Vacation

Summer is here! Last week, we went to Atlanta to spend a few much-needed vacation days. It worked out perfectly for a myriad of reasons, but one of them was that my mom and Larry were going to be in Mississippi for the first part of the weekend attending my stepbrother's high school graduation, so we were able to house/dog sit for them and have the entire house (and pool) to ourselves for three days!

We left Jackson after work last Thursday. As always, it seems like there was a rush out the door, hurriedly throwing things into suitcases. Someday we're going to pack for a trip at least a day in advance :-) We drove into Atlanta that night, with a stop in Murfreesboro where we ate dinner with Arica, Adam, Ailidh and Dylan at Cracker Barrel. It was so good to hang out with them! After fighting through an hour long traffic jam (at midnight!) in Chattanooga, we made it into Atlanta in the early hours of the morning.

Friday and Saturday we had the house completely to ourselves and we just relaxed. We hung out in and by the pool (although Donna Maye kept trying to save us!), watched movies, played pool and ate some awesome food! Saturday night we treated ourselves to a wonderful dinner at One Midtown Kitchen in downtown Atlanta. The restaurant is located on the edge of Piedmont Park (where the Atlanta Jazz Festival was happening!) and is very classy and modern. The menu changes every day and the food is unbelievable! Interestingly, my first time at One was right before my senior prom- haha! So, of course, I wanted to go back with Austin for a romantic dinner, which it was :-) We began our meal with calamari with sweet and sour sauce and artisan bread. For the main course, Austin had the special for the evening, the duck, and I had Monkfish! So delicious! For dessert we ordered a heavenly chocolate dish! Here are some photos (yes, we're nerds and took pictures of our food!):

Austin's delicious duck

Elizabeth's marvelous monkfish

Part of the interior of One

Sunday we went to Six Flags over Georgia! Neither of us had been in years, or even gone to an amusement park together, so it was fun to enjoy that experience! We paid extra to get the Gold Flash Pass (we justified it since we didn't have to pay for lodging) which meant that we would "make a reservation" for a ride, then (at most) 15 minutes later, we could walk up the exit ramp to the rides and get right on! We certainly felt like VIPs. This also enabled us to enjoy more rides. We arrived at the park about 11 a.m. and left about 7:30 p.m. In that time span we rode: the Georgia Scorcher, the Log Jamboree, Goliath (twice), Antique Cars, Monster Mansion, Dahlonega Mine Train, Superman, Great American Scream Machine, Thunder River, Batman, Mindbender (only Austin went on that one), the Sky Buckets,  and the Six Flags Railroad. We also ate Dippin' Dots and split a hamburger and fries. It was such a wonderful day! 

Monday, of course, was Memorial Day, and Mom and Larry had returned from Mississippi on Sunday evening. We just hung out with them and then had an early dinner/cookout by the pool with some friends and family. We finished off the evening with watching "The Bachelorette"! We couldn't miss it just because we were on vacation!

Tuesday, Mom decided she wanted to spoil me and so we had a girl's afternoon. We had a delicious lunch at a family run Italian restaurant called Ippolitos, I got a summer haircut and Mom bought me two new dresses and two pairs of shoes! We hadn't really spent time like that together in a long time. 

Wednesday, Austin and I slept in a little bit, ate lunch with Mom and Larry and then headed home! We had one brief stop in Nashville for Tazikis, but we made it home in the early evening. We enjoyed our Atlanta vacation, but it is so nice to be home!

From one servantless cook to another...

This weekend, I watched the movie, "Julie and Julia" for the first time in years. It is so charming that I must conclude that it is one of my new favorite movies. The movie's message about perseverance despite life's many challenges is inspiring. It's also fun to examine how each couple's marriage is portrayed. I found myself laughing when I saw a scenario that closely resembled a situation Austin and I have been through. In particular, the scene where Julie (Amy Adams) drops her stuffed chicken on the floor, and she cries like a "small, emotionally disturbed child" cracked me up! 


