Merry Christmas!

I think I figured out why I haven't been blogging much lately. You know how, when you've had a lot going on, it tires you out to tell someone about it? I think that's been my issue with our blog. I have had so much to do when I go online, then once I finish that, when I think back on what we've done lately, I just get tired.

So, on this Merry Christmas night, I am going to blog a little differently. I am going to just hit the highlights of the last few days.

• Lots of food! We've had great dinners out: Hyman's Seafood, 82 Queen, Andolini's Pizza, Saffron Bakery. Then, I cooked a holiday meal: Honeybaked Ham, sweet potatoes, veggie casserole, baked pineapple, green beans, Derby town pie, apple pie. Oh, and don't forget the cookies we made.

• Grandma's 75th birthday -- We spent Grandma's birthday night, out to dinner with my friend/personal trainer, Justin. After our lowcountry fare at 82 Queen, we went to Club Habana, where the guys had cigars and the ladies had martinis! Fun times!

• Downtown -- we've made a few trips downtown, toured the Calhoun Mansion, and shopped the Market Street shops. Also, we've driven around, just looking at houses and across the Ravenel Bridge during the day and at night.

• Giving back -- We took Christmas cookies and gingersnaps to the firemen down the street. Grace was annoyed we were doing it (she only wants to save trees!), but was sweet when we delivered them.

• A Christmas Day beach trip, of course! We went to Folly Beach this evening, just before dark. Grace and her grandmama put their feet in the water like the nuts that they are. Jasen and Davis ran around with Santa hats on their heads. Angie, Grandma, and I tried to capture the perfect picture.

• Presents, presents, and more presents. Wow. So, we all agreed to cut back this year, but why did it seem the number of presents did not go down!! I think I can sum up our favorite presents: Grace: her comfy chair for sitting in front of the TV (!!), and a robe Davis: Buzz and Woody figurines, Lightning McQueen car and slippers Jasen: Old Citadel photos (from the 1890s and 1950s), Gods of Diyala book (written by two lieutenants who were in Jasen's unit during their first deployment to Iraq), light sabers to share with the kids (they indirectly each got one!!) Sara: full-length apron, first edition The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham

I am not sure what Mom and Grandma's favorite gifts were, although their kid calendars are usually big hits. I think Angie had a favorite but I am not sure she wants to share it with everyone!

I will post pictures soon!

Absence

Wow, it has been awhile since I have blogged. I can't say why, but I just haven't. I think in some ways, it's because I would be repeating myself. We still love Charleston. Jasen's job is affording us some great family time and I cannot tell you how thankful we are for that. Grace is still loving school and we still adore her teacher, Mrs. Branch. The did a trip around the world this past week and Grace was able to take in some Germany pictures. Also, Jasen attended a field trip with her this week. Davis is doing well. He's almost completely potty-trained which is exciting!! He loves school and I am worried about how he's going to do without going for two weeks!!

This weekend, my mom, baby sister, and Grandma are all coming in to spend Christmas with us. We are quite excited!!

Holiday Happiness

**Postscript before the blog -- as I read back over this blog, it dawned on me how wonderful my life is. God is so good!!

Can I just say again how much I love Thanksgiving?? I mean, I really, really love it. I told someone "What could be better? Family/Friends, food, and football!" But it's really so much more than that.

Let me back up and tell you about our weekend before Thanksgiving. We went up to NC, to see our friends the Pundts. If you've read my blog before, you've definitely heard their names. Larry was our chaplain in Germany, Renee one of my dearest friends, Ari was Grace's first "same age" girlfriend, and Davis has a boy crush on Ethan. The Pundts will be leaving Fort Bragg after the New Year to go suffer for Jesus and the Army in Garmisch, Germany. It won't be suffering, really, except it will just be a long way from home.

We went to see them because we needed a little more time with them before they left. We arrived on Saturday, then went to Jim's Gems to pan for gold and cool rocks. The bigger kids really enjoyed it; Davis just wanted to play in the water, which was not advised because it was about 40 degrees outside!! We went to dinner, then to Fresh Market (like Whole Foods...great!), then home for bed. Sunday, I don't think we really did anything with them. Oh, I had a stomach episode but what's a trip to friends without one of those???

