Happy New Year

Even though it's three days late, I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year! Praying that the adventures that lie ahead in the new year are wonderful and full of blessings. Looking forward to seeing what 2011 brings for each and every one of us!

Have you made a new years resolution? And have you picked a Bible verse to cling to this coming year? If you have, what are they? Care to share? I'll share mine in an upcoming post. For now though, PLEASE SHARE YOURS!

- Jenn

Happy Birthday

Happy 235th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!

- Jenn

On My Mind

- Jenn

This Week's Events

A lot has happened this week. This past weekend (the 11th and 12th) was a busy one. On Friday night we went to Allentown because Josh had drill on Saturday. We got to stay in a hotel that night, which was nice to get away. Saturday, as I said, Josh had drill. He was up bright and early to do his Combat Fitness Test (CFT). I slept in. By the time the CFT was over, it was afternoon. We headed out to a park to enjoy his unit's annual Family Day. It was a gorgeous day outside and a really nice family day. It was definitely the best one I've been to.

Here's Josh after Family Day

After Family Day, we headed up to my parents' house for the rest of the weekend. On Sunday we celebrated my nephew's second birthday. It's so hard to believe that he's already 2 years old!

His 3D Thomas cake

Playing with the train table that we got him for his birthday

On Sunday night we headed home after a busy, but nice weekend. Then the week happened. Both Josh and I worked most of the week (of course he worked more than I did). Also, during this week (after a series of events) we decided that we're going to be looking for a new place to live. We can't stay here much longer than we need to now. So, we're officially apartment hunting (which I've found out isn't very fun). Hopefully we'll find one very soon.

Besides what I've mentioned, there's not much else happening here. It's been a long, busy week and I'm sure glad that it's the weekend! Hopefully it'll be a relaxing one.

- Jenn

Dateable

Even after being married for over two years, I still absolutely LOVE going on dates with Josh! This past Saturday was a "date day" for us. We went to a local diner and had lunch together. Then we went to a local pet shop, That Fish Place/That Pet Place. It's honestly one of the most awesome pet shops I've ever been to! There's a whole reptile room, a small animal room, a room with pets to adopt from the local humane league, a stingray petting pool, and then a huge room filled with all kinds of saltwater and freshwater fish. To me it's like going to an aquarium for free. So, needless to say, we enjoyed our time there looking at all the animals and just being together. It's great to stay "dateable", even when you're married. Here are a couple pictures from our day out. Hope you enjoy!

- Jenn

Photo Highlights of Summer - Part 1

A lot happened this past summer, a lot of things which I didn't blog about. I figured it'd be easiest (and most interesting) to highlight my summer using photos, instead of babbling on about some of the things that I did. So, here is the first part of my photo highlights of the summer of 2010. I'll describe each picture a little bit so that you know what's going on. Enjoy!...

My niece and nephew came and stayed at our house for a week at the end of July/ beginning of August. We had a lot of fun with them and I think the kids really enjoyed it too! This picture was taken at Chocolate World, one of our many stops with them.

In July a few of us friends went away for a weekend to our friend Marv's family's lodge. The lodge is absolutely GORGEOUS and is up in the Northeastern part of the state. We had a lot of fun swimming, walking around, playing games, watching movies, and just relaxing together.

In July, my friend Emily came and visited for a week from Vermont. We got to enjoy the whole week together, which was really nice. We spent some time with her sister, Becky, too. This picture was taken when we went to a petting zoo on Friday night.

At the end of Emily's week here, her boyfriend drove up from North Carolina to surprise her with a visit. He's in the Marines too, so he doesn't get to see her much. Josh and I got to spend the day with them and be part of the surprise. To get to Robert (the surprise) we took a hike that lead to an old tower. Robert was at the top of the tower waiting for Em.

My big brother got married this summer, August 7th to be exact. They had a beautiful backyard wedding and it was a gorgeous day. Their reception was the next day. Overall it was a gorgeous weekend and now I have a new sister-in-law, Abby. I'm so happy for them!

Those are some of the photo highlights from my summer. Watch for part 2, which will have even more pictures of what went on this past summer...

- Jenn

What I Love...

Sunshine

Flip flops

Flowers

The park

Being outside with my love

These are just a few of the reasons why I love spring and summer!

- Jenn

24 Years Ago

24 years ago a "little" 10 pound, 10 ounce baby girl was brought into the world.

Her parents named her Jennifer Lynn.

Her momma loved her from first sight - her 3rd child, her 3rd gift from God.

From the minute her daddy held her, she became "daddy's little baby girl".

They loved her so. She grew up fast too!

Alot has changed in those 24 years. She went to kindergarten, made it through high school, went to college, and even graduated college. She had many skinned knees that got kissed better, many spankings for being bad and rewards for being good, many hugs to tell her she was loved, and many words of affirmation spoken to her. She met many people, had many friends. She met her true love. Her daddy gave her away. She moved away and started life with her prince charming. She grew up....way too fast.

Though many things have changed, there are some things that haven't.

