Perfect Pairings

Yesterday's Sunset...

He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

In that day shall the branch of Jehovah be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. Isaiah 4:2

Obamacare

The House has passed the healthcare bill. The House has passed the healthcare bill. The House has passed the healthcare bill.

Maybe if I say it a few more times I'll wake up and it won't be true.

(Pinch. Wake up, stupid!)

Oh. It's true.

Maybe the Senate will get it right.

It's time for healthcare reform, but this...?

First Friday party

Our new neighborhood has a cool tradition where we rotate homes and have a social every First Friday of the month. Yesterday was our turn, and it was a blast!

The weather was perfect, we put a fire in the outside fireplace, had Jazz XM on the stereo, and many neighbors came with appetizers and drinks.

My sister and I used our creative talents to create this lovely flower arrangement (from our gardens) for the festivities!

Maybe we need to expand Twice as Nice Boutique to include floral arrangement. :o)

Fort Hood Tragedy

Many people will be blogging about the shooting at Fort Hood. If you don't know what I'm talking about here is a brief synopsis:

An Army PSYCHIATRIST opened fire in a training center at Fort Hood today killing 12 and injuring as many as 30 others. He had received papers that he was to be deployed to Iraq toward the end of November.

Fort Hood is located in the Temple/Killeen area, approximately 2 hours from the College Station area. In Texas, this is next door neighbors!

My two-cents on the topic: although I agree that psychiatrists are human and feel stress like everyone else it seems odd that the first sign of EXTREME stress would be to kill a bunch of people. I'm just saying...

Also, the guy's name sounds middle eastern. Doesn't mean he was a terrorist. Doesn't mean he wasn't. But are we now going to be stuck in a place where everyone with an arabic sounding name is suspect? I pray not. Post 9/11 was tough enough.

My prayers go out the the victims, their families, and their friends. Violence has far-reaching effects and those effects can linger. Let our prayers wage war on the needless suffering of humanity.

We should all be...

Filled with love, that is!

JMonster grabbed me around the neck as we "snuggled" in his bed last night. He pulled me close and told me he was giving me love. Lots of love. Because he had too much.

"Too much? Where did you get too much love, buddy?"

"From God."


Why can't we all be filled with too much love?

10 Years and Counting! (updated with photo of murder mystery)

Mr. Swizz's Dad & Swizz's Mom
Request the Honour of your Presence
at the wedding of their daughter Swizz
to The Rev
October 16, 1999
at First Presbyterian Church
Houston
Dessert Reception to Follow

(Our wedding invitation)

I've never been very good at surprises. I love GETTING them, but giving them is another story. For one, I'm a HORRIBLE liar. Deception just doesn't come easy to me.

For our 10 year anniversary I told The Rev that he wasn't allowed to plan anything. "Um, Okay," he said. You could just hear the anxiousness in his voice. Maybe a little tension? He's typically the one to plan special occasions; he relishes planning and surprising, so letting go of this control was huge for him.

I planned a FABULOUS anniversary weekend at The Gaylord Texan, a resort in Grapevine, Texas. And he was actually surprised!

This is the view of the resort from outside.

This is the "lobby" or atrium inside the hotel.
What you can't see are all of the miniature trains that ride around the lobby!

Friday night we arrived at the hotel. This was our actual anniversary so I planned a very special dinner. A "romantic" murder mystery dinner at the Riverwalk Cafe inside of the resort.

Here is a photo of us with the cast of the murder mystery!

Saturday we met JMonster, Grammy and Pops (The Rev's parents) in downtown Grapevine for a fun Butterfly Festival. Grapevine is a quaint old town with a Main Street and adorable shops. There are also TRAINS! After watching the butterfly release we headed over to the trains so JMonster could explore. The trains travel between downtown Grapevine and The Stockyards in Fort Worth. A round-trip ride, with a stop in Fort Worth for lunch and shopping, lasts about 5 hours. We didn't get to do this trip but one day we plan on heading back to do it...JMonster insists!

Saturday evening we headed to The Glass Cactus, a nightclub there on-site at the resort. Many guests visit there, but it is also an attraction for people from the surrounding areas. We didn't end up staying...I'm such an introvert that the crowds of people I didn't know, coupled with no tables or chairs being available (they all had reserved signs on them) made me uncomfortable.

All in all it was a fabulous anniversary weekend away!

When we got home, a good friend of ours sent us a copy of the vows that were written by our friends and said during our wedding ceremony:

The Rev & Swizz: we are gathered here as your family---whether by blood or by Spirit---celebrating a process of transformation that is nothing-short-of divine. Right before our eyes, all that is the old Rev and the former Swizz is about to vanish, never to be seen again, because in this moment---in this very room--- God has given you a precious gift, which we are privileged to watch you both unwrap: the chance to begin life all over again. As eyewitnesses to this miracle, we pledge to you both our support: we will lift you on our collective shoulders, which are strong enough to carry you and broad enough for you to cry on; they will heave with laughter as we share your joy, and slump with sorrow when you are broken. As eyewitnesses to this miracle, we pledge to you both our love: not as those who have invented it, but as those who have been graced with it from the Father, who acknowledge its most-perfect-model in the sacrifice of the Son, and who have known its power which comes through the Holy Spirit. God has already given you His blessing---we echo that with our AMEN!

Dental Emergencies revisited

Yep, we had another dental emergency in our household yesterday. JMonster hit the very same tooth he almost knocked out last time. This time it is chipped and looks like it has a fracture running across it. (Sigh)

Tomorrow we go to see his NEW pediatric dentist for the first time. We had planned on getting a cleaning appointment, but now we'll do both.

Cross your fingers that the damage is minimal and my baby won't be toothless until he's 7!