Wisdom

Ronnie and I stopped in to visit a friend of my Grandma Meyers today. Her name is Helen and she is a wonderfully sweet 93 year old woman. She has been a prayer warrior for us over the past year and was so excited for us to drop by. Though we stayed for only a short while, I learned so much from her. Helen's late husband was a veteran of World War II. She proudly showed us the pictures of him in uniform. She pulled out an oversize binder filled to the brim with "His Story."

"Do you keep a journal?" she asked me.
"Not really, but I suppose I should." I replied.
"Oh, you must keep a journal." she insisted as she proudly flipped through the pages of "His Story."
You see, Helen is preserving history... for her, her family, and for future generations. She is creating books filled with stories, memories, pictures, and history. How precious is the gift of memories? She did not just stop there though. Helen has made a book of her daughter's story and is also working hard to create her own story. She inspired me today. She inspired me to dig into my family's story and to preserve it, and also to preserve the story Ronnie and I are just beginning to create.

Honeymoon

We honeymooned in beautiful, serene Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The views were simply breathtaking. We enjoyed shopping in the quaint town, seeing the shows in Pigeon Forge each evening, driving out to historic Cades Cove, and relaxing in our lovely Eight Gables Bed & Breakfast suite. There was so much to see and do!

To see our pictures, please follow the link here.

Wedding Day

Our wedding day was simply perfect. I could not have asked for anything better. We were surrounded by so many cherished friends and family. Here are a few of my favorite highlights.

1. Seeing so many friends in one place
2. The horse and carriage ride
3. Pastor Woody's personalized message
4. Hanging out with our amazing wedding party
5. Having the CUTEST flower girl and ring bearer EVER
6. Dancing with my husband and my daddy
7. Seeing everyone enjoying the variety of cakes
8. Being surprised by everyone's dance moves
9. Dancing with "my kids"
10.Group dancing with my IWU peeps
11.Driving away in a hott 2011 Chevy Camero SS

Pictures to come soon!

Thanksgiving

Today I am reminded, as I should be every day, to be thankful for everything that I have. I have been so blessed this November to be able to see so many of my extended family and friends. It is certainly not taken for granted. Our wedding was a wonderful time of worship and fellowship with so many who have prayed for us from afar. What a blessing to be able to see so many wonderful people. We are truly blessed.

I am also incredibly blessed to spend this thanksgiving with my husband. Last year on thanksgiving, I was by myself in San Antonio, visiting Ronnie in the hospital. At the time, we still did not know to what extent he would recover. Today, he stands as a living testimony of God's amazing healing power and grace. I am so blessed to live day in and day out with him and learn more about him through good times and trials.

Wedding Prep

Everyone pitching in to stuff cake pops. :)

Bleed Blue

Wounded Warrior Project graciously gave Ronnie 10 tickets to the Colts vs. Jaguars game on Sunday, November 13th. It was an experience that even us Hoosiers had never had. We invited the McCullough family to come along too. We arrived early Sunday morning at Lucas Oil Stadium and were escorted down to the field for a photo op. We were all given souvenir backpacks and meal vouchers. After the photo op, we walked down the road to Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast before the game. It was an amazing experience despite the inevitable loss of the game. One more thing to cross off my bucket list!

23rd Birthday

23. It doesnt feel much different than 22 yet. Maybe it is because I have had very little time to process it yet, being so busy and all. My birthday was a lot of fun though. We spent the morning sleeping in and recouping from our late night in the ER then headed out to a local craft show with renewed energy. Later on, we went out to dinner, ate the wonderful Boston Cream Tort my mommy baked, and opened presents. What a wonderful day. So thankful I could spend it with my family. :)

ER Trip

Coming from warm Texas to frigid Indy seemed to shock my body. After only a day, I was developing a sore throat and within two days I could no longer talk. Knowing that my birthday and weekend were going to be busy and that I had less than a week until the wedding, Ronnie and I decided to go ahead and get me checked out at about midnight on my birthday, November 12th. I was kind of bummed to spend the night in the ER waiting room but in the end I was glad I did. The Doctor assured me that I was not contagious (a huge relief) and that instead I had something bacterial developing. Normally they would wait until something actually formed, but given our time crunch, they went ahead and treated me. Four shots later, 2 Penicillin, a steroid, and an anti-inflammatory pain med, I was discharged and already feeling better. My voice stayed week for the next week and a half, mostly just raspy in the evenings. Thankful everything could be taken care of early.

11.11.11

Today and everyday I am so beyond thankful for those who have served and continue to serve in our nation's military. I have met so many wounded warriors this past year. They continue to teach me the value of life, courage, and sacrifice. I owe them more than I could ever give. To my husband and all the others who serve, thank you for "walking the walk".

On my way again

Sometimes I feel like I live in these airports. I know where everything is; the less crowded starbucks, the clearance magazine section... I can't count the number of flights I've been on the last 10 years. But I still dread it. I hate all the preparation that goes into planning and packing for a trip. I hate loading my whole closet into a suitcase and then living in the mess for a couple weeks. Bleh. But, like all things, the destination makes it worth it. I'm heading to Indy today. I cant wait to see my family and to see all the planning come to completion. All in all, I am really excited.... even though I would rather be in bed at this early hour. ;)

Ronnie's First Buck of the Season

Bringin' home the meat. :)

I love this girl.

Alisha and I met back in our Costa Rica days. We hit it off right a way and became amazing friends. After language school however, our lives went different ways. Her family became missionaries in Peru while mine moved to Honduras. Then we started school in different states. Six years later we both found ourselves in Texas at the same time. When Alisha told me she was going to be in Austin, I knew right away I had to make the quick trip up there to see her for the day. We spent the day catching up, baking, and shopping at IKEA (best place in the world!!!). I have missed having Alisha close. She is always such an encouragement to me. I can say without a doubt that she is one of my biggest role models. I just love this girl.

Happy Halloween!

Mia is an extra special puppy. She got TWO costumes this year; a Princess costume from Ronnie and a Banana costume from me. It's funny because she doesnt mind wearing them at all. She loves the attention people give her. So cute.