neptune festival...

Here are some shots of cool sand sculptures we saw today at the Neptune Festival at the beach. The weather was spectacular...a little windy, but it was so nice to be walking around outside and enjoying the beach.

did i mention it was really windy??

Happy Birthday Baby!!

I love you so much, babe! I never would have guessed back in November of 2005, when I met you on Jenn's front porch, that you would be the greatest and most precious gift God would ever give to me, second only to my salvation. The past year of dating, 6 months of engagement, and 4 months of marriage have been the best time of my life! You truly are my closest and dearest friend. God made, in you, a perfect husband for me. I am so excited to walk out the rest of our days here on earth together, serving our Lord and Savior. Thank you for the way you challenge and provoke me in my walk with God - not being content to let me continue in sin or be satisfied with where I'm at in my relationship with Him. You always encourage me to pursue him more actively, more passionately, more faithfully. Steve, you are such a man of faith and humility. I am so thankful for the ways that God is stretching your faith and growing you in trusting him and his purposes for your life. Thank you for putting Jesus Christ first in your life and in our marriage.

I love you and am so blessed to be yours. I hope you are overwhelmed by God's grace today and feel your Savior's 'well done'! Happy Birthday!

an afternoon at Waterside...

This afternoon Steve and I decided to take advantage of the absolutely gorgeous weather and our Saturday afternoon and go down to Waterside in Norfolk and take the ferry to Portsmouth. What a relaxing day spent with my best friend! It doesn't get much better than that.

We got to Norfolk and walked around for a while. There was a big Boat Expo going on at Waterside...people pay to go and walk around and look at a bunch of boats...hmm, sounds exciting...or not.

We then boarded the ferry and rode across to Portsmouth where we walked around, scouted out good restaurants for date nights, and got frozen coffee drinks at an eclectic little coffee shop called the Daily Grind. It was so cute!

It was so nice to get out and enjoy this breezy, sunny afternoon and spend time with Steve! I feel like all I've done for the past few weeks is school! I go to class, come home, cook dinner, catch up with my baby and find out how his day was, and then hit the books for more studying! It's a vicious cycle...it was priceless to spend a relaxing day with him away from the books. Alright, now I have to go do some reading so we can go to the singles meeting tonight!

His Love can Never Fail

So last minute yesterday night Steve and I decided to go with Rachie and some other friends to hear a group called Indelible Grace play at a Presbyterian church in Kempsville. I had never heard of the group before, and, honestly, thought it would probably be lame and wasn’t very excited to go. But I’m so glad we did! The group was actually really good and their songs and his presentation of the gospel were so rich and encouraging! They are based out of Nashville, and what they do is take old hymns and put them to new, more contemporary music. All the hymns they played were Christ exulting, grace overflowing, and rewritten beautifully. One song in particular was very provoking and encouraging to me as I sat and listened. (they put the lyrics up as well so we could read along).


I do not ask to see the way

My feet will have to tread

But only that my soul may feed

Upon the living Bread.

'Tis better far that I should walk

By faith close to His side

I may not know the way I go, But oh, I know my Guide.

His love can never fail, His love can never fail,

My soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.

My soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.

That is just the first verse and the chorus, but it’s the verse that really struck me. “I may not know the way I go, but oh, I know my Guide!” I began to think, “is that really what my heart proclaims when I look at an uncertain future or am going through a trial? Is my faith in my Savior’s love and goodness and sovereignty enough to be completely satisfied to follow his leading and be content to not be in control?” How often I feel the need to lean upon my own understanding and have some control over the circumstances of my life. I truly want to say and believe that “‘tis better far that I should walk by faith close to His side.” I am praying that Christ would truly be all my soul needs to be satisfied – that his love and his word would be the first thing I lean on in times of uncertainty.
How good He is to bring fresh conviction and remind me of his unfailing love!

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!

Here are pictures from our honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! (just trying to get you guys caught up on our summer!) We had the most AmaZinG time! I hope one day we can go back there! It's the most beautiful place.

We were there for about 10 days and got to stay at a resort (the Villa del Palmar) right on the beach. AND we were only like a 10 minute bus ride from downtown Vallarta...so just in case we got tired of soaking up sun at the beach or by the pool, we could go downtown for shopping and great restaurants. Needless to say, we didn't want to come home to reality!