4 Years!

Last week we celebrated our 4 year anniversary! Nick and I had a wonderful overnight getaway to the VanLandingham Estate, a fancy bed-and-breakfast downtown. It was such a treat to have the time alone (thanks to the Lechners for adding Kathryn to their crowd for 2 days!) We enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner at Sullivan's (a REAL treat!) including being called by our names and being wished a happy anniversary by the manager. It was very fun. In the morning we found a treasure- a used book store right down the street from the hotel...we spent over an hour looking at different books and of course walked away with 2 bag-fulls. I know, call us nerds, but we both really enjoyed that!

These last four years have been wonderful, seriously the best 4 years of my life. I can't imagine life without being married to Nick. I think the Lord has brought us closer together each year with the new experiences we share. There has been mutual sanctification as well, as we both have been stretched to grow more like Christ in the midst of our marriage. That is our goal, anyway. I appreciate how Nick both leads me well and challenges me in areas I am weak. I admire his relationship with the Lord, and appreciate that he meets with the Lord daily, without exception. He also is very wise in handling our finances...I am grateful for that. Of course, Kathryn adores him, and I have loved watching Nick fill his new role of Dad this year. Only makes me love him more! The Lord really knew what he was doing when He brought Nick into my life as my husband. Nick, I love you so much, and I am so thankful to God for the blessing of our marriage. Happy Anniversary!

Outside the Vanlandingham Estate...you can see a little bit of the beautiful grounds behind us. There was a big garden and a beautiful pond with a waterfall....definitely didn't feel like we were in the middle of the city!

Nick is sitting on a bench on the right...this gives you an idea of the landscape.

Off to our date for some delicious dinner

The Vanlandingham Estate

Here's one of the aisles of the used book store...it was two whole rooms filled with rows like these. I got a cookbook, a mystery novel, and several books for Kathryn. Nick got a complete book of Sherlock Holmes Mysteries and a few other things that I can't remember at the moment. :)

The Adventures of the Day

Yesterday our playgroup went to a friend's farm for a little adventure. It was great for the kids. Cheryl treated us to a wonderful lunch in their beautiful 100-year-old farm house. And her daughters were great with showing the kiddos all the animals. Kathryn was happy to see her buddies, but I think she more likes the *idea* of animals rather than actually getting close to live ones. She had no interest in petting any of the animals, even the cat. She liked looking at everything from safely in someone's arms. :)

One of Cheryl's daughters showing Kathryn how to feed the goats...she was not interested in getting that close!

"I'll just watch them from here, how 'bout that?"

With the horse- couldn't get her to touch it. She was very interested in it, though.

Up close with a chicken

The little kids were a little more interested in the big beach ball than they were with the animals.

Watching a baby hedgehog

Kathryn was very taken with this bunny

And the part of the adventure that was not planned...getting a flat tire on the highway on the way to the farm. I didn't have a cell phone with me, and I had only watched Nick change a tire once years ago, so I didn't know what to do. Jeanie and Eileen were about 10 minutes behind me, so I knew they would see me eventually, which is probably the only reason I wasn't totally losing it as I was trying to figure out what to do. I decided to stand outside the car and wave someone down, praying that whoever stopped would be helpful. Thankfully, the Lord brought two very helpful gentlemen, who I think were Christians, to change my tire. Thankfully there was a spare in the trunk.

Bradford Store...De Ja Vu?

Jeanie and I went back to the Bradford Store yesterday to get some new pictures of our girls. My camera battery died about half way through, so I don't have the second half of the day's pictures. I took way too many pictures, but with toddlers, you have to take a lot to get a few good ones. Fun to see how much 9 months makes...here's the post from the last time we went last August.

Alathea and Kathryn

"Hey, this chair is just my size!"

Playing with the bowl of discarded peanut shells

Recent Pictures of Kathryn

Our Happy Girl

LOVES being outside, now that the weather is beautiful

"My mom is so mean- waking me up from a dead sleep with a bright flash in my dark bedroom. All for a picture of my cute puffy sleep-eyes."

All of the "friends"- Bunny, Ducky, Monkey and "Wild Man"

Playing at the park

Great Quote from Piper

Last night Nick and I listened to one of the recorded panel discussions from Together for the Gospel. This was the panel discussion with Mark Dever, Al Mohler, CJ Mahaney, and Ligon Duncan interviewing John Piper after his message. For a full list of downloads, you can go here.
After listening to Piper's message from the conference on living a life of radical sacrifice, this panel discussion was a wonderful addition to the message. During the message Piper mentioned that he loved that he had a church full of "strong women." He elaborates by saying:

"I love strong women. I think they are magnificent testimonies to Christ because if they're complimentarian, then they're combining things the world can't explain. They're combining a sweet, tender, kind, loving, submissive, feminine beauty with this massive steel in their backs and theology in their brain."

This idea seems right in line with Proverbs 31
vs. 17 "She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong."
vs. 25 "strength and dignity are her clothing"

I find this picture so helpful. Even as Nick and I were talking about it, I was challenged to want to study more, think more deeply, press into the Lord more fully. How does this quote strike you? Curious to hear thoughts.