To Emulate an Artist

Tonight I enjoyed watching the first, and probably the most meaningful, award show of the season. The Kennedy Center Honors are as glitzy and star-studded as any other award ceremony, but have a sense of reverence that is a refreshing departure from the superficial opulence of Hollywood. It's great because, as the years go on, I'm starting to recognize more and more of these people. It used to be I might have heard of one of the honorees... But tonight, I was 4 for 6. There was Morgan Freeman (amazing actor), Twyla Tharp (innovative dancer), Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who (rock stars), George Jones (country singer), and Barbara Streisand (all-around performer and feminine champion).

The best part of the show is the musical tribute paid to each honoree after their video biography. These performances are always very well done. But I got to wondering tonight how the people on stage feel, knowing that they are attempting to reproduce the work of a living legend who will be sitting out in the audience, watching their every move. It's probably about as exciting and painful as what the honorees experience as they watch these young people try to remake their greatest work. I love watching their reactions to each performer. Sometimes they have a look of polite interest and encouragement as they look down at the youngster who is trying his or her best to impress. Sometimes they look downright concerned at some of the liberties that are being taken. And, in a rare but special moment, you see a tear in their eye as they are genuinely moved by this passionate display of love for what they have accomplished in life.  It is a night set aside for celebrating creativity - where the nation's finest are given the chance to applaud and, for a lucky few, to emulate a truly legendary artist. For that's all we can ever hope to do. We can't outdo the best.

As I pondered these things during a remarkable rendition of "Teenage Wasteland", it struck me... If it's hard for a great artist to watch another artist try to reinterpret their work, how must God feel every time we try to create something? If you think about it, everything we do as artists stems from the inspiration we pull from something He has created. He was and is the Original Artist, and whether or not we are trying to honor Him with our creativity, all we can ever hope to be are very skilled copy-cats. I can't help but chuckle as I imagine Him looking down on a kindergarten classroom and saying, "Come on, kid! You call that a rainbow?" That's what God would do if He was selfish and shallow like us. But I am confident that He is more like that super-supportive parent who Ooo's and Aww's at even the most unfortunate-looking scribbles their child produce. He gave us the ability to create and, therefore, must rejoice in our creative attempts. For some of us, using our imaginations are the greatest way we can worship our Lord. It provides a way to express the wonder and beauty of all He has done, and - unlike the judgmental traditions of the world - using art and creativity for the glory of God is always a beautiful thing.

"In art and creativity we make visible to others the beauty and meaning God has first pictured, or introduced, into our own imaginations. In that sense we are each a small extension of the mind of God." ~ Luci Shaw

Family Bonding

James and I are getting pretty close to being able to say that we've seen every member of our family over the course of this year. Not only was there the mini-reunion at the wedding in May, but we have been able to take three big trips around the country to see most of the people who couldn't make it out for the ceremony. In September we went out to California and spent some quality time with James' family. Then we went to Louisville to see my dad's side of the family over Thanksgiving. This past weekend, we finally made the trip up to Dallas to see my mom's side of the family. I haven't been able to visit my Uncle Mike, his wife Susan, and their kids and grandkids very often so I knew I shouldn't pass up the opportunity to see them while we still live in the same state.

I'll admit I was a bit nervous since I haven't seen my cousins in years, but there was nothing to worry about because they were all extremely warm and welcoming. We stayed with my cousin Michelle, her husband Mark, and their two girls - Elizabeth and Hannah. They have a beautiful house on the north side of the city, and we really enjoyed spending a couple of leisurely nights with them and their adorable dogs. On Saturday afternoon, my Uncle took us on a brief tour of downtown Dallas. It was pretty incredible seeing some of these historic places like the street where JFK was assassinated, as well as some new points of interest like the house that George and Laura Bush are going to move into in a couple of weeks. When we'd seen enough, we met my cousin Jim for what he claims is the best burger in Dallas. Then we rounded out the afternoon by visiting with my Aunt and Uncle.

Over all, it was a really laid-back weekend. But that was just what we needed. We weren't looking for an exciting and action packed experience in a new city. We made the 9 hour drive up there to reacquaint ourselves with a big part of our family, and that's exactly what we did. In fact, I would say that we got to kind of bond with them, which is something I don't feel like I've ever really done with them. Like I said, we rarely got together with the Dallas crew when I was growing up. I really hope that that will no longer be the case. I am so thankful that James and I not only have faces and memories to put with the names on those annual Christmas cards, but we now feel like we have connected with every part of our family. It means so much to me to know that (with the exception of James' grandparents from Maine and Uncle who is doing some work related with the Peace Core in Morocco) we have both met each other's families and have their personal blessings for our union. We've joined our two families into one and are following their example for how to live and love as our own little family. Nothing better than that around the holidays!

