Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Looking Back at 2013

This year?  Kind of amazing.  Probably the most creative, fun filled, growth filled, challenging year I have had in my adult life.  I have spent so much time working on myself as a person, and while I am miles away from being perfect or even where I would like to be, overall I am really happy with me and with my life.  So many awesome things happened this year, we must review the highlights.

We papered our floor with book pages.  It took two months, and was back breaking work, but we transformed our living room into a work of art.

I completed a 35 Day Project in honor of my 35th birthday.  35 days of random acts of kindness.  Many of my friends and family members participated as well.  It was amazing.

We watched our nephew graduate from high school.

We reached two geocaching milestones.  We found our 200th geocache, then we cached every day for the entire month of August, our longest streak ever.  I also got to introduce my niece, nephew and his girlfriend, brother and brother in law to geocaching.

We watched our good friends get married.

We visited many of the filming locations from the movie The Shawshank Redemption.

We watched my brother get married.  Later on in the summer we got to visit them and see their new house as well.

We went to our first comics show.

I saw the largest yarn bombing in America, also known as Knit the Bridge.  It was while my niece was visiting us, so I took her to see it.  It was one of the many awesome things we did together during her visit.

We saw John Hodgman perform, and met him after the show.  He totally knew our names, because we had been all over social media talking about the show.  Later, when I reviewed the show, he shared my post.  I was so ridiculously star struck over the whole thing.

We saw the giant rubber duck make its way into Pittsburgh and attended the huge party on the bridge.

We took a whirlwind trip to New York City to see John Roderick and The Long Winters perform.

I made an entire Christmas Tree's decorations out of old book pages.  It is so beautiful I cannot yet bring myself to take it down, despite the fact that it has been up since before Thanksgiving.

I was offered pretty much the perfect job for me.  I have been there for a month now, and the giddiness still has not faded.

So, this a look back at my year.  Pretty amazing, right?  I kind of think of it as a montage.  And every montage needs a soundtrack.  So here are some of my favorite songs from 2013 to go along with my look back at this wonderful year.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: B is for Bendl

Over the weekend, Hubby and I attended the wedding celebrations of our very good friends, Lora and Justin Bendl.  Hubby and Justin have been friends since high school.  When Hubby and I started dating, his greatest wish for his unmarried friends was that they would find the kind of happiness we had found, and it has been really wonderful to watch Lora and Justin find happiness and love together.

In the past, as a single girl, I hated weddings, and would do pretty much anything to get out of attending a wedding.  When it came time to plan my own wedding, I was not really into all the frills, I was more concerned about being a wife than being a bride.  But now that I am married, and have a life full of joy as a result, I find myself really enjoying weddings.  Funny how love can change your perceptions.  Hubby and I had a wonderful time at the wedding, sharing in the joy of the newlyweds, visiting with our friends, and getting down on the dance floor.  There were a few moments, out there dancing, when I closed by eyes, and forgot there was anyone there besides Hubby and me.  For a couple approaching our 4th anniversary, we still act like newlyweds.  And Hubby predicts we always will.

As with any wedding, music helps bring people together.  So, I decided to dedicate today's playlist to the happy couple.  This list is just a small sampling of the songs we enjoyed at the reception, including the couple's first dance as husband and wife.  Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Bendl, we love you, and wish a life full of happiness.

You can see more photos from the Bendl wedding here.

35 Day Project: Love for a friend

Photo Credit: Powerhouse Museum Collection

 Yesterday I was not feeling so hot.  I was having kind of a blah day, probably a holiday hangover from eating food my body was not used to.  We all have days like this, days where we are not on top of our game, or feeling a bit glum.  And when we feel that way, sometimes it helps to have a loving word from someone who knows us well, and cares about us unconditionally.

So, it seemed fitting that my act of kindness for yesterday would be to provide that message of love for someone else.  I decided that I would reach out to someone who has been a wonderful friend to me for almost ten years.  She lives quite far away from me, and we both have our own busy lives, but whenever we do get a chance to talk, we pick up right where we left off, as if no time or space has ever separated us.  She was there for me through some pretty crappy points in my life, supporting me, and giving me a tough love kick in the pants when I needed it.  So, I decided I was going to remind her what a fabulous person I think she is, and how much I love her, even if we do not get to talk or visit as much as we would like.  I hope she keeps that message tucked away for a day when she needs it the most.

