Life Full of Laughter

One of my favorite things about getting together with family and friends is the laughter we share when we're together. Just being able to sit back, relax, and share an hour or two is good for the soul.

The laughter of a child is an infectious excitement, sending you back in time to easier, worry free days and working a slow smile into the faces of all those blessed ones who hear it.

"A good laugh is sunshine in a house."

"With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come." ~Shakespeare Some of my favorite photos are ones in which people are caught laughing. When you look at it, the sound of their laughter fills your ears, and you smile too.

Ah, siblings. A merry-go-round of pranks, fights, fun, joy, pain, and competition, pushed 'round by love and loyalty. I love all of my brothers and sisters: blood, steps, in-laws, and friends close enough they should be counted as such.

"The world has grown suspicious of anything that looks like a happily married life."~O. Wilde

I am so thankful for my crazy, goofy, faithful, loving husband. It's been a tough year for me in some ways, but he was there to hold me till the pain eased and I could laugh again. "You make me smile like the sun..." He's the best.

Life just isn't as fun without a bit of silliness in it. Thank you to all the people who made me smile in 2010.

Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year...

You want to know what's awesome? Getting another piece of furniture for your living room that matches perfectly and is really comfortable- for free!! Is it used? Yes. Is that a problem? Absolutely not. I would like to say thank you to Jonathan for allowing us to use your love seat!

Time has flown since Thanksgiving; everything's been so busy! Pumpkin pie turned out great by the way. One of my very best friends got married the first weekend in December... she wished for snow... and got it! The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and Britt still had a good turn-out, despite the slick roads. It was a great honor to stand beside a life-long friend as she married her soul-mate. And I got to wear a pretty dress! :-D

This past Saturday we had Christmas with my mom & step-family. We all had a wonderful time together. We got a new bedding set for our bedroom, which I'm very excited about... we'll finally have curtains! :-) Mom also surprised me with a few pieces of my china, so today I dusted and rearranged my china cabinet to hold my new stuff. Sunday was our Christmas program at church, which went beautifully. We are blessed with a lot of great singing talent at our church, and of course, it wouldn't be a Christmas program if we didn't have "the voice of Freedom Baptist Church" (Forrest) narrating. :-D

I'm really looking forward to the rest of this week, picking up those last minute gifts and getting everything wrapped, then being able to go and celebrate Christmas with all those we hold most dear. We'll feast, give, sing, and hear many stories- of both the spiritual and not-so-spiritual variety. :-) I hope everyone's Christmas is as full of love and merriment as I'm sure mine will be. Be safe on the roads and enjoy the festivities, and remember that without Jesus, none of it means anything.

Merry Christmas from my house to yours with a big bow on top!!!!

Give thanks!

In the wee hours of the morning this past Thursday, my cousin Erica had her first baby, a beautiful little boy named Mason Curtis. I went to meet him on Friday! :-) He is so precious, I couldn't help but share!

In other news, THANKSGIVING IS HERE!!!! This holiday always seems to sneak up on me for some reason. This year we're going to my grandparents' house, where the whole Beeson family will be in attendance- all 43 of us! It's been quite a while since I've seen everybody, so I'm very excited. This will also be the first year that I have to bring food! Guess I'll have to get up early so I can still watch most of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade ('cause it's just not Thanksgiving without it.). I've been charged to bring a chicken casserole (eh no biggie) and.... dun dun DUN!... pumpkin pie!! I've never made a pumpkin pie in my life. Never cooked a pumpkin anything in fact, but I'm going to give it my best shot! I'm planning to go by Daniel's Grandma Ritchey's recipe, which Daniel has assured me is awesome. I'm really hoping mine turns out as well as hers, since it will be making its debut at the Thanksgiving feast. I'll make sure to have a big tub of cool whip along side it, just in case. That evening I'll peruse the sale papers with Momma and make plans to join the madness that is Black Friday. :-D Yep, I'm one of those people. We always have a blast- it's so fun!! After the shopping extravaganza, I'll head to my other Grandma's to help her prepare for the Thanksgiving feast there. YAY! It'll be a miracle if I haven't gained 10 pounds by Saturday. Hope everyone has a wonderful time at all the various Thanksgiving celebrations!

One of the ladies' groups at church sang this song last night, and I just love it.