Our First Christmas

Well, Christmas has finally come to Del Rio! Most of our friends left earlier this week to go spend the holidays with their families in more exciting parts of the country - but I'm glad that James and I decided to stay here. Since we got to visit both sides of the family earlier this year, we felt it would be better to save our travel money and start our own yuletide traditions.

We kicked off our Christmas celebration yesterday afternoon by watching one of my favorite Christmas movies - "The Holiday". It never fails to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

Soon afterward, it was time to start cooking! We decided to have our big Christmas feast on Christmas Eve and then enjoy left-overs after opening gifts. We've never really cooked a BIG meal like this before, but agreed we wanted it to be special, so it was interesting trying to figure out what would make the biggest bang for the smallest buck. I had to make several short phone calls to my mom to ask how to do basic things that my recipes do not explain - but luckily we managed to cook a very tasty meal without burning down the apartment. We were extremely satisfied after scarfing down some honey-glazed pre-cooked turkey, fresh green beans, sweet potato casserole, and James' favorite - homemade dinner rolls.

After that, we got dressed up in green and red and drove down to Del Rio Bible Church for their Christmas Eve service. We were kind of hoping for a more traditional service than we normally get on Sundays. James was especially looking forward to singing some of the traditional Christmas hymns like "Joy To The World" and "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing!". Unfortunately, they stuck with their usual contemporary worship songs, with frequent prayer and some "special music" mixed in. They even let a few of the little kids in the congregation come up front and play the piano for us. But my favorite part of the night was not the heart-felt testimony and scripture reading in the middle of the service, or the candle lighting at the end, but the animated videos they sprinkled throughout to keep the kids occupied. Nothing quite like watching Charlie Brown in church. It was definitely a different experience than either of us were expecting - but as I thought about it - I was OK with it. It was a worship service focused on Jesus, not on tradition or the holiday itself, and maybe Christmas would be a bit more meaningful if more churches did that.

When we got home, we made some hot chocolate and watched "It's a Wonderful Life". After that, it was time for bed, which meant it was time to test if our pre-arranged gift-exchange plan would work. You see, both of our parents were the ones who took care of putting out the gifts and stuffing the stockings. But now we had to do that for each other, and it was going to be pretty tricky finding a way to surprise one another. It was a creative endeavor, shopping for gifts without tipping the other off, and finding a place in our small apartment to hide them until the big day. But we agreed not to go snooping, and that I would put his presents out after bedtime on Christmas Eve and he would get up in the morning and put mine out. It all went surprisingly well. We make pretty good Santa's.

James woke me up this morning with a kiss, which was the first of many wonderful gifts! We made some cinnamon rolls and scrambled eggs for breakfast, which were very tasty indeed. Then we read the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible and said a prayer of thanksgiving before tearing into our small pile of presents under the tree. All of these things are a combination of each of our family's traditions for Christmas morning, which was fun and meant a lot to both of us.

James seemed to be pretty thrilled with his gifts - some of his favorite treats, an iTunes gift card, new sketch book, a couple of other books I knew he would like, and a new novelty tee shirt that he really wanted. He loves to dote on me so it was no surprise all his gifts blew mine out of the water. First, he had some of my favorite pictures from the wedding printed and framed for me. He also got me a couple of accessories for my camera, and 151 movies. Yes, you read correctly - 151! He found two DVD box sets (one of 100 and one of 50) that contained a bunch of classic Hollywood films, and also got me "WALL-E" because he knew I would enjoy it.

 It's funny because we are so similar, we ended up getting each other some very similar gifts. We both bought a copy of the new Harry Potter book - "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" - for one another, and he got me a similar tee shirt from the same website. Again, gift-giving between the two of us is a difficult thing because we do everything together.

Once the main event was over, we relaxed for a bit and explored our new toys. Then we went to the movies to see one of the 6 new movies that came out today. "Bedtime Stories" is a very cute and enjoyable family film and I highly recommend it!

