Sunday, March 23, 2008

HE IS RISEN



Matthew 28:6 "He is not here:
for He is Risen, as He said.
Come, see the place where the Lord lay."




Have A Blessed Easter Remembering
Our Savior's Resurrection.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Thirty Means Respectability


PSALM 139:13-14 "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb (NASV). I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well (KJV)."

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY ANDREW AND BEN



This was indeed a birthday to remember! My dear friend, April, and I planned a surprise birthday getaway for our husbands to the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. Ben was to turn thirty on March 17th and Andrew on the 19th. We wanted to make it extra special and I believe we did!

April and I had been working on our plan for several months. We had initially thought to take them skiing, but the skiing season was coming to an end and the thought of being frozen in the snow was not appealing to either of us :(. We then began to discuss plans for visiting the Biltmore House. This was a much better option. Andrew had never been so it made it all the more worth while.

Every thing was perfectly thought out, but we were in the making for our own surprise when Ben was whisked off to San Diego on an unexpected business trip. This was very disheartening especially since April and I had already booked the hotel. We left it in the Lord's hands knowing that His way and thoughts are better than our own. April had to tell Ben that we had a surprise planned for his birthday, but she didn't say what. This did help to move things along in San Diego and Ben's boss allowed for him to come home right on time. Isn't God Good!

On Thursday night, March 13, April and I took our wonderful birthday men to a fantastic restaurant. Andrew and I had yet to go to this one. It was called the Melting Pot. It was a little pricey, but worth the fun and experience of tasting what we called..."FUN"DUE or the proper word, Fondue. Andrew was excited because he only believed us to be going out to eat with our friends for his birthday. Boy, was he in for a surprise...especially when we got in the car and kept driving instead of heading home. He was even more surprised when we pulled up to the hotel and I told him that we were staying until Saturday. It was a look that I will always have pasted on my memory. The confused, shocked, unbelievable look best fits the description. Ben did a great job in not giving anything away even though he knew we were going somewhere, but wasn't for sure where. He kept it a surprise for Andrew, and I truly thank him for it.




On Friday morning, we headed off for the Biltmore House and ate one of the best meals for lunch I have ever had. It was at the Deerpark Restaurant which was surrounded by glass windows, hanging vines, white colored lights, linen table cloths, a succulent buffet of wonderful food and fabulous desserts. Of course we were spoiled because we had no children to attend to. Thanks to Papa, Mama, Coco, Emmy, Granddaddy, and Nana for watching all the children while we were away.


We then continued on with our tour of the Biltmore House along with a special behind the scenes tour. After our adventures there, we headed back to the hotel for a night of fun, food, and fellowship. We brought Dairy Queen back for supper and Ben set up his two laptops along with Andrew's, so we could play 3 way Tetris. He beat all of us of course...several times. Just being together as friends and laughing together was a blessed time given to us by the Lord. He even gave us a great time of sharing devotions together around our FREE continental breakfast. What a treasure to have such wonderful and godly friends!


The next morning, April and I put our second surprise plan for our birthday boys into action. We went thrift store shopping around the Asheville area to deter the guys until about 3:30 or so. We had to be back to Papa and Mama's house by 5:30 because we had a surprise party with some of our friends waiting there for them. While we were out, we went to a great restaurant in Black Mountain, North Carolina, called Dr. Peppers. It had loads of Dr. Pepper memorabilia and good food...of course, we HAD to get a Dr. Pepper to drink while we were there.



April of course hit it big in the thrift stores. She found several board games that sell for pretty high on eBay. They might even cover the expense of the trip. I did not do so bad myself. My favorite item purchased on the trip though was something that cost me $3.00. It was a toy type penny whistle or tin whistle. Since I have been home, I have been playing every song I can think of on it. I told Andrew I wanted a real one when MY birthday comes around :).

Yes, April and I pulled off the birthday surprises. When we arrived back home, the guys could not believe that there was more in store for them. We had prepared a game show taken off from the Price is Right entitled the AGE is Right. We had to whip it together somewhat quickly, but it turned out pretty well.




We could not have done it without all the help of our friends and family. Thanks for your prayers, encouragement, gifts of sacrifice, time, and love. You indeed made a birthday or birthdays worth remembering.

I know April will concur with me on this when I say that I am so thankful for a humble and godly husband. What a special privilege I have to be married to my best friend. Happy Birthday to you, my wonderful Andrew...and April says the same for her Ben.

































By the way, if you are wondering about the title, it's all about Andrew. Andrew is always saying, "I can't wait until I am thirty. It means people respect you more."