Thank You Lord

For making the sun to shine, putting the stars in the sky.

For the flowers that bloom, the ocean so blue, thank you Lord

For the sparrow that sings, it makes sweet melody

For rivers that flow, the rain and the snow, thank you Lord.

I just want to thank you Lord, I just want to thank you Lord.

For everything that you've done for me, thank you Lord.

I just want to thank you Lord, I just want to thank you Lord.

For making me whole, saving my soul, thank you Lord.

For my home and family, For life's joys that you've given me.

For shoes on my feet, plenty to eat thank you Lord.

For this church to worship and praise, for the freedom we have today.

Sweet spirit I feel Your presence so real, thank you Lord.

I just want to thank you Lord, I just want to thank you Lord.

For everything that you've done for me, thank you Lord.

I just want to thank you Lord, I just want to thank you Lord.

For making me whole, saving my soul, thank you Lord.

For being a friend so dear, giving my sad heart cheer.

For holding my hand when I could not stand, thank you Lord.

For giving your life for me on the cross of Calvary.

For taking my place, for mercy and grace, thank you Lord.

I just want to thank you Lord, I just want to thank you Lord.

For everything that you've done for me, thank you Lord.

I just want to thank you Lord, I just want to thank you Lord.

For making me whole, saving my soul, thank you Lord.

Ren Fest!!!

Today I had the privilege of experiencing the Renaissance Festival for the first time!! I loved every minute of it! My geekified self was delighted by all the medieval awesomeness. I had a blast, in spite of being ridiculously cold most of the day. Perhaps next year, it will be warmer and I'll go in costume! HUZZAH!!

The joust was my favorite part!

Maximilian!!!

Max speaking with the master of arms.

The ancient art of falconry

The Cast in Bronze act. This instrument is a carillon.

It weighs 4 tons, has 35 bells, and is played with fists and feet on a modified keyboard by that fellow in the middle of it. Really neat sound.

Sword Swallowing. Ouch.

Dragons!! Shop was full of 'em. Love it.

So, I'm a fan of steam-punk.

(I know you can't see, but the belt buckle is made of watch parts. Coolness!)

And look at these monacle goggles!!! :-D Ever so much fun.

The lovely wood-fairy!!

Mommy and I modeling chain mail headbands :-) They double as necklaces, and I'm still wondering if perhaps I should have purchased one.

oldyweds

Woah... you get a 2-fer today!... but i just saw this quote and it's too cute not to mention...

"Newlyweds become oldyweds, and oldyweds are the reasons that families work"

-Annonymous

...Or maybe I just like the word "oldyweds."

Good reading

This poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning was included in a book I just finished (The Mapping of Love and Death, a Maisie Dobbs novel). Today was a great day for curling up in a blanket and reading- cold and rainy. I absolutely love it, so I thought I'd share.

"The Best Thing in the World"

What's the best thing in the world?

June-rose, by May-dew impearled;

Sweet south-wind, that means no rain;

Truth, not cruel to a friend;

Pleasure, not in haste to end;

Beauty, not self-decked and curled

Till its pride is over-plain;

Love, when, so, you're loved again.

What's the best thing in the world?

--Something out of it, I think.

I would definitely recommend the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. Read them in order, or you'll be a bit lost as to character development. Great characters, plots, and themes abound in this series detailing the life of Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator, set in England following WWI (20's & 30's).

I scream, you scream...

Just thought you should know... Ben & Jerry's "Chocolate Therapy" ice cream is all kinds of scrumptious; especially in a waffle cone. We had the fortune of visiting B & J's last night after church, since our traditional ice cream stop- The Sweet Spot (a cute little shop with all kinds of candy, salt-water taffy, "beachy" paraphernalia, and of course, yummy ice cream)- was inexplicably closed. B & J's across the street was a magnificent alternative.

By the way, if you're ever vacationing in Emerald Isle, and need a good church to visit, go to Emmanuel Baptist on Bell St. in Swansboro. There you'll find wonderful preaching, singing, and people.

It has been a beautiful week here in EI. Clear and sunny, mid-upper 70's, and they've even caught a few fish!

The Joys of Fall

Leaves of red on the sidewalk,

A growing chill in the air,

Pumpkins smiling on porches,

Caramel apples at the fair.

