Happy Independence Day!

We are interrupting your regularly scheduled programming for today's holiday post! If you're here to read the next installment of the Sharm El Sheikh adventure, please check back tomorrow!

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This is one of my favorite holidays! I love everything about it! The food, the fireworks, the day off from work, the fun festivities with loved ones! But most of all, I love the reminder of the blessing it is to have been born an American!

And nothing embodies American pride as well as our national anthem, in my humble opinion! So in honor of the day I've listed the lyrics below. I'm sure that the first verse is familiar (it's the one that we sing at every sporting event, after all), but please take the time to read the other three, they're really good!

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The Star Spangled Banner

Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming;
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there:
Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

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On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In fully glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

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And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution!
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

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Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust":
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
lyrics source

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So, in between your fireworks and BBQ's, take the time to remember all of the things that made this country great! And if you're so inclined, please join me in praying - today and every day - that our country would return to these values of faith and courage and honor!

Have a great 4th and a wonderful weekend!

His,

P.S. ~ Be sure to check back in tomorrow for the next installment in the Sharm El Sheikh story!

Expectations

My mom wrote the following for a Christmas Tea at a church in Colorado Springs, but I thought it was appropriate as a first thought for the New Year. Thanks, Mom!

  EXPECTATIONS by Teri Faulkner This year I’ve been thinking a lot about expectations. And Christmas brings lots of expectations. One of our favorite traditions is cranberry ice and I expect to eat it at every family gathering. I expect to listen to lots of Christmas music. I expect we’ll watch a dozen or more Christmas movies. I think my favorites are “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Elf,” and how many of you have seen the one with Marie Osmond, “The Gift of Love?” There are so many Christmas movies out there. There are a lot of expectations that come with Christmas. We’re programmed to believe “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” and it can be, but a lot of times it isn’t. And it isn’t just on Christmas that we have expectations, we have expectations EVERY DAY!!! What kind of expectations do you have? Did you expect your life to turn out like it has? I’m pretty sure if we went around the room today, we would each have a story from our lives where something didn’t go quite as expected. From something little to something big. Here’s a silly one for me . . . I remember when I was pregnant with Katy and I asked Dan one day, “Do I look pregnant?” And he paused and stared at me and I know what he was thinking. "What is she expecting me to say….does she want to hear 'yes, you look great' or 'no, not at all?'" I wanted him to know what I was feeling and he better respond in the “right” way. Yes, I wanted to look pregnant but I was barely showing so when he said no… I was so disappointed. I wanted to look pregnant. You can’t help but have expectations but when things don’t turn out quite like you had hoped or had planned . . . those expectations turn into disappointments. Most of our disappointments come from unfulfilled expectations . . . a lot of those include some kind of pain — either physical or emotional. We have expectations of circumstances, like how Christmas should happen, how our lives should play out, and we have expectations of people. How they should treat us or respond to what we’re feeling. When I think about Christmas and the story of Mary and Joseph and how she was expecting a child. The long awaited Messiah!!!! Mary had to have a lot of expectations! If you had been told you were going to have the Son of God, would you expect to have your baby in a barn? Or would you expect to be so misunderstood by people around you? And Joseph, do you think he expected to marry someone who was already pregnant? So many events of Christ’s birth and life were unexpected. God did not and often does not act in the way we expect Him to. In the book, “One Thousand Gifts” Ann Voskamp talks about learning to be thankful, and as we learn to give thanks we begin to see all that God has blessed us with and it gives us a different perspective on life…how to live a fuller life because of being thankful. That’s kind of the book in a nutshell.
Ann writes about her brother-in-law who buried two sons in less than 18 months. Both had been born with the same genetic disease. One lived to be a year and ½ the other only 5 months. And she tells him in the hospital when the second son is dying, “If it was up to me, I’d write this story differently.” Isn’t there a part of your story that you wish you could write differently? Later he comes by their farm and I this is his response . . .

