Our Anniversary and a Little Reminiscing

Thank you all for your sweet comments yesterday. You're so wonderful. Lee enjoyed reading them too. We had a very nice anniversary.

One of the families from our church offered to take Katie for the evening. They also gave us some money so we could go out to eat. They're such a sweet family. Katie had a great time. They all went swimming at a nearby lake, then they went back to their house for supper. When we went to pick Katie up last night, she was worn out.

Lee and I went to a nearby seafood restaurant. We hadn't been there in a while, and were disappointed to find that the prices had risen considerably! It's under new ownership now, so not only were the menus new, the prices were too! The food was delicious though, so that was good, and we really took our time enjoying it because it will probably be a long time before we're there again!

We thought it was funny when we gave each other our cards...we had each gotten the same card! I just told him that great minds think alike. Has that ever happened to any of you?


~*~

While Lee was reading my post and the comments, we got to reminiscing about the day we were married, and what a day it was! The ceremony went well and without any problems, but it was the hours before that were crazy!

While I was putting in my contacts that morning, one of them ripped! That was back in the day when you only got one pair of contacts. Nowadays with disposable lenses, I usually get about six pair, so it's not as critical if one tears or gets lost. Thankfully the eye doctor's office was open, so Mom went and picked up a new one for me. God bless my mom. She's so sweet.

Then someone called to say Lee had a migraine and was very sick with it. By noon he was feeling a little better, and said he thought he would be able to make it. The wedding was at 2:00PM, so that cut it quite close, but he made it!

People asked me if I was nervous, and I can honestly say I wasn't. I just remember walking into the church sanctuary and looking to make sure Lee was standing. I felt so bad for him. When we cut the cake at the reception, he was still a little queasy, and I remember him telling me to give him a little piece of cake, just enough to get a picture, so that's what I did.


~*~

Just a little note about our wedding picture - my mom made my veil, and I thought she did a beautiful job. When we priced them, they were about $100! Unbelievable! She was able to make it for about $15...quite a difference! She also did all the flowers. She's very talented, and I just think it's very special that my mom made my veil and bouquet.

When we were pastoring our first church, there was a fellow in our church who refurbished old and broken furniture, so my husband bought a curio cabinet from him. It's went with us in all our moves since then, and has always held the same things - our wedding pictures, my bouquet, Lee's boutonniere, our communion tray and glass (we took communion during the ceremony), and a porcelain bell that Lee's great-aunt beautifully hand-painted for us. It's our special little cabinet.

Once again, thank you for your sweet comments. I always enjoy hearing from you. :)
Hope you're all having a great week! Thanks for stopping by.

Take care,
~Melanie

Twenty

Here we are the day we set out on the road called
"Married Life"...

twenty years ago today.

What a road it has been and still is!

How could we have known about all the
curves, bumps, and obstacles,
there would be along the way?

I'm sure you will agree
marriage is not always easy.

There are days
when the sleep is little,
the words are sharp,
and the tempers are short.

You learn to give each other space.

You learn to say "I'm sorry"...a lot!

You forgive, forget, and move on.

~♥~

There are the good things too, like...

building a life together,

holding your newborn child,

knowing you're loved
even though the hair is graying
and the wrinkles are forming

having someone
to talk with,
laugh with,
pray with,

having someone
who loves you,
and cares about you.

~♥~

I haven't mentioned much about
my husband on my blog before,
but he is a funny guy!

How can I do anything but laugh when he has...

squirted lotion on my pillowcase,
(no, I didn't notice it until I'd lain down!)

packed dog food in my lunch bag,

scared me with fake spiders,

grabbed a handful of something from the 'junk bowl'
(like a ketchup packet, rubber band, button, paper clip)
to put in my Christmas stocking, or

clipped clothespins in my hair while giving me a hug

♥♥♥

Throughout our twenty years of
sickness and health,
ups and downs,
joys and sorrows,

my husband has been my...

pastor
counselor
listener
protector
provider
spider killer
labor coach
fellow parent
encourager
prayer partner
hand holder
nurse
comforter
shoulder rubber
secret keeper
anything fixer
guitar player
picture painter
joke teller

but most of all,

he has been my
friend.

Sacrificial Love

Recently in our mid-week services, my husband has been doing a study about true, Godly love. It's been very good!

Some of the Scriptures we've been studying are Romans 12:9-13 

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another. Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Those are some hard verses, aren't they?

Godly love is sacrificial love. It means helping others even if it's not fun, convenient, or easy.

Are we willing to do what verse thirteen says, to share and show hospitality? Are we willing to sacrifice our time or money to help someone? Are we willing to become personally involved, and open our home to others?

I believe we have to come to the point where we understand that everything we have belongs to God. (I Chronicles 29:12,14,16)

He doesn't want us to hold on tightly to the resources He's entrusted to us. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

If we want to be in a closer relationship to God, we have to be willing to love sacrificially.

Do we say that we love God, then just pass by someone in need? Sounds like the story of the Good Samaritan, doesn't it?

Of course we all have times when we stumble and fall, but in general, are we growing in Christ and willing to help others?

Just some things to think about. :)

Hope you all have a great weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Take care,

~Melanie

'All Good Gifts' is Having a Giveaway!

