separate ways…. Irene has 4 precious kids and an amazing husband who is in the Air Force. Rachel is married to her first love and she’s in nursing school. Becca is living in California and is beautiful as ever. and well, we know where I am.

i know i look back on those days with fond memories. Some fun and hilarious. Some tough and growing experiences. But all memories that have made me the Lynse that i am today.

Do you have those friends that you knew in High School that you still talk with?

today in the ample time i have at the coffee shop i was thinking about being happy and if you can have joy and be unhappy at the same time…and if there is a difference in happiness and joy.

i know that there have been times in my life when i am happy externally…like things are going my way and everything is good. But then the other times in life when i am not too happy and the things around me kind of suck. You know, the times when you’re not happy with your job or the amount of money you have.

on the other hand i know that joy is a fruit of the spirit and you should walk always in the joy that God is the provider and saviour. But does that mean that i always have to be happy?

Anyways my thought is, is there a difference between joy and happiness? Is joy internal and happiness external? Can you have joy inside and be very unhappy with the life around you?

Curious of your thoughts. Is there a difference in joy and happiness? is joy internal and happiness circumstantial?