Our Very First Christmas

As I have been in the slow process of straightening up my livingroom today, I've also been trying to think of a concise way to wrap up into words my first Christmas as a wife. Sweet, simple, precious, fun - such words don't really seem to do justice to such a memorable occasion. Similar to my experience at Thanksgiving, there was a thrill in the process of preparing and decorating our townhome for Christmas and guests...my first Christmas to share with my husband...my first Christmas to share with his family whom I can now call my own. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around how blessed I truly am.

~

My husband's family arrived an entire day early last weekend, so we were frantic trying to get the house ready for their arrival. They arrived well after midnight, and their favorite granddog was waiting at the door to greet them:

We spent most of the week shopping and cooking in preparation for Christmas day. There are some simple traditions in his family that I've enjoyed adopting, including making homemade soup on a night when the low was 9 degrees! (That was just five days ago - it's 70 degrees here today!)

Even when I was younger and spent Christmas with my mom's family, I have always enjoyed being "Santa" when it comes to distributing the gifts. As not to break from my favorite task, my husband and I woke up well before everyone else in the house to prepare the stockings, brew the coffee, and turn on the tree lights (I also made sure to adorn my dogs with their favorite attire - Nali's "I Believe in Santa" bandana and Maia's Christmas plaid collar with the jingle bells so that she jingles from room to room). While I was busy getting everything ready before the family awoke, my very own Santa secretly placed his gift for me in the corner of the sofa:

A scrapbook bag at last! Since getting back into the hobby of scrapbooking, my shoulder bag has been on its last leg. I've been hinting at wanting this bag for quite some time now, so I was elated to see it Christmas morning! Now the fun begins with filling it with all of my scrapbooking goodies!
~
As you can see in the picture above, the presents around the tree were nothing short of ridiculous. Some of the highlights for me aside from the scrapbook bag were clothes and a digital camera from my mother-in-law, new house slippers and fun bath stuff from my handsome husband, and a gorgeous windchime from my aunt that I'm almost afraid to hang! My husband also got clothes from his parents, the long-anticipated bathrobe from me that he had been hinting at for months, and I also managed to get us tickets to a performance of "White Christmas" at the Derby Dinner Theater (I hope it's fun - he's not quite as wild about that particular musical as I am!).



I think we've started a tradition with the KY ballcap for my father-in-law. We got one for him three years ago, and we were asked to get him another one this year because liked and wore the first one so much!

Christmas morning isn't complete without presents for the girls! They can now sport their Southern roots with their John Deere tractor and frisbee~

Another tradition - at least one picture of a dog stuffing her face in her stocking~

And as not to break with tradition, the firstborn tends to hoard all the toys for herself - we watched as she made her way around the room in order to collect all of the toys into a pile (I argue with those who think that dogs aren't knowingly willful - if you think that, you've never met mine!)

I absolutely love this picture of my husband with his loving, patient, honorable, admirable mother. She is the kind of woman and mother I only hope to emulate when my time comes, and I truly could not ask for a better mother-in-law~

One of my oldest and dearest friends told me around this time last year, the time when my husband and I were nearing the end of our season of engagement, that she was thrilled for me to be a wife. She told me that I was going to love being a wife, and that she could see married life suiting me well. I pondered her words for quite some time, particularly what she said about marriage suiting me. What did she mean by that? Well, it's taken me almost a year to make more sense of her words. Those women whom marriage does not suit are those who I think perpetually insist, whether in word or deed or both, on putting their own selfish desires ahead of needs and sincere understanding of their husbands. I have already learned so much, and definitely still have more to go, in regard to patterns of behaviors that cultivate a marriage doomed for failure. I have learned from my own family history about how secretly bitterness, resentment, and self-righteousness can creep in, quietly yet inevitably eating away at the relationship between husband and wife. I love being around my husband's family because I'm continually mindful and thankful for the families from which he and I both have come. The Lord has been good and more than gracious in blessing us with families from whom we can learn from. Influence is inevitable, and we have together been able to put into practice words and deeds that are hopefully fruitful and beneficial for our relationship. We will never fully arrive, we will always be learning and maturing in this marriage relationship, and I was shown in very specific ways this Christmas how much our love and honor for one another have already deepened. I'm so thankful for the gift of family and for the memories we have already made during this our very first Christmas together~

Thankful for the Large Amount of Sugar Consumed!