Now, not only do I want "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" for Christmas, but I am more inspired to cook delicious food for Austin and me on a regular basis. Ever since we got married, I have struggled with making dinner at night. It pains me to admit it, but I have, on more than one occasion, bought a bunch of groceries with the intention of cooking and then ended up going out. Then, of course, the food from the grocery is no longer fresh so it goes to waste. I could spend lots of time feeling guilty about this, but instead I am choosing to recognize that I now know what is realistic to expect. 


Like many Southern women with super-moms and grandmothers, I thought that when I got married I would: get up at the same time every day, make breakfast, go to work, exercise, come home and cook dinner (promptly ready at 6 'clock), get some chores done, spend time with my husband, then go to bed. It took me a while to realize that this was an unrealistic expectation of myself! I'm not saying this kind of routine is impossible, but it is definitely unrealistic for me right now! Instead, I: get up at the last possible minute, arrive to work just in time, maybe eat breakfast, work, skip exercising (who has energy for that?!), maybe cook something simple (or go pick up something from Chick-fil-A), throw a load of laundry in the washer or dryer, watch a movie with Austin, fall asleep on the couch, drag myself up the stairs, have an unexpected burst of energy, then go to bed much later than I would prefer. Haha! Some of that is an exaggeration, but the point is that instead of holding ourselves to a really high standard (perfected over the course of 20 years by our moms!)  we should focus on one thing at a time, one day at a time, and extend ourselves plenty of grace! In striving for perfection, we miss precious things in life. Besides, having a gourmet meal on the table and an immaculate house is not our purpose in life! Glorifying God with our lives is the most important thing- glorifying him in our relationships, our attitudes, our activities, etc. For me, this very practically means that I choose to spend time hanging out with Austin instead of attacking my house in a cleaning frenzy as often as I would like! 


Now that I've realized what is realistic, this weekend I discovered, once again, how much I enjoy cooking! Thanks to Pinterest, I've been trying out some wonderful new recipes! I really want to share the meal that I made for Austin, Mary and me on Saturday night. 


Menu: Homemade pasta with Pastor Ryan's Bolognese Sauce (from Pioneer Woman) with fresh steamed broccoli and Homemade Braided Bread with sparkling red grape juice to drink. It was delicious!


Here are the recipes:


Pastor Ryan's Bolognese Sauce 







Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 cup Grated Carrots
• 1 whole Large Red Onion, Diced
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil Flakes
• 1 can (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 cup (to 2 Cups) Red Wine
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
• 2 cans (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
• 1 cup Milk
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Preparation Instructions: 

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.

Throw in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it; if you don’t, it’s fine. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together. Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—however long you need.

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Homemade Pasta

Ingredients: 

• 6 whole Eggs
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour

Preparation Instructions: 

Rule of thumb: Two eggs per one cup of flour

Make a well in the center of your pile of flour and crack in your eggs. Slowly mix together with your hands. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead (roll, punch, push, etc.) by hand until dough becomes smooth and pliable, adding flour to the board as necessary.

Let the dough rest for a little while before rolling it out. You can sort of figure on one egg per person to determine how much dough to make. Example: Two eggs and one cup of flour would make enough pasta dough for a dinner for two.

When you’re ready, roll it out on a floured surface as thinly as it’ll go. The noodles will plump up quite a bit when they boil in the water, so the thinner you can roll it, the better. Cut the noodles really thin. You can use a sharp knife (if you can keep it in a straight line), a pizza wheel, or a long pizza/bread cutter.

To cook the noodles, just boil them in salted water (very important!) for probably two minutes. They cook lightning fast, so don’t let ‘em go too long.

Braided Bread

Makes 2 loaves

1/4 cup warm water
2 ½ tsp yeast (or one yeast packet)
1 Tbl sugar
1 cup hot water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbl butter

2 ½ cups flour
1 egg
1 ¾-2 cups more flour

In a drinking glass or bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast and sugar. Set it aside for about 10 min to rise.

