Life's Little Successes

I am truly blessed...

The question is.... What does this even mean to me? Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the moments, feelings, and the realization of feeling "truly blessed" that I don't even acknowledge the Source of those blessings. And, I find myself using my faith as a blanket (only a means of comfort) rather than a shield (a means of protection from sin and "bad" decisions) in my life. How does it really feel to be blessed? Is it that feeling of satisfaction or accomplishment? Is it that feeling of knowing I am "okay" when something is going wrong? Or is it that feeling when I look around at my life and realize I wouldn't want to change a thing in it? Honestly, I cannot begin to describe or list the blessings that have built me up into the person I am becoming, but I want to take the time and acknowledge God and all his angels I am surrounded by. I love my life.

Everything Happens for a Reason...

Here are some random thoughts on what I have learned about life, specifically throughout the past couple of years:
Sometimes people come into your world, and you know right away that they were meant to be there... to serve some sort of purpose, to teach you a lesson or to help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be but from the moment you lock eyes with them, you know that they will affect your life in some profound way. And sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would never realize your potential, strength, will power, or heart. Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test limits of your soul. Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless. The people you meet ultimately affect your life in some way. And you affect theirs. Everywhere you go, you leave a mark saying, "I was here." With every person you meet, you have left some impression -whether good or bad. Not all footprints are visible, but they are there. The successes and downfalls that you experience can create whom you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts or betrays you... forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart. And, when you do trust again... you will have made the right choice. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but also because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things. They make you a better person than you were before their existence... creating a sense of self-worth and serenity that you never knew could exist. Stand up for what you believe in, but know that you can always sit back down. Make every day count. Appreciate everything that you possibly can, for you may never experience it again. Give what you can give, but always remember that it's okay to take every once in a while. Don't give, always expecting something in return. Figure out what is important to you, and prioritize your life accordingly. A cup of hope will take you far. An ounce of faith will take you even further. Do not settle for average (know that this term has a muddy definition in the measurement of LIFE). Find your passion & your inspiration.... then light a firecracker under your butt & soar. Don't get in your own way of your dreams. Set realistic goals for yourself. Learn to celebrate the little successes in life. Ask for help every once in a while. Talk to people whom you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love (It is, by far, the best thing to ever happen to me.). Tell those you love that you love them on a daily basis (if not more) because you honestly never know when you will miss that "last" opportunity. Nobody likes regrets. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual. Believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Strive to be your best simply because that is good enough. Only you determine what your best is. Live your life because nobody can do it better than you. :)

I love you, Mom.

I will never stop telling my angel mother that I love her. To me, it's never too late. Mother's day was tough for me this year... probably because I was alone. Then, seeing everyone's happy, "I have the best mother in the world," facebook status updates made me want to throw my computer across the room, LOL! I cannot believe it has been almost six years since my mom passed away. So much has happened in this time that I wish she could have been here to experience with me. Even more so -I wish she could be here these next few months to plan my wedding. She would be so happy for me to have finally found my prince. I have no doubts she would LOVE Jason. Then again, who doesn't?!? I wish she could be there to dress me up and give me away on that very special day. I appreciate the memories I have with my mom, but I just wish there were more to be made. What really scares me is that I am starting to forget little things. I had to stop and think for hours the other day what the last movie I watched with her was. I was so upset that I could not remember & sulked like a baby. I eventually remembered it was The Notebook -only because I pictured her sobbing beside of me while I laughed hysterically at her and knew it had to have been an uber-sad chic flick, lol. I just worry that I am starting to forget these details because that’s all I have left of my mom. Once those memories are gone, I have nothing. I miss her so much. I wish I could call her and tell her all about my day and how happy I am.



If only I could receive one of her annoying phone calls again at 6am wondering where her back scratcher or glue gun is…… LOL!

I am happy. I am learning about life. I am learning about what I want in life. I am excited to see what God has in store for Jason and I. Although, I know it will be something great. I can't wait to be HOME! :)

PATIENCE. PRAYER. POSITIVITY.

Some of the most incredible things in life are ones you have to wait for.... ones you dream about your whole life.... then they turn out to be way better than anything you could have ever dreamt up.... they are so much more.... and it was so worth the wait.

I've learned a lot about patience in the past couple of years (more specifically, months).

I've always considered myself to be a pretty patient person. My positive attitude in life (overall) helps with that because "waiting" for something when you expect a positive outcome is much easier than waiting for something you expect might go wrong... or even the UNKNOWN. Eeek, there's that word again! (Refer to my earliest posts). What people (I'll admit it, even myself at times) often forget is that waiting coincides with praying.

I'm learning to live by the 3 P's: PATIENCE. PRAYER. POSITIVITY.

