James and Christi

Day 6 St. Lucia

2011-08-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

St. Lucia was the reason that we had booked this particular cruise. I had heard many people say how amazing this island was, so I was super excited about going here. We had booked a dolphin and whale watch safari trip. The morning had started off with rain, but I was hopeful that it would get better. We met up with the tour guides that were taking us on this trip. We got onto a boat and set off. I ended up being very disappointed very quickly. The guides had said there was a cooler of 2 liter drinks on floor and cups on the counter. They were not the crew that we had in St. Thomas that was for sure! We hardly saw them the whole time we were on the boat. They were on the upper deck for most of the trip. Needless to say, the rain came back. I had packed our ponchos so we put those on so we wouldn't be soaked. We ended up seeing 2 dolphins at the end of the trip. We did get to see the The Pitons of St. Lucia. The scenery was very pretty on the way home, but I feel like we really didn't see a lot of St. Lucia unfortunately. We were not pleased with this tour at all, and really regretted wasting our day with it. So, one bad day on the trip.

We did end up having a good evening though. We had a great dinner and saw a couple of good comedians on the boat.

Day 5 Barbados

2011-08-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

This stop was at Barbados. When we got up it was pouring! I mean sheets of rain. We had planned on doing a turtle snorkel excursion this day. We were really disappointed when it was cancelled. However, we tried to make the most of the day. We ended up going into town and just going shopping. :) I ended up getting an anniversary ring. We had heard a lot about the blue diamonds that are so popular right now. James had wanted to go and look at some watches at this jewelry store. So while he was looking...so was I! I had NO intention of buying anything. I was just looking around at the various jewelry that they had. The sales clerks kept asking if I wanted to try anything on. I finally got tired of saying no, and caved. I tried on several different blue diamond rings. I found one that I really liked. The guy kept dropping the price every time I walked away..he he We finally left the store and James kept saying, you should get that. Well, guess what? I did. So, I got a new anniversary ring. It's very unique and a designer piece so there aren't many replicas like it. I am very happy with! So, it was a GREAT shopping day.

Day 4 Sea Day

2011-08-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

This was just a sea day. I LOVE these days because it means that I can just relax and do whatever I wish! We had a suite on the cruise which means that we had a larger balcony. I absolutely love going and just reading and then taking a nap out there. That was my favorite thing to do the last 2 years. It's just so calming and relaxing hearing the ocean waves and seeing the different fish, etc. around you. God's creation is amazing!!! So, this day we just relaxed and did a lot of nothing. It was a good day of vacation. I think sometimes we forget how to just relax and enjoy the moment, and this was a great reminder!

Day 3 St. Thomas

2011-08-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

This day was in St. Thomas (The Virgin Islands). It was a great day! The sun was shining and the weather was perfect. The high was about 78 that day so we were in heaven. We had booked a Catamaran Sail and Snorkel for this day. It turned out to be fantastic. The boat we were on was very nice. We met some fun people that had friends in NWA so that was interesting. The crew on this boat were phenomenal. Anything that you needed they provided. They were friendly and just made this a fun trip.

We sailed out to St. John and were on the honeymoon beach area. We were told that there were lots of sea turtles here. I never saw one, but I did see a HUGE sting ray right off the beach area. I really enjoyed just snorkeling and wading into the beach area. James took many pictures here of the pretty island. (The picture of the house on the hill is Kenny Chesney's Caribbean home.)

In order for us to get to the marina, we had to take a long drive to the other side of the island. We got to see many sights around St. Thomas. The roads were very winding and narrow but it was a fun time! St. Thomas was a hit!

2011 Cruise Vacation Day 1 and 2

2011-08-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

Well, last year I got the first day of our cruise vacation blogged and nothing else. I hope to do better this year. Here is a quick run down and I'll add pictures later.