In your mixer, combine the hot water, salt, sugar and butter and mix. Once the yeast has risen, add 2 ½ cups flour, 1 egg and the yeast. Mix all together (using your mixing paddle arm.)

Add 1 ¾ cups more flour and mix until a ball forms. If the dough is still too soft, add more flour until the dough feels like squishy play-dough. Take the paddle arm off your mixer and put the hook arm on. Turn mixer on to the number “2” setting (if you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer) and let machine knead the dough for 7 minutes. OR knead the dough by hand for 5-6 minutes on a hard surface.

Spray a large clean bowl with cooking spray. Put the dough in the bowl and cover with a cloth to keep from drying out. Place the bowl in a warm place (like the oven with just the light turned on). A good trick my mom taught me is to turn on your oven for just 10 seconds to let it warm up. Then turn it off and put your dough in there to rise. Don’t let the oven heat for too long though, or it will bake your dough (rather than rising it). Just a few seconds is all you need to get it warm in there.

Let the dough rise for a couple hours.

Punch the dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Using a knife, divide the dough in half. Starting with the first ball of dough, divide it into three pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 14 inches long.

Pinch the 3 ropes together at the top, braid the ropes, and pinch the ropes together at the end:

Squish the braid together slightly and place the braid onto the prepared cookie sheet, sideways. Repeat with the other ball of dough and place on the same sheet

Cover cookie sheet with a cloth and let rise for about an hour.

Using a fork, whisk together one egg and 1 T. water until well combined (also known as anEgg Wash). Dip a crumpled paper towel into the mixture or use a paint brush and paint the egg wash over the tops and sides of the braids. Be careful as you brush that you don’t press too hard or you may deflate the loaves.

Heat the oven to 350º (remove the rising braids before heating the oven!).

Bake for 14-18 minutes or just till they start turning golden brown. Let the bread sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Serve with butter and fresh jam. Enjoy!

Note: If you would like illustrated step by step instructions, these recipes are on my Pinterest "Recipes" Board and they will take you to the original blogs. 

The appropriate conclusion to this post must be, in the famous words of Julia Child, "Bon Apetit!"

Graduation!

On Saturday, May 12th, Austin graduated with his Masters in Professional Counseling from Freed-Hardeman University! Austin began the program at Freed in the fall of 2009 following his graduation from Union with a double major in Christian Studies and Psychology. Knowing the value in getting finished with his degree as quickly as possible, Austin pushed through and completed the program in three years! Despite a setback of a semester due to needing Practicum hours, he did it! We couldn't be more thankful and excited! 

I feel like we've been saying this a lot, but this really marks the beginning of a new chapter in life for us! Austin will continue his work with Health Connect America and enjoy not having to go to class! We're praying through what is next for us and are excited to see what doors the Lord will open! 

We were so blessed to be joined by family and close friends to celebrate this wonderful event on Saturday.  We appreciate the effort that everyone made to be there! 

Following the ceremony in Henderson (complete with awesome piano music!), we enjoyed food and fellowship at our house. A special thanks to our next door neighbor, Dan, for doing a great job grilling hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, tilapia and asparagus! We couldn't have done it without him. It was the first time that both sides of our family were together since our wedding. We talked, played the piano and guitar and sang together! It was wonderful.

Here are some pictures from the graduation and the party! Enjoy!

Austin receiving his graduate hood

Austin and his parents

Austin and his grandparents, Al and Nancy Zamora

Austin and his grandparents, Richard and Nancy Ward

Us with Elizabeth's Dad, Claude Rhea

Us with Elizabeth's Mom and Stepfather, Larry and Carolyn Nichols 

Wonderful friends! (L to R): Casey, Dustin, Austin, me, Jessie

The cake (made by Carolyn Nichols)- it was delicious!

Food

The guests arrive!

The tent! We were thankful that there was no rain!

