Friday, June 27, 2008

Give me just one more chance...

Ok, for my faithful friends who actually want to see my Wyoming pictures, David helped me to put them all on one little tiny memory thingy.(Yes, my grasp of technology is astounding.)So here are my photos...just click on the first one and hopefully you will head to Picasa where you will see some amazing beauty, oh, and some mountains too :) Have a wonderful weekend! love, Jackie Sue p.s. why don't you tell me about your favorite vacation and where you saw God's hand in a whole new way? I would love that!
Wyoming Vacation

Monday, June 23, 2008

Well, Hey There!

So...how's your mom?

My blogs have become quite sporadic, don't cha' think? I find that I do much better when I'm actually ON vacation, as opposed to living regular life...wonder what that says about my life at home...I don't know, busy maybe? Actually, busy and tired would be more like it :) Also, and I kid you not, I was trying to download (or upload, whatever) some more photos from our trip and I could not figure out how to use the little flashdrive thingy that David had put all our pictures on. I looked all over my computer to try to figure out where to "plug" it in. Anyone with any computer knowledge at all is now saying to themselves, "back away from the computer". Really, I have no business at all using this equipment. Finally, I figured out that there is this little cord thing that they plug into. Wow! A cord thing. So very technical. So, here are some photos that you can check out if you are dying to see a moose, or elk, or something that lives in Wyoming....just click on the photo and you can see lots of those things. We did have a marvelous time and we were blessed to meet a "moose couple" from a distance of about 25 feet(which is quite close really) our last night there. I am going to learn to blog about my everyday life soon. Really, I am. Blessings. Jackie Sue

P.S. I was going to add some photos, but I kid you not, David put EVERY single photo we have taken in the last 12 years(ok, maybe 2) on thse flashdrives so it could take at least 2 weeks to get them where I need them. This is where his thoroughness just gets on my nerves. Funny how some qualities are just not appreciated in all circumstances. Still, most times I'm so thankful for this quality in him. So, all that to say, you'll have to wait on the photos. Stop clapping so loud, I can hear you!

Monday, June 9, 2008

Our God



So, this is what I wake up to here in Jackson, Wyoming. Not a bad view, huh? Yesterday morning when I woke up to this absolute breathtaking majesty God reminded me of the words to "Shout to the Lord" where it says that the mountains will bow at the sound of His name....and I wondered, those mountains, those huge, awesome, mountains, bow to my God...how big are You Lord?And I realize that I have tasted only the teeniest, tiniest bit of God. What an indescribable God we serve.
While getting ready for our 6am Teton wildlife safari I spoke my heart to the Lord. I just asked Him to wow me today. I told Him that He would be no less my God or good if He didn't, but I just wanted to see Him today in a new way. Well, my friends, He did not disappoint! Some of you know that for over 10 years I have been looking to see a moose. It began on our Lynx trip, in 1998, while traveling through Vermont and we saw "watch for the moose" signs everywhere, well, I watched and no moose. Then we traveled to Montana several years back and still no sign of the moose. Yesterday we saw all kinds of animals. It was amazing. Seriously. Then our guide found my moose. She was so adorable. We could see her well through the binoculars and tears came to my eyes. I knew again that my God loved me. We were heading out of the park when our guide spotted this:



If you look carefully at the very middle of the photo you can see a big brown moose cow and behind her a little tiny adorable moose calf. Ok, so now I was REALLY wowed! Sometimes we settle for what we think is God's best and then He shows us what He really had planned and wow! I was moved to near weeping when I saw how He desires to give us so much more than we knew to hope for. A baby moose...my baby Ellie....oh so much more. God Bless you. Today we are headed to Yellowstone to see some more of God's hand. What an amazing God we serve. Much love, Jackie Sue
P.S.Because we had to stay in Denver overnight I was able to meet a Korean Methodist Youth group from Nashville who were on their way home from Mexico where they had been on a missions trip to serve the people there. God blows me away. He continues to gently expose my prejudices. I have never thought about folks of a different culture taking mission trips to other cultures. I know I am narrow, but God just keeps expanding my awareness of Him throughout our nation and the world. He is so good.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Denver on my Mind

