Team Tuohy

There has been a serious lack in the updates on lacrosse... it has consumed our lives and you would honestly think I had a child on the team and drive a mini-van for how much our life already revolves around it. Luckily for me I grew up in a family where this was to be the norm and so as my life continues in this pattern I am happy to follow along. With the season about half way behind us now I am a proud wife to say the team is 7-0 undefeated! They are simply rock stars!

I won't lie, this last Friday was a bit of a nail bitter and Michael has informed me he aged a good five years in those last seconds as the score game down to a single point difference. All that matters though, they had a great time out there and they still were able to hold down a very good team and push through to win! It was a great learning experience for these boys who seem to be used to 10-2 scores, it set them on fire and pushed them to drive with their hearts to success. Their coaches however, were clenching their hearts-good thing they all are healthy!

I continue to be so proud and amazed by the work Michael is doing with these boys. Each game they look better with their skills and teamwork. It will be unbelievable what they will be able to do by high school at this rate. The families could not be sweeter and there are a few moms who just make me feel right at home in those stands every week cheering them on! It truly has continued to be such a wonderful experience for our family, and we look forward to all that is yet to come! What a great way to start our spring season =)

GO PANTHERS!

Wonderful Coaches! I particularly like the one in the middle ;)

Love Friday Night Games!

Mike in his Element!

Totally Set the Atmosphere!

He Really Enjoyed the Film ;)

Amazing.

Team Tuohy!

$6 for 3 New Releases- Heck Yes!

Well. Michael and I have officially been married one year and six months. Every time I say that I have to laugh a little as I hear that child in me saying "I am three and a half!" or even the adult now "I am five foot one and three quarters!" There is something about that extra half that makes a difference. When I was talking to a friend of mine this week about plans for the weekend I said we were booked up Saturday as we were being dorks and celebrating our anniversary. She kindly responded "Not dorks, sweet!" which led to my response of admitting it was only the half way anniversary mark. "Okay, dorks, but still sweet!"

It got me thinking though and the more I thought about it the more I realized that in today's world that extra half really does mean something. To easily people are divorcing left and right and choosing to put themselves first, thinking they "just don't fit" or believing they are not like those couples who have made it 25+ years (shout-out to the in-laws!!!!), they convince themselves they just are not meant to be.

Let me tell you something, marriage is not easy, it is a full time job which takes most of your effort and on some days can drain you to the pit. Michael and I have gone through high waters and back discovering just how trying those moments can be -I know, your thinking it hasn't even been two years, but you would be surprised all we've fought through, hence the name Team Tuohy- and we are no different than any other couple. The piece that is different was in the simple choice we made on that September afternoon that divorce was simply not an option. The moment it becomes an option, you have set yourself up to fail. Think about it, if you knew it was impossible, would you not work a heck of a lot harder to push through it so you were happy and not miserable? I sure would, I sure do.

 Marriage is about selflessness, it is about choosing daily to put someone else before yourself. That can be a hard pill to swallow, especially if you go into marriage not knowing how selfish we all truly are on our own! Which leads me to the ultimate single reason we are here today to celebrate. It is only because of our sweet sweet Savior who is teaching us daily what marriage is suppose to look like, how to be selfless. My favorite verses of scripture regarding this are found in Ephesians 5:22 (NIV) "Wives, submit to your own husbands as you do to the Lord" and on the flip Ephesians 5:25 (NIV) "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Wow, as a wife that is huge!

As Michael and I study these scriptures among others it is amazing to see God transform our hearts for one another, to know that God created marriage as a physical symbol of Christ loving the Church, that is a lot of love right there to be seen between husband and wife. I know I sure feel loved when its like that. Just like it is amazing how responsive Mike is when I submit to him and let him lead our family. He feels respected and in turn loves me well. There are still trying times and of course we need to daily fix our eyes upon the Lord to stay strong in each part of this, but there are also those tender moments that are such sweet rewards and such eye opening times to how much we are loved by our Savior.

In today's world one year and six months is definitely worth celebrating, as is one day. That is one more day we get to feel the joy of this truly blessed thing God created for us, and one more day we get to glorify Him by being present in it. I once heard that your life may be the only Bible someone ever reads. I pray that when people see our marriages, that is exactly what they are getting a glimpse of, Him and His love.  Happy Anniversary to each one of you out there that have said "I do" and continue to say "I do" each day. May you all go celebrate tonight and praise God for whatever number you are at while loving your spouses well. As for Team Tuohy, Drive In here we come!!!!







 Some goodies from the engagement and wedding!