Gathering close 'round a bonfire,

Roasting marshmallows on sticks,

Pulling on jackets and jeans,

Game winning field-goal kicks.

Tales of ghosts and wild costumes,

Gorging on Halloween candy,

Piling a feast on the table,

Giving thanks with the family.

Fall is a season of changing,

Of leaves, of air, of light,

Into a winter of resting,

Till buds spring into sight.

23!!

I had an absolutely lovely birthday yesterday! My mom saved me from spending the daytime hours alone- we went to lunch at Leon's (great burger!) then walked around and browsed some shops in downtown Mt. Airy. It was a gorgeous fall day! That evening Daniel and I went to a wedding, out to eat at Texas Roadhouse (mmm... NY strip!), then "window shopping" at the mall (where I was allowed to choose my birthday gift- a fabulous eggplant colored fleece all-weather jacket from Eddie Bauer- on sale!), and finally a quick stop at Walmart to get a few supplies to stock up for our upcoming fishing trip (which we are REALLY looking forward to!). I'm excited to see what this next year of my life will bring.

God's Been Good

It has been the most wonderful camp meeting week I could have asked for. I had a blast working during the days with the other ladies! But what really made the week were the services each evening. The messages were challenging and heart-changing, and the Spirit of God moved among us in a tangible way- especially on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Tuesday night the altar filled during the song service with people thanking and praising God for His many blessings. Then last night, Bro. David Harrison preached an outstanding salvation message. The burden for lost souls was pressing on my heart from the moment he began preaching till the very end. Christians prayed, God came down, and at least six souls were saved, possibly more. It was such a blessing! My heart has rejoiced much this week! Pray for all those who made decisions to keep them, and to serve God in a greater way than ever before in the days to come.

I love Jesus, Hallelujiah! I love Jesus, yes I do. I love Jesus, He's my Savior, Jesus smiles and loves me too. I'm a soldier bound for glory, I am going over home. (Bro. Harrison and his family sang for us- this is the chorus of one of the songs they sang.)

It's the Cheesiest!

We're having our annual Camp Meeting at church this week. Every year, supper is served before the services, and volunteers from our church come during the day to help prepare food and clean. I've gone to many of these meetings in my lifetime, and have enjoyed the bounty of food provided, but until today I did not realize precisely how much work is required by those preparing the meals. Today, I saw and helped fix the biggest tub of macaroni I've ever seen. It required the melting of 44 pounds of Velveeta, then mixing it with about 12-15 cans of evaporated milk, three 3 1/2 lb tubs of Country Crock, plenty of salt, and about 10 family size boxes of elbow macaroni. (sounds like a heart-attack waiting to happen, I know.) I and two other ladies took turns mixing it all up with a boat paddle in a large storage tote. It was great fun! I wish I'd had my camera. I'll be going back for round two tomorrow! To top the day off, the services this evening were wonderful- such a blessing!

Our dog is a punk.

Griffin (our one year old Cairn Terrier), is a constant source of joy and annoyance in our household. If our dog is any indication of how our kids will turn out, I'm not sure we're passing the training test. Daniel and I agreed to keep Bandit (my dad's 8 year old Cairn Terrier) while he is vacationing for a few days in Pigeon Forge. Bandit arrived last night, and Griffin was leaping with glee at having a visitor. His joy turned to disdain, however, when Bandit proceeded to shred Griffin's stuffed burger squeak toy. Seriously... stuffing was strewn across the floor, the fabric (a fuzzy sort) was in tatters on the rug, and the squeaker squeaked it's last as it was torn asunder. Griffin watched, whining intermittently, as his toy (a dollar store special- yeah, we were really concerned about it...) was dissected and destroyed, glancing every now and then at Daniel and I as if to say "Look what he's doing!! Why are you just sitting there?? Aren't you going to stop him?!?" Finally, Griffin decided he'd had enough. He retreated to the laundry room (where we had placed all of Bandit's stuff), and to his delight, found a large bone in Bandit's crate. Next thing we know he's prancing into the living room, bone-in-mouth, jumping and spinning around, desperately trying to draw Bandit's attention. As this continues, you can just imagine him saying "Na-na-na-na-boo-boo, I got your bone!!" He went the extra mile to make sure Bandit knew he would not be getting his bone back any time soon. A bit vengeful, no? It was highly entertaining nonetheless.

