January 13th

For Andy's birthday dinner, we went to Fargo Cattle Company for dinner. He is definitely a steak and potatoes kind of guy. Here's some random pix from dinner.

Christine keeping Andy straight

The Lovely Couple

January 12th

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY ANDY!

January 11th

They made it!

A couple of signs from Knightdale Barbecue and Seafood where we ate lunch. Christine had never had hush puppies but decided they were pretty good!

Arthur and Gracie with his Christmas gift

January 10th

No picture today but a Heartlight article I save for just this moment. Tomorrow Andy and Christine are flying in to visit. This article says it all. "Home" is not really a place but people so for me when my children visit me they are "home". This says it all.


Coming Home, by Phil Ware

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in
me. My Father’s house has plenty of room; if that were not so,
would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for
you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and
take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know
the way to the place where I am going" (John 14:1-4 TNIV, spoken by
Jesus).

In just a few hours, he will be coming home. His room is ready, the plans are made, the waiting is nearly done. But, it's different being on this end of things. I've been the one who has traveled and returned home. I remember the joy of being home after a long trip. I never really thought that much about being on the waiting end, the longing end, of a returning child. It is an impatient wait, a restless anticipation of a greater joy.
It's not like we haven't seen each other in a long time! It's just that I miss him not being here. I'm happy for him -- the friends he has made, the work he has done, the life he has built. But he has been away from me, and home is not quite the same without him. I'm anxious to have him here to enjoy the holidays -- a traditional Thanksgiving meal, football, a little shopping, and just buddying around. But most of all, I am anxious to have him here with me. Home will seem a little more like home with him here.
I know he longs for the day of homecoming and reunion.
This waiting has given me a new appreciation for a side of heaven I had never imagined. I think now about my waiting Father. He sent his Son.
He watched as his Son bore great indignities and death. He has seen him triumph over the grave. He rejoiced as the Son poured out the Spirit.
He has celebrated with the angels as millions have shared in the Son's death and resurrection through faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. But now he waits. He lives in the world of expectation, anticipating the Great Feast when all of his children come home to be with him and to share in this great thanksgiving of joy.
I guess I've sung "Lord come quickly, Hallelujah!" thousands of times.
In all those times, I've never thought about how the Father hears it; how he hears our hearts being homesick for a place we've never been before. I know he longs for the day of homecoming and reunion, too. He yearns for the day that our faith becomes sight and we can see him face to face in all his glory. He anticipates the day when he will receive us as his fully adopted children. Unlike us, the Father knows when that day will occur, but he doesn't let anyone else know. It's his surprise!
The only reason he waits is so that our feast can be bigger and his banquet hall will be full of children. But I now imagine that it is hard for him to wait to have me home.
Until that day, every time I wait for my children to come home, I will remember that I have a waiting Father, too. This Father is happy for me
-- the friends I have made, the work I have done, the life I have built. After all, these gifts have really come from him. I know he is anxious to have me home to enjoy the celebration with him. I know my Brother Jesus has prepared a room for me in the Father's house. I know the day of going home, the day of great thanksgiving, will come. Most of all, I now realize that he is even more excited than I am, for me to come home. I can even imagine that occasionally, as he hears me sing "Jesus is Lord," he sings back to me, "Child, come home quickly, Hallelujah!"
---------
(c) 2007 Phil Ware . All rights reserved.

January 7th

Completely amazing sunset!

January 6th

We got the decorations all put away (they were in boxes in the sitting room) and cleaned everything. It is so good to have our house back.

January 5th

Arthur has lost 13 lbs ! It's encouraging. Despite our late night, we woke up at about 9:30. We got some odds and ends done, went to lunch, and then Arthur had Praise and Worship practice. He's been singing lately. There is a young man who wanted to try his hand on the bass. Arthur did speak to Katherine, the worship leader, about having a chance to play again since he misses it. He especially wants to play again after watching the band last night! I met Arthur at church, so we could go to the gym right after. Unfortunately, we were running late and by the time we got to the gym it was getting ready to close.

January 4th

Sorry this is so dark. Arthur and I went to Tony's Oyster Bar to see a band play. One of our neighbors brothers is the keyboardist. We went out at about 9 pm and didn't get home until 2 am! We felt like we were 18 again. Lol!

January 3rd

Roasted vegetables! Arthur took this picture, I swear. We have been sticking to the diet very well. We are fortunate that there are few vegetables that we don't like.

January 2nd

This is on Arthur's way to work. I am a little concerned though. It appears that Arthur was driving while he took this!

January 1st, 2008

I made it! 365 pictures in 365 days! There were a few days that I borrowed some pics from Ben so I could post pics of him but for the most part, I managed to take a picture a day. Now some were not exciting but then everyday isn't always an adventure. Lol! What did I walk away with from this project: A new appreciation for the passage of time, an understanding of how much fun our daily life really is when you look at it with a new perspective, the opportunity to really appreciate every moment with the people I love. Somehow life just keeps rolling along and all the little things are forgotten but when you have pictures of it, you keep it all fresh in your mind. I look back through the photos and am reminded of all that has happened this year. My sister in law visiting in January, visiting Kansas to see Ben off to Iraq, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, Andy visiting for a week, our trip to Myrtle Beach, our trip back to RI, family get togethers, the Ladies Retreat, and on and on. What an amazing year! Even the bad things like Arthur losing his job or Ben leaving for Iraq and how we were blessed by God to get through those times is in photos.

Will I continue in 2008? Yes, I will allow myself not to have to take a picture every day. Arthur says that he wants his camera back. Lol! Actually, Arthur has decided to join in the fun and blog. I think he will write the deep spiritual things and I will cover what we ate for dinner. It will be a good balance. So we go forth into 2008, camera in hand!

I hope all of our friends and family have a wonderful and blessed New Year!

December 31st

Our final picture of 2007

We went out for Chinese with Rose and Joe and then went to see National Treasure.

Happy New Year Everyone!

December 30th

And to the gym we go. Well, this is just the fitness room that we can use for free. I'm kind of rotating between this and Curves. Arthur has joined Planet Fitness that is opening in Knightdale so I'll probably go there once it is opened.

December 29th

Spinach Quiches

It has begun - South Beach Diet again. Lol! Arthur actually started the day after Christmas but I waited until today so I could go to the store. A couple of years ago, Arthur lost 78 pounds in about 9 months. He had regained some back over the next year or 2 but regained most of the rest of it since we came to NC. Somehow hush puppies don't help in keeping weight off. I had lost 17 pounds and was in much better shape overall (I now have a pile of clothes from RI that don't fit). So we have started again.

December 28th

I watched the last dvd in Daniel. I had finished the workbook but missed the last class.