Back in December, we were fortunate enough to experience an Irish Christmas with Keith and Kristyn Getty when they gave a concert at Southern. The Gettys, often with British writer and singer Stuart Townend, give us some of the most poignant and theologically rich songs of today. Most people are familiar with 'In Christ Alone', which Isaac and I chose to have as part of our wedding ceremony. There hasn't been one song penned and performed by these three that doesn't bring tears to my eyes or chills to my heart because of the power and message proclaimed.
Sometimes, certain songs grasp hold of your heart and simply won't let go. We often sing 'O Church Arise' at Sojourn, and the feeling of anticipation and victory at the end of the song is palpable. I could listen to this song nearly all day long, and the effect would be no less than the very first time I heard the notes and words.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
A Diamond Anniversary
Today, my grandparents celebrate their Diamond wedding anniversary.
Sixty years of marriage! My grandparents have been married for more than half a century, exhibiting their love for one another (and their family) in more ways than I can even imagine or recount. Both of them have led some pretty amazing lives. Grampie's high school basketball team won the state championship his junior year; he was offered a basketball scholarship to Kansas State University, but since it wasn't a full ride, he joined the Navy instead. Back when computers were the size of a room, he wrote the software for the computer to calculate square roots. And if he wanted to, we all know he could still produce that terrifying tone in his voice which sends chills down your spine- no matter what your age. Grammie grew up in Iowa and still pronounces the word 'wash' with an 'r' sound; she insists that when she joined the Navy, she really was a hundred pounds...we always tell her that must have been her weight when she was soaking wet. She remained active in her WAVES unit for years and even served as the president...and yes, she did have a stint in the Red Hat Society as well. Before retirement, they were stationed in a few different places- the poor souls had to live in Hawaii for a while. After retirement, they owned an RV for years and would travel around the country, and let me tell you- my grandparents were some mighty fine square dancers too.
But it's not just all their accomplishments and experiences that make these two people so precious to me and to all who love them. The two of them have led an extraordinary life together- three children, six grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and a great-grandson on the way. Though they both are from the Midwest, they met in San Fransisco, where they were both stationed at the time. One of my favourite things my grandmother has ever said was in reference to the first time she saw Grampie: "I looked up and I thought, 'Well that's a long tall drink of water from Texas!' I didn't have a darn idea who he was or if he was even from Texas, but that's sure enough what I thought." And Grampie's first impressions about Grammie: "Well, I thought she was a shrimp because she was so small, but I liked her and I helped her whenever I could."
I mean, how precious is that? I am so very thankful for my grandparents and the role they have played in my life. I pray that I will forever be my Grampie's little 'peanut' and that when I tease her about it, Grammie will always vehemently deny that she was dating "that darn Marine" while she was still dating my grandfather. I love my grandparents more than words can express, and I have to tell you- they are pretty much the most precious grandparents in the world.
So you may wonder, "What's the secret to sixty successful years of marriage?" Grampie shared the answer with me several years ago: "Marriage, my dear, is 50-50. You give fifty, she takes fifty." Of course, he said this with a chuckle and a wink in his eye. Grammie's answer might be a little different from her beloved husband's. One day, she was reliving the glory days of her youth, sharing her experiences with Sharon. She said, "...and then a bunch of us went down to Tijuana..." At this point in the conversation, she stops and turns to Grampie and says, "Vern, I haven't told you everything." I'll leave you to figure out what Grammie's actual answer to the successful marriage question might just be.
This past weekend, most of the family was able to get together for a small celebration for Grammie and Grampie, my beloved grandparents. One of my favourite snapshots from the evening:
Happy 60th anniversary to two of my most favourite people in the world. I love you both more than I could ever express!
Sixty years of marriage! My grandparents have been married for more than half a century, exhibiting their love for one another (and their family) in more ways than I can even imagine or recount. Both of them have led some pretty amazing lives. Grampie's high school basketball team won the state championship his junior year; he was offered a basketball scholarship to Kansas State University, but since it wasn't a full ride, he joined the Navy instead. Back when computers were the size of a room, he wrote the software for the computer to calculate square roots. And if he wanted to, we all know he could still produce that terrifying tone in his voice which sends chills down your spine- no matter what your age. Grammie grew up in Iowa and still pronounces the word 'wash' with an 'r' sound; she insists that when she joined the Navy, she really was a hundred pounds...we always tell her that must have been her weight when she was soaking wet. She remained active in her WAVES unit for years and even served as the president...and yes, she did have a stint in the Red Hat Society as well. Before retirement, they were stationed in a few different places- the poor souls had to live in Hawaii for a while. After retirement, they owned an RV for years and would travel around the country, and let me tell you- my grandparents were some mighty fine square dancers too.