Sunday evening, we were blessed to have dinner with our friends, Sean and Chris Heidgerken. They were here over Labor Day so we were glad to see them again. They are some of my (Sara) oldest Army friends, some of the first people I ever knew in this Army life. They met me when I was completely green and naive about the Army. I've grown, right, Chris? They just moved into a huge and beautiful new home through Fort Bragg and we are so happy for them. After years of living in crap on-post housing, it's always great to see someone get a good house!! We totally enjoyed our night with them and are looking forward to our next visit.

Monday, we met Larry at the dining facility at the hospital. That evening, we had an adult date at a cool restaurant, The Mashhouse. Great beers there and a great deal on Monday night for dinner: appetizer, 2 salads, 2 entrees, and a bottle of wine or pitcher of beer or root beer for $40. Can't beat that!! Then we went to see "Quantum of Solace" which the Pundts thought was a bust and we were at least entertained. What can I say? They are smarter and more refined than we are!!

On Tuesday, we headed home. We stopped at Cracker Barrel and the kids ate so good. It's refreshing when you pay for a meal that your kids actually eat! When we got home, I got busy cleaning because I had less than 18 hours to prepare for my dad's arrival. Long story short, I got the house clean and some cooking done before Dad arrived about 11 am on Wednesday.

Once Dad arrived, we hit the ground running. We took him to The Citadel first, which he said was more like the A&M he went to than Aggieland is now. Then we drove further down the peninsula to show him old Charleston. We ended up on the tip of the peninsula at Battery Park. It was awesome to take Dad around. Everywhere we went, he stopped to read all the monuments and asked questions about Charleston history. I was embarrassed not to know some things!! I'll learn more before he returns!

After that, we went to eat at Hymans. We've heard that is a tourist trap and yes, it's built for the tourists, but we really liked it! The two brothers who own it, each came by our table to make sure everything was okay. Then, there was an older man who came around with a certificate for kids that, if they ate all their food, they could get either ice cream or popcorn at the end of the meal. Talk about incentive!! Dad had his first lowcountry food, boiled peanuts, grits, Cajun-style shrimp, a bite of my crabcake. He said he liked it and I think he did! Then we headed to our house.

Later that day, we had to go to Wal-Mart, of course, for Dad to load up on his salsa ingredients. I had to get some last minute things, so Grace and I took him. I spent ten minutes walking up and down the same aisle, looking for those two twerps as they were off getting toys!! I was so mad!! We came home and Dad commenced to make his cold hot sauce. Yum!! I also continued to make things for our feast.

Thursday morning, we got up and got going. Turkey breast in, etc. Then we went to the closest fire station and delivered a homemade apple pie to the firemen to say thank you for their service to our community. That was Grace's original idea but she acts like she didn't know she said it. Why is it your kids try to act like you make up stuff??? Anyway, when Grace mentioned wanting to do something on Thanksgiving to give back, I thought the pie idea would be easy. I can't wait for the day my kids are old enough that we can go serve at a shelter or soup kitchen before we have our family meal. I hope to nurture Grace's benevolent spirit!

So, after the pie delivery, we came home and I got in gear. Dad commented that we were going to have enough food for 12 people and I am pretty sure he was right! I made stuffing, giblet gravy and an egg custard pie for the first time and they all turned out pretty well. Next time, I will tweak them a little, but I think they were fine. The men ate them and that's all I needed!! The kids lapped up my homemade cranberry sauce which was hilarious! I think Grace might have a new favorite sandwich: turkey and cranberry sauce on a roll. She's had it twice since Thanskgiving Day.

We watched the Cowboys play, then the Aggies. Not going to comment on that last one. The score was not as ugly as the game really was or could have been. Jason Karnes, do you agree?

Oh, one more thing. While I was cooking, getting ready, etc. Dad would go outside and play with the kids. I can't tell you what a great grandad he is and it's really a joy to watch. He was kicking the balls with the kids, letting Grace lead him around, showing him the ins and outs of our backyard and neighborhood. Truly, I can't tell you how happy it makes me watch him with Grace and Davis.