Traveling with Eddie has turned into quite the adventure. Not much different than traveling with "Louise".(Can some techy person help me again...I don't know how to link to a particular past post on my blog?) Anyway, we were delivered to the airport yesterday by the very timely and competent Pastor Jon in plenty of time so Eddie and I split a sandwich, got me a starbucks and made our way to the gate. Uneventful and oh so freeing to be traveling alone. Our flight left Orlando on time and arrived in Denver with 4 hours of a layover. We went and ate...yes, again! and then proceeded to the gate where we waited and waited and waited. The airport in Denver is wonderful. Lots of food and shops, but I was sorta excited about getting to Wyoming. Just wasn't meant to be. At 9:30 at night they said the flight would leave at midnight. So, guess what we did? Yes, at 11:30pm our time we headed to get a snack. By the time we got back the flight had been cancelled for real. Off to a hotel compliments of United Airline. I'm ok with changes and flying by the seat of my pants(NOT!). I really try to adjust but the most interesting thing is that Eddie, somehow in these type of circumstances, is completely calm and at ease. I'm serious. He doesn't get bothered at all. I'm all stressed about the car that is waiting for us and already paid for and the resort where we are staying that will not adjust the cost of our stay for the night we didn't get to stay there. Seriously, this is the most expensive place we've ever stayed and so the cost of that and the money just being wasted kept me up at night. Not Eddie. He slept the sleep of babies and seems to enjoy this adventure thing. I would have said and I by far the more adventuous of the two of us and yet in this type of situation somehow not so much. So here we sit, again, at the Denver airport waiting on our flight to Jackson Hole. It has been delayed again....but the good side is we had a lovely breakfast together. (Man! I sure talk a lot about food) Oh, did I mention that when they shipped us off to a hotel at midnight that we had NO LUGGAGE! No suitcase, no change of clothes, no toothbrush, no hairspray, NO MAKEUP...get the picture? Not pretty my friends. Except for Eddie...looks exactly the same as yesterday and is happy as a clam sitting next to me reading the news on his computer. We are such geeks together. Hopefully I will get to Jackson Hole today. I can't wait to ride in our convertable in the 40 degree weather and sleep at our expensive Spring Creek Ranch. Wish us well. love, jackie sue

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

25 Roses for 25 Years


Came home to these beautiful roses last night and the sweetest card. Heading to Wyoming to celebrate on Friday. Yay, God! You have done this thing and it is marvelous in our eyes!

Top 10 Reasons I'd Say Yes All Over Again!

Dear Eddie, Happy 25th anniversary! Can you believe it? 25 years ago today we were headed to our honeymoon. Oh the memories! I would just like to publicly list for the whole bloggy world why I am so blessed to have you in my life. I love you and esteem you above all others. You complete me and I'm so grateful to God for our journey together in this Great Adventure. Thank you for teaching me so much in this life. So, in no particular order, I give you the top 10 reasons I would say yes all over again.

1. Faithfulness. God has shown me faithfulness through your consistency in my life. You are not my "steady Eddie" for nothing. You have stood by me through thick and thin(and I'm not just talking about my weight).
2. Self-Control. I have never seen you lose your temper. Not even once. Almost with the dog a few times :) but, you never just lose it like me. I totally admire your self-control.
3. Thoroughness. David, you have taught me that any job worth doing is worth doing well. You never ever do a job halfway. I'd rather hire you to do a job than anyone I know. I know that when you are done it is just about perfect. Thank you for that example. Goodness knows I needed it!
4. Serving. My man, you are a servant. I see it in your life over and over again. You enjoy meeting the needs of others, sometimes to your detriment. A few years ago when you began to ask me before bed every night "Is there anything I can get for you? Anything you need?" Because I am usually, ok, almost always, the first one in bed, it just touches my heart that you are looking to serve me at the end of the day. Most times I say "no, I'm fine." But, if there is anything I want I can ask you and you and you will do it for me. I am daily blessed by your serving.(the clean kitchen at the end of the day never goes unnoticed, even if its not until the next morning that I notice)
5. Stewardship. David you are amazing with money. We couldn't be more opposite in this area. I have nearly killed you with my freedom to spend. But really, you can hold onto the same $10 for weeks. I can hardly hold onto it for 10 minutes. This has been and continues to be a point of contention for us. I promise to continue to work on it. We have both grown in this area, but I continue to admire your ability to hold onto a dollar.
6. Preparedness. This is definitely one of your defining characteristics. MacGuyver is another nickname you have earned. I don't always appreciate this in your life, when it makes more work for me, but honestly, there just isn't anybody like you. I would definitely pick you to be on a stranded island with, and not just for the obvious reasons. You could totally rock on Survivor!
7. Memories. We have shared so much through the years. 2 bouts of unemployment, 2 miscarriages, 3 births, 2 adoptions, building a home in our dream location, church attendance at the same church our whole marriage, holidays, made up holidays, deaths of loved ones, many many many traditions....what I love about you is how you have embraced the importance of family memories. You desire to document them all. You are my videographer, photographer, and light man. You are priceless.
8. Lover. And that's all I will say about that :) oh, and that I am one satisfied woman!
9. Loyalty. You are such a loyal friend. You aren't demonstrative to most people, but when you give your heart you stay put. I admire your steadfast loyalty and have personally benefited thousands of times through the years. Thank you for being so true to me and to our marriage. Your loyalty has built trust in our relationship and I have learned to depend on your love more than I ever thought was possible. Oh how I love old love.
10. Provider. David, as my husband I have always been able to count on you to provide for me and the kids. You have sacrificed again and again to meet our needs and even our wants. You work so hard and so faithfully to be able to provide for us. I know you worry about how we will take care of the little girls, what with our age and all, but I have been blessed by your resourcefulness through the years, and only God knows how He plans to continue to take care of us through your efforts. Thank you for being such a faithful provider.

Well, sweet man of mine,I love you. I am so blessed to have you as my husband, lover and best friend. I am so hoping that God gives us many more years and that I go first ;) I can't imagine this life without you, or the next one either. I just know we are going to be next door neighbors in Heaven and you will still be my gardening buddy. My heart is full and my life is full and you are the love of my life, along with Jesus, and I promise to be yours for all of my days. Thanks for choosing this red-neck girl to be your very own.

Always,
Bun