Spring

It's hard to believe that we're almost to the end of the spring semester! Ever since getting back from Honduras, it seems like time has flown! We've had something going on every weekend. Here is an update from our eventful lives!

The Friday after returning from Honduras, we headed on I-40 East to Dickson to spend time with Austin's family. We enjoyed hanging out with his parents on Friday night and on Saturday morning, we piled in the van and went to Murfreesboro for our nephew's 1st birthday party! The decorations were so cute and it was so great seeing Adam, Leslie, Ailidh, Ewan and Arica. We also got to see Uncle Ben and our younger cousins Rachel, Andrew, Sarah and Daniel! We wish we lived closer to them. Ewan did such a great job opening his presents, with the assistance of his big sister.  After the party, we went to Demos' with Austin's mom and Arica. We also met Arica's roommate, Rikki. We enjoyed a time of food and fellowship with them before heading back to Dickson. Sunday was a relaxing day. We ate lunch at Mr. Gatti's pizza with Austin's mom, Arica and Rikki. They went to the youth production of "Beauty and the Beast" at the Renaissance Center while we played the arcade games, then got involved going through some of Austin's things in the basement back at the house. We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in Dickson and ended up eating dinner with Austin's mom and grandparents at Applebee's. It was so great to finally get to spend some quality time with family! We're so thankful to finally have weekends that we can make trips like these.

Ewan opening one of his favorite presents!

We spent Easter Sunday at First Baptist Church Humboldt. The Annie Moses Band led worship and the sanctuary was packed! Dad came up from Birmingham and we enjoyed having him so much! After the service, we came home and had beef stew with Sister Shubert's rolls and strawberry shortcake for dessert. We were also joined by Mary and her good friend, Robert Fryman. Dad also surprised Austin, Mary and me with lovely Easter baskets, complete with chocolate eggs, jelly beans, a chocolate bunny and Chick-fil-A coupons (of course!). Easter afternoon, Dad and Austin began working on fixing our fence. They were able to replace the post where a gate would attach and they straightened up another post.

Dad and his girls on Easter Sunday

The weekend after Easter, we took a long-anticipated trip to Paducah, Kentucky. We enjoyed visiting with Grandmommy and Granddaddy and eating wonderful food! Saturday, we went to see "The Three Stooges" with Uncle Patrick and Aunt Sherry. It was great hanging out with them! On Sunday, we went to church at First Baptist Paducah, and visited with some wonderful people, including the Nelsons! When we got home, Leigh's barbeque chicken and an array of delicious vegetables were waiting for us! We also got to see Uncle Richard and Aunt Gina. It was great having the entire family (that lives in Paducah) together for Sunday lunch. The visit was short, but so worth it! We look forward to going back soon!

This past weekend was Variety Show at Union. Groups prepared for the show months in advance. Their hard work was so evident in the quality and creativity of each performance. Mary participated in the ZTA show, whose theme was "Pirates of the Caribbean". Mom and Dad both came into town for that.

Austin, Mom and Me waiting for Mary after the show

Mary is in the back left corner! 

Since Mary had to be at the Civic Center all day Saturday, we took advantage of that time to complete  projects around the house. While Dad, Austin and our very helpful next door neighbor, Dan, continued work on the fence and gate, Mom and I went to work on the interior of the house. The night before, we made a trip to Lowe's and bought a new fixture for the downstairs hallway, a new bathroom light fixture and new knobs for the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Mom and I enjoyed installing the knobs in the kitchen while Austin installed the light fixture in the hallway! I'm so blessed to be married to a man who is so handy! :-)

Mom cleaned and polished all the kitchen cabinets, cleaned in and around the stove (she even had the guys pull it out from the wall!), washed most of our downstairs windows and vacuumed those difficult to reach areas in the kitchen. I put a fresh coat of white paint on the baseboards in the hallway, downstairs bathroom, kitchen and family room. I also re-painted the doors to the laundry room, study, guest room and downstairs bathroom. It's amazing what a difference a fresh coat of paint can make! Once we were done with painting and cleaning, we went to Lowe's again and picked out flowers for window boxes for the windows on the front of our house. I was so excited about them, that I ended up installing and planting them about 11 on Sunday night! Overall, we felt so blessed by my parent's generosity of their time and energy to make our house look great! It was wonderful to spend some quality time with them and enjoy supporting Mary during V-show.