Friday, we got up and had a breakfast casserole which was made better with the homemade hot sauce. Then we headed out again. We took Dad to see the Atlantic Ocean at Folly Beachwhere Grace had a shoe/sock crisis. Sometimes, I just want her to go barefoot to keep the drama to a minimum! Which is what she did when we went to Angel Oak. Dad says the trees down here must be ancient because he's never seen live oaks this tall.

We ended up our sightseeing with a stop at one of my favorite places: Stono Market. It's a combination veggie/fruit market and homecooking restaurant. We stuffed ourselves on good ole food, purchased a couple of Christmas ornaments (Dad said it was the rustic version of Cracker Barrel and I think he's right!), then came home to enjoy the last few minutes of Dad's visit. His delivery to the airport was excruciating, like it always is. Dad's visits are always perfect in time; he leaves later than he wanted (he's a homebody), but he always leaves us wanting more. Isn't that the best kind of visit?

Longer Blog Soon!

Okay, I know I need to blog, but I just don't have the time right now. And I probably won't have time for the next few days. We just returned yesterday from a trip to NC to see the Pundts and the Heidgerkens. This morning, my dad comes into town for Thanksgiving. So the past 18 hours have been a blur of cleaning, organizing, cooking, etc. I promise to blog when he leaves!!

Great Date!

Jasen and I had a great date last night. We went to the Terrace Theater, which is an independent movie house. They get all the best art/independent films and all the different movies you can't find anywhere else. They've been running "Lawrence of Arabia" for the last few weeks and we went and saw it last night. I am SO glad we did! First off, Jasen got to see the Terrace (I had been there previously for a British film Jasen wasn't interested in) and he really liked it. They have cool candy, wooden-backed chairs, small-ish sized theaters, and beer and wine! Anyway, I was glad that Jasen liked it as much as I did.

I am really glad we got to see the movie the way it was intended: on the big screen. Because I just recently finished a book on Gertrude Bell, who is sometimes called the "female Lawrence of Arabia," I've been anxious to see this epic film. There is just something about seeing a movie like that on the big screen. Jasen and I both agreed that it wouldn't have had the same affect if we had seen it on our little TV at home. Yes, our TV is still pretty small!

Again, because of my recent readings, I've been really curious to see how Lawrence was portrayed. First off, Peter O'Toole looked nothing like Lawrence. And there were somethings in my Gertrude Bell book that were left out about Lawrence. From her perspective, he was much less "happy-go-lucky" pompous and much more "the rest of y'all are stupid" pompous, if that makes sense. He was smart, but knew it in a not-so-nice way. I thought the movie kind of glazed over that.

We both laughed at Obi-Won Kenobi playing King Faisal with a horrible beard and fake nose. Anthony Quinn's nose was even worse!! Omar Sharif was great, though.

Also, curious that the movie made little mention of the work people like Gertrude Bell also did in the area of Arab revolution.

Some of the parts of the movie, Jasen laughed out loud because it reminded him of his time in Iraq. There are some things about Arabs that are still very true; they haven't changed much from the early 1900s to now. For instance, toward the end of the movie, Lawrence is trying to get them to council themselves. Good luck getting two warring tribes to agree on anything! Especially if their disagreements go back centuries! They'd rather watch the whole city of Damascus burn rather than help each other.

Again, Jasen just kept laughing and at one point had tears in his eyes because we're trying to make them like us but we KEEP ignoring one big fact: ARABS ARE NOT LIKE US!!! No matter how we've tried throughout the years (Crusades, Lawrence of Arabia, etc.), it hasn't happened yet. Still we try to make them like us. Wonder if we'll ever stop? Wonder why we care? Jasen in essence said "Once a Bedouin, always a Bedouin."

Breakthrough!

We've had a potty breakthrough!! Davis is consistently using the potty (he doesn't tell us, we just take him!) and using the big one, at that! Yea!!! I'm good with taking him every half hour to an hour as long as we don't have to buy more diapers!

Grace is doing well. She continues to love school, Tae Kwon Do, and Mrs. Branch.