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will"- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, 1920. By now, everyone knows the destruction that water can cause, by now everyone knows the hurt the ground shaking may bring and by now everyone knows the fear and exhaustion that comes from watching your world disappear. Unfortunately, over the past week mother nature struck again, and all of us watched as Japan came crumbling down to their knees in the fight to save their Country, their homes, their family. As we have sit here wondering how to aide them in this fight when we cannot physically do so, it seems that others have pushed through with will and started in whatever ways they can. A will so great that even in a technology sector of the workforce, we too have made and can continue to utilize technology in tragedy to make a difference.

Look at this article from CNN.com on the California student who found her family alive on YouTube. It was a case of one source of technology to the next that she was able to know her family was okay. Starting with an email from her sister that she was alive at her school, to hearing about a video in which her family could be seen alive, followed by a social network friend reaching out and finding the video for her, to finally seeing the 45 second YouTube clip capturing her family telling the reports to tell her they are okay. Pure amazement. This also continues back with her now trying to use the media to tell them she received their message. There is hope there, all because of technology.

Take a look at the fact that AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner have all offered free texts and calls to Japan through April 10. These companies knew they had the ability and technology to offer something in these tragic times, and so they did, they offered what they knew and provided that for others. Just as artist write songs at these times, or missionaries go across to share their message of hope, everyone must do what they can do. The Red Cross is reaching out and allowing people to text REDCROSS to 90999 for a $10 donation, allowing those that need a easy and simple way to help to get involved. Even March Madness has jumped in with a bracket through WGIRL INC'S Hoops for Humanity , when you join for $22, giving all the proceeds to Save The Children which is working in Japan right now.

All these technological mediums have made it possible to not only know what is going on and be aware as we come together to fight this disaster, but have also given us the power to help in whatever way we can. Which a lot of times in my workplace is through the power of technology. I would encourage each and every one of you to fight back and help in whatever capacity you can, send messages of hope via YouTube to those who need to hear that they are not alone in this, enjoy a basketball bracket at the cost of saving a child, or send a text knowing it is worth more than your two or three Starbucks trips for the  week, take advantage and call those you love or those that need help. However you want to help, just do so and ACT. For as Gandhi said, we do not need a physical strength, just an indomitable will.

*Photo Credit

Benjamin Belew- Aria, a video to send hope to Japan


Some Bieber Fever for Japan as well...

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" Proverbs 27:17

HA!

The Millers!

The Billmans!

Guiness in America!

Precious! How could you not love this every day!

Sweet Ladies!

So Happy <3

So today we became Teem Tuohy on Facebook. Yes, I can spell, but they do not allow Team so Teem it is. It has come after a lot of talks and thinking about what it is to actually divorce proof your marriage versus not divorce proofing it. The word first came up when he was talking with his guys and it got me to think harder about what that would look like. So naturally I began thinking of other "proof" words such as water proof, fire proof and child proof and what they meant. Let me explain... hang in there with me it is a bit long winded. So if you have a piece of paper and it is sitting on your desk, you would never intentionally walk over and dump water on the paper, you would usually assume you are responsible and that it is not a likely thing to happen. Now, if you were to water proof that piece of paper you would consider the important piece of paper worth protecting no matter what, yes, it is still unlikely you are going to spill water over the paper. However, you are preparing for the unlikely to still happen; you laminate it, you store it away, you keep all water within a safe distance and you are proactive with it. You assume that one day water is going to be spilled or possibly spilled all over it and you want to be prepared. Same with kiddie locks... you can assume your child cant open the door, crawl to the stairs get into the cabinet and do nothing until it happens and it is too late, damage done. Or you can prepare with child locks, gates and stoppers. Never assuming your child is bad or going to disobey you put preparing for the worst case scenario. You see the point, and this is not to be a panic mode event of always fearing the worst, just being commonly prepared. Michael and I don't have a "facebook" problem, in fact trust in social scenes is an area we strive in, but to assume that no other evil factor will ever enter a "safe" area would be wrong, it would be irresponsible of me. As a wife, I want to know my marriage is not just solid and there, prepared for my ideal plans, but that it is actively being looked over and ultimately divorce-proofed. There is enough we already cannot proof or prepare for, so those areas that we can, why not. Why not choose to specifically protect, laminate and put stoppers in every area of our marriage we can? I know I will be thankful when that water spills and we just wipe it off and move forward, or even not seeing that flood for we avoided it first. So here is to "Teem" Tuohy and the facebook collision!


Update: Facebook would not allow - but good food for thought- look out for a Michael & Erin Tuohy Facebook one day in the near future!