But it's not just all their accomplishments and experiences that make these two people so precious to me and to all who love them. The two of them have led an extraordinary life together- three children, six grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and a great-grandson on the way. Though they both are from the Midwest, they met in San Fransisco, where they were both stationed at the time. One of my favourite things my grandmother has ever said was in reference to the first time she saw Grampie: "I looked up and I thought, 'Well that's a long tall drink of water from Texas!' I didn't have a darn idea who he was or if he was even from Texas, but that's sure enough what I thought." And Grampie's first impressions about Grammie: "Well, I thought she was a shrimp because she was so small, but I liked her and I helped her whenever I could."
I mean, how precious is that? I am so very thankful for my grandparents and the role they have played in my life. I pray that I will forever be my Grampie's little 'peanut' and that when I tease her about it, Grammie will always vehemently deny that she was dating "that darn Marine" while she was still dating my grandfather. I love my grandparents more than words can express, and I have to tell you- they are pretty much the most precious grandparents in the world.
So you may wonder, "What's the secret to sixty successful years of marriage?" Grampie shared the answer with me several years ago: "Marriage, my dear, is 50-50. You give fifty, she takes fifty." Of course, he said this with a chuckle and a wink in his eye. Grammie's answer might be a little different from her beloved husband's. One day, she was reliving the glory days of her youth, sharing her experiences with Sharon. She said, "...and then a bunch of us went down to Tijuana..." At this point in the conversation, she stops and turns to Grampie and says, "Vern, I haven't told you everything." I'll leave you to figure out what Grammie's actual answer to the successful marriage question might just be.
This past weekend, most of the family was able to get together for a small celebration for Grammie and Grampie, my beloved grandparents. One of my favourite snapshots from the evening:
Happy 60th anniversary to two of my most favourite people in the world. I love you both more than I could ever express!The rest of the photos from the evening can be seen here.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The Beginning of 2011
The past year was filled with many great events and experiences, as well as some sad times in our life. Isaac completed his first year of graduate school at the seminary, we went to Disney World with my family, we visited Philadelphia for our anniversary, and went to several weddings in Missouri, Washington DC, New York City, Memphis, and just across the river in Indiana. I also got to return to Disney World for a Girls' Weekend and see my sister as Clara in the Tallahassee Ballet's presentation of The Nutcracker; we even visited New Orleans for a few days after Christmas with some of my family. We were able to see our families several times throughout the year, and on December 30th, Isaac's sister Emily and her husband Ronnie welcomed their second son, Timothy, into the world. We are hoping to see our new nephew in the coming weeks.
We are excited to begin 2011 together and are looking forward to everything it will bring. In just a few short weeks, we will celebrate my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary, and we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Eli, the second son of our good friends James and Clemma. Isaac's sister Addie and her husband are also expecting their precious daughter Jillian in April or May; my cousin Jon and his wife are waiting on their second child to arrive sometime in the spring, and several of our friends here are also preparing for parenthood (or parenthood again). We are hoping to travel to Virgina to celebrate the marriage of two of our newer friends in the area, and Isaac's college buddy Laura will also be getting married in the summer as well. My cousin Elizabeth will graduate from Union University, and this year will also be Mizzou's 100th Homecoming, as well as the one-and-only Liz's 30th birthday; you know we wouldn't miss either for the world!
After the spring semester, Isaac will be about halfway finished with his seminary education! We are currently looking into different options as to how we will move overseas once he graduates. We covet your prayers in this area, as there are many things which we need to accomplish before we will be able to leave. A few of our major goals for the year are to make a dent in student loan debt, to become local tourists, and to check a few more things off of our respective 30-Before-30 lists.
We hope this blog allows you to share in our life, even though we may not always be near you. We love you all!
We are excited to begin 2011 together and are looking forward to everything it will bring. In just a few short weeks, we will celebrate my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary, and we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Eli, the second son of our good friends James and Clemma. Isaac's sister Addie and her husband are also expecting their precious daughter Jillian in April or May; my cousin Jon and his wife are waiting on their second child to arrive sometime in the spring, and several of our friends here are also preparing for parenthood (or parenthood again). We are hoping to travel to Virgina to celebrate the marriage of two of our newer friends in the area, and Isaac's college buddy Laura will also be getting married in the summer as well. My cousin Elizabeth will graduate from Union University, and this year will also be Mizzou's 100th Homecoming, as well as the one-and-only Liz's 30th birthday; you know we wouldn't miss either for the world!
After the spring semester, Isaac will be about halfway finished with his seminary education! We are currently looking into different options as to how we will move overseas once he graduates. We covet your prayers in this area, as there are many things which we need to accomplish before we will be able to leave. A few of our major goals for the year are to make a dent in student loan debt, to become local tourists, and to check a few more things off of our respective 30-Before-30 lists.
We hope this blog allows you to share in our life, even though we may not always be near you. We love you all!
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