Attention all ladies and your lady friends - if you're looking for a creative idea for a Christmas party, a cookie exchange is the way to go! The ladies from my church had a cookie and gift exchange party last night which ended up being tons of fun. Each of us was instructed to bring 2-4 dozen of the same cookie, and then at the party we got to mix and match from the cookies everyone else brought.
The result? An assortment of 36 cookies for me to take home!

We also had a gift exchange, and there was plenty of stealing going on since there were so many great ones to choose from. There were a lot of laughs at the gift I ended up with - one of the ladies actually forgot her gift, so when she arrived, she rummaged through her baby bag for something. Well, when I opened my gift, there was a $10 Target gift card with a note written in pencil that said, "Pretend like this card says Merry Christmas rather than New Baby!"

Me with our sweet pastor's wife, also my scarf buddy (aka, the cold-natured ones at the party)

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love the ladies at my church and I'm so thankful for them!!! Whether engaging in a serious conversation or attending a get-together with enough cookies to last until March, I am continually grateful for how encouraging they are~

When decorating takes on a whole new meaning...

I am an extremely sentimental individual, so it should come as no surprise that I have been eager for my first Christmas with my husband - I've been anticipating the decorating process for weeks now! Most of my decorations aren't new, but even those that I have had for years are even more special to me this year. As I began putting things in their appropriate places yesterday and today, a candle here and an ornament there, my heart swelled as I soaked in what it was I was doing. This is my first Christmas to share with my husband as his wife. While this, as Thanksgiving was, will be our sixth Christmas to share together, it is the first since we said "I do" eleven months ago. I have to admit that I became pretty misty-eyed as I put the finishing touches on my simple Christmas treasures that are now displayed around our little townhome...

(Nali opted for watching "Reba" rather than assisting me with the decorations)

This ornament was so exciting, and along with the "Our First Christmas" ornament, my husband hung this one with me. We bought this ornament on our honeymoon in January. It's a miniature of the cozy, little cabin we stayed in at Big Cedar Lodge. I absolutely love it, and I hope it brings to mind for years to come just how perfect our honeymoon was.

The annual ornament for the girls~

This is something else I was thrilled about featuring with the rest of our Christmas decorations! My mom began buying this Precious Moments Christmas Village for me years ago, and I have never had a good place to display until this year. This was the very first thing I unpacked and displayed yesterday because I was so excited about finally having a place for it!

The Precious Moments village includes a train station, toy shop, schoolhouse, church, sweet shop, post office, and some cute little figurines~

And this is the little elf who supervised~

Song for the Second Sunday of Advent

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

"Joyful, all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With the angelic host proclaim:

"Christ is born in Bethlehem"

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

~

Christ by highest heav'n adored

Christ the everlasting Lord!

Late in time behold Him come

Offspring of a Virgin's womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail the incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with man to dwell

Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

~

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings

Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

A Brief Request

I have been meaning to write this out all week, but with how fast the days have been, the week has really slipped by! There has also been so much great news to celebrate, between finishing final exams and hearing of more friends who are expecting babies, it's been a whirlwind of things to rejoice over!

Before I forget, I simply wanted to ask for prayer, particularly for tomorrow. Tomorrow is my 3-month followup appointment with the doctor here in Louisville. This is the doctor who performed the surgery to remove a tumor from my mouth this past summer. I've known for a long time that this appointment was approaching, but really didn't think much of it nor was I concerned. I had full confidence that I would hear from the TS doctor in Cincinnati in plenty of time to tell me that the tumor is related and that I don't have anything to be concerned about. Once I heard this news from him, I knew that I could at least rest easy that there was a connection, and that this connection would reduce the chances of this tumor being malignant. Well, weeks turned into a couple of months and I never heard from him.

About a week ago, I finally called the TS Clinic in Cincinnati and spoke with the nurse. There had simply been some miscommunication on both our parts, and she thought they had already gotten back to me with their lab results. My stomach did a little flip as she told me what I wasn't exactly hoping to hear. After running a second round of tests on the tumor, the pathologist at the TS Clinic confirmed that not only was the first diagnosis from the doctor here in Louisville correct, but that the tumor is not linked to Tuberous Sclerosis after all. Again, not the news I was hoping to receive...