And there you have it, we're about to chow down on our plentiful left-overs and watch "WALL-E". It's been a very mellow but enjoyable Christmas and we are both looking forward to making use of our gifts in the coming months. All of these movies will help keep me occupied while he is at work and studying in his next phase of training. My new camera accessories will also definitely help as I start doing more professional photo shoots.

We have both really enjoyed being married these past 7 months and love being our own little family. By the time New Year's rolls around we will have spent time with almost our entire family this year, and will be ready to finally start working and doing something with our time and energy. It's been a great holiday, and we look forward to many more of them in the future!

What Not To Wear

You know things are bad when you're sitting on your couch in your pj's on a weekday afternoon and you choke on your ramen noodles because you realize the woman being profiled on 'What Not To Wear' looks just like you. Same flat, shoulder length brown hair - same worn out tee shirts and flare jeans - same black converse tennis shoes... Even her shapeless khaki colored purse looks like mine, but I bet hers doesn't have holes in it. =^/

I've never really been a girly girl who enjoys shopping and spends a lot of time on how they look. For a long time I was sort of a tom boy - always hanging out with guys, never wearing dresses, and never wearing make-up. Because of that, I think I missed out on a lot of those crucial lessons that other girls must have gotten on how to make yourself look nice and feminine. I often joke that I am "girl retarded" because I still don't really know how to style hair or the right way to put on make-up and things like that.

My super-casual appearance worked well in college because there was really never a need to dress up. I figured that I didn't need to impress anybody because I already had a wonderful boyfriend (who lived 1000 miles away) and so I usually just rolled out of bed, threw on some jeans and a hoodie, and braided my hair into pigtails. Kind of pathetic...but people generally seemed to think it was silly in an endearing sort of way...and I could live with that.

But now I find myself in an awkward transition. I'm only 22 and could probably get away with still shopping in the juniors department... But I'm also married and finished with school and trying to start my own business. I don't feel comfortable shopping in the women's department but I'm pretty sure I should move on from the tiny screen printed tees and jeans and try to look a little more sophisticated...

I think my biggest problem is that I was raised to be very frugal and have a really hard time spending money on myself. I watch all of these fashion shoes on TV and cognitively recognize what I should be wearing right now...but I can't bring myself to spend the money required to help my wardrobe grow up. I would be so excited if Stacy and Clinton ambushed me with $5000 to spend on new clothes. First of all, I'm sure I could use their help to figure out how to properly dress and style my body. But also, knowing that I had to spend all that money on myself might help me loosen up when it comes to price tags. Right now I still think $30 is a lot to spend on anything (except electronics ;^).

I guess this time in my life is all about growing up and figuring out how to be an adult. Hopefully as things start to pick up with my photography, I'll have a little extra spending money that I can put toward some much needed style restoration. I think the first thing will be to find a replacement for my poor, hole-y handbag. 

Pastor Joe

Pastor Joe of Del Rio Bible Church is a very passionate little man. I always look forward to going to church because I know that, any time he speaks, he is guaranteed to wander off-topic and say something that is completely random, but bitingly honest. Most people get frustrated with his long-winded and rambling sermons, but I find that - no matter how lacking his organization skills are - I always walk away with something meaningful to think about.

Today, we discussed Luke 2:21-40 (which was a huge relief for the regulars because we've been studying Genesis every week for the last 7 months). Pastor Joe said that he chose this scripture because he thinks it is wrong that everyone reads Luke 2 at Christmas but always stop at verse 20. The second half of the book details what happened in the months after Jesus was born - namely the story of Mary and Joseph taking him into the temple to make a sacrifice and dedicate him to the Lord.

Up until this point in the sermon, Pastor Joe had been fairly good about simply expositing on the text. But, this part in the story reminded him of one of his greatest passions, and he couldn't help but pause and talk for several minutes about the importance of actively educating your kids about what it means to be a Christian and making sure you bring them up right. I guess his wife is a teacher so education and parental responsibility are big concerns of his. We've heard him make many a spirited speech about how our culture is going down the toilet because parents refuse to discipline their kids...

Anyway, he said something today that I thought was very interesting. He believes that the purification ceremony that followed the birth of a child in those days kind of served as a reminder for each parent that the child will have to pay the penalty for sin if they do not create a relationship with God. They recognized the fact that we are born as sinful beings who are in need of salvation - something most modern parents seem to have forgotten. People in our culture seem to think that children are innocent little angels and should be allowed to grow and find their own way without the restriction and frustration that results from being disciplined. Of course, that's a terrible idea, and we see the results of this flawed parenting philosophy every day on TV. Kids are spoiled, shallow and rebellious - and very few of them make any effort to maintain their faith after they leave home and have the freedom to make their own choices. My college staff worker said he read somewhere that 85% of young Christians walk away from the church when they are in college!!

