Beautiful sunset

Luke and I went out to Garden of the Gods and took some photos. The sun setting behind the rocks/mountains just looks beautiful! We live in a beautiful state!

The week before Thanksgiving

It's the weekend before Thanksgiving. One of my very, very favorite times and a weekend I truly look forward to each year! Why? I get to spend part of Saturday and Sunday peeling potatoes, cooking bacon, taking meat of turkey bones and carving ham. Now doesn't that sound exciting?! Not quite what you were expecting, was it? ;)

How about this? While I'm doing all of the above, I'm surrounded by some of the most wonderful and sweet ladies and we spend the time working and visiting! So here's how the weekend usually goes...

Jeannette and Connie get to the church early Saturday morning to start the turkeys and ham cooking in the ovens. Then around 1-2 that afternoon, Ronda, myself and others show up, don aprons, start peeling taters and get more prep work done before our Sunday Thanksgiving feast after church. We're working. Talking. Laughing. And marveling at how Ronda never has had an apron (this year, she emailed me that she's using her new one!) We're done by 4 or 5 and ready for the next day.

Sunday morning dawns and there's lots of activity in the kitchen as I bring in my coconut cream pies and cranberry salad. Delicious salads and yummy desserts start piling up on the kitchen counter and in the fridge. As I'm in the kitchen getting my crockpot of stuffing started cooking before my class starts, Felicity is following me around, wanting to help and ready to go to our classroom as soon as I head out of the kitchen.

After teaching Sunday School, I make my way back to the kitchen, ready to help with the last minute details like cutting desserts, mashing taters and buttering bread that Jeannette needs done. Last year Jeannette put me in charge of making gravy. I remember thinking, "YIKES!" So for those of you who didn't like last year's gravy...never fear! The person who made it won't be there this year. You can eat without fear. ;)

Alan is getting a head count of people in the church service so we have an idea who is staying for the meal. Mark is making tea, counting cups and getting ice ready. Jeannette is making sure all the food is hot. Connie is washing the few spoons and forks used for "taste testing" the food. The rest of us are finding something else that needs done before the people start rushing in. Or looking busy. The church service is wrapping up and we're quickly setting out salads, uncovering the meat and getting everything out on the table, making sure each dish has it's own serving utensils.

Then...all our hard work has paid off! There are people coming through the line, the stack of plates is dwindling, the salad bowls are getting emptied and the dessert table is just about deserted. Pastor Kirk comes through the kitchen bringing a slice of coconut cream pie to save for later. Unknown to him, I  already have a couple pieces of that very pie saved back in the fridge--one for him and one for Lydell. Empty dishes are being pulled from the line and stacked at the sink. More desserts are being cut and plated. And refills of coffee, tea and water are coming. All while chatting with people as they are making their way through the line of food.

Pastor Kirk and Terri are going through the almost empty line of food; it must be nearing the end. As the kitchen crew,we grab our plates, take some food, gobble it down (we had some taste testing earlier as things were cooking--after all, we HAVE to make sure the food is hot you know!) and start the cleanup job. Many people chip in to help pick up salt and pepper shakers, wash and fold tablecloths, wash dishes, vacuum and fold up table and chairs.

 It's 2:00. We're all tired. Our feet hurt (at least mine do!). And we're ready to go home. It's been fun. I love the opportunity to serve. I enjoy being surrounded by ladies who know much more than I do and from whom I can gain valuable kitchen advice. It's been a fun and successful weekend!

And this year, I'm thinking back on the last several years. I can just imagine all the smiles and laughter going on back in that warm kitchen. Thank you Jeannette (and Gordon), for asking me to help work in the kitchen. I've loved every minute of it. Thank you Connie, for bring the potato peelers so we didn't have to peel potatoes with knives. Thank you Rocky and Madonna, for your raisin looking hands after washing piles of dishes. Thank you Mark, for reaching things off of high shelves and pulling out sink drain stops for me.

I'm thinking back and smiling. And wishing I could be there again this weekend. And yes, I am still making two coconut cream pies this year. But for another church Thanksgiving feast in another state. Sorry Pastor Kirk! And, I talked to my Dad. No, he's not bringing pies. Connie, you can take over the coconut cream pies!

Ladies (and guys), enjoy. Have fun. It's work, yes, but rewarding. And fulfilling. Being willing and available to serve has it's own fulfillment that nothing can replace, whether it's helping in the kitchen for a potluck meal, teaching Sunday School, putting up/away tables and chairs or folding bulletins every week. Jesus Christ put us on this earth to serve and minister to others. And this weekend provides ample opportunity to do just that!

