Greetings   It's been quite awhile since I've updated.  We have limited internet access and I thought you might tire of daily reading "John is So WONDERFUL" etc. (jfyi, he is SO WONDERFUL!!!)    So here it is, a visual diary of what's been going on:

WONDERFUL John and HAPPY me:

In the spring we moved a few states away (we'll move back to our cabin in the fall):

We got to see John's cousin in the town parade in Memorial Day:

I've been helping John with his contracting work (this time it was with red paint):

A few weeks ago we went to the capital for a marriage rally:  (John and I are BIG supporters of marriage!!!)

We've been gardening so that we can have enough veggies to last a year (mmmmm):

And I'm still very much enjoying my Nikon!

I don't always Feel God's goodness. Things happen that I wish would not, and things I wish would not happen, happen. Sadly, it is Very Easy to forget the goodness of God so I am writing this down to raise my Ebenezer, my standing stone, my reminder of what God has done.

A bit of background: John and I have decided that we do not want to go into debt. We decided this before the troubles with the economy. We have never gone into debt before marriage, and have seen too much pain from those who went into debt after marriage. Despite what you may think, we are not millionaires (shocker, I know ) and so we are doing things quite differently and cutting out what we don't need (don't worry, John can do ANYTHING).

One thing we thought we could cut out, is a honeymoon. I know, it's tradition, but keeping every tradition has not been high on our priority list. [I cannot begin to tell you, how WONDERFUL it will be to get to spend Every day, and Every night with this AMAZING MAN God has blessed me with! This gift will be bliss in ANY location] But then, my dad, talked to his boss about a condo (at a certain location to be announced at a later date) and discovered that we could use it for a week for around the price of one night in a hotel!  Sounded beautiful, but getting a flight and a rental car added up to quite a chunk of change. To make a long story short, God provided a great deal and we purchased it the 13th.

And guess what? This is the part that overwhelms me... John received a check (specified for our honeymoon) in the mail from some friends for the Exact Amount we paid for the condo, flight, and rental car!!!   I am just overwhelmed at God's goodness to us. I'm blessed even more, because I wasn't expecting this. And this is just one thing, one thing He has done to Bless us. So many people have invested time, energy, support, prayers, and poured love into us. I am so very grateful!!!

God blessed me in another way as well: Today, we picked up my sister Sara and her family from the airport!  God prepared a way for them to arrive back in the states, before our wedding!!!  Thank you so much for your prayers!!!

How good is God?

"Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;  who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin..."

Exodus 34:6,7a

Time seems to fluctuate between flying and crawling.  When I look at all the things that need done (there is a very long list) time goes waaaaaay toooo fast.  But when I look at how many days there are till 11.28.08 (the date John and I begin wedded bliss), 57 sounds like an excessively large number!

It was a sweet blessing to have John's sister Sharon up for 3 weeks.  The woman is an angel.  Despite various other things that kept her very busy, she was also able to finish making the paper for our wedding invitations (sometime I'll have to tell you how we did them, they have been embossed by lace), helped make 3 batches of soap (amazing that lard and lye end up as soap) (this is the first step in making [some kind of splendid] soap for wedding favors), and calligraphied (no clue how that is meant to be said) ALL the envelopes for our wedding invitations!  She is Amazing (it runs in the family hehe)    

My mom has been doing a phenomenal job with my wedding dress.  She is hand embroidering the top with thread and glass beads... incredible

photos I took of their work:

larger pics can be seen HERE

G'day!  Hope your days have been full and sweet.  Life keeps flying by.  Today's news of lasting significance?  John is Amazing!

Yesterday was such a neat date: 08.08.08.  So neat in fact that John and I had pondered over getting married that day.  We then looked at all the things to get together and decided to wait.  God is so good!  We were planning a garden wedding (which would have been lovely) but thankfully we did not get married yesterday because it Poured rain most of the day.  Quite a shock indeed considering it has rained almost every day for weeks.   Everything is so nice and green. 

God is so good, I've been reading an incredible, life-changing book by Debi Pearl titled: Created to Be His Help Meet.  [see currently reading] Whew, it is soooooo good.  I Highly recommend it.  Mrs. Pearl does an excellent job at conveying truth in a very applicable way.  She can be very blunt but she doesn't come across as harsh or unloving.  Her point is backed up by Scripture, quite the blessing ~

Wedding plans are still happening but so far, all information is classified, more to come later

I've got to run to dinner ~