35 Day Project: Guest post by Jan Shapin

I first got to know Jan when I reviewed her novel "A Desire Path" last fall.  I was stuck by her gracious nature.  She sent me a personal thank you, and I was quite touched.  I knew she would be a wonderful addition to my 35 Day Project.  She wrote the following piece about her experience.  It is lovely.

The Kindness Project

Ever since Tiffany contacted me about her kindness project and asked that I participate I have been reflecting on what kindness is. And is not. The first thing, it seems to me, is that kindness comes from inside – that acts of kindness are products of a state of kindness and that first and foremost one must cultivate that. The second is that kindness is not something that comes with the expectation of reciprocity – I’ll give you something and then get something back. That is a problem with charity, the easy good feeling itself undercuts the kindness. I think real acts of kindness are not so easy to execute.

I’ll give you an example. A week ago I went to visit an old colleague, also a writer, who is now in a nursing home. Another writer friend who accompanied me remembered that he liked mincemeat pies, so we had lots of fun planning to bake him a mince meat pie. I looked in the Joy of Cooking for an original recipe and found one that made twenty pies and started with two pounds of ground beef or better yet, an ox heart. We didn't do that one, but we did find a not-easy-to-locate jar of mince meat and made the pie and visited our friend.

An act of kindness you say? Maybe. Or an act of guilt. Or voyeurism. Nursing homes are not pleasant places to visit and it was deeply distressing to see my old friend, an accomplished professional and long time aspiring novelist, curled up in a fetal position on his bed in a room with no adornment but a bust of Abraham Lincoln. No books, no pictures on the wall, no color in the room. Nevertheless, he was glad to see us. At least I think he was. He was gracious even though I’m not sure he remembered who we were.

But did I want to go back? No. Making the pie was more fun than the visit. I knew with sinking heart that real kindness meant a huge leap of commitment—to visit my friend often. No one off visit and I was done. So the next time I went (Monday March 18 with Tiffany kicking me in the rear) I went alone, with potted yellow tulips. My friend was eating breakfast in the day room. When he saw the flowers he said, “They’re beautiful.” I sat down next to him and we had a lovely twenty minute conversation. I asked if I could help him make his room more pleasant – say, a bright colored blanket. “That would be nice,” he said. Then I asked about going out for a ride once a week. “Mmm.”  I could see the eagerness on his face.

So now I am in the land of real kindness. We still don’t have a lot to talk about but on the drive home I realized we both come from Detroit. And my next novel is set in Detroit at a time when he was a young man. So he can tell me about Detroit in his youth. And not feel like those drives are charity. And I can get something unexpected back. A gift.   

35 Day Project: Dinner for a friend

Sometimes, you just do not feel like cooking.  I know that feeling well.  Even though I love to cook, there are days when I am happy that I have left overs, or meals I have frozen, because I just cannot stand the thought of setting foot in the kitchen, and going out to eat, even take out, gets to be pretty pricey anymore.  I love the luxury of a day of not cooking, and I imagine most people do.  Which is why today's act of kindness was extra fun for me.

Today, I cooked dinner for our friends, Erin and Jason.  In July, their beautiful baby boy, Welles, was born.  Over the last 7 months, I have gotten to spend a lot of time with them, and see what truly fabulous parents they are.  Jason works a full time job, and Erin is currently working several part time jobs, including helping direct the musical for a local high school.  Rehearsals are getting down to crunch time, and that means Erin is often not home in the evenings when Jason first gets off of work.  They both work hard, both inside the home and outside of the home.  To add more to their plates, poor Welles has been teething this week, and not resting well.  All of this added up to the perfect excuse to show them some extra kindness.   So, last night, I sent Erin a text message saying "I am cooking your dinner tomorrow."

I decided that I would make a casserole for them.  Cheesy chicken and noodles topped with bread crumbs. Sounds pretty yummy!  I also made them roasted Brussels sprouts and herb bread.  I even included a couple of monster brownies that I made yesterday.  I packed it all up and dropped it off to Jason, while Erin was at practice.  This way, they both can relax when they get home, and enjoy their time together as a family.