We left out on Saturday, July 23rd. We flew from XNA to Puerto Rico. The flights were not that great to say the least. The lady at the airport assured me that James had exit row seats for the flights. The first one we did. The LONG flight (5 1/2 hour one) we DID not. So, James was miserable to say the least. We finally landed in PR and got our baggage. We headed to our hotel, The Radisson. I was a little nervous about this because I had read varying reviews. We got there and were told that we had to go to the Penthouse to check in. This made me feel a little better...he he. We went to check in and everything went fine. The room ended up being rather nice. It was a suite layout so that was good. When we got in the room, the phone rang. It was the man that I had checked in with. He said that there was a problem with the credit card that I had given him. Well to make a long story short...after 3 various phone calls to Citibank, I found out that they had placed a hold on it because we were in PR. When a transaction happened from there, the fraud department was alerted. I finally got all of that straightened out...after MUCH stress..

The next morning I got up early and went and had breakfast. I was able to visit with a very nice lady from Iowa. She was a sponsor for a youth group of about 20 teens that were doing mission work in PR. We had a really nice visit and it was very encouraging for both of us I think.

Around noon we headed to the cruise terminal. The check in was smooth and easy here. Although, it seemed like we had to walk a mile with our luggage at this terminal. The VIP room was opened and had air conditioning so we were happy. We had to wait about 15 min. before we were allowed to go on the boat. James and I were the 7th person on the boat.

We headed on up to the Lido deck because our rooms were not ready. We sat and played with our new camera for a little while and then had some lunch. It was very nice to be on the boat and just be able to relax while there were no people bustling around. It was the only time that we didn't have to wait in line to get food all week. We had our choice of whatever we wanted!!

Later on we went on up to our floor and snuck back to our room. It was ready so we went on in and dropped off our carry on luggage.

Around 5 we got a call in our room and it was the security officer. She said that we needed to immediately come down to the lowest level of the ship because there was an issue with James' luggage. I was getting a little nervous at this. I had gotten my luggage very early in the afternoon, but James' had not shown up. So, we immediately went down to the security area of the boat. The officers told us that we had to go back to the pier and talk to the police there. At this point, I'm pretty nervous. They all knew our name, etc. VERY weird.. We get there and they fumble around looking for our bag and finally get it. The man says, well it looks like there is a fan in there and those are not allowed. We had no idea that we couldn't take it with us. It was just a small portable fan. (We are light sleepers so we like to have a fan to make noise and to help us stay cool in case the air doesn't work well, etc.) So, he told us that he would throw it away and we couldn't have it. So, all the commotion was over a small fan. But, the saga continues because we decided since we were already off the boat that we would just head on out to the local CVS and buy some soft drinks to take on the ship with us. You can buy cokes on the boat, but they are 2.50 a drink so at the CVS we could get a whole 6 pack for 1.99. So we went and stocked up. However, in my scurrying to get to the security area, I had forgotten to take my picture ID. I had my boat security card that is usually used to get on and off, but I didn't have anything else. Thankfully we had an officer that saw us come out and allowed me back on with no problem. The second officer wasn't quite as friendly but he believed me and just told James that he would be responsible if anything happened. So, that was the adventure for the first day.

That night we went to dinner and then had our muster drill (Safety drill) at 9:00. The boat set sail and our vacation was beginning!

Summer 2010 Cruise Vacation Pre-cruise/ Day 1

2010-07-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

James and I left on July 9, 2010 to go on our summer cruise vacation. We left early in the morning from the lake house in Tennessee to head to Atlanta for our flight. We had a fabulous flight to Los Angeles. This plane had many "in-flight" options which we were thrilled with. We had our choice of 10 various movies and lots of different games and shows to watch. It made the 4 hour flight fabulous!! It was the best plane I have ever been on! I know it sounds crazy to be excited about a flight, but when you travel with a husband who is 6'6'' anything to entertain him during the flight is a good thing!! The airplanes are just not comfortable for him, so this helped to make the trip a little more enjoyable!