So I'm going tomorrow for my followup appointment with the doctor here. Just two weeks ago I didn't think I would be going in having something checked that was, in fact, cancerous. Although the doctors assured me it was rare and minor, that they weren't terribly concerned at the present time, that word still tends to have a haunting effect. I'm faced with questions I never thought I would be asking myself - is this really as isolated as they are saying it is? will something begin to spread without my even knowing until a certain point? what, if anything, should I be keeping an eye on?

I've learned in my short, yet eventful, medical history that questions can make you crazy. It's no wonder some individuals have the ability of making themselves stress to the point of being sick, losing sleep at night, and having such deep, psychological fears. I know what my own tendencies are when it comes to snowballing with questions and fearful thoughts, but I also know that I'm not captive to those fears. I can rest tonight knowing that the Lord holds my tomorrow and knows the very breaths I take before they occur. Rather than focusing on the unknown, there is such hope and comfort in dwelling on what I do know.

~

"For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." ~2 Corinthians 10:4-5

~

"My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,

and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips,

when I remember You upon my bed,

and meditate on You in the watches of the night;

for You have been my Help,

and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.

My soul clings to You;

Your right hand upholds me." ~Psalm 63:5-8

~

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." ~Philippians 4:4-9

Simple and Sweet

I told myself this week that I was going to steer clear of the blog until my final exam was over - well, I walked out of the lecture hall at 12:30pm, got off work at 5:30pm, treated me and my hubby to some yummy chicken queso burritos (thank you Q'doba), and now I'm sitting on the couch in my pjs with the laptop in front of me. The semester is officially over, and now the Christmas season can officially begin in our little home! My husband has one more exam on Thursday, and once that is over we are going to put up the tree and decorate - yay!

A very patient friend has been wondering about a particular Thanksgiving meal I was so worked up over this last week, so, as promised, the following are my pictures from the holiday fun:

My dad arrived on Tuesday afternoon for the Thanksgiving holiday (which meant that I got to scoot out of work early!). He had a certain buddy the entire time he was here - wherever he was, she was close by!

I set my alarm to wake up early on Thursday morning to ensure that all meal preparations were started at the appropriate time. I was so nervous that I hardly slept the night before! Ever since getting married, I've really been concerned and wanted to improve upon my domestic skills. I am partially joking when I say I was raised by wolves, and anything pertaining to the home often leads me to breaking out in a sweat. This was one such occasion when I told myself everything had to work out and the meal had to be spectacular! So upon waking up before the sun on Thursday morning, I had an entire laundry list of tasks on my mind from the turkey in the crockpot to lighting the pumpkin candle...



Oh, how relieved I was when my dad pulled the turkey from the crockpot onto the pan! After over six hours of waiting and wondering, my first turkey was beautiful! I breathed a huge sigh of relief as my dad cut the first slice to reveal a savory, moist piece of meat~

Along with the delectable turkey breast, I prepared just enough side items to satisfy a table of three: dressing (thank you StoveTop!), green bean bundles (one day I'm going to think of a much prettier name for these), sweet potatoes, and rolls. It was the perfect spread for us with plenty of leftovers for later~

And of course, a Thanksgiving meal is not complete without dessert! I admittedly purchased a pumpkin pie and then made the other one. Thanks dear friend for the cherry cheesecake pie recipe! The men fought over it down to the very last slice~

As is tradition, we settled down after the meal for sleep and the Dallas Cowboys. Maia agreed that preparing a meal is tough work!

I was especially glad that my dad was able to stay with us through Sunday and attend church. He had not been to our church yet since we just joined this year, so it was great having him there. He had the opportunity to meet several of the people my husband and I have talked about and gotten to know so well over these past several months. I actually sang a solo during the offering which is a rare element in our worship services at Grace. The worship leader is having someone prepare special music for each Sunday of the Advent season, and this week happened to be the week when he asked me to sing. Kate, my sweet friend and one of the pianists, played wonderfully, and it was just all the more meaningful for my dad to be there this Sunday~

I realized as I was reflecting on the Thanksgiving holiday that this is the sixth one for me and my husband, but our very first as husband and wife. It truly was perfect in my mind because sometimes rest and simple, sweet fellowship is so much more meaningful than being social. There is a time and place for having huge celebrations, but this was a good year for the simple. I enjoyed the rest, the freedom of staying in my pjs if we weren't out shopping or eating somewhere, and just spending quality time with my family. I am blessed beyond measure, and I am deeply humbled when I reflect on such gifts as these.