35 Day Project: Acts by my friends

I am super excited that already, several of my friends have begun performing acts of kindness as part of the 35 Day Project!

A close high school friend, Laura, made a donation to our college alma mater, Ohio University, in my honor. I cannot tell you how deeply touched I was!

My friend Becky blogged about how she paid for the person behind her in the drive thru.  What a great example she is setting for her kids!

My author friend Lily told me she gave blogging awards to several of her blogger friends.  I hope it made their day!

Great work friends, the project is off to a smashing start!

Announcing the 35 Day Project

For months now, I have been thinking of ways to celebrate my upcoming 35th Birthday next month.  While a trip, or a big party, would be fun, I am really feeling the need to do something bigger, something more, something....for others.  After much thought and consideration, I have decided to undergo a large scale kindness project for the 35 day leading up to and including my birthday.  And I would like your help.

Presenting: The 35 Day Project

Here are the details:

• The 35 Day Project starts on March 17th, and ends on April 20th (my 35th birthday).

• The idea is to spread kindness to others during these 35 days.

• I am asking each person who wants to participate to engage in at least 1 (one) act of kindness during the 35 days (March 17-April 20).  If you want to do more, great, but I am only asking for 1 act, on 1 day, sometime during this time frame.

• Those who are on Facebook can ask to be added to a group I set up for the project here.

• Those who use Twitter, when taking about the project, make sure you use the hashtag #35DayProject

• If you do participate, and would like me to feature your act/acts of kindness on the blog, contact me.  I would like to share your stories!

• If you want to participate but want more details, either join the Facebook group or email me using the links above.  I am happy to bounce around ideas!

Throughout the 35 Day Project, I will also be doing acts of kindness, both for people I know and people I do not know, and I will be talking about them in future posts.  I really hope this inspires you all to join in.

One of my friends suggested I make up cards that can be handed out by participants, explaining this project. I am working on this, and will be happy to provide any of my readers with the completed resource.  Just contact me.

My biggest wish for my 35th birthday is to put kindness out into the world.  Will you help my wish come true?

In The Big City: The Oven Pizza Co. in Wexford

Having not lived in the immediate Pittsburgh area (read Allegheny County) for more than three years now {has it been that long?}, I am slightly out of touch with where the new, cool places to drink, dine, and socialize are.  Thank goodness I am a part of the Pittsburgh TweetUp group.

You might be wondering, what is a TweetUp?  Well,  it is an event where people who are active on Twitter can get together to meet, socialize, network, and generally have a nerdy and fantastic time.  Often times, these events also involve charitable work or organizations.  We have attended quite a few TweetUps over the past 2 years, and recently, we have been interacting with this group a lot more.  There are a lot of great people in the group, and through them I have gotten to know a lot more about Pittsburgh businesses and organizations.

Last night, we attended a TweetUp event at a business in Wexford called The Oven Pizza Co.  This is a restaurant serving brick oven pizzas as well as so many other delicious foods, and an assortment of drinks.  We had never been to this place, so I was excited that the TweetUp was giving us a reason to go.  First off, the ownership, management, and staff at The Oven were so accommodating and welcoming to our group.  They had prepared a list of specials for us, including some half price menu selections and drinks.  They had a designated area for us, and helped distribute the food to our table.  They even came out after we had eaten and gave us samples of gelato, which was beyond delicious.  Furthermore, the staff came out and interacted with us, being social.  It is people and events like this that really put the "social" in social media.

I just cannot say enough wonderful things about the staff, service, and food at The Oven.  Last night, I tried the gluten free Winter Walnut Fig Pizza.  Holy moly, this pizza was so delicious.  I paired it with a Sweet Potato Bisque, also amazing.  We had a wide array of food at our table, and the consensus among all of us was that the food was incredible.  The atmosphere is warm and inviting, suitable for a family pizza night or hanging out with a group of friends.  Already, hubby is suggesting the place to his coworkers.  All the highest praise.