And if I'm ever back in Kansas that weekend before Thanksgiving, can I have my kitchen job back? Please?!

Wedding memories: my lost voice

Every wedding is filled with sweet, precious memories, right? What stands out? The wedding gown, the flowers, the cake, the decorations....whatever it is, you want to remember all the wonderful plans made for that day that went exactly as  planned. But we all know, there's always something unexpected that happens. Those are some of the things that you look back on and remember so well and yet....no one or very few in the audience of attendees knew anything about! You're successful at hiding it. Sorta. Most of it.

But seriously, you've heard of people passing out at weddings, formal attire being duck taped to hold together, people missing or being late and last minute trips to Hobby Lobby. Well, as much as I planned and allowed for every single detail of my wedding, it wasn't without it's own mishaps. But to the success of many people behind the scenes, hardly anyone knew of the mishaps of that day.

And when I look back on that day and week, they're memories. Some I wish I could change, others I just have to think back and smile. And others, I've wondered why I didn't google that to find out that info BEFORE my wedding day! In one of my chats with Erinn, she said, "You need to write all this stuff down. And blog about it." I may not tell you every single detail, but there's a few I can't help but share with you...

Today, it's my voice, or rather, lack of...

Friday night, during rehearsal, I could tell that I was losing my voice. I had been fighting a cold and it had been a busy week. I start whispering, but much to my dismay, Saturday morning rolled around and my voice still crackled. Just great! How am I going to say my vows so everyone can hear and understand?! But I kept telling myself, "God, you're in control. Please help my voice to at least stay strong enough through my vows. After that, it doesn't matter."

Getting my hair done. Whispering. Talking with my photographers. Whispering. Seeing my flowers for the first time. Whispering with glee to my florist. Asking my wedding coordinators about something. Whispering. Did you know that whispering gets kinda old after a few hours?!

I was flying high! I was running on an excited high all afternoon and still going as the ceremony is getting ready to start. Pastor Kirk comes into pray with my bridesmaids and myself. One of the things I tell him is that I'm losing my voice.

He reassures me, "I'll just step closer to you so that my mic picks up your voice and you won't be putting so much strain on it to speak."

That should work. I should be ok. The ceremony is starting. My flower girls walk down the aisle. Next are the bridesmaids. The doors close and I'm waiting on the foyer, listening for the certain part of the music to start down the aisle. There it is. The doors open. Dad is walking me down the aisle. I'm smiling. It's perfect! Just as I pictured!

Everything is right on schedule. Just as I planned. The ceremony continues. Luke voices his vows in his strong, voice that sounds so familiar to me. Still going according to plan. No one knows about my voice. Even me. I've forgotten about it! I'm just rejoicing in the moment. Then, my turn. And reality hits as I start to speak...

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pastor Kirk edging closer to me. I'm reminding myself to smile and speak slowly and carefully. It takes work getting out every sentence.  And Pastor Kirk gets closer and closer so I'm just barely above a whisper and yet everyone can still hear! Praise the Lord! I made it! Through the repeated vows. Through the ring exchange. Through my personal vows. Whew!

The ceremony is over and we're taking a few quick photos before heading into the reception. My voice is no longer, but at this point I didn't care. I'm talking and visiting with guests and using up what little itty bit of my voice I have left. At this point, to me, it didn't matter. I got through my vows and they still were heard. And of course, Luke heard them, which is the most important of all. And God knew what I was saying before I even spoke it. That's what truly counts!

At the reception, I had to laugh! I had so many people tell me that they saw Pastor Kirk inching closer and closer to me and through I was going to faint or fall over! No, really, I was ok. It was only a voice issue.  And so many of my friends thought I was crying and emotional. No, not in that sense. I was emotional excited, joyful! But, it was only my voice. Or rather, lack of it. I can still think back on that, remembering as I told myself to speak slow and deliberate. And when I watched my wedding video a couple months later? Yes, my words sound slow and deliberate. But it's a memory of that day. While I would rather have been able to speak more clearly, that's not what God allowed for that day. But He gave my voice enough strength to get through it.

And after the reception and for part of our honeymoon? I had NO voice at all. That's ok. Luke just did all the talking. At that point, I didn't care whether I had a voice or not. I was married. The wedding was beautiful. What could be better than that?!  

Photo credit to Heartland Photography