We arrived in Los Angeles and headed for our hotel in Long Beach. I had gotten a FABULOUS deal on priceline for the Hyatt Regency. I was very happy with its location. It was right across from a marina, and the view was amazing. The weather was perfect so we went exploring around the boardwalk. We truly enjoy getting out and see the Long Beach area!

The next morning we got up and had a great and leisurely breakfast at the hotel. We wanted to get over the cruise terminal a little early so we could get settled in. We were asking for a taxi at the hotel. We saw 2 empty taxis, but couldn't find a driver. The conceirge at the hotel went and got us a private car to go in. It was a very nice Lexus SUV, so we were blessed immensely by God! We love when he blesses us with even the smallest things that others wouldn't see. We could have ridden in a dirty cramped taxi, but instead we got the "plush" treatment of riding in a private car.

We arrived at the terminal and handed our luggage to a very kind porter and headed off to the VIP check-in. We had booked a suite on the cruise, so we were once again blessed with the option of doing a quick VIP check-in. The people were very gracious and kind. We had all our cruise documents handed to us, and we were all set to board. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes and we were headed onto the ship! It was so awesome because we were literally one of the first to board the Carnival Splendor. We headed up to the Lido deck because our rooms were not quite ready. So, we got our normal first meal on the ship- grilled hamburgers and fries. We set out on the deck and watched World Cup soccer on the giant screen by the pool. Spain ended up winning, but James rooted for The Netherlands just to be different. he he It's not like he's a sports fan. He just likes to root for the "underdog".

At 2:00, we were able to head to our room. We were pleasantly surprised with the great layout of our room. It had it's own little dressing area, which I loved. The bathroom was huge (for cruise standards) and had a whirlpool tub as well. Of course, the balcony is always my favorite!!! It would become my bible study and napping spot for the rest of the week.

We got our luggage really quickly, unpacked, and were off to explore the ship! We had to have the usual "muster" drill that afternoon, so we headed off to find our spot. It is not as bad as it used to be at all. We didn't have to take our life jackets or anything! It was fabulous!! I always like the muster drill because you get to see all the people that you are going to be living with for the next week. It's always a great "people-watching" adventure!! Cruising always gives you lots of great people watching opportunities. You will start seeing the same people off and on, so you never know what they will be doing the next time you see them! I love it!

After the muster drill, we went back to the room and just relaxed a little. We were still very tired from the time zone differences. Each cruise, we get the late dining times, so we knew that we needed to get a little rest before dinner.

At dinner, we met the people that would be joining us for the week. What a great experience it turned out to be! We met some great new friends, Kathleen and Michael. Kathleen is a teacher, so we both hit it off instantly. Michael and James both have those funny personalities so they were laughing with each other within the first few minutes. We ended up spending a lot of time with these two for the rest of the cruise. It was a great blessing!

Our two waiters were Roel and Wilford. We had a wonderful dining experience with these two for the week. They made dinner a lot of fun!

Our night ended with a late night show. James and I went back to the room and ordered room service (which is free and a MUST for every cruise)! They had a creme caramel that is much like flan that I really liked, and James tried lots of different options throughout the week.

It was a great first day on the cruise. We were excited about the week's adventure!

Painting

2010-02-20T12:03:00.001-08:00

Over Christmas I did a few paintings for family and friends. Here are a few of them. The picture quality is not that great, but at least you can get the idea. :)

This was one for a sweet friend of mine who was having twins. She used this in her nursery.

This is a gift for another sweet friend of mine. Just a message from God.

Razorback block for my razorback fan friend!

This is a moose outline for my brother and sister in law.