The main point is - people do not become Christians through heredity. Just because you are a Christian doesn't mean your kids will be. It is supremely important to try to teach them about Christ and influence them as they grow in their faith! As Pastor Joe said, if your children do not actually see you living what you preach, they will not accept your Savior.

I wish more people took the time to invest in their kids these days. If they did, the world would be a much better place. I know it's uncomfortable for parents to talk about something deeply personal with their kids...but that's really unfortunate. Kids need to get this information from somewhere. If you don't talk to your kids and teach them the important things about life, they will figure it out somehow - and you may not like the conclusions they reach.

I am so glad that James and I have been hearing talks like this because it should come in handy when/if we become parents. I don't even know where to begin when it comes to having meaningful talks with little kids...but at least James and I have made a commitment to really try to communicate with our kids about everything. I don't think either of us had enough deep and honest conversations with our parents and we both really regret that now. Luckily, we both turned out pretty well. God really can work in any situation.

A Week of Celebrations!

This past week has been crazy but so much fun! Because James and I are not real busy right now, we have been able to spend a lot of time with friends, having fun and enjoying the season. This past week was the week of all of our Christmas parties and so it seems like we were celebrating more often than not.

On Monday night we celebrated a new friendship.

For the past several weeks, we've been attending a couple's Bible study centered around the Song of Solomon. It's been the highlight of my week because we get to go be with other Christian couples and have great discussions. There is a decent range of ages there - from newly wed couples like us to people who have been married for over 20 years and have several kids. We feel like we have learned a lot from the older, more experienced couples, and that we have a lot in common with the others who are also just starting out.

We've really bonded with one of the other newlywed couples in the group. Their names are Ashley and Patrick ("Chappy") Chapman. Apparently James and Chappy have known each other for several years because they went to the same prep school before going through the Air Force Academy. Chappy's family currently lives in Colorado Springs, and Ashley is originally from California - so, of course, we immediately hit it off. They are both extremely fun and friendly and I already feel closer to them than I have been to anyone else I have met since my arrival. On Sunday night, after a particularly great Bible Study, we got to talking about how much we love getting to spend quality time with other Christians and never want our discussions to end.Before the night was over we had exchanged phone numbers and, sure enough, they called us up on Monday and invited us over for hot chocolate and cookies. We sat on their couch and talked for three hours before realizing it was really late and everyone except me had to get up early for work the next morning. We parted ways after promising to hang out again, and agreeing that the holiday parties that our friends were planning for the weekend couldn't come fast enough.

Wednesday night we celebrated the start of a new chapter in life.

There is another young couple from our church that we have enjoyed spending time with over the past few months. Chad and Alanna Reger are some of the most friendly people I have ever met, and they really helped me to feel at home at Del Rio Bible Church. However, Chad got his assignment to Oklahoma City last month and this was their last week in town. We didn't want to just say good bye at church on Sunday, so we invited them over for dinner on Wednesday night in hopes of spending a little more quality time before they left. Transferring from one base to another is a really hectic process, and so we figured they would enjoy getting out of their boxed-up house and having a home-cooked meal before heading out on the road. I spent a good portion of the afternoon getting everything ready - from setting the table with our wedding china to baking some fun holiday desserts before starting on the Italian meal we had planned for that evening. I was a bit frazzled by the time James got home from work, but it was totally worth it because they seemed to really enjoy the food and we very much enjoyed their company. They will definitely be missed.

Friday night we celebrated the good life we lead.

Recently, James and I received an invitation to a holiday party being held at our friend Caleb and Greg's bachelor pad. (For those who attended our wedding in May, these were the guys who showed up to the rehearsal in tuxedo tee-shirts because we asked them to dress in semi-formal attire. Crazy, creative pilots...) The invite was for an event they entitled: "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like AWESOME!" Somehow, they decided it would be fun to make it a black tie affair. So the 20+ guests who came all dressed to the nine's - simply because they could. James wore his tuxedo and now-famous two-tone wingtips. I pulled out what I affectionately refer to as my "Jessica Rabbit Dress" (a long, slinky red number...) and miraculously managed to twist my hair up in a fancy knot on top of my head. I brought several plates full of fudge and spiced pretzels that I had made during the week, and James enjoyed sampling the impressive drink menu they had concocted. Over all, it was a good time. Chappy and Ashley were there, as were many other pilots and their significant other's who I enjoyed getting to know better. But after four hours of high class fraternization, I was ready to head home and take off my heels. Unfortunately, my poor feet didn't have much time to recover because there was more holiday celebrating to do the next day...

