Today is the 4th of July, Independence Day.... A day to celebrate. Today I think of what freedom is. In Christ, freedom is the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of the Lord to love us... as far as to die on the cross for us. Freedom in this world is the long road of war, death, and the victory of our country over others, to obtain a freedom to live and breathe... to pursue happiness, our own beliefs, & security.
Today I thank the Lord. I thank the Rathbuns, Goundys, Orrs, and all of the other families who sent their loved ones into a battle. They do not know what the end will hold, but they trust in the Lord to protect their children as they continue to fight for the love of this country and the people who live in it.
I am at a loss for words at how to thank the Lord and the people I love for fighting for us. Praise God!
My Life as a Mommy & Wife
- Ashleigh Coykendall
- I am a child of the King. I am a wife of a firefighter and construction guru. I am a mommy of 3 kids: Katie (4), Ben (2) and Drew (3 mos) I am a Starbucks addict. I love to clean. I am a work in progress, and I am thankful for grace.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
First Father's Day
Tomorrow is my husband's first Father's Day. I wish I could write down how I feel about him... how much I appreciate what a good father and supporter he is...
..how he is working extra duty on his first Father's Day because he knows we need a new vacuum.
...how he gives Katie a sweet kiss on her forehead when he leaves for work in the morning.
...how his phone background has me and his little girl, with a caption above it that simply reads "Pray".
...how he comes home from 24 hours at work and wants to take Katie for a couple hours so I can have some me time.
...how the day she was born, he was the first person to hold her, the first person to kiss her, and the first person to completely fall in love with her... and how that complete admiration is still as exciting as it was the day she was born.
...how his heart has become that of a father: selfless, compassionate, and passionate.
...how every moment he holds our daughter, he loves her more.
...how much I fall in love with him every time he holds our daughter.
I am blessed to have him as my husband, and as the father of our daughter. Happy Father's day to the most wonderful man I know.
..how he is working extra duty on his first Father's Day because he knows we need a new vacuum.
...how he gives Katie a sweet kiss on her forehead when he leaves for work in the morning.
...how his phone background has me and his little girl, with a caption above it that simply reads "Pray".
...how he comes home from 24 hours at work and wants to take Katie for a couple hours so I can have some me time.
...how the day she was born, he was the first person to hold her, the first person to kiss her, and the first person to completely fall in love with her... and how that complete admiration is still as exciting as it was the day she was born.
...how his heart has become that of a father: selfless, compassionate, and passionate.
...how every moment he holds our daughter, he loves her more.
...how much I fall in love with him every time he holds our daughter.
I am blessed to have him as my husband, and as the father of our daughter. Happy Father's day to the most wonderful man I know.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
I live for little moments like that...
I love the Brad Paisley song "Little Moments". It is a song about loving the little things about your spouse, because even when you are lost in the middle of nowhere... you're still holding hands. These little moments are important in a marriage and in the relationship with your children. Last night was a rough night of sleep for Katie and I. She was put into her crib about 8:30. I went to bed soon after and was woken up about 10:30 to Katie crying. I definitely felt like I had not gotten enough sleep and this is very unlike Katie to wake up more than once a night (that time is usually around 4:30 AM, if it happens).
I waited for a few minutes to see if she would put herself back to sleep and after about 10 minutes, she was still crying. When I went into her room to get her, she went from crying to a big smile as soon as she saw my face. When I took her into my arms to cuddle her, she put her chunky little arms around my neck, as if she were hugging me. WOW! All of the feelings of annoyance I felt being woken up after 2 hours of sleep were gone... never even remembered I was upset.
About 30 minutes later, after eating, she was back in her crib. I tried to get right back to sleep, but instead, thought about how much I appreciated that little moment. Katie is a blessing like I have never been given before. I cannot get enough of her. To try and put into words what she means and what every little coo she makes means to me, would be too hard. She is my perfect little gift from the Lord. And every time I think that something in my life is not right, I look at her, and those feelings disappear. With my husband, my daughter, and the Lord, I am complete.