Thanksgiving for Every Day

My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness

(Getty & Townend)

~

My heart is filled with thankfulness

To Him who bore my pain;

Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace

And gave me life again;

Who crushed my curse of sinfulness

And clothed me in His light

And wrote His law of righteousness

With pow'r upon my heart.

~

My heart is filled with thankfulness

To Him who walks beside;

Who floods my weaknesses with strength

And causes fears to fly;

Whose ev'ry promise is enough

For ev'ry step I take,

Sustaining me with arms of love

And crowning me with grace.

~

My heart is filled with thankfulness

To him who reigns above,

Whose wisdom is my perfect peace,

Whose ev'ry thought is love.

For ev'ry day I have on earth

Is given by the King;

So I will give my life, my all,

To love and follow him.

Fun Game Friday!

(**EDIT**Now you can disregard all info regarding the picture I meant to upload because I've clearly uploaded it now!)

Well, this game was going to be SO much more fun if I had the picture at the time of this post. If I remember to this evening, I'll put the picture in this post so that you can see where my idea for my fun game came from...

I've been doing a lot of reflecting this week, remembering friends and events of this past year as the holidays have now pretty much arrived. We are nearing our one-year anniversary (what?!?) and close friends are also celebrating exciting events in their own lives. Last night as I was going to bed, a particular picture popped into my mind. It was this time last year that I was in Texas where my bestest friend hosted my unforgettable bridal shower. At the shower, a picture was taken of me and all the girls there, all of us linked in some way or another since junior high school and graduated from high school together. What a sweet picture, and it always reminds me of how thankful I am to the Lord for having blessed my life for YEARS with such wonderful, encouraging, Christ-centered ladies.

So with all of that said, here was my fun idea. I was going to post the picture, label all of the girls from left to right, and then invite all of you to take part in this fun game.
RULES OF THE GAME: For each of the girls in the picture, you have to leave a comment that has from 1-3 random memories, quotes, etc. that you think of when remembering that particular person. If it's a quote, it doesn't have to make sense to any of the rest of us (making it all the more humorous, I think!). This is not intended to be serious, so all comments MUST be random and/or funny to you. If you've only heard of a particular person, or just don't know them very well, there is still surely something random that comes to mind when you think of her. (If you honestly don't know them, that's ok, just leave comments for the ones you do know or have at least heard of through another friend.) Does that make sense?

I'll initiate the game so that you can see the list of ladies to whom I am referring (I'll link to their blogs for those who keep one), and also to give you an idea of the kind of comments to leave:

Doing Flips
1. "Farmers use computers to hold their pants up"
2. Me taking 30 minutes to put on a pair of jeans
3. Stealing yogurt from the fridge at Junior Youth Orchestra practice
4. Two words - Mineral Wells

Blessings x 4
1. My very brief crush on your older brother when we were in high school
2. I have a picture of you and Stef on the school bus - I have no idea what I was doing on a school bus for one thing, have no idea why I thought it would be a cool place to take a picture, and it's always the very first picture that comes to mind when I think of the two of you.
3. English class our senior year of high school + sitting next to Jeremy and Brandon = awkward!

You Little O Wife
1. "Ehh, he's kind of a Monet. But THAT guy? Oh, he's definitely a Baldwin."
2. Us spinning down the hall of the hotel in San Antonio at around midnight and you accidentally spinning right into someone's door - Loud thud...silence..."Run!"
3. The Electric Slide to any song ever written in 4/4 time

JennyPen
1. Blind game of tag at your house with sheets over our heads resulting in your knee going into the wall
2. "Ollie Ollie ontadorous...sing it again, oh yes, just sing it again..."
3. One day in high school when we showed up wearing the same clothes, thus the rest of the day was spent walking on opposite sides of the hallway
4. Two words - Mineral Wells

Grace (Me)

Kimberley (Mather, now Brooks)
1. Deciding at some point in school that she was going to put an "e" in between the "l" and "y"
2. One time when we were younger Kim put a match in the wicker trashcan in her room that was still partially lit that she didn't know was still partially lit
3. Driving home from college for the first time, we got stuck in the black hole that is Mineral Wells because my car overheated

So there's the game! Anyone is welcome to participate, and I look forward to reading your random comments!

So This is Love...

