Monday, December 29, 2008

Alex & Venera's Wedding


Boy, I have so many things spinning around in my head right now, I'm not sure where to start! Alex married Venera on Saturday, and I am just so happy and so excited for them! Yep, I'm so sad that Alex no longer lives here (wow, that was hard to type), but there is so much joy that outweighs the sadness!
  • Joy that this is right and good! God has made it so clear to us that He's the one that brought Alex and Venera together. They are absolutely the picture of God's children that He has held in His hand since He created them. What a great place to be! And what an honor it is to be the mom/mom-in-law in this unfolding tapestry.
  • Joy because our family is so tight that we miss him so much already! So blessed to be sad because our family is so close, rather than not sad if our family was not close. Not sure if that makes sense, but it does in my head!
  • Joy because Venera is in our family now! Venera is wonderful, beautiful, sweet, lovely, kind, etc., etc.! Everything a mom could ask for for her son!
  • Joy because they are walking with Jesus. "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4 Really, nothing else matters!
  • Joy because this is just the beginning, and we can't wait to see where God leads this family - all of us!
Terri

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Vacation 2007

"OK, this a little goofy. It's almost 2009, and I'm writing about our 2007 summer vacation. Here's the deal. Last summer we took an awesome 2 week vacation just driving all over the souteast part of the country. I intended to blog to keep our family updated while we were gone, but quite honestly, was just too lazy. Sooo.... after we got home, we sat around and made a list of all the things we did so we wouldn't forget. Now, a year-and-a-half later, I decided it was time to at least put my notes on the blog to make it official. Whatever that means. So here goes:

On the Way
  • Pictures in front of Superman in Metropolis
Nashville, TN
  • Red Robin in Murfreesboro
  • Hard Rock Cafe
  • Shopped for boots
  • The Opry Mills Mall (Gibson Guitar, cookies, pretzels and cork guns that almost got us thrown out)
  • Cooter's Dukes of Hazzard Museum
  • Jack Daniels Distillery
  • Belmont University
  • LaQuinta Hotel
Gatlinburg
  • Horseback riding
  • Carriage ride
  • Fed the horses
  • Drove through Pigeon Forge
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  • Rainbow Falls in the Smoky Mountains - Hike to the waterfall, Scott and Bill falling, Good water, Scott's knees hurting, lots of salamanders, Terri, Anna & Emma's very close encounter with a very large snake and one smaller one, Terri, Anna & Emma doing the Scooby Doo run the rest of the way down the mountain, Scott, Bill, Alex, Katie & Rianne hearing a bear, Alex running down the mountain to save Terri, Anna & Emma from said bear.
  • Saw a bear on the mountain
  • Hard Rock Cafe - saw ""Luv Addict"" video. Much excitement.
  • Good Mexican food
  • Ober Gatlinburg tram
  • Alpine Slide
  • Chinese restaurant - Rianne left her new purchases there. Went back and got them.
  • "Warren Peace" - can't remember what that means
  • Fairfield Hotel - swimming, smelled like garbage, fun slide
  • Couldn't find Gold Bond powder. Don't ask
  • Sonic withdrawal
Augusta, GA
  • Anna peed in her pants in the gas station
  • City not quite the same as the golf course!
  • Saw the outside of Augusta Golf Club
  • Sonic
  • Homewood Suites
  • Alex left his phone at the hotel
Toccoa, GA
  • Climbed Currahee (well, OK, I slept in the van, Anna & Emma watched a movie in the van, and everyone ELSE climbed Currahee)
  • Got cool poster
Savannah, GA
  • Homewood Suites
  • Next to Air Force Base
  • Chuchhill's for dinner
  • River Street - Candy Shop, The Cotton Exchange restaurant
  • LOTS of rain and flooding
  • Emma got a cigarette stuck in her shoe
  • The Crab Shack - alligators
  • Tybee Island - Dolphin Tour - awesome!
  • Forest Gump steeple
  • Trolley tour
  • Mighty 8th Air Museum
  • Nature preserve - snake, gators
  • Fort Pulaski
  • Cool bridge
  • Laundromat
  • Alex screamed ""I'm Gay!"". Still don't know why. Lady laughed.
Charleston, SC
  • Residence Inn - swimming
  • Bourne Ultimatum
  • Carriage ride in the rain
  • Magnolia Plantation - dissappointment
  • Drove around the city
  • Watched the Patriot
  • Paulo's Gelato
  • Patriot's Point - ate meatball subs on the USS Yorktown
  • Rainbow Row
  • We think we saw Fort Sumter
  • Alex receives lost phone
Mytrtle Beach, SC
  • Avista Resort
  • Alex ran on beach
  • Swam in the ocean
  • Alex the shark slayer picked up dead hammerhead shark, attracting a huge crowd!
  • Hard Rock Cafe - pyramid
  • HOT!!!!!!!!!!
  • Barefoot Landing - Anna & Emma went on merry-go-round, ate at cheeseburger place
  • Bourne Ultimatum again - power out in the first theater
  • False fire alarm at the hotel
  • Drove around for hours looking for a new hotel the first night
Ashville, NC
  • Springhill Suites - got free M&Ms
  • Saw the entrance to Biltmore. Too cheap to go in.
  • Chinease restaurant - freaks (can't remember what that means either!)
  • Katie and Alex swam
Cininnati, OH
  • Creation Museum
  • Residence Inn
  • Good pizza
  • Red Robin on our way home
That pretty much sums it up! It was a busy couple weeks, with GREAT family memories! We are so blessed indeed!"