Finally, Jasen and I are going to have a date night! After two previous attempts failed, we are going out tonight. We aren't going to be able to do all that we wanted (Jasen desperately wants some oysters), but we are going to do one thing we've desired. An independent theater here is showing "Lawrence of Arabia." I've never seen it and Jasen's only seen part of it, so we're going tonight to see it. I am excited to see it on the big screen. And this theater has the coolest candy. Yes, I will be taking a nap this afternoon, since we'll be up until almost 11!

Last night, we watched "Casino Royale" which was awesome, if I do say so myself. Jasen had already seen it, but I needed to see it in preparation for seeing "Quantum of Solace."

We're heading to NC this weekend, to spend time with the Pundts. Yea! Sadly, they'll be leaving Fort Bragg for Garmisch, Germany, after New Year's so we must spend as much time as we can with them.

Friends or No Friends

Jasen and I got into a pretty deep conversation on Saturday. I begged out of the ROTC tailgate party because #1 Davis was up and down on Friday night #2 It was muddy and #3 I was tired and didn't want to go. Jasen returned in a funk because the other couples were there, sitting around enjoying themselves and Jasen felt like we are outside the group. It made me sad for him, but in my initial defense, I pointed out that we'd never been to a tailgate where we all sat down to visit. Usually, the guys are talking/drinking, kids are getting into rocks/mud/etc., and the wives are drifting in and out of conversations.

Anyway, this situation led Jasen and I to go deeper about friendships and what we are looking for here. Jasen is used to being in "the" group. It's not that we have been the most popular people at his previous duty assignments, but because of his work role or friends I've made, we've been in with the people we've really liked and wanted to be with.

At Fort Riley and here, Jasen has really wanted me to get out there and make friends immediately. He has wanted me to accept every invitation, every playdate, etc. He was going on our previous assignment, in Germany, where we were so involved, had lots of friends, and were really busy.

I can't explain it, but at Fort Riley, God gave me very clear discernment about who I should be friends with. Because of Jasen's concerns that I wasn't making friends fast enough (and not just his), I made friends with a few people I KNEW were not who I needed to be friends with. Those relationships didn't turn out, but the ones I did make, slowly became so important and valuable. I am thankful for those friends!

Now, being here in Charleston, I am feeling the same "hold back" feeling I felt before. Because Jasen watched my friends become so important in Germany (and maybe too important), he worries when I don't have friends immediately. And, he wants us to be involved in what everyone else is doing. I understand that, because it's been our modus operandi. But here, I am not feeling that need.

You know why I don't feel that need? On a small level, I feel like it's because I already have so many family/friends who I feel I neglect more often than not. I feel bad because the people I already love get slighted by me. But the most important reason I don't need to make friends, is that I have my best friend here with me. Jasen is finally here with our family with no impending deployment on the horizon. We can finally be a family of four, just enjoying each other. And for quite some time, that's all I have wanted.

Always Busy

You know, I wish I could tell you what we've been doing around here, but it seems to be a lot of nothing. Or maybe, because it's stuff we do all the time (Grace to school, Davis to school, Jasen to school, the gym, etc.) it just seems like nothing but it's actually a lot. Either way, we've been doing stuff, just not a lot to report.

Davis is making strides in the potty area. Woo-hoo! He even kept his diaper dry at school on Tuesday and went potty there! Yea!! So we're keeping it up and quite excited about this development.

I have to tell you that Davis is showing more and more of his personality and it's so much fun. He's just so funny in "I don't mean to be funny" ways. It's just in the way he walks around and talks to us all.

I think I am going to go to the doctor for some blood tests. As much as I've been working out and eating better, I have lost ZERO weight. I am also tired all the time. I've had my thyroid tested in the past because three of the five closest female relatives (sister, mom, grandma) all have thyroid problems. It's never shown any issues in the past, but I just can't help but think there is something else going on in my body. Also, a friend and I were talking not long ago about how I haven't ever recovered my original energy level since I had mono in high school. Anyway, pray for wisdom for me and the doctor. If I even see a doctor....

