Anniversary

Happy Anniversary, dear Husband!  So much has happened in three years.  Thanks for doing all you do for us.  I do love you so very much; and I thank God for bringing you into my life.

And happy Passover!  We are celebrating Passover this year (because we don't celebrate Easter) by spending today and the next 10 days remembering the sacrifice that Christ made for us, and celebrating His resurrection from the grave.  We don't have a particular meal, or celebrate it in the traditional way, but we are attempting to avoid leavening for the 10 days as a symbol of "cleaning out" sin from our lives.  And I love bread, so it's a huge sacrifice for me.  :)  (Especially since Keith and I are going out to eat for our anniversary tonight and we won't get to eat any hot rolls!)  I know that we humans sin constantly, but I hope these 10 days serve to make me more aware of my sin by reminding me of God's Great Sacrifice.  I could never imagine letting my sweet child hang on a cross to die for others.  It's painful and humbling, convicting.  Yet, so beautiful!  Despite the pain in the world, we have a wonderful reason for joy.

Mrs. G has a great post over at her blog about the origins of Easter -- worth the read!

Many blessings and love to you all.

-Amy

Around the house.

Hi everyone!  It's been forever since I posted (it seems), and although I don't have anything important to post, I thought I'd drop by and say hello.  :)

Things have been extremely busy around here, just with life I guess.  It's good to be busy, but some of us (like my husband) is busier than he really ought to be.  He's getting many overtime hours due to a lack of a co-worker who recently retired, and the paycheck is an extreme blessing, but he's wearing out with all the double-shifts -- often evening and midnights.  I'm worried about him, to be honest.  I hope his schedule can regulate soon so I can get my husband back.

Please keep him in your prayers, for health and well-being.

My garden is doing well.  I've harvested my first two tomatoes the other day.  Two little cherry tomatoes.  :)  But the plants are really getting huge and are growing all sorts of young tomatoes.  I also have precisely 3 jalapenos, 1 bell pepper, and two new little veggies I just found:

{ and if you look closely, there's a second zucchini to the left of the bigger one, which is, by itself, only about 2" long. }

I also acquired a new set of dishes!  Refrigerator dishes to be exact.  I never knew what "refrigerator dishes" were until Atlanta posted about them on her blog.  Well, actually, I knew what they were, just not by that name.  My grandmother had some.  My mom had some.  And I don't know if they had the Amish Butterprint pattern, but something about it seemed familiar, so I picked them up.  Maybe my grandmother had this pattern and I'm channeling her.  :)  Anyway, I love them.  I dig turquoise and white.  I'm getting a matching butterdish and a few other smaller dishes next.

Well, that is all for now!  Y'all be good.  Serve Our Lord.  Buy gold.  ;)  Hard times are coming.  I'm not going to rant about it, but I fear it could be worse than anyone is imagining at the moment.  Lord willing, it won't be; but it's always better to be prepared.

Anniversary The Second.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful pavilion.

It was filled with friends.

And beautiful music.

And tables laden with delicious foods.  (Ain't it gorgeous??)

It was there we exchanged our vows.

Then we went on a fabulous honeymoon.

And lived happily ever after.

. . . . . . .

A lot has changed since, of course.

But we're still living happily, blissfully ever after.

Here's to you, my dear beloved husband.

And many more years together.

Etiquette Between Husbands and Wives

Let the rebuke be preceded by a kiss.
Do not require a request to be repeated.
Never should both be angry at the same time.
Never neglect the other, for all the world beside.
Let each strive to always accommodate the other.
Let the angry word be answered only with a kiss.
Bestow your warmest sympathies in each other's trials.
Make your criticism seldom, and in the most loving manner possible.
Make no display of the sacrifices you make for each other.
Never make a remark calculated to bring ridicule upon the other.
Never deceive; confidence, once lost, can never be wholly regained.
Always use the most gentle and loving words when addressing each other.
Let each study what pleasure can be bestowed upon the other during the day.
Always leave home with a tender good-bye and loving words.

-Hill's Manual for Social and Business Forms, 1888