Weekend Wrap Up!

Our weekend started off by celebrating Marc's best friend from high school's retirement from the Army.

Saturday we took Marc's aunt to what has become our favorite spot to take family and friends to celebrate her 81st birthday!

Later that day we made a stop at one of our local thrift stores for their 50% off sale. I got both of these end tables for $15.00! I can't wait to see how they look after I clean them up, give them a light sanding, a coat of primer and some black paint! I'll probably give them a distressed look when I'm done. I will post pictures when I am done. Just another project to add to my long list of projects for 2012!

I picked up a few extra goodies for my valentines tablescape and started on the diningroom. The heart chargers are from Target and only cost $2.50 each. The towels that I am using for napkins also came from there.

I can pretty much guarantee the diningroom table will change a few times in between now and Valentines Day! A few of the items will be used again at our churches Valentines dinner next month.

We had a really good service on Sunday, and that afternoon Marc installed new officers for 2012. Our church calendar is full over the coming weeks. Including the start of this years events for our Men's and Women's ministry. And next month we will host our first Marriage ministry event of the year.

Today ends my 21 day fast. I have to say at times it was very challenging but I'm very proud of myself and the fact that I held in there as long as I did. Over the next couple of days I plan to share some of my favorite recipes, some of the things I learned about myself and some of our plans for Blended Souls which is a big part of why I participated again this year!

Speaking of pastor wives....my friends over at Leading and Loving It start their Just One Virtual Conference for pastor wives and women in ministry today. You can get all of the info about the conference here . I guarantee you will be blessed.

Tuesday Wrap-Up

Its been a slow week!!!! And honestly some time that is a good thing. This week I have been trying really hard to concentrate on the things in life I am grateful for.

I took a break yesterday from doing any work related to ministry. It was Martin Luther King day and I spent it hanging out with Marc, and later that day we stopped by a friends home and spent some time just sitting and talking. My goal this year is to spend a lot more time with family and friends and soo far we seem to be headed in the right direction!

Our summer plans seem to be filling up fast. This year I will attend my 30th class reunion, a family celebration in honor of my Aunt Julia who will turn 91 this year. There is a trip to Kansas to promote Blended Souls, and prayerfully a get together with my WIT Sisters to honor our friend Gail. This doesn't even include a family vacation or a weekend get away for Marc and I!

The high school reunion is the first one I will have attended since leaving high school. Its been fun connecting with old classmates. But boy oh boy have we all changed!

Speaking of events.....this past Sunday Marc and I had a meet up with some of the young adults from our church. It went very well and I am looking forward to future events with our newly formed Young Adult Ministry!

Of course you can't have a meet and greet without food!!!! LOL

This week I did start to take down my Christmas decorations, and the Valentine's decorations have started going up!!! The Dollar store is a great place to pick up cheap (yet beautiful things). The heart placemats came from there along with the flowers and glasses (the ones with the hearts on them).

Recently I started scoring some great bargains at our local thrift stores (its also a great place to drop off some of your old junk to make room for new junk, not to mention the fact that many of the profits go to local charities). I picked up several yards of material for $5.00 enough to cover all six of my dining chairs. I can't believe I am saying this but I am actually looking forward to getting in my diningroom and painting this year! Stay tuned as the project evolves!!!

Weekend Wrap Up (Fashion intensive)

Its been a busy weekend. Starting with my monthly Ministers Wives and Ministers Widows meeting. We are gearing up for our annual Sweetheart banquet (which just happens to fall on hubbies birthday this year). I'm excited because for the first time my girls and my mom will be going with us!!!!

Last night we got all dressed up to attend the 80th birthday celebration of a very special family friend. It was also an opportunity to visit with family and friends that we had not seen in a long time.

The girls even got to see their godparents!

There have not been this many W.I.T wives in the house together in a long time. Hopefully this year we will get a chance to have a reunion.