I LIVE FOR LITTLE MOMENTS LIKE THAT!
I waited for a few minutes to see if she would put herself back to sleep and after about 10 minutes, she was still crying. When I went into her room to get her, she went from crying to a big smile as soon as she saw my face. When I took her into my arms to cuddle her, she put her chunky little arms around my neck, as if she were hugging me. WOW! All of the feelings of annoyance I felt being woken up after 2 hours of sleep were gone... never even remembered I was upset.
About 30 minutes later, after eating, she was back in her crib. I tried to get right back to sleep, but instead, thought about how much I appreciated that little moment. Katie is a blessing like I have never been given before. I cannot get enough of her. To try and put into words what she means and what every little coo she makes means to me, would be too hard. She is my perfect little gift from the Lord. And every time I think that something in my life is not right, I look at her, and those feelings disappear. With my husband, my daughter, and the Lord, I am complete.
I LIVE FOR LITTLE MOMENTS LIKE THAT!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Three Years of Marriage!!!
Ryan and I have been married 3 years this week (June 7). I remember our wedding day like it was yesterday. I remember the feeling I had walking down the aisle, the smell of the outside air, the view of the 400 people watching us make vows before the Lord, and the face of the man that I absolutely adore promising to love me forever! It was the best day of my life.
How can I possibly put into words the way I feel about my husband? It is the most wonderful, personal, satisfying, and enjoyable relationship that you can experience on this earth. I was always in awe of the relationships that I experienced as a kid- my parents were an incredible example of love and a marriage that the Lord Himself was the center of. Their wedding message was entitled "Marriage Takes Three". It was all about how a good, satisfying, blessed relationship takes the Lord, the husband and the wife.
On our anniversary this year, we enjoyed a hike and lunch in the morning. Katie gets grumpy in the late afternoon, so we wanted to be home in time to take her home for her grumpy time. After we put Katie to bed, we watched the move Fireproof. I have never been more touched by a movie before. I cried and cried. The pain that was experienced in the relationship between the husband and wife was almost unbearable to watch. They talked to one another like they were acquaintances, not friends. They were never home together. The husband was addicted to porn and the wife to her new job. They did not work together, talk, or enjoy one another's company.
I have been blessed with an incredible marriage. My husband and I are best friends. Simple as that. We love one another, we want what is best for one another, we make each other better people. When I have a problem, he is the first person who comes to mind, the last person I think about before I go to bed, the person I pray for most, the person I love most in this world. Fireproof made me want to love him more. There is a book, in the movie, called "Love Dare" and it is 40 days of making yourself a better spouse. Each day gives you another way to help, encourage, bless, and get to know your spouse more.
The best point this movie made is: the only way to love your spouse is to love the Lord. I desire to become the best wife I can be and I know that the Lord is the only one who can help me do that.
I cannot wait for the years to come. He is my best friend, my hero, my helper, & the wonderful father to our daughter. I love him.
How can I possibly put into words the way I feel about my husband? It is the most wonderful, personal, satisfying, and enjoyable relationship that you can experience on this earth. I was always in awe of the relationships that I experienced as a kid- my parents were an incredible example of love and a marriage that the Lord Himself was the center of. Their wedding message was entitled "Marriage Takes Three". It was all about how a good, satisfying, blessed relationship takes the Lord, the husband and the wife.
On our anniversary this year, we enjoyed a hike and lunch in the morning. Katie gets grumpy in the late afternoon, so we wanted to be home in time to take her home for her grumpy time. After we put Katie to bed, we watched the move Fireproof. I have never been more touched by a movie before. I cried and cried. The pain that was experienced in the relationship between the husband and wife was almost unbearable to watch. They talked to one another like they were acquaintances, not friends. They were never home together. The husband was addicted to porn and the wife to her new job. They did not work together, talk, or enjoy one another's company.