My husband was up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed long before I was this morning. By the time I eventually left the house for work, running late as is usual, I had a happy grin on my face. Just to name a few of the reasons why:

• He knows that I'm the Queen of Snooze... my alarm is set for 6:00am, but I normally don't roll out from under the covers until 6:45. He came in at 6:30 and messed with me until I woke up. Though I was my usual cranky and whiney self, he was persistent until my toes were touching the floor.
• When he came and woke me up, he said very sweetly, "I pressed the button." I always prepare the coffeepot the night before, and this is the request I often give him in the morning when I'm running late (every morning) and need him to turn on the coffeepot. I panicked when he said he pressed the button because I forgot to actually prepare the coffeepot last night! After I said, "No no no no, there's nothing in there, go turn it off, go turn it off!" he informed me that he went online to learn how to prepare coffee. He got instructions off of some website and made my coffee for me! And I'll happily admit, it was better than mine usually is...
• As I was running out the door, he was beginning the process of cleaning out and organizing one of the four closets we have been avoiding for quite some time now. I rarely ever ask him for specific chores around the house while I am at work since he has so many demands with his schoolwork, but he took it upon himself to start digging in because he knew it would be such a meaningful gesture for me to come home and not have to think about the chaos that is our coat closet
• And last but not least in the grand scheme of sweet little random acts, he packed my lunch this morning since I was running late (did I already mention how often I'm running late?). When I got to work this morning, I noticed that he added in a little snack baggy of mini marshmallows..yep, he knows the little things in life that make me smile.

Exhale...

Oh, what a week... It took all my strength some mornings to sort of slide off the side of the bed - not even sit up and place my feet on the ground - but pretty much just fall out. My job is incredibly demanding right now with the constant addition of new clients for which I am responsible. New clients are great for our company, wonderful especially during this stressful time regarding our economy, but it means that my work has quadrupled over the past few months. And this week was particularly trying...

For one thing, I really enjoy my team. Our little team, holed up in the windowless room - once a storage closet, then a conference room, now our "woodshed" as we affectionately refer to it - works really well together, and we really cannot complain about our dynamic and the way in which we get to interact with the rest of the company. We were half-joking and half-serious this week in our conversations about how we hardly ever talk to one another anymore because of the overwhelming amount of responsibility on each of our shoulders. We were downright loopy this afternoon as the workday approached its end.

I was driving home from work on Wednesday night, after dark and after forcing myself away from the desk at 6:15pm when I began thinking about why I was so exhausted and the feeling that it's not going away anytime soon. My mind trailed off and I began thinking about the people with whom I work. I started thinking about what people to do get their minds off of work, the things people do in order to not take their work home with them. What do people do in order to escape the stress, the monotony, the expectations and demands which surround them daily? Groups go out for a drink, women try to escape at a spa or with some other kind of pampering, people get sucked into hours in front of the TV or computer...the list goes on and on. As soon as I got home on Wednesday, I soaked in a hot bath as I continued thinking on these things. I don't drink, I don't pamper myself, I try not to waste too many hours in front of the TV, so what is it that I do personally? Well, subtlety often proclaims the obvious in my book... My way of trying to get my mind off stress is to take a long bath, drink some hot tea, get into my pajamas within an hour of getting home (all signs that I am my mother's daughter). But those aren't the things that had me thinking a couple of nights ago because there are other behaviors in which I engage that loudly proclaim that I am tired and stressed: I don't want to cook, I don't want to do the dishes, I don't want to do anything that requires work...are we seeing a trend here?

For one thing, I live with another person now - my husband. I don't get to hide away in my self-centered pity and "leave me alone" attitude anymore. In short, I no longer escape as easily as I was once able. Someone is there to see the real me, to really talk with and encourage me in the things driving me to mental exhaustion, and that someone is far more important than I am.

Not only do I have my husband to encourage me, but it goes even a step further as I am reminded just about everyday, just about everytime I walk in the door, of the overwhelming blessings in my life. I don't escape the stress like some in my workplace do, so what is it then that I do when faced with pressure and sheer exhaustion from the workload? Is my ultimate satisfaction in treating myself to a relaxing bath or hot tea? When those acts are over and done with, reality will still be there, tomorrow is another day, and the stress will still be there.

