20 years ago...

...I married my best friend!  It is true that it doesn't seem like it could have been that long ago.  Life just keeps moving along.  But I am extremely glad that I have had Dave to share these last 20 years with.  I love you, Dave!  And I wouldn't change anything...well maybe the colors we chose in our first apartment :)  We have grown together through the good and the bad and have evolved as people and a couple.  Gone is the hunter green and burgundy (well not in our pyrex), and we are now in middle of the child-rearing years...about to start the teens...yikes!!  

When we first were married, Dave told me thay he would take me to Austria on our 10th anniversary.  Well, we made it to downtown Charleston.  So the next goal was the 20th.  We got a little farther and made it to Hilton Head.  (We do have BIG plans for a week getaway in February though.  Who knows where we will end up)

But Hilton Head was a nice weekend excursion.  We stayed on the beach in a lovely hotel with a great view.  We ate too much (the food was awesome!), slept in, went zip-lining (we would highly recommend this adventure), hung out at the beach and pool, and rented bikes to explore the island.

Our trip was sort of interesting in one little circle of events.  On our honeymoon, we stayed at the Inn at Mystic in Mystic, CT.  The restaurant at the Inn is the Flood Tide and we had dinner and breakfast there.  One night watching Restaurant Impossible, we saw them featured!  (They had gone down since we had eaten there).  On our trip to HH, the last place we ate was Robert Irvine's restaruant, Nosh!  And his restaurant was very yummy and not in need of his overhaul!

It was very nice to get away and just be a couple for the weekend.  Here are some pictures of us 20 years after our first vacation together!

The view from the restaurant where we ate the first night

Hanging at the beach

The view from our room

Lots of relaxing on this trip!

Getting ready to jump off some tree stands!!

Bike riding around Hilton Head

Dave at the beginning of the trip before he started relaxing :)

Our goofy close-up pic

Because Kids Matter to God!

Tonight was AWANA awards night at our church.  It was a special night for me because of Nathan finishing up his AWANA career.  I tried to mention that right before my Cubbies started, but instead I started crying. So here is what I wanted to say.

I have been working in Cubbies for 9 years now as the Director.  It can sometimes be a hard job, well, more tiring than hard, but definitely rewarding.  When I started in Cubbies, Nathan was in his first official year.  His friend was also in his first official year.  (They both went to Cubbies for 3 yrs instead of 2)  Tonight they both received their Timothy Award.  Although this is not the highest award in AWANA, it is the highest for our church's program.  So this is the first year for me to see a child that started out in the beginning of Cubbies go all the way through.  And one of these children belongs to me :)

Nathan and his friend happy to have earned their Timothy Award

Here are my Cubbies singing our favorite butterfly song.  "If I were a butterfly, I'd thank you Lord for giving me wings...."  I love being a Cubbie leader.  One of my favorite titles has been Mrs. Amy, but this year I also got the title of Cubbie Bear!  And I am also the best friend of one of my little Cubbies :)  It is fun.  Although I have to admit, I am glad for the summer break!

This was Camden's first year in Sparks and he did great!  I was so impressed with how hard he tried and how well he memorized his verses.  He finished his book and his review book.  One leader that listened to his verses a lot asked him how he knew all his verses.  He said they were in his head!  But I am really proud of him inviting two of his friends to Sparks.  Although both friends are from Christian homes, they still are learning more of God's word by coming to AWANA.

Camden with his leader and his friend

Nathan got to give his testimony tonight

Nathan with the other 2 6th graders.  At our church you can choose between youth group and AWANA.  I am glad he had two good friends that also stayed in T&T.

Tonight was also extra special because we had a child baptized at the end of the service.  She got saved last year in AWANA, and this year got baptized.  It was awesome!!  Yes, kids matter to God!

I am so proud of both of our book finishers!!  Although they learned their verses to earn an award, the verses will stick with them long after their trophies are collecting dust in the attic.  And that is why I do what I do every Wednesday night!

See you in the funny pages :)

I love reading the funny pages.  In fact, that is the one part I make sure I read daily.  You can find out lots of things in the comics.  Every time the Post Office increases the cost of a stamp, I learn about it in the comics.  And if it is some special day, I am reminded of it in the comics.

And comics remind me of life, but in a funny way.  I am in the habit of cutting them out and putting them on the refrigerator.  Nathan has started doing it too, although his never seem as funny to me as they do to him.

Recently I read one that you can relate to if you are a woman.  (if you click on it, it will get bigger)

And of course this one is definitely one we can relate to at our house :)

As you can see here!

                                             

So after listening to talk radio in the car all day, I think I will skip all the heavy, depressing, political, left-leaning articles in the paper and just see you in the funny pages!