wedding adventures

Last Saturday the guy who was Jason's best man at our wedding got married himself. (The guy's name is Jarrod.) Well, Jarrod and his gal decided that they were going to have an "outdoor ceremony"- in October. Let's put it this way, the rain and hail held off just long enough for vows to be said. Jason was a groomsman, and he looked oh so dashing, but his groomsman duties left me standing in the cold by myself. Maybe I should say standing under a deck while it rained by myself? Anyway, Jason as usual knew everyone and I knew about 4 people. People assume that I am very outgoing, but I'm so not. Standing by myself at a wedding for an hour is a nightmare for me. Luckily, the 4 showed up right before the ceremony so that I could at least stand next to someone I knew for that. Which brings me to my next nightmare. I, along with a few other daring ladies, decided to wear heels. We of course did not think that the lovely yard with it's beautiful green grass would be so soaked that we would sink in it like quicksand. I was calmly standing there when I decided to shift my weight and realized that my heel had sunk all the way up to the bottom of the shoe. Do you know how hard it is to pull one self out of the yard while standing on an incline and having to put all your weight onto the other heel? It's impossible. After finally freeing both of my shoes, I quietly walked over to where there was some pavement and stood there under the pretense of taking pictures. Jason told me afterwards that he could see me and almost laughed outloud when he saw me trying to get my shoe unstuck. Ahhh. After the day was done, me and my shoes had survived to be shy and sink another day.

A couple of pictures of Jason and I.

Groomsmen and bridesmaids walked down the path to the theme song from Star Wars.Jarrod and Amber performed a sand ceremony rather than unity candles. They poured 2 different colors of sand into the same vase at once and they blended together. As the pastor put it, "Try separating that!"

it snowed

Well, it snowed. Not down here yet, but up on the mountain. If you know me at all, you know that I am not a fan of snow. If I had my way I would take up residence on some Caribbean island, like...umm... Bermuda! As soon as it snows I am cold. It can be a little snow or a lot of snow, but as soon as it's here I am just freezing. It's too soon to turn on the heat in my opinion - and the checkbooks opinion- but we had to turn it on for a bit the last 2 mornings. I am hoping for a winter like last, hardly any snow till after Christmas and then it just dumped. Of course then it must be done snowing by the end of March. I think it snowed the first week of May last year...? This never happens like I want it to, but maybe? I can handle snow for a few months!

The view from my kitchen window.

christian women's retreat

This weekend I attended the 31st annual Christian Women's Retreat held here in Pagosa. This is my 3rd year attending and my 3rd year on the retreat committee. I get to decorate for the retreat every year and do the name tags. This job puts my stamping skills to use and I LOVE getting to be creative! For the 30th anniversary of the retreat this year we chose (I should say GOD chose) the verse Isaiah 61:3, "To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." The theme being God's work in women's lives and the different seasons that they go through, mourning, praise, joy, heaviness...you get the idea. I got to spend the weekend with 41 awesome "trees of righteousness." It was, as always, a wonderful retreat and I am looking forward to going next year. I have included some pictures of my table decor - my take on different seasons - and the Fall beauty of the camp where we hold the retreat, Sonlight Christian Camp. Enjoy and let me know if you want to come with next year!!!


Winter vases & name tags-

Spring vases & name tags-

Summer vase and name tag-

Autumn vases and name tags-