My Sunday Night

What a great night! Watching an old childhood favorite, Aladdin & working on another cowl scarf. Such a great way to wrap up the weekend.

Our Wedding Reception

Here are some of the "details" from our wedding reception. It's so fun looking back through all our wedding photos. J Design Photo did a phenomenal job with our pictures. 

Here are the homemade cobblers that my mother-in-law's sisters, friends, & mom made for us. They were so tasty and such a great homemade addition.

Here is just a peek at the table decorations. There were lots of hints from Thailand that my Mom & I enjoyed finding. Each guest received a homemade truffle from Ben's Aunt Sharon in a hand painted navy & white dish from Thailand.

Our Cake was made by another friend of my new mother-in-law. I love the simplicity of it & I adored the lemon filling!

My Mom & I found this seasoned typewriter at a thrift store for such a steal. Our guests were encouraged to "type" us their congratulations. All around the Typewriter were wedding pictures from our families- such a treasure.

One of my favorite additions were these menthol sniffers from Thailand. When we were shopping in the markets of Chiang Mai, we came upon a wedding favor section & I couldn't refuse the "smell" of thanks!

Simple reeds from Thailand, with good Missouri antique mason jars- what a perfect blend!

This one of my favorite projects that I sewed for ur wedding. I love garlands & banners. We actually have this hanging up on our headboard above our bed here at the Institute. The legacy of our wedding lives on!

 

Our wedding was a dream come true, and I am so thankful that it all came together. I am so content with the way it all turned out & wouldn't have changed a thing. 

oh, spring...

Here at the Kanakuk Institute, our Spring Break starts a tad earlier than most colleges. Ben & I are looking forward to relaxing, processing, and spending good quality time with each other.

Our agenda for our 11 days includes time at Ben parents house, and then travelling to Fayetteville, Arkansas for the birth of Jon & Marisa's 4th child. I am elated at the invitation to be Collin, Summer, and Hayley's babysitter while the delivery is happening.

Pictures of the newest addition will be here, so stay posted!

Hoping for a very warm week!

hiking & k-life

What a great weekend! It was non-stop, but really fun & productive.

Ben & I woke up early Saturday morning & went hiking in Arkansas with friends. It was so refreshing to be outside & work up a sweat. The boys said they are fine today, but my legs (especially my calves) ache! Our hike totaled at 7 miles with many inclines & declines. Here is a picture of the start of our hike ----> 

At the end of the trail we came to an old cabin where a granny used to live. I couldn't imagine living in a cabin without heat in the winter! Brrr!

After we got back from our hike we showered, changed & went out separate ways. Ben went to work at Chilis, & I went to on an outing with K-Life! It was so great to spend time with my small group girls. We ended up caravaning up to Springfield for a night on the town!

First stop we braved the packed Battlefield Mall where we each ate at the restaurant of our choosing. For me, there was no question: Chick Fil-A! 

At our second stop we were surprised by Skinny Improv. We definitely overtook the show with our 60 kids who were loud, enthusiastic & very silly! Skinny Improv was so fun & a treat to see.  

Our final destination is a personal favorite of mine, Andy's Frozen Custard! They have the best ice cream with the greatest flavors. I had mine & Ben's favorite: James Brown Funky Jackhammer, which is, "Grandma's homemade brownies & creamy peanut butter blended with Andy's Frozen Custard, filled with rich hot fudge." Yummm.

What a day! I greeted my sleepy husband at 12:15 & fell right asleep. I hope your weekend was the greatest, & hopefully a little more relaxing than our Saturday!

the food of my dreams.........

I miss THAI food! 

I miss paying $2 to get the most authentic, flavorful, tropical, and scrumptious meal on the streets of Thailand.

In my absence of Thailand, I survive off their imports to America. Similar to Ramen noodles, "Mama" noodles have been a frequent addition to my meals here at the Institute. For 30cents a package, I think they are wise investment.

To my disappointment, these "Peanut Noodles" were not a "Taste of Thai". Yes, it only took 3 minutes to make this meal, but it didn't remind me of home.

 

 When Ben & I are feeling extravagent, we travel to our local Thai restaurant, "Thai Thai". Their food is very authentic and always leaves me stuffed! 