Saturday night we celebrated our exciting careers.

Saturday night was the official squadron Christmas party on base. We both knew that this stuffy, formal event would hardly compare with the excellent frivolity of the previous night, but I was still really looking forward to it because this party was to be my first official paid photography job. I was contacted a few weeks ago by the squadron commander's wife who asked if I would be willing to take pictures of all of the couples at the party. James and I were already planning to attend, so it was a double bonus for me because I got to earn some money while spending time with friends!

Once again, it was going to be a formal event. I spent a good amount of time debating which of my other dresses to wear, but finally decided that - since I was going to be working that night - I should wear a festive suit instead. We both looked fabulous in our red and white satin attire. I enjoyed getting to take so many pictures and really try out my new zoom lens, but the lighting was so low in the room that I don't think my pictures turned out as well as I would have liked. Hopefully they will be happy enough with my work that I can get a few more jobs out of this new exposure.

Sunday was equally fun, but I can't think of an appropriate celebratory title for it. We went to lunch with the Chapmans and some of their friends. Then we drove up to San Antonio because James had a doctor appointment early Monday morning. Since we were in town, we dropped in on our good friend Ryan Worrell and his girlfriend Lacey. It seems like the only times we get to see them is during large group gatherings, so it was really refreshing to spend a mellow night in with them. Ryan spent a couple of hours making the most amazing lasagna I've ever tasted, and we all marveled at the breathtaking beauty of the Discovery Channel's "Planet Earth" on Blue Ray. You really can't top the quality of those new video players...

By the time we began the drive back to Del Rio on Monday afternoon, I was a very tired but satisfied young lady. After months of frustrating interactions with the military doctors down here, James was finally given a way to help relieve his irregular muscle pain. I got to finish up my holiday shopping in some real stores (because, believe it or not, Walmart does not carry everything I need.) Best of all, I was not at all dreading returning home because I was so tired and partied-out that staying home for a few days actually sounded nice. Also, we have new friends that we can call up if ever we want to do something, and I may get to work more frequently now!

Over all, I think things are starting to look up. I'm happier because good friends really make any place feel more like home, my business is finally picking up, and James is excited to start the next phase pilot training in a couple weeks. We truly have a lot to celebrate this holiday season!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

I have finally finished decorating our apartment for Christmas! I have been looking forward to this all year. James and I decided that, instead of spending the holidays with family, we would have our own little first Christmas. We figured it would be fun to create our own traditions and memories. The only problem is that Del Rio is one of the least Christmassy places I can think of, so I've been overcompensating for that by completely decking our humble halls.

We have a bunch of colored lights up in our outside windows and on our patio. We also have a little hand-me-down wreath on our front door to welcome people inside. I put lighted garlands on the top of our kitchen cabinets and on our little bar counter, which is now serving as our mantle piece. The lights reflect beautifully off of our unused silver and glassware, and create a very elegant look indeed. I've also set our table with our china and best crimson linens. Very festive!!

Of course, the show-stopper is our tree. This is the greatest symbol of our integrated holiday traditions. James always grew up with a real tree, so I agreed that we could try that - so long as I could wrap it in silver tinsel which was always my favorite part of our tree back home. We both agreed that colored lights are best, and I had fun hanging up a collection of ornaments that were given to us from both of our families. We were a bit concerned about the tree when we first got it into place because it ended up being much wider than we anticipated. But now I think it's perfect!

I am really, really enjoying celebrating Christmas so far this year. I think that the frenzied stress of finals made it difficult for me to really experience the joy of holidays while I was in school. But now I have nothing to distract me. Already, James and I have been getting in the spirit by watching all of the Christmas movies on TV and enjoying many steaming cups of hot cocoa with real mini marshmallows. Tonight will mark the second of four holiday get-together's that are scheduled for this week. And I've been filling the house with the sweet and savory smells of baking goodies over the past two days. (Once again I managed to botch up the baking of my beloved fudge. But I've resolved to enjoy it, despite my burned fingers...ha!)