I know I'm not an expert or anything, but it's a great stress releiver. It's just really relaxing to me. I just like to play around with colors, etc. :)

Valentine's Day

2010-02-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

There has been so much happening in our lives over the past few months, but I wanted to write about our Valentine's Day for sure. I am trying to use this blog as a reminder of the small and large moments that God brings into our lives.
This Valentine's Day James went above and beyond for me. First, he had tulips sent to work on Thursday. They were absolutely gorgeous. Then on Friday I was surprised with a dozen gourment chocolate covered strawberries! They were beautiful, and VERY yummy as well. I had been giving him small presents along the way as well, such as: a dvd he wanted, chocolates, and a necklace for his cross.

We ended up going to Tulsa on Saturday to run some errands. We went to Cheesecake factory and had a great meal. We had an awesome piece of strawberry cheesecake. Then later that night we drove over to Miami, OK to go to The Ultimate Date Night. It was a couple that did a comedy and marriage night. It was pretty fun. We got to the church early to pick up our tickets. When we went in, a VERY nice gentleman invited us to join them for their dinner. I was very reluctant, but we went anyway. The chicken was to die for!!!! Everyone was very friendly. James kept saying, "This is how the family of Christ is supposed to be." We felt like we were at home. We drove home late that night and collapsed!! But, it was a fun day.

Then on Valentine's Day we went to church and that evening we went to Ruth's Chris for dinner. It was fabulous! So, our Valentine's Day was a fun one, and I think we both felt very special and loved!
I'm thankful for the man that God has given to me!!! He is truly a God-send. I love you James!

Here are the strawberries....YUM!

The box that they came in...

The tulips. They were gorgeous! They are even prettier when they open up all the way!

These were the beautiful daisies and calli lillies that James got me the weekend before Valentine's Day week. They were incredible as well!! I LOVE flowers!

Christmas

2010-02-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2009
I didn't take very many Christmas pictures this year. Here are a few, though.

Christmas tree with presents.

The snowman Christmas cookie.

Various decorated cookies.

A few close ups.

James the "Head" cookie decorator!

We really had a fun Christmas. After Christmas we left and headed to Mississippi for a few days. It was beautiful there. However, there is something wrong about being at the beach and the weather being in the 30's. It just made me wish for the summer a little more. After staying a few days in Ocean Springs, we headed back toward Atlanta to enjoy New Year's with our family. It was fun as always!! Lots of laughing and talking. It was a wonderful Christmas break!!!

Ordination Service

2010-02-20T11:19:00.000-08:00

While in Florida we also had a church dedication and ordination for one of our church friends. Here are some pictures. James was also ordained to Pastor at that service. Here are some various pictures.

Pastor and Nina being admonished and ordained by Bishop

Pastor admonishing Curt's family

James

James telling stories about Curt

Pastor Stephens talking during the service

Labor Day

2010-02-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

In September of 2009, we met up with our church family in Orlando, Fl. We stayed at our favorite resort! It is incredible!!! Then we went to Walt Disney World. Here are a few pictures from the weekend. :)

Random pictures from Hawaii trip

2009-08-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

Random pictures from Halakalea and The Road to Hana.....

Halakalea Volcano

2009-08-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

We decided that we would get up early one morning and go and see the sunrise at the volcano crater. The drive up the mountain was amazing! It was extremely curvy!! The road was pitch black on the way there, so we really couldn't see just how crazy the drive really was! The crater was really pretty however at sunrise. The temperature was about 40 degrees the morning we went. I was wrapped up in beach towels and a blankets, and I was still freezing! These are the pictures from the volcano.

Hawaii- Road to Hana

2009-08-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

At the end of June, James and I travelled to Hawaii. It had a dual purpose. The main one was to have a memorial service for James' father, and we also used it to celebrate our one year anniversary. Hawaii turned out to be just as beautiful as everyone raves about. There were so many times that I was just in awe of the beauty that surrounded us! God showed himself as a Creator over and over to us. It was amazing!