The 3 P's are all contingent upon one another and require full investment of the mind and soul. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm not saying I've mastered it. I have, however, taken my ability to put my entire self into something that I believe and trust in to a whole new level -allowing myself to reach a state of ease and happiness. I've learned not to sit back and do nothing while I wait for life to turn out picture perfect. By doing that, we miss out on so many opportunities (which leads to possible regret and the feeling of "what if")... Time is precious, so I choose to use mine wisely.

Trying to teach patience to a child is very difficult. It's quite funny because in the (teaching) process, we often become impatient ourselves -wondering why that child cannot grasp the concept of "WAIT" when we want him/her to. Well, this is because patience is not just something we learn in Kindergarten and carry over (like how to tie your shoe) for the rest of our lives. This lesson is one we continue to learn as we grow... with experiences... this is a lesson that we as adults are all still trying to master.

For me, the result of this is faith. So, what's the equation? It's rather simple (hah!):

PATIENCE + PRAYER + POSITIVITY = FAITH!

There are struggles, of course, but the end result is faith. I'm okay with that result. It has gotten me through the past several months and brought me to a point where I am ready for God to bring me closer to Jason... and for Jason to bring me closer to God. I need them both, and I need them close. I'm almost there.


A long-distance relationship is by no means easy. However, it is possible. It is true. It is beautiful. It has molded me into a woman that, on this day, I am very proud of. The man I am madly in love with lives approximately 2500 miles away... but there is no space at all between our hearts and our minds. The only thing that sits between his heart and mine is FAITH. If faith is the key to a long-distance relationship, then any fully invested couple can make it work. I am lucky to have a man who loves and adores me, everything about me, and allows me to be just that -ME! I am ME and in love!!!! Distance can honestly be a barrier for some couples, but for us it is a bridge. On both sides of this bridge are different roads, and even though we don't know which roads exactly we are taking -we do know that we will take turns crossing to the other side... and eventually we will meet right in the middle and walk together down one of those UNKNOWN paths. Hmmm, that word is not so scary now! :) We will walk by faith.

Faith has given me love. Faith has given me my dreams in reality (ON STEROIDS)! I've never felt more comfortable in my own skin. I'm happy. And it feels GOOD.

The Future-Mrs. Jason Rooper!!!!!!!

Seriously? It has really been almost 5 months since my last blog... first of all I apologize for what appears to be laziness. SO much has happened in these past 5 months that I am gonna have to give you guys a run-down and vow to be better at updating this thing more often!!! Lucky for me most of you have facebook and can keep up with what's going on through status updates & pictures I post! Ok, still unacceptable. What appears to be "laziness" is actually quite the opposite. I've been busy planning MY WEDDING!!!!! Ahhh, there, I said it! I am getting married!!!!!! *breathe* -okay, I will come back to that (trust me, I will come back to that often in this post) and back up to update you on other things first.....

I guess I left off with VEGAS: The Dave & Tim show exceeded my expectations... I even cried at one point (they were THAT good). It was just the 2 of them with their guitars, and I couldn't have enjoyed the show more. That was such a fun trip -just what I needed before getting to go HOME at Christmas time. The holidays were so incredible, and I got spoiled being home and spending 3 whole weeks with Jason. I love him more and more every day, and being with him only confirms that feeling (in my heart and my mind). Spending that time together with our friends and families was just the drive I needed to finish out these last few months on the West Coast. Jason and I thoroughly enjoyed our ski trip for New Year's, and I must say I did pretty damn good! Skiing is definitely something that we will be able to enjoy together... especially now that I got all that new ski gear! :) Saying goodbye and having to fly back to CA sucked some major butt! I cried like a baby and was sad to leave, but I got to come back home again a month and a half later for Valentine's weekend!





Speaking of Valentine's weekend: WE GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!! Jason asked me to marry him, and, of course, I said, "YES!!!!!" :)

How did he do it? Well, I flew into the Huntington airport on Saturday morning (the day of Melissa and Dave's wedding reception) after an overnight flight. Keep in mind that I was wearing sweats, no makeup, had a bad cold, and little sleep. When I got off of the plane & started to walk up the flight pad to the terminal door, out comes Jason with a single red rose and a piece of paper in his hand. I was SO happy to see him that I didn't pay any mind to the fact that normally people picking you up are not allowed to be there (past security much less on the flight pad, haha)... so I hugged & kissed him, ALL SMILES!!! He handed me the rose (I thought for Valentine's Day) and the letter and told me to read it. Contents of the letter:

"I’ve brought you one rose because it represents my one whole heart. For too long pieces of it were missing, pieces I didn’t even realize weren’t there. Since you came into my life on June twenty fifth my life and my heart have become fuller by the moment. You have filled my heart with so much joy and love I feel as if it could burst from my chest at any moment. No one else who has ever lived, or ever will, could experience the feelings I feel for you. As you’re the source of this love will you have my heart?..."

