Pictures!

Just a few pics from our trip to South Carolina...

Nicole's sister (me) & Colin's sister (Laura), both 34 weeks pregnant.

Cassie & I

Me & Leslie

More where that came from...

My sisters & Mom took a bunch of pictures on their cameras, which I forgot to upload while I was there... placenta brain, I claim. It was a wonderfully relaxing while still enjoyably busy trip. Ryan & I arrived Monday, and Tuesday afternoon my youngest sister Anna (helped by Mom & Nicole) threw me my first baby shower!! It was really really fun, and so encouraging... I don't even live in Greenville anymore, yet these sweet women were still willing and excited to come see me, shower me with gifts, and share in my joy! That's the love of Christ at work. Not to mention all the SWEET gifts we got... most notably: BOOKS!! I couldn't have been happier. Eowyn's library is already off to a great start, with board book versions of We're Going on a Bear Hunt; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Mike Mulligan & His Steamshovel; The Very Hungry Catterpillar; Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See?; I Love You, Goodnight; and big-girl book versions of Jamberry, How Do I Love You? and Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom!

On Wednesday, Anna was shower-throwing again, this time with me as her partner in crime. We had a small Linens & Spice Luncheon for Nicole, with many of her long-time friends there. Anna & I had too much fun making a Jeapordy game (with category names like "Colin & Nicole 4 Eva" and "Global Wedding Traditions"), the food was all a hit, and I think Nicole was encouraged as we all shared what character traits we loved most about her, and how those would help her be a great wife. Friendly hospitality & a sense of humor were the top two!! =D

I got to go with my dad to his Small Group on Wednesday, seeing dear friends with whom I used to worship weekly. It was great to see my dad in a leadership role, to see how God is still growing and working in him, and to get to enjoy it! It was also encouraging to see many of the kids I worked with back when they were middle school twerps now grown into high school and college students who are still loving the Lord and pursuing Him.

Thursday was spent helping my Tia Olga get ready for the couple's church shower she & Uncle Steve was hosting for Colin & Nicole that night. It was a smashing success (as always) and I enjoyed getting to catch up with her as we stuffed mushrooms and made fresh salsa with her excess garden produce. I even managed to catch the very tail end of the College Bible Study afterwards. Friday evening my high school friend Cassie came over for dinner (BLTs which I'd been CRAVING!!), and then Ryan & I headed off to visit my grandparents, whom I hadn't seen since my grandfather's quadruple-bypass surgery. It was encouraging to see him softer that I ever have seen him before... we are praying constantly that the Lord is working towards salvation in his & my grandma's lives!!

Our last night "home" was of course spent up late, watching a movie with Mom, Nicole, Colin & Anna. It kept striking me that this will be "family" for the next couple of years (until Anna gets married, too). Ryan, Dad & Colin will be the only guys around for who knows how many Christmases-- they'd better start getting along!-- lol, they actually already do. Both Ryan & Colin are so easygoing I think they'd get along with anyone. It's so cool to think that Eowyn will grow up with Uncle Colin & Tia Nicole & never think twice about it, the way Uncle Steve has always been my uncle. I'll get to know Colin over the years as a brother. It's such a blessing that we actually look FORWARD to that instead of dreading it, you know? By the way, the movie we saw was Push, and it was pretty cool in my opinion...

I also managed to see my college roommate Sarah (who is getting married right around the time with Eowyn will be born), my church & college buddies Ashley, Craig & Kyle, my home-girl Lena (like a little sister to me), and my freshman-hall-mate Leslie. It was so encouraging to see how the Lord is working in each of their lives, in ways that I could not have forseen years ago when part of my being faithful was loving them with the Gospel. He is ALWAYS at work!!