Jen and Tripper

We had a great visit with my old friend, Jen, and her baby boy, Tripp. I'll admit, we didn't do as much as we should have, but there's just so much to do down here! Anyway, they arrived on Friday afternoon and we went straight downtown. We went to part of The Citadel parade, which was neat. But I have to admit it has nothing on the Corps of Cadets at A&M! I'm not partial or anything!

Then we went down to Cupcake because I had promised Grace and Davis a treat! Of course, we all had to have one and they were delicious, as usual. Then we came home and I made dinner.

Saturday, Jasen had a prayer breakfast and football so we waited to go downtown. Jasen graciously took care of our kids while Jen and I took Tripp to sightsee. We went to eat at the Noisy Oyster. I'll admit, it's probably a tourist trap, but we liked the food. Jen got her first taste of fried green tomatoes (she liked them!), Tripp tried grits (he liked them!), and I struck up a conversation with the Germans at the next table!

We went shopping at the market, of course and just walked a little downtown. Again, we didn't do anything really specific or fun. I kept thinking that maybe if I didn't show Jen too much, she'd need to bring her Jason and their older kiddos with her next time! We drove across the Ravenel bridge and then went down to the park on Battery. We went into the courtyard of a bed and breakfast downtown and took some pictures. It was a gorgeous day and the scenery was great, too. We went to Wal-Mart then to Crosby's seafood where I got some local shrimp, then came home and made dinner. We watched the first part of the Tech/OSU game, then went to bed.

Sunday, it was off to church, which was unusual, then brunch at a new place (Mimi's Creekside) which was delish, as usual! Then we came home for, um, nothing! Wow, I think I owe Jennifer an apology because we did next to nothing during her trip! But I was glad to have her and Tripp here. I got my baby fill and got to visit with a friend who knows me so well. Yesterday, we even made her use her Psych degree in the form of marital financial counseling! :)

Thank you, Jen, for coming to see us!

Pics Galore

I have a million pictures to post of the past few weeks. Of course, they are in reverse order, so bear with me! I hope you enjoy! I'll post more real stories soon.

Here is Grace and Osso, the dog she loves, loves, loves.



And Davis is with Bullet, who weren't quite as fond of each other as Grace and Osso!

The kids and the dogs

Granny and Papaw try some Cajun flavored boiled peanuts. They aren't too bad! Much better, in my opinion, than the just salted ones.

Jasen, Sara, and Grace on the piazza of the Edmondston-Alston house in downtown Charleston. It looks right out on the harbor.

Granny and Papaw get ready for the tour.

Grace with her "I Spy" list. This house was awesome, because it provided kids with something to do. They looked for items inside and outside the house to cross of their list. It was right up Grace's alley!

Sara, Grace, and Jasen on the joggling board. We want one!

Jasen, Grace, Granny, and Papaw in front of the Edmondston-Alston house.
Davis says goodbye to Granny before heading off to school.
The kids check out some of Granny's videos of the dogs when they were puppies.

Granny, Grace, and Papaw at Easterbys.

Sara, Jasen and Grace at Grace's Awana awards ceremony. Grace now has her "Hang Glider" badge! She memorized 7 verses and is going to memorize more!

Davis and Grace say "Ta Da!" at the Angel Oak. yes, those are limbs going into the ground and coming back out. It was awesome!

Jasen, the kids and the great-grandparents at the Angel Oak.

Look at how big the Angel Oak is!

Davis the welder!

Jasen "plays" with the dogs. Some would say he is antagonizing them!
Our "new" mantle clock. It was Lori's and Granny and Papaw had it repaired for us. It chimes and everything! We feel like such grown-ups with our mantle clock chiming away!

Yes, that would be Osso in the stroller!

Grace smothering Osso with love! Or is that Bullet?
Our cowboy and black cat on Halloween!
Grace says "Meow!" Do you see her claws??
Davis is really saying "Yee haw!" He would take his hat off and wave in front of his face!
Jasen, the terrorist. We were so proud....not!

Carving the pumpkin

Grace is the smartest yardworker I have ever seen!

Grace and her classmates on the Junie B. field trip

Grace Loves Mrs. Branch!