Now, I know what some of you locals are thinking "Wexford, that is not really in the big city" to which I would say,  technically, you are correct.  But the "In the Big City" series on my blog refers to Pittsburgh specifically, and, to me, Pittsburgh is bigger than city lines.  Pittsburgh is a state of mind, a specific type of person, an incredible combination of great food and great friends.  So, regardless of the fact that The Oven Pizza Co. is located in Wexford, they are Pittsburgh through and through.  Also, it's my blog and I can do what I want :).  But in all seriousness, check out The Oven, both online (their website, Twitter, and Facebook) and in person.  You will not be disappointed.

Also, check out the Pittsburgh TweetUp page too, and hopefully I will see you at a TweetUp soon!

Thankful for... being a nerd

I was never, ever, what one would call a cool kid.  In high school, I was called a "goody good kid", because I got good grades, didn't smoke or drink or do drugs or have sex, and generally followed all the rules.  I liked being in band, and I read during the summers.  In short, I was a nerd.

I am still a nerd.  I read books like it is my job (I wish), I am obsessed with social media (phone in hands at all waking times), and I am plugged into a nerdy subset of pop culture that includes John Hodgman, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Coulton, and of course my beloved John Roderick, among many nerdy others.  Through these nerdy interests of mine, I have met some truly incredible people, learned amazing things, and experienced life changing things.  In the course of one day, my friends and I will discuss philosophy and politics, read groundbreaking literature, volunteer for local nonprofits, compare healthy recipes, and play Angry Birds.

Nerds are the new normal.  We have influence, we change the game.  We invent technologies that change the way people interact.  Nerd is no longer a bad word.  The label of nerd is now a badge of honor, and I wear mine proudly and thankfully.

Thankful for... Secret Agent L

Photo from the Secret Agent L website

Over two years ago, I was introduced to the Secret Agent L project.  Secret Agent L, a.k.a. Laura, is a woman living in Pittsburgh who made it her personal mission to spread kindness where ever she goes.  Inspired by her example, hundreds of people all over the world have joined in the project as Affiliate Agents, performing top secret missions of kindness, which Laura then posts on the Secret Agent L website.

Today's world is full of cynicism, hatred, anger, bitterness, and jealousy.  One only need to read facebook or the comments sections of online news articles to see that.  At times, breaks my heart and makes me absolutely ashamed of society.  And then, I remember Laura.  It has been 2 years now since I joined the Secret Agent L project as an Affiliated Agent.  Since then, not only have I performed missions specifically for the project, I have also tried to let the spirit of the project take over my whole life.  Laura's mantra is "Be Kind, No Exceptions".  I try hard to live up to that.  I fail, a lot.  But I am trying.  And I see a difference in my life, in my relationships, in the way I view the world, and the way I view myself.  I am telling you, kindness is a powerful thing.

Beyond being a part of this project, I also know Laura in real life.  She is a busy woman (actress, model, working professional woman, member of the board of directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Southwestern PA, public speaker, and all around beacon of awesome), so I do not get to see her that often. Which is why I was so happy I got to see her last week.  Laura has the amazing ability to make each person feel like the most important person in the room.  She sees value in everyone, and always has kind things to say.  When the prettiest person you know calls YOU pretty, it feels kind of amazing.  Laura has the kindest heart of everyone I know.  She gives so much of herself, even to people she does not know.

I am really lucky to have Laura as a friend and role model.  But more than being lucky, I am thankful.

(P.S. If you are interested in becoming an Affiliated Agent, and I really hope you are, please visit the Secret Agent L website to learn how!)

Thankful for... inspirational women

Photo courtesy of deeplifequotes

This morning, what was supposed to be an early morning cup of coffee and a short chat turned into a three hour long conversation and a foundation for a new friendship built on respect and inspiration.  I just love it when that happens.  I love meeting people who inspire me, and I doubly love it when women gain inspiration from each other.

So often, women focus so much energy on tearing each other down, seeing each other as competition, and gathering satisfaction from another's misfortune.  While I love love pink puffy heart love social media, lately I have seen it as an outlet for judgement and ugliness.  I try hard to avoid those pitfalls, sometimes I succeed and sometimes I do not.  Luckily, my life is full, I mean bursting at the seams full, of incredibly inspirational women, and it seems that number grows by the day.

