Shucking Corn With Papaw

Tim (Chris' brother) brought a ton of corn to us and I was more than thrilled to realize that Ellie and her PaPaw shucked it while they were at their house one day!! Talk about a timesaver... shucking corn is not my favorite thing to do! Grana commented that Ellie enjoyed finding the worms in the corn... that is so like Ellie!

Friends...

Here are some pictures from a fun evening at the home of the Mattheiss family. We had so much fun visiting with them and the Calloway family and can't wait to get together again! I love it when Ellie has a bunch of kids to play with... she had a blast!

How Does Our Garden Grow?

How exciting it has been to begin gardening this year! We began planning our garden last winter and purchased heirloom seeds from Bakers Creek Rare Seed Company. We started our seeds inside the house in February, then in May we planted them outside in a raised garden bed that we made. Our goal was to do everything organically and we were able to manage that! We used all organic fertilizer and soil and no pesticides or chemicals. Chris made two huge rain barrels that are attached to the downspouts of our home so we wouldn't have to spend as much money watering. We have learned so much this year and can't wait for next year - already planning!! Squash, Zucchini, and tomatoes seem to be our thing as we have picked an abundance of them! We planted watermelon and cantelope and have harvested several and have many more left to pick... it's so hard waiting for them to ripen! We've also picked a good amount of okra. Our packed freezers are a testimony to how much God has blessed us through our garden this year! Thank You, Lord!

Seth and Lora

Lora and Seth's engagement pictures were so adorable. They turned out great - thought we would share some of these with you.

Lora's Bridal Portraits

I thought these pictures were so beautiful and decided to share them!! My sister was such a gorgeous bride!

Lora and Seth's Wedding Day!

May 30, 2009 was their special day! We had such a fun trip to Winston Salem, North Carolina for the wedding. The wedding was at Calvary Baptist Church - a HUGE church! We found out that Gary Chapman, the author of "The Five Love Languages" is the senior pastor there. Too bad we didn't get a chance to see him! Poor Ellie - we swam at the hotel pool the night before the wedding, and she woke up with a rash on her face and neck from the sunscreen we put on her... her face was swollen, and it only got worse on the way home. She was so miserable, which is the reason we didn't get many good pictures of her! What a beautiful and memorable flower girl she was, though! I was honored to stand, along with my sister Shannon, as the matron of honor. Chris and I also had the priviledge of singing at the wedding, and it was an incredible experience for us. We are so excited for Seth and Lora as they begin their life together. We love you guys!