I have been blessed with an incredible marriage. My husband and I are best friends. Simple as that. We love one another, we want what is best for one another, we make each other better people. When I have a problem, he is the first person who comes to mind, the last person I think about before I go to bed, the person I pray for most, the person I love most in this world. Fireproof made me want to love him more. There is a book, in the movie, called "Love Dare" and it is 40 days of making yourself a better spouse. Each day gives you another way to help, encourage, bless, and get to know your spouse more.
The best point this movie made is: the only way to love your spouse is to love the Lord. I desire to become the best wife I can be and I know that the Lord is the only one who can help me do that.
I cannot wait for the years to come. He is my best friend, my hero, my helper, & the wonderful father to our daughter. I love him.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Potato Salad
Today I made potato salad for my husband's birthday celebration tomorrow and for a BBQ at his fire captain's house. It is a process. I boiled water, peeled the shells of the eggs, refrigerated the potatoes, and mixed all of the sauce together. It was quite a bit of work & it smelled really bad. It was a mixture of a ton of yucky things, but when it is all put together, it is delicious.
I know it may seem odd and a little far fetched, but making the potato salad is a lot like my day was today. Katie was so fussy. I could not put her down, pick her up ,drive her around, or feed her without something making her upset. I tried everything. I got worn out. I tried to go out to dinner with my parents and Katie pooped her pants (up the front, back, side, and into her car seat). It was a mess.
I finally got Katie down for bed tonight and, as I worked on the potato salad, realized that I put a lot of work into my day and into making Katie content, just like I worked a lot on the potato salad. In the end, however, when I look into my little girls' blue eyes, I realize how much all of the work is worth it. I see her smiling face and hear her little giggles when she wakes up in the morning. I cannot get enough of her. I adore that little girl with all that I am. All I can hope is that I am able to be the best mommy for her. My Lord has made me for such a time as this, to love this little blessing from above with all that I am and work as hard as I can to raise her up in the way she should go.
So here's to a day that I saw a lot of bad things come together to make something beautiful and wonderful.
I know it may seem odd and a little far fetched, but making the potato salad is a lot like my day was today. Katie was so fussy. I could not put her down, pick her up ,drive her around, or feed her without something making her upset. I tried everything. I got worn out. I tried to go out to dinner with my parents and Katie pooped her pants (up the front, back, side, and into her car seat). It was a mess.
I finally got Katie down for bed tonight and, as I worked on the potato salad, realized that I put a lot of work into my day and into making Katie content, just like I worked a lot on the potato salad. In the end, however, when I look into my little girls' blue eyes, I realize how much all of the work is worth it. I see her smiling face and hear her little giggles when she wakes up in the morning. I cannot get enough of her. I adore that little girl with all that I am. All I can hope is that I am able to be the best mommy for her. My Lord has made me for such a time as this, to love this little blessing from above with all that I am and work as hard as I can to raise her up in the way she should go.
So here's to a day that I saw a lot of bad things come together to make something beautiful and wonderful.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
My new mommy heart
It is amazing how your heart changes as a mother. I look at Katie and an amazed.... and so in love. It is such a different love than I have ever felt before. I mean, I love my husband, my parents, my sister, my friends, my dogs... but this love has changed me. I am better at making decisions because my decisions do not affect just me anymore. I look at life with a whole new attitude, because I am raising a child. A child of God. He has entrusted me with this beautiful bundle of joy and I am blessed.
I went away from the house last week for a total of about 3 hours. I missed her. I missed her smile, her laugh, and the incredible feeling of holding her in my arms. When I got home I squeezed her so tight!
I am amazed at how the Lord molds the heart of a mother for her child. She can be screaming her little heart out, puking, going to the bathroom while I change her, waking me up in the middle of the night, and keeping me up during nap time during the day... and I love her just the same and if possible, I love her even more.