When I told him, "Of course, I already have your heart." He proceeded by saying, "I want you to have it forever." as he got down on one knee, pulled the ring out with the rose and asked me, "Melissa Rae Stillwell, will you marry me?" with a HUGE smile!!!!! I didn't realize at the time, but the security guard (who let Jason outside after he told him he was going to propose to his girlfriend) was taking pictures while all of this was going on! I'm so thankful that he was able to capture this amazing moment. When we walked into the airport, a large crowd of people stood up and cheered -congratulating us! They were waiting for the next flight. That was just the icing on the cake. Ahh, it was absolutely perfect in every way. I couldn't have asked for anything more special, meaningful, or genuinely perfect for us. He is my prince charming, and I love him. I cannot wait to become THE Mrs. Jason Rooper! That whole day (weekend) was great. We drove up to Dayton to the reception and celebrated LOVE that day. Not only our love but the love of another happy couple who have also had to do the long-distance thing. Valentine's Day was great too. Jason surprised me and took the day off of work so that we could spend the entire day together. AWESOME!!!!! He had made us a reservation at Savannah's Restaurant in Huntington (I had never been), so we got all dressed up & had the most romantic dinner. Again, very special. <3 I was sad to leave, again, but this time I actually left him feeling like we just started our FOREVER. I was more focused on that positive and had no room for the negative. We will SOON be together. I love the sounds of that!





I'm happy to announce that we have set a very special wedding date which will take place August 27, 2011 -in about 4 months!!!! This was the same day my parents got married almost 29 years ago. And now that day will not go another year without celebration which makes me happy beyond words. I feel honored. That day happens to fall on a Saturday this year, so Jason and I couldn't think of a better time to unite as one. He knows how much this means to me, and I am blessed to have his love and understanding. Gosh, I can't stop smiling. :)

Before I jump into any more wedding stuff (although I won't spill all of the details on here -as much as I want to, haha), I will update you on some other stuff. I got to take a trip to San Francisco and finally see the Golden Gate Bridge... another item checked off of my bucket list! Okay so maybe I'll talk "wedding" along the way, haha, because I can't help it! I actually went to SF to go shopping and found my wedding dress! I am absolutely in love with my wedding gown and can't wait to wear it! I also took a trip to Long Beach and went to Disneyland in L.A. for Layla's birthday weekend -another item checked off of bucket list! I've done quite a bit of wine tasting and spread my mom's ashes in the vineyards on her birthday. It was a beautiful day. I've been collecting wine from many of the wineries out here in Wine Country! I have 51 bottles of wine for the wedding so far! :P





I am interviewing for a job at KDMC in a few days. I was really banking on that job because it is in Ashland where I will be living, and it is primarily with peds... which we all know is what I do. It is not as promising now because they took the position down to only part-time, and I need a full-time job. However, I am still hoping and trying to make it work. I have been playing email-tag with a lady from WV Birth-to-Three, and she is supposed to call me this week to talk about job possibilities. They supposedly have a need, and that is EXACTLY the job I want to be doing. I am really hoping that I could work part-time at KDMC to get full benefits and part-time through BTT. Gosh, talk about an ideal job for me. I think that might be as close as I could get to satisfactory. Hoping & praying & crossing every part of my body. Please do the same for me.

It is officially Spring Break, and I've gone 2 months without seeing my friends, family, & FIANCE' in person. Skype is wonderful (except when it decides to be poop & get all messy), but there's nothing like being home. I'm on my way there right now! Only a couple more hours in the L.A. airport before my 6 hour flight to Charlotte, then to Charleston, West By God Virginia! :) YAY!!! It's gonna be a full week of wedding planning, cuddling, and simply enjoying time with my honey. We are going to register for gifts, pick out Jason's wedding band (I already have mine -it's gorgeous!), get our engagement pictures taken, pick up invitations which are ready, pick out my veil & jewelry, meet with the florist, view the ceremony & reception sites (haven't seen them yet), and look for some decorations. You'd be surprised (NOT) to know that I pretty much have most of the wedding already planned! HAH! What can I say, I'm a planner! LOL We have everything booked, and I've even got a lot of the little details done. I've been ordering a lot of stuff online & having it shipped directly to our house in Ashland. I even have a carry-on suitcase solely filled with wedding items, HAHAHAHA!!!!!! My checked bag weighed 49.0 lbs (had to be less than 50, lol)! :)



Let me say, though, that I have the most amazing friends and family who are helping me so much. I am incredibly blessed to have these people in my life who are so willing to lend a hand or even a thought... I couldn't do this without them.

Have I said how much I love my life? I do. I always believed that the "unknown" would leave room for possibilities.... but who knew this much happiness was possible? Really. Possibilities are Good. Happiness is Good. Love is Good. Life is good.