I will post pictures of some of our home-improvement projects as soon as I can!

Another aspect of our weekend was the passing of our dear family friend, Chuck Colson. Well known in the political world for his reputation as President Nixon's "hatchet man" and involvement in the Watergate scandal, he became a Christian during his time in prison and devoted the rest of his life to serving the Lord. He founded Prison Fellowship Ministries, where my dad worked for almost twenty years in Washington, D.C. Mr. Colson challenged Christians to live out their faith and to be obedient to taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves. I've known Mr. Colson my entire life, and always looked up to him as a kind, impressive man of God, and a kind of "Great Uncle" in a way. It's interesting that now, as an adult, I can see what an impact Mr. Colson made on this world. He will be greatly missed.

God is so gracious, and one of the ways He provided grace to our family was through joining Mr. Colson in an Alabama county prison last Resurrection Sunday. I will never forget that service and getting to witness how the prisoners who were in Christ were not bound by their physical surroundings. True freedom is in Christ- not in anything else.

Easter 2011 on the bus to the Prison

Here are some thoughts that my Dad compiled about Chuck Colson:

Seven Lessons from Chuck Colson

Chuck Colson, our beloved brother in Christ, completed his life sentence on April 21, 2012.  Reflecting upon 18 years of ministry with him at Prison Fellowship and our friendship since, I recall seven principles he proclaimed and lived:

1.   “We each have an infinite capacity for self-delusion.”  Pride stalks us.  Never believe your own press releases.  Be radically committed to accountability.

2.   “Overcome evil with good.”   Contend for the Truth vigorously, knowledgeably, courageously and winsomely.  Be salt and light, and trust God’s sovereign ability to redeem any life and any situation.  Never give up.

3.   “Remember the bruised reeds.”  Prisoners, their children, the unborn, the infirm and the vulnerable each bear the imago dei.  As you touch the least of these in Christ’s name, you will make the invisible Kingdom visible.

4.   “Unity in the Body of Christ pleases God.”  The prayer of Jesus in John 17 is timeless, reveals His heart, and invites all of His followers to be one with Him and with each other.  

5.   “Jesus the Prisoner died to save us.”  The One who rode into town on a borrowed donkey was betrayed by a snitch, busted, and strip searched.  After refusing to cop a plea, he was sent to death row, executed, and buried in a borrowed tomb – but not before he promised a place in heaven to a fellow prisoner who prayed, ‘You’re innocent.  I’m guilty.  Remember me.’   

6.   “Trophies of God’s grace surround us.”  No one is beyond God’s redemption.  His grace speaks mightily through souls He has raised up from the dark holes of prisons to proclaim His light, life and forgiveness to the world.  

7.   “Never try to outguess God – He has a better sense of humor.”   If all you can give God is your greatest embarrassment, failure and brokenness, give it to Him.  Then, watch and be amazed! 

                                                                                                                Claude Rhea

Honduras

“Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.”  (Psalm 27:10)

The Orphanage at Sunrise

Several weeks ago I (Elizabeth) had the privilege of going to Orphanage Emmanuel  in Guaimaca, Honduras with the Union University GO Trip program (and the best team EVER!). Words can’t really describe how wonderful and humbling the experience was. I’ve spent the past few weeks trying to process everything. This was my first international mission trip, so I tried not to have expectations before going, since I knew the experience would be different than my overactive imagination. My one hope going into the trip was that I would somehow reflect the love of Jesus to the kids and the workers there. I wanted to be a blessing, but instead I came away blessed.

