Happy Love Day, Honey!

Today is our 18th wedding anniversary. I have now known my husband longer than I did not know him. We actually went to youth group together when I was in the 9th grade but didn't start dating until my senior year. We dated for four years before getting married in 1990.
We went to my senior prom together. The theme was from the movie "Stand by Me". We worked in youth ministry together the entire time we dated.

We have been through a lot in these 18 years. Many ups and many downs. Thank you God for blessing us with each other and our family. Here is to another 18 years babe!

Celebrating with Friends

Last night a bunch of us girls all ventured into the big city across the river to celebrate a 40th birthday for our wonderful friend Annette. Here are a few of our fabulous friends, LeeAnn, Michelle, and Trish hanging out in Anthropologie before dinner.

Our home group girls Ashley, Kim and Julie helped plan the big celebration.

Mara even got Annette to sample some delicious sushi. By the end of the evening I think Annette had sampled a small bite of everyone's dinner!

We then sang and had her blow out a candle to celebrate turning the big 40!!! Annette is one of my dearest friends! Curtis and I are so thankful for her and her family and their friendship.

Annette posed for photos with each of the tables. Here is Ashley, Jamie, Trish, Julie, LeeAnn and Annette - what beautiful girls!!

Here is Annette again with Trish, Vicky, Heather, Me and Mara - more amazing women!!

This particular group had to get their picture taken about 10 times before we could get a good shot - but aren't they incredible!! Thanks Michelle, Patti, Laura and Dawn for humoring Annette as she wanted the perfect photo!

Thanks girls for a fun night of celebrating our wise, fun, brave and fabulous-at-40 friend Annette!!

What do you say honey?!?!

Other than the surfing, wouldn't that be awesome! What do you say, honey, do you want to hit the road with me?!?! Think of all the time we would have and the places we would see. Plus we would get to hang out with our kids all the time and not be bound to this insane schedule. I'm ready!

Reasoning Together

Tonight with our home group after some time of prayer, we shared some questions we wish we could understand...things we are wrestling through with God. Things like, why do bad things happen that seem unfair, does God really love me, do I really believe all this stuff in the Bible, can I trust that God is really going to come through with taking care of me?, etc.

So when I got home I was reading Oswald Chambers devotional for tomorrow (I know, I shouldn't read ahead, but sometimes I can't help it). He was talking about some of our questions and the reference was Romans 8. He said "God does not keep a man immune from trouble; He says - I will be with him in the trouble." Romans 8:35 says "who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or harship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" We are not promised to not have those things but to be able to be more than conquerors in those things (vs. 37).

The questions Oswald poses are "can God's love hold when everything says that His love is a lie? Can we not only believe in the love of God but be more than conquerors even while being starved? " We have to choose to hold on to the love of God when the odds are all against God's favor. We have to surrender our expectations, our fleshly desires and choose to believe. Trusting that God is who He says He is and laying down our own lives as we walk through those trials. Fortunately the passage ends with Romans 8:39 saying that nothing in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus!

Thank you God that even when I can not fully understand, your word to me is so very clear! Help me Lord to be able to take those things I know with my head and feel them fully in my heart.

laughter is good for the soul!

Curtis and I have been missing laughter. We used to laugh a lot around here but it has been a challenge to find things worth laughing at lately. I love to listen to my kids laugh!! Last night they sat at the computer with me watching a few fun youtube videos on a friend's blog. They were hilarious and my kids were cracking up! Thanks valerie for a good laugh - we needed it.

We have this new favorite picture of our kids that we keep putting everywhere to remind us how good laughter is for the soul. It is from our trip to Disneyworld in October. Our kids were riding the animal safari ride which is their grandfather's (Pop) favorite ride. They were not amused and were just staring at the guy driving the boat with stonecold stares. They were thinking...Where is the thrill - the excitement? You have got to be kidding? These animals aren't real! This is a lame ride!!!

Then suddenly they were sprayed with water and we caught it on camera. It was hilarious for us parents as we watched.

Maybe this ride wasn't so bad! Maybe we didn't need a big roller coaster to have fun - just enjoy the simple things in life - find joy in everything! What a good reminder and lesson for us.