If you come to Branson, we'd love to share our favorite dishes with you-maybe we could even venture to a show afterward!

philippians at the institute

This past week at the Institute, Keith Chancey walked us through the book of Philippians. I really enjoyed studying Philippians extensively, because I have always loved the book but have never really studied it.

We first went through and outlined the chapter themes:
1- Conduct yourselves in a manner worth of the gospel
2- Attitude of Christ
3- Press on towards the upper calling of Christ Jesus
4- Stand firm

Then we broke down each chapter to better understand the content.
Here is my Chapter 1 breakdown:
vs.1-2 Greetings
vs. 3-11 Paul's love for the brethren
vs. 12-20 Circumstances of the gospel being spread
vs. 21-26 Paul's perspective
vs. 27-30 Call to conduct for the Philippians

Keith really made the scripture come alive and here are some of my highlights from his teachings.
-God put me(&you!) on this earth for a purpose: to spread the gospel!
-Be BOLD in my faith: It is so easy for me to step aside and let the "more qualified" proclaim the gospel.
-"Go low to get high": Keith really spoke to humilty and said that the church today is in great need of humilty. I too need to work on my pride and humbling myself for the Lord's glory.
-In 2:4 it says, "Look for others interests"--Keith shared one of my new favorite quotes: "The HAPPIEST people constantly serve, the UNHAPPIEST people are waiting to be served." Selflessly serving gets addicting and I want in!
-Keith also emphasized that we need to LOVE people to Christ. I want to get rid of my judgmental nature and love people to Christ, showing them the joy I have received from being a child of God.

I hope that this is an encouragement to you & that you too read Philippians! I am so blessed to be a full-time student, studying God's truths.

valentines

I just LOVE this holiday.

What a great day to pamper the one you love with cards, kisses, and a dress up date. Yes, this holiday is the mushiest holiday of them all, but being a newly-wed I am entitled to be a sap.

My sweetheart began our valentines celebration today with a surprise visit to the Sunday brunch at the Keeter Center. The food was so great and I felt loved. 

When my grandmother passed away I inherited some of her old vintage stationary which I am in LOVE with. I have a sweet valentines card that warms my heart when I see it. Thinking that she bought it with the intentions of giving it to my grandpa is such a sentimental thought. Leonard and Lola were such great role models of loving each other selflessly.

Here are some of my favorite valentines...

Crocheted heart garland- too adorable. 

And lastly, a shout out to my husband who can't seem to get enough of his favorite seasonal candy...

Happy Valentines Day!

what's on my mind...

I just LOVE knitting. I love the feeling of being productive, and having an end result. My love language is also giving- so I love putting a smile on peoples faces while giving them gifts!

I have the pleasure of making a fun patterned scarf for a dear friend of mine, Lauren Kolter. She is such a sweet and encouraging friend. It was such a joy to have her stand next to me when Ben and I got married. I hope she likes it!

weather forecast

And our weather forecast for the day is SNOW! During class there was a steady flow of beautiful snowflakes. When we got out of class Ben and I had a trek through the beautiful powdery snow.

Our prediction today is that we will get 6-8 inches.

Ben is going to take his jeep for a whirl tonight when he heads to work. Four wheel drive comes handy on days like this :)

Another great day of Acts, and celebrating Lauren Kolter's birthday!

Have a wonderful wednesday!

this week at the kanakuk institute

This week we have the pleasure of hearing Mitch Maher speak on the Acts of the Apostles here at the Kanakuk Institute. Mitch is such a solid speaker and we have already learned so much just after day #1.


This passage in Acts 2 is a great motivation to have godly community like the apostles had together.

"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need." -Acts 2:42-45

This is a neat picture of the ministry of Paul- wish it was bigger!

Ben and I both feel so blessed to be here at the Institute learning so much about scripture. We truly treasure this unique year.

I hope your Tuesday is Terrific!

Superbowl Sunday

Today is Ben's favorite day of the year- SUPERBOWL! We are currently at the Kolter's house celebrating with K-Life kids! 

Here are some of the things we are currently enjoying...

 chips and salsa :)

I hope your superbowl was as delicious and fun-filled as ours! 

I can hardly wait to see the top commercials too!