Well, I'm sure I'll have many more stories to tell as we get closer to the big day. For now, I encourage you to try your best to take advantage of all the season has to offer. No - I don't mean in terms of sales and shopping. I mean, cherish the time with family and friends...don't think about your diet when the candy and cookie trays are passed...and every time you are dazzled by the wintery beauty around you, give thanks for the Gift that made this all possible.

Thanksgiving Memories

I have noticed that I am always counting down to something. I suppose it's a habit that I developed during my long distance relationship with James. We always felt the need to count down the days until we would be together again. Now that we are married and the waiting is over, I still feel the need to count down to something. Everyone needs something to look forward to. But it does create some problems once that one thing has passed. For example, I had been looking forward to James' and my trip out to Louisville for Thanksgiving for months. I couldn't wait to see my family again and introduce those who couldn't make it out to the wedding to my wonderful husband. But now that the trip is over and we're back at home in Del Rio, I'm plagued with that nagging question of: "What now?"

Already, some of the specific details of the trip are fading... But we made a lot of wonderful memories that I know we will treasure for years.

I remember that James and I got some KFC for dinner and watched the movie 'Elizabethtown' in our hotel the night before flying out to Kentucky. That was our little way of preparing for the journey.

I remember looking out the window of my grandparent's car on the way home from the airport and noting how different the familiar landscape is in the winter. Can you believe that, in my 22 years of being a part of this family, I have only ever been out there to visit in the summer time? The tree tunnels that hang over the winding roads leading to their house seemed much less impressive without any leaves.

I remember how great it felt greeting everyone at the top of the stairs once we got to the house. It was especially nice seeing my parents again. I could tell they were really excited to see me. (And, I suppose it was nice seeing my brother again...) Everyone was so warm and inviting, and I greatly appreciated how well they treated James. There was no question that he was a part of the family.

I remember spending the afternoon alone with my granddad while everyone else went out shopping on Tuesday. He told us many stories about himself and how he met my grandmother. I know he was worried that he bored us to tears with all the information, but we really did enjoy learning more about our family history. He has put together a book of pictures and memoirs from his life called "Across Eight Decades". What a luxury - to have all these stories preserved for future generations!! It makes me wonder what kinds of stories I'll have to tell my kids and grandkids someday...

I remember playing many games with all of my cousins over the course of the week. I think they realized early on that James is a very smart man who enjoys competition. There were very few games he did not win, when he chose to play. As annoying as that was for the rest of us, I was proud of him for it. He certainly made a good impression on my relatives!

I remember going to the Louisville Slugger Museum with my immediate family - something I have been wanting to do with James since I learned about his passion for baseball. I enjoyed seeing how excited and interested he was in everything we saw and learned. I didn't know much about any of the people or events that are memorialized there, but it certainly meant something to my husband and so the trip was a meaningful one for me as well.

I remember walking around outside in the sunshine on Thanksgiving day and taking portraits of all of my cousins. This was something I had been wanting to do ever since we decided to make the trip, and I was so glad that they were all willing to model for me. I just don't get to take as many photos in Del Rio as I would like, and so it would have been worth the effort, even if the pictures didn't turn out as well as they did. Everyone was very impressed with the work I did, and that meant the world to me because it helped renew my confidence in my craft. Hopefully I will be able to use my new lens to stir up more work opportunities in the next few months.

I remember Thanksgiving dinner, and how great all of the food was. Even though the turkey wasn't finished cooking until after everyone was too full to eat another bite, it was a spectacular meal. My grandmother seemed to think that the mix-up in baking time ruined the meal, but I think it's a huge credit to her cooking that we were more than satisfied with side dishes. There was never a lack of food during the entire week, and I can honestly say that, as married people, James and I have never eaten so well.

Finally, I remember having to say good bye to everyone, which was very difficult for me. It's especially hard to say good bye to my grandparents, since I never know if it will be for the last time. It certainly didn't help that we had to listen to my grandmother's funeral music right before walking out the door. (I guess she asked my parents to write an arrangement of her favorite hymns, and they wanted to show her what they had written.) But I consoled myself over a late night White Castle cheeseburger that, at least we had an amazing week together as a family. We took advantage of every opportunity to be together and make memories. If this is it, then it's a great end. But I do hope there will be many more fun and crazy, laughter-filled visits to come.

Now that the trip is complete, it's time to find something else to look forward to. Good thing Christmas is coming up. That will keep me occupied for the next few weeks. =^)