Of course the biggest source of female inspiration comes from the women in my family.  My mom, sister, and niece all inspire me in so many ways, helping me shape myself into the person I want to be.  And don't even get me started on my various circles of awesome friends.  Friendships that stretch back for years, childhood friends with whom I have reconnected, friendships gained from my husband's social circle, new friendships developed through social media.  Mothers.  Sisters.  Daughters. Wives.  Girlfriends.  Leaders.  Philanthropists.  Professionals.  Authors. Bloggers. Artists.  Each and every one of you inspires me, daily.  Most you you probably have no idea how much I cherish the wisdom, support, and inspiration you provide.  Heck most of you are probably unaware.

So today, I am thankful for all the wonderful, inspirational women in my life.  Thank you for helping me be the best woman I can be.

Thankful for... birthdays

Courtesy of Will Clayton

I have been pretty fortunate in terms of birthdays.  I have had an opportunity to celebrate 34 birthdays of my own, as well as countless birthdays for those I love.  Whether the celebrations were large or small, whether they included cake, cupcakes, presents, balloons, or games, each and every birthday has always been about celebrating.  Birthdays are meant to be celebrated.  You celebrate the life of the person being honored, and all the wonderful contributions that he or she has made to the world.  Because we all contribute, and we all are worth celebrating.

Unfortunately, there are tons of kids out there who do not get to celebrate birthdays.  These are kids living in poverty, or shelters.  Can you imagine, for one moment, being a child who never had a birthday cake, or never got a birthday present?  For some families, these things are luxuries.  When you have no home, or no idea what you will be eating that week, baking a birthday cake is simply not on your radar.  So, for one moment, think back to your least happy birthday.  The year that you wanted a big party and had a sleep over instead.  The year you got an iPod nano instead of an iPhone.  The year you were on a diet and had to skip your own birthday cake.  Now consider how much joy your least happy birthday would have brought to a homeless or at risk child.

There is a wonderful organization in the Pittsburgh area called Beverly's Birthdays, which partners with local emergency shelters to provide monthly birthday parties for the children residing in the shelters.  What an incredible act of love this is.  Imagine the smile on a child's face when he or she tastes their very own birthday cake, or opens a birthday present, perhaps for the first time ever.

For my local readers, you have wonderful opportunities to get involved with this organization.  They are always in need of volunteers and donations, and their website has information on both.  Founder Megan Yunn also has lots of great fundraisers throughout the year at the Beverly's Birthdays Blog.

For my non-local readers, if this is something that touches your heart, see if there is a similar organization in your area.  If there is not, why not start one?

Today, I am thankful for the birthday celebrations I have had, and have attended for the people I love.  And I am thankful that I have a chance to bring that joy to a child in need.

Pomp and Circumstance

Last summer, I wrote about how proud I was as I watched my brother graduate from his Nurse Practitioner program at OSU.  Now, I get to proudly tell you about watching my sister graduate from her Early Childhood Education program at Ohio University.

Back home, we have a regional campus of Ohio University.  It is the campus that I attended when I went for my undergrad education.  It offers amazing educational opportunities to those who seek them out, it provides an educational environment for people who would otherwise have no access to higher education.  Because it is a strictly commuter campus, the scheduling often allows for "non traditional" students to begin or continue their educational endeavors.  My sister was one of those "non traditional" students.

Four years ago, after much thought, Kim decided she wanted to go to college to become a teacher.  To anyone who really knows her, this is no surprise.  My sister is amazingly patient when it comes to small children, and creative in ways I could never dream of being.  She has a way of engaging with kids that makes them just take a shine to her.  It is kind of magical to watch.  So, her becoming a teacher seemed as natural as breathing.  But it required a lot of work.  For four years, I have watched my sister balance work, family, a home, and school.  While this often required a bit of juggling, she never let any of the balls she juggled drop.  And I have watched her husband and kids help support her along her journey.

 
I have seen my sister make wonderful friends in her program, friendships that will last a lifetime.