Our own little Junie B., complete with glasses, at the Junie B. play.
Go Cowboys!
Davis sleeping with his fire truck

And his cowboy hat!

Chilly Lowcountry

It has been downright cold here in the Lowcountry! Last night and night before last, the lows were in the 30s. From what I hear, that's not normal temperatures until January and even then, they only happen for a week or so. I, for one, have been pleased with the change. I love it when the weather turns chilly. I assumed that wouldn't happen here until December. But we had a taste of fall in October and I am glad!

We received a holiday box from Grandmama last night and it set off a flurry of excitment around here! We have all the window clings up. Jasen and the kids carved our pumpkin last night and did a fabulous job. I tried Davis' monkey costume on yesterday and it was too short. So we went back to Target to find another one. There weren't any bigger ones so we traded it for a pony/cowboy combo outfit. It's gonna be cute! And I got gloves to glue fake fingernails on for Grace's paws. Fun times!

We're also gonna be busy getting the house ready for Granny and Papaw's arrival. They'll be here sometime early Friday afternoon and we are excited! Jasen has a four day weekend, with next Monday and Tuesday off, so he'll be able to do a lot with all of us. Yea!

Today at Drayton Hall, they'll be having a mock presidential election. I asked Grace who she was gonna vote for. I won't tell you who she said, but she had valid reasons for how she was going to vote. I'll let her decide if she tells anyone else who she voted for!

Speaking of voting, I've had my ballot for well over three weeks and I am still praying over it. Jasen reminded me the other day that God is not likely to write someone's name in the sky to tell me who to vote for. I think I'll fill it out today.

Grace got her first report card yesterday and Mrs. Branch said some wonderful things about our girl! Her lowest grade was in writing; her handwriting is not very neat. I would be mad but I know she got that from me. I had horrible handwriting until I was, oh, 20 or so. Anyway, we're working extra on it and I think Mrs. Branch was generous with her grade of 90. I've told Grace there is no reason why she shouldn't be a straight A student and that we expect that of her.

Renewal ceremony -- part 4

Okay, this is the last post on the whole renewal thing. I didn't mean to drag it out like this, but I didn't want one, huge, long post with tons of pictures. I hope this whole thing isn't totally annoying! I know there are people out there rolling their eyes (Mom! Stop it, I see! You, too, Emily!!), but hey, it was a special day!

So, after the sand ceremony and prayer, we finally got to kiss!!


Then, Jasen had a surprise for me. Well, it wasn't really a surprise because I knew it was coming at some point, but I wasn't sure when. Larry brought out the CD player and we danced in the sand to Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic." I can't explain what it is about that song, but Jasen and I love it and love to sing it to each other. It was a precious moment, holding and swaying with my man, with our feet in the sand and Van playing just for us.



After that, the official portion of the evening was over. We did some couple pictures then family ones. Then our evening ended with this one! Yes, we were forced to do this, but isn't it funny?


We packed the kids back up into the car with our sitter/neighbor, Sarah, and they headed home to bed. Then the adults went back to the hotel for some snacks (we hadn't eaten since lunch and it was almost 7:30 by this time) and to eat at the Boathouse on the Isle of Palms. Larry and Renee then went back to our house to keep the kids for us. We went back to the cheesy motel on the beach.

A final, funny thing, I had forgotten my glasses and my saline, so after I took my contacts out, we put them in tap water and hoped for the best. When Jasen went to the bathroom the next morning, he asked if my contacts were normally yellow. Yikes! No, they are not! So Jasen had to drive home but that was okay because I was blind and couldn't see! Too funny!

Renewal ceremony -- part 3

After we exchanged rings, Larry and Renee had a special surprise for us. First, a little background on who Larry and Renee Pundt have been in our lives. The Pundts got to Bamberg, Germany, just about three months before Jasen left on his first deployment. Larry's first job was as the Family Life chaplain. He did suicide prevention stuff, personal counseling, "psychological" prep for families and soldiers, family enrichments, etc. He was a GREAT resource to that community. He also ended up being the head Protestant chaplain on the post in Bamberg.