Mama Annie asked those who would like to...to wear their favorite hat for the occasion. Check out her birthday cake, and the lovely photo below is of her along with her brother and sisters.

Her birthday celebration was filled with lots of surprises (including a letter of congratulations from our president and first lady). A serenade from her three sons, a praise dance from her granddaughter, lots of congrats from family and friends, and the presentation of a grandfather clock just to name a few. My favorite part was when her grandchildren each stated their name, and age and told about what events occurred during the time Mama Annie was their age. It was a beautiful celebration!

Nicki and I broke out the jeans and boots on Sunday morning! I guess we had enough dressing up for one weekend! LOL

I hope everyone has a blessed week. As usual my schedule is jammed packed with events, including the start of a young adult ministry at WABC, intense planning for Blended Souls , an upcoming Girls Night In for our Women's Ministry and preparation for a Marriage Ministry Valentines Workshop....Oh and best event of all........Marc's 49th birthday!!!! Have a blessed weekend everyone. By the way I still plan to do a summary of plans and dreams for 2012....it just may take a bit longer then I thought since 2012 seems to have started with such a BANG!!!

Highlights of 2011

I started the year out having to drop everything and go home and take care of my mom for three months after she fell and broke her ankle.

My sister came in during this time on the weekends enabling me to spend some downtime hanging with girlfriends and celebrating Valentines Day weekend with my hubby!

I got to wrap my arms around this lady a couple of times last year. Now I get to do ministry with her and this summer we will be visiting Kansas to see her and Pastor David for the first time in about 15 or 16 years!

This group has been together for more years then I can count. We have watched our kids grow up, our husbands become longtime friends and through it all we have maintained a bond that has not been broken over time, space or location! We don't get together as often as we would like...something we hope to change in 2012!

My Birthday month (April) was definitely unforgettable. It started off with me spending my last few days traveling back and forth between our home and my moms while she recuperated. Then me celebrating my 47th birthday in the middle of a tornado and ending the month celebrating the marriage of Prince William and his lovely wife Kate!

Although I am no longer a part of the Leading and Loving It Team I will always remember being a part of this wonderful ministry and meeting so many wonderful and sweet women at the Armed and Dangerous retreat (not to mention visiting Nashville for the first time). May was also the month I stepped out on faith and spoke at our Women's Ministry weekend at WABC.

Mount Vernon

We spent a large part of June and July hanging out with family and friends.

Family Reunion

Disney

Souls Sista Anniversary

Tampa

August was our busiest month. Family reunions, trips to my favorite place in the world (after a five year absence) . Getting to surprise my souls sista Kelli and her husband Mike on their 25th wedding anniversary, and getting to meet Pastor Bruce and Heather. All within the span of one week! LOL

Little did we know we would be headed to Birmingham AL for a funeral within months of seeing our friends Cass and Mike in Florida.

Who can forget the trip to DC that seemed like it would never end. Getting pampered by the WOF team, and getting to meet Mary Mary (not to mention getting to ride back to the hotel with them)! I will never get on a train again on the same weekend as a earthquake and major hurricane! Of course I would have missed a few first if I hadn't gone...including a trek through a national park and my first trip to an Ikea store! LOL

Definitely a highlight for us this fall was getting to see old friends from our military days after nearly 22 years!

Celebrating three years at WABC!

We ended the year in a flurry of holiday activities. Thanksgiving Day and Christmas seemed to have come and gone so fast......but the best part was just getting to spend time with family and friends!

2011 was an amazing, wild roller coaster ride. Its been a fulfilling, at times frustrating, sometimes happy, other times very sad, mind blowing year. We have lost loved ones, seen the birth of new ministries, the end of some dreams and the start of new bigger and better ones. I don't know what 2012 has in store for us but I have learned through the years that whatever it holds.....God will see me through! Peace, love and happiness to you and yours! Looking forward to sharing the upcoming year with each of you and who knows.......we might just meet in person. Happy New Year from our family to yours!!!!!!