This past weekend, all the hard work finally paid off.  My sister graduated from college.  And not just graduated, she graduated Magna Cum Laude.  Where we are from, it is still somewhat rare for people to have a college education.  The fact that my parents have three kids, all of who are college graduates, is a big deal.  I cannot tell you how incredibly proud we all are of her.  I had tears in my eyes pretty much the entire weekend, because I was so proud of her I could just burst.  The fact that she was graduating from my own Alma Mater made it that much sweeter.

We got to hold a graduation party for her, and so many people came out to celebrate the momentous occasion.  While we did have to chase away some rain, the day ended with a beautiful rainbow which ended on my parents' property.

Thank you Kim, for allowing me to be a part of your journey, for inspiring me to never give up on my own dreams, and for being such an incredible role model to those around you.  I love you so much, and am so proud of you.

View the entire photo set here.

Best Friend

Posted by Von Battle

When I was still in school, I worked for my dad in his law office. One year he hired a young secretary from Dothan, Alabama. She had moved to the big city to find true love believe it or not. We became best friends after a period of time. She was just three years older than me but we really did have a lot in common. We used to go everywhere together. When I graduated from college, we even went on a three week trip to Europe. So much happened on that trip, but we were young and crazy. I am pretty sure we will never tell our children about it. When we got back from Europe, I went on to law school and my friend fell in love with the man of her dreams. Before I knew it, she had married him and moved to Memphis. We have kept in touch all these years since she moved, and she invited me to come visit a few weeks ago. We are both so much older now and even have grandchildren. We went on a shopping trip one day and out to lunch. When we finally returned to her home we were both just worn out. Gone were our nights of partying till dawn. That night the most we could muster was watching an old movie on Direct TV Memphis. At least that was one thing we could still share and enjoy…even at our age.

Pink or Blue? Flowers or Animals?

Lately I have been looking at cute baby hats.  My friends are expecting, and while we do not know yet whether it is a boy or a girl, I do find myself drawn to boys newborn hats; perhaps that means something.

I am not sure what the best baby hat is.  I suppose it depends on why you are getting the hat.  Baby hats are a hot accessory for newborn baby pictures right now.  It seems like everywhere I look, there are pictures posted of a sleepy baby wearing a hat, their chin propped up on their hands.  Totally adorable.  So, if the hat is to be used for that, I want to make sure it is unique.  My personal favorites are the hats that look like animals.  I also just love love pink puffy heart love the baby girl hats with the huge flowers on them.  It is never too late for a girl to learn to accessorize!

But honestly, I think I would want a hat that can be used for more than just pictures.  I would want a hat that the baby can both look adorable in, and will get lots of use from.  Something warm, but not too hot, perfect for a snowy day or a day when there is just a slight chill in the air.  The mommy to be loves personalized things, so maybe something with the baby's name on it.  And I saw one hat the daddy to be would just love- it is a knitted turkey, as in a roast turkey!

There are just so many options.  Soon we will know if our friends are having a boy or a girl, and that should help narrow now the search.  Sqee!

It Made My Day: My Friend Roseanna

Today, I got the nicest surprise when I checked my Facebook.  I saw that my friend Roseanna White had tagged me in a post.  When I went to see the post, I was surprised to see that she had written the nicest blog post about me as part of her "My Friend Fridays" series on her blog.

Roseanna talks about how we became friends online, so I will encourage you to go read her post here.  But what she does not mention, most likely because she does not know, is what a huge inspiration she has been to me, as a wife, and a Christian, and hopefully one day an author.

Roseanna has always encouraged me, and has really helped shape my voice as a blogger and a reviewer.  She gives me great advice, and I am very blessed to have met her online.  I look forward to the day when we will get to meet in real life.

So thank you, Roseanna, for the lovely post, but most importantly the blessing of your friendship.  It certainly made my day!

Flocked!

I am beyond blessed to have a wonderful group of friends that I have met through my husband.  Some of the wives of his friends, some are the friends of those friends, and we form this little cohesive group that is unlike anything I have ever experienced.  We have nicknamed ourselves the Real Housewives of Armstrong County.  We try to get together once a month for a girl's night, and try to help celebrate the wonderful things going on in each other's lives.