One of the first places we went was the road to Hana. (This is also the place where we did the impromptu memorial). It was truly an experience. The road is crazy!!! It is mostly a one lane road with huge cliffs on either side. Of course, the most beautiful part is the back side of the island. This is also where they say you shouldn't go, and where the rental companies forbid you to go. Of course, we had to be rebels on that aspect. I absolutely loved it there. The black sand beaches, the views of the ocean, and the waterfalls made it fabulous! (Pictures above) Essentially this road was an all day trip around the island. It was truly worth all the time it took to drive the whole length of the road. (Ignore the time stamp...)

Hawaii Trip

2009-07-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well the week I had been waiting for finally arrived!!! We were off to Hawaii for a whole week. I was so excited. It started off with a couple of flights. The longest one was from Dallas to the island of Maui! It ended up being a very long day. The last flight was 8 hours long. It was hard for me to be cooped up that long, but I had done even longer flights on several of my mission trips. I felt really sorry for James being confined to that small area for that long. At 6'6'' it's hard to fit your legs into those little areas they called seats on the airplane. Thankfully, we survived and arrived safely in Maui.

On Sunday, we got there and found our condo resort. It ended up being a great place to stay. It was very family oriented and was not crowded at all. It was beach front and had 2 different pool areas. These two areas ended up being great places to just relax and read. I spent several hours there throughout the week!

Our 1 year anniversary

2009-06-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was our 1 year anniversary. We have learned many lessons over the past year of our marriage. We had a pretty low key anniversary,but it was a lot of fun for us to spend time together. We are spending a week in Hawaii this summer as part of our anniversary/ vacation. James also drastically updated my wedding band set. It is gorgeous, and I was totally shocked with it. I absolutely love it. I in turn bought James a new pistol that he had been wanting. He has developed a new passion for gun ownership over the past year. (I just thought I wasn't marrying a man like my dad...ha ha) Here is a picture of our cake from Sunday. (It was not the design that I had ordered, but it was still yummy. I wanted it to look like our wedding cake. :( oh well..) Thank you to all of you that have prayed for us over the past year. We look forward to the many more things that God has in store for us for the rest of our lives.

Monday Verse

2009-05-18T15:45:00.001-07:00

Ps.34:19 "Many adversaries come to the one who is righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all."

We are not promised a conflict free life here on earth. The bible clearly states that our battle is not flesh and blood but those evil forces around us. This verse is a great reminder that we who are striving to be righteous will have many adversaries (those who oppose us) around us. However, the end of the verse is also true- "But the Lord delivers them from them all." No, sometimes the deliverance may not be in the form that we desire or even the way we desire it, but God does provide deliverance to us. So, if you are being attacked by outside forces, remember God will deliver! His ways and timing is not always the same as ours, but keep trusting that he has a plan in place! Don't allow your adversaries to destroy your joy, your faith, or even your life. Cling to Christ and watch his plan unfold!

Third Day Concert

2009-05-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to be able to go and see Third Day in concert in Tulsa back in April. It was a very fun night! These are a few out-takes from the evening. It was fantastic!

More Third Day Concert

2009-05-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

More Vacation Pictures

2009-05-17T17:44:00.001-07:00

Here are some more. Some of these are from the beach and Universal Studios.

Florida Trip

2009-05-17T17:30:00.001-07:00

Over Spring break we had a memorial service in Mississippi for James' dad. We had the service at the church where his dad was saved. The people there were wonderful! We completely understood why Jim enjoyed spending time with them. It was a great and God-glorifying day!

After the memorial service, we headed to Florida for a few days of fun and relaxation. We stayed at a great resort! I got to meet some of James' friends that lived close to there. We had a fabulous time. I can't wait until we all get back together again! It was fun. Here are a few pics from the trip.