I met Renee at PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel), of course, and it seemed we had an instant connection. I think it's because she knew something about the church of Christ and how I was raised. Lots of people have no idea about the cofC. Anyway, our girls were about the same age, too. Within the next two years of our togetherness, we served together on the PWOC board and the Protestant parish council (along with Larry). She and Larry were HUGE blessings to me when Jasen was gone. Grace's first real friend sleep over was at their house and she and Ari will be friends forever. They have no choice in the matter. :)

As I have mentioned before, Renee knew I wanted to renew our wedding vows and once we lived so close again (yes, four hours IS close; it's not even halfway through TX if you start on any of the borders!), it seemed like the perfect time. And now, our boys are as close as our girls were. Ethan is a little bit older than Davis, more than Ari was older than Grace, but Davis ADORES Ethan. Truly, he wants to be just like Ethan to the point he wants to wear glasses and use the potty like Ethan!

Okay, back to the ceremony. Larry had come up with this idea on his own, which tells you how cool he is. After we exchanged rings, Renee went to a box and got out four colored jars of sand. One blue, green, pink and orange. Larry said they represented our family of four. Then Larry bent down and made a hole in the sand. He asked us to pour the sand in. Then we mixed it up with our fingers. He pointed out that although you could see each color, you couldn't separate the colors. He reminded us that each of us is our own person, but that we will always be bonded together. How true!!

Then, Larry covered up our colored sand with the real beach sand. He said that would be a living memorial of our family there on the Isle of Palms beach. Isn't that awesome???

Finally, the four of us gathered round and Larry led us in a prayer. It was emotional and uplifting! I have to say that God was definitely in our midst!

One more post, I think and that will do it!

Renewal ceremony -- part 2

So, Jasen and everyone else went down on the beach ahead of me. I then walked the beach path on my own. Renee told me later that Jasen's face told the whole story. She said he looked at me like I was his whole world.

When I made it to the place of the ceremony, we prayed first, then Larry recited some verses from Exodus. The verses were the song of thanksgiving that Miriam and Moses sang after the Isrealites had crossed the Red Sea on dry land. He said the song was joyful for that miracle, but also for deliverance from the years of bondage as slaves to the Egyptians. How perfect. Jasen and I have spent so much time as slaves to our pasts, both the ones we had before we met and the past we created together that wasn't so stellar.

Then we recited our vows to each other. I'll be honest, I can't remember exactly what Jasen said, but I do remember he finished up with keeping his eyes on the prize, which we've always laughed was us sitting on a porch somewhere (Charleston??), watching the grandkids play. Then he just said "I love you" over and over and over. Each time there was a different feeling attached.

Oh, I have to add that from the moment the ceremony began, Jasen kept asking if he could kiss me. As every good minister/chaplain/pastor would reply, Larry kept answering "No," much to Jasen's chagrin. Here is Jasen asking for at least the third time!
And Larry says "No!"

Then it was my turn to say my vows. I remember those pretty well! I told Jasen that when I met him, I was looking for someone to save me from what I had allowed myself to become. For the first few years of our marriage, I operated under the assumption that Jasen would be able to save me. Probably four or five years into our marriage, I knew it wasn't Jasen who would be able to save me. I needed a Savior and thank you, God, He provided one.

Then I told Jasen that I wanted to let go of all the anger I had held onto for so long. I didn't want my world to be colored by anger, as it had been for too long. I promised to let it go and let Jasen take his rightful place in our family, spiritually, literally, and figuratively, as head of the Graham household. I promised to do what I could to encourage him in that role. Finally, I promised to be sitting on that same porch, some 50 years from now, when we've finally allowed the kids to date, marry and have some kids!

I think we were all pretty emotionally exhausted by this point, even Larry and Renee. We exchanged rings at that point. Jasen just put his old one back on (it's got enough bling, for sure!) and I got a simple anniversary band to go along with my wedding ring. We got it cheap and it's perfect, so we both love it! Here is a picture of it:
Do you like the Diego band-aid on my thumb? That's from me cleaning out the small flowerbed.

Okay, next post will tell more stuff!