WELL, we shall see about that one! Hee Hee Hee!



We have a lot more pictures to post, but April and I have to sort through them all first. We want to leave no room for black mail! HA HA!
So keep checking back on this birthday blog!
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Charlie's Driving!


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Feliz Cumpleanos


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


This is the second/ending part of the Feliz Cumpleanos Video Clip. Dropshots cut off their video time at 2:00 minutes and we went a little over. This is the finishing segment of the funny bumper stickers/signs we saw on our trip to Asheville.

A Little Traveling Music


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The Long Awaited Day

Mark 11:24

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.


John 14:14
If you will ask anything
in My name,
I will do it.



On Saturday, March 1, 2008, the Lord gave us the desires of our heart. Andrew and I have been married for almost 7 years come this June. We have only had one vehicle our married life together. It has withstood the test of time! Within those almost 7 years, we have definitely outgrown our car. Our 3 little treasures have snugly fit in the backseat...3 car seats in a row and Andrew and I in the front. There is always room for one more up front in the middle, but you have to sit a little higher up with your head touching the ceiling...just ask Emmy :). It truly has been a daily sacrifice to share the car. There are days when Andrew has to have the car and if I need something during the day, I am at the mercy of family, friends, and neighbors. Other times when I require the car, Andrew and I have to get the girls up extra early to load them in the car in order to take Daddy to work so we can have a vehicle. It's back breaking work as well lifting a baby carrier over two other children to fit little Mercy in the middle. I have accidentally hit many a knee and head trying to get Mercy into the car. I remember times where I would lean against our Taurus and cry. I would plead with the Lord saying, "I don't know how much longer I can do this, Lord. Please provide us another car." Yet, the Lord gave His continued strength and grace to keep trusting in Him for His perfect timing. I kept telling myself, "We have made it this long with only one car, we can keep going." Praise to our Great God that He delights in meeting the needs and desires of our hearts.

Several months back, we took the Taurus in to our car mechanic because it was having "issues." Our car mechanic told us he had to stop "writing" after awhile because the car had so many problems. It basically came down to the fact that the transmission was going out and to replace it would be costly. It was in our better interest just to purchase another car and run the Taurus until it was gone. Now Andrew and I fervently began to pray. Over the last couple weeks we began searching the internet for a minivan. We had researched for hours on what would be the best quality van for our time and money. It came down to two choices...a Toyota Sienna or a Honda Odyssey. We really liked the Toyota Sienna, but after much looking, the price for a used one was out of our range...at least for the type of mileage we needed. The Lord shut many doors and we began to be discouraged. God's Word was sufficient though. We relied on God's plans and ways being greater than our own, and He knew what we could not see.

On Friday, February 29, 2008, we were about to go and look at a van that we thought was the "one." It had been listed on eBay and it was at a local dealer here in Greenville. Just as we were about to walk out the door to go look at the van and the works, the price jumped on eBay to a place we could not afford. I was disheartened, but not cast down. I knew that if God wanted that van for us, He would have held it. Our Friday plans had changed and it was back to looking and researching on the internet. Late Friday night, after a time spent in prayer and a fun night as a family at Chuck E. Cheese, it came to me to just randomly type in vans for sale in Georgia. I had looked nearby Georgia, but not actually Georgia itself. Of course it was not just randomness, it was the Lord. A 2000 Toyota Sienna came up for an unbelievable price with low mileage in Duluth, Georgia. Andrew, I, and the girls drove 2 1/2 hours on Saturday morning to look at this van. It was located at a hole in the wall type dealership that makes you feel a little like this is too good to be true. When the dealer came out, we told him we wanted to have the van inspected because there was no warranty on the vehicle. He let us take the van to the Toyota Dealership of Atlanta to have it checked out. The Lord placed people at the Toyota Dealership that helped us immensely in the decision of purchasing the van. They gave it a thorough inspection and told us that the mileage and engine were top notch. This model of the Sienna was guaranteed at least 300,000 miles. There was currently 80,000 on the van. Yes, there were a few things that needed to be fixed, such as new tires and a new battery...we had the dealer give us a new battery. We also have to fix a valve leak, but for the price, we were willing to do it. It was an all day adventure, but we ended up coming home with a beautiful van. It has leather interior, captains chairs, 6 disc Cd changer, cassette player, AM/FM radio, a powered sun roof, and much more. We are extremely blessed to be driving in such luxury.
It was all the Lord's timing, and His timing is perfect. We truly give Him all the praise for His gift to us. Remember, our dear friends and family....

THE WEALTH IS IN THE WAITING!