The Lord has blessed Orphanage Emmanuel. For the first time, I truly understand that when we participate in missions, we are not simply bringing the good news of the gospel to others. We are joining the Lord in the work he is already doing in that place. No matter what task our team worked on, we knew it was of service to the Lord himself. Our activities included: pouring concrete, welding, fixing engines, planting vegetables, laying bricks, sewing curtains, milking cows, cleaning the barn, and, of course, spending time with the children. By being there, our team more than doubled Orphanage Emmanuel’s staff (of about about 20).

Orphanage Emmanuel is the home to about 600 kids. Most of them are not orphans by definition but all of them have either been taken away from their families by the state, or their parents have abandoned them. Most have endured physical or sexual abuse. As David Martinez (who started the orphanage with his wife, Lydia) told us, these kids have no natural reason to be joyful. It is by the grace of God that they can thrive and be normal, happy children.

Honduras is an impoverished nation, and this was evident to us during the drive between the airport in the captial city of Tegucigalpa and the smaller, rural town of Guaimaca. Trash and filth is everywhere and people live on top of each other. I never saw a finished road (surviving the bus ride was an adventure!). The family structure in Honduras is practically nonexistent; this is why children live out on the streets, sniffing glue so they don’t go to bed hungry. Other children who have been abandoned try to provide for their even younger siblings. Thus, the cycle of poverty continues.

At Orphanage Emmanuel, the children get clothes, shoes, their own bed, three meals a day, an education (through high school- the Honduran government only requires through the 6^th grade!), and most importantly, they learn about the love of Jesus! Every morning before breakfast, they sing worship songs and participate in a Bible study. There is a beautiful chapel where Wednesday night and Sunday morning worship services take place. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, they participate in a longer Bible study. These children are living examples of God’s grace and redemption.

Many of the girls on our team became close to some of the preteen and teenage girls. Like most girls that age anywhere in the world, they like to pass notes! I had the privilege of being able to translate the notes (since they were in Spanish) so the girls on our team could respond. These notes were full of encouragement and reassurance that God has a plan for each of our lives and that accepting His love and sacrifice is the most important thing we can do in this life. We were all touched and challenged by their faith. I look forward to singing praises to the Lord alongside them one day in heaven!

Our daily schedule was: get up, go to circle, eat breakfast, do work, eat lunch, do work, hang out with the kids, eat dinner, hear a testimony, do team time, and go to bed. One of the highlights of my day was to hear the testimonies of the staff. I loved hearing about how God called them to Emmanuel and continually provides for their needs. Everything at Emmanuel: the land, the buildings, the staff, the children, the animals, the plants, have been provided by the Lord. We heard story after story of God’s provision of people and resources at just the right time. The faith that the workers live by challenges me. It gave me a new perspective on what I call “mine.”

The trip took place in what would seem, from a worldly perspective, a terrible time. Spring Break is in the busiest part of the semester. The week after the trip had so many important activities happening in our office, and, being the detail oriented person that I am, before the trip, I was stressing out! However, to the Lord, it was the perfect time for him to get me away from “my own world” with my daily worries, email and phone, and go to a place where I had to rely on him for strength and purpose. I am learning to rely on him for the details of my life. 

Last Thursday, our team got together for a reunion at my house! It was so wonderful to be together again! As we shared what the Lord taught us during and after the trip, I was overwhelmed at God's faithfulness! Before going on the trip, we prayed for unity and that the Lord would do a work in our hearts! It is so obvious that He has! 

Worship

I had fun giving rides! The children just kept piling in.

They were curious about my necklace!

Farm girl! Preparing the cows to be milked!

Sharing a laugh!

Our Team!