Today was filled with more fighting over the bone (apparently, the 10 pieces of bone belonging to Griffin are now invisible), much wrestling, and bouts of jealousy from Griffin. Bandit's personality is completely "chill". If you pet him a few times and baby him a bit, he's happy. Griffin is not satisfied unless he is the center of attention in his domain. If I pet Bandit, Griff gets between us and shoves him away. Griffin will jump on top of Bandit if he's not first in line in order to gain center stage. We've noticed evidence of this jealous behavior before- Daniel can't hug me for too long without getting barked at. Bandit goes home on Saturday. We'll see how it goes from here. I think it's safe to say we have a brat for a dog- but we love him!

Blessed With Freedom

Oftentimes, we find ourselves focusing on what we have lost rather than what we have in hand; taking for granted the blessings we have been given. Americans have so much, but are commonly discontent and dissatisfied with life. We are currently free to worship as we choose, to speak openly of our beliefs and opinions, and to arm ourselves to protect our families. Will that change? Will things get worse? Possibly. However, this is not a reason for us to lose hope. For the Christian, true freedom comes from God. Regardless of what happens to America, Christians know that our ultimate future is in Heaven, free from the cares of this world. He has given us the freedom to live for Him, and has promised to bless us in return. So, what are we doing for Him? He has allowed us to be born in a country where we are free to talk about Him as much as want, but are we taking advantage? It's humbling to see how much He has continued to bless, even when our service is not what it should be. He is so good to we who are so undeserving.
There is much to be thankful for today. My church, salvation, the Bible, my family, good health, employment, education, friends... freedom.
Pray for America.

A Literary Conquest

Having finally completed it, it is my opinion that Gone With the Wind is the most heartrending, irritating, while at the same time beautiful and inspiring work of literature that I have ever read. Although I usually deplore books with a tragic ending, in this case, heartbreak was deserved and appropriate, and I find that I really did enjoy the book. Being 700+ pages, I would have been highly disappointed had I not enjoyed it! I have never seen the movie version- shocking, I know, me being a Southern girl. I'll get around to it one day...

Wo-hoah!!

I love summer yes I do, I love summer how 'bout you!?!

I went to the pool for the 1st time this summer on Saturday. Beka and I had a lovely time until we were run off by the quickly approaching storm. But, my goal for the day was met- got a bit of sun on my skin so I won't FRY at the beach this week!

Daniel and I are taking off on Wednesday for Carolina Beach to celebrate our first wedding anniversary! WoOt WoOt!! I can't believe we've been married an entire year- it's been one of the best and fastest years I have experienced. I love being married, and I love the family I married into!

One note of sadness for the week: Griffin, our little doggie, is very sick. :-( He is currently residing at the animal clinic, trying to recover from a case of Parvo. They said I caught it early enough, and that he should get better. We've gotten so attached to him! He's usually so perky and active- it makes me sad to see him feeling so puny. Hopefully, he'll get to come home in the next day or so, but unfortunately, it won't be our home, since we'll be leaving for the beach. Our good friend Holly who works at the clinic will be taking care of him while we're gone, so I know he's in good hands.

Also, please pray for our church! We will be voting on the man who has been candidating for us on June 26. He is a wonderful preacher and I think he would be very good for our church. Pray that the members of Freedom will have good spiritual discernment in seeking out how God would have them vote. Thanks everybody! Have a great week, wherever you are and however you spend it!

Sprung!

I am absolutely loving the warm weather! It's the most lovely feeling to raise my face to the sun and let it warm me all the way to my toes; to breathe deeply of the fresh spring air as its gentle breeze lifts my hair. This weekend, it was great fun to be able to take the T-tops out of my car, turn up the music, and go flying down the highway with the wind whipping around me. Just being able to wear short sleeves and capris was a pleasure! Now, trees are budding, and I have some flowers coming up around my house. I'm waiting to see what pre-existing flowers there are before I plant my own. So far I've got daffodils, what i think may be tulips, and perhaps some azaleas. I'm excited to see what else might come up as the season progresses!