Erin got to become an official member last weekend, since she was now a wife and not a fiance.  And while the wedding was a celebration of this, we decided that we needed to help officially congratulate them, and specifically Erin for become a full fledged member of the "Real Housewives".  What better way than to flock them?

Flocking is something that people do with flamingo lawn ornaments.  A local youth group is raising money by having people pay to have a neighbor or a friend flocked.  I decided to put a little spin on this, and instead of decorating just the lawn, we decorated their whole house with tropical flamingo decorations.

What couple would not like the luxury of their honeymoon being extended for another day or two?  That is what we did, by decorating their house, and showing them some love.  We even put a couple of home cooked meals in the freezer so they would not need to cook for a couple of days.

One of the great things about living in a small town is that I have had a chance to create such close, meaningful relationships, not only with my friends, but with their families as well.  Erin's sister knew about our little plan, and helped keep the secret until the newlyweds got home today.

It was so fun for us girls to help extended the celebration for a day or two by surprising Erin and Jason.  We truly love them from the bottom of our hearts!

Word Filled Wednesday: Two Better than One

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

As I mentioned yesterday, this past weekend we attended the wedding of our dear friends Erin and Jason.  It filled me with so much happiness to see them so happy, joyful, and in love.  These two are perfect together.  The verse above mentioned that "two are better than one" and that is never more evident than in this case.

I did not know Jason long, about a year, before he started dating Erin, but many of our other friends did.  Everyone remarks about the positive changes in Jason since he met Erin.  He is so full of love, and joy.  She gives him the confidence he needed.  The same can be said of Jason's effect on Erin.  Her lifelong friends have remarked how good it is to see Erin treated so well, and to be so happy.  These two truly balance each other out.

Jason and Erin have supported each other over the past two years, not only through wedding planning, but through many things.  They have truly strengthened each other, and along with God have formed a threefold cord that I truly believe will never be broken.  My heart soars with happiness for these two.

And truly, two are better than one.

Out of Town: Wedding Bells

This past weekend, Hubby and I went to Deep Creek, Maryland.  This is the second time we have visited there, but this time we did some different activities than last time.  But the most important thing we did is attend the absolutely gorgeous wedding of our dear friends Erin and Jason.

Hubby has been friends with Jason since childhood, so he was so honored to serve as one of his groomsman.  And Erin asked me to help with a very special project, taking pictures of the guests for a photo guestbook.  I thought it was so sweet that Erin and Jason found ways to include so many of their friends and family in the wedding prep and ceremony.

We arrived in Deep Creek on Thursday, and that evening we went to a bonfire for those guests that came in early.

We had so much fun.  The next evening we had the rehearsal and dinner, and had a chance to visit with a group of truly wonderful people.

Isn't this location beautiful?

Then Saturday, of course, was the wedding and reception.  Every aspect of the wedding was so perfectly Erin and Jason.  It perfectly summed up their relationship and love for each other.  I absolutely adored seeing the glow of love on their faces.

Note Erin's bouquet.  It is a brooch bouquet Jason had made to surprise her.  

I could not help but feel a little nostalgic about my own wedding, and I know then exciting times ahead for Erin and Jason.  Hubby and I are truly blessed to call this wonderful couple our dear friends, and we are thankful we got to be part of this special day.  Thank you so much for including us, we love you both!

Word Filled Wednesday: I Wish

3 John 1:2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.


All my life, I looked for any excuse to make a wish.  Going through a yellow traffic light.  Dandlions. 11:11 on the clock.    Birthday candles.  Every silly superstitious opportunity you can think of.  And from the time I was about 12 until the age of, oh I don't know, 30, these wishes involved romance.  I wish to find a boyfriend.  I wish my boyfriend and I would get back together.  I wish to find true love, someone who loves me for who I really am.  What I should have been wishing for was that I would find God's will, and the patience to see the man He created as my partner.

Now that I have met that man, and found true love, I realize that while it took a long time, all those wishes were actually granted.  And now, I know that what I should be wishing, in fact praying for, is God's will in both our lives.  I wish for happiness for all those I love, for health and peace.  And above all, I wish for them to know how much I love each and every one of them.  They are all my wishes come true.