Monday Verse

2009-03-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

Every Monday for the past many many years I have been writing and sending out a short devotional for my friends. Somehow, it has been spread to many others who I have never met before. I thought I would start posting a few on my blog just for fun. Again, these aren't anything special or profound. They are just short little verses with a little encouragement to follow. I hope this encourages you along in your day. :)

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded, YOU NEED TO PERSEVERE so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."
Hebrews 10:35-36

On Sunday, God showed me this verse of scripture. It is exactly what I needed to hear for the circumstances that are occuring in my life right now. So many times, we get discouraged on the journey and feel like we need to just give up. Those are the times that we have to keep in the battle! Don't allow Satan to let you become distracted or distraught over what is occuring. This is only a test to build your faith. As you continue to persevere, God will keep strengthening you to accomplish the task before you. Satan may come against you to torment you, but stay the course. Keep your eyes on the goal and press forward. You will be victorious with God as your guide and your Lord!!! Keep persevering to win what God has promised you! His promises never fail...and neither does his strength for you! Have faith to take the next steps on your journey!!

Life

2009-01-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

Well, the last few weeks have been life lessons for James and I. On January 2, 2009 James' dad passed away unexpectantly. He had just been at our house visiting for a few weeks. This had been a great time for James and he to really concentrate on that Father- Son relationship, etc. James' dad (Jim) had become a Christian a few months earlier and had totally made a life change. He desired more than anything to be faithful to His Lord and to follow the things that he was learning from other strong Christian men. The weekend before he died we had all gone to church together. James was able to see his father truly worship God in a way that James never thought he'd see. It was incredible. We had prayer as a family and just asked God to lead us all into whatever ministry opportunities that HE had planned for us over the coming year. It was really a blessing. Now, Jim is gone, but oh the blessing and assurance to know that he is truly with our Father! All those questions that he had for James and I are now answered. He doesn't have to just read about God, he's with him now eternally. We miss his calls and his humor, but we are at peace knowing he is with our Father! What a blessing!!

Branson

2008-12-15T19:56:00.000-08:00

James and I went to Branson for the weekend. It was our 6 month anniversary, so we thought we would get out of town for the weekend. Here is a picture of our trip to Dixie Stampede. I don't really like the picture, but oh well.... :)

Christmas.....

2008-12-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

Bart and Tree

This year's tree

Christmas 2007 (James' tree)

Well, we've been married almost 6 months now. WOW!!! It has been an adventure..he he But, fabulous. God has definitely taught us many lessons as individuals and as a couple. We have made the initial adjustment now, and are just watching for God to continue to lead and guide us. These are pictures of our Christmas tree. I'm also posting a picture from James' tree last year. After we decorated his tree before Thanksgiving last year, he proposed to me. So decorating the Christmas tree definitely has great memories for us!!! Enjoy the pics.

2008-08-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

2008-08-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

Wedding Pics

2008-08-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the professional pictures. :) I was very pleased!!

2008-07-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Wedding pics

2008-07-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Unprofessional Pics

2008-07-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the wedding. These were taken by James' dad. Many have lots of "red eyes" so they aren't great, but they do give you an idea of the wedding day. I'll post the professional ones when I get them.

Engagement Pictures

2008-03-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures that James and I had taken. My sister in law did a great job on them!

Blessing Cards & Registry

2008-01-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

In our invitations, we will be including blank cards for you to write a blessing/ advice/ etc. to give to us. We would love to have something from everyone. We will have a place to drop them off at the wedding or you can mail them to us.

Also, we are registered at Wal-Mart, Target, JC Penny, and Home Depot. They have on-line ordering as well at target.com jcpenny.com walmart.com and homedepot.com. The items purchased will be shipped directly to us.

Area attractions

2007-12-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

Wedding Date and Site

2007-12-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

Our Wedding date is June 14, 2008. We will be getting married at First Baptist Church. . The ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m. with a reception to follow at the church. Please RSVP to jandcwed@yahoo.com. We hope that you can join us!!

We're engaged!

2007-11-25T17:26:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday, November 21, 2007, James proposed to Christi. It was a very sweet and romantic proposal! God has been so faithful to allow us to be together! We can't wait to see what ministry opportunities that we will have together as a couple. Please pray for us now that we will be faithful to whatever God calls us to!!!