"Farmers, we think we control so much, do so much right to make a crop. And when you are farming . . . you are faced with it every day. You control so little. Really. It's God who decides it all. Not us." He slips his big Dutch hands into frayed pockets, smiles easily. "It's all good." . . . I catch his eyes and I know I have to ask. Tentatively, eyes fixed on his, I venture back into that place I rarely go. "How do you know that, John? Deep down, how do you know that it really is all good? That God is good? That you can say yes - to whatever He gives?" I know the story of the man I am asking, and he knows mine. His eyes linger. I knowhe's remembering the story too. New Year's Day. He asks us to come. Only if we want. I don't want to think why, but we know. "Already?" I search my husband's face. "Today?" He takes my hand and doesn't let go. Not when we slide into the truck, not when we drive the back roads, not when we climb the empty stairwell to the hospital room lit only by a dim lamp. John meets us at the door. He nods. His eyes smile brave. The singular tear that slips down his cheek carves something out of me. "Tiff just onoticed Dietrich had started breathing a bit heavier this afternoon. And yeah, when we brought him in, they said his lung had collapsed. It will just be a matter of hours. Like it was at the end for Austin." His firstborn, Austin, had died of the same genetic disease only eighteen months prior. He was about to bury his second son in less than two years. . . . "You know . . . " John's voice breaks into my memory and his gaze lingers, then turns again toward the waving wheat field. "Well, even with our boys . . . I don't know why that all happened." He shrugs again. "But do I have to? . . . Who knows? I don't mention it often, but sometimes I think of that story in the Old Testament. can't remember what book, but you know - when God gave King Hezekiah fifteen more years of life? Because he prayed for it? But if Hezekiah had died when God first intended, Manasseh would never have been born. And what does the Bible say about Manasseh? Something to the effect that Manasseh had led the Israelites to do even more evil than all the heathen nations around Israel. Think of all the evil that would have been avoided if Hezekiah had died earlier, before Manasseh was born. I am not saying anything, either way, about anything. . . . Just that maybe . . . maybe you don't want to change the story, because you don't know what a different ending holds."

How do we live in a world of blessings and sorrows? Where expectations aren’t met? How can we have the hope and contentment that John had, because really expectations are hopes, what we hope for, what we want to give meaning to this life. We need to place our hope in what doesn’t disappoint. Is that really possible? It’s the reason Jesus came as a baby that Christmas morning. God came as a man to give us that hope. The hope that there is someone who knows my story, who knows the beginning from the end. He knows the beginning from the end because He had no beginning and He has no end. God is over all this from eternity past to . . . infinity and beyond!!! His understanding is so far above ours. A lot has happened in our little human section of time. From a pure, holy, no evil existence to creation and sin entering the world, which is the source of all our pain. Did God expect us to not sin? Did it take Him by surprise . . . no. But because of that sin we were separated from God . . . but He knew Christmas was coming!!!! That’s why we sing “JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD HAS COME!!!!” If someone doesn’t meet your expectations . . . how do you respond? With love and grace, or with anger and disappointment? I am so glad that God did not respond to my sin in the way I would expect Him too. Here’s how He has responded to us:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” I John 3:1 His plan was Christ coming to this earth . . . to be born a man . . . and to die for our sins. Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And we get to choose if we want that gift. Why do we have to go through this life of pain and suffering to get to that life? That I don’t know . . . It wouldn’t be a life of faith if I did know. But I am pretty sure this life is going to count for something. There is reason for the pain and not just in all the lessons we learn from experiencing a hard thing.
Here’s the thing though, it’s in this life that you get to choose where you will spend that part of your life. The Bible teaches that we choose in this life where we will spend that part of our life. When we choose God’s gift of eternal life…this life starts to take on a different feel. If this was all there was, it would be quite disappointing. When I can keep that perspective of eternity in my focus, to look forward to eternity of a new life because of my faith in Jesus Christ it makes those unmet expectations seem a little smaller. Romans 8:18 says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” So if you haven’t made that choice yet, I hope you will today.
Jesus won’t disappoint you!
JOY TO THE WORLD!!! I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season, and I pray that you will have a fabulous 2013! His, P.S. - Isn't my mom awesome?!?!?

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"

This Christmas carol is swiftly becoming one of my favorites, and I love this version by Steven Curtis Chapman!



I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

May you take time this season to bask in the beauty of the One we celebrate!

His,

Seasonal Encouragement

Today is December 19th.

Amazon.com is telling me that today is the last day to order for shipping before Christmas.

Monday we got the dreaded "all of the gifts you sent broke in the mail" phone call.



Austin and I are making weekend plans, mostly to distract ourselves from the fact that this will be our third Christmas in a row away from home and family.

Twenty families in Connecticut are mired in grief that no family should ever have to confront, and certain "Christians" are all set up to picket the vigil in celebration of "God's judgment."

We had beautiful snow at the beginning of the month, but it has been raining for the past few days, and now it's just pretty gloomy.

(Sorry to be a downer.)

Needless to say, I needed this today:



I hope this blesses you as much as it did me. Praising the Lord that He is present in all of these circumstances, and that His love and wisdom are greater than I could ever grasp!

His,

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

This is still one of my all time favorite worship songs! We sang it a few times at service project, and there is nothing like the sound of 300 teenagers and leaders singing their hearts out about how much He loves us! :) God is so good!



He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves.


We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way

Have a great weekend!