Her momma still loves her, and has her as one of her best friends.

And she's still her daddy's baby girl and will always be!

And on her 24th birthday that "little girl" wants to say something. She wants to say thank you to her parents for bringing her into this world and for loving her so much and bringing her up in a Godly home. She wants to say thanks to them for always putting up with her and showing her unconditional love. She wants to thank them for being wonderful people and tell them how much she loves them! She wants to tell them that they're her heroes - and they mean the world to her!

Mom and Dad.... I love you and just wanted to say THANK YOU for everything!

Love,

Your Little Girl - Your Jennifer Lynn

Friendship

Laughing Together

Working Together

Celebrating Over the Little Things With Each Other

Being Random Together


Being Yourself With Others


Talking for Hours About Anything and Everything

Add these all together and you get friendship, which is priceless!

- Jenn

It's That Season Again...

It's that season again - italian ice season that is. Last night Josh and I went for a walk together and stopped at Rita's to enjoy our first italian ice for the season. Yum, that stuff is as good as ever! I had a Swedish Fish Gelati and Josh had a Cotton Candy Gelati - good stuff! I'm definitely happy Rita's is open again and we can enjoy their delicious italian ice for the next few months!



- Jenn

An Open Letter

Dear Snow,

I can't help but wonder why you have decided to visit southern Pennsylvania so much this winter. You haven't been around in such large amounts for as long as I can remember. Normally you only come for short visits once or twice a year. If I recall correctly, you came in the form of about 47 inches within this past month. We have spent numerous hours (approximately 12 to be exact) moving you from our pathway and our parking spaces into large piles off to the side. I finally thought you were gone for good when I got a glimpse of green grass this past week. Boy was I wrong! Now, as rumor has it, you have decided to come back for another visit in the days to come. I hate to say it, but you're really not welcome. I'm pretty sure that most of us have seen enough of you already and would much rather see sunshine, warm temperatures, and flowers. Please stay away. As a matter of fact, please go into hiding until at least late November or December. Then you will be welcome to make an appearance again. Thank you very much!

Sincerely,
Jenn

P.S. I have enclosed a picture that is proof of your visit earlier this month. As you can see, there was plenty of you around...

Back Again

I'm back again after over a week of not posting. Time just flies by sometimes and I can't figure out why. Oh well, I'm back and that's the important part.

This past weekend was definitely a blessing. Josh and I went up to my parents' house and lead the teens from their church on their winter retreat. It was a great time for all! It was such a blessing to spend time with the teens and to be able to get to know them better and have fun with them. The speaker for the weekend was great. He talked about living out our faith outside the walls of the church. His messages were definitely very challenging and made me think a lot about my faith and how I need to be living it out better everywhere that I am. Outside of the services we also had a lot of fun. We got to play different games and sports, hang out at a bonfire, play hide and go seek in our cabin late and night, and just do a lot of random things. It was definitely great!

Here's a picture of the eleven of us who went on the retreat (the guy in the back middle wasn't with us - he just jumped in the picture)....

Over the weekend we also got to spend a little time with my family which was definitely nice. We got to see my sister on her birthday as well. It was just a great weekend all together!

Now I'm back home and back into the normal routine of life. I'm trying to figure out things to do to occupy my time, yet be productive at the same time. It's working somewhat. I still have some more figuring out to do. I guess I'll go now. I just wanted to update this and tell you all about my wekend and let you know I'm alive. I'll try to post better this week.

- Jenn

On This Day In 2007...

On this day in 2007, I didn't know that my life would never be the same again. Let me take you to where I was on this day in 2007....

It was January 18th. I was just starting the second semester of my junior year in college. I was single. I was semi-content with where I was (or so I thought). I was roommates with my best friend, Emily. I had several close friends at school. I was happy for the most part.

Then my friend Eddie told my roommate and I about this new guy. This new guy, this Marine, was gonna be his roommate. New guy came around. He joined several of us at school to play games that night. We played Dutch Blitz and Apples to Apples. I sat across the table from him. We all thought he was a "bad boy". I thought he had the most gorgeous blue eyes and a great personality. He also had an amazing smile. I thought there was more to "new guy" than just a "bad boy". I wanted to be friends with him and get to know him better. It was January 18, 2007. This new guy had caught my attention...

... and we all know where it went from there. This new guy's name was Josh. From the time he initally caught my attention I was intrigued by him. We quickly became friends and started to get to know each other better. Before we knew it we were falling for each other. Then we were dating. Then we were in love. Then we were talking about spending forever together. Then we were engaged. And finally we were happily married - and still are today.

It's funny how God brings people into your life at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected ways. He brought Josh and I together at the perfect time, the time that He had planned all along. It's hard to believe that it's been three years since we first met! In one way it seems like just yesterday, but at the same time it feels like we've known each other forever. I'm so thankful for every moment that He's given to us together and I look forward to many more together in the future. I'm so thankful for the "new guy", the "bad boy", the blue eyed prince who I met three years ago today! I'm thankful for all he is to me and for God's provision of the perfect husband for me!