I was nervous in the first stages of being a mommy because I wondered if I would be enough for her. I wondered if my body could give her the food she needed, if I could get her on a healthy schedule, if I could raise her to be a sweet, kind, follower of our Lord. What I have come to know and to see played out in my relationship with her is that the Lord created me for such a time as this. He molded me, shaped me, and made me into Katie's mommy. He allows me to succeed at being a mom and picks me up when I fail. I owe every loving feeling, sweet smile, innocent coo, and remarkable movement to the Creator of my little girl. I could never be more thankful or more in awe of His love for me.
I went away from the house last week for a total of about 3 hours. I missed her. I missed her smile, her laugh, and the incredible feeling of holding her in my arms. When I got home I squeezed her so tight!
I am amazed at how the Lord molds the heart of a mother for her child. She can be screaming her little heart out, puking, going to the bathroom while I change her, waking me up in the middle of the night, and keeping me up during nap time during the day... and I love her just the same and if possible, I love her even more.
I was nervous in the first stages of being a mommy because I wondered if I would be enough for her. I wondered if my body could give her the food she needed, if I could get her on a healthy schedule, if I could raise her to be a sweet, kind, follower of our Lord. What I have come to know and to see played out in my relationship with her is that the Lord created me for such a time as this. He molded me, shaped me, and made me into Katie's mommy. He allows me to succeed at being a mom and picks me up when I fail. I owe every loving feeling, sweet smile, innocent coo, and remarkable movement to the Creator of my little girl. I could never be more thankful or more in awe of His love for me.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Running = Overcoming
Running is a challenge for me. Always has been, most likely always will be. I was not made to be a runner. I have pretty short legs... this makes running difficult for me. However, last week I decided short legs were not an excuse. I ran every morning last week, for at least 30 minutes. I overcame one of the greatest challenges I have ever faced. Overcoming this challenge made me overcome other challenges in my life, too. I began a new routine last week of waking up every morning to workout and then doing a morning devotional. I was a different person. I was incredibly energetic & productive. I was more loving. I was a better person.
It is interesting to me how long I struggled with making working out a part of my normal routine. I know I should, I know how to, I just never wanted to. The last 6 pounds of baby weight finally got to me. I needed to lose those last six pounds so that I could move past the baby weight and focus on getting myself to my ideal weight. I am well on my way, now, thanks to a God who does not give up on me even if I give up on myself. All week, when I did not want to work out, there was a little voice inside of me saying I needed to... and more importantly... that I could.
So today was day #1 of the second week of my routine. I woke up, fed Katie, went to Reid Park, and started walking. About 10 minutes into the walk, I felt a little push from the Lord to start running. AND I RAN! I ran for 50 minutes straight. I loved every second of it, too. I felt so good and so incredibly proud of myself.
I have overcome!! It might seem like a small victory, but I know now that I am capable of being the person I always wanted to be. I am a new woman. A refreshed woman.
So after my run, I did my devotion...and this is what the Lord had for me today.
"Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you... humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up" (4:7,10). I have been lifted up. Praise God for this faithfulness, even in the small things... like running.
It is interesting to me how long I struggled with making working out a part of my normal routine. I know I should, I know how to, I just never wanted to. The last 6 pounds of baby weight finally got to me. I needed to lose those last six pounds so that I could move past the baby weight and focus on getting myself to my ideal weight. I am well on my way, now, thanks to a God who does not give up on me even if I give up on myself. All week, when I did not want to work out, there was a little voice inside of me saying I needed to... and more importantly... that I could.
So today was day #1 of the second week of my routine. I woke up, fed Katie, went to Reid Park, and started walking. About 10 minutes into the walk, I felt a little push from the Lord to start running. AND I RAN! I ran for 50 minutes straight. I loved every second of it, too. I felt so good and so incredibly proud of myself.
I have overcome!! It might seem like a small victory, but I know now that I am capable of being the person I always wanted to be. I am a new woman. A refreshed woman.
So after my run, I did my devotion...and this is what the Lord had for me today.
"Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you... humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up" (4:7,10). I have been lifted up. Praise God for this faithfulness, even in the small things... like running.
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