Sunday Song & Scripture

Two of my favorite parts of every Sunday church or chapel service are the praise and worship songs and the pastor (or chaplain as the case may be) sharing from the Word. So, on this Sunday, I thought I'd share a song and a Scripture that have been on my heart!

SONG:

The past few days I have woke up first thing in the morning with this song stuck in my head, it's that good! :) I just love it!

How Can I Keep From Singing
by Chris Tomlin


SCRIPTURE:

Tuesday past was the last day of this semester of PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel). I have been a part of the group doing the Breaking Free study by Beth Moore. One of the central passages of the study has been very precious to me during the study, and I have therefore set out to commit it to memory.

Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV)
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

I hope you are all having a wonderful, restful Sunday and that you have a fantastic week!

His,

Worship and Praise Sunday - The Wonderful Cross

Good morning! Today is Sunday, and I am so excited because we are attending an Italian church today! The entire service will be in Italian (so we will not understand everything), but it is going to be so amazing to fellowship with believers halfway around the world! The commonality of Christ is the most incredible bond, and it has been so wonderful to build friendships and relationships with brothers and sisters of all different languages and nationalities and colors and shapes and sizes!

Today I'm participating in Worship and Praise Sunday, hosted by Jen at Following the Footsteps!

I chose The Wonderful Cross. The lyrics to the original hymn are by Katherine Scott, and I'm not sure whether Michael W. Smith or Matt Redman added the contemporary chorus, but I know both have performed it. The video is Matt Redman's version.

Before we left Colorado, my Aunt Geri encouraged us to "bask in God's love for us," so when I heard the verse that I emphasized below I was totally blown away! God's love for us is so extravagant and inconceivable and outrageous - how could I do anything but give him "my heart, my life, my all!"



When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My Richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

See from His head His hands His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
Bids me come and die and find
that I may truly live

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
All who gather here by grace
draw near and bless your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an off'ring far too small
Love so amazing so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
Bids me come and die and find
that I may truly live

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
All who gather here by grace
draw near and bless your name

Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

and the beauty and the shame
in the glory of His name
Oh the wonderful cross

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
Bids me come and die and find
that I may truly live

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
All who gather here by grace
draw near and bless your name

My prayer for you all today is that you would just rest in God's love for you!

How cute is this?

I love this song, too, so that helps :)



Happy Tuesday,

Bring the Rain! ~ MercyMe

This is definitely my new favorite song!



Bring the Rain
by MercyMe

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that
I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings
You glory And I know there'll
be days When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to
praise You Jesus, bring the rain

I am yours regardless of the clouds that may
loom above because you are much greater than
my pain you who made a way for me suffering
your destiny so tell me whats a little rain

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
is the lord God almighty
is the lord God almighty
I'm forever singing


Talk about a love song for Jesus!

Have a great Wednesday!

25th Annual HI Mississippi Valley Blues Festival

We got some fun pics while we were in Davenport over 4th of July weekend, and while I've told some of the story here, but I thought I'd throw the pics up right quick :)


Austin & Doug on the drive!


(L-R)Doug, Austin, & Rachel
We ran into our friend Rachel - we went to college together, and she just happened to be at the festival with her dad! So fun!

Outdoor Bandstand

AWESOME Blues Guitarist


This guy tore it up on the harmonica!

It was a very fun and unique way to spend the 4th! :)

Pray!

This is one of my favorite Avalon songs!

Love y'all! Have a great day!

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ in the rain!

Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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This week's reason is short, but oh so sweet!

Last weekend, Hoss took us up to the Davenport area to camp and go to the 25th Annual Mississippi Valley Blues Festival (which rocked!!!) What we did not realize was that the festival didn't start until noon, so we got there about 2 and 1/2 hours early.

One of the great things about Davenport is that it's a very historical town, with a lot of emphasis on arts and entertainment. Including one of the most amazing art museums in the area, Figge.

Now, an art museum isn't really Austin's flavor, but he aggreed to go in and take a look around while we waited for the festival to start. Included in the ticket price that day was a walking tour of the downtown Davenport archticture - also not on Austin's list of things that he really wanted to do that day, but he knew that I wanted to go, so we went on the walking tour! It was amazing, and all of that is reason enough to include in this post, but the most loving part of the whole thing was that it rained the ENTIRE time we were on the tour - and he just held my hand and smiled and we really enjoyed ourselves :)

He's pretty awesome!

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As always, on Fridays Union 28 will refund your shipping on any order of two or more items if you mention the great adventure and ~my husband rocks! Fridays~ in the "how did you hear about us?" section of your order form, so run on over there and check them out, too! Thank you Union 28!

Hope you all have a fantastic Friday, and a wonderful weekend!

God in America . . .

I'm a Carmen fan from way back, and this one was playing on the radio this afternoon! Check it out! :)



Hope you're having a great week!