In other news, I finished painting our living room yesterday! Hooray!! The room seems so much more inviting with a bit of color on the walls. I'm not a fan of beige everywhere, which is what we had. Now we have a color that reminds me of a weathered beach house- a gray with a twinge of blue and green- difficult to describe, but it looks great! Next project? I think I may do some trimming of our bushes, plant some new flowers- maybe some gerbera daisies and snapdragons, and perhaps a tree- I'd like one of those cherry trees that blooms pink to go beside the house. We'll see!

A Bend in the Road

I have now officially been touched by the economy. Due to budget cuts at the hospital, and a lack of seniority on my part, I find myself no longer employed. It's a very sad feeling. I'm really going to miss working, and most of my co-workers. The positive side of this situation is that now, my weekends are open! I'm most looking forward to going to church on Sunday morning. It's been a year and a half since I've been able to do that without taking a vacation day. It'll be nice to be able just to spend some time with my husband too. I'm going to look into some job opportunities that were presented to me by my previous employers, and we'll see what happens. There are very few rad tech jobs available right now. Keep me in your prayers for finding a new job. God gave me the one that I had, and I know He's got a plan for what I'll be doing next. I've just got to trust Him, and be patient as He leads me around this curve in the path of my life.

Super Bowl Time!

I have just finished up what preparations I can for our Super Bowl party tomorrow night after church. I made what is going to be hot pizza dip, and some ham delights, which are always a favorite. :-) I'm really hoping everything turns out as it should. Daniel was awesome and helped me by cleaning up the house. All that's left is to pick up the wings tomorrow afternoon, heat everything up, and party hardy with our friends! 'Sco Colts!!

Speaking of church tomorrow, we still don't know who will be preaching. The farewell fellowship we had for Pastor Byerly and Doug on Wednesday was both wonderful and poignant. Please say a special prayer for our church. Change has begun.

BRRR!

Just got back home from going sledding at the Prims! It's been years since I went sledding, and I must say I had forgotten exactly how cold you get when you do not have on proper winter attire. My frozen butt and toes are encouraging me to invest in some bibs and proper snow boots before going out to play in the snow again. Jeans, regardless of having 3 layers beneath, simply do not cut it when faced with a sea of frozen white powder. Now I'm drinking hot chocolate and thawing out.

Hooray!

I finally got a little table and chairs for the kitchen! Daniel put it together for me last night. I love my place mats too :-D Hooray for Daniel and World Market!

Church

This Sunday will be my pastor and assistant pastor's last Sunday at Freedom. I'm going to miss them both so much! Pastror Byerly is the only pastor I've ever had; and I could not have asked for better preaching to grow up under. Our church family is heartbroken and feeling a little apprehensive about the search for a new pastor. My grandpa has the huge responsibility of taking all the recommendations and calls from those who want the position and presenting them to the deacon board. He needs a lot of prayer right now. It's going to be sad going to church and not seeing Pastor Byerly and Doug. Our church has grown and been abundantly blessed under their leadership. I know that God has great plans for the future of our church. He already knows who the next pastor will be. We just have to trust Him fully, follow His leading, bond together as a church family, and not let Satan work his way in.

Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth all knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exeeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

~Ephesians 3:13-21

In an aside, I'm really excited about the new bible I ordered last night! I needed a new small one to use on Wed. nights. :-)

Ready?

Life doesn't always give you what you would consider ample time to adjust before plunging you headfirst into the "next big thing". When you find yourself about to enter the pool of change, there is nothing you can do but raise your arms and complete the dive gracefully. Depending on how prepared you were to hit the water will determine what kind of splash you make. Now, I wasn't prepared, so I'll be making waves; however, since I'm good at recovery, they will not be as big as they could have been. Nevertheless, I will most likely cause a disturbance in the water. There is nothing I could have done to prevent my being in this pool, and I couldn't come up thrashing and sputtering because of those in the pool prior to my arrival. I think I handled the state of affairs fairly well, considering. I took a deep breath and decided to play around a bit to make light of my floundering. When at last I made it to the shallows and was able to really take stock of my position, my heart broke and tears poured out. I clung to my float and prayed for help in understanding my new place. God handled everything beautifully, as His omniscience made unnecessary the need to adjust to anything. He gave me strength, hope, joy and peace; and helped me to find my feet; to stand. What's next? I think I'm ready.