My dear friend, Laura,
is giving away two sweet bags that she made.
She is very talented, and has her own etsy shop too.
Please be sure to stop by and say 'hi'.
I know she would love to hear from you. :)

Hope you have a great week!
~Melanie

Happy Father's Day!

Such a sweet daddy~daughter
picture the day Katie was born.♥

I hope all you dads will have a
wonderful day!

Be sure to stop by Katie's blog
and see the picture she posted.
Things are always interesting at our house. :)

Take care,
~Melanie

Summertime

It was all so pleasant, the doors and windows
wide open to the summer evening,
the dishes making little cheerful sounds
together as Ma washed them and
Mary and Laura wiped,
and Pa putting away the fiddle and
smiling and whistling softly to himself.

~Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods


*Image: Little House in the Big Woods

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For today...June 13, 2011

Outside my window...it is a beautiful day ~ sunny and in the 70's.

I am hearing...the fan in the window. I love it when it's nice enough outside to open the windows. :)

I am thinking...that I need to get ready to go to our teacher's meeting we're having this afternoon...just trying to get some plans in the works for next year.

I am thankful...we were safe this past weekend. We had two huge thunderstorms with strong winds and hail. Poor Oreo was caught out in them both times. He was such a wet mess when we got him back in. The rain was a blessing though. It was getting pretty dry around here.

I am reading...The Masterpiece by MaryAnn Minatra. This is the second book in The Alcott Legacy series. I'm really enjoying her books!

Around the house...mostly hanging clothes today since the weather is so nice. They're drying in no time! :)

From the kitchen...Our blueberry bushes are doing really well, so I'm planning to make a pie with them.

One of my favorite things...Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile Tea. It is delicious.♥

A few plans for the rest of the week...library and groceries tomorrow, church on Thursday, Father's Day on Sunday. :)

Pondering these words...Everyone carries an atmosphere about him. It may be healthful and invigorating or it may be unwholesome and depressing. It may make a little spot of the world a sweeter, better, safer place to live in; or it may make it harder for those to live worthily and beautifully who dwell within its circle. ~J.R. Miller

Please visit Peggy to read more daybooks. Have a great week!

Thanks for stopping by.♥

Take care,

~Melanie

Washing & Waiting

We have been enjoying our first week of summer vacation...
just a little bit of laziness going on around here!


So, what did Katie and I do while we waited for the clothes to dry?
We went for a walk, and took some pictures to share with you.



Ivy from under our cherry tree.



One of our blueberry bushes.



Wild raspberries in the woods out back



Mimosa tree across the road



This is a close-up of it.
Isn't that pretty?



Wild daisies




Katie on the swing in the backyard



Katie and Lilly under the willow tree


We took these pictures earlier this week.
It is 95° here today, so we are inside!
I don't believe the air conditioner
has stopped all day.

Hope you're all having a great week,
and staying cool.

Thanks for stopping by.

Take care,
~Melanie

Rambling and a Recipe

Hello, all my sweet blogging friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

As most of you know, our last day of school was Friday. The last day is always super crazy! This year was no exception...I'm so glad it was a half day. :)

Our school's graduation was Saturday. Our regular sound man had to go in to work at the last minute, so we called one of our youth leaders, and he was able to come in and help. We had a few glitches, but for the most part, all went well. We were so grateful he could help out. We couldn't find the Pomp & Circumstance music, and thought for a minute that we may have to hum it, but we finally found it five minutes before it was time to start. :)

I didn't get sick, so I was able to sing, but we had to restart my CD because my microphone was dead and we had to get another one. But, that's life!

We have a GREAT sound man, and we really missed him, and it's easy to take him for granted because he's always there. This past weekend made us appreciate him even more.

We have a couple of families in our church who home school their children, and one of them had two sons graduating this year, so their graduation was yesterday afternoon. It was really nice. Their older sister put together a slide show of the boys growing up. Of course their mom was crying, so that meant she really liked it. :)

I really enjoy the smaller graduations. They're much more personal than just walking across a stage and getting a diploma. After the ceremony, we had some refreshments and just enjoyed the fellowship.

Switching gears now, here's the recipe for the Cheesy Chicken and Noodle Casserole I told you about last week. I'm sure some of you already make something like this. It is super easy to put together. I don't do a lot of measuring with this recipe, so the amounts are approximate, and will have to be adjusted to your taste and the size of your family. This recipe will easily feed the three of us, and we usually have a little left over. Katie took a picture of her plate so you could see what it looks like. :)

Cheesy Chicken and Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chicken breast

3 cups dry egg noodles

10.5 oz. can of cream of mushroom soup

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Cut or shred the chicken.

Cook and drain the egg noodles.

Put the chicken and egg noodles in a casserole dish, add the cream of mushroom soup and about a half cup of cheese. Mix well. Add the rest of the cheese on the top. (Sometimes I add a little milk to it before I put it in the oven.) Bake uncovered at 350° about a half hour.

Approx. 4 servings.

Well, I'd better close for now. After such a busy weekend, I have a lot of housework to catch up on!

Hope you all have a great week.

Take care,

~Melanie