Powerful!

I'm a sucker for a powerful song, and this one is that!

Check it out



When the Saints
by Sara Groves

Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and I cannot let it go

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it often overwhelms me
but when I think of all who've gone before and lived the faithful life
their courage compells me
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul

I see the young missionary and the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear

I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sisters standing by the dying man's side

I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door

I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
and when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them

Have a teriffic Thursday!

My Redeemer Lives!!!

Praise the Lord!!!

I'm ba - a - ack . . . .

NOTE: I am unable to upload photos while we are on the road, so this post will be edited to add pics as soon as we get home :)

Hello and happy Wednesday everybody! We're just heading home from our fabulous anniversary trip in Branson, Missouri!

As I write this I am currently driving down the highway connected to the Internet through Austin's amazing Motorola Q (I will never cease to be amazed by that, I'm very easy to amaze, lol!)

We had a great time in Branson. I had never been there before, and Austin hadn't been since he was about 12, so a ton had changed. Our stay was a wedding present from my grandparents (pictured below), which was a huge blessing!

Thanks Mommer & Papa!

We left right after work on Friday evening, and got to Branson around 11:30 PM. I was driving at the end of the trip, and right as we crested the final hill into Branson, we ran out of gas!!! (Thank the Lord for a Hybrid that can run on the electric engine!) We coasted into town powered solely by the electric engine (this is definitely NOT recommended by the maufacturer) and ran out of electricity right as we pulled into the gas station! Crazy!!!



We checked into our little condo, and went straight to bed! Saturday we spent most of the day just laying around, watching TV, reading - I finished two whole books this week - and it was wonderful. Austin napped (which is very unusual for him, but it was so good, because he was exhausted)!!! And we went swimming, twice :)


(Austin is the tiny dot under the palm trees :) )

Saturday evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner buffeet at Sadie's Sideboard & Smokehouse - absolutely wonderful, especially the dessert: raspberry cobbler (Austin had apple).

Sunday we slept in then went to lunch at Taco Bell, walked around a little mall, then historic downtown Branson where we saw a discount ticket place. We went in, and signed up to take a tour of a timeshare place and got the rest of our tickets for the rest of the week for super cheap.




Waiting for Legends to start.

Sunday night, we went to Legends and saw Garth Brooks, Liza Minelli, The Blues Brothers, Tina Turner, and Elvis in concert! Very fun! We even got our picture taken with "Garth."



Monday was our anniversary, and we got up and went to our timeshare presentation. We ended up spending most of the day there talking to the sales person, but did not end up buying into the program. They sucked us into scheduling an "evaluation" for the following morning by offering us more free tickets, lol!



We enjoyed a delightful anniversary supper at Mel's Hard Luck Cafe (where the waiters and waitresses sing to you!) Our waitress, Julie, dedicated a song to us for our anniversary:

After supper we shopped a little bit, then headed to the New Shanghai Circus for the Acrobats of China show! Amazing!!!

Tuesday morning we had our "evaluation" where they try to sell you a "membership" rather than an "ownership" - we were pretty close on this one because we do like to travel a lot, but my wise husband decided that he would feel better about it if we were able to do some more research and make an informed decision. (Have I mentioned that he rocks? :) )

From there we went to lunch at Fall Creek, home of the tossed rolls - they actually throw your bread at you, lol!



Our free tickets for the day took us to the Titanic exhibit and the Hollywood Wax Museum.

Titanic was very interesting and informational with a lot of interactive activities. They had a huge portion of the exhibit dedicated to movie memoribilia including several of Kate Winslet's gorgeous costumes.

Hollywood Wax Museum:

Gone With the Wind (one of my favorite movies of all time)


Austin on the Johnny Carson Show


John Wayne (that one's for you Aunt Ger!)

Two hotties, one a more alive than the other :)


Indiana Jones exhibit



After that we had a little bit more time to kill, so we went for a free tour and wine tasting at the Stone Hill winery! Very fun!!!



We went straight from our tour to the Sight & Sound Theatre for their production of

We ate supper from concessions while we waited for seating to start.

The musical was AMAZING!!!! The stage and set were spectacular,

and while they did take some artistic license with the story line, they had a great message of God's faithfulness and salvation! Not a bad way to end our vacation.

All in all we had a fabulous time, and we enjoyed celebrating our first anniversary and looking forward to many, many more. Branson is a very popular destination with the retired generation, so everywhere we went we met couples who had been married for 30, 40, 50 years and more. Such a great encouragement for us, and a beautiful testimony to the committment of marriage in a world where that is not always commonplace.

Thank you all so much for your sweet anniversary wishes and prayers for our safe travel! And thanks for reading!

To see a list of ALL of our travel stories, in chronological order, click here!