- Jenn

We Are Family

I decided to give it a go again at posting a picture on I Heart Faces weekly photography contest. This week's theme is "We Are Family" and is all about capturing families together. So I've decided to use a picture that I took of my sister at the hospital after having her son (in September 2008). The picture captures the love of a mother and the joy of being a big sister. It's a beautiful family moment in my opinion.

- Jenn

I've Got Haiti On My Mind

I woke up this morning in a comfortable bed, in a warm apartment, with a roof over my head. I could look outside and see the sun shining, houses standing, and people around. I could take a warm shower, get a drink from the faucet, and a eat a decent breakfast. I had clothes to put on my body and shoes to put on my feet. I was living in America, a land where we have everything that we can ever want and so much more.

As I sat in bed this morning, images of little faces came to my mind. Little faces just like these ones...



As I thought of the children of Haiti, I couldn't help but weep. Little boys like this one...



... now lived in a town that was devastated by an earthquake and looked like this.

Here I am living in America in my comfortable apartment and here are these poor, innocent children living in a country that's been devastated beyond what it had already been. I couldn't help but cry and pray for them and for their families, who I am sure are still in shock as to what has happened to them.

It's at times like these that we often ask "Why God?". Why would God let this happen to a country who was already so poor? Why would God let this happen to these people? Although those questions go through our minds and will probably never be answered, I know that God has let this happen for a reason. Already, He has opened up the eyes of the world to a country that is almost always forgotten by many. He has opened up our eyes to their hurting and their needs.

As I sat this morning and thought about Haiti, I just wanted to go there are wrap my arms around the people. I wanted to sit with a child who's hurt and confused - just to hug them and cry with them and tell them how much I love them and how much God loves them. I wanted to wrap my arms around the woman who is searching for her family and be there to comfort her. I wanted to be there to love these people and to help them sort through all that has happened.

And although I can't be there in person right now, I am comforted to know that there are others who can. There are Christians in the country who can tell them about God. There are people there who can comfort them through this horrendous tragedy. And above all, there's a God in Heaven who will wrap His loving arms around each and every one of them.

So as I sit here typing this, though I wish I could help these people in person, I know that there are things I can do from right here. First of all, I can pray for these people and pray for the relief workers who are there or who are heading there. Prayer is probably the best thing that I can do right now. Second of all, I can give money to be sent to help the people in Haiti recover from this. This month I've been doing an Eat From the Pantry Challenge to save money on groceries. I can give the money that I save to those in need in Haiti.I'll be donating that money to Compassion International to help them reach the people of Haiti. Though it doesn't seem like much, every bit helps.

I know these people will be on my heart and mind for a long time. I pray that through this tragedy God will work in people's hearts and lives and that He'll use all of this for His honor and glory. I pray that our eyes will continue to be opened to the needs of those throughout the world.

- Jenn

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Remember the real meaning of Christmas as you celebrate - the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

- Jenn

Time Flies!

Goodness, it's hard to believe how fast times goes by! It's been almost three weeks since I posted last and now summer has come to an end. I started student teaching orientation on Thursday and it concluded on Friday. On Monday, I'll be starting my first student teaching placement. I will be teaching fifth and sixth graders for the next seven weeks. I am really excited about it, but at the same time I'm also nervous. I'm sure I'll be fine once I get into the swing of things, but for now it's nerve wracking. I'd appreciate any prayers for me, my students, and all others involved as I begin this journey. I'll try to keep updates on here about how my student teaching experience is going as well.

It seems like just yesterday that I started college, but now it's coming to a close. I'm in my final semester and the end is near! I can hardly believe that in 3 1/2 months I'll be walking across stage to receive my diploma. It's one of the things that I've always dreamed of happening and I'm so close to achieving it. I've learned so much during my college career and grown a lot. I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to attend a Bible college and to be trained among other believers.

There's not a whole lot more to say at the moment. We're currently enjoying our last weekend of freedom before student teaching begins. It's nice to be able to relax a little bit! But, I guess that's it for now. I'll post more later - perhaps some summer pictures.

- Jenn

As Promised

As promised in this post, here are some pictures from the time that Josh was away at Annual Training with the Marines and I was here at home and at my parents house...

My friend Katie making dinner when I went to her house

My sister in law, Jen, and me at her church's campfire/picnic

My niece, K's, 5th birthday party

One of my best friends, Erica, at the riverfront

My brother, Joe, and my niece, K, at a baseball game

My adorable niece and nephew

While all of these adventures (as seen above) were going on, there were some busy Marines in Nevada (as can be seen in this post)...

Josh on armory watch one evening

Josh and his fellow Marines taking a break in the barracks

One of the state parks that the Marines visited (while Josh was on base on watch)

By the way, we did eventually get to be back together again (in case you couldn't figure that out). And when we got back together, we were really happy! Here's a picture of us the morning after Josh returned. We went out to lunch at Applebees and then headed back home.

But, these are some pictures from our two weeks apart during Annueal Training. Hope you enjoyed looking at them.

- Jenn