Here is the link to a youtube video that Leslie Roberts made of our trip if you want to see more!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNpOQ6S-A0I&feature=youtu.be

This picture was taken last weekend during our weekend getaway to the North Georgia mountains! Our good friends, Dustin and Jessie Mayfield, honeymooned in the area and have wanted to go back ever since. So, this time, we went with them! We left on Friday morning (March 2nd) after spending the night in Dickson with Austin's family. It was so good to see them. We managed to outrun inclement weather all the way to North Georgia and made it to the cabin in the late afternoon. The cabin was fully furnished with rustic decor and came complete with a full kitchen, and, best of all, a hot tub! The view was spectacular and we even ventured out to see Amicolola Falls (the waterfall behind us).  It was a much needed rest and a great time with wonderful friends! The Lord has definitely blessed us with the Mayfields :-)

Here is a picture of all of us on the porch stairs of the cabin. We hope to return soon!

Celebrations

As I'm writing this, Austin and I are sitting on our love seat watching one of our favorite movies, "17 Again". We just saw the part where Ned and Ms. Masterson find out that they are both Lord of the Rings fans. As they speak Elvish, we smile and laugh. On the day Austin proposed to me, we watched the first two installments of "Lord of the Rings." Yeah. We've come a long way since then.

Two years ago on Valentine's Day, Austin drove from Jackson, TN to come see me in Paducah, KY for our first date. We had been talking on the for about two weeks (several hours each time) and decided that we needed to spend some face to face time in order for anything to progress. Austin brought me a single peach colored rose (from his Grandmother's Valentine's bouquet). We went to church at First Baptist Paducah, ate lunch at Flamingo Row, and walked around downtown Paducah (despite gray, freezing weather) while talking and enjoying the butterflies that come with the start of a wonderful, new relationship.

This Valentine's Day marked the two-year anniversary of our first date. Austin brought me a dozen gorgeous, deep red roses for me to enjoy on my desk. He surprised me with a lovely pearl drop necklace with three small sapphires at the top! I love it! I gave him walkie talkies (we are looking forward to using them on our first camping trip soon!) For dinner, we made special reservations at Patti's 1880's Settlement Restaurant, which is, interestingly, where Austin proposed! What made the evening interesting was that Patti's is about 2 and a half hours away! So, with one headlight out and expired Kentucky tags (I keep meaning to get to that!) we ventured into the Land between the Lakes for our romantic evening. Dinner was delicious, as Patti's specialty is their pork chop. I got the 1 inch chop and Austin got the Tropical pork chop. Potatoes, salads with ranch dressing, sweet tea in mason jars, and, of course, the flower pot bread! We thoroughly enjoyed the food and each other's company. After the meal, we got back in the car, and miraculously made it back to Jackson without getting pulled over! Success!

I was due on Valentine's Day 1987- 25 years ago. My mom told me that I must have been warm where I was because I decided to stay in the womb an extra week. It seems appropriate now that I love nothing more than wrapping up in a soft, warm blanket next to a fire on a cold day. When I was born, Washington D.C. was in the middle of a huge snowstorm. The generators were even on!

My 25th Birthday was truly wonderful. Although the day started at 5:30 in the morning with a call from a teacher wanting to know if Austin could substitute for her class (even though he's had a full-time job for over a year- haha!), Austin sang me "Happy Birthday" as I was leaving for work. He later surprised me with breakfast, a dozen pink roses and two cute balloons. He did a good job! :-) As the day progressed, I realized how truly blessed I am to be at Union. The countless birthday wishes and kind words from fellow staff members and students meant so much!

Austin took me out for dinner at Asahi Japanese Steakhouse (where I had filet mignon, of course!) and then we returned home for a small party that Austin arranged. My awesome sister made delicious funfetti cupcakes and brought her sweet roommies to help me celebrate! We were later joined by our good friends the Mayfields, the Moores and our next door neighbors! After playing Apples to Apples again for the first time since I was 17, we concluded the evening with presents and a good night's sleep!

I truly can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me (and for us!) during this 25th year of my life! It does feel like a milestone (after all, it is a quarter of a century!), but I am so thankful for where I am. Today actually marked my one-year anniversary of working at Union University, a job that I absolutely love!

All in all, it has been a great week!