With that said, as stressful as this week has been, the end has been much better than the beginning. After my time of reflection and honest confession on Wednesday, yesterday and today were markedly different. My workload has not changed one bit; we still have a ridiculous amount of work piling up. However, I have been able to come home, exhale, and just be thankful. I can come home and completely enjoy my husband and my home, leaving work in its place rather than letting it affect everything else. I can exhale knowing that my life is not defined by work, by how many people I please, by how much I excel. I have learned more than ever before that the Lord does not delight in the strength of man! He delights in those who humbly and honestly admit weakness, and run to Him with all of our burdens. Goodness...praise Him that He is so good and so near when we are weary...

Satisfied

All my life long, I have panted
For a drink from some cool spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.
~
Feeding on the filth around me,
Till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on.
~
Poor I was, and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul's sad cry.
~
Well of water, ever springing,
Bread of life so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My Redeemer is to me.
~
(Chorus) Hallelujah! He has found me
The One my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies all my longings
Through His blood I now am saved.

~

(Endnote - Thanks to these two sweet friends for posting their own thoughts on those things for which they are so thankful. Your posts were so encouraging and partly responsible for compelling me to write tonight)

Double Shower = Double Fun!

As the title indicates, double the shower means double the fun! A few of us ladies from Grace hosted a double shower this weekend that ended up being so much fun! Rachael and her husband are getting ready for their precious daughter (whose name has yet to be revealed), and Marcie and her husband will be welcoming Owen sooner than later. We were especially glad Marcie was able to come since she has recently been put on bedrest, and also that so many ladies were able to attend the sweet celebration.
We had fun coordinating the food and decorations with the pink and blue. Sarah, one of the ladies in our small group, brought so many great decorations and the delicious cupcakes and pumpkin bread. She really outdid herself with all of the planning and fun games we played. My small contribution included S'more brownies (a.k.a. sugar coma) and the chocolate-covered pretzels with pink and blue sprinkles. Yes, it was an obscene spread of sweets!

~ The glowing mommies-to-be surrounded by a sea of pink and blue~

The last portion of the baby shower involved prayer for Rachael, Marcie, their husbands, and the babies. This was such a sweet time together and reminded each of us of how thankful we are for the friendship and unity the Lord has granted us. I have personally been so encouraged by the women at Grace, as mentioned numerous times before, particularly since I had not had such fellowship until now since moving to Louisville three years ago. It was a sweet time to celebrate with Rachael and Marcie, praise the Lord together for His abundant and undeserved blessings, and to pray His hand of peace and provision over these sweet families~

Wii Will Miss You

Dear friend,

Parting is such sorrow. You must have wondered what you had done wrong as Wii parted ways last week, wondering what you could have done to deserve being given away so suddenly and without warning. After all Wii have been through, the good times Wii have shared, what else could you have done to convince us that you should stay?

Oh, the good times and great adventures Wii had together. I will never forget you taking me on that race over and over again to scratch my competitive itch. How desperately I wanted to leave Yoshi and and Luigi in the dust, and I have you to thank for achieving such victory.
...for the countless times I played the part of Rayman, with my mission being to fend off rabid rabbits with plungers and squirt guns. I will never forget the sounds of those crazy animals as the plungers went flying from my plunger launcher and stuck to their faces. The sights and sounds of a million possessed rabbits trying to take over the world will never be forgotten. Victory is sweet, and the raging rabbits didn't stand a chance.

And then there was the exhilarating taste of adventure you provided. My husband had some pretty awesome times of swinging his sword in hopes of ultimately winning the battle. You provided so much excitement that he could hardly sleep! When the game came to an end, there was nothing left but the memories.
~

Our parting with you was nothing personal, although I don't know that you will be convinced otherwise. You are meant for excitement, adventure, ceaseless entertainment, not sitting perched beside the television as a mere object for good conversation. You were meant for more, so much more than Wii could provide. Wii knew this was the best choice for you...for us...and with that motivation Wii simply had to part with you. Wii hope that someday you will understand our intentions and forgive us for our decision.

~

So Wii bid you farewell, dear friend. Remember the good times Wii had and never forget that you brought many laughs, fun times, and attempts at exercise during your stay in our home...you will never be forgotten. Don't dwell on the past, don't mourn our parting. Wii wanted what is best for you, so may you go in peace and bring the same enjoyment and happiness to another